Plympton Selectmen Consider Vo-Tech Partnership for Historic Door Project
Board seeks cost-effective solutions for $60,000 Town House restoration
PLYMPTON - August 18 - The Plympton Board of Selectmen is exploring the possibility of involving vocational students in the restoration of the Town House's historic front door, potentially reducing costs on the $60,000 Community Preservation Act-funded project.
During their Aug. 18 meeting, board members discussed alternative approaches to the door replacement project after concerns were raised about the steep price tag for a door that will not serve as a functional entrance to the building.
"Getting back to Mr. Morin's comment about using the Vo-Tech students and also keeping in mind that it is perhaps more complex than just replacing the door, there must be some sort of a scope of project available," said Selectman Nathaniel Sides. "Could it be provided to the school system to see if it's something they feel they could handle?"
Highway Superintendent Bob Firlotte, a former vocational student, supported the idea, noting that vocational departments have built houses and can work from blueprints designed by architects.
"If you have an architect design it, they can do it," Firlotte said. "Like you said, it's pretty much materials only, which is huge. I mean, they could serve a lot of purpose in a lot of the old buildings for us."
The project, originally proposed at $170,000 with additional components, was scaled back to $60,000 by the Town Properties Committee before receiving approval from the Community Preservation Committee and town meeting voters. The current scope focuses on replacing the entrance doors facing Palmer Road, with funding allocated for door replacement, potential asbestos abatement, and architectural oversight.
Board Chairman Dana Smith expressed concerns about spending the amount on a non-functional door, noting the building has two ADA-accessible means of egress on either side and the front entrance includes steps that would not meet accessibility requirements.
"It just seems to be a very steep price tag," Smith said. "And I turn to my colleague who's been on Community Preservation to maybe give us some enlightenment on this project and why it's so much money and why we're spending this on a door that's not going to be used."
Community Preservation Committee Chairman Mark Russo, who also serves as Selectman Vice Chair, defended the project's vetting process while acknowledging it wasn't his favorite CPC initiative.
"This project was seen as the first step on much, much more that will have to be done up front, which almost certainly includes entrances and pathways, so really just the first step on something that needs to be done to preserve the building and historic preservation," Russo said.
The board ultimately voted to advise the Town Properties Committee to revisit the project "in a more fiscally responsible way" while exploring alternative approaches, though they stopped short of canceling the approved project.
In a separate matter, the selectmen unanimously agreed to implement a new monthly financial reporting system after reviewing significant end-of-year budget transfers totaling $139,683.
Sides, recently elected to the board after serving on the Finance Committee, expressed frustration with the current system that allows large budget overruns to go unnoticed until year-end.
"Some of these transfers are significant amounts of money, and it just seems as though some of these, for lack of a better phrase, came out of nowhere," Sides said. "We were unaware that certain departments were in danger of exceeding their budget."
The new system will require the Town Accountant to provide monthly budget updates highlighting any departments showing significant discrepancies between their spending percentage and the percentage of the fiscal year completed.
Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said the reports would be shared with both the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee, with explanatory memos for any concerning variances.
"That would be relatively easy to implement," Dennehy said. "The Town Accountant is supposed to send out monthly updates. I can work with her to ensure that those are coming out every single month."
The board also addressed several other matters during the meeting:
• Highway Department Updates: Firlotte reported that the town's waste management contract negotiations resulted in an 8% increase, down from initially proposed higher rates. The department is working on infrastructure projects on Colchester and Winnetuxet Roads and coordinating with MassDOT on water drainage issues on Route 106.
• Equipment Replacement: Following an accident with the department's flail mower, the town is processing insurance claims for a replacement. The damaged equipment is valued at nearly $17,000, while a new unit costs approximately $40,000.
• Property Declarations: The board declared surplus property including defunct powered wheelchairs from the Council on Aging and old voting booths that posed safety concerns.
• Event Approvals: Selectmen approved liquor licenses for Mayflower Market Days scheduled for Oct. 18-19 and use of town property for the Plympton Flower Show on Sept. 7.
The board's next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 8, with the old Town House building conditions expected to be added as an agenda item for public discussion.