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, April 11
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., NRMS Auditorium and online
Friday, April 12
- Cable Internet and Cellular Service Advisory Committee, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, April 16
- Select Board, 6 p.m., Adult Community Center and online
Wednesday, April 17
- Conservation Commission, 4 p.m., Town Hall basement and online
Conversation Starter
Dredging Task Force Meets
The dredging task force met on April 8 for the first time since November to discuss the future of the harbor dredging project. Members Joe Aberdale, Chris Merl, and Alfred Picard said that lack of direction from the select board was their reason for not meeting. In addition, they’d been waiting for the town to approve the $4.5-million mitigation fee at town meeting.
The select board has taken that request off the warrant, but Aberdale told the Independent that no one on the task force was informed of this development until after the warrant had closed.
At their meeting, task force members discussed whether the article could be reintroduced. They also discussed whether the town could ask voters for $1.8 million and cover the rest of the mitigation fee with the $2.9 million that is left in the town’s dredging fund.
Select board vice chair John Wolf said that he is still working to meet with members of the town’s Congressional delegation; he hopes they will tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the mitigation requirement.
Wolf also reached out to the town’s former lobbyist, who told him that he “did not have time to take on Wellfleet’s issues.” Aberdale said that without a lobbyist involved, Wolf’s mission has a “one in a million chance of success.”
All agreed that they do not want to revisit a mitigation plan instead of paying the $4.5 million.
Members discussed the fact that Sheila Lyons, who is running for select board, has advocated for a mitigation plan and would ask for it to return to the table.
“I hope that will never make it on the agenda,” said Wolf. —Sam Pollak
