2026-11-04 - Select Board

00:05Please rise for the Pledge of

00:06Allegiance.

00:24>> Good evening. I will call the November

00:264th Select Board meeting to order.

00:29The only change we have to the agenda is

00:31one additional announcement that Lauren

00:33Sinatra will be coming on to do.

00:36And otherwise we will accept the agenda

00:38as written and move to announcements

00:41which I'll turn over to the town

00:42manager.

00:44>> Thank you, Madam Chair. This meeting is

00:45being video and audio recorded.

00:48We have a Somerset Needs Area Sewer

00:50Extension Project Informational Session

00:53tomorrow, Thursday, November 5th starts

00:55at 5:30. It's remote only.

00:57The information to register is online

01:01and this will provide residents with an

01:03update on progress on the project and

01:05give them an opportunity to ask the

01:07project team any questions about the

01:08project or schedule.

01:11Town offices will be closed next

01:13Wednesday in observance of Veterans Day.

01:16There will be no Select Board meeting

01:17next Wednesday the 11th.

01:19And this Veterans Day ceremony, the

01:22annual ceremony will take place on the

01:2411th at 10:45 a.m. at the Federal Street

01:26War Memorial adjacent to the town

01:28building. In the case of inclement

01:30weather the ceremony will take place at

01:32Legion Hall at 21 Washington Street.

01:37The May 10th, 2027 annual town meeting

01:39warrant is currently open for citizen

01:41warrant article submittals through

01:42Monday, November 16th at 4 p.m.

01:46And our energy coordinator's

01:47announcement is as follows.

01:51Oh, do you want to do that? Do it,

01:52Lauren.

01:54>> Sure. Thank you, Libby. Thank you, Madam

01:55Chair. Good evening to the board.

01:57Um I just like to remind residents about

01:59free appliance recycling events that are

02:01coming up next Saturday, November 14th

02:05sponsored by Mass Save. First, residents

02:07can drop off old working dehumidifiers

02:10and receive a $30 rebate by dropping it

02:13off at the Public Safety Facility at 4

02:15Fairgrounds Road between 9:30 and 12:30

02:18p.m. No registration is required. Just

02:20pull on up. You'll see a big tent, drop

02:23it off, and we will handle the rebate.

02:26Second, residents can schedule a free

02:28refrigerator or pickup at their homes

02:30and receive a $70 $75 rebate per

02:33appliance. Advanced registration is

02:36required by next Thursday, November

02:3812th, and space is very limited, so I

02:40would encourage people to sign up soon.

02:42The full details are available at

02:45ngrid.com/nantucket.

02:48We also included the details in this

02:50month's Town Manager newsletter and

02:52they're posted to the town's homepage

02:54under the calendar. And my contact

02:56information is also listed and all of

02:59those locations in case anyone has any

03:01other questions. Thank you very much.

03:05>> Thanks, Lauren. I think that is it for

03:07announcements.

03:07>> Thank you. Are there any opening select

03:10board announcements or comments?

03:13Brooke?

03:14>> I just wanted to make note of voter

03:15turnout yesterday. We had 50% close to

03:1950% of the registered voters turn out

03:22and that's an exciting thing. People

03:26having their voice heard.

03:29>> Yes, definitely. Oh and just a reminder

03:32that anyone who put up a political sign,

03:34please take it down.

03:39Next up,

03:41we don't have any public comment

03:46answer

03:47responses from prior select board

03:48meetings.

03:50So we are onto public comment for this

03:52evening. Is there anyone wishing to

03:54speak on something that's not otherwise

03:56on our agenda for discussion?

04:10>> Good evening, Amy Eldridge. I just

04:11wanted to thank all the election

04:13workers, the town clerk's office for

04:15doing a fabulous job yesterday and to

04:17the community for coming out. I mean,

04:19almost 5,100 voters, 48.3%

04:23turnout. I think that's the highest

04:24we've seen in

04:25forever.

04:27So, but I greatly appreciate the time

04:28and effort from the sheriff's department

04:30to Nancy and her crew, the town clerk's

04:32office. Kudos to you guys. And being in

04:35the gym

04:36was interesting, but it was nice to have

04:39the extra space and the time to go

04:40through the three pages of the ballot um

04:43yesterday. So, thanks to those guys and

04:46the school crew for getting that set up.

04:48Thank you.

04:50>> Thank you.

04:51Is there anyone else wishing to speak

04:53this evening?

04:54Okay, seeing none,

04:56um

04:57we have approval of minutes, treasury

04:59warrants, and pending contracts. Are

05:01there any questions or comments?

05:04>> I just had a comment that um

05:07on the

05:10purchase of the two replacement compact

05:11fire engines, which we authorized that

05:14in May. It was about a million dollars

05:16that actually went through Popcom. And

05:19um

05:20I was

05:21it's a good example of something that

05:24we're purchasing to help a lot of

05:27properties like conservation properties,

05:28places that are really hard to reach,

05:30streets that are hard to go down. And

05:32that's the kind of thing I have in mind

05:34when we were having our pilot discussion

05:35a few weeks back. So, I just want to

05:37make that comment. But

05:39this is a great

05:40great thing that you're doing, Chief.

05:41Thank you. And you came in under a

05:43million dollars. Love it.

05:46>> Can I ask a question on that? Since we

05:48brought it up. Chief, how long is it

05:49going to take to get those trucks?

05:53Cuz I know the the new engine that they

05:55got took a while.

05:59>> Thank you. Um so the contract says 20 to

06:0124 months.

06:03Uh that

06:04hoping

06:06more towards the 20 month. It should be

06:08a little easier because these trucks are

06:09on an F550 chassis, which is like our

06:12ambulance chassis. So that's a little

06:13bit easier than than a regular fire

06:15truck chassis.

06:16>> It's crazy how long you got to wait to

06:18get a fire truck. Just amazing.

06:20>> Right. I will say we're a little bit

06:21ahead of schedule on the other fire

06:23truck that we are expecting to take

06:24delivery of um in the next month or so.

06:26So that's a good thing that we're a

06:28little bit ahead of schedule on that

06:29one.

06:31>> Venture Capital Lists

06:34Venture Capital Lists consolidated the

06:36fire truck industry is what happened.

06:38>> Raise the prices and slow down the

06:40process.

06:41>> So I'll make a motion on all three items

06:43to approve. All those in favor?

06:45>> Aye.

06:46>> Aye.

06:46>> That carries unanimously.

06:49Um next up we have Citizen Departmental

06:51Committee Requests and Reports. Harbor

06:52and Shellfish Advisory Board request to

06:54authorize Natural Resources Department

06:56to make adjustments to the commercial

06:58scallop bushel limit during the 26-27

07:01season if warranted based on fishing

07:04effort, landings, and updated

07:06information regarding surveyed resource.

07:09>> Madam Chair, I will be recusing.

07:11>> okay. And I believe Tara and Jeff are

07:13here, but we did this last year and I

07:16think it's um

07:18pretty standard to put in their hands.

07:21Okay, all those in favor? Aye. That

07:23carries unanimously four to zero.

07:26Uh next up we have the Affordable

07:28Housing Trust quarterly update.

07:39>> the town's deputy housing director. I'm

07:40just going to wait for Erica to pull up

07:42the slide deck.

07:49All right. So this is our quarterly

07:50update. We're our schedule's a little

07:52skewed, so we're covering August to

07:53September. Um

07:57How long ago?

08:05>> There we go.

08:07>> Okay.

08:08You You go to the slide when you're

08:09ready, Erica.

08:14I think one too far. Okay.

08:21Yeah, we're good. Sorry. Okay. All

08:23right. So just want to give a brief

08:25overview of what I'll be talking about

08:26tonight. I'll start with Affordable

08:28Housing Trust updates,

08:30the current development projects that we

08:31have in the pipeline, ongoing programs

08:33and initiatives, a brief update on our

08:36subsidized housing inventory,

08:39go over what's been going on in the

08:40advocacy world, particularly at the

08:42state level, and then of course have

08:43some time to answer questions. But

08:45please feel free to interrupt me as I'm

08:47going if you want to ask about anything

08:48in particular. Next slide, please.

08:51So to start with the Affordable Housing

08:52Trust updates,

08:54this I did mention this at our last

08:55update, but I just want to remind

08:56everybody that we have moved from 16

08:58Broad Street to 5B Wendy Way.

09:01And that's where you will find all of

09:02our staff.

09:04In August, Forest Bell was reappointed

09:06to the Affordable Housing Trust. So now

09:07we have all seven members.

09:09And two

09:11kind of big process updates. The we

09:14engaged Vertex as an on-call owner's

09:16project manager

09:18to review our development projects with

09:21the Affordable Housing Trust. And we

09:22also engaged Hireth Community Advisors

09:26to work on on sort of a high level

09:28streamlining of the trust's processes.

09:31Next slide, please.

09:34So moving on to current development

09:35projects. Next slide.

09:38So to start with 158 Matakeet Road, as a

09:40reminder, this is a collaboration with

09:42the Nantucket Land Bank.

09:44We relocated three units from 41

09:47Jefferson Street over to 158 Matakeet

09:48Road back in May.

09:51The main unit is going to be restricted

09:53to 250% area median income or AMI.

09:56And we created a double covenant lot,

09:58and the other two units will be two

10:00attainable 150% AMI units.

10:04The big update since we last since I was

10:06last in front of you is that the JJ

10:08Cardosi was

10:09awarded the reconstruction bid after

10:12going through the invitation for bid

10:13process. Next slide, please.

10:16A very similar project over at Seven

10:17Julie Court. This is a collaboration

10:19with Housing Nantucket. It has the same

10:21structure. So the market rate 250% AMI

10:24unit, which is existing and going to be

10:26going through renovations and then

10:28through the creation of a double

10:29covenant lot to attain a 150% AMI units.

10:33And with support from the trust, Housing

10:35Nantucket closed on the property

10:37in October and the mortgage and

10:40affordable housing restriction have

10:41officially been recorded. So onward with

10:43construction of the two units there.

10:45Next slide, please.

10:47Very exciting. The Way Drive project is

10:49completed with Habitat for Humanity.

10:52They held a block party back in October.

10:54You can see Brooke is hiding in the back

10:55of that photo.

10:57And

10:58they completed on time and under budget,

11:00which we're very excited about. And they

11:02are moving on to their next project over

11:04at 20 Nancy Ann Lane.

11:07They have that'll be four two-bedroom

11:09homes.

11:10They've received

11:12planning board approval and it will they

11:14will move forward with construction in

11:16the new year. Next slide, please.

11:19So

11:20at the start of October, you got full

11:23updates on Takoma Green, 18 to 26 Sparks

11:26Avenue, and the bundled project at

11:28Orange Street, Barley Road, and Vesper

11:30Lane. So I don't want to spend too much

11:32time on these since you got such full

11:33updates from the project partners there.

11:35But just a reminder that these are some

11:36of our other projects that we have going

11:38on. Next slide, please.

11:41So switching over to our programs and

11:43initiatives.

11:44Next slide, please, Erica.

11:46Just a quick update on closing cost

11:48assistance, which

11:50you know, as a reminder, it's a $15,000

11:52forgivable loan to help new homeowners

11:54purchasing homes that are restricted to

11:56175% AMI or less with closing costs.

12:00In the last quarter, we there were four

12:01applicants who were awarded the $15,000

12:05bring us to a total of 11 for the year.

12:06And we have quite a few on the schedule

12:08for this for the next couple of months.

12:10Next slide, please. The housing

12:13production plan has

12:15been submitted to the executive office

12:18of housing livable

12:20communities and I am happy to share that

12:22we got official acceptance and approval

12:24today.

12:25So that process

12:27to say it's done is not totally

12:29accurate. We you know monitor progress

12:30against it over the next five years

12:32before we create the next one but at

12:34least the plan has been accepted by the

12:35state with no edits. Next slide, please.

12:40Rooted renters, the new program designed

12:43to provide financial subsidies to folks

12:46who have existing year round

12:49leases to support them with rising costs

12:51of home ownership.

12:53We received over 150 applications so

12:55there was immense demand for this. We

12:58only allocated enough funding for about

13:0130 homes so there are many people who

13:04qualified for the program but

13:05unfortunately did not make it in this

13:07round. So we're beginning to think about

13:09what the next round might look like and

13:11when we should bring that forward.

13:12Through you madam chair Yeah, is that a

13:15is it 150 unique applications of

13:17different people or is that 150 with

13:19some people having multiple?

13:22>> That's a good question. Placement is

13:23responsible for going through the

13:25applications.

13:28I believe that the overwhelming majority

13:30are individual applicants but I can't

13:32say that there weren't

13:33any duplicates. There there may have

13:35been some.

13:38>> Go ahead Jill.

13:39>> I was just going to ask how much money

13:41you have budgeted for rooted renters.

13:44>> How much money you have budgeted for

13:46that program?

13:47>> It was $540,000.

13:51>> I guess my question is

13:53I know other people that have said they

13:56applied or they wanted to apply and they

13:58were either got in after the date or

13:59there was

14:01I mean it just seems to me like this is

14:03a

14:03pretty good bang for a buck and should

14:05we stick a lot more money into this and

14:08if we've got enough for 30 and we had

14:09150 and I bet there's probably another

14:1150 anyway that want to apply.

14:14>> Yeah.

14:15>> I don't disagree Bobby

14:17>> what we wanted to do is start and make

14:19sure the we we've nailed down the

14:21details of the program, the execution of

14:23the program before we get in with too

14:24many property owners. I think it is a

14:26program that could be expanded quickly,

14:29um but I want to get

14:31the program through to the finish line

14:33for the first 30 properties because

14:35every time we start something we learn

14:37about hiccups or things that need to be

14:40tweaked to make it more effective.

14:42Um so um that's why we're starting with

14:45the small number, but I think it is

14:47easily expandable and I agree it's it's

14:49it's a good bang for the buck.

14:50>> Do we have a timeline as to when we

14:52think we'll get to that

14:54from start to finish with us first

14:56>> Pass that to Dylan.

14:57>> Yeah, absolutely. So so there's a few

14:59things I want to touch on. In terms of

15:00timeline, they are currently going

15:03through the process now of um they've

15:05reviewed all of the applications, the

15:06top So the way they did it is they um

15:10unlike Lease to Locals, which is a

15:11rolling application, they accepted all

15:13the applicants within this time frame

15:14and then they reviewed all of them and

15:16compared them for affordability against

15:18100% area median income. That's how they

15:20selected the top 30.

15:21And now they're verifying that the

15:23information submitted was accurate, that

15:24they have the leases, and they're going

15:26through that process now. If anybody

15:28decides to back out or turns out is not

15:30eligible, somebody else will move into

15:32that spot. That should be done within

15:34this month or next month.

15:36Um and so sort of internally a staff

15:38we've begun kind of discussing are we

15:40going to

15:42how when will the timeline be for

15:43expanding this out to a new program? The

15:45other the idea with this just to add

15:47onto what Brooke said about it being a

15:48pilot program was we thought that there

15:50would be enough demand for 30 homes and

15:53we thought that there would be more

15:53demand, but we didn't imagine that there

15:55would be over 150 applicants within the

15:57first round. So it's been really helpful

15:59information gather gathering to

16:00understand

16:02um that there's real demand for this.

16:04>> And I also think, you know, the idea

16:06that there's money for renting year

16:08round is a simple one. The reality is

16:11the paperwork that has to be produced,

16:13the verifications and so forth, there

16:14may be people who applied

16:17who may say, well, this is more trouble

16:19than it's worth. So we wanted to get

16:20through and see if anybody peeled off

16:22because of the the criteria or the the

16:25hoops that you have to jump through to

16:26participate in the program.

16:29>> That that's what I was going to say is

16:30because I read through what it what it

16:32does it what does it entail? And for 150

16:35people to apply when you look at

16:36everything you have to do, I was

16:38impressed that they that people would

16:40look and say, well, you know, I'll means

16:42test my renter and I'll do this and I'll

16:44do that and you know, so it was that's

16:46pretty substantial.

16:49>> And our the program administrator

16:51Placemate, they're very good at going

16:54through the process and working with

16:55homeowners to collect the the

16:57information that they need to verify

16:58them.

17:00Happy to move on and there's any

17:01question more questions.

17:02>> I'm just going to say one other thing

17:03and and and we like using an outside

17:06firm to manage this because

17:09uh our staff doesn't want to have

17:12people's personal financial details of

17:14you know, Islanders. It's it's very

17:17there's a anonymity by using Placemate

17:19on this that protects both the tenant

17:22and the landlord's financials that they

17:24have to produce. So

17:26>> And the the program admin they they do.

17:28I mean, it's

17:29a significant amount of work like

17:32full-time job that they do. So very

17:34helpful.

17:35Next slide, please, Erica.

17:37Um so the companion program lease to

17:39locals, which again is a multi-year

17:40financial incentive for um converting

17:43short-term rentals or underutilized

17:44properties into year-round rentals for

17:47qualified tenants. We have some updates

17:49um at the last affordable housing. So

17:51we're I should say we're coming to the

17:52end of year three of the program.

17:55Um as we've looked forward to year four

17:57and trying to address um some flagging

18:00participation in the program, we did a

18:02lot of work with Placemate to address

18:03why we thought people were dropping out

18:05of the program and out of that came a

18:06number of recommendations which the

18:08Affordable Housing Trust voted to

18:10endorse um at their October 20th

18:12meeting. Um so the first is to increase

18:14the year one incentive by 10%.

18:17The second is to increase the step down

18:19incentive. So currently year one you

18:21100% of this incentive. Year two, you

18:23get 50% and year three, you get 25%.

18:26Here, it would stay flat at 50% for year

18:28three and we did see the most

18:30significant drop off drop off from year

18:33two to year three. So it was clear that

18:34that 25% just wasn't enough to keep

18:36people engaged in the program and so

18:39then we were losing year-round housing.

18:42Um and the last one is to allow

18:44three-bedroom properties to have a

18:45maximum of four qualified tenants. So

18:46before, they would only get um subsi-

18:49they would only get qualified for

18:51funding um up to three qualified tenants

18:53even if there was a four-person family

18:54living in the home. Um and we're

18:56currently working on the release of that

18:58uh request for proposals for that

19:00program administration for year four. Um

19:03and we'll the program will be coming

19:05before the board at a future meeting. Um

19:08any questions there? So let's stop.

19:12All good. All right. Next slide, please,

19:13Erica.

19:15So I just want to touch very briefly on

19:16our subsidized housing inventory. Next

19:18slide, please.

19:20Um so this is the same as last time. We

19:22were at 8.28% or 512 units on our way to

19:25the 10%. Um the next units that will be

19:28added are the uh

19:32uh 17 remaining units at 18 to 26 Sparks

19:35Avenue. So 15 have already been added.

19:38Um another 17 will be um is in the

19:40process of being added right now, which

19:42will bring us to 529 or 8.55%.

19:45Um and just as a reminder, we're in Safe

19:47Harbor through December 10, 2027. Next

19:50slide, please.

19:52Uh and

19:53you know, we focus so much on the

19:55subsidized housing inventory because it

19:57is the critical benchmark for staying in

19:59Safe Harbor under chapter 40B. But we do

20:01just want to point out that um the work

20:03the trust is doing um and the town is

20:05supporting goes far beyond just the

20:07shylist. So there's the 512 units on the

20:09shy. There's also the 228

20:11deed-restricted units that have been um

20:13created or preserved that do not qualify

20:16to be on the shylist. Um and we're

20:18actively working on about 72 units that

20:19are in the pipeline for a total of of

20:22units um since the trust was founded.

20:24Next slide, please.

20:26Next slide.

20:28So the big advocacy update here is that

20:30the state released proposed regulation

20:32revisions to the accessory dwelling unit

20:36um

20:36regulations, I should say. Um and so the

20:39trust voted to submit public comment um

20:42alongside well their own letter, but

20:45complementing the letter from Meg

20:47Trudel, who of course is our deputy

20:48planning director, but is also

20:49Nantucket's

20:51representative to the Seasonal

20:52Communities Advisory Council. Um and

20:54Paul Murphy also submitted one as

20:55building commissioner. Um the the the

20:58big update in these proposed regulations

21:00is the allowance of um

21:03in ADUs where there is municipal

21:06financial assistance, we can require in

21:08exchange for that financial assistance

21:10year-round or affordability

21:12restrictions. Um so we expressed our

21:15support for that and then also made a

21:17few recommendations including um

21:19allowing restrictions on ADUs um on

21:22newly built ADUs on lots that already

21:24have a deed restriction on them, um

21:27greater local control of income and

21:29occupancy restrictions across all ADUs,

21:32clarifying when restrictions may be

21:33placed if municipal assistance is

21:35involved, um

21:38and amendments to the definition of

21:39gross floor area. Um which happy to get

21:42into any of those details if folks have

21:43questions. Um and if not, next slide.

21:47And then um the the town through the

21:50housing department was awarded three

21:51grants, a $500,000 housing choice grant

21:54for the workforce housing project on

21:56Orange Street and Bartlett Road, um

21:58three $3,140,000

22:01in a housing works infrastructure

22:02program grant for Vesper Lane, um and uh

22:05just under $115,000 in a seasonal

22:08communities grant support of a

22:09year-round housing feasibility study. Um

22:11so that will go a long way. Next slide,

22:13please.

22:14Oh.

22:15Ready for any questions you might have.

22:22>> Jill, actually I just saw you might walk

22:24us through with 158 Mattaquit Road, just

22:27kind of a little bit more color there

22:29and

22:30um maybe just some of the breakdown of

22:32the financing because I know that that

22:34was a shared project with the Land Bank.

22:36>> Yeah.

22:37Um so the project started with the trust

22:40purchasing about

22:42uh purchasing the property at 158

22:44Mattaquit Road um which was a $2 million

22:47acquisition and now um we've received

22:49the bids back.

22:51Um so we're in the process of of or

22:54sorry, we've we've accepted the bid.

22:56We've accepted we've awarded it to JJ

22:59Cardosi um and so we're in the process

23:01of mapping that out um

23:05and figuring out the money that will

23:06come back to the trust with the sale of

23:08the properties um.

23:11So yeah, be happy to sit down and talk a

23:13little bit more about that. I don't have

23:14the full numbers in front of me, but

23:17>> But the Land Bank paid to move the the

23:19properties

23:20and they put in the foundations or they

23:22they lent assistance to put in the

23:24foundations, financial assistance,

23:26right?

23:26>> That's

23:28basically the project was split. The

23:30split point is the point at which the

23:33buildings are set on the foundations.

23:35The financial responsibility transfers

23:38from the Land Bank to the Housing Trust

23:40for the completion of the at the

23:43renovations that we've planned out and

23:45budgeted for and the contract was

23:46awarded for. So the Land Bank covered

23:49all the move costs, putting the

23:51foundations in and the set to the

23:53foundations, and then the financial

23:55responsibility shifts over to the trust.

23:56So it's a very shared project. They they

23:59absorbed a lot of the cost associated

24:02with

24:03divesting of those units from their

24:05property and making sure that they um

24:08get turned into zero and housing. Yeah.

24:11>> Thank you.

24:15>> Just a comment. I

24:16this is all great, uh but I the Lisa

24:19Locals and the

24:22the other program

24:23>> Rooted Renters.

24:24>> Rooted Renters,

24:25to me those are the ones that we really

24:27would get the most bang for the buck

24:28from, it seems like. So,

24:30um, I'd like, at some point, to really

24:33dive into those and see how we can

24:35expand on those.

24:36>> Don't mind. Um,

24:39the distinction between a program like

24:41Rooted Renters and and Lease to Locals

24:42is it's ongoing funding, right? You're

24:45you're you're it's it has to be funded

24:47forever as opposed to investing in

24:50permanent restrictions on units. So,

24:52we're doing both, really.

24:54And um I think that that the

24:57preservation of rentals, the creation

24:59Lease to Locals and preservation of year

25:01round rentals is really important, but

25:04the long-term goal is permanently deed

25:07restricted year round housing

25:09um at multiple levels. And um

25:13so

25:14it's a balance of those two things.

25:20>> Um I I'll just just add on to Brooks's

25:23point. Like we now that we're hitting

25:25the end of year three of Lease to

25:26Locals, which is a three-year program,

25:27we're seeing the first people who are

25:28starting

25:29to face the reality of offboarding off

25:31the program and facing the question of

25:33is there going to be additional funding

25:35for me or do we

25:37convert back to short-term rental? What

25:38do we do? And so just to Brooks's point,

25:41we're it's very helpful to hear that

25:42from the community that people are

25:44facing that choice and and what is do we

25:46keep how do we keep funding um or not?

25:49Um I'll also just point out that we did

25:52have one very exciting success story

25:53from Lease I mean many

25:55successes came out of Lease to Locals,

25:56but one just to call out um is that

25:58there is somebody who joined Lease to

25:59Locals and was renting to a tenant um

26:01and they ended up selling the home to

26:03the tenant. Um so that turned into did

26:06turn into a a permanent year round. But

26:08that was just one out of the 50. So,

26:09it's not doesn't convert it at a high

26:11rate.

26:12Yeah.

26:14>> I think I think what

26:15Bobby's also were were you talking about

26:18Bobby? There are other ways to

26:19incentivize it rather than us paying the

26:21full amount. There are tax incentives

26:23that we that we just voted that we are

26:25going to be able to explore. So, maybe

26:27some of these programs won't cost quite

26:29as much if the taxes are cheaper on

26:32those, maybe they don't have to pay

26:33quite as much. There's uh we can do

26:36stuff via zoning uh with seasonal

26:39communities and if we're going to allow

26:41you know two and three and four houses

26:43on a lot, we can say they have to be a

26:45certain type. So there's things like

26:47that that are not just money.

26:50And I think that that's where you know

26:52that's where the focus needs to be if we

26:55want to be efficient on this. We want to

26:57get to the bifurcated market that Brooke

26:59is talking about because the outside

27:02demand far outstrips any supply we can

27:04we can make. The demand from outside is

27:06always going to just kill us. So if

27:09we've got to get that, but how do we do

27:10that cost effectively? And I think

27:14that's the challenge.

27:15>> Yeah and

27:18I remember the last time I was on this

27:20board, we did a survey

27:23um

27:25and I can't remember the exact number,

27:26but I want to say that the it was quite

27:29quite a few people filled it out and it

27:31was amazing to me that

27:33almost 80% of the people that were

27:35surveyed said they'd rather rent than

27:37own.

27:39And that and you know I've had this

27:41discussion with other people and and

27:44where I believe unfortunately

27:47especially with our middle class here,

27:49we're becoming more of a stepping stone

27:52community than a long-term. I mean when

27:55and what I mean by that is if we have

27:57100 middle class here, we may have 60

28:00that will stay here for three to five

28:02years, use the Nantucket as a stepping

28:04stone in their

28:06uh career and then move somewhere else.

28:08And those people are going to want to

28:10rent. So year-round rentals are

28:12important for our town employees, for

28:14our hospital, for our teachers, for

28:16everything.

28:17And it seems to me

28:19you know the the

28:20like the Matic properties are great and

28:23three people are going to get

28:25you know an awesome house and the same

28:27thing with the Dooley Court, but

28:30that's six units where a lot of bang for

28:33the buck comes with some type of lease

28:35to

28:36these programs. So,

28:38you know, I I I it's good that we're

28:40doing all of it together, but

28:43you know, the the biggest thing I hear

28:44all the time is I can't find a place to

28:46live. And they don't necessarily want to

28:48own it. They just want a place to live.

28:49So, the more that more rentals and I

28:53agree with Matt like we're we're going

28:55to have all these ADUs and who knows

28:57what's going to happen with question

28:58seven. It's

28:59I mean it's so close. I read to this

29:02evening just before I got here that it

29:03may be down as to 1,000 votes. That's

29:05how close it is. They're going to be

29:07recounting this thing for a while. And

29:09if that thing kicks in and all of a

29:11sudden every lot in Nantucket that has

29:1350 ft of frontage and 5,000 square feet

29:15in sewer and water becomes a buildable

29:17lot,

29:19we need to get ahead of that and figure

29:21out

29:22how we

29:24if that's going to be the case and

29:25they're going to start throwing up these

29:26houses, they should have some type of

29:28year-round restriction on them or

29:30something because otherwise

29:33it's just going to be an explosion of

29:34Airbnbs and VRBOs and

29:37that's not going to be good for the

29:38island. So,

29:39um

29:40you know, I

29:42I commend what you guys are doing. I

29:43just think the more we can do with those

29:45programs, I know

29:47it's not

29:48there's not an endless supply of money

29:50to do this, but

29:51it definitely seems like we get the most

29:53bang for the buck for it. You know, the

29:55units on

29:57Sparks Avenue where we bought

29:59the year-round restrictions on those,

30:01that's to me, you know, that's where we

30:03get a lot

30:04for not much.

30:05>> Yeah.

30:06>> So.

30:07>> Well, that

30:08three mentioned that's very helpful to

30:09hear and we will be back with some lease

30:11to locals

30:12funding questions soon. So.

30:14>> Yeah, I mean with what it's costing us

30:16to build um

30:19it is nice to find other ways um or

30:22someone else is building it.

30:24>> I the way we kind of talk about it in

30:25the housing department, right, is is as

30:28Matt said until we get to that

30:29bifurcated market, these are bridge

30:31solutions to get us there for people.

30:33And the question is how much are we

30:36willing to continue to extend that. Um.

30:39>> Yeah, you know,

30:41and I'm you probably have already

30:42thought of this, so I'm not like I'm

30:44coming up with a brilliant idea, but

30:46like somebody builds an ADU,

30:50if we buy we buy a year-round

30:52restriction on that,

30:54permanent restriction on it it says this

30:56house can only be rented year-round and

30:58here's

30:59and I'm throwing just numbers out there

31:01$300,000 to do that.

31:04That's that's a that's a win-win for

31:06everyone.

31:07>> This was the big thing through This was

31:09the big thing with the proposed with the

31:11the ADU comment letter is they've just

31:13said that

31:15that is most likely going to be

31:17allowable and so we'll definitely be

31:18seeing that as a more efficient use.

31:20>> And we may not even have to pay for it.

31:21We may be allowed to put that

31:23restriction on

31:25as part of the approval for the ADU. So

31:27we have to decide as a community what

31:29direction we want to go and believe me

31:31we are talking about the zoning piece

31:33because we know that the covenant

31:37as a zoning bonus, right? I call it a

31:39zoning bonus

31:41that is underwater, right? So you have

31:43people who can't build a house

31:45on a covenant lot for under the cap,

31:47right? So

31:48so we're either going to do cash

31:50subsidies for covenant

31:52houses

31:53or we need to do something different

31:54which is a covenant-like program which

31:57is a zoning bonus

31:59but at a year-round restricted market

32:01rate unit

32:03that doesn't have an AMI restriction.

32:04It's strictly a a year-round occupancy

32:06restriction whether it's

32:08owner-occupied or rented.

32:10Um and and so

32:13we're looking at doing a zoning article

32:15for town meeting that would create that

32:17program which would be similar to

32:19covenant but but at a you know at a

32:22at without the price point that makes it

32:26economically unviable. And I do know and

32:28we've talked about

32:30there's a lot of young people do

32:32wage earners who make too much for the

32:34covenant program, so having something

32:35for them that's a zoning bonus versus a

32:38cash bonus. So we're looking at all the

32:41tools

32:42uh all the time. So.

32:44>> Yeah, the the 150 that applied we may

32:47not be getting extra from that. That's

32:49all people who are already renting and

32:50are saying this is a good thing for me.

32:52So we may not be getting 150 extra. We

32:54might be just retaining them and

32:56retaining a number of them a little

32:57longer is you know if you think about

32:59how the math is working on it.

33:01>> Yeah.

33:01>> But so so there's

33:03you've got to put the incentives in

33:04there actually going to grow that number

33:06too. So.

33:08>> Yeah, so lease to locals was new year

33:10round rentals and rooted renters are

33:11existing year round rentals. So they are

33:13not new year round units. We're just

33:17saying thank you to the people who've

33:19been doing it and giving them some money

33:21to cover the additional cost of

33:24ownership because there are a lot of

33:26people who are renting well below market

33:29and being able to support that and

33:31keeping those units A year round

33:33occupied and B

33:36relatively affordable to the market for

33:38the folks who are already in them. So.

33:41>> Another option the other thing that can

33:43happen is there we voted to accept a

33:46uh what is it a tax a property tax

33:48exemption for year round year round

33:51rentals. And so if that actually gets uh

33:55you know if that happens we're not

33:57having to fund it's going to get funded

33:59but it's going to get funded through the

34:00taxes just like the residential

34:02exemption does. We'll still collect the

34:04same amount of tax. It'll just be

34:05shifted. And so that's something that we

34:07won't have to pony up more money for.

34:10It'll put more incentive for everyone

34:12that's doing year round to do it. So I I

34:14think that's the kind of

34:16that more of the big picture I think

34:17that we need to start to tackle and and

34:20make the structural uh

34:24you know make it structurally more you

34:26know advantageous for the things we want

34:28and less advantageous for the things we

34:30don't. And I haven't talked to Brooke

34:31about this but she's laughing.

34:33I think I hit the right thing.

34:35>> I I'm just thrilled that that we're

34:37having this conversation and that and

34:38that this board

34:40is hearing all the things that we're

34:42already talking about and doing and

34:45implementing and thinking of it

34:47holistically as an entire puzzle of

34:49trying to meet the the really deep and

34:52broad needs in the community for all the

34:54things, home ownership, rentals,

34:57all of it. We need more of everything to

35:00to keep our year round community here.

35:03And Bobby, to your point about people

35:04using it as a stepping stone, I suspect

35:07there's a lot of people who would like

35:08to stay and it ends up being a stepping

35:11stone because they see no hope in home

35:13ownership.

35:14>> Oh, I agree.

35:14>> And so that's why we want to do all the

35:17things. Keeps it using that phrase.

35:20>> Yeah, I'm hoping that we can talk about

35:21that good neighbor tax credit that I

35:23think that we put through on the warrant

35:25in 25

35:26>> And

35:27>> 26

35:28>> Uh

35:29okay. But it's something that I'm hoping

35:31that we're

35:32I thought it was 25 by lunch up, but

35:34um

35:35I'm hoping that's something that we

35:37>> Yeah.

35:37>> use and evaluate because that very much

35:39factors into my thinking on the

35:40residential exemption for um year round

35:43ownership too.

35:44>> We're working on bringing that forward.

35:47Got put a little bit on the back burner

35:48with the launch of rooted renters and

35:50the HPP and other projects, but um

35:53it's it'll be coming before the board.

35:54I'll just say that. I'll leave it there.

35:59>> Anything else?

36:01Thank you, Dylan.

36:02>> Thank you guys.

36:05>> Um next up we have the town manager's

36:06report.

36:07>> Thank you. We have our first sort of

36:09official update on the project, although

36:12we haven't um progressed too too far.

36:14There's been a lot of

36:16permitting and other things to work

36:17through. So John LeMieux, our owner's

36:20project manager, I think is online to

36:21take us through this update.

36:24>> Yes. Can you hear me, Libby?

36:25>> Yes, John. Thank you.

36:27>> Great. Good evening, everybody. Um brief

36:30update tonight. Um also on the line

36:32tonight we have Craig Piper from SMRT,

36:34our architect.

36:36Um first and foremost, as you are all

36:38aware, the memorandum to understanding

36:40with Sherburne Commons

36:42um was executed by the town on October

36:4520th

36:46uh with the closing currently scheduled

36:49for November 20th.

36:51Next week he'll be hearing from uh Vicki

36:55about the natural heritage of

36:57declaration of restriction that will

36:59come in front of the select board for

37:00sign off again all part of the closing

37:03the loop with natural heritage on the

37:04project.

37:05Um the biggest thing that came up since

37:07we spoke last was there was an

37:09endangered species issue on site um the

37:12northern long eared bat uh raised its um

37:16uh

37:18I don't know I can't think of a good

37:19plan for it right now but bottom line is

37:21it threw us a curve ball um

37:23was something that was not on natural

37:26heritage radar at all and basically was

37:30something that uh US Fish and Wildlife

37:32picked on

37:34uh as part of the contractors submission

37:38for the stormwater pollution prevention

37:39plan. So basically um

37:43and I'll let I can let Craig speak to it

37:45um this is something that will moving

37:47forward impact any

37:49um any site that the town is clearing on

37:51that's greater than one acre uh

37:53basically what it did is it is pushing

37:56off our start of tree clearing until

37:58December 1st. Contractor is still still

38:01working submittals shop drawings all of

38:03those things are still moving um but it

38:05did push us push our start

38:08um about six weeks post uh MOU sign off.

38:11So

38:12um that that you know we're working

38:14through that with

38:15right now

38:16uh and the town also this week applied

38:20for a federal

38:21uh rural health transformation grant

38:23um

38:24which

38:25is focused specifically on the housing

38:27components of the project um and could

38:31result in a

38:32um significant six figure number um if

38:35successful. So more to come on that in

38:37the future but um

38:39Bob Bob Bob and his team uh spent some

38:42good time getting that together and

38:43getting that out the door so just

38:44exciting that there is could potentially

38:46be

38:47um a grant available that could help

38:48offset some of um

38:50some of the costs money back to the

38:52town.

38:53And that is our update um for this

38:56evening.

39:03>> Um

39:05so we haven't put a shovel in the ground

39:06yet.

39:10I did see a change order. How much of

39:12the contingency have we eaten so far?

39:14Half a mill?

39:17>> And the only thing we had the uh change

39:20for Bob was the uh movement of money

39:22from the contingency for the added cost

39:25to Sherman Commons.

39:26There's been no

39:28>> I saw a change order for something

39:32for

39:33some

39:35wasn't it a health unit or

39:38kitchen? I don't I can't remember. It

39:39was a

39:40It was a week or two ago it came

39:42through.

39:43Thought it was like 200,000

39:45for

39:47>> That might have been

39:47>> Yeah, the two

39:49the 200 grand was the money for the what

39:51we approved at the last meeting for

39:54>> No, it was

39:54>> added money to Sherman. Yeah, we haven't

39:57we do not have a change order for

39:59uh anybody since since we met last.

40:02>> Oh,

40:02got to swear I saw it.

40:04It might have been there was money a

40:06couple weeks ago for the uh

40:09original island home.

40:11There was like 75 there was some money

40:12money for for maintenance and repair

40:14there.

40:15>> No, it wasn't that.

40:16>> that? Okay.

40:17>> was an increasing cost for some type of

40:20unit that's going into the new unit.

40:22That the original budget was

40:28I don't know if it came in an email or

40:30if it came

40:32in a packet.

40:34>> I thought you were going to talk about

40:35bats.

40:37>> No, the bats are the bats.

40:43I don't know. I I'll have to try to find

40:45it. I could have sworn I saw a a change

40:47order for

40:50uh it wasn't maybe it wasn't considered

40:52a change order. It was an increased in

40:54cost for a modular unit of some medical

40:58unit that was going to go in

41:00that increased.

41:03But

41:04do you remember that?

41:07I'm just

41:08so you're telling me the only thing

41:10we've gone into contingency for right

41:11now is the 200 for the Sherborn Commons.

41:14>> That is that is it. Yes.

41:18>> All right.

41:20>> Are there any other questions?

41:28Are we ready to move on to annual town

41:30meeting?

41:30>> back.

41:33I will be back. Yes.

41:35>> You will be back.

41:37>> All right guys. Thank you. Have a good

41:38evening.

41:38>> See you soon. Thank you John and thank

41:40you Craig for coming on. We'll we'll

41:42have another update for the board first

41:44meeting of December.

41:47Okay outline number three of potential

41:50town meeting warrant articles. What I've

41:52done here is highlighted the items that

41:54have changed or been added or have

41:57something I want to let you know about

41:58since your last meeting.

42:00Um revolving accounts. We would like to

42:04add a new revolver for low income

42:06community shared solar and Lauren

42:08Sinatra is online to explain that one.

42:11Lauren would you like to give us a

42:13summary of that?

42:16Please.

42:18>> Sure. Um so recent changes to

42:20Massachusetts solar regulations now

42:23allow municipal electric aggregation

42:26programs like Nantucket Power Choice to

42:28provide additional electric rate

42:30discounts to income eligible residents

42:33through these low income community

42:35shared solar projects which are being

42:37developed off island.

42:39So the goal is to reduce electric costs

42:41for our low income residents and not to

42:44fund solar installations on the island

42:47for these low income housing.

42:49Um so under the smart program which is

42:52the solar incentive program for the

42:53Commonwealth, solar developers will

42:55receive financial benefits if they

42:58develop low-income community solar

43:00projects. And um, the way our

43:03aggregation could benefit from that is

43:06through this mechanism that involves um,

43:09a revolving fund. So the funding would

43:11work by a participating solar developer

43:13would make payments to the town in

43:15connection with their off-island solar

43:18project. The town would deposit those

43:20payments into the proposed revolving

43:22fund, and then we would use those funds

43:25to reimburse our Nantucket Power Choice

43:28supplier to then discount the electric

43:31supply rate for eligible customers.

43:34So this isn't the there would be no town

43:36funding involved, and this isn't the

43:39only mechanism that is being

43:40contemplated to allow aggregation

43:43programs to provide these discounts to

43:45low-income residents, but it's one we're

43:47seeing being adopted. Um, so this model

43:50we borrowed from Natic.

43:53Um, ideally the solar developer would

43:55just pay the supplier directly and we

43:57would not be an intermediary, but in

44:00case we need to be, in case the best fit

44:02of a solar project um, requires this

44:06revolving fund, we will have it ready to

44:08go and we can act quickly to implement a

44:11program without waiting further.

44:14I hope that was clear. Happy to answer

44:16questions.

44:18>> Hey Lauren, thanks. It's Brooke. Um, why

44:21would an off-island solar development

44:23developer give money to Nantucket? It

44:25doesn't make sense to me. Help.

44:29>> So through the solar incentive programs

44:32that have been established by the

44:33Commonwealth, um, specifically the SMART

44:35program, they receive additional

44:38incentives

44:39if they develop um, solar projects that

44:42serve low-income residents. So they're

44:44looking for offtakers, and municipal

44:47aggregations offer a great win-win

44:49solution for everybody. The Commonwealth

44:51wants to spur more solar. Um, they want

44:54to provide discounts to low income

44:56residents and

44:59municipalities want to offer these

45:00discounts locally to their eligible

45:04customers. So this was proposed

45:08at the state level, approved by the DPU.

45:12It was contemplated for quite a while

45:15and now is approved and we're seeing

45:16towns start to adopt these models and we

45:20want to be ready to go if a solar

45:23project makes a good fit for the

45:25Nantucket Power Choice program.

45:28So there's money to be made and then

45:30money to discount. It's actually a great

45:34solution and

45:35happy to come back once we find a solar

45:37developer partner to make this work, but

45:39this is really just laying

45:42you know the groundwork for when an

45:44opportunity comes before us that we can

45:46act quickly.

45:50>> Yeah I I explained to someone today who

45:53was questioning this that this isn't

45:54costing us anything. This is bringing

45:56money in from outside because of the way

45:59the incentives are structured and then

46:01they were all fine with it. I think it's

46:02pretty much a no brainer. Thank you.

46:09>> Thank you very much Lauren.

46:11>> Thank you.

46:15>> Okay the next newish items

46:19pertain to home rule petitions. So I

46:20found out this week that

46:23the Community Housing Bank,

46:26the fertilizer ban and the pension

46:28obligation funds, all of which are

46:33pending and have been pending for some

46:34time.

46:37If

46:38they were adopted at the 2025 or 2026

46:42town meetings do not need to get

46:45resubmitted to the 2027 annual town

46:47meeting.

46:48So we can take those off. I think they

46:51were all approved in that time frame.

46:55The The study item is still pending. Um,

46:58told the governor it's still on the

47:00governor's desk.

47:01The NP and EDC enabling Act amendments,

47:04that really doesn't need to be filed

47:09uh, um, that doesn't really need to go

47:10before the 2027 annual town meeting

47:12again. It hasn't been filed yet, so I'm

47:15told that until it gets it'll be filed

47:17after January

47:19uh, after December 31st, 2026. So that

47:21doesn't really need to be done.

47:23And I think I saw a email from you,

47:28Bobby, about

47:29um, CHAB, which you which you brought up

47:32a couple weeks ago. So the board should

47:34determine, I guess, if it wants to

47:37proceed with that.

47:37>> I I sent you the actual original home

47:41rule petition that

47:42>> Okay.

47:43>> I guess it got to the governor's desk,

47:44but the governor never signed it. So

47:46>> Yeah.

47:47>> would like that resubmitted.

47:48>> Okay.

47:49>> So you have the

47:50>> So I can put that on your next update,

47:53um, unless you have any questions about

47:55that now. It it has come up on it on and

47:58off

48:00a few times over the years.

48:02And it has to do with ethics issues

48:04because CHAB

48:05>> It's really just CHAB board.

48:07>> Yeah.

48:08>> And I tried to get the CHAB board to

48:11be an appointed board, and they want to

48:13know part of that. So because they're an

48:15elected board,

48:17can't have

48:19there's a conflict without we need to

48:22have a home rule petition that says we

48:24can

48:25vote on things that were

48:27>> Tom, can I go back one? The fertilizer

48:30ban, I remember from a couple years ago,

48:33there was some discussion that we didn't

48:35have to do that. We could do that

48:36through the NP and EDC.

48:38>> That time frame expired,

48:41>> Oh, that's okay.

48:41>> which is why we needed the home rule

48:43petition to basically extend that time

48:46frame.

48:46>> All right.

48:47Got you.

48:48>> Yeah. And I talked to Julian Sear's

48:50staff just, um,

48:52last yesterday.

48:54Um,

48:55and

48:56they said while it's unlikely it'll

48:58pass, they would like us to continue to

49:00pursue it because the conversation needs

49:02to continue at the State House. And by

49:05having these home rule petitions going

49:06through committee,

49:09um it keeps the it keeps the subject

49:10alive even though he doesn't really see

49:12it getting taken up anytime soon. So

49:16Yeah, a little bit maybe. Yeah.

49:23>> Okay. So

49:25that is home rule petitions. Real

49:27estate.

49:30We've added this is just this is kind of

49:34um emerging a potential conservation

49:36restriction for mitigation property in

49:38connection with the Somerset Lane bike

49:39path. That that is still under

49:41development, I would say. You'll learn

49:43more about that in your executive

49:44session tomorrow.

49:46And financial or ballot questions.

49:49Um I don't have a lot of information on

49:52this right now, but you do have and this

49:54doesn't need to be decided now, but at

49:56some point we will need to get at these.

49:59Um the Laran Barracks next phase. I

50:02think

50:03there wasn't a necessarily a definitive

50:05on that, but upon further review of

50:08phase, I think it's four

50:11that didn't pass at town meeting last

50:13year, but did pass at the ballot

50:15to reduce that in scope to electrical

50:18only, which is estimated to be about $2

50:20million. That includes replacement of

50:22basically the entire electrical system

50:24in the men's dorm, including a new

50:25service panel and service out to the

50:28road.

50:30Um so that's potential. Now, could that

50:33be funded through free cash remains to

50:35be seen. So that's kind of also pending

50:38and under development.

50:40>> Or capital exclusion.

50:43That could be one too. I think you can

50:44do it for the those projects.

50:46>> We'll have to examine whether or not

50:48that could be a capital exclusion for

50:50for one year if it can be done within

50:51that time frame.

50:54But but yes, that that could be a

50:55potential option too.

50:58Um and the central office improvements.

51:00I think that kind of also pending to see

51:02if we can use um prior year

51:05funding

51:06on that one.

51:09And we are examining

51:12um prior year

51:15capital appropriations that

51:18were not debt exclusions to see what's

51:20completed but still has money left over

51:22to see if we can reappropriate any of

51:23that.

51:24And Alicia has developed a um

51:27list that's

51:30finishing up the review I would say of

51:34borrowing the authorized borrowing that

51:36maybe we could rescind and and there is

51:39quite a bit of that but some some of it

51:40needs

51:42further review by town council and

51:43others so that's in the works.

51:45So that is

51:47all

51:48I think I have on these. As we know the

51:50citizen warrant articles are due um

51:53November 16th at 4:00 and I'm going to

51:55start working pretty soon now on

51:58developing these articles. I haven't

52:00heard any real big objections from you

52:02all on any of this and of course some of

52:05it is still under construction but if

52:07you need any more information as you're

52:10going through your

52:12documents or town meeting let let me

52:14know on these.

52:18Just any

52:20Yeah yeah any any of them that jump out

52:22at you do you need more information to

52:23make a a

52:25It would be good for me to know sooner

52:27rather than later if you don't want to

52:28do something so that I don't

52:30prepare it and then you say oh we don't

52:32want to do that anymore.

52:33I haven't really heard that.

52:34>> When well when

52:36well I when is True going to find out

52:38about

52:39the first kind of costs

52:42on that was going to be in December

52:43wasn't it? I think he thought it was

52:45December that he would get a little look

52:47at what it might cost to do the DPW

52:50facility.

52:51>> Yeah December sounds right.

52:53>> Yeah um I think we have somewhere in the

52:56um

52:58your schedule an update on that. I'll

52:59confirm that up.

53:01>> Okay.

53:03Um when what date is the warrant going

53:05to close? End of January?

53:06>> It's

53:07like June It's always around January

53:0920th. I don't know what that Wednesday,

53:11whatever that Wednesday is, third third

53:13Wednesday in January.

53:14>> Yeah.

53:15>> Um,

53:17the one thing that has started to

53:19concern me, which is not necessarily

53:22something for town meeting, but it's

53:23something we approved last year, is the

53:26amount of emails we're getting about the

53:28Somerset

53:29sewer project

53:31and how residents who live there

53:35really

53:37I I don't I don't know what the

53:39disconnect is, but really don't seem to

53:41want it because of the cost.

53:44Um,

53:45so I don't know where that leaves us,

53:46but I just wanted to raise it because

53:48it's it's worrisome to me. I don't

53:50really want to get put in a position

53:52where people are in such a hardship that

53:54they're asking us to not tie in. I'd

53:57rather not do the project at all.

54:01>> I, on the other hand, have been hearing

54:02from people who really want it. So, um,

54:05I think it cuts both ways. I I I think

54:08when I think about this,

54:10um, what is the alternative, right? If

54:14we if in that area in terms of, um,

54:19environmental protection

54:21and,

54:23you know, when we talked about this,

54:24part of,

54:26um,

54:27the reason I supported it was because

54:30the alternative is everybody's required

54:32to put an IA system in.

54:35That's going to be more expensive than

54:36hooking up to sewer. And I think a lot

54:38of people don't realize that

54:41where they are today is not where

54:43they're going to stay if this project

54:45isn't done. And I think we need to do a

54:47lot more

54:48explanation of that because if either

54:52our Board of Health or the state starts

54:55dictating IA systems in in these

54:58contributing neighborhoods for nitrogen

55:01loading in ponds,

55:03people could end up financially way

55:05worse off if we don't do this project.

55:07And so I want to make sure everybody's

55:08aware of that before they're advocating

55:11not to do it.

55:12>> Yeah, I I would agree. And I mean, it

55:14did pass town meeting, so I'm not really

55:15advocating for taking that back. I just

55:19worry that maybe some people didn't

55:22weren't fully aware of the whole

55:24picture. And

55:26there are other nuances to the picture

55:28that they do need to be aware of.

55:29>> This is going to be a

55:31>> ways that they can borrow to fund that

55:33through the town.

55:35>> This is going to be a betterment

55:36situation where people want better they

55:39want someone else to pay. They don't

55:41want to pay for the benefits they're

55:43receiving. And so they're hoping that

55:45they can defer it and and that everybody

55:47else will pick up the tab. Well, we

55:49can't do a lot of these projects if the

55:51people who are gaining the benefits

55:53don't pay a good chunk of it.

55:55And And so that's the tricky part is I

55:57think

55:59and I talked about this last week, but

56:00that's what I'm seeing in in the I feel

56:02badly for the people cuz they are going

56:05to struggling and some of them are going

56:07to struggle to do this. But then

56:10if we continue along that path, I feel

56:13bad for them because then they'll be

56:14paying for everybody else's expenses

56:16everywhere.

56:17So you can't have it you know, you can't

56:19have it both ways. You can't have it

56:21optional. Look, oh, you can pay when you

56:23feel like it or if you pay it you know,

56:24like you can't do that and run projects

56:27like this.

56:28And And so it this is what's

56:30you know, the

56:31>> You can also

56:32>> Yeah, so anyway.

56:33>> What?

56:36You need to have If somebody just put a

56:38brand new

56:39somebody just put a brand new Title V

56:41system in

56:43and all of a sudden the sewer runs down

56:44the road, you need to have some type of

56:48>> Give them some more years, yeah.

56:49>> Yes, exactly. So you know.

56:51>> Also, if I can remind people the

56:54betterment was voted down. So we're all

56:56paying for it whether we live in that

56:58neighborhood or not.

56:59>> But I don't

56:59>> So

57:00>> you know, I've been on record. I'll say

57:02it again. I'm a firm believer that

57:04everyone should pay for sewer, the clean

57:07water, clean ponds, clean harbors is for

57:10the everyone,

57:11not just for the people that happen to

57:12have a pipe run by their property.

57:14So I don't have a problem

57:16>> for it, that's the whole point. I think

57:18they need to be reminded of that. And if

57:20they get a long runway, that I think

57:22that would be nice for them. And they

57:23have recourse to come to the Board of

57:24Health, and you personally.

57:26>> They do. And that and believe me, they

57:28will. And that you're right. There are

57:30people that are writing letters and

57:32complaining about this, but there are a

57:34lot of people that are the silent

57:36majority, as Brooke said, that are happy

57:38to have sewer come down their road. So

57:40you know, we'll we'll deal with them at

57:42the Board of Health when we get to that

57:43point.

57:45Um

57:46>> And just as a reminder, the taxpayers

57:48are paying for the construction of this

57:50project.

57:51The homeowners will be paying to connect

57:53>> Yes.

57:54>> from the sewer line to their homes. That

57:56is not an insignificant amount of money.

57:58I'm not

57:59It is not insignificant.

58:01Um

58:02>> But it's cheaper than a new system.

58:04>> than a new IA system, right? And I think

58:06that's the part that is not really

58:08understood. And that you have to put a

58:09new one in every 30 years, whereas with

58:12sewer,

58:13you're one and done.

58:14>> Yeah. I think that

58:16part of the concern is they saw

58:20the increase that we did for the sewer

58:22rates not too long ago here, and the

58:25fact that we've said we're going to do

58:27probably do another sewer rate increase

58:30in 27. And

58:33they saw the presentation from the

58:35budget from the sewer department last

58:37week asking for

58:39a lot of money. And

58:41there isn't much money in the enterprise

58:43fund, so you know, the people are

58:44concerned. So you know, we'll

58:47There's always Again, I hate to repeat

58:50myself, but it's the squeaky wheel

58:51syndrome. So

58:53we'll

58:54you know, we'll deal with it. We'll

58:55figure it out. There'll be some people

58:57that are going to be unhappy, but

58:59hopefully the majority of the people

59:00will be happy and

59:02we'll get through it.

59:04>> I'll be The other issue out there is the

59:07densification that that that this

59:09allows. And so some of the neighborhoods

59:11there are writing us, you know, and

59:13they're upset with

59:14some of the you know, sort of the

59:15density and the traffic and the noise

59:17and the other things that have come to

59:18their neighborhood. So they're looking

59:20saying, well, I don't want more of that

59:22here.

59:23I didn't know it was zoned for this. So

59:24that's the other thing we're dealing

59:26with is people that are opposed aren't

59:28just opposed because of that. They're

59:30worried that it's going to completely

59:31change

59:32sort of their neighborhood in that area.

59:35The other part that I worry about is

59:36that we're going to do all this for

59:37water quality and we're going to and

59:40then we're going to do have the

59:41densification and we're going to have

59:43more hardscaping everything else and

59:45we're going to have different more and

59:46different pollutants going in

59:48cuz we never really looked at that.

59:50You know, there's other stuff there's

59:52more than just nitrogen. There's a bunch

59:54of other pollutants that are that will

59:56if it you know, if it becomes a lot more

59:59uh

59:59a lot more people, a lot more pressure

1:00:02that we may do the same we may do this

1:00:04thinking we've done the right thing and

1:00:05end up doing the wrong thing.

1:00:07So so I think that's the

1:00:10it's it's pretty complicated and and

1:00:13it's sort of one of those situations

1:00:15where you know, we're sold something for

1:00:17one reason like we're going to have

1:00:18clean water and clean ponds, but if we

1:00:20don't sort of tackle the zoning aspect

1:00:23of it, we might not.

1:00:25So anyway.

1:00:26>> Well, we talked just about the

1:00:27fertilizer ban earlier and

1:00:30me to me one of the things that really

1:00:32struck me about the neighborhood is all

1:00:33the fertilizer that the land bank has to

1:00:35use for their golf course.

1:00:36So I feel like we're really addressing

1:00:38that by putting in sewer there. I think

1:00:40I mean just one of the many things, but

1:00:41what other pollutants are you talking

1:00:42about just by having more people?

1:00:44>> Well, it's there's all there's runoff

1:00:46from cars, there's runoff from houses,

1:00:49there's roof runoff more roof runoff.

1:00:51You have less uh

1:00:53when you have uh

1:00:54less impervious surfaces, there's

1:00:56there's less drainage. There's a lot of

1:00:59issues like that's one of the things

1:01:00that happens Maya Comet Pond. You know,

1:01:02we put a lot of density there and and

1:01:04there's a lot that's going into the head

1:01:06of that pond. It so so the state is

1:01:08looking at at nitrogen, but there's a

1:01:11lot of other pollutants that increase

1:01:14when you increase the numbers of people

1:01:16and the amount of hardscaping etc. in a

1:01:19neighborhood.

1:01:20So I think you know and I am when you

1:01:21ask

1:01:23you know sort of

1:01:24you know has that been studied? Well

1:01:26kind of well no we haven't really looked

1:01:28at that yet or how would you do that?

1:01:30You know so I I just I get worried that

1:01:33you know that we're we want

1:01:35we want everything and you and you can't

1:01:38you know when we talked about scholars

1:01:40back in the day the one the only thing

1:01:43that the consultants would

1:01:45said was

1:01:47was

1:01:49a direct correlation was the number of

1:01:52people.

1:01:53They said there's no direct correlation

1:01:54to all these other things but the only

1:01:56thing that they could say with certainty

1:01:58was the number of people and that you'll

1:02:01have you have x amount of people and you

1:02:03have less you you have a dirty your

1:02:05harbor and less scallops.

1:02:07You know but they wouldn't pick any one

1:02:08thing when we tried to pin them on it

1:02:10and this is probably 20 years ago.

1:02:12>> That's because they're consultants and

1:02:14they never back themselves into a

1:02:16corner. That's the reality of being a

1:02:17consultant.

1:02:19They'll take your money but they won't

1:02:20give you a direct answer.

1:02:22Look

1:02:23I've heard from a bunch of people on

1:02:25this there's

1:02:26I hear basically the same two comments

1:02:29that they don't believe that their sewer

1:02:32their septic systems are contributing to

1:02:34nitrogen loading in my

1:02:37and they believe that the only reason

1:02:38the town pushed this through is because

1:02:40we're getting zero financing from the

1:02:42state.

1:02:43That's not the case.

1:02:45The SMAT studies are there. If people

1:02:47want to read the studies they can

1:02:49and if they don't want to educate

1:02:50themselves then don't educate yourself.

1:02:53I'm not going to worry about those

1:02:54people. They can and moan to me

1:02:56all they want.

1:02:59Sorry you could have come to town

1:03:00meeting and voted against it.

1:03:02There was an overwhelming support for

1:03:04this at town meeting and on the ballot

1:03:06so

1:03:08there we go.

1:03:11>> Okay. Anything else on the annual?

1:03:15>> Nope that's it. I'll be back with update

1:03:17on the night uh 18th.

1:03:20>> Okay. And the only thing we have under

1:03:21select board reports and comments is

1:03:23committee reports.

1:03:26>> Uh

1:03:28only thing I have is I did have my first

1:03:32deer meeting [laughter]

1:03:34with the Land Bank and I've um

1:03:38reached out to Act Deer and I've talked

1:03:41to Dean.

1:03:42So

1:03:44making baby steps with that.

1:03:47I'll have more to report as we get

1:03:48closer along.

1:03:49>> Bobby, you are invited to come hang out

1:03:51at the Community Food Hub anytime.

1:03:54>> No, it's it's there's there's some

1:03:56issues that are going on. Uh there's

1:03:58some growing pains.

1:04:00The $150 deer bounty

1:04:03has people

1:04:05just shooting deer and showing up with

1:04:07deer that

1:04:08aren't necessarily being taken care of

1:04:10the right way.

1:04:11Same where's my money? We need to work

1:04:13this all out.

1:04:15You know, the reality and we I think

1:04:17I've said this already here. I'll

1:04:18hopefully I'm not repeating myself is

1:04:20we didn't get to this problem overnight.

1:04:22We're not going to fix it overnight.

1:04:24This is at least a five year fix.

1:04:26But the ability to hunt deer in January

1:04:29and February

1:04:30when no place else in the state you can

1:04:32deer hunt except for the vineyard

1:04:35and that there are a lot of hunters here

1:04:37that want to go deer hunting in January

1:04:39and February and it's going to be a

1:04:41matter of putting

1:04:43property owners who have a deer problem

1:04:45with hunters who want to take care of

1:04:47that problem, putting those two groups

1:04:49together. And that's where I hope I can

1:04:52help facilitate that. I just don't want

1:04:55to bring in a bunch of people

1:04:57from off island to hunt here or even

1:04:58from here who I don't know.

1:05:01We need to vet these guys. We need to

1:05:03make sure that they know what they're

1:05:04doing and they're skilled hunters

1:05:07because you can't just stick somebody in

1:05:08somebody's backyard and then start

1:05:10shooting away even with a bow

1:05:12and wounding deer and we got deer

1:05:14running around the neighborhood with

1:05:15arrows stuck in them.

1:05:16It's just not a good look. Um so

1:05:19I hope to be able to be the liaison

1:05:22between the land bank and the property

1:05:25owners and Act Deer and the hunting

1:05:27community. So,

1:05:29we'll see how it goes.

1:05:32>> Anyone else with committee reports?

1:05:35Okay.

1:05:36Short meeting.

1:05:37>> Motion to adjourn.

1:05:39>> Second.

1:05:40>> All those in favor?

1:05:40>> Aye.

1:05:41>> Aye.

1:05:41>> Carried unanimously.

1:05:48Time for dinner.

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