HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-7-17ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS -
Minutes of meeting 10 A.M., SATURDAY, July 27, 2019, at
4 Fairgrounds Road cC15 0 F: 12 3�
1. Attending: Kathy Baird, Gary Beller, Howard Blitman, Bill
Gardner, Peter Halle, Peter Kahn, and Bill Sherman; guest speaker
Kristie Ferrantella, member Select Board, VP of Nantucket Island
Chamber of Commerce, member TGSC. Members absent: Lou
Bassano, Chair Don Green, Sue Matloff and Jay Strauss.
2. Vice -Chair Gary Beller opened the meeting at 10:03 a.m., declaring
a quorum present. Proposed minutes for the July 27, 2019 meeting
were approved. Our guest Kristie Ferrantella was welcomed.
3. Kristie noted that her ancestors on island traced back to its
founders. After college off -island, she returned to a succession of
island jobs in banking, with NGO data platform and volunteer
involvement in housing, transportation and landfill issues.
4. As a TGSC member, Kristie [like TGSC Chair John Brescher] is
concerned about low (-7%) turnout at Open Town Meetings and
selective attendance of groups interested in particular articles.
Planned e -voting offers voting free from worry about opinions of
others. A particular problem is failure of funding votes at the ballot
box after approval at Town Meeting (but that problem is not
resolved by changing to Representative Town Meeting). Social
media seems to influence island voter decisions.
5. Responding to Howard Blitman, Kristie noted that both sides in the
controversial Surfside Crossing 40B project have appealed. Had the
Town's affordable housing project off Ticcoma Way not been
derailed by abutter appeal, safe -harbor status would have barred the
Surfside Crossing 40B. This spring, the state accorded safe -harbor
status to the Town. The 266 -unit Richmond Group `friendly' 40B is
off Old South Road, raising further concern about OSR traffic.
6. Mindful of voter turn -down of funding for needed (and Town -
Meeting approved) infrastructure upgrades, Kristie thought future
funding requests would be proposed in simpler `packages.' The
Select Board is committed to sidewalk improvements, thinking to
encourage walking instead of car travel. Prospective flooding with
global warming impacts development of Harbor Place. In the last
year, some 500 vehicles have been newly registered in Nantucket.
While the Town benefits from increased excise tax revenue, the
portent for traffic is serious.
7. Kristie expects paid parking in town center by 2020 with charges
scaled for demand management.
8. Kristie was thanked as she left the meeting at 10:50 a.m.
9. Following a call for election of ACNVT officers, upon motion
made, duly seconded and passed, the following got a unanimous
vote:
- Chair incumbent Don Green
- Vice -Chair incumbent Gary Beller
- Secretary Kathy Baird
1 O.A conversation ensued about ways to encourage new ACNVT
members, summer resident attendance at meetings and increased
focus on key concerns or issues upon which ACNVT might vote
recommendations to the Select Board. Kathy suggested contacting
the Nantucket Civic League, asking inclusion of ACNVT PR in its
newsletter. Peter Heller suggested setting up a full summer schedule
of speakers to aid publicizing meetings that might interest the
public.
11.In a brief discussion of prospective increases in flooding, Gary
Beller spoke of a stormwater pump failure adding to Brant Point
problems, also his impressions as ACNVT representative on the
Coastal Resiliency Advisory Committee. Some 300 of the island's
historic buildings will be at risk. Speaking from an environmentalist
perspective, Howard Blitman thought relocation preferable to
fortification. Fortification would be very expensive.
12.Members expressed the desire to hear from Town Transportation
Planner Mike Bums and DPW Director Rob McNeil in the two
remaining 2019 meetings.
13.The meeting was closed at 11:13 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Sherman, (ex) Secretary
Draft minutes e -distributed 8/6/19. Minutes adopted 8/17/19,
posted 9/9/19 and hard copy submitted to Town Clerk 9/10/19