In a sparsely attended meeting on a beautiful Tuesday evening, selectmen reviewed finance committee comments on the articles that will appear on the warrant of the special town meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9.
The finance committee met last week and recommended voters approve all articles with the exception of a new boat for the harbor department. Executive secretary Tim Carroll reported on the meeting. “They recommended the comfort station after a lot of discussion about not wanting to spend the money on a needs assessment, but rather wanting to spend the money on actually doing something,” he said.
Mr. Carroll also reported that the finance committee supports the $16,000 power pedestals on the West Yacht floats, but only if Harbormaster Dennis Jason came forward with a plan before the special town meeting about how to winterize them.
“To me, the amount of money spent on upgrading our electrical pedestals and the whole electrical system is money well spent,” selectman Warren Doty said.
Chairman Bill Rossi added if this was approved on Nov. 9, that he hopes that everything can be done by April 15. “It should be,” Mr. Jason said.
Mr. Carroll summarized the finance committee’s sentiment regarding a harbor department request to spend $6,000 on a new boat.
“They didn’t say no to the boat, they said they weren’t going to recommend the article because they wanted to see a plan in place after they see the summer response to the [Menemsha] pond issue.”
“This is really a proactive move on the town’s part. It’s a big unknown; we don’t know how many boats are going to go in there once it’s dredged,” Mr. Rossi said.
Mr. Jason questioned whether the waterway regulations, which the harbor department enforces, supersede federal regulations. Menemsha Pond is designated a harbor of refuge by the Army Corps of Engineers, which is engaged in the dredging project.
“What supersedes is our delicate shellfish areas where we have established oyster farms and other shellfish propagation projects. We just cannot permit overnight anchorage,” Mr. Doty said.
“Menemsha is the harbor of refuge,” said Mr. Jason, “not Menemsha Pond.”
“What we need is a boat that goes up there and says, ‘Hello, how are you doing, what’s going on, you’re going to have to leave here by sunset,’” said Mr. Doty. “We’re trying to be proactive to patrol a situation that’s going to develop. We know that many nights there’s over a hundred boats in Tashmoo all summer long, and we just can’t afford that in Menemsha Pond. I think we should ask the voters to approve this.”
A joint meeting is planned between Chilmark and Aquinnah selectmen to discuss Menemsha Pond on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Mr. Carroll said the finance committee recommended the assistant shellfish constable position, but they would like to see if the position makes a difference. The committee also pointed out this is a fully benefited position, so that “it’s not just the $20,000 that’s being appropriated this meeting.”
“I think we need this position, and really to make the position benefitted gives us the security to hire better people,” said Mr. Doty. “It’s an incentive. It’s a real job.”
The most discussion of the evening was over the potential comfort station warrant article, which asks for $10,000 for a needs assessment study to figure out whether to renovate or begin anew on the aged Menemsha structure.
“It altogether needs an upgrade,” said Mr. Doty. “Whether we decide that we can save the structure or just pull out the old paneling, reconfigure the stalls — Seth thinks we should knock the whole thing down and start over — one way or another it’s not a good facility right now; it needs an upgrade.”
The cost is preliminarily estimated at $280,000 to $350,000, but Mr. Rossi pointed out that it is very difficult to come up with accurate numbers at this point when there is discussion about ripping existing structures apart, for example the plumbing.
“We need an architect who knows about this type of building,” said Mr. Rossi.
In other business, Chilmark Police Chief Brian Cioffi supported a proposed amendment to the human resource bylaw that currently requires a new police officer to wait one full year before he or she is entitled to benefits, whereas other town employees are eligible after a six-month period. Selectmen were supportive of a change in the language.
Selectmen were supportive of the planned 16th annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival (MVFF). “I think it’s a great event, and it brings a whole group of people to Chilmark, and it’s a really great use of the community center,” said selectman Warren Doty.
Selectmen approved the use of the community center for this event, and agreed to the $400-per-day price tag for the use of the hall. Selectmen asked that the MVFF team not charge for reserve parking, as “that is not what the community center is about,” Mr. Rossi told the Times. There is no charge for use of the Chilmark School or the Chilmark library, which are also used for MVFF events.