Matt Sheridan is a Plymouth real estate developer who has signed a P&S to purchase 138 acres in Cedarville that are classified under MGL Chapter 61. That statute provides that, in return for reduced real estate taxes, the Town has a right of first refusal to purchase the land. As a result, the owner has forwarded the P&S to the Town to determine whether or not the Town will exercise its right of first approval to purchase the land or to assign its right of first refusal to a nonprofit conservation organization.
Sheridan is a friend of two Select Board members, Kevin Canty and David Golden. He managed Canty’s recent campaign for Select Board, and he is managing Golden’s current campaign for State Representative. Because of the foregoing, both Canty and Golden have filed a disclosure of appearance of conflict of interest, but neither has indicated that he will recuse himself from voting on this matter. Neither one should vote on this matter.
Canty’s and Golden’s votes are not required, as long as the other three members of the Select Board (Dick Quintal, Bill Keohan, and Deb Iaquinto) are present and vote, since three members of a five member board constitute a quorum, and a majority vote by those three will be sufficient, under the Town Charter, to exercise or assign the Town’s right of first refusal.
– Richard Serkey
Serkey is a Town Meeting member representing precinct 2