Most meetings are being held in person, but some are still remote or virtual. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on the meeting you are interested in to learn about meeting locations and any remote options that may be offered.
Saturday, Sept. 11
- Library Trustees, 9 a.m., Eastham Public Library
Monday, Sept. 13
- Shellfish Advisory Workgroup, 4 p.m.
- Climate Action Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m., remote
Tuesday, Sept. 14
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m., remote
Wednesday, Sept. 15
- Open Space Committee, 3 p.m.
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 16
- Affordable Housing Trust, 11 a.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Harbormaster’s Building Costs
Three years after it was approved at the 2018 town meeting, the harbormaster’s building is nearly ready to go out for bids. The capital projects committee met on Sept. 7 for the first time since June 7 to discuss the final cost estimate for the project.
Elizabeth Ranieri and Rob Marcalow of Kuth Ranieri Architects presented the committee with a final estimate of $1,409,195, exceeding the committee’s target of completing the project for $1.2 million. Marcalow cited the rising cost of construction.
Since plans to relocate and rebuild the harbormaster’s office were announced several years ago, the plan has run into obstacles, including complaints by neighbors on Dyer Prince Road that the original design was too obtrusive and they feared the big decks would invite people to congregate, thus drawing traffic down the quiet road. A smaller building was eventually approved.
On Sept. 7, the capital committee got to work trimming costs where possible. Those who favored stainless steel exterior railings were out of luck; the committee cut an estimated $18,000 by switching to black locust wood.
The 8-foot-wide windows, however, will stay. “Keeping those as large as possible is important,” said Harbormaster Scott Richards, who was not enthusiastic about Marcalow’s proposal to replace them with an “off the shelf” option.
Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said that, with an approved budget of $1.5 million, the town currently has around $80,000 in flexibility for unexpected costs. If the bids received are higher than the estimate, “then we’ll have to cut some more,” said Beebe.
Marcalow said his team would need a week to update the proposal, but “we’re itching to get this thing in the ground,” he said. ––Cam Blair
