From wellfleet-ma.gov, hover over a date on the calendar on the right of the screen and click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda and see how to view and take part remotely.
Monday, Nov. 30
- Dredging Task Force, 7 p.m.
- Cultural Council, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 2
- Conservation Commission, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Covid-19 Update
As of Nov. 18, Wellfleet had five active cases of Covid-19, eight cases considered recovered, and one death from the virus.
To Plan or Not to Plan?
Just under its 90-minute mark, the Nov. 17 planning board meeting debated the question of what a planning board actually does.
The Wellfleet Town Charter charges the planning board with making “recommendations to the town meeting and the town administrator on all matters concerning the physical, economic, and environmental development of the town.”
Board member David Mead-Fox cited that clause, asking, “Do we have an appetite — do we have the authority — to take a more proactive role about things that are going on and challenges facing the town?” he asked.
Some board members offered Mead-Fox varying shades of support. “I have some sympathy for what David is saying,” said Bonnie Shepard. “If the function of the planning board is actually what it says in the charter, we ought to be doing more medium-term planning than we are now.”
But others shot Mead-Fox’s ambitions down.
“I think it’s too broad of a subject — it’s beyond our purview,” said a board member whose video was turned off and whose screen name was “MR. PINK.” “I don’t think we’re particularly qualified…. We can’t even deal with what we’ve got.”
As for chair Gerald Parent, the idea of the planning board working with other town groups appeared distinctly unpalatable.
In the past, he said, the planning board’s recommendations “have quite frankly fallen on deaf ears.”
“I just get a little frustrated and tired with bringing up all these subjects to the upper management team and just getting thrown away,” Parent said.
“We’re all on a team here, guys,” responded Mead-Fox.
—Josephine de La Bruyère
