Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, Aug. 14
- Cape Cod Commission public hearing, 3 p.m., 3195 Main St., Barnstable
Monday, Aug. 18
- Zoning Task Force, 10 a.m.
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 19
- Board of Library Trustees, 4 p.m., Public Library
- Recycling Committee, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20
- Search Committee, 11 a.m.
- Open Space Committee, 2:30 p.m.
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
- Nauset High School Building Committee, 5:30 p.m., online only
Thursday, Aug. 21
- Finance Committee, 4 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Lease to Locals
On Aug. 11, Eastham and Orleans became the fourth and fifth towns on the Cape and Islands to implement a “lease to locals” program, which provides monetary incentives to property owners for converting their properties to year-round rentals. The program, which has already been implemented in Provincetown, Nantucket, and Chilmark, is run through California-based rental agency Placemate, which was created by former Airbnb marketing director Colin Frolich.
Incentives paid by the towns of Eastham and Orleans will range from $5,000 to $15,000 per year based on the number of bedrooms and the number of qualified tenants who will live there. To qualify for subsidies, tenants must either already live in Eastham or Orleans or work at least 30 hours per week in those towns. Blood relatives cannot qualify for a subsidy, and there is an income limit on how much participating tenants can earn.
The program is designed as a one-time incentive, although Provincetown wound up extending the subsidies for a second year to avoid the prospect of new tenants being evicted after their first year in the program. Eastham has committed $300,000 for the first year of its program, which will support subsidies, outreach, and administrative costs, according to the town’s announcement.
The partnership with Orleans will help reduce the administrative costs paid by each town. —Parker Mumford
