West Tisbury candidates weigh in

Voters will chose a new selectman and library trustee this month.

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Richard Knabel is facing a challenge from Kent Healy in the West Tisbury town election.

Incumbent Richard Knabel faces a challenge from Kent Healy for one seat on the West Tisbury board of selectmen in the April 13 town election. Here are responses from both men to questions from the Times.

How long have you lived in West Tisbury, and why are you running for re-election?

Knabel: I have been seasonal in West Tisbury since 1973, and full-time since 1999. I am running for re-election to serve one more term and advance several long-standing concerns of mine, hopefully to completion.

Healy: I have lived in West Tisbury for 33 years, working as a civil engineer long enough to take a turn as selectman.

During your time served, what do you consider the selectmen’s biggest accomplishment? Their biggest challenge? What do you enjoy about most about serving the town?

Knabel: West Tisbury has had the slowest growth in its town budget of all six Island towns. We have maintained a stable debt burden while building or renovating four town buildings. We have preserved the Field Gallery and its landmark sculpture garden as town property and open space. We have had to defend, rather unexpectedly, our historic district and its zoning, which we should continue to do. Keeping West Tisbury as a welcoming community for young and old alike has to be one of our highest priorities.

What do you consider the best attribute of the town? Its biggest challenge?

Healy: West Tisbury has a very diversified population that is concerned with the resources of the town.

In light of contractor Louis DeGeofroy’s evaluation of the town buildings, what do you see as the most significant and important projects looming ahead, regarding the buildings in West Tisbury?

Knabel: West Tisbury now owns nine buildings. There has been no overall systematic approach to their care and maintenance over the years … For 10 years, I have championed the cause of routine, regular maintenance of all town buildings, since that is much less expensive than allowing any of them to fall into disrepair. The result of Mr. DeGeofroy’s excellent and thorough review of all the buildings, which is step one in formulating an ongoing approach, is that we now know how much catch-up there is to do.

Healy: The oldest and most needy building in use is the Howes House. The library and town hall have the most expensive maintenance needs. The public safety building, the police station, and the new town garage are well maintained by the occupants.

What are your priorities as far as taking care of the town’s property goes?

Knabel: We have to take care of what we have, just as any homeowner must. It costs money. That’s unavoidable. The priority should be to do all the catch-up, as I said, and then put in place a multiyear plan to anticipate all the routine work that the buildings need. We need someone to preside over the plan, which we don’t have, to be certain that it is implemented; and it needs the support of the selectmen and the town meeting on an ongoing basis.

Healy: A maintenance program should be developed for every town facility.

Much has been reported about the location of the medical marijuana facility; both proposed locations are near schools. Do you have any ideas regarding moving the facility to an alternate location?

Knabel: I think the question is, Does the proposed location on State Road need to be changed? By state statute, we may not prohibit a dispensary outright. There are only two areas in West Tisbury where the zoning would permit a dispensary: the commercial zone of North Tisbury, and the light industrial zone on Dr. Fisher Road. The school superintendent and some parents have objected to the Dr. Fisher Road location, and the board of selectmen has not issued a required letter of non-objection for that location. The focus would apparently be therefore to pursue the State Road location.

Healy: The proximity to schools is not as important as the operation of the medical facility.

What would your plan be regarding affordable housing in West Tisbury? What are the challenges, and what might some possible solutions be?

Knabel: In the nine years I have been selectman, West Tisbury has added, to the approximately 40 existing units, some 27 units (nine currently in progress) of affordable housing. Many people have worked very hard to get us this far. The remaining opportunities, under current zoning, for more affordable housing in West Tisbury are limited. There are two parcels of town-owned land that are probably suitable for new projects. Zoning changes, which could facilitate more projects, are the province of the planning board and the town meeting. We have in our hands a housing production plan, the result of a study under the aegis of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, which I think will be the basis of our efforts going forward.

Healy: The town should continue to look for and use good locations for affordable housing.

Do you see an Island-wide or a town solution as best for the affordable housing problem? Are there town properties that could be considered?

Knabel: While the affordable housing problem is Island-wide, the political culture of the Island is such that a single Island-wide plan is not likely to be created. What’s needed, Island-wide perhaps, is a broader, more dedicated funding mechanism than now exists. In my view, what needs to be addressed more aggressively, in West Tisbury and elsewhere, are the housing needs of teachers, police, nurses, health aides, and public employees, among others, even at the professional level … I would certainly want to work on changing the focus to workforce housing.

Healy: The town is best able to determine the best locations and type of affordable housing. There are several Island management groups available to take care of the housing units.

How would you address the needs, for housing particularly, of the aging population in your town? Any plans for independent-living apartments for seniors in town? Ideally, they would be in the center of town, near the Howes House, library, church, town hall, 7A, Alley’s, and on the bus line. The Waldron/Welles properties? Garcia’s? Any that may become available for sale?

Knabel: There are no plans at the moment for senior independent-living apartments in West Tisbury. The properties and locations you mention for such apartments are in the Historic District of the village, and would require approval by the Historic District Commission, aside from zoning concerns. Any substantial project to provide elder housing there would would also create wastewater problems, i.e., nitrogen loading to the Tisbury Great Pond. Therefore, this is one of those conundrums requiring a great deal of sorting out, which is not to say impossible.

Healy: I agree that small housing units for the elderly should be located near transportation and stores, and all available properties should be considered.

How do you feel about the nonbinding question that addresses immigration issues by asking voters “to request the selectmen to authorize law enforcement and all town officials to refrain from using town funds and/or resources to enforce federal immigration laws, in keeping with current practices, unless presented with a criminal warrant or other evidence of probable cause as required by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, or take any other action relative thereto”?

Knabel: I see the language as an affirmation of the existing police practice in all six towns of not enforcing federal immigration laws … The language basically does two things if passed: It says to the police departments that we the community support what you’re doing. Keep doing it. Second, it says to the immigrant community that we welcome you, and will support you, absent a warrant, to the extent we can within the context of the applicable laws. That’s all it does. It does no harm.

Healy: I am in favor of the ballot question.

All three candidates for West Tisbury library trustee were emailed the same questions. Robert Hauck answered the questions, while Wendy Nierenberg and Elaine Barnett issued statements.

Robert Hauck, candidate for library trustee

Why did you decide to run for an open library trustee position? What would you add to the trustees?

For the past two years, I have served as the chair of the board’s art committee, which developed policy, with board consent, on how best to use the library to feature the tremendous visual-art talent in West Tisbury and the rest of the Vineyard. You can’t spend as much time as I do in the library and not know what a remarkable institution it is. I want to do whatever I can to preserve it and help it forge its future. I have spent the past 30-plus years in program development and administration, fundraising, and budget oversight, at the American Political Science Association, the leading professional organization devoted to the study of politics; as a faculty member in a university and colleges; and as selectman in a special-taxing district in Maryland. Currently, I chair the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council and am a trustee of my neighborhood association.

What do you see as a priority for the trustees?

The library’s priorities are set out in the six goals of the 2017–21 strategic plan, which are intended to support free and equal access to multiple sources of information, resources, materials, and technology, to educate and enrich the lives of library users and the Island community.

Two goals that resonate with me are recognizing the importance of youth in the community, and preserving and expanding the library’s role as a civic center and resource hub. If our library is to remain a viable community center, it must address multigenerational needs and uses.

One of your jobs as a library trustee would be to work with and approve the director’s long-range plans for the Massachusetts Library Commissioners. The library has grown in opportunities and services it offers. What do you see as its strengths? What do you see as weaknesses for library services? How would you like to see the library develop? How do you see the board’s and the director’s vision being implemented?

The library’s five-year strategic plan is in place. It’s a project that builds upon the library’s strength — a commitment to lifelong learning, promoting literacy, supporting children and youth, investing in staff and technology, collaborating with individuals and public and private agencies and groups, and supporting unrestricted access to information in all its forms and sources. To achieve these ends, trustees must communicate the vision to community members, listen to the experience of users, and help to generate the physical and financial resources needed to meet the goals.

As for weaknesses in library services, I think the only weakness is the extraordinary success of the library in meeting the needs and interests of patrons. Success means that the trustees must meet the challenge of providing the means to carry on existing programs, as well as meet the community’s demand for more in the way of services and programs.

How do you see your role in supporting the director and staff to provide the best possible library service for the town?

The West Tisbury library is fortunate to have an exceptional director and staff. My task as a trustee would be to support and participate in their program activities, and to see to it that they have the resources needed to carry on their exemplary work.

How do you plan to protect people’s privacy on the Internet, especially with the recent passage by the federal government of a law allowing Internet service providers to capture and sell users’ data and search information?

A core principle of the West Tisbury library is the protection of patron privacy and the confidentiality of patron records. The library doesn’t keep records of patrons’ use; although users can elect to maintain a register of their reading history, the library doesn’t have access to this information. The trustees have gone on record that they support the library director’s decision to refuse to share patron information, an action I strongly support.

Do you think it’s best to have town libraries or one central library?

I’m for town libraries. What might be gained in operational efficiency would be more than offset by what would be lost. Each of the Island’s town libraries is a unique reflection of the particular interests and needs of its community. Each in its way functions as a community center. The local libraries offer a level of access and service that a central library would find difficult to replicate.

Wendy Nierenberg, incumbent

Statement for candidacy for library trustee

My mother was a school and public librarian, and I had summer jobs helping out in our local library. I received a master’s degree in library science from Simmons College, and worked as a reference librarian at a large public library, and as a director of a high school library. As a summer resident, I watched the library grow from its cramped quarters on Music Street to the beautiful facility that exists today. After moving here year-round six years ago, I have sought ways to support the library as a member of the West Tisbury Library Foundation and as a library trustee.

The West Tisbury library is a model of what a town library should be; the American Library Association concurs, naming our library as one of the top public libraries of its size in the country. Among its strengths: a beautiful, light-filled facility; a rich and varied collection of materials, enhanced by the CLAMS network; a visionary director and a well-trained, competent, and service-oriented staff; extensive programming for patrons of all ages; a large, attractive community room that provides space for group meetings, concerts, lectures, etc., even when the library is closed; and hours of operation every day during the school year.

There are several challenges that affect the library. The library depends on funding from the town and the state; the future of this funding is uncertain … A second challenge is to think ahead about inevitable transitions in library leadership to ensure that the high energy level and quality of programming and resources continue into the future.

The specific role of the library trustee is to appoint and evaluate the library director and to approve library policies. Beyond those responsibilities, it is critical for trustees to be advocates for the library’s programs, to keep abreast of trends in libraries, to attend training sessions … and to network with the trustees of other libraries.

Elaine Barnett

Statement for candidacy for library trustee

I have been a supporter and patron of the West Tisbury Public Library since moving to the Island over 40 years ago. Our small town library was then located on Music Street in the lovely old academy building with the mansard roof. I was a teacher at the West Tisbury School, which is now the town hall. Students loved library day, when they would skip across the playground to the library to choose their reading for the week.

Our new, sprawling, modern library campus has maintained the warm, welcoming, ambience of our small, old library. Change is inevitable and welcomed. Our newest library is used by many more patrons, especially in the summer, as is evidenced by the many people waiting at the doors for it to open on a summer morning. The West Tisbury Library Vision states that the “library will be a community center where lifelong learning happens in a blended environment of quiet and collaborative space, allowing self-discovery and connections between people.”

As a new candidate for the West Tisbury library board of trustees, I have read the library’s strategic plan, vision statement, and policies. I have not yet had experience as a board member, so I am not privy to the machinations and long-range plans of the board or the director. I do not have any predetermined ideas or agenda. My goal would be to listen, learn, and help make healthy, informed contributions to this board. Working as an educator at the West Tisbury School has given me experience with team-building, collaboration, and working productively with committees. I have the experience to help the library ”continue to build strong relationships with parents, educators, children and teens to support early literacy, and the educational efforts and endeavors of our young people.” As stated in the preamble to Library Policies, “Inevitably the policies will continue to grow and change with the town and the times.” As an educator in the town of West Tisbury, I would be an asset to this board.