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Resident recounts midnight medical emergency and urges Select Board to address public‑safety staffing and compensation
Summary
At the June 23 Newbury Select Board meeting, Mark Plekman praised overnight responders after a recent fainting episode and urged the board to consider bolder steps—including tax‑rate options or an override—to address long‑running police and fire staffing shortfalls.
Mark Plekman, a longtime member of the town’s Human Resources Board who said he was speaking for himself, recounted a recent overnight medical emergency to the Select Board on June 23 and used the incident to press officials on public‑safety staffing and compensation.
“I wanna acknowledge their response,” Plekman said, describing police and EMTs who arrived at his home and checked him thoroughly. He told the board he had regained equilibrium before their arrival but that the speed and professionalism of the overnight crew were notable.
Plekman told members he has observed a long period of underinvestment in public safety, saying staffing has not returned to pre‑2010 levels and that the fire department has recently lost several experienced firefighters. He urged the board to “be bold” and consider levers such as an override or adjustments to the residential tax rate to improve recruitment and retention.
The remarks were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the Select Board meeting; board members thanked Plekman for sharing his personal experience and for his call to action. No formal motion followed from public comment, but his testimony prefaced subsequent agenda items addressing police recruitment and funding and was taken up later in the meeting.
