Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, March 9
- Low Lying Roads Workshop, 2 p.m.
- Cable Internet and Cellular Service Advisory Committee, 5 p.m.
- Select Board, 6 p.m.
- Shellfish Advisory Board, 7 p.m., Adult Community Center and remote
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 14
- Select Board, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 15
- Conservation Commission, 4 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Select Board Pay Raise
The select board unanimously voted to insert a warrant article for this year’s annual town meeting that would increase the stipend to $5,000 for select board members and $7,000 for the chair. The current stipend is $2,500 across the board.
Member Kathleen Bacon said the stipend has not been increased since 2017; the last increase before that was in 1989.
“Public service is demanding, and I think it has been ever so demanding on this particular board in the past couple of years,” said Bacon during the board’s Feb. 28 meeting. “It’s still a small amount of money for the time we put into this. We’ve been a very devoted and hardworking board.”
Bacon added that she hoped a stipend increase would send a message that the select board is a serious endeavor and would encourage more people to run for the office. “There are very few people who are showing a willingness to run, and at the very least increasing the stipend says to somebody that we value their time,” Bacon said.
Vice Chair Michael DeVasto agreed that the board needs to find ways to make the position more desirable. “I would like to see more people run for this office,” he said. “We often see unopposed tickets, and it’s important that people feel like it’s not just people who are retired or who have an axe to grind who are running.”
“It’s always gotten my dander up when I see Congress voting themselves pay raises,” said select board member John Wolf. “But in our case, we wouldn’t be voting ourselves a raise, we would be giving the town an opportunity to do that.”
“I came into this not inclined to support it, but my colleagues have persuaded me,” said member Barbara Carboni.
Voters will decide at town meeting, which is provisionally scheduled for Saturday, April 29 at 10 a.m. at Wellfleet Elementary School.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story, published in print on March 9, incorrectly reported the date of the town meeting as April 28.
Cultural District Website
The Wellfleet Cultural District released a new website, www.wellfleetevents.com, which features a district-wide calendar and links to businesses, ticket purchases, and event registrations. It also includes an interactive map of galleries, restaurants, accommodations, recreational areas, and cultural sites in the district.
“There is so much happening in our small town, and even I, who have lived here for years, don’t always know where to look for real-time information,” said Gigi Ledkovsky, the steering committee co-chair. “This is like a community bulletin board — but so much more.” —Sam Pollak
