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meetings

    CURRENTS

    This Week in Truro

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    Meetings are held remotely. To watch live: go to the town website, truro-ma.gov and find meetings on the lower right of the home page. Click on the agenda of the meeting you are interested in and follow directions within each agenda. To view meetings after they have occurred, go to the town home page, scroll down under News & Announcements, click on “Remote Meeting Information,” and follow directions.

     Wednesday, May 13

    • Select Board, 2 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Task Force Appointed

    The Truro select board on Tuesday appointed a re-opening task force to plan for how businesses and recreational activities will unfold this summer when the Covid-19 stay-at-home orders are lifted. The members include all five select board members; Steve Roderick, who is president of the Truro Chamber of Commerce; Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer; Assistant Town Manager Kelly Clark; Town Accountant Trudi Brazil; Health Agent Emily Beebe; Police Chief Jamie Calise; and other department heads as needed. Members of the business community are welcome to add feedback.

    The select board will meet on Tuesday, May 12, though the time was not announced, at which members of the business community are invited to offer thoughts and concerns about opening up this summer.

    The recreation and beach departments are two big unknowns. Palmer told the select board Tuesday that town officials have not yet decided what to do. Truro’s recreation dept. offers a large and popular day camp, which serves as child care for many year-round and summer families. —K.C. Myers

     

    currents

    This Week in Wellfleet

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website wellfleet-ma.gov and click on the individual meetings for instructions.

    Thursday, May 7

    • Housing Authority, 10 a.m.
    • Dredging Task Force, 11 a.m.

    Friday, May 8

    • Cape Cod and Islands Selectmen and Councilors Association, 7:30 a.m.

    Monday, May 11

    • Town Administrator Screening Committee, 10 a.m.

    Tuesday, May 12

    • Town Administrator Search Committee, 9 a.m.
    • Select Board with Emergency Management Team: Covid-19 Updates, 10 a.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of May 5, Wellfleet had one active case of Covid-19, four cleared cases, and one death as a result of the coronavirus.

    Face Mask Enforcement

    As of May 6, it is now a statewide requirement that everybody in an indoor or outdoor space who is not able to stay six feet apart from other people must cover mouth and nose with a mask. To help the town with providing information and possible enforcement, town officials want residents who observe people not complying with the order to email Health Department Director Hillary Greenberg-Lemos at [email protected].

    Portable Toilets at Beaches?

    With sanitizing of Wellfleet’s public outdoor spaces a major concern, Director of Community Services Suzanne Grout Thomas Tuesday told members of the Covid-19 Emergency Task Force that she is considering stationing portable toilets at all Wellfleet beaches and ponds. They would be sanitized twice a day. It is easier to keep portable toilets clean than it is to clean the cinderblock bathrooms already present at the beaches, Thomas said Tuesday.

    A Swim Lesson Idea

    While keeping density of usage low at ponds and beaches is at the top of Wellfleet’s priorities heading into the summer, town officials are also discussing how to keep people safe in the water. Director of Community Services Suzanne Grout Thomas told the emergency task force Tuesday she is considering swimming lessons in which the instructors do not physically touch kids, in order to lessen the chance of transmission.

    Michael Stein, M.D., professor of health policy at Boston University, told the Independent that when it comes to guarding against transmission in such a scenario, “We don’t know for sure, but I’m less worried about the swimming and touching, and more about the laughing and coughing and sneezing and yelling.” —Devin Sean Martin

     

     

     

     

    currents

    This Week in Eastham

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    Town Hall is closed to the public. Meetings are being conducted remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a particular meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely.

    Thursday, May 7

    • Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.

    Saturday, May 9

    • Eastham Public Library Board of Trustees, 9 a.m.

    Tuesday, May 12

    • Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.

    Wednesday, May 13

    • Recreation Commission, 3 p.m.
    • Finance Committee, 5 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Roundabout Discussion of T-Time

    The T-Time Development Committee, which is expected to think outside the box about the town-owned property at 4790 State Highway, heard one such thought from Town Planner Paul Lagg when members met online April 28.

    With left turns into and out of the property a potential headache, Lagg suggested building a roundabout to channel traffic in both directions. “I think the roundabout option on Route 6 alleviates the left-hand turn issue,” he said.

    The meeting featured updates from the community development, economic development, and infrastructure subcommittees, with the first two focused on uses such as a community-recreation center, a senior center, mixed-use housing, and co-working space. Nothing is off the table yet.

    Most of the conversation centered on traffic and access in and out of the site, a concern of the infrastructure subcommittee. Lagg was doubtful about using an access road for utilities at the rear of the property to connect to Brackett Road.

    “I think running a road along the power lines would be difficult,” he said, noting that it would be hard to work with Eversource on that.

    Another option would create a road to Brackett Road through adjoining properties. Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said the town needs to come up with a plan and have a discussion with neighboring business owners, which Beebe said she hoped could be professionally facilitated either by the Cape Cod Commission or some other entity to bring the businesses together in a creative way. The result could be a new kind of “main street,” if all businesses in the area came to agreement.

    Town Meeting and Finances

    The select board has not set a date for town meeting. Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe’s Plan A was to hold a shortened annual meeting in June to deal with essential budget-related articles and then a special town meeting in October to vote on the rest, including the Nauset Regional School Committee building project. Plan B would be to hold one town meeting in October. Both plans would take advantage of the Presidential election on Nov. 3 to address ballot questions.

    The board has discussed two options for a June meeting: the 15th or the 29th. If it’s the former, that decision must be made by May 18.

    The town “is fortunate in some areas,” Beebe said, “because we did not plan to spend any of our short-term rental tax. A month ago when people [in other towns] started panicking over revenue because they were using it this year, let alone next year, we didn’t have to. Our revenues are fine. Property taxes are coming in fine. We’re still providing all normal inspectional services. The only thing we’re not taking money for right now is short-term rental applications,” but the town is processing them. In addition, revenue from residential beach stickers is healthy.

    Going with only a fall town meeting would mean delaying hiring for new positions until November or December and reduce expenses further.

    Boat Lottery Storage on TV Friday

    More than 170 applications were received in the town’s vessel storage lottery, and the winners will be drawn Friday at 10 a.m. with live coverage on Channel 18 and streaming video. “We’ll try to have as much fun with it as we can,” select board chair Aimee Eckman said May 4.

    Shellfish Areas Reopened

    The state has lifted shellfish taking closures, with the exception of blue mussels and Moon snails, for Nauset Harbor, Mill Pond, Town Cove, Nauset Marsh, and Salt Pond in Eastham and Orleans. The Div. of Marine Fisheries found that the level of biotoxins no longer exceeded standards.

    Beer and Wine OK’d for Mac’s

    The select board approved a beer and wine license last month for Mac’s Market and Kitchen at 4680 State Highway. The revised application confined consumption to on-premises; a plan to serve on the patio was withdrawn.

    While praising the information provided as “fantastic” and the application as “setting a standard,” select board member Jamie Rivers said “the board should look at the number of licenses and make sure the framework set for the town is in line with our perspective, that the maximum number is a fair number, but not too high or low. We may want to look at that next year.” —Ed Maroney

    Pandemic Planning

    A day after the board of health met and discussed issuing a mask-wearing advisory, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a statewide requirement that masks or other face coverings be worn, indoors and outdoors, whenever people are unable or choose not to maintain six feet of separation.

    At the board’s April 30 meeting, Health Agent Jane Crowley said her department was working on signage for town beaches. “Particularly for our beaches, we’re going to need some kind of social distancing sign,” she said. “The whole topic is really important to our town, and we are trying our best to be proactive.”

    The town’s beaches remain open to the public with no plan yet in place for the summer, Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said via e-mail.

    Stewart Case Rescheduled

    A pretrial conference in the case against Bill Stewart, owner of Stewart’s Restaurant, has been rescheduled for July 7 in Orleans District Court. The conference was originally scheduled for May 4 but was postponed due to the state of emergency for Covid-19, according to court dockets.

    Stewart was accused by six women who were former employees at his restaurant of sexual harassment, but a magistrate hearing in 2019 found that charges could be brought by only one of the women. In April 2019, Stewart pleaded not guilty to charges of accosting a person of the opposite sex, threats to commit a crime, and assault and battery. —Ryan Fitzgerald

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    CURRENTS

    This Week in Provincetown

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are held remotely. To watch a meeting go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the link to the agenda for instructions on how to watch or participate.

    Thursday, April 30

    • Water & Sewer Board, 2 p.m.

    Tuesday, May 5

    • Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.

    Wednesday, May 6

    • Historic District Commission, 4 p.m.

    Thursday, May 7

    • Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 27, Provincetown had two confirmed active cases of coronavirus, one death, and 25 additional cases considered recovered.

    Seashore Point Has No Positive Tests

    As of April 27, testing for the coronavirus at the Outer Cape’s only long-term care facility has found no positive cases among residents or staff at Seashore Point’s nursing home, Advinia Care, said David Ball, a company spokesman.

    Advinia Care is owned by the Pointe Group, which also owns the Pleasant Bay Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Brewster, where 60 of 92 residents tested positive in three rounds of testing at the facility, according to an April 20 report by the town of Brewster.

    Town Clerk Moves to the Schools

    Darlene Van Alstyne, the town clerk for the last three years, will be leaving her job to become the administrative assistant to Provincetown Schools Supt. Suzanne Scallion.

    Her last day is April 30, she said.

    Van Alstyne was the town’s licensing agent for six years and the assistant town clerk for four before becoming town clerk when Doug Johnstone retired.

    Assistant Town Clerk Ana Ruiz will run the office until a replacement is hired.

    “It’s a tough job, but it’s really fun to do,” Van Alstyne said. “Putting together the elections is a lot of work, but come election day, it’s the funnest day of the year.”

    She’s also a fan of the hand-crank ballot box and hopes Provincetown sticks to hand-counting, even though all other Cape Cod towns have decided to use electronic tabulators.

    “People really enjoy coming in, touching that paper, and hearing that ding,” she said. —K.C. Myers

    CURRENTS

    This Week in Truro

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are being held remotely. Go to the town’s website, select “remote meeting information,” then follow an additional link for instructions on watching and participating.

    Monday, May 4

    • Conservation Commission, 2 p.m.

    Tuesday, May 5

    • Board of Health, 4:30 p.m.

    Wednesday, May 6

    • Planning Board, 6 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 28, there was one active case in Truro. Eight cases were reported resolved.

    Judge Rules Against Habitat for Humanity

    The seven-year effort to build three affordable homes on Route 6 has been blocked by Barnstable Superior Court Justice Thomas Perrino, who has agreed with a neighbor’s objections to the project.

    Since 2013, when the nonprofit housing agency received contributions from local housing organizations for the purpose, Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod has been trying to build the houses at 181 Rt. 6, near the Pamet roads exit.

    The Truro Zoning Board of Appeals approved a comprehensive permit allowing the project.

    But neighbor Brenda Connors, of 4 Avery Way, challenged it successfully several times in court. Reached by phone Monday, Connors did not wish to comment.

    On March 30, following a November trial in Barnstable Superior Court, Perrino ruled in favor of Connors, saying the runoff from the project would damage her property.

    “We are currently in conversation about how to erect a retaining wall to protect the neighboring property from any damage,” said Wendy Cullinan, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, by email. “Habitat wants to be a good neighbor.”

    Contributions to buy the land came from the Truro Community Preservation Committee, Highland Affordable Housing, and the Truro Housing Authority, Cullinan wrote.

    Frequently the type of lots available for affordable housing are not easily developed, she said.

    She is assessing next steps.

    “Our decision is to weigh the pros and cons and move forward,” Cullinan stated. “The pro, being three families will have a home, carries a lot of weight.” —K.C. Myers

    currents

    This Week in Wellfleet

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are held online. Go to Wellfleet’s town website and click on the individual meetings for instructions.

    Thursday, April 30

    • Town Administrator Screening Committee, 2 p.m.
    • Cape Cod Commission, Herring River Restoration Project Phase 1, 4:30 p.m. (for public access: org/ccc and click on “Join Virtual Hearing”; or call in to 929-205-6099 and enter meeting ID: 426 522 224.)

    Friday, May 1

    • Wellfleet Covid-19 Needs Response Task Force community call, 10 a.m.

    Tuesday, May 5

    • Select Board with Emergency Management Team: Covid-19 updates, 10 a.m.

    Wednesday, May 6

    • Conservation Commission, 4 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 27, Wellfleet has one active case of Covid-19, four cleared cases, and one death as a result of the coronavirus.

    Cape Cod Commission Meeting

    The Cape Cod Commission will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 30, to discuss the first phase of the Herring River Restoration Project. This phase includes plans to re-introduce tidal flow to about 570 acres of coastal wetlands in Wellfleet. “The current dam is deteriorating and will eventually fail and cause the water to flow in an unplanned manner and cause much damage,” said Herring River Stakeholders Group member Moe Barocas in an email. “Doing nothing is not an option.”

    Town Meeting and Election Postponed

    Wellfleet’s annual town meeting will be postponed until Oct. 5. The select board agreed not to hold the meeting online or take votes by mail but, instead, to hope that large gatherings will be permitted by the fall. The annual town election will be postponed until June 15; citizens will be able to vote by mail.

    Fourth of July Parade Canceled 

    Wellfleet’s Fourth of July parade has been canceled by the select board. The motion passed unanimously at the April 28 meeting.

    Tax Deadline Delays

    The select board voted unanimously to move the deadline for applications for Wellfleet’s residential tax exemption to May 1, and the deadline for property tax payments to June 1.

    Social Distancing at the Beach

    You may not have to worry about overcrowded beaches this summer. Wellfleet staff are considering keeping public beaches at 25 to 40 percent capacity, though there have been no decisions yet on how to enforce such a limit, or how long it would be enforced, said Suzanne Grout Thomas, director of community services, Tuesday during a conference call.

    “At this point there are no final decisions on anything; we are looking for guidance from the Commonwealth,” she later told the Independent.

    Avoid Covid-19 Scams

    Wellfleet Police Chief Mike Hurley asks residents to be extra vigilant for Covid-19-related scams. Do not respond to suspicious texts or emails that appear to come from the government, ignore online offers for vaccinations or test kits, and hang up on virus-related robocalls, Hurley said. If you come across what you think might be a scam, file a police report.

    Amnesty Postponed

    The Wellfleet transfer station’s annual Amnesty Day, when residents can dispose of mattresses and other household goods for free, is postponed until the fall. An official date will be announced later, said Town Administrator Dan Hoort.

    Wifi Hotspots Coming Soon

    Wellfleet Library Director Jennifer Wertkin is in the process of purchasing Verizon wi-fi hotspots to give to residents with poor internet connection. She will announce when they are available. —Devin Sean Martin

    currents

    This Week in Eastham

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    Meetings are being conducted remotely. Go to eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16 and click on a meeting to read its agenda. That document will provide information on how to view and take part remotely.

    Thursday, April 30

    • Board of Health, 3 p.m.

    Monday, May 4

    • Select Board, 5:30 p.m.

    Wednesday, May 6

    • Community Preservation Act Committee, 5:30 p.m.

    Thursday, May 7

    • Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    June Town Meeting May Not Happen

    Gov. Charlie Baker’s extension of his stay-at-home advisory to May 18 has consequences for Eastham that may stretch much further into the year.

    That date is close to the deadline for sending the warrant for a proposed June 15 town meeting to the printer, said Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe. On April 28, she told the finance committee, “It’s not looking good for a town meeting before the end of the fiscal year.” She said she would confer with the select board about whether a June 29 meeting would be possible. The new date for the town election remains June 23.

    The biggest concern is setting the tax rate so bills can be drawn up. Estimated bills could be sent, “but then we would have to have a cascading way to deduct any overpayment from the spring bill,” Beebe said. And if tax bills don’t go out until November, the town might have to do some short-term borrowing to cover expenditures in the busy summer season.

    Beebe is working on a revised budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that reduces anticipated revenue by almost $1 million, with drops expected in state aid, new growth, and local receipts. The planned capital budget will be pared down, with some expenses moved to later years.

    The town is keeping track of all pandemic-related costs in hopes of reimbursement after the state of emergency is lifted, but Beebe cautioned that such payments can take a couple of years.

    The finance committee voted to support the high school building project 8 to 1, and by the same margin endorsed creation of an education, housing, and human services special purpose stabilization fund and funding for the family support package.

    Boat Storage Lottery Deadline Is Friday

    There’s still time to enter the town’s vessel storage lottery, which closes Friday, May 1, at 3 p.m. Go to eastham-ma.gov/harbors-landings/pages/vessel-storage-information for details and a link to the lottery form.

    “Last year was ridiculous,” select board chair Aimee Eckman said of the former first-come first-served policy. “I got there at quarter of seven and I was 20th in line.” When the office opened at 8, “there were 60 or 70 people in line. People were getting multiples for neighbors. I think this will be much better and we’ll still get all the revenue. I’m sure we’ll fill up, maybe even more.”

    T-Time Committee Plays Through

    The modular home you’ll see sitting on the T-Time property is not a statement from the development committee. The building’s one-night stand is a courtesy to a resident who will be taking delivery of her “forever home” and needs a place to park it overnight. “She waited a year to get it, and suddenly it’s here,” Town Administrator Jacqui Beebee told the select board Monday.

    Meanwhile, the T-Time Development Committee met Tuesday to hear progress reports from its community development, economic development, and infrastructure subcommittees. —Ed Maroney

    currents

    This Week in Provincetown

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    From provincetown-ma.gov, click on the calendar or the list on the meeting you’re interested in. When event details are in view, click on the link provided. From there click on the agenda for the meeting. Instructions on viewing and participating are included there.

     Monday, April 27

    • Select Board, 7 p.m.

     Tuesday, April 28

    • Licensing Board, 5:15 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 20, Provincetown had three confirmed active cases of coronavirus and one death from complications related to Covid-19; 22 additional cases are considered recovered and have been cleared from quarantine by the public health nurse.

    Testing at Seashore Point

    On Monday, April 20, Pleasant Bay Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a facility owned by the same company that recently purchased Seashore Point in Provincetown, reported that 60 of its 92 residents had tested positive for the coronavirus.

    The Pointe Group, which bought Seashore Point last year and renamed the nursing facility Advinia Care, participated in on-site testing provided by the state, said David Ball, the Pointe Group’s spokesman. The residents and staff of the nursing facility at Seashore Point were also tested but the results were not available at the Independent’s deadline Tuesday, Ball stated.

    The Pointe Group agreed to the testing voluntarily in order to see who had the virus. This information is useful since many cases are asymptomatic, but those patients may still be able to transmit the virus, according to a company spokesman.

    Though the testing at Seashore Point was done voluntarily, town boards of health can order long-term care facilities to test all of their residents, said Sean O’Brien, emergency management coordinator for Barnstable County. But there must be a good reason to set mandatory rules, said Steve Katsurinis, chair of the Provincetown Board of Health. There was no compelling reason to order mandatory testing at Seashore Point, Katsurinis said, whereas at Pleasant Bay many patients had complained of symptoms prior to the April 10 testing, according to the Cape Cod Times.

    Over half of the deaths in the state are at long-term care facilities. Age is the biggest predictor of the outcome of the coronavirus, Katsurinis said.

    Anyone concerned about nursing home residents and Covid-19 may call the state Dept. of Public Health’s Nursing Home Family Resource hotline at 617-660-5399. The hotline is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week to answer questions and connect people to resources.

    To see the number of positive tests at specific hospitals and nursing homes, the state offers a list updated daily at 4 p.m. at: mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting.

    To check Seashore Point’s cases look under Advinia Care in Barnstable County. —K.C. Myers

    currents

    This Week in Truro

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    From truro-ma.gov, click on “remote meeting information” on the lower left. The next page will prompt you to click again for a pdf document with instructions for viewing or listening to remote meetings. Where comments are invited, they must be sent before the meeting to be read at the meeting.

    No meetings posted for April 23 to April 30 as of the Independent’s deadline Tuesday.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 21, there were two active cases and seven resolved coronavirus cases in Truro.

    Town Manager to Stay
    Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer has agreed to postpone her retirement until Sept. 30, 2020, in order to provide consistent leadership for the town through uncertain times. Before the coronavirus stay-at-home advisory, she had planned to retire in June. On April 21, the select board agreed to give her a raise for her extra time on the job, so she’ll be paid at an annual rate of $145,000 for the three months beyond her planned June 30 retirement, said Bob Weinstein of the select board. The board is advertising her position at $145,000. Palmer’s current annual salary is $140,000.
    The select board will interview and appoint the town manager screening committee by May 12. “We want to hire someone by September,” Weinstein said, adding that they hope to do the interviews in person.

    Town Meeting Set for June 23
    The select board has delayed the annual town meeting, originally scheduled for April 28, to June 23, in the hopes that by then people will feel OK about congregating. Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer advised the board on April 21 that some Cape towns are considering virtual town meetings or outdoor town meetings. She said virtual town meeting won’t be fair to those without reliable internet service. An outdoor town meeting or further postponement may be necessary, she added. The town election will be held on June 30.

    Tax Delay
    The Truro Select Board voted unanimously on April 14 to extend the due date for 2020 second half real and personal property tax bills and for applications for property tax exemptions to June 1, 2020, to provide some relief to residents during the Covid-19 public health emergency. Tax payments would have been due on May 1. —K.C. Myers

     

    currents

    This Week in Wellfleet

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    From wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar, click on the meeting you’re interested in to open its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely.

    Thursday, April 23

    • Town Administrator Screening Committee, 2 p.m.
    • Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m.

    Tuesday, April 28

    • Select Board with Emergency Management Team: COVID-19 Updates, 10 a.m.

    Thursday, April 30

    • Cape Cod Commission, Herring River Restoration Project Phase 1, 4:30 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 21, Wellfleet had zero active cases of Covid-19, four cleared cases, and one death as a result of the coronavirus.

    Taxation Aid Fund Donation

    The Wellfleet Taxation Aid Fund Committee is asking the public to consider a donation to the fund when you submit your tax payment. The fund helps to pay the property taxes of low-income seniors and the disabled. To donate, write a separate check to the “Taxation Aid Fund” when you pay your taxes. These donations are tax-deductible.

    Social Distancing and Recycling

    The Department of Public Works is in the process of retrofitting the Wellfleet transfer station to accept recyclables in a hands-off way while respecting social distancing. DPW Director Mark Vincent said he hopes to open up the recycling area of the station within the week.

     Soup for Those in Need

    Chef Maryann Lucas of the Wellfleet Council on Aging’s Iris’s Café will be making soup to be packaged and delivered by volunteers on Friday, April 24 to people who could use the help, said Suzanne Grout Thomas, director of community services. —Devin Sean Martin

     

    currents

    This Week in Eastham

    By

    Eastham

    Meetings Ahead

    From eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16, click on the meeting you’re interested in to read its agenda. That document will provide information about how to view and take part remotely.

    Thursday, April 23

    • Council on Aging, 1 p.m.

    Monday, April 27

    • Eastham 400 Commemoration Committee, 10:30 a.m.
    • Elementary School Committee, 5:30 p.m.
    • Select Board, 5:30 p.m.

    Tuesday, April 28

    • Conservation Commission, site visits, 8:15 a.m.
    • Finance Committee, 3 p.m.
    • Tee-Time Committee, 5 p.m.
    • Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m.

    Thursday, April 30

    • Board of Health, 3 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Weighing Town Meeting Options

    Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the town election hours as ending at 7 p.m.

    The annual town election will be held June 23 from noon to 6 p.m., but don’t feel you need to be there. In fact, the town would prefer that you vote early by mail, and will be sending applications to do so to every residential address. Voting will be limited to election of town officers, with ballot questions put off until the fall.

    Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe resorted to physics to explain the twisting path toward a town meeting (or two) and an election (or two) in an April 21 memo to the select board. “Newton’s Third Law … is heavily in play,” she wrote. “(F)or every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

    The work of the town, including approving a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, electing officers, and passing judgment on the Nauset Regional High School building project, must go on even in a pandemic. Municipalities are waiting for word from Gov. Charlie Baker, expected shortly, on whether town meetings can be scheduled before June 30; at this point, town elections must still be held before that date.

    Beebe has assembled enough pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to offer two options, which the select board discussed Tuesday night. In Plan A, a stripped-down annual town meeting on June 15 would address “essential, budget-related articles to make it as short as possible,” the town administrator wrote. This event might require provision of masks, widely separated seating, temperature checks, a change of venue, and other safety measures. The board decided Tuesday that a vote for town offices but no ballot questions would be held June 23 with an emphasis on early voting by mail.

    (Ironically, there are no contests for town offices this year. Without ballot questions, the only decision needed would be to write in someone for the elementary school committee seat that did not draw a candidate; incumbent Judy Lindahl is running for the other one.)

    Plan A continues with a special town meeting on Oct. 19 that would cover all other articles and the school building project, followed by a vote on the school project Nov. 3, Election Day.

    If the pandemic and the state’s response prohibit a June town meeting, Beebe’s Plan B cancels the proposed June 15 session and reschedules it on Oct. 19 with a full warrant. The June 23 election, with town offices only, would still be held on that date, and Election Day on Nov. 3 would include a separate ballot for ballot questions.

    Although communities have been given “tools for carrying on basic business after July 1 without a town meeting,” Beebe wrote, that’s not a great option. Towns would be allowed to spend 1/12 of the current fiscal year’s budget each month, a challenge for a community that spends more in summer than in winter. And without a new budget, the town can’t set a tax rate and send out bills.

    Boat Storage Lottery Coming

    If you’re planning to enter the town’s vessel storage permit lottery, be aware that the deadline for your application is May 1. The select board planned to review the process at its April 21 meeting.

    The COA and Covid-19

    On April 23 at 1 p.m., the council on aging’s board of directors will hold a virtual meeting that will include an update the COA’s response to the pandemic. The agenda page (eastham-ma.gov/sites/easthamma/files/agendas/coa_04.23.20_meeting_post.pdf ) has instructions for viewing and participating online

    More Time for Tax Payments

    The select board was expected this week to approve adjustments regarding property tax payments and penalties following action by the state government. Changes would include extending the property tax due date from May 1 to June 1, waiving penalties and interest charges for bills due on or after March 10 if they are paid by June 30, and extending the deadline for residential tax exemption applications from April 1 to June 1.

    Transfer Station Limits

    The town is taking household trash and recyclables, including residential (but not commercial) yard waste. But it has stopped accepting construction and demolition debris and bulky items such as furniture, refrigerators, and electronics, and drop-off areas for those items are closed to picking.

    The Cape Cod National Seashore reported an uptick in illegal dumping last week, including construction materials found in the Doane Rock area in Eastham and household trash at Great Island in Wellfleet.

    A list of companies accepting construction and demolition debris can be found at eastham-ma.gov/public-works/pages/transfer-station under “Say NO! to Illegal Dumping.” —Ed Maroney

    Deadline for Comments on Hazard Plan

    Monday at 4 p.m. is the deadline for comments on the town’s draft hazard mitigation plan, which lists strategies and actions to reduce risks to human life and property from natural hazards such as nor’easters, hurricanes, floods, and coastal erosion. Go to easthammvp.weebly.com to scan the document and leave comments.

    Eastham’s plan attempts to build a long-term strategy to educate residents and prepare them for such events. Town staff, residents, and local stakeholders worked together for several months to develop a plan that meets Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements and reflects the character and individuality of Eastham.

    Once the plan is approved by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and adopted by the select board, the town becomes eligible to receive funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance program. —Ryan Fitzgerald

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    This Week in Provincetown

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    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are held using videoconferencing. To join a meeting live, click on the link to the meeting on the town’s home page calendar at provincetown-ma.gov. To watch older remote meetings, scroll to bottom of the home page and click on PTV Videos and Live Stream.

    Thursday, April 16

    • Charter Compliance Commission, 12 p.m.
    • Board of Health, 4 p.m.
    • Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.

    Tuesday, April 21

    • Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.

    Thursday, April 23

    • Planning Board, 6:30 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 12, there were three active cases of coronavirus in Provincetown, one death from complications related to Covid-19, and 18 additional cases considered recovered and cleared from quarantine.

    Time to Talk Financial Recovery

    Provincetown officials are beginning to look toward recovery from a health and an economic standpoint. On Monday Dept. of Health Director Morgan Clark said the town has seen a decrease in new positive coronavirus cases despite increased testing.

    While urging everyone to continue social distancing, Provincetown officials have started considering a “recovery coalition” made up of stakeholders who would identify problems and solutions related to coronavirus going forward.

    These problems include a huge loss of parking, meals, and rooms tax revenue, expected to be anywhere from 40 to 75 percent below normal, said Town Manager Robin Craver on Monday.

    Officials are thinking of hiring seasonal staff slowly, offering an early retirement program for town staff, possible furloughs, and cutting the tourism advertising budget.

    Provincetown Finance Director Josee Cardinal Young said if revenue is down only 50 percent the town could use cash reserves to make it through the next fiscal year without raising the tax rate or borrowing. If much more is lost, though, “We would need to dig deeper,” she said.

    Economic Pain, Tourism Campaign

    Most of the 300 businesses that are members of the Provincetown Business Guild are nonessential and “are hurting and fighting” to sustain themselves, said Bob Sandborn, executive director of the PBG. The pandemic will result in long-term harm and some businesses won’t survive, he said.

    “Already an iconic restaurant in town says it has one month of reserves left,” Sandborn said on Monday. Suggestions to help business owners include a 90-day tax deferral, deferrals for water bills and other fees, and a lifting of parking fees to motivate people to come to Provincetown.

    “Don’t cancel the fireworks prematurely,” Sandborn advised.

    About 1,500 Small Business Administration loans have been reviewed and approved on the Outer Cape, mostly in Provincetown, said Radu Luca, executive director of the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. As for seasonal foreign J-1 and H-2B visa workers, there is a ban on the program until the middle of May so far, Luca said.

    The town tourism department has an advertising campaign that goes something like: “Accept that this summer will be different, with nostalgia, small crowds, and big memories,” said Tourism Director Tony Fuccillo.

    The long haul and international markets will be last to return, so the driving market is the target. And in a piece of good news, second-home owners may well spend the summer here working in home offices.

    “Early summer will be bleak with a bright summer to follow,” Fuccillo predicted. —K.C. Myers

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    This Week in Truro

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    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are being held remotely. For viewing information go to the town’s website, truro-ma.gov, and look on the left for “Remote meeting information.”

    Tuesday, April 21

    • Truro Cemetery Commission, 10 a.m.
    • Select Board, 2 p.m.
    • Board of Health, 4:30 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 13, Truro had one active case of Covid-19 and eight resolved cases.

    Live-Streaming Available

    On April 14, Truro town government began live-streaming meetings for the first time since the town banned public meetings in mid-March. Town Manager Rae Ann Palmer said the town needed a piece of equipment, difficult to obtain, called a TRMS live-streamer server. Now the public may watch and participate in public meetings live, from their computers.

    Pre-Town Meeting on Hold

    Along with the annual town meeting and town election, the pre-town meeting and candidates’ night that was going to be held on April 14 at the Truro Community Center was also postponed. New dates will be announced when they are determined.

    Hand-Crank Voting Is Back

    On Jan. 28, the Truro Select Board voted to begin using the ImageCast Precinct Optical Scan Tabulator, also known as an electronic voting machine, effective Sept. 1, 2020, the date of the state primary election. But due to the delay in town meeting, the timing will not legally allow the town to switch voting methods. Therefore, the select board was expected to vote Tuesday to continue using the old hand-crank ballot box.

    If the board members wish to try again to switch to electronic voting, they must revote to discontinue the hand-crank machine in the future, stated Assistant Town Manager Kelly Clark in a memo to the select board. Until this recent reprieve for the old ballot box in Truro, Provincetown was the only remaining town on Cape Cod that had not made the switch to electronic voting. —K.C. Myers

    Truro Board Defends Itself on Crisis Response

    The Truro Select Board had one topic on the agenda for its April 9 meeting: to discuss and respond to two articles in the April 2 edition of the Provincetown Independent.

    In one article the newspaper reported that Truro had lagged behind other Outer Cape towns in making regulatory board meetings accessible to the public. The second was an opinion column by the editor, criticizing town officials for a March 27 message on the town website warning of “an influx of people fleeing urban centers” and advising such people to stay away.

    The meeting concluded with the board voting to send a letter to the editor of the Independent, which was posted on the town website that same day. The letter said, “Resort communities nationwide are struggling with this same issue.” It also said, “The statement followed the governor’s guidance to avoid unnecessary travel.”

    Editor Edward Miller of the Independent responded to the select board on April 9, explaining that the board’s letter was more than twice as long as the newspaper’s word limit for letters and offering to help craft a shorter response for publication. No one had responded to the offer by this week’s deadline.

    At the board’s meeting, member Susan Areson proposed meeting with the editor to “clear the air here and see if there is something going on.”

    Board Chair Jan Worthington, Vice Chair Robert Weinstein, and member Stephanie Rein dismissed Areson’s idea.

    “We are dealing with, and I use the term loosely, a ‘local press,’ ” said Weinstein. “I don’t think it would be productive to meet with them.”

    Areson said the newspaper was correct “in pointing out that we have lagged behind other communities” in providing access to meetings during the pandemic.

    “I won’t even give [the Independent] credence for the fact that other towns are doing a better job,” said Weinstein. “I have no evidence of that.”

    At the time, Provincetown, Wellfleet, and Eastham had all had directions for accessing and participating in meetings on their town websites for several weeks. The following week, a notice appeared on the Truro website announcing the live-streaming of Truro Select Board meetings beginning on April 14.–Devin Sean Martin

     

     

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    This Week in Wellfleet

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    All meetings are held remotely. To watch or participate in meetings live, go to the town website, wellfleet-ma.gov, and click on the link to the meeting in the calendar. To watch older meetings held remotely click on the red bar on the top of the website stating “Covid-19 Information Page,” click again on a second link to “Covid-19 information page” and then look on the left and scroll down to “Board/Committee Meetings Recorded Virtual During Covid-19.”

    Friday, April 17

    • Wellfleet Covid-19 Needs Response Task Force Community Calls, 10 a.m.

    Tuesday, April 21

    • Select Board with Emergency Management Team: Covid-19 Updates, 10 a.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Coronavirus Update

    As of April 13, Wellfleet had two active cases, two cleared cases of Covid-19, and one death as a result of Covid-19.

    Birthday Caravans in Wellfleet

    Wellfleet Recreation will be holding birthday caravans for all Wellfleet Elementary School birthdays. The first one is Thursday, April 16, for a second-grader at the school. If you are interested in participating, private message the recreation committee’s Facebook page or email [email protected].

    Public Call-in About Covid-19

    The public is invited to the first bimonthly Zoom call to ask questions of health, safety, and town officials about the coronavirus on Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m. Community members may call in and talk to people from Outer Cape Health Services and the Lower Cape Outreach Council, and others involved with food and mental health delivery. This is a Zoom remote meeting. The link is on the town’s website.

    Do You Need a Mask?

    If you need a mask to comply with health and safety recommendations to protect yourself when out in public, Wellfleet Health and Conservation Agent Hillary Greenberg-Lemos is working to obtain them for members of the public. Contact her at [email protected].

    A Mail-In Meeting Idea

    Town Administrator Dan Hoort says town meeting is June 1, and he’s recommending the town election be scheduled for June 18. Hoort is pursuing the possibility of allowing town meeting participants to vote by mail. [See separate story on page 1.] He said he needs to ask state government for special legislation to make it possible. It would involve a “live forum” where people can discuss the warrant articles together before the vote. —K.C. Myers

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    This Week in Eastham

    By

    Meetings Ahead

    Town Hall is closed to the public. Meetings are being conducted remotely. Check the town’s website, www.eastham-ma.gov, for information on meeting schedule changes and how to view and take part remotely.

    Tuesday, April 21

    • Charter Review Committee, 5:30 p.m.

    Conversation Starters

    Beach Cleanup on Hold

    The recreation dept. and chamber of commerce’s beach cleanup set for April 22 has been postponed to a date yet to be announced.

    Let the Sun Shine In

    Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe brightened the mood at the April 6 select board meeting with news that a company wants to build a 10-acre solar array close to the municipal sand pit. “It would give us new revenue of almost $700,000 a year,” she said. The town may have to issue a request for proposals, and the installation would need town meeting approval.

    Beer and Wine OK’d for the Landing

    The select board granted a seasonal beer and wine license to the new owners of the Landing, a convenience store near Campground Beach. The vote on April 6 was 4 to 1, with member Martin McDonald opposed.

    “Historically, the Landing is kind of a gathering place for young people in the area,” he said. “I’m a little upset with the combination of two things,” he said, “the young people in the area and the ice cream bar.”

    “Martin, I’m with you,” member Jamie Rivers said. “But this was already an establishment that had this type of set-up without issues, so I’m open to giving the new owners the same opportunity the previous owners had, so long as they stick to the same guidelines.”

    Boards Vote on Warrant Articles

    The select board and finance committee have very few areas of disagreement on warrant articles for the annual town meeting, now likely to be held in June.

    The board and the committee are backing the Nauset Regional High School building project, the former unanimously. The draft finance committee letter does not include a vote. In an email reply, committee chairman Jerry Cerasale wrote, “We did not vote on article 8, the NRHS building project. We had a sense of the committee and waited to see what the draft paragraph might say and any future developments. So we’ll likely vote on April 28.”

    In recommending a vote for the project, the committee’s draft letter notes that the school “does not meet current code and needs renovation.” If the member towns turn down the proposed project, a rejection that the letter states would be “fiscally imprudent,” they will lose the $36 million promised by the state toward the $132 million total cost. The committee added that if major repair were needed, the state would require that the entire existing building be brought up to code at a cost of about $97 million, borne by the towns alone. That’s $2 million more than what the four towns would pay for their share of the rebuilding project.

    The committee has asked for an analysis of the incremental costs of the school choice program, which would allow a cost-benefit analysis and discussion during the four years of building construction. “If the towns decide to curtail the program,” the letter notes, the committee “believes that the district should consolidate school buildings, close the middle school and house middle school students in the brand-new school facility.”

    The two groups unanimously recommended the creation and funding of an education, housing, and human services needs special purpose stabilization fund to support working families through subsidies for preschool and childcare services, school lunch, and an after-school elementary program. The new fund would also hold money to be tapped by the town’s affordable housing trust for workforce housing development.

    “We are in competition with all our neighboring towns to attract younger individuals and families that can both work and live in our town,” the finance committee draft letter states.

    Although the board is unanimously for a ban on commercial sale of single-use plastic water bottles by Sept. 21, 2021, the committee split 3 to 3 on the petitioned article. “Those opposed to Article 23,” the draft letter states, “believe that the Article should state that approval of neighboring towns be a condition precedent before Article 23 is endorsed.”

    At its April 6 meeting, the select board didn’t disagree with that analysis. “Since it’s a petitioned article, we can’t change anything now,” Chair Aimee Eckman said. “If it passes and we’re the only town, we can always come back at town meeting and push that effective date out until the other towns pass it.”

    The two bodies parted company decisively on a proposed general bylaw to commit the town to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from human activity to zero “at the earliest technically and economically feasible time.” The select board voted 4 to 1 in favor; the finance committee 0-6 against. “I feel like this is in line with our strategic plan,” board member Jamie Rivers said.

    The finance committee letter did not address its position. “It’s true that it does no harm,” Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe said of the article, “but it doesn’t say anything very specific either. They did not know what to do with this particular animal.”

    “It’s vague,” said board member Martin McDonald, who cast the lone vote against. He also voted no when the rest of the board backed a petitioned article requiring the town to push the governor and legislature to provide better security for spent nuclear fuel at the closed Pilgrim power station in Plymouth. The finance committee opposed the petition 1 to 5. —Ed Maroney

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