The West Tisbury board of selectmen may consider meters and cameras in town taxis, next year. “It’s certainly too late for this year,” board chairman Jeffrey “Skipper” Manter said.
“So we’re proposing this beginning April 2018,” selectman Cynthia Mitchell said.
Ms. Mitchell would like selectmen to have some conversation with taxi drivers and owners, and she would like some research to occur regarding costs and how the first year’s cost might be defrayed.
Town administrator Jennifer Rand is still working on the research about getting cameras in town hall as well.
In other business, the board discussed the possibility of getting a town vehicle for the fire chief. The town recently approved three town vehicles for various town employee uses, such as the board of assessors and inspectors, Mr. Manter said. “We didn’t think it through; we should have had more discussion about vehicles for department heads in general,” he said. “There is no one who uses his vehicle more than the fire chief [Manny Estrella], who is constantly using his own vehicle.”
Mr. Manter said the chief “did not specifically ask for this” but that he spoke to the chief briefly about it.
“I think there’s a process in place for reviewing any such requests that ends with the annual town meeting, right?” selectman Cynthia Mitchell said.
Selectmen also approved a number of committee appointments, excluding police department appointments, then approved separately 15 employees of the police department to a term of three years.
In addition, selectmen approved the artisans’ 2017 season, which begins Memorial Day weekend, as well as an event permit and one-day beer and wine permit for the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s summer benefit.
Library director Beth Kramer invited the board to a retirement party on May 20, from 3 to 5 pm, to honor library trustee Linda Hearn.
