At Wednesday’s Dukes County Commission (DCC) meeting, regarding the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act 2021 (ARPA) funds, DCC manager Martina Thornton said the finalized documents have been sent out to the two applicants — the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, whose collective requests for wastewater relief adds up to approximately $2 million of the federal $3.3 million allotted to the county.
Commissioner John Cahill said by the end of the month, it is expected that the county will have a “more concrete” idea of how to manage the “the final million dollars or so left.”
Half of the total funds are “in the bank” as of Wednesday, and it is expected the other half will be available for county use by October, according to DCC treasurer Ann Metcalf.
The DCC swiftly and unanimously voted to approve the flying of the Pride flag at the county courthouse for the entirety of the month of June, which is National Pride Month. The flag was also flown last year during Pride Month.
The county briefly touched upon recent resistance and hesitancy from other Island officials to fly the flag, with Cahill confirming, “Did we receive any serious complaints?” to which Thorton replied “No.”
Commissioner Tristan Israel, who said, “I’m definitely 110 percent supportive of this,” posed a hypothetical: “What happens if Tristan Israel comes to the county and wants to fly a flag for the Tristan Israel Fund?” Thornton quickly responded, “We’d tell you no.”
Despite some town select boards’ confusion over how to manage a flagpole, Cahill stressed the simplicity of the issue: “There would have to be a vote like we are doing today.”
In other news, discussions of plans to repair the Health Care Access building, which was agreed by the county as being in need of renovation, was met with two approaches.
Thornton said the building “needs several projects [done] at the same time,” including transitioning the heating systems from kerosene to heat pumps, introducing LED lighting, and creating sound barriers between work spaces. Thornton said she has reached out to numerous architects for a more detailed understanding of how to go about the project.
Commissioner Leon Brathwaite said the modifications suggested by Thornton are akin to “a good Band-Aid.” However, he said, in consideration of the amount of work that needs to be done to the building, a renovation and expansion — including a subbasement — “would make it more usable for a longer period of time.”
It would be beneficial In the long run, Brathwaite said, “if we invested a little more money in the building.” On how to fund the project, which Thornton had previously noted will have to be recommended to the commission and up for a vote of approval, Brathwaite said, “I can’t say where the money will come from yet, but there is enough money to pay for this if we have the plans in-pocket.”
Additionally, the commission approved awarding software solution and information management company Avenu Insights with the contract to provide the county with updated digitization of Registry of Deeds records. Not to exceed $130,000, the contract will allow county documents from as far back as the early 1900s to be digitally indexed at just under $2 per record.
The county was set to appoint a new DCC representative to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s joint transportation committee, on which the county has one voting seat along with reps from all Island towns, but decided to table the appointment for a later date.
