Chilmark selectmen fielded a long list of agenda items Tuesday night in exactly two hours before a packed house. The meeting began with a request by American Tower Corp. (ATC) that selectmen reconsider an earlier decision to limit the company’s trial proposal to provide Wi-Fi service utilizing solar trash barrels equipped with transmitters.
ATC is a Boston-based global provider of wireless communication infrastructure that also hosts the town’s distributed antenna system. It described the project a “public-private partnership that benefits all parties.”
The company had proposed four locations for its Wi-Fi stations, which have limited coverage: the drive on the west dock; the harbormaster’s shack; the finger pier; and the northeast corner of the beach. Ultimately, American Tower wants to sell Wi-Fi access to Menemsha visitors, for example visiting boaters. Meeting on May 3, selectmen said that families would want to focus on their vacation time and not be on the Internet, and nixed the beach location.
Selectman James Malkin, who had previously objected to Wi-Fi at the beach, said, “We need this for the commercial operations, we need it for the harbor; if that’s how we’re going to get it, that’s how we’re going to get it.”
Selectmen agreed to allow American Tower to move forward with its pilot program and place four nodes, including a beach node, in the village.
Menemsha vision
Selectmen heard from members of a planning board subcommittee charged with updates to the master plan for Menemsha. The committee members include Joan Malkin, wife of selectman James Malkin, Peter Cook, John Eisner, and Janet Weidner.
“Basically what we’re planning to do is start out by data gathering and reaching out to all of the town boards and committees, and try to pick their brains as to what they perceive as problems or issues in Menemsha, and we know people are going to say traffic and parking, but we want this to be more of a global look,” Janet Weidner said.
“We realize there will be a fair amount of kvetching on everyone’s parts; that’s half the fun,” added Ms. Weidner, who also said the new subcommittee will begin by meeting with the beach and harbor committees as well as Menemsha business owners and residents, then “widen the net” from there.
“Some of the things that a working waterfront needs are hard to put together with 400 people showing up to look at the sunset,” selectman Warren Doty said.
“We’re trying to put together something for the present and for the future too,” said committee member John Eisner. “I think it’s important in our approach to Menemsha that nothing really is sacrosanct.”
“I’m really glad you guys are involved,” selectman Bill Rossi said. “I’m happy this is going to be a collaborative effort.”
“I think it’s a great plan, I’m very enthused,” said Mr. Doty.
“I think it’s a terrific idea,” said Mr. Malkin. “I like the format, I like the spreadsheet, I like the outreach, and I strongly urge you not to go into this with any preconceived notions.”
That said, Mr. Doty and Mr. Rossi both expressed their commitment to commercial fishing.
Shellfish regs
Selectmen also held a public hearing to discuss changes to shellfish regulations related to aquaculture. Shellfish constable Isaiah Scheffer was on hand to elaborate.
“Basically, we just need to tighten up our goals a little bit when it comes to aquaculture,” Mr. Scheffer said. “The goal is to protect the town, and we really just don’t have enough regulations in place.”
Mr. Scheffer asked that aquaculturists be required to hand in a report annually. If a grant was not being worked, he said, “then the grant would go to someone who wants to work with aquaculture.”
Another requested change related to temperature. Bringing up shellfish in the cold kills those not harvested. Currently, scallops may not be harvested unless the air temperature is 28° by 10 am. Mr. Scheffer asked selectmen to approve 30° by 10 am for oysters.
“So we’re taking the policy that we have toward scallop fishing and using the same policy toward oyster fishing, except we give them another two degrees,” said Mr. Doty. The selectmen approved the regulations.
Mr. Doty also pointed out that Mr. Scheffer was now using an ecologically friendly paint, called ePaint, to paint the bottoms of department boats and other equipment, and that he had received a $5,200 grant from the Eddy Foundation for eelgrass restoration.
“I think it’s innovative and exciting,” Mr. Doty said.
In other business Tuesday, Ebba Hierta, Chilmark public library director, asked to hire Olivia Larsen, currently a library assistant, for a three-month youth services position beginning June 20 to help staff the busy season during the medical leave of Kristin Maloney, who is the library’s assistant director and youth services librarian.
Ms. Hierta also asked to move her vacation time to the following calendar year, due to her current levels of work needing her attention. Selectmen approved both requests.
A third library issue was a change in library hours and opening on Fridays instead of Mondays. “We’re not going to please everyone, but we will please more people than we are pleasing now,” Ms. Hierta said. Selectmen took no action.
Selectmen also discussed their next steps related to the West Tisbury school task force report, which called for a change in how school costs are allocated. Chilmark selectmen decided they would hear the West Tisbury selectmen make their report, perhaps at an upcoming West Tisbury selectmen meeting, that Chilmark selectmen would make no comment at that meeting, and then the Chilmark board of selectmen would work over the summer doing their own analysis of the situation and properly study the West Tisbury school task force report and its related financials.
In other business, selectmen approved the hiring of Eamon Soloway to fill the last open full-time paramedic position, and made changes to the ambulance chief’s job description.
Selectmen approved a request from Harbormaster Denis Jason for five harbor job appointments. Selectmen also urged Mr. Jason to get the J-Way Southern barge removed from the channel, and to at least illuminate it, which the Coast Guard will do, according to Mr. Jason.
Selectmen also approved a one-woman free performance called “A Body in Places,” on the jetty of Menemsha Beach June 6 at 6 pm, and approved the appointment of Bruce Golden to the human resources board to replace selectman Malkin.