All meetings in Wellfleet are remote only and can be watched online. Go to wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, Dec. 2
- Housing Authority, 10 a.m.
- Nauset Schools Negotiations Subcommittee, 1 p.m.
- Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m.
- Department of Public Utilities, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 6
- Dredging Task Force, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 7
- Historic Preservation Roundtable, 1 p.m.
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 9
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Keeping Roads Above Water
Wellfleet and the Cape Cod Commission, a governmental land-use agency, are partnering on a $315,024 project to protect and possibly raise roads prone to climate-related flooding.
The endeavor is part of the larger Low Lying Roads Project that the Cape Cod Commission is carrying out with 10 towns, including Eastham and Truro. The goal of the initiative is to identify road vulnerabilities and find solutions.
Wellfleet Energy and Climate Action Committee member Suzanne Ryan-Ishkanian said several low-lying roads in Wellfleet are already vulnerable to storm surges.
In the project’s first phase, two of the most vulnerable roads will be chosen. Then, a team of engineers will assess them and suggest the best solutions. Roads up for consideration include Commercial Street, Kendrick Avenue, Cove Road, Indian Neck Road, and Old Wharf Road.
They lie in designated flood zones and have a history of flooding during storms or extreme high tides.
“Whenever possible, we want to go with nature-based solutions as opposed to using manmade materials to fortify or raise the road,” like using marshland or dunes to create buffers, said Ryan-Ishkanian.
Project funding comes from a Mass. Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant of $236,258, a federal grant from the Economic Development Administration of $46,550, and the Cape Cod Commission, according to the commission’s press release.
There will be a virtual public forum about the project on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. Go to capecodcommission.org/llr/join and use the passcode: join. Or call 929-205-6099 and use the meeting ID 935 5189 6265.
14 Tables at the Pier
The select board voted on Nov. 23 for an agreement with Mac’s Seafood to charge restaurant owner Mac Hay $7,500 for the use of town-owned property for the 14 picnic tables he owns and maintains at his restaurant at the town pier. Though the restaurant has used the land for years, there had never before been a formal agreement or fee for the use.
The fees will go to the Marina Enterprise Fund, according to the license agreement between the restaurant and the town.
Select board member Helen Miranda Wilson suggested restricting the use to 10 tables. “My thought was there are too many and they are too close together,” she said.
Board member Mike DeVasto disagreed and suggested keeping the number at 14.
“This is a license agreement where the town is being compensated to some degree,” he said. “I think setting it at what it is would close this issue tonight.”
Tree Lighting and Sing-Along
At its Nov. 23 meeting, the select board authorized the use of the town lawn for an annual tree lighting and sing-along on Dec. 11, as requested by the Chamber of Commerce. The fee for two hours of lawn use is $110. Fifty to 60 attendees are expected.
Select board member Janet Reinhart asked if masks would be required. “Hillary explained to them if they are standing next to each other and singing they will need to wear their masks,” said Assistant Town Administrator Rebecca Roughley (formerly Rebecca Slick). —Michaela Chesin
