PROVINCETOWN — At a four-hour town meeting on April 1, voters approved almost every article on the warrant, rejecting only two: Article 19, which would have shifted authority for hiring the fire chief from the board of fire engineers to the town manager, and Article 33, which would have allowed seasonal occupancy of recreational vehicles on driveways in the town’s single-family zone.
Most other articles passed easily, although Article 20, which loosens the town’s residency requirement for the police and fire chiefs, required several votes, including one to defeat an amendment, one to pass the article, and one to defeat a motion to reconsider.
Article 8, an $11.7-million debt exclusion to finance the reconstruction of Motta Field’s soccer pitch, baseball field, and tennis courts and the addition of a 400-meter track, skate park, pickleball courts, outdoor exercise equipment, and playground, passed by a large margin with only about 25 votes against.
Because of Proposition 2½ rules, the spending measure will also need to get a majority at the town’s annual election on May 14.
Article 15, to abolish the Provincetown Public Pier Corp., move the management of MacMillan Pier into the Dept. of Public Works, and establish an advisory pier commission, passed unanimously.
Two citizen petitions also passed on near-unanimous votes: Article 23, which asks the select board to endorse blinking stop signs and an all-way stop at the intersection of Commercial Street with Standish Street and Lopes Square, and Article 24, which was amended by its authors into a nonbinding resolution to limit to three the number of hotel or lodging licenses any one person or corporation may hold.
Fire Dept. Questions
The lengthiest discussions of the night were on Articles 19 and 20, both concerning the town’s “combination” fire dept.
Provincetown has historically relied on scores of volunteer or “call” firefighters to quickly douse blazes in its densely packed neighborhoods. Since the collapse of the Lower Cape Ambulance Association last year, however, the town has hired 16 full-time medics or emergency medical technicians (EMTs), most of whom have trained or are training as firefighters.
Town Manager Alex Morse has argued, and the select board has agreed, that the addition of full-time staff to the department means that the appointment of the fire chief by the all-volunteer board of fire engineers is no longer appropriate, and that the chief should be appointed by the town manager with select board approval.
The town’s volunteer firefighters and Fire Chief Mike Trovato have argued strenuously, however, that removing authority from the board of fire engineers in other Cape Cod towns has led to the collapse of those volunteer departments, including in Truro in just the last few years.
The version of Article 19 published in the town warrant would have abolished the fire engineers entirely. Morse introduced a “compromise version” at town meeting that retained the board as an advisory panel.
“We do not believe that these proposed changes will affect the ‘call’ department,” Morse said. “We know that we cannot protect our town, its residents, or our property without their dedication and swift response.”
“We now have a full-time rescue squad — not, as some would have us believe, a full-time fire dept.,” said volunteer firefighter Malcolm Hunter, “and they would be the first to tell you they often struggle to cover the existing number of ambulance calls. Almost every small-town department that has become full-time has seen a collapse of its volunteer department and a resulting drop in response time and safety. You need look no farther than Truro for proof of this.”
“We all know this place is a tinderbox,” said former Town Manager David Panagore. “This has come up too quickly, and we need to be more thoughtful.”
Voter Stormy Mayo said that the town’s volunteer fire dept. was excellent and could continue “at least for a while. Tinkering does not seem wise.”
The next speaker called the question, and Article 19 was defeated with fewer than 50 votes in favor.
Article 20, which changed the town’s residency requirement for the police and fire chiefs to be “within 45 driving miles” of town, was also introduced by Morse in a “compromise version” that left the 45-mile rule in place for the police chief but required the fire chief to live in Provincetown, Truro, or Wellfleet.
Almost immediately, voter Jay Coburn offered an amendment that would require the police chief also to live in Provincetown, Truro, or Wellfleet.
“Cape Cod Hospital is 45 miles away, so we’re talking about a police chief who lives in Hyannis,” said Coburn. “We need a chief of police who lives on the Outer Cape.”
“Many of the folks who serve us now, whether they’re dispatchers, patrol officers, sergeants, or lieutenant, don’t live in Provincetown because of the reality of the real estate market,” said select board chair Dave Abramson.
“Many of these officers have served 10, 15, 20 years, and they know the community,” said Morse. “They have children, they’ve bought homes, and if we don’t change the residency requirement, we are precluding them from applying for the chief job.”
Coburn’s amendment was defeated, and Article 20 itself was approved.
Some voters said they were confused by that series of motions and votes, however, and a motion to reconsider Article 20 was offered. After further discussion, that motion was also defeated.
Petitioned Articles
Voters took up the petitioned articles next and gave them both overwhelming support.
Jean Marino told voters about the day last December when a truck ran over her dog in a crosswalk, and voters almost unanimously endorsed her Article 23, which asked the select board to install blinking stop signs at the intersection of Commercial and Standish streets.
Elias Duncan and Brent Daly introduced Article 24, which would limit hotel and lodging licenses to only three per human or corporate owner, as a nonbinding advisory to the select board — but two voters said they wished it were a general bylaw.
“If we take a long time, we will be passing this when 60 percent of the town is owned by corporations instead of 40,” said Panagore, referring to the 40 percent of Provincetown’s 1,380 hotel rooms that are now owned by three multi-state corporations.
“I support this nonbinding resolution, and I wish it were an ordinance or bylaw,” said voter Brian O’Malley. “We know what we’re up against, so let’s see to it that some carefully crafted language is developed.”
Voter P.J. Wilson spoke against the article. “As a thriving, forward-looking town, we should find mutually advantageous ways to work with large investors to achieve the needs and goals of this town,” Wilson said.
Voters did not appear receptive to that argument, however, and only two or three voted against Article 24.
