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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

By Jack Shea
Published: May 7, 2009

Two up-Island policemen are among three finalists under consideration to be the next Chilmark police chief. The successful candidate will replace Tim Rich, who will retire after 30 years at the head of the small town force

The candidates are West Tisbury police sergeant Dan Rossi, Chilmark patrolman Brian Cioffi, and Carver police sergeant Mike Miksch. Selectmen will conduct public interviews beginning at 3 pm, Friday, May 15.

In December, Chief Rich announced that he would retire on July 1, after 33 years as a Chilmark police officer. The three selectmen tapped one of their members, J.B. Riggs Parker, to conduct the initial search and interviews.

"This has been a very difficult selection process," Mr. Parker told selectmen Tuesday night. "We received 29 applications for information, and 18 of the applicants applied for the position. The candidates were interesting and exciting people."

The selectmen are responsible for hiring the new chief. No salary has been set. "We will negotiate that with the successful candidate," Mr. Parker said after the meeting. Chief Rich receives $84,377 in salary.

In other business, selectmen approved victualer licenses for the Home Port Restaurant and the new Chilmark Tavern. Summer residents Bob and Sarah Nixon bought the Home Port in February for more than $2.3 million, after Chilmark voters rejected a town purchase of the property.

"We will operate the restaurant as it has been run for more than 30 years by Will and Madeline Holtham. We will focus on improving service," said David Zeilinger, acting general manger of the restaurant. The license also allows a new 10 am to 2 pm Sunday brunch service, beginning in July.

The Home Port will begin serving dinner seven days a week on May 22, Mr. Zeilinger said, along with the popular takeout service.

Selectmen conditioned the license with a requirement that employee parking will not be allowed at the restaurant and that the restaurant agrees to hold the town harmless in the event of a septic system malfunction. Selectmen imposed the condition after learning that a few feet of the restaurant's septic system is on town land. Mr. Zeilinger agreed and said also that the restaurant would continue to allow public parking in its lot until 4 pm.

Selectmen also issued a license to Paul O'Connell, a Cambridge restaurateur, to operate The Chilmark Tavern as a restaurant at the site of the former Cornerway, adjacent to the Chilmark Store.

Mr. O'Connell told selectmen that the restaurant would be affordably priced for both year-round residents and visitors, featuring Island fish, meat, and other produce. Mr. O'Connell also pledged that the restaurant would be available for community events and fundraisers. The Chilmark Tavern will operate seasonally, seven days a week.

Several residents complimented him for using the tavern's original name, which dates to 1900, a historian in the audience noted.

The board elected Mr. Parker as the new chairman. Mr. Parker said he planned to retire from the board at the end of his current term in 2010. "I will be 77 when the term ends. It's time for me to do some long-range cruising," the long-time sailor said. He encouraged residents to prepare to seek his position. "It's time for the kids - I'm talking about people in their fifties - to get involved," he said.

In other action, the board approved plans to begin the bidding process for installation of utilities and for road building at the Middle Line Road affordable housing site once well digging efforts are completed. The board approved formation of a town building committee this month to oversee the project. Chuck Hodgkinson, coordinator of administrative support for the town, said rental housing could be completed by the end of 2010.

The board approved a bicycle race set for October 17, sponsored by the Rotary Club with a condition requested by selectman Frank Fenner that sponsors agree to post-race cleanup, including the removal of signs, within 24 hours after the event.

Mr. Fenner said he was distressed by the presence of signs and posters following last weekend's Multiple Sclerosis benefit bike race. "I support the organization," he said. "They do great work, but people need to clean up after themselves."

Selectmen put off discussion of the agreement between the town and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) that allows the town to use a tribe-owned boat. Discussion was tabled after the selectmen, executive secretary Tim Carroll, and harbormaster Dennis Jason were unable to agree on whether the boat was needed and where it should be docked.

The selectmen also directed the town's conservation commission to prepare a policy governing the ongoing repair of stone walls along Chilmark roads.