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.
Thursday, Jan. 27
- Council on Aging Board of Directors, 9:30 a.m., Town Hall
- Conservation Commission Work Session, Noon, Virtual
- Board of Health, 2 p.m., Town Hall
- Cape Cod Commission Public Hearing, 3 p.m., Virtual
- Zoning Bylaw Task Force, 5 p.m., Virtual
- Joint Meeting of the Nauset School Committees, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 29
- Joint Meeting of the Nauset School Committees, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 1
- T-Time Development Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall
- Zoning Bylaw Task Force, 5 p.m., virtual
- Forest Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., virtual
Wednesday, Feb. 2
- Community Preservation Act Committee, 5 p.m., virtual
Thursday, Feb. 3
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m., Town Hall
- Cultural Council, 6 p.m., Town Hall
- Nauset Regional School Committee Budget Meeting, 6 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starters
Town Warrant Is Open
Warrant articles for town meeting will be accepted until Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.
“Just so people know, they can come in and talk about it with us,” Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said on Jan. 24. “It’s a lot easier if we work with you,” she said, because the warrant articles require certain legal language and need to be certified by the town clerk.
“Please don’t think of it as an adversarial thing. We will help you craft an article if you want,” Beebe said.
Town meeting will be held May 2.
RTE Tabled Until 2023
After an impassioned discussion, the select board voted 3-2 on Jan. 24 to table any further exploration of a residential tax exemption for another year. The exemption provides modest property tax relief to year-round residents.
Finance Director Rich Bienvenue explained the projected savings and costs for a 10-percent residential exemption. He said around 55 percent of residents are part-timers.
The year-round home owner with a median assessed property value of $493,400 paid $4,233 in property taxes in fiscal 2022. With the exemption, they would save $290. The nonresident owners of similar properties would see their taxes rise by $184. The break-even point where a year-round resident would no longer be eligible is just over $1.2 million.
Provincetown, Truro, and Wellfleet have each implemented residential tax exemptions at 20 percent or higher.
“If we do not say ‘yes’ to this, it’s irresponsible,” said select board member Jared Collins, arguing that the majority of residents would benefit.
Chair Art Autorino disagreed. “I think this is the worst thing we could do,” he said, arguing that the RTE would “drive a wedge” between year-round and part-time residents. “I don’t care what the split is. To me, this is wrong,” he said.
“Jared, you’re talking about a few hundred dollars a year for people,” said board member Aimee Eckman. She also said that part-time residents don’t use as many services as year-round residents. “They help offset those costs already for the taxes for us,” she said.
“If I may, I’m sorry, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Collins said. “The reason it’s so hard for people to live here is because people are buying up all of the other properties, bringing the prices up.”
Board member Jamie Demetri asked the group to wait a month before making any decisions and to give the public a chance to submit comments. But Autorino moved not to adopt the RTE. “It’s been on the agenda,” he said.
Autorino, Demetri, and Al Cestaro voted in favor of the motion. Demetri and Collins voted against. —Cam Blair
