Tisbury sets Nov. 17 town meeting
By Janet Hefler
Published: September 24, 2009
At their meeting Tuesday, the Tisbury selectmen set November 17 for a special town meeting. The meeting's main purpose is to ask voters to approve the construction of a proposed new emergency services facility (ESF) on Spring Street, across from the Tisbury School.
The warrant article for the ESF construction will include a cost for the project. ESF committee chairman Joe Tierney said that a cost estimator would provide a price in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, the ESF committee will meet Friday to come up with an estimated dollar amount to submit with the warrant article.
In the event the ESF article passes, the selectmen also approved holding a special election on December 8, in conjunction with State primaries, for a Prop. 2.5 override vote to fund the debt payments on the project.
Other articles associated with the ESF will include two that pertain to short-term and long-term options for relocating town hall annex offices presently located at the site.
The selectmen will meet at the Katharine Cornell Theatre at 4:30 pm, September 29, for a work session to finalize language for warrant articles.
In other business, the selectmen approved a harassment policy issued by Tisbury Acting Chief Daniel Hanavan, effective October 2009.
Although the town's personnel manual contains a sexual harassment policy, the new Tisbury Police Department policy covers all forms of harassment. Town administrator John Bugbee said that Robert Wasserman, a consultant the town hired to review the police department, signed off on the policy. Mr. Wasserman recommended adopting such a policy in a preliminary report he made in July.
In a joint session with the Vineyard Haven Library Board of Trustees, the selectmen approved the appointment of Anna Marie D'Addarie to fill a vacancy on the board.
The selectmen also discussed the need to make plans for covering hours in the shellfish department following the death of Shellfish Constable Derek Cimeno last week.
In department reports, Department of Public Works director Fred LaPiana said preliminary plans for the connector road between State and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Roads has been completed.
A wastewater survey also has been completed as a first step in looking at addressing wastewater requirements to eliminate nitrogen-loading in Lagoon Pond and Lake Tashmoo from existing Title 5 septic systems.
Mr. LaPiana said that paving projects on N. William Street, the historic district, and some side roads will begin after Columbus Day.
Harbormaster Jay Wilbur said he attended a Port Security meeting last week in Falmouth where he learned the U.S. Coast Guard has approved his application for a port security boat at the district level and next goes for review at the federal level.
The selectmen's next regular meeting starts at 5:30 pm on October 6 at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, with two dog hearings scheduled at 6 and 6:15 pm.
A discussion about fuel deliveries at the Lake Street Landing on Lake Tashmoo and the recommendations of the Tashmoo Management and Harbor Management committees starts at 7 pm.
