The Plymouth Community Preservation Committee convened at Town Hall on December 11 to confront a mounting $12 million debt load while weighing several high-stakes historic preservation requests. Finance Director Lynn Barrett opened the session with a sobering five-year financial retrospective, noting that while the town has paid down significant sums, authorized projects continue to outpace available funds. Barrett explained the current landscape, stating, Over the past five years, we've authorized about 23.5 million of debt, and we've paid down about 11.3 million of that debt, leaving a net balance that several members found concerning. Vice Chair Tim Grandy emphasized the need for a fiscal course correction, remarking, What I want to see going forward is to see this number 12 million drastically be reduced over the next couple of years. Chairman Edward Bradley agreed that the evening’s votes would serve as a pivotal moment for the committee's financial health, noting, We'll have an opportunity to do that tonight when we vote.

The committee’s fiscal scrutiny was most evident during the debate over a $568,172 request to renovate the 20x20 Hearse House at Burial Hill. Members expressed deep reservations regarding the high cost-per-square-foot and the lack of a defined long-term use for the structure. Len Levin voiced his skepticism about the project's readiness, stating, I'm not sure that I'm personally satisfied that there's a clear roadmap to what's going to be done with that building if we spend all that money to renovate it. Paul Churchill was equally blunt about the expenditure, arguing, I would never even consider spending that my own money in these numbers like this—I just think it's really extravagant. Bill Keohan suggested that while the cemetery is a vital asset, unspent funds from previous articles should be exhausted first. Keohan noted, I think that the cemetery is our most important historical resource... because it's the only objects we can go and touch and look at that are literally close to 400 years old, yet he could not support the current application. Only Mike Tubin supported the measure, stating, I'm going to ceremoniously as the historic representative say yes, before the motion was defeated. Motion Made by Len Levin to recommend the application for the hearse house for the historic preservation purposes in the amount of 568,172 for spring 2026 town meeting article. Vote Failed 1-5

In a shift toward more widely supported initiatives, the committee unanimously backed a town-wide historic preservation plan and a project to digitize the Old Colony Memorial newspaper archives. Motion Made by Mike Tubin to recommend the application for the Old Colony Memorial Digitization Project for the historic preservation purposes in the amount of $70,530 using historic preserve funds to the spring 2026 town meeting article. Vote Passed 5-1 Following this, the board moved to secure a roadmap for future preservation efforts. Motion Made by Paul Churchill to recommend the application for historic preservation plan project for the historic preservation purposes in the amount of $85,000 using the historic reserve fund. Vote Passed 6-0

The meeting concluded with a landmark decision to aggressively pay down the town's CPC-related debt. Bill Keohan proposed utilizing $2 million of estimated FY27 revenue to buy down existing debt, particularly for the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless project. Keohan argued, I think that we need to hold our feet to the fire and address that number and get it down aggressively. The committee also moved to apply 10% set-asides for open space and housing directly to outstanding loans for Jenny Pond and the homeless coalition. CPC Coordinator Kristen provided a brief project update, noting, I anticipate them getting their certificate of occupancy by next Wednesday which will then release our final payment to them. Motion Made by Tim Grandy to use the 10% for open space recreation to pay down the Jenny pond debt. Vote Passed 6-0 Additionally, the board moved to clear housing-related obligations. Motion Made by Tim Grandy to use the 10% set aside for housing plus the existing housing reserves of $74,080 to pay down the Plymouth area coalition for the homeless housing project. Vote Passed 6-0 Finally, the committee committed to the larger debt reduction. Motion Made by Bill Keohan to submit an article for spring town meeting to use $2 million of estimated revenue for the Plymouth area coalition for the homeless. Vote Passed 6-0

The meeting was adjourned at 7:06 p.m.