Plympton Board Reorganizes After Election, Tackles Procurement Violations and Public Water Project
PLYMPTON - May 18, 2026 - The Plympton Board of Selectmen reorganized following the recent town election, naming Nathaniel Sides as the new Chair and welcoming newly elected member Daniel Cadogan. The board immediately dove into complex municipal business, addressing a critical letter from the Board of Health regarding unpermitted well-drilling for the town campus’s public water supply project, authorizing legal counsel to secure engineering design services under a strict state procurement law, and scheduling a major public presentation for a proposed new fire station.
The Full Story
The meeting opened with a routine administrative reorganization following the town election. Interim Town Administrator Robert Fennessy called for nominations, leading to the unanimous appointment of Nathaniel Sides as Chairman, Dana Smith as Vice Chairman, and freshman member Daniel Cadogan as Clerk. The board expressed gratitude to residents for an exceptionally respectful town meeting and smooth election process, which utilized the town’s new voting tabulators for the first time.
The board quickly transitioned to an ongoing municipal challenge: the public building water supply project. The current Town House, police station, library, and fire station are serviced by a temporary, out-of-compliance well in the townhouse basement that dates back to the 1930s. Because the overall project scope exceeds $300,000 and the required design engineering services are expected to top $30,000, Fennessy explained that the town must comply with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 7C (the Designer Selection Law). This strict procurement law mandates a formal Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to rate and select a designer before the construction project can be put out to bid. To ensure compliance and prevent lengthy legal delays, the board voted to authorize KP Law to assist in securing these critical design and filtration-tie-in services.
Funding for the water project remains tight but viable. The board plans to utilize a combination of unspent funds from the previous town campus project, available grant funding, and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, provided the project is completed by the end of the year to meet the federal reimbursement deadline.
