The Plymouth Select Board held an extensive session this week, balancing the town's agricultural future with critical infrastructure challenges following a historic 24-inch snowstorm. The meeting began on a high note for the local aquaculture industry as the board approved several license renewals and pilot programs aimed at cementing Plymouth’s reputation as a premier oyster hub. Rick Veo of Bear Tide Oysters shared his ambitious vision, noting that our goal is to put Plymouth on every menu across the country, just like a Duxbury or just like a Wellfleet would be. Kevin B. Canty supported the industry's growth, stating, I would feel comfortable extending the timeline so that the details of those initiatives can be worked out regarding ongoing recognition of local tribal land, while Richard J. Quintal Jr. was eager to streamline approvals, asking, Do you want to take votes as we go through? Motion Made by Richard J. Quintal Jr. to approve Mr. Veo's 10-year aquacultural renewal. Vote Passed 5-0. The board also greenlit a pilot program for Michael and Sean Whitington to operate upwellers on the town pier to showcase the industry to the public.

The conversation quickly shifted to the grueling recovery efforts from the late January blizzard. DPW Director Bill Coyle provided a sobering report on the town's resource limitations, explaining that while the town should ideally have 140 to 150 plows, we have about 95. Coyle detailed the exhaustion of crews who worked up to 40 hours straight and the failure of the town's aging sidewalk equipment. William Keohan expressed concern over the long-term readiness of the department, noting, we’d spend three years out of commission, not really on the playing field. So, we need to kind of take stock of what kind of equipment we have and be prepared for that in the future. Despite the challenges, Deborah Iaquinto offered praise for the appointment of new volunteers like Janelle Lraange to the Agricultural Commission, remarking that bringing in some fresh perspective and fresh ideas would be great. Lraange, a scientist and meteorologist, told the board, I really want to promote having a sustainable agriculture and aquaculture in our community. Motion Made by Kevin B. Canty to appoint Janelle Lraange to the Agricultural Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2028. Vote Passed 5-0.

The most contentious portion of the evening involved a deep dive into the town’s wastewater treatment strategy. Superintendent Doug Bernard and consultants presented a plan to shift treated effluent discharge from the harbor outfall to inland groundwater beds to increase capacity and protect aquaculture. Bernard explained, Originally we looked to shift the prioritization of the wastewater disposal from the ocean outfall to the groundwater beds at the wastewater treatment plant. However, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) presented a dissenting view. CAC Vice Chair Hampton Watkins cautioned that this will be the town's best friend over the next decades only if managed correctly, but noted that the committee voted against moving forward due to unresolved questions. Rose Forbes, a professional engineer on the CAC, raised alarms about the accuracy of groundwater modeling, stating, if you have bad data going into your model, you're going to have bad response coming out of your model. Resident Marty Enos was even more blunt about the inland beds, claiming, they don't use the beds because the damn things don't work.

State officials and town experts argued that Plymouth must act before federal or state mandates force their hand. John Hobel from the MassDEP clarified, it’s not that the state’s doing it because the feds make us do it... it’s the federal government that we’re following on that regarding nitrogen limits. David M. Golden Jr. assured the public that the CAC would remain involved, saying, I will certainly reconvene this group should the board decide to move forward with the EIR process. While Keohan remained the lone holdout, citing the need to protect the Eel River, Richard J. Quintal Jr. argued for proactive planning, stating, the worst things that can happen is to have a mandate come and not be ready for it. Motion Made by Deborah Iaquinto to approve and submit the draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to the state. Vote Passed 4-1. The board concluded by scheduling a special budget workshop for March 5 to address the town's tightening fiscal constraints.