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Select Board approves Feb. 10 minutes, announces election and town meeting dates; discusses social media policy and onboarding
Summary
The board approved regular and nonpublic meeting minutes, set upcoming Select Board meeting and town election dates, welcomed Deputy Fire Chief Dan Doucette and discussed updating the town's social media guidance for elected and appointed officials.
The Plymouth Select Board voted to approve its Feb. 10 regular meeting minutes and the Feb. 10 nonpublic meeting minutes and set upcoming meeting and election dates.
At the start of the meeting a board member moved to approve the Feb. 10 regular meeting minutes; another member seconded the motion and the board chair called for the ayes. After a separate motion and second to approve the Feb. 10 nonpublic meeting minutes, the board again voted in the affirmative. The board did not record individual roll-call votes on the minutes in the transcript excerpts.
The board announced Select Board meeting dates at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 10 and Monday, March 24, 2025. Town election polling will be at Plymouth Elementary School, 43 Old Ward Bridge Road, on Tuesday, March 11, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; town meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 7 p.m. Citizens seeking to appear on future Select Board agendas were told to notify town hall by noon on the Thursday before a scheduled meeting. The town clerk's office will close for staff training on a new voting machine the day after the meeting.
The board held a brief employee recognition: Chief Kevin Pierce introduced Deputy Fire Chief Dan Doucette, a new hire with prior service in Laconia and Meredith-area ambulance services. Kevin Pierce told the board Doucette will be pinned when his uniform arrives.
Social media policy discussion: Board members raised questions about how the town's existing personnel policy addresses social media by elected and appointed officials and volunteers, and whether the policy needs revision to reflect evolving law. One board member suggested consulting town counsel. Town staff read the current policy language on social media aloud: "Do not represent yourself as a town on any social media website including but not limited to Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, and forums without express permission from a supervisor. In addition, beware that anything you say online may be publicly accessible and professionalism and courtesy are always recommended." The board discussed the balance between First Amendment protections and responsibilities for people serving in official roles, the applicability of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and options for onboarding or training volunteers and appointed officials. The board agreed to ask town counsel (Will Warren) to draft updated guidance and to make training and policy acknowledgements part of reappointment or onboarding processes.
Other administrative items included a signature filing for the March 11 election posting and a new application for a veteran's tax credit; staff noted hard copies of the 2024 town report are available at town hall.
Ending: The board finished the meeting with committee reports and adjourned after a final voice vote.
