HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-7-15ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS
Minutes of meeting 10 A.M., SATURDAY, July 15, 2017, at
4 Fairgrounds Road
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1. Attending: Gary Beller, Howard Blitman, Don Green, Peter Halley
Peter Kahn, Bill Sherman, Jay Strauss, and Anthony Walsh, and )
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guest Town Manager Libby Gibson. Members absent: Sue Matloff
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and Barbara Matteucci.
2. Our Chair Jay Strauss called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and
declared a quorum present.
3. After approval of the agenda (with election deferred) and adoption
of minutes of September 3, 2016, our guest Libby Gibson opened
with a presentation of the many significant issues currently facing
Town Administration.
4. Notable items are: resolving the question of bringing Our Island
Home up to code, issues with the Richmond Group's development
on Old South Road, updating the Town Code, fleshing out the
position of Town Cultural and Tourism Director, preparations for a
Special Town Meeting 11/6/17, developing the FY2019 budget,
planning for the Town's needed capital improvements, setting
policies on major public events (Pops, fireworks, Race Week, etc)
to minimize conflicts, license policy for selling (only local)
products on Town streets and sidewalks, adequate parking and
traffic mitigation, illegal signs and public TV display, stresses on
understaffed DPW, mosquito abatement, housing development on
the Town's 6 Fairgrounds property, with ReMain the Town is
undertaking a population study for clarity on island demographics,
newly formed Town Government Study Committee, residential real
estate tax exemption, energy initiatives of the Town's Energy
Program and Outreach Coordinator, occupancy limits for island
restaurants, possible Town -owned intermodal transportation center
in Harbor Place, $2M more funding needed for new Fire Station
(with debt exclusion ?), paying for sewer improvements, e.g., by
general tax levy, coordination of sewer and storm water upgrades
with utilities, leveling town sidewalks, maintenance of street lamps
(overhead by National Grid, other by Town), and rerouting Sconset
water up Baxter Road on the inland side.
5. The Town is considering District Infrastructure Funding, a way to
assure that proffers from a development in the District result in
infrastructure upgrades within that District but with some loss of
flexibility. In the case of the Richmond Group development off
Old South Road, the BOS has entered a memorandum of
understanding assuring inclusion of affordable housing, sewer
upgrades, and some Town road takings in return for a roundabout
and other Old South Road improvements.
6. Under recent MA recreatonal marijuana law, the Town needs
11/6/17 Special Town Meeting approval for timely zoning to limit
retail outlet location. A marijuana retailer needs BOS and MA O.K.
to operate, also a source of marijuana without shipment across the
Sound under federal jurisdiction.
7. A bid has been accepted for construction of some 64 rental units on
the Town's 6 Fairgrounds property, some market rate for developer
return, some affordable and for Town employees. How best to
manage rentals of those and other Town properties needs
resolution.
8. The MA legislature has not extended the Room Occupancy tax to
short-term seasonal rentals (e.g., via Airbnb, HomeAway or
VRBO) or otherwise enabled the Town to address their impacts.
9. MA enabling legislation allowing the BOS to increase the RE tax
exemption benefitting year- rounders from 20% to 35% will be
looked at by the BOS this fall but local increase is thought unlikely.
10. High efficiency geothermal systems are used to heat the Town's
PSF and ReMain's Center Street building. Solar has been O.K.d for
the ice rink, not yet for Town sites.
11.Restaurant occupancy limits are controversial because of different
reckoning under building, fire and health codes and some mid -
evening switches from restaurant to bar. Engineering analysis for
compliance is costly.
12.The Town has interviewed for a potential consultant, to be funded
by Nantucket Island Resorts, to guide it on issues in private
development of Harbor Place, e.g., a Town -owned intermodal
transportation center. Gary Beller offered Libby helpful materials
from the very successful New York Botanical Garden
transportation center.
13.Responding to Howard Blitman's (and the Land Council) concern
about storm water management, the new DPW Director Rob
McNeil will get better coordination between upgrades of sewer and
storm water lines, impacted utilities, and maintenance of streets and
sidewalks. Road openings for access, if needed, will be off - season,
if possible. Tripping on in -town sidewalks, with — 1 /yr insurance
claim, is a DPW issue.
14.Current OIH occupancy is 37:45, relocation an open issue, also
privatization. General trend puts emphasis on in -home care but
staffing 24/7 is hard and future funding is in question.
15.After expressing thanks for Libby's full and generous presentation,
the Chair called for nominations. While current ACNVT officers
are open to replacement, motion was made, duly seconded and
passed to re -elect the current Chair, Vice -Chair and Secretary for
the current FY2018. The Chair asked that the Vice -Chair be kept
currently involved for assured backup.
16.Howard urged that the Chair, himself or through a designee,
provide ACNVT representation at Special and Annual Town
Meetings. (That involves notice to and concurrence of Town
Moderator and Town Clerk.) Howard also noted that the position
taken by ACNVT at its 9/13/14 meeting on siting of the new
hospital had influenced NCH Board member Steve Karp.
17.The meeting was adjourned at 11:23 a.m., the next meeting being
set for Saturday August 19, 2017 at 10 a.m. in the PSF Training
Room.
18.Respectfully submitted,
Bill Sherman, Secretary
Draft minutes e- distributed 7/25/17. Minutes adopted 8/19/17,
posted 8/21/17 and hard copy submitted to Town Clerk 8/21/17