PLYMOUTH - September 30 - In a decision reflecting deep community concerns about Plymouth Municipal Airport operations, the Plymouth Select Board appointed Lorraine Ramsay, a West Plymouth resident and frequent airport meeting attendee, to the Airport Community Advisory Committee (CAC) during its September 30, 2025 meeting. The appointment came after a competitive process that drew ten applicants and highlighted tensions between airport expansion advocates and nearby residents worried about noise, safety, and quality of life impacts.
The Full Story
The board selected Ramsay over seven other candidates who appeared for interviews, including Alan Costa, Ken Kessel, and Daniel Skizim. Ramsay received three votes from board members Keohan, Quintal, and Iaquinto, while Kessel received one vote from Chairman Golden and Skizim received one from member Canty. Two applicants withdrew their candidacies before the vote: Levi Fischer and Lisa Lantange, who withdrew but urged the board to consider applicants who would represent residents most impacted by airport operations.
Ramsay introduced herself as a West Plymouth resident who has attended every airport commission meeting for the past year and a half, noting that she inherited her property and loved the area until airport operations intensified. “I think both sides have legitimate issues and arguments,” she said, but expressed concern that the airport has become more of a business operation than a community service. “I think the noise is a public nuisance, environmental issues, and health issues, so they have to be addressed,” Ramsay told the board.
The appointment follows months of controversy over the CAC’s composition and effectiveness. Several speakers criticized the committee for lacking resident representation and failing to address community concerns. Steve Lantange, a Precinct 10 resident and current CAC member, told the board that “the frustration of the neighbors who do come to speak is great. Many don’t come back after they’re treated at the meetings.” He noted that after seven months, the CAC has accomplished nothing regarding resident outreach, no email address has been created for residents to submit concerns, and a list of resident priorities has never made it onto the agenda.
Lantange revealed significant information from recent CAC meetings, stating that when the committee’s chair asked engineering firm Dubois and King about a compromise runway extension to 4,999 feet, the firm responded that “it doesn’t work for them” because “insurance companies require 5,000 feet to let the private jets come to airports.” This contradicted airport officials’ longstanding claims that runway expansion was primarily about safety rather than accommodating larger aircraft.
Ken Kessel, a private pilot who trained at Plymouth’s Alpha One flight school and applied for the position, offered a nuanced perspective during his interview. “I’m not anti-airport. I’m actually a private pilot,” he said, but added that “everyone wants to be heard, and the people that are complaining have legitimate complaints, and they feel that they’re not being heard.” Kessel proposed practical solutions, including changing the default runway direction in no-wind situations to take off over the industrial park instead of residential areas, which he estimated “would cut the amount of complaints in half.”
Board member Kevin Canty asked each applicant about their current opinions on airport management. Responses varied, with Costa expressing support for the airport’s operations and runway reconstruction project, while Ramsay questioned whether the airport’s goals had shifted from community service to profit-driven development. “I think it’s run well, but I’m thinking of the motives behind the people that run it,” Ramsay said, adding concerns about land leases, hangar rentals, and events occurring in hangars that may violate FAA regulations.
The contentious nature of airport issues was evident throughout the meeting. Multiple speakers during public comment expressed concerns about airport operations. Kate Sekerak mentioned having “insider information about private jets that I would love to share with you. And it’s not all happy and nice.” Meg Sheehan called the airport conditions “clearly a public nuisance” and stated that “the airport commissioners are responsible for these harms. The select board appoints the commissioners and you need to hold them accountable.”
The runway reconstruction project referenced by several speakers is Article 24 on the upcoming town meeting warrant. The FAA has graded the current 20-year-old runway at 50 out of 100, and it could become unusable if the rating drops further. The project has generated significant federal and state funding, requiring only $400,000 in town funds according to Costa’s comments.
Board member Bill Keohan asked applicants about improving communication between the airport and neighborhood. Kessel suggested regular meetings with abutters and communication through precinct groups. Skizim, drawing on his professional experience in energy development, emphasized that “engaging with the local community, with the neighbors is hugely important” and that nothing can move forward “without engaging with the local community, getting their buy-in, hearing from them, being very transparent.”
The CAC was established with the expectation that it would serve as a bridge between the airport and community, but speakers expressed disappointment with its functioning. Lantange noted there is no transparency from the airport commission or manager, no action items follow-up, and “no way for the public to reach the CAC besides going through the airport manager.” Lisa Lantange, in withdrawing her application, stated that “many of us hoped that the committee would serve as a platform for our local input and advocacy, not just as a forum for those with vested interests in the airport.”
During the meeting, the board also approved a separate item: a recommendation to the Planning Board to open a 30-day application period beginning October 9th for an Earth Removal Bylaw Review Committee. This came after the Plymouth Stewardship Alliance agreed to recommend “no motion, take no action” on Article 25, their citizen petition for an 11-month moratorium on commercial sand strip mining, in exchange for the town prioritizing the reestablishment of a committee to rewrite sand and gravel bylaws. Board member Bill Keohan made the motion, which passed unanimously, to begin seeking applicants for what will be a nine-member committee with three appointees each from the Select Board, Planning Board, and Community Preservation Committee.
Why It Matters
The appointment of Ramsay to the Airport CAC represents a significant shift in the committee’s composition toward greater resident representation and could signal a change in how Plymouth balances airport development interests with neighborhood quality of life concerns. For West Plymouth residents living under flight paths, the new appointment may provide a stronger voice for addressing noise pollution, safety concerns, and transparency issues that have gone largely unaddressed. For the broader community, the appointment reflects an ongoing tension between economic development goals and residential character—a balance that will continue to be tested as Plymouth grows and debates expansion of municipal facilities. The outcome of the upcoming town meeting vote on the runway reconstruction project, combined with the new CAC composition, will help determine whether Plymouth’s airport serves primarily as a community resource or continues on a path toward accommodating larger commercial operations.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve licenses including one-day wine and malt licenses, one-day all-alcohol licenses, amplified music permits, common victualer new owner, and licenses in conjunction with liquor license. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 00:18:35)
Motion: Approve five administrative notes. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 00:19:06)
Motion: Recommend town meeting approve Article 18 (CPC Article - Affordable Housing, Habitat for Humanity - $70,000 appropriation for home at 31 Strand Avenue, Manomet). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 01:13:34)
Motion: Recommend to Planning Board opening a 30-day application period starting October 9th for Earth Removal Bylaw Review Committee. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 01:31:03)
Motion: Re-advertise four appointed positions (two Little Red Schoolhouse, one Historic District, one Memorial Advisory) whose members failed to take oath of office during amnesty period. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 02:10:00)
Motion: Appoint Lorraine Ramsay to Airport Community Advisory Committee. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 3-2 (Ramsay received votes from Keohan, Quintal, and Iaquinto; Kessel received vote from Golden; Skizim received vote from Canty). (Timestamp: 00:56:19)
Motion: Adjourn meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (5-0). (Timestamp: 03:15:57)
Public Comment
Multiple residents spoke during public comment, primarily about airport concerns. Steve Lantange criticized the Airport CAC for lack of transparency, no resident outreach accomplishments, and treatment of concerned residents. He revealed that engineering firm Dubois and King stated insurance companies require exactly 5,000 feet for private jets, not 4,999 feet. Kate Sekerak expressed concerns about public safety and mentioned having insider information about private jets to share. Meg Sheehan called airport conditions a public nuisance, urged the Earth Removal Committee be independent of town staff who have been granting permits for decades, and announced an October 7th Conservation Commission meeting about unlawful wetlands filling by A.D. Makepeace. Everett Malaguti requested the board invite Eversource representatives back to address upcoming 13-18% rate increases for gas customers. Alex Cook, a Prince Street resident, expressed concerns about the Pulte 40B development’s impact on his property, specifically headlights from vehicles exiting the development shining directly into his home.
What’s Next
The board will meet October 7th to discuss parameters for the Earth Removal Bylaw Review Committee application process, with applications opening October 9th pending Planning Board agreement. A joint meeting with the Planning Board is scheduled for November 12th to formalize the Earth Removal Committee structure. The board will hold an off-site workshop on October 21st to revise policies and procedures that have not been updated since 1995. Town Manager Derek Brindisi will present draft special legislation (governor’s bill) at the next meeting to ratify elected and appointed officials who did not take oaths of office within required timeframes. The board will schedule presentations from Mike Cahill and David Gould about the Climate Action and Adaptability Plan and from Police Chief regarding ICE activity in Plymouth. An e-bike safety discussion with legal and health data presentations is scheduled for October 14th. Select Board members will coordinate attendance at precinct caucuses leading up to October 18th town meeting. A community energy forum involving state delegation and Eversource is being planned for early to mid-November. Town staff will draft language regarding potential removal of fisherman shacks near Bert’s for a post-town meeting agenda.