The West Tisbury selectmen reviewed the 39-article annual town meeting warrant, and heard a plan to revise the structure of the Cape Light Compact (CLC), a regional consortium that distributes energy and energy-saving services for 21 Cape and Islands communities, including all six Island towns.
After reviewing the warrant and removing two articles, selectmen Cynthia Mitchell and Richard Knabel accepted the amended 39-article warrant. Final approval is expected later this month after selectman Jeffrey (“Skipper”) Manter, who did not attend the meeting, has reviewed the amended warrant.
Voters at the Tuesday, April 11, annual meeting will consider a projected fiscal 2018 town budget of nearly $20 million, an increase of about 4 percent from last year. The meeting begins at 7 pm at the West Tisbury School. Elections follow on Thursday, April 13.
Several articles ask voters to approve more than $500,000 to replace town vehicles, including $460,000 for a new pumper for the fire department, replacing a 20-year-old veteran pumper.
Another big-ticket item is a request for $500,000 to assist the Island Housing Trust in development of seven buildings (18 bedrooms) of affordable housing on town-owned land in the Scott’s Grove area at the fire station lot. A significant portion of the money would be provided by Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA).
Several articles on the warrant deal with federal regulations, including a $65,000 request for CPA funds to refurbish several areas at Vineyard Baseball Park to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Another, nonbinding, asks that town resources and officials continue town policy to refrain from enforcing federal immigration laws unless presented with a warrant or other proof of probable cause.
Voters will also be asked to approve an article describing some provisions for family and medical leave for employees and veterans, in accordance with provisions of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The article is described as a “good faith effort to summarize some of the provisions” of FMLA law, while advising voters to check the U.S. Department of Labor website for updates.
Voters will also be asked, in another nonbinding question, whether they favor eliminating moped rentals on-Island.
The two selectmen agreed that they will await Mr. Manter’s return before voting on a proposed change in CLC, which serves more than 200,000 households on the Cape and Islands. The CLC currently operates under an intergovernmental agreement, and is seeking approval to operate under a joint powers agreement (JPA) in order to comply with new state regulations that require an independent third party to handle financial reporting.
For the past 20 years, the CLC members have shared administrative duties, largely carried out by the town of Barnstable. The new state regulations now require audits and annual reports to be prepared by an independent third party and submitted to the Department of Revenue.
Maggie Downey, CLC administrator, is making the rounds of all 21 towns to seek approval for the JPA structure. She made a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to selectmen, outlining the JPA plan and its benefits.
“We would become a public entity with the ability to receive grants and hire employees, and the member cities and towns would be free of liability, which is not the case now,” she told the selectmen.