New Leadership Takes Helm in Plympton Board of Selectmen
Dana Smith assumes chair position as board discusses committee vacancies and community involvement
PLYMPTON - May 19 - The Plympton Board of Selectmen reorganized its leadership structure during its May 19 meeting, with Dana Smith taking over as chair, Nathaniel Sides as vice chair, and Mark Russo as clerk.
The transition comes as the board prepares for potential changes, with Russo announcing his house is on the market and that he will eventually need to resign from the board once a sale is completed.
"I am glad to continue to serve sort of in a transitional role, particularly because a couple of the selectmen that had long-term experience are no longer with us," Russo says. "I want to make the transition as easy as possible."
Russo, who has served as a Selectman for approximately 11 years, offers to remain available as a resource even after his resignation, stating he would attend meetings from the audience to provide institutional knowledge on ongoing issues.
The reorganization follows the recent town election, which Smith notes had good turnout. "It was good to see people being interactive as far as our town government, and I always encourage that, or otherwise I wouldn't be up here myself," Smith says.
In his first remarks as chair, Smith emphasizes the importance of maintaining the respectful atmosphere that has developed at board meetings in recent years.
"I have seen that as far as the decorum that's been held and the respect from the townspeople and how they've handled things in the meetings and that we've actually seen more interaction at these town meetings or the selectmen's meetings," Smith says.
Russo echoes this sentiment, highlighting "comity" as his guiding principle. "When I started out as a selectman 11 years ago, 12 years ago, we were the antithesis of that. One of the main reasons I initially ran for selectman was to promote some courtesy and transparency, and I think over the last decade we've done a great job on that."
The board discusses plans to fill several committee vacancies, including positions on the Finance Committee following Sides' resignation from that body, and two openings on the Town Properties Committee, including one created by former Selectman John Traynor's resignation.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy suggests creating a comprehensive social media post to inform residents about all current vacancies and the responsibilities of each committee.
Smith supports this approach, noting the timeliness given the recent election. "I think especially where it's so fresh with the ballot in people's hands and so forth, I think this is the right time to, for lack of a better term, strike on this to get it out to people."
The board plans to invite the Town Properties Committee to its June 9 meeting to discuss ongoing projects, including a public water supply initiative involving well drilling at the town complex.
Sides, in his first meeting as a selectman, expresses appreciation for the community's support. "I do appreciate the trust that the citizenry has placed in me and I appreciate their support and I look forward to serving the town to the best of my ability."
He also acknowledges Traynor's service. "John and his family were nothing but gracious to me on Saturday. We spent a lot of time together standing out there waving to people and I do appreciate his graciousness and his class."
Smith concludes the meeting with a call for greater community involvement, particularly for the upcoming Memorial Day Parade. "When you see a ballot where there's a lot of open spaces on there, there's a lot of people who dedicate a lot of their free time, and I emphasize free, to this town to make it work."
Other items discussed at the meeting include:
* ARPA funding status update, with Dennehy reporting that all county funds have been received and properly committed ahead of the December 2024 deadline
* Upcoming year-end financial closeout procedures and preparation for the new fiscal year beginning July 1
* A meeting scheduled with Regional Old Colony Communications regarding future funding and assessments
The meeting adjourns after 27 minutes, with the next regular meeting scheduled for June 9, when the board expects to receive updates from the Town Properties Committee and potentially appoint new members to various town committees.