Plymouth Board of Selectmen

PLYMOUTH BOARD OF SELECTMEN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019

1820 COURTROOM, 26 COURT STREET, PLYMOUTH, MA – 6:30 PM

______6:30PM - CALL TO ORDER

Ken Tavares, Chairman of the Board, called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. and asked the Board to call the Executive Session to order.

Present: Kenneth A. Tavares, Chairman Anthony F. Provenzano Jr, Vice Chairman John Mahoney Shelagh Joyce Betty Cavacco

Melissa Arrighi, Town Manager Marlene McCollem, Assistant Town Manager

______6:30 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Board of Selectmen will hold an Executive Session pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30A, Section 21, Paragraph 6; to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, if the chair declares that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the governmental body.

 Plymouth Water Sports

______7:40PM – BACK TO OPEN SESSION

Chairman Tavares said they were returning from Executive Session and called the meeting back into Open Session. He then asked everyone to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance.

______7:41PM – NATHAN HALE FOUNDATION

Christopher Hart from the Nathan Hale Foundation came up and said they are relocating their office in Manomet to 116 Long Pond Road in Plymouth next to the VA Clinic. He said they are planning to expand their food pantry as well as some of our other services. He then talked about some of the work they do including Three Harts Farm located on Beaver Dam Road. He said they have been there for about five years and it continues to grow. Mr. Hart said they have invested about $400,000 into the property most of which were donated materials and labor. He went on to say they are about halfway done with this project and they will be selling some property in Middleboro soon to invest back into this project. He then talked about some of the features and work done at the farm such as a replica civil war style greenhouse as well as teaching veteran’s hydroponics and traditional farming techniques. He also mentioned that the farm was named after his Grandfather, and his two Great-Uncles.

PAGE 1 OF 13 He finished up by saying Three Harts Farm is not a Veteran Service place or a clinic, but rather a place where a veteran can come and be loved when they are broken.

Vice Chairman Provenzano congratulated Christopher Hart and wished them luck. ______7:47PM – PUBLIC HEARING – Lux Hookah Lounge

Vice Chairman Provenzano read the Public Hearing Notice into the records as follows: In accordance with Chapter 138 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as amended, notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing is being held at the Plymouth Town Hall, 26 Court Street on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:05pm to consider the application for a New Annual Wine and Malt General on Premise License from Fig & Lux LLC d/b/a Lux Hookah Lunge, 18 Court Street, Bahaa Dalloul, Manager. Description of premises will be as follows: 1200 square foot lounge area with one room with seating areas with couches and tables. Finished basement is for office space and storage. There are two entrances and two exits.

Attorney Steve Triffletti came up and said he represents Lux Hookah Lounge. He said they previously presented to the Board and we are here to hopefully do things a little differently. He then went over a handout that was provided to the Board and talked briefly about the proposed food, beer and wine menu. Attorney Triffletti then said that handout also included their current licenses as well as the TIPS Certification of their employees. He then invited people up to speak in support of Lux Hookah Lunge.

Rose Kane, Precinct 14, came up and said she is a 1973 graduate of Plymouth/Carver High School. She said she has been a nurse practitioner for the past 40 years and currently works in a private practice in the Pinehills. She said she’s been involved with Lux Hookah Lounge since 2013 and wanted to share some information that would be helpful in making their decision. She said this is not a bar, but rather a social lounge built on an exchange of cultures. She said that all they want to do is simply offer their customers beer and wine along with other non-alcoholic beverages that are currently featured. Ms. Kane said customers gather on couches and enjoy conversations and play games like backgammon, cards, and chess. She then said that Hookah is a non-combustible soft form of tobacco that sits in a flavored molasses and uses radiant heat to produce more of a vapor which comes in various flavors such as apple or mint. She said Hookah lasts about 60 to 90 minutes and can be shared. She added that Lux does not allow any other type of smoking in their establishment. She said in Massachusetts smoking lounges are required to maintain 51% of their total sales be from tobacco, therefor we will not allow people to purchase beer and wine in excessive amounts and added that based on the cost of a hookah that would only allot each person to buy between one and three alcoholic beverages.

Lacy Donahue came up saying she was born and raised in Plymouth and currently works at the Lux Hookah Lounge as a server. She said from the moment she stepped inside the lounge Bobby, the owner, made is clear that people that come in are not only customers but they are also guests in our home. She finished by saying we have a great family at Lux and they all support this as well.

Monehum came up and said he was a Bridgewater resident and he likes Lux because it provides him a safe place to go and enjoy friends. He said he moved here from Morocco when he was 12 years old and he has made so many friends at Lux.

Patricia Gannon came up next and said she moved to Plymouth five years ago. She said the Middle Eastern culture is so welcoming and are like family. She said we are all immigrants and Lux is a great place to get together and talk about our homes and where we came from.

PAGE 2 OF 13 Mary Lucas, Manager at KKatie’s, came up and said she supports this license request. She said her daughter goes to the Lux Hookah Lounge and enjoys it very much. She said Bobby sends business to KKatie’s and we send business to him so it’s nice seeing businesses supporting each other like this.

Bichon came up saying he works at Beth Israel in Boston and supports this license request. He said it’s a great place to relax after a long day at work. It’s great to have authentic Middle Eastern food and it would be even better to enjoy a glass of wine with it as well.

Jeff Hilliard came up and said that the owner of the Lux Hookah Lounge is one of the nicest people I have ever met and he means so much to a lot of people. Mr. Hilliard then said that even though he doesn’t drink, there are other people who would like to have a beer or two while they are there. He also said there are a lot of good conversations and games unlike a typical bar and it’s a great place to meet local people.

Mark Pantioso came up and said he was a resident of Middleboro and that he has been going to Lux Hookah Lounge for about 6 years now. He said he’s always had a lot of social anxiety and Lux gave him a second home as well as a place to go where he could relax and feel comfortable while meeting other people.

Ashley came up and said she has been going to Lux for a little over a year now. She said it’s a nice place to go after a long day at work and mingle with people and make new friends. She said she does not drink a lot but admits it would be nice to be able to enjoy a drink that would complement her Hookah. She said this could bring in more business so if there is any place that I would like to support, it would be Lux.

Sarah came up and said she was a resident of Sandwich and loves the atmosphere that the Lux provides for their customers. She said when you walk in everyone waves, smiles, and even asks you how your day was. She also said it’s a very elegant and respectful environment and definitely isn’t a place you would go to drink a lot and do shots and she said she does not see that changing with the addition of beer and wine. Sarah finished by saying she would love to see the Hookah add this license so they can reach their full potential.

Adrian Daus came up and said he has been a friend of Bobby, Lux owner, for many years and said he is a family man. He said Bobby treats everyone that walks through his door the same way he treats his employees and his family and he has the utmost respect for everyone he comes in contact with so I wholeheartedly support this license request.

Colleen Clifford came up and said she is a nurse at Massachusetts and a resident of Plymouth. She said Bobby is one of the kindest and truest friends I’ve ever known. She said his business is his family and if anyone deserves this it is Bobby.

Dave came up and said he has been a Plymouth resident for most of his life. He said he is a homeowner. Business owner and father so he doesn’t have time to get out to much but when he does, he loves going to the Lux Hookah Lounge because it is not the typical bar scene. He said it’s really nice to get out once in a while relaxing and meeting new people.

Selectman Joyce said that the letter included in the packet said that Napoli Restaurant was going to prepare food for the Lux Hookah Lounge. She then asked if there would be any health concerns in the transport of this food, to which Melissa Arrighi said yes she believes there are some Board of Health involvement and that she would confirm that.

Steve Triffletti came up and said if there are any other permits or licenses required then of course they would file for those as soon as possible.

PAGE 3 OF 13 Vice Chairman Provenzano asked what time they are open until, to which Bobby said we currently close at 3:00am but if we are granted the alcohol license we will close at 1:00am.

Selectman Cavacco said she actually does not have a question but she does have a comment, she said that she was not in favor of this the first time you came in for this license, but after seeing the support you have and hearing what everyone had to say she said she was quite impressed and has changed her mind. She wished them all the luck in the worlds and said she hopes that they continue to be successful.

Chairman Tavares said after the first Public Hearing he was walking by the Lux Hookah Lounge and stepped in. He said he had a great conversation and Bobby showed the amount of commitment that he has for his business and the community. He also said seeing the support here tonight is a credit to the business and how much people enjoy it.

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr, and seconded by John Mahoney, the Board approved an Annual Wine and Malt General on Premise License for Lux Hookah Lounge, 18 Court Street, Plymouth, MA. Voted 5/0

______8:18PM – ARTICLE 9

Melissa Arrighi, Town Manager, said in the memo provided for this Article you will see that the Capital Requests total just under $40 million dollars. She said she sits down with the Assistant Town Manager and the Finance Director to go over all of the Capital Requests. She said they then go over funding sources so they can priorities these projects and determine which ones will be funded and which ones will need to be cut. She said we also provided you with an itemized list showing which ones we are recommending and which ones we are cutting. She said the Department Heads are here to answer any questions you may have.

Chairman Tavares said he would read through the list and then we can go back and ask questions on any of them that need clarification, and the Board agreed. A full list can be found in the Selectmen’s weekly packet.

Vice Chairman Provenzano asked for an explanation of the DPW Operation request (411-1) on the capital outlay list, to which Jonathan Beder, DPW Director, said this request covers our stormwater permit which will put us into compliance for the next five years. It includes mapping and outflow monitoring as well as some other procedural items needed.

Selectman Joyce wanted to mention that the dollar value for relocating the culvert on Hedge Road was rather high, but the Capital Improvement Committee felt that it should not be ignored as New Fire Station will be going in that area.

Selectman Cavacco referred to (422-3) and asked what we would use a bucket loader for, to which Dennis Wood, Assistant DPW Director, said that loader is used at the Cedarville facility to load the trucks up in the southern part of town.

Chairman Tavares mentioned the roof repair and sump pump line items for the Fire Station Headquarters, to which Melissa Arrighi said there has been a lot of discussion about making these repairs or moving to another location. She said it’s an older building and need extensive repairs such as new windows and a roof. She said ultimately the CIC weighed in on this and it was decided that it would not be feasible to build and move the Headquarters so these needed repairs were left on this Article and we do recommend them.

PAGE 4 OF 13 Vice Chairman Provenzano asked for an update on the federal dredging project and what portion of this request it encompasses, to which David Gould said the dredging project is wrapping up for this season and they will be back in October to continue. He said this request covers all of the permitting costs and construction cost for the portion under the jurisdiction of the state of Massachusetts such as in and around the boat ramps and piers as well as some of the mooring areas. This $2.5 million will match the state’s contribution to the project and this will maximize the use of the wharf area.

Chairman Tavares said it’s very easy to criticize the state and federal government, but because we were prepared they made these decisions rapidly and there’s a great deal of appreciation to everyone involved. Many people worked tirelessly on this project to make sure that we got the funding and we would never have been able to do this on our own.

Selectman Mahoney said that the $400,000 for the Russell Street Dam is not being recommended so is there some sort of plan moving forward, to which David Gould said yes, we received a notice on our compliance and we went to Advisory and Finance and got some supplemental funding to do the necessary inspections and went to Town Meeting last fall to fund the permitting and engineering. Without this being funded we will have a conversation with the Dam Safety Officer to see about an extension so we can bring this back to this Fall’s Town Meeting because something will have to be done.

Melissa Arrighi said David Gould has advocated very strongly for this to be funded but we struggled this year with Capital requests. We had to make some choices when we looked at the Capital Improvement Committee’s rankings in regards to what could be funded but we really tried to look at this project to be completed. She said that Marlene McCollem already had a place holder for the Fall Town Meeting to put this back on the Warrant.

Selectman Cavacco asked where the wooden beach ramps were located that are listed under DPW Grounds and Recreation Parks, to which Melissa Arrighi said they are on Long Beach. She also said that these public parks are very important to us and need to be done so we applied for CPC funding as we don’t have any other avenue to fund these.

Selectman Mahoney said that there’s another $40,000 not being recommended for the covered bridge on Town Brook and asked if it was a public safety issue, to which David Gould said he’s not completely familiar with that project but there are some Eagle Scouts scheduled to make some repairs on that bridge in the spring so we will see some improvements to that structure regardless of what Capital funds. Melissa Arrighi added that this is another project that we will see CPC funding for.

Selectman Cavacco said that we have discussed this a few times but is there we can get some kind of an update for the repairs to the doors at PCIS because they can be opened even when they are locked, to which Melissa Arrighi said she will check with the Superintendent and said that should be something they can fix internally through the school budget.

Selectman Joyce wanted to make the Town Manager aware that there was no back up material or information that accompanied the list from the School Department and the CIC found that different from other years. She said that the other Departments did a great job with their documentation and when we asked questions they were very forthcoming.

Selectman Cavacco said maybe we should reach out to the Community Preservation Committee and discuss the playground funds and get some more information. She said if we don’t get these two playgrounds funded through the CPC then the work won’t get done.

PAGE 5 OF 13 Chairman Tavares said we will see if we can set up a meeting with CPC and then asked if anyone other Board member would like to join him in this meeting to which Vice Chairman said he would be happy to.

Vice Chairman Provenzano said looking at this list there are many requests that did not get recommended such as some vehicles that are well over twenty years old which is a reflection of how difficult this year was for Capital Requests.

On a motion by Betty Cavacco and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board voted to recommend Article 9 (Capital Requests) to the 2019 Spring Town Meeting. Voted 5/0

______8:45PM – ARTICLE 20 – Public Hearing (Acceptance of Roads)

Vice Chairman Provenzano read the Hearing Notice into the records as follows: Notice is hereby given to all persons interested that the Selectmen will meet in the 1820 Courtroom on the 2nd floor of the Plymouth Town Hall, 26 Court Street on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:30pm at which time and place the Selectmen will proceed to view the routes listed, to see all persons and corporations interested therein who may then and there desire to be heard thereon, and then to layout, locate and establish said way over the routes described, and to assess all such damages as any person or corporation may sustain by the location and construction of the ways aforesaid, and to do whatever else may legally be done on the premises. List of roads to be accepted:

Bellevue Drive, Blue Heron Drive, Brentwood Circle, Cornerstone Circle, Dinah Path, Ferry Lane, Gabriel Lane, Halloran’s Way, Henry Drive, Mary B Lane, Mimosa Circle, Placid Bay Drive, Pleasant Harbour, Raffaele Road, Robert J Way, Seal Cove Road, Shoals Avenue, Sweeney Lane, Tanager Road, Wareham Road (portion of) and White Violet Lane.

Sid Kashi, Town Engineer, came up and said over 40% of roads in Plymouth are unaccepted which makes up about 150 miles of roadway. Many residents live on roads that they don’t know are unaccepted so they expect the Town to maintain and improve them. He then talked about how they choose which roads to accept each year such as values and use, at which point they present them to the Roads Advisory Committee for their approval. He said we advertised this Hearing in the local newspaper as well as sending out notices to all abutters.

Wayne Minucci from 35 Blue Heron Drive came up and said he has lived here for 21 years and wants to know why all of a sudden they want to make the roads public ways and how it will impact residents, to which Sid Kashi said we cannot use public funds on unaccepted roads and residents ask us to repair these roads so we have to accept them in order for them to qualify for Chapter 90 funds in order for us to make repairs.

Peter Rioux from Brentwood Circle came up and said he’s been here for 25 years and is wondering who will benefit from this, to which Selectman Mahoney said we have four categories of roads, public paved roads, unaccepted paved roads, gravel public roads and gravel unaccepted roads. Any person that lives on one of those types of roads pays an excise tax which is supposed to be used for roads but has been put into the general fund. He went on to say that years ago the Town decided to accept some of these roads as public roads so they could start to repair and maintain them. This is done out of fairness to all residents and there is no underhandedness going on here.

Chairman Tavares also reiterated that there is no hidden agenda with these road acceptances.

PAGE 6 OF 13 Carmen Gonzalez from Placid Bay Drive came up and said she was told that the reason you’re making this a public way is because you need access to State Road, to which Chairman Tavares said that is not true. He said he is happy that she came and asked this question during a public meeting because that gives us the opportunity to give you an answer before the rumor gets carried away.

Elizabeth Zisserson from Sweeney Lane came up and said she is getting a crash course on why roads change from private to public, and then asked if there would be any change in utilities such as electricity or natural gas, to which Vice Chairman Provenzano said all of the utilities are on easements granted by the land owners so there will not be any changes. Jonathan Beder, DPW Director, came up and said there actually would be a minor change whereas if the water main needed to be worked on we could now go in and perform that work in a much more rapid and effective manner.

Selectman Joyce said there is also a Roads Advisory Committee that meets once a month and said she is the representative from the Selectman and Sid Kashi is the representative from the Town as well as six other committee members. We all work very closely with Mr. Kashi while he gives up all of the information that we need to know about accepting these roads. She said this is not something that is done in a vacuum as there are several people from the town that weigh in on these decisions.

On a motion by Betty Cavacco and seconded by John Mahoney, the Board voted to recommend Article 20 (Road Acceptances) to the 2019 Spring Town Meeting. Voted 5/0

______9:02PM – WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Melissa Arrighi began by saying we are looking for funding to hire a company to develop a bid to contract out the Waste Water Treatment Plant operations. WE have the option to bid out full care or to faze the care over to the Town. She said the Town Meeting Article is requesting $185,000 for a company do develop a bid process as well as draw up a contract. She said there is a lot to think about during this process such as staffing if the Town were to take over the operations of the plant so we will need direction from the Board as well.

Jonathan Beder, DPW Director, came up and reiterated what the Town Manager said. He said we are requesting funds to develop a contract for the care and maintenance of the Waste Water Treatment Plant as well as putting it out to bid. He said the Veolia contract will end in 2021 so we need to get this funding in place to avoid any conflicts. Mr. Beder then stressed that he feels the community would benefit if the Town took over the care and operations but there are other things to consider such as OPEB liability, staffing, and labor.

Chairman Tavares said back in the beginning we were faced with this same decision and we were told by the contractor that they could operate the plant and save us money, which we now know never worked out the way we were told it would. He said on the other side of the coin we are starting out from scratch and this could be a very expensive endeavor so from where we sit this is not an easy question.

Gary Frizzell, Waste Water Superintendent, came up and said he began as a laborer in 1977 and has worked in this division for over 42 years. He said he learned everything from the gentleman before him at the municipal waste water plant which was maintained with a lot of pride back then. He said in 1994 that plant won an award for excellence in operational maintenance and we presented that award to the Board of Selectmen at that time. Mr. Frizzell said he’s had the opportunity to work under a contracted plant as well as a municipal plant and he feels a municipal plant is operated with much more pride. PAGE 7 OF 13 Vice Chairman Provenzano said he was on the Finance and Advisory Committee back when the Town operated the Waste Water Plant and said he remembers taking a tour many years ago and learned my way around a sewer system. He said that plant was run very well and was not closed based on the operations but because it was inadequate to the task.

Selectman Joyce said she feels like we are baking the cake before we get it into the oven. She said she does not feel comfortable submitting and RFP out into the market place when we are structuring the RFP to what we want. She said when she has written RFP’s in the past she has always written them with an open mind, to which Jonathan Beder said that is exactly where we are and why we need a consultant to assist us in this process. He said it makes a difference how we frame the RFP in regards to whether or not we maintain the plant or contract that work out.

Selectman Joyce then asked if anyone knew what the cost would be if we wrote two separate RFP’s for contracting out the work or for the Town taking it over, and then said one of her concerns is finding qualified people should we take this over, to which Jonathan Beder said and RFP has to be a definitive document in terms of what we are looking for. He said these companies specialize in recruiting staff for a transition over to a municipal plant.

Melissa Arrighi said another issue that might come up if we did two separate RFP’s is how to evaluate them and compare them to one another. She said we would probably need a review committee to come in and evaluate them both based on the specifications, to which Selectman Joyce said she just wants to make sure we go into this with a totally open mind. She said she wants to make sure that the RFP isn’t geared towards the Town taking over the plant and to make sure we look at all options.

Marlene McCollem, Assistant Town Manager, said another issue with creating two separate RFP’s is that we will be sending a confused signal to the firms that will be responding and we will get confusing results back. She said the recommendation from staff is that the direction we want to go is set in advance so that the market place is clear on what we are asking for; otherwise we run the risk of getting confused information back.

Selectman Cavacco said she looks at this differently, and added that we ran it ourselves and it was great, and then we contracted it out and it wasn’t so great. She said either way this is our responsibility but I am a firm believer of keeping things in-house. Selectman Cavacco said if people have an interest in something they take more pride in their work so she feels we should move forward with an RFP to maintain the plant in-house.

Chad Whiting, Assistant Waste Water Manager, came up and said that if he were the contractor and was given an RFP for a five year term as opposed to a ten year term then my costs would be more favorable with a longer time period. He said as far as the risk goes there will be risks with either scenario as we are ultimately responsible for the plant. Mr. Whiting then said he spent the last two days at a Waste Water seminar and listened to other municipalities talk about their Waste Water programs and how well they are run by their staff. He said in his eyes municipal operation is the way to go. He said initially it will be expensive as we will be looking at 19 new staff members who will be cross-trained to work in both the collection system and treatment system. Chad Whiting finished by saying he was looking for the full support of the Board because without their full support we will not be able to make thus any better than the current contracted company.

Selectman Mahoney asked how many viable vendors there are out there that could handle this type of work, to which Jonathan Beder said there are three contractors willing to bid on this specific RFP which we are writing which should keep it competitive.

PAGE 8 OF 13 Selectman Joyce asked if anyone knew how many towns in the Commonwealth run their own Waste Water Plants, to which Chad Whiting said he does not have an exact number but he can get that for the Board. He also said that Wareham, Fairhaven and Bridgewater all operate and maintain their own systems.

Selectman Joyce said another one of her concerns is that surrounding towns will be poaching each other trying to get good staff, to which Chad Whiting said that will happen because this is a competitive field. He said both he and Gary Frizzell get calls monthly based on the licenses that they both hold.

Selectman Joyce then asked the Town Manager if she or the Assistant Town Manager had any concerns about these new salaries, to which Melissa Arrighi said yes we do. She said we have seen exactly what Chad had mentioned in regards to headhunting. It’s definitely something we have to think about because Plymouth is a unique place to work.

Selectman Mahoney said there are about 350 communities in Massachusetts and 20 to 25 of them have a triple A bond rating and one of them is Hingham. He said the Selectman in Hingham have been doing everything they can to get their water system out of private hands and get it back under the umbrella of the Town of Hingham, and whenever they talk about it they mention the significant savings there would be bringing it in-house. He said statistically over 300 Massachusetts communities manage their own water so I don’t know how Hingham got into this situation. Selectman Mahoney said he is confident that Plymouth could handle this just as efficiently if not more efficient than anyone else so I support this.

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr and seconded by Betty Cavacco, the Board voted to direct the Town Manager and her Staff to prepare and RFP with the ultimate goal of transitioning the operation and maintenance of the Waste Water Treatment Plant to in-house employees. Voted 4/0/1 Tavares-Yes, Provenzano-Yes, Mahoney-Yes, Cavacco-Yes, Joyce-Abstain

Selectman Joyce said she abstained from voting because she is not convinced that sending an RFP out this way is the right way to go. She said she respects all of the hard work that the Waste Water Management has done but I just think we are predicating the results without a full set of facts.

______9:47PM – WATER TAXI

Chad Hunter, Plymouth Harbor Master, came up and began his presentation. He said that this is not a new concept and has been talked about over the years. He said the private launch has changed hands multiple times over the past fifteen years and it needs to be dependable because if the service fails people will turn to the Town for a solution. The Revenue Enhancement Task Force said in their report that this has the potential to provide a lucrative revenue stream for the Town. Chad Hunter said in 2018 Plymouth Harbor had 821 overnight stays booked by visiting boaters and this has been on an upward trend. He said on top of that we have several visits from boaters from other harbors that come for the day and want to get to shore to shop or have lunch and dinner. And lastly he said we have our own mooring holders that require a safe and dependable way to get back and forth to their boats because skiff space is very limited due to dock space.

Chad Hunter then said he reached out to other communities and Harbor Masters to see what they do in their towns. He said he only found one community that put out an RFP and contracted out their launch service. He said Wareham and New Bedford actually run a municipal launch service. PAGE 9 OF 13 Chad Hunter then read a quote from Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford as follows: The service was a recommendation of the Harbor Development Commission Recreational Advisory Group that suggested the city take steps to improve the visitor’s experience and better connect boaters with shore-side activities.

Chad Hunter said this is exactly what we are looking to do with this proposal. He said if boaters are coming to Plymouth and want to spend their money in town we need to make that as easy as possible. He said he reached out to the New Bedford Harbor Master to see how the launch was going and he said they started in 2015 and they had about 893 trips that season and in 2018 they were up to 4,328 trips so as you can see it grew over time. He said that not only are people using it to go from boat to shore and shore to boat but also to other destinations within the harbor so it has become more of a water taxi service. He said Wareham saw a similar trend in the past two years starting with about 500 rides the first year and they are now up to 3,000 this past year. They also mentioned that people without boats were using it to go from shore to another part of the harbor to a restaurant or shops, so it seems to be working well for these communities and we think it can be replicated here.

Chad Hunter then gave an overview of the proposed launch service and what the details were going to be, such as the following:

- Launch Service from May 1st through October 15th - Hours During Shoulder Season – 8:00am to 6:00pm (May 1st – Memorial Day and Labor Day to October 15th) - Hours During High Season – 6:00am to 10:00pm (Memorial Day – Labor Day) - United States Coast Guard Licensed Launch Operators ($15.00/Hour) - Personnel Cost $34,000 (22 Week Season) - Fuel and Maintenance $2,000 Annually

Chad Hunter went over some of the projections based on potential customers that they set and how they got there. He started out by going over some of the known numbers from last season as follows:

- Total Moorings in Plymouth Harbor – 650 - Plymouth Yacht Club has 250 Launch Customers - Plymouth Yacht Club has 80 Spots for Tenders - The Town has 130 Spots for Tenders - The Town has 50 Unused Moorings - There are 140 Potential Launch Customers

He said they then calculated a charge of $400 per season for mooring holders and for transients and day-trippers we figured $15 per day added to their overnight mooring fee for Launch Services. This would give us a total potential of $51,315 worth of annual revenue.

Alan Costello came up and said he was in opposition of this launch service. He then asked about the cost of the boat which was not in the presentation, to which Chad Hunter said we had a work skiff last year that we are going to modify with rails and getting the Coast Guard inspection completed. He said there are other launches out there but this is your basic barebones boat that we can use the first year. Alan Costello then asked how much the skiff costs, to which Chad Hunter said about $30,000 completed. Mr. Costello then asked how many people it will be certified to carry, to which Chad Hunter said 10 passengers.

Alan Costello said a vessel that carries 10 people will cause an unbelievable log jam on Saturdays and Sundays as well as July 4th and other holidays. He went on to say he is a Coast Guard certified launch operator and said he has operated a launch for the Yacht Club. PAGE 10 OF 13 Alan Costello said he is by no means an expert on launch services but two years ago he did look into the purchase of Plymouth Water Sports. I spent time going over it with an accountant and an attorney and found it would be very difficult to make that business work. He said the numbers that he’s seen in this presentation are very light and very weak and I’m afraid it won’t make it as a business. Alan Costello then asked if the cost of the boat was included in this proposal, to which Chad Hunter said yes, there is $30,000 in the budget.

Alan Costello then asked how many people the skiff can hold, to which Chad Hunter said roughly 6 to 8 passengers. Alan Costello then said that would cause a log jam on weekends and holidays. He also said that he looked into purchasing Plymouth Water Sports but the numbers didn’t work out, and added that putting this undue competition in the harbor is not fair to private businesses.

Paul Quintal came up and said he’s been a boat captain for 45 years and is currently a member of the Harbor Committee. He said this started in 1985 and has had 15 different owners and the demand for rides has never grown. He then listed some of his concerns:

- Funding from the Waterway Fund - Math on cost to operate - Mooring Reservation system costs - Loss of lease from Plymouth Water Sports - Drug Testing Program needed - What about the funding if it operates at a loss

Paul Quintal then respectfully requested that the Board of Selectman table this until the Harbor Committee has had a chance to discuss it at their next meeting and weigh in.

Everett Malaguti came up and said he is a former member of the Revenue Idea Task Force. He said the launch service provided by Plymouth Water Sports was unreliable and he said he isn’t sure they even want to continue offering that service. He said Marion, Duxbury and Edgartown are all contracted and asked if we looked into a contract with another company.

Leonard Blaney came up and said he was also a member of the Harbor Committee and also asked the Board of Selectmen to please hold off on their vote so the Harbor Committee could review the Water Taxi plans.

Chad Hunter said that the Harbor Committee’s opinion is very much appreciated however this initiative came from the Board of Selectmen through Executive Session so he felt it should be presented to them first. He said he feels that this is a viable solution because we don’t know if the current launch is going to be there in the spring so we want to have this in place as we have no control over a private entity.

Chairman Tavares said that we have been under pressure to get as much information as possible which is why this hasn’t been presented to the Harbor Committee yet. He then said it makes sense to hold off on our vote and get the Harbor Committee’s input. HE added that we do not want this service to be neglected this season.

Vice Chairman Provenzano said that this initiative came from our Executive Session from four Board Members and there is still more information that we cannot share at this time but we still would appreciate the Harbor Committee input.

Selectman Mahoney said if a private launch can set up then that is fine but I do not want Chad Hunter to pick up the pieces at the last minute when the private launch can’t deliver. He said the private launch we have right now might not be in place this season and we are approaching 2020 so we want all visitors to have that service available to them.

PAGE 11 OF 13 Selectman Joyce asked if there was enough time for the Harbor Committee to hear this proposal and then come back to the Board of Selectmen, to which Melissa Arrighi said yes, we actually do have time on this as we have the option to remove this line item right up until Town Meeting if needed.

On a motion by John Mahoney and seconded by Anthony Provenzano Jr, the Board voted to table until the Harbor Committee can weigh in on this proposal. Voted 5/0

______10:37PM – PUBLIC COMMENT

Robert Spencer came up and said the entrance to the Police Station has been blocked off. He said that never should have been built there. He then said that Police and Fire have what they want and need and now it’s up to the Board of Selectmen to make sure the DW has what they want and need. The sooner you find the problems the cheaper they are to fix.

______10:41PM - LICENSES AND ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

LICENSES

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board approved a One Day All Alcohol License for the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra for a Concert being held on March 30, 2019 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at Memorial Hall. Voted 5/0

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board approved a One Day All Alcohol License for the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra for a Concert Cocktail Party being held on March 30, 2019 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Pilgrim Hall Museum. Voted 5/0

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board approved a One Day All Alcohol License for the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra for a Concert being held on May 19, 2019 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm at Memorial Hall. Voted 5/0

On a motion by Anthony Provenzano Jr and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board approved a One Day All Alcohol License for the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra for a Concert being held on May 18, 2019 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at Memorial Hall. Voted 5/0

ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

On a motion by Betty Cavacco and seconded by John Mahoney, the Board approved the Open Meeting Minutes from the December 19, 2018 Selectmen’s Meeting. Voted 5/0

______10:43PM - COMMITTEE LIAISON / DESIGNEE UPDATES

None

______10:44PM - OLD BUSINESS / LETTERS / NEW BUSINESS

None

PAGE 12 OF 13 ______10:45PM - ADJOURNMENT

On a motion by John Mahoney and seconded by Shelagh Joyce, the Board voted to adjourn the Open Session at 10:45pm. Voted 5/0 By Roll Call: Tavares-Yes, Provenzano-Yes, Mahoney-Yes, Joyce-Yes, Cavacco-Yes

Recorded by: Christopher Badot Administrative Assistant, Board of Selectmen

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