Select Board Split on Sullivan Appointment

The Seekonk Select Board voted to keep Justin Sullivan as the board’s liaison to the Medeiros Farm Committee at their May 28 meeting.

Chair Michelle Hines, Christopher Zorra, and Michael Healy voted in favor, with Pam Pozzi and Gary Sagar in opposition.

Sagar made a motion for Pozzi to serve as the board’s liaison. That was defeated in a 3 to 2 vote. Sagar and Pozzi voted in favor, with Hines, Zorra, and Healy in opposition.

Sullivan is a former Board member. He was Chair when the sales and purchase agreement for the Medeiros Farm property was signed in 2023. Sullivan has been a part of the committee for the past two years. The committee has one representative from the Historical Commission, Community Preservation Committee, Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Select Board, and Parks and Recreation Committee.

“Just being at town meeting and listening to Mr. Sullivan talk about the project and his in-depth relationship with the Medeiros family and his commitment to this project, I think it would be harmful to the committee if we did remove him,” Healy said, noting the Board voted to have a member serving on the committee.

Zorra said Sullivan “is really the member that keeps that board on track and moving forward.”

“Any one of us can join that committee and come up to speed with no problem,” Pozzi explained. “I don’t think that one person makes the committee. I definitely don’t think that somebody who is not a member of this board should be a liaison for this board because that’s defeating the purpose of a liaison.”

Nathan Socha, vice-chair of the Medeiros Farm Committee, said Sullivan has been “a vital asset” to the committee.

Susan Moulton read a statement on behalf of her father, Paul Medeiros, a committee member: “Justin’s knowledge and enthusiasm has been essential to getting the Medeiros Farm project to where we are today. I am grateful to Justin that he wishes to continue to serve with the project committee.”

On May 8, 2023, the Town voted to appropriate $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Reserve for the Medeiros Farm Committee, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, to seek, hire, and direct a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street.  

Voters at the May 12 Town Meeting authorized the appropriation of $825,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Reserve, as requested by the Medeiros Farm Committee, for designer services.