Some meetings are in person, some online, and some are both. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch to see if a remote option is available.
Thursday, Dec. 2
- Public Pier Corp. Board, 4:30 p.m., Town Hall
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Tuesday, Dec. 7
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 8
- Cemetery Commission, 3 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, Dec. 9
- Planning Board, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Short-Term Rental Tax
The Community Housing Council met Nov. 30 to prepare for a Dec.15 housing workshop, which will be a continuation of an October forum on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Provincetown.
The public is invited to listen as three groups take part: the Year-Round Market Rate Rental Housing Trust Board, the select board, and the housing council (which is tasked with distributing the town’s Affordable Housing Trust funds).
The conversation will focus on 11 housing articles proposed for the next annual town meeting.
Article 1 has already generated public interest. It proposes to set the amount of short-term rental tax revenue that will go directly into buying or maintaining year-round and workforce housing. In the current draft article, 26 percent of the revenue (including motel/guest house rooms tax and the newer short-term rental tax) would go directly to housing.
The town collected $3.48 million during the last fiscal year in rooms taxes — $2 million from the new tax on short-term rentals — of which 26 percent pencils out to $884,000.
The percentage directed to housing could change before town meeting, said Michelle Jarusiewicz, the community housing specialist and grant administrator.
But the reason to keep it at 26 percent, she said, is to provide extra funding for town services that might arguably be tied to housing growth. These include sewer expansion. Under the proposed formula, 10 percent of the rooms tax would go into the wastewater enterprise fund.
The rest would be divided up as follows: 25 percent for tourism-related expenses; 20 percent for the stabilization fund; and 19 percent to the town’s general fund.
Housing advocates have argued that more of the new tax revenues should go directly to housing.
“Short-term rentals have eviscerated the rental housing market here,” said Jay Coburn, CEO of the Community Development Partnership. “We should be using every penny of the revenue generated by the short-term rental tax to solve our housing problem so that people can afford to live and work here year-round.” —K.C. Myers
Police Collect Toys for Tots
The police dept. is once again collecting new, unwrapped toys from now until Saturday, Dec. 4. The next day, they’ll join a parade of first responders in Barnstable, delivering all the toys collected from across Cape Cod.
To contribute, leave a gift in one of the donation boxes around town — if you haven’t seen one yet, there is one at the police station on Shank Painter Road. Please do not wrap the gifts you donate so they can be sorted to go to appropriate recipients.
On Dec. 4, there’s another chance to donate toys in town, this one at the Stop & Shop parking lot at 56 Shank Painter Road. There, the police dept. is hosting a Stuff-a-Cruiser toy drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This will be the ninth year the department has participated in the Toys for Tots gift drive. “We have always been amazed at the support we have received,” said Provincetown Police Sgt. Kevan Spoor. “With help and support from the members of the community, we are able to ensure that no child in Provincetown goes without during the holiday season.” —Teresa Parker
