HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Selectmen Minutes February 4, 2008_201402061518083973BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Minutes of the Meeting of 4 February 2008 at 9:30 AM. The meeting took place in the Conference Room at
2 Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket, MA 02554. Members of the Board present were Whitey Willauer, Brian
Chadwick, Patricia Roggeveen, Allen Reinhard, and Michael Kopko. Chairman Willauer called the meeting
to order at 9:35 AM.
WORKSHOP MEETING
Road Surfacing Policy Development. Chairman Willauer reviewed the purpose of the workshop and noted
previous discussions regarding whether or not the Town should accept a gift to pave West Chester Street.
During these discussions the Board determined it would be beneficial to develop policies and guidelines
regarding road surfacing. Chairman Willauer then discussed the costs of various road improvements. The
Board discussed criteria that may be used to determine if a road should be paved, and costs associated
with different alternatives for road improvements. Jeff Willett, Director, Department of Public Works, Police
Chief Pittman, and Mr. Jack Gardner joined in the Board’s discussion.
Mr. Kopko suggested that aesthetics should be a consideration for road improvements made in the core
district of Town, and that there may need to be two sets of road surfacing policies: (1) a policy for the core
district of town; and (2) a policy for roads outside of the core district of Town. Mr. Willett said that it would
be helpful to the Department of Public Works (DPW) to get guidance from the Board on how it would want
roads resurfaced after the DPW completes work on sewers in the core district scheduled for this fall. Dirk
Roggeveen said that if the Board decided to use cobblestones it should do so based on aesthetics and not
for historical reasons. Mr. Roggeveen further explained that historically most Nantucket roads were sand
and that cobblestones were only used for high traffic roads and roads that were prone to being washed out.
John Wagley of the Historic District Commission joined the conversation and stated he believed
cobblestone roads are an economic benefit to the Town as they promote tourism. Mr. Chadwick raised the
question of how the Town would pay for more expensive alternatives for road improvements related to
sewer work in the core district. The Board discussed that it would be difficult to provide additional funding
for this project given the constraints of the fiscal year 2009 budget. The Board then discussed criteria that
could be used to decide if a road should be resurfaced with cobblestones. Mr. Roggeveen said that the
safety consideration of providing a smooth surface for foot travel needs to be taken into consideration when
developing these criteria.
The Board discussed creating a road surfacing committee to look at developing policies for road surfacing
outside of the core district, and creating a committee to look at developing a plan and policies for all
infrastructure improvements and revitalization in the core district of town. Mr. Kopko moved that the Board
select two members to develop suggestions for membership of a road surfacing committee for the outside
of the core district, and that the Board select two members to develop suggestions for membership for an
infrastructure improvement committee for the core district of Town; seconded by Mr. Reinhard. So voted
unanimously. The Board selected Mr. Kopko and Ms. Roggeveen to develop suggestions for the
committee to look at a road surfacing policy outside of the core district, and Mr. Chadwick and Ms.
Roggeveen to develop suggestions for a infrastructure committee for the core district of Town. The Board
agreed to discuss these committees at its meeting on Wednesday, February 13, 2008.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:18 AM.
Approved the 20th day of February, 2008.