Plymouth Upholds Firearm Ban in Town Buildings
Voters maintain separation between town and school departments while approving Commerce Way rezoning
PLYMOUTH - April 5 - Plymouth town meeting members have voted down a proposal to allow firearms in municipal buildings. The measure, Article 12 on the special town meeting warrant, was defeated 110-35 with 5 abstentions.
The article aimed to exclude town buildings and property from being classified as gun-free zones under a new state law updating firearm regulations.
Betty Cavacco from Precinct 6 spoke in favor of the measure, saying she wanted to stand up for Plymouth's 8,000 licensed gun owners, the Constitution, and the police chief.
However, Amy Palmer of the Board of Health pointed to public health research showing negative effects of carrying guns in public spaces. She cited studies linking looser gun laws to higher rates of violent crime and mass shootings.
Christina Bryant, vice chair of the No Place for Hate Committee, argued that only trained police should carry guns in town buildings. She said civilians, even with good intentions, aren't prepared to respond effectively to active shooter situations.
The Advisory and Finance Committee recommended against the article in a split decision. Committee Chair Steve Nearman explained that the majority felt it was crucial to protect town employees and visitors.
While Police Chief Dana Flynn backed the measure, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association had endorsed the new state law banning civilian guns in public buildings.
Plymouth Town Meeting members reject a proposal to amend the town charter that would have allowed for potential consolidation of school and municipal services, maintaining the current separation of responsibilities between town and school departments.
The decision comes after extensive debate during Saturday's Annual Town Meeting at Plymouth North High School, where members expressed concerns about removing protections for the school system from the town charter.
Town Meeting voted 106-40 against Article 21, which would have codified the current status quo of town and school operations in the general bylaws. Members then voted 128-13 against Article 22, which would have removed a specific clause in the town charter requiring schools to have superintendents of their buildings and grounds.
Kevin Canty, Vice Chair of the Select Board, presented both articles, explaining they were intended to allow for future discussions about consolidation while maintaining town meeting control.
"Codifying the current status quo into the general bylaws will prevent any future proposed consolidation efforts from occurring without the approval of town meeting," Canty says. "But town meeting can change a general bylaw at any town meeting to reflect a desirable future consolidation agreement if one is ever proposed."
Several town meeting members express concerns about removing protections from the Charter, which is more difficult to change than bylaws.
Joseph Hutchinson, Precinct 17, quotes School Committee Chair Luis Pizano: "Taking this language out of the charter takes away a layer of protection that the schools have had. We're being told that this doesn't change anything right now, but it sets the table for a change later."
After the defeat of Article 21, Pizano strongly urges members to vote against Article 22.
"This is the nightmare scenario that the school committee did not want," Pizano says. "The Charter is the only secure security we have now to provide the school committee and the administration with the superintendency of our buildings and facilities."
William Abbott, Precinct 16, characterizes the effort as "a dangerous effort, a deliberate process here to degrade and to minimize the charter, to hollow out the Charter."
"The Charter is our constitution. It's much more permanent. And it is harder to change, but it is where things get stated that people can read and listen to," Abbott says.
In other business, Town Meeting approves a citizen's petition to rezone a 54-acre property off Commerce Way from light industrial to mixed commerce by more than the required two-thirds majority, with 129 members voting in favor and 13 against.
The property, currently used as a gravel processing facility, could now potentially be developed for retail use.
Lee Hartmann, Director of Planning and Development, explains the change would allow for retail development while maintaining most other permitted uses that are identical in both districts.
"Right now, this is that 54-acre gravel processing facility that is at one of the gateways to our town, Route 44," Hartmann says. "I would argue that no matter what we do, if we can eliminate that use, those heavy trucks, that gravel processing facility, it's far better than what's there now."
Hartmann notes the property is on town sewer and water, addressing concerns about potential impacts on the aquifer. He presents three possible scenarios for the property: continuing as a gravel processing facility, becoming a 40B housing development, or being rezoned to allow for retail development.
William Sims, attorney for the petitioner, addresses environmental concerns raised by town meeting members.
"This is the kind of project where we're taking a use right now where there's approximately 100 truckloads a day coming in and out," Sims says. "And if town meeting approves this article, we'll go to a mixed commerce project on that site, which will be very, very different than what's going on right now."
The Planning Board, Select Board, and Advisory and Finance Committee all support the rezoning.
Town Meeting also approves a bylaw amendment requiring precinct caucuses to include public comment periods, with specific provisions for how those comments should be managed.
The meeting concludes with recognition of retiring town meeting members, including Betsy Hall, Patricia McCarthy, and Mike Landers, each of whom served more than 20 years.
McCarthy advises new town meeting members to "be proud of who we are, our town, of all the things that we have accomplished, and all the good people that we know in Plymouth, and to just try to pay attention to what's going on."
Hall adds, "Democracy is not a spectator sport. So getting as involved as you can is very, very rewarding and very helpful."
The Annual Town Meeting dissolves at 4:02 p.m. after completing all articles on the warrant.