Meetings Ahead
All meetings will be aired through video conferencing. For details: provincetown-ma.gov/27/Town-Boards.
Thursday, April 2
- Public Pier Corp., 2 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 9
- Planning Board, 6:30 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Fishermen Ready for Dock Fight
The Public Pier Corp. meeting set for 2 p.m. on April 2 (still scheduled as of the Independent’s deadline, but may be postponed due to technical issues) will review controversial changes proposed for the dock policies.
Though no new regulations have been finalized, several lobstermen and fishing boat owners worry about parking and docking fee hikes.
Regina Binder of the Pier Corp. wrote by email that the old dock allocation system was “full of favoritism, haphazard, and allowed Provincetown taxpayers to subsidize commercial fishermen who were not full-time.” As the 2020 season approaches, the goal, she wrote, is “making sure that there is a fair and uniform policy in place.”
The lead-up to this public hearing has involved “two years of research and seven months of meetings,” Binder wrote.
Chris King, who says he runs the last groundfishing boat docked in Provincetown, said along with rate hikes, the Pier Corp. is considering an onerous new application process. He and other fishermen are asking that the Pier Corp. delay any changes for another year because of the economic devastation already caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Captain Rich Wood said he is worried that waitlisted people will get preference over current dock tenants.
Help for Families Available
Year-round Provincetown residents living with children, ages birth to 18 years, may be eligible for financial assistance from Provincetown’s John A. Henry Trust for Children.
The fund can help with the cost of housing, basic utilities, food, child care, transportation, and medical care. Due to the recent coronavirus outbreak, and the closure of town offices, applications may be obtained at: capecodchildrensplace.com/provincetown-family-resource/.
This will take you to the Provincetown Family Resource page. Scroll down and “Click here” to download and print out a copy of the application.
Or to have the application mailed to you contact Charlotte Fyfe, family support consultant, at [email protected]; include your name, mailing address, telephone number and email address in your request.
Applications will continue to be processed as long as funds are available.
OCHS Gets Boost
The Provincetown Community Compact, which is the fiscal sponsor of the Swim for Life and other nonprofits, has started a fund to help Outer Cape Health Services get through the financial crunch created by a drop in the number of patients seeing doctors. The fund drive was posted on March 30 and raised $4,500 in that first day, said Jay Critchley, founder and director of the compact. The Swim for Life has benefited Outer Cape Health Services for years, so Critchley was moved to do something when the agency announced it was furloughing 70 employees and was also running short on critical protective safety gear. For more information: thecompact.org/Help-Us-Get-Through-The-Crunch.htm. —K.C. Myers
