Tisbury pares connector funds. Back Wednesday.
Updated, 9:10 am, Thursday
Tisbury voted 136 yes, 109 no on allowing the selectmen to file a home rule petition on the question of beer and wine. The article came up at 9:08 pm , and a standing vote was taken at 10:57 pm. A total of 263 voters attended town meeting Wednesday night, compared with 344 on Tuesday.
After the beer/wine article vote, those voters still present agreed to keep going in order to finish up the remaining nine warrant articles. There was a brief discussion about postponing consideration of some of the articles until special town meeting in the fall. But voters agreed that would not be possible, because several related to questions that will appear on the April 28 ballot. The meeting that began at 7:05 pm adjourned at 11:28 pm.
A standing room only crowd of 344 packed Tisbury's annual town meeting Tuesday, representing about 12 percent of the town's 2,871 registered voters. As town moderator Deborah Medders started the meeting at 20 minutes past the scheduled start time of 7 pm, latecomers straggling in found seats, and bleachers filled in Tisbury School's gymnasium.
They trimmed, but approved, funding for a connector road between State Road and the Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Road, and they agreed to a 4.1-percent cost of living wage increase for some town employees.
Voters dealt with 12 warrant articles in three hours Tuesday, leaving 25 to go, and they agreed at 10 pm to continue the meeting Wednesday at 7 pm. Many voters left disappointed that the issue of a beer and wine licensing home rule petition would be left to ferment for another night. Under Tisbury's lottery system for choosing the order of articles, number 14 did not bubble up.
Noting that approving all of the spending set out in the warrant articles could yield a 13-percent increase in taxes, Abbe Burt cautioned her fellow voters, "I think we should seriously consider every penny we spend tonight."
Among the articles approved by the evening's end, voters agreed to borrow $1,850,000, to pay for the design of the connector road and to fund resurfacing and rebuilding of various town roads and sidewalks; to give a 4.1-percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) to town managerial and professional employees; and to appropriate $17,000 for capital expenditures for the police and harbormaster departments.
Consideration of a $4 million bond issue proposal for funding the connector road and repairs and reconstruction of several town roads and sidewalks generated the meeting's lengthiest and most contentious discussion and took up an hour and 15 minutes.
That big ticket item called for the town to borrow $2.5 million for designing and constructing a connector road between Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road and State Road, plus another $1.5 million for local projects.
Those included rebuilding and resurfacing about 20 roads and about 14 sidewalks, as well as replacing Tisbury School's traffic warning lights and the Park and Ride lighting fixtures, drainage structures, and signs.
Department of Public Works (DPW) director Fred LaPiana explained that bundling the road project costs would save the town money over the long run by taking advantage of current low interest rates for bonds and low prices for labor and asphalt.
said that he remains hopeful that the connector road project may be completely funded under a state Public Works Economic Development grant or with federal funds as a shovel-ready project, which he would continue to pursue. Both require submitting a finished design, which he estimates will cost about $350,000.
Mr. LaPiana said that authorizing the town to borrow the $2.5 million for the connector road would ensure its construction, in the event Tisbury did not receive any state or federal money. "It's your decision - however, I would request you at least fund the design work," he said.
Marie Laursen, who lives off Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, questioned the need for a connector road to mitigate traffic on State Road and suggested it might be time to consider other measures, such as traffic lights.
Geraldine Brooks defended Tisbury's roads, which she said she considers perfectly adequate. Slowing down for the occasional pothole serves as a form of traffic calming, she added.
Robert Aldrin disagreed. "We have to get our roads fixed," he said, noting that the condition of Tisbury's roads and sidewalks is not conducive to the town's goal of attracting more people and business.
Penelope Dickens, who lives within a block of Main Street, added, "It's an accident waiting to happen if the roads aren't fixed."
Former selectman and Tisbury health agent Tom Pachico, who is seeking election as a public works commissioner, accused Mr. LaPiana and the DPW of coming up with the $1.5 million figure to fix any roads and sidewalks they see fit, without providing that information to voters.
Public works commissioner David Ferraguzzi called Mr. Pachico's attention to a handout provided to voters that detailed all of that information, including costs.
Reminding voters that a decision on a new emergency services facility (ESF) is coming up, Dan Feeney, a lieutenant in Tisbury's fire department, suggested funding only the connector road design costs and the roads and sidewalks project.
A vote on a motion to divide the article failed. Voters did, however, approve an amendment to reduce the $4 million amount to $1,850,000, to include $1.5 million for road and sidewalk repair and reconstruction, and $350,000 for the connector road design.
They subsequently defeated a motion made by Finance and Advisory Committee (FinCom) member Peter Goodale to eliminate all funds for the connector road and to reduce the amount in the borrowing article to $1.5 million.
The amended borrowing article for $1.85 million, which required approval by a two-thirds majority, was passed in a standing vote, 272 to 10.
A request for a 4.1-percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) salary increase for the town's managerial and professional employees, suggested by Tisbury's personnel board, also spurred debate.
The FinCom took issue with the personnel board and recommended a 3.5-percent increase, in keeping with union and school contracts.
Selectmen Jeffrey Kristal and Tristan Israel disagreed on the issue. Mr. Kristal urged voters to approve the 4.1-percent COLA, which he noted amounts to only a $5,300 increase in a $20.2 million budget.
"The timing is wrong to cut salaries for the 12 employees who have taken us through and positioned us well to weather this economic slump that we're in," Mr. Kristal said, suggesting cuts could be made in other areas such as the Dukes County rodent control program and the Martha's Vineyard Commission's budget to offset the COLAs.
Selectman Tristan Israel disagreed. "Three point five in today's climate is a more than generous increase," he said. "We have wonderful employees, but these are tough times - I urge you to go along with the FinCom."
Former FinCom chairman George Balco said the COLA money would be well spent, considering that town employees save Tisbury that kind of money almost every week. "This may be the cheapest and best investment we can be making, to keep these people in place to run a great town," he said.
After two voice votes, the article's approval was confirmed in a standing vote, 167 to 111. Voters subsequently approved a related article to transfer $5,388 from the town's unreserved fund balance for the salary increases.
In discussions about capital expenditures, Police Chief John Cashin found himself in the hot seat over his request for $5,000 to purchase 12 new upholstered office chairs for the police department. Dorothy Bangs asked why he didn't consider buying longer-wearing wooden chairs instead.
Chief Cashin said that he would not want to put his officers in wooden chairs as a matter of comfort. A majority of voters approved his request.
In taking up Chief Cashin's next request for $5,000 to purchase several new door locks for the police station, the audience erupted in laughter when Chris Fried suggested, tongue-in-cheek, "I'm wondering if Chief Cashin could use the old chairs to jam the doors."
Voters approved the lock purchase, along with requests from harbormaster Jay Wilbur for transfers from the Waterways Fund of $5,000 to install new dinghy docks at Owen Park and $2,000 to purchase navigation aids. Mr. Wilbur's request for $5,000 to make additional improvements to Owen Park Dock was not approved.
Other expenditures approved by voters included $1,500 for the Martha's Vineyard Cultural Council, $4,635 for the Dukes County pest control program, and $7,933 to participate in the county's Health Care Access Program and $51,972 to maintain its current funding.
