Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, July 25
- Council on Aging Board of Directors, cancelled
- Board of Health, 3 p.m.
- Nauset Regional School Committee retreat, 5:30 p.m., Nauset Middle School Library
Conversation Starter
Big Plans
During the select board’s Monday meeting, board members and town officials discussed what Eastham could look like in 5 or 10 years, with an agenda chock full of plans that may come to fruition in the far future.
Town Planner Paul Lagg briefed the board on updates to the town’s five-year strategic plan, which Lagg aimed to simplify and streamline. The 2020-2024 plan had six goals, 30 objectives, and over 100 action items. The updated 2024-2029 plan will be pared down to four goals, 16 objectives, and 70 action items.
Some of the plan’s most important objectives: the creation of wastewater management systems; the Route 6 redesign; and the implementation of the North Eastham Center Master Plan. The latter would redesign multiple key properties in town, including the “T-Time” plot off Route 6 to include housing, a community center, and commercial space.
With such ambitious plans, the inevitable question came up: who will pay for all this?
“It’s important for the citizens to take a hard look at this because this is not cheap, but it’s very important,” said select board vice chair Gerald Cerasale. “But if we delay, delay, delay, we’re going to lose out on some opportunities. So please be involved.”
Town Manager Jacqui Beebe said she was feeling optimistic about how to fund the projects. For wastewater, Beebe said the town should have access to zero-percent loans through the State Revolving Fund. Mass DOT would pick up a large part of the Route 6 redesign, and Eastham can compete for funding from the state for its housing and infrastructure plans.
“Of course, the overall goal is to use all the other sources of funding first so we can save the tax levy for the things we can’t get other funding for,” said Beebe. “I think that we will be able to present a funding plan to you that will not be painless, but it will be manageable.” —Jack Styler
