Infrastructure and community welfare took center stage as Beth Israel Deaconess Plymouth (BIDP) leaders presented a sweeping update on their facilities. Kevin Coughlin, outgoing BIDP President, emphasized the hospital's shifting mission toward community-based care, noting that our job is to figure out how to get better and how to build this organization into what it needs to be in the face of a rapidly growing population. Chief Operating Officer Erin Yale detailed the $50 million investment currently underway for the emergency department, explaining that whatever we can do to bring that care closer to home, we're all about. Board members expressed strong support for the hospital's local impact, with Richard J. Quintal Jr. sharing a personal connection to the facility and announcing, our family is going to make a sizable donation to the BI as I told you we would. William Keohan added that Plymouth has a history but the history of Plymouth and its commitment to medical care at that location is something that we have to be very very focused in supporting.

The board also reviewed a transformative proposal for a Plymouth Housing Resource Center at the First Baptist Church site. John Yazwinsky, CEO of Father Bills & Mainspring, outlined a vision for a 30-bed year-round shelter and 16 units of permanent supportive housing, stating, we want it to be like a medical emergency room. We want to reduce the length of stays and get people into the programs that they need. Kevin B. Canty underscored the necessity of the project, observing that homelessness is not a moral failing... there's a lot more people than you think that need this at some point in their lives. Supporting the move toward self-sufficiency, Deborah Iaquinto remarked, I am extremely supportive of any resource, any model that is going to help people move towards self-sufficiency. Following the discussion, the board acted to support the organization's state funding application. Motion Made by William Keohan to "draft a letter in support of their application to the executive office of housing and livable communities". Vote Passed 5-0.

Civic discourse and long-term service were also highlighted throughout the evening. Town Moderator Steven Trifiletti introduced an initiative from the Massachusetts Moderators Association focused on respectful debate as the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution nears, quoting the Mayflower Compact: The pilgrims at the time said that we covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation. David M. Golden Jr. praised the collaborative spirit of the town's institutions, noting, I've toured the hospital a couple of times... it's really impressive the work that you're doing down there. The meeting concluded with a heartfelt tribute to Planning Director Lee Hartman, who is retiring after 37 years. Kevin B. Canty reflected on Hartman's legacy, stating, I thank Mr. Hartman very deeply for the work he's done over the years and he will be missed.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 PM