I would like to address the idea that has been floated by Select Board Chair Kevin Canty to move the Select Board meetings to various parts of town. As a resident of the town who understands that the seat of the town’s government is Town Hall, I do not understand the rationale behind this notion. The business of the town needs to be and should be conducted at Town Hall. A building that was purposefully located at the center of town and designed so that the business of the town can be conducted in it; for the following reasons, moving the meeting where the executive branch of the government makes the necessary decisions makes no sense.
First, the Great Room and the 1820 Court House already have the necessary technological infrastructure needed to televise these meetings across town. Moving these meetings to alternative locations will mean incurring a cost to move equipment, personnel, and technology so that these meetings can be televised. Who will absorb these costs? Where is the money coming from? After two years of tight budget negotiations, I find it to be a fool’s errand to spend money where it does not need to be spent. The Select Board wishes to have listening sessions around town, where residents can ask questions, have their concerns heard, and enter into dialogue with leadership – fine. Hold the town hall-style meeting on a night other than a scheduled Select Board meeting.
Second, the federal government conducts its business in Washington, DC, at the Capitol building. It does not move from state to state so that people can see the government in action. The state Legislature conducts its business on Beacon Hill in Boston. It does not move from community to community so that residents of the Commonwealth can see government in action. The Town of Plymouth is no different. Select Board meetings are televised and can be viewed after the meeting. There is no need to hold a meeting and incur unnecessary costs simply to create exposure for the board.
Finally, this idea was mentioned at the end of a Select Board meeting and was a fait accompli. Why was this not an agenda item opened for discussion of the board with input from the public? This was a decision made by the chair, and the four members of the board were expected to fall in line and agree. This is not the way things are done in Plymouth. This is nothing more than a veiled attempt by some members of the board to gain exposure across the town with a look toward their political future. I cannot support this notion, residents of the town should not support this notion, and most importantly, the members of the board should not support this notion.
– Robert A. Zupperoli