On the reality show Project Runway, host and fashion model Heidi Klum tells the contestants: “In fashion, one day you are in, and the next day you are out.”
The same can now be said about me and my role as the town’s Community Preservation Committee chairman. I was appointed to the post on June 13 and submitted my resignation on June 28. I also resigned my position on the Historic District Commission.
These two positions were a dream for me. I was able to serve Plymouth and provide my skills to two boards that worked with architecture and historic preservation. The CPC and HDC are volunteer roles, as are almost all of the positions on committees in Plymouth. A large portion of Plymouth government runs on volunteers. Select Board members receive a small stipend that comes nowhere close to covering the hours they dedicate to the job. Working just as hard if not harder are members of the Planning Board, Zoning Board, and Conservation Committee.
I recently asked a member of one of these committees about a controversial project coming up for a vote. The committee member responded that he would make a decision based on the facts, not the death threats he was receiving. Tough stuff for a volunteer to be faced with.
My situation, thankfully, wasn’t as dire. In all honesty, I had several plates spinning. Home and family, a business, the committee work, a 25-year-long bartending gig at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, a newly adopted rescue pup, and of course, my position writing for the Plymouth Independent. All it took was a slight nudge on one of those plates to knock the rest out of line. Adding the responsibility of chairing the CPC shattered the balancing act. After looking at the mess and engaging in long, hard discussions with my family, I (we) decided to put a fewer number of the plates back up. CPC and HDC were not part of the plan.
With my resignation, the CPC and HDC will now be short their designated membership. It’s a problem all-too common in Plymouth. The HDC will need to fill two slots to be up to a full board. A quick survey of the 48 committees and boards listed this month on the town’s website reveals over 20 open positions. Some of these committees include the 1749 Courthouse, West Plymouth Steering Committee, and the Designer Selection Board.
Open vacancies on some committees can mean delays for critical decisions required to keep town government running. There was a time a few years ago that one absent member of the HDC was cause for canceling a meeting. Without a quorum someone in front of the HDC would not be allowed to move forward with a project. Potentially a nightmare with contractors lined up and ready to go.
In the same vein, the Designer Selection Board makes recommendations to the Permanent Building Committee for hiring architects and project managers for town projects such as fire stations and school related repairs. Without a full committee, these projects are stalled.
There is no question that serving on these committees takes away a significant amount of personal time. HDC requires a minimum of two meetings a month. They run a minimum of one hour. In addition, commissioners are advised to visit project sites prior to the meetings. An HDC member is also appointed to the several CPC projects that are historic. A HDC member sat on the committees that oversaw the Symes House and Town Hall. Members are now at Spire Center meetings, Pilgrim Hall, and the Plymouth Center for the Arts. (I was the HDC and CPC designee to the arts center.)
The CPC has similar demands. Meetings are twice a month, and there are also site visits for projects that have been recommended for funding. The Community Preservation Committee’s HDC representative will customarily attend the historic projects, the Housing Authority rep will attend construction meetings for affordable housing and the Conservation member may be the representative for open space and conservation projects. CPC members this year will divide the proposed articles recommended for the fall Town Meeting and present them to the precinct caucuses. The caucuses are usually evening meetings and can last several hours. The chair of the CPC also meets with the town’s Director of Finance and the CPC’s administrator as needed.
For a volunteer, it can add up to a minimum of several hours a week. Personally, I was up for the task until I wasn’t, and family life needed more attention.
I wish I could have continued. The experience was so rewarding. One perk was getting to know the various departments of Town Hall and its inner workings (something everyone should experience). Meeting and working with Lynne Barrett, Plymouth’s finance director, was nothing short of amazing.
I also got to spend a fair amount of time in the procurement offices. The Procurement Division solicits bids for everything the town needs to buy, from paper clips to fire trucks, and is responsible for getting the best deal possible. At the helm is Sandy Strassel (The admin for the CPC is Chelsea Westgate). If you ever want to see what the town is bidding for purchase, this office can tell you. And it has the best candy selection in Town Hall.
Rounding out my frequent stops as a volunteer was the Department of Planning and Development. The planning department provides all the initial information needed to consider a construction project. It’s also a resource to discover un-built subdivisions, ancient street maps, wetland resources, and guidance in navigating the permitting process in the historic districts.
It’s been nothing short of an honor to have served Plymouth this last year. I have no regrets except being unable to continue. I urge my fellow Plymouth residents to get involved and volunteer on a town committee. A simple letter to the Select Board and an interview at a Select Board meeting is all it takes. You and the town will be better for it.
Architect Bill Fornaciari is a lifelong resident of Plymouth (except for a three-year adventure going West as a young man) and is the owner of BF Architects in Plymouth. His firm specializes in residential work and historic preservation. Have a question or idea for this column? Email Bill at billfornaciari@gmail.com.