The town of Edgartown will hold a marathon meeting day on Saturday, June 13, adjacent to the Edgartown School, at 1:30 pm, which will include a special town meeting and an annual town meeting.
On the warrant for the special town meeting is an article to raise and appropriate $650,000 to purchase 4.67 acres of land from the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club, to be used for the town’s New Westside Cemetery. In addition, if the article is passed, the board of selectmen would be authorized to enact the terms and conditions of a memorandum of understanding with the club. The actions in this article are contingent upon whether a majority of voters vote in the affirmative on the ballot question that would allow the town to exceed its fiscal year 2021 tax levy with a Proposition 2½ capital exclusion — a temporary tax increase for one year.
Another article of interest on the special town meeting warrant is a nonbinding referendum allowing the Vineyard Transit Authority to install an electric bus charging station at the Church Street visitors center, including solar panels and battery storage.
On the annual town meeting warrant are articles appropriating $75,000 from the Community Preservation Open Space and Recreation Fund for further planning of a park at the Yellow House property, and an appropriation of $50,000 from Free Cash to be used for improvements to the town hall. Also from Free Cash, an appropriation of $300,000 for the maintenance cost and upgrades to the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communication Center will be voted on. This funding is contingent on all Island towns paying their share, based on the agreed formula. A number of articles having to do with town services contained in the inter-municipal agreement will also be considered.
The article banning any sale of plastic bottles less than 34 ounces in town will also be considered.