Meetings are held 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 about how to view and take part remotely.
Saturday, Sept. 26
- Annual Town Meeting, 10 a.m., Nauset Regional High School football field
Monday, Sept. 28
- Eastham 400 Commemoration Committee, 10:30 a.m.
- Planning Board workshop, 2:00 p.m.
- Visitors Tourism and Promotion Services Board, 4:30 p.m.
- Select Board, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Search Committee, 4 p.m.
- T-Time Committee, 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 1
- Conservation Commission work session, 10 a.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
The EMMY Goes to…
Eastham’s administrators have stepped in front of the camera to produce a series of videos on some of this Saturday’s annual town meeting warrant articles. Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe and Assistant Town Administrator and Finance Director Rich Bienvenue appear in the short videos, providing information on the town’s operating budget, the water enterprise fund, the recurring capital plan funding, and the family support package.
“We’re not going to be able to do full presentations at town meeting,” said Beebe. While it was this year’s unusual setting for town meeting, outside during a pandemic, that prompted the production of the videos, Beebe said she plans use the medium in the future.
“I think it’s a good communication method,” she said.
The videos were edited by Bienvenue, who Beebe said also choose the background music for the productions.
“I thought my music was a little poky,” she said. Beebe later found her music, “Better Together,” to be appropriate background for the family support package proposal.
The videos can be accessed through the town meeting information link on the town’s website at eastham-ma.gov.
Short-term Rental Revenue
Eastham’s revenue from hotel and motel rooms tax more than doubled in fiscal year 2020, after the short-term rental tax went into effect last year.
The town receives 4 percent of the 12.45-percent short-term rental tax. The state keeps 5.7 percent of the tax revenue and the remaining 2.75 percent is disbursed to towns through the State Water Commission for wastewater and water quality projects.
Eastham received $614,392.51 in hotel-motel tax revenue for fiscal 2020, compared to $293,671 in 2019. The 2020 revenue included 10 months in which the short-term rental tax was in effect.
Eastham Finance Director Rich Bienvenue said while the Dept. of Revenue did not provide a way to determine what portion of fiscal 2020 revenue was from the short-term rental tax, the breakdown would be available going forward.
Time’s Up for T-Time
The building on the town-owned Route 6 T-Time property is scheduled to be removed by the Dept. of Public Works on Thursday, Sept. 24, according to Town Administrator Jacque Beebe.
Getting the Ban Backed Together
The Eastham Select Board voted to recommend the single-use water bottle ban in Article 19 on the Sept. 26 town meeting warrant, but the board is keeping the option of bringing the bylaw, if approved, up for a vote again before its Sept. 1, 2021 implementation, should surrounding towns reject it.
The single-use water bottle ban has passed at recent town meetings in Wellfleet, Brewster, and Provincetown. —Linda Culhane
