Tisbury selectmen award affordable housing, appoint new patrolman

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Town clerk Marion Mudge (right) swears in new police officer Jeffrey Day as his wife, Emily, looks on. — Photo by Janet Hefler

Tisbury selectmen Tuesday hired a new patrolman and selected two buyers for two affordable townhouses on Lake Street.

Beth McElhinney was selected by lottery to purchase a $225,000 townhouse. Calvin and Geneva Corwin were selected as the homebuyers for a second townhouse, valued at $184,500, without a lottery under a family preference option and income guidelines.

The townhouses are two of six in a cluster of three duplexes that comprise Tisbury’s Wentworth Way affordable housing project, a public/private partnership spearheaded by the Island Housing Trust (IHT).

IHT executive Philippe Jordi and chairman of the board Richard Leonard thanked the town for its support and the many people who made it possible.

Following the lottery, on the recommendation of Police Chief Dan Hanavan, selectmen hired Jeffrey Day of Chilmark as a full-time patrolman. Town clerk Marion Mudge swore Mr. Day in, as his wife Emily and their son Matthew, age 5, looked on.

Officer Day joined the Tisbury Police Department as a special police officer last August following his resignation from the Chilmark Police Department where he had been a full-time patrolman since 2004.

In other business, the selectmen continued a public hearing for Rocco Pizzeria’s beer and wine license. The pizza place is in non-compliance with the town’s regulation to serve food on solid dinnerware, with flatware.

The owners’ attorney and former Tisbury selectman Geoghan Coogan said it was his understanding that selectmen would hold a public hearing on the regulation first. The selectmen agreed they would hold two hearings on April 30, one on the regulation, followed by the continued hearing regarding Rocco’s license.

Selectmen approved a new agreement with Comcast, the Island’s cable television provider, with a stipulation that any public access funds be sent to the town first and then dispensed by the town to Martha’s Vineyard Public Television (MVTV).

The selectmen approved a $5,000 annual stipend for fire chief John Schilling, in addition to his annual salary, for additional duties as the emergency services facility building coordinator.

Selectmen also approved a beer and wine license application from Cafe Moxie, and a recommendation from building and zoning inspector Ken Barwick to demolish and remove an old DPW facility on Spring Street across from Tisbury School.