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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 2015Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] This Newsletter is formatted for use on all browsers.View this email in your browser From the Desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson October 2015 Volume 6, Number 9 Special Town Meeting - November 9, 2015 At its meeting on October 14th, the Board of Selectmen adopted the seven article warrant for the Special Town Meeting (STM). The STM was prompted by two citizen petitions for various zoning changes relating to housing. The Finance Committee and Planning Board will be holding a joint public hearing on the warrant articles on Monday, October 26th at 8pm in the Community Room of the 4 Fairgrounds Road public safety facility. The other 5 articles on the warrant are: 3 Financial Articles -- Brant Point Boat House/Shellfish Propagation Facility Renovation. This article requests supplemental funding for this project due to the bids received being significantly higher than the appropriation. In order for this project to proceed, additional funds are required. We are told by the various architects and professional cost estimators engaged by the Town that across the region they are currently seeing bids coming in higher than estimated for municipal construction projects. -- Our Island Home Design Funding. The 2015 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) approved $1m in design funds for the relocation/construction of a new nursing home facility; however, this approval was later determined to be invalid because of a technical error. This article is a “re-do” of the 2015 ATM action (this time, correctly). As an aside, at its October 7, 2015 meeting, the Board heard a presentation from its architect engaged to conduct a needs assessment/feasibility for a new nursing home. Click here to watch a video of the presentation. -- Fire Station. $15m was appropriated at the 2015 ATM for the construction of the new fire station at the 4 Fairgrounds Road site. Just before the Board adopted the STM warrant, we were informed that, again, because of bids coming in higher than anticipated, we should seek additional funds. The amount sought is $2 million. Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] All of these items are expected to utilize existing funding sources. Home Rule Petition -- This article seeks special legislation to allow the Land Bank to transfer some property to the Town/School for a staging area for the school construction projects as well as for playing fields. The Town will need to seek approval from the voters at the ATM (most likely) to transfer land to the Land Bank in exchange for the property contained in the warrant article. Correction Article -- At the 2015 ATM, the Town Clerk’s salary was supposed to have been increased over the prior year. Due to an inadvertent error, the new salary number was not approved and the "old" salary number was approved; however, that was not the intent. This article will specifically correct the error. Meet our New Fire Chief Paul Rhude After 2 months on the job our new fire chief, Paul Rhude, has jumped right into the thick of things: planning a new fire station, budgeting for FY17, and working with his staff continuing the great work of the Nantucket Fire Department. Chief Rhude has been in the fire service for 28 years, with COMM Fire (Centerville Osterville Marstons Mills) for 16 years and an officer on COMM for 12 years. He has worked for four different fire departments and in the private sector as a Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager, allowing him to bring a unique perspective to a management position. As Captain of COMM Fire he was responsible for three stations, 8 full time firefighters, 3 full time lieutenants, and dispatch Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] for two fire departments. Assigned areas of responsibility include marine operations and communications. He has a bachelor's degree in Business Management and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and a Masters in Public Administration from Anna Maria College. Chief Rhude sees two areas that need attention: the need for increased staffing and the creation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services on the island. 40B Development Updates To stay informed of the current and pending 40B projects on the island please visit our new webpage 40B Developments. There are also documents and helpful videos that discuss the 40B process in Massachusetts. Click here to view the 40B General Overview presentation given on 10/20 by Ed Marchant Click here to view the Joint Finance Committee and Planning Board STM Warrant Article Review FY17 Capital Projects & Operating Budgets Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] Review of upcoming Town capital projects and the budget – to be presented at the 2016 Annual Town Meeting in April (Saturday, April 2nd), are well underway. Town Administration gave the Board of Selectmen a presentation on capital projects at its October 7, 2015 meeting. The Capital Program Committee (CapCom) is beginning its meetings with departments to review projects. The Committee meets on most Wednesdays at 8am at the 4 Fairgrounds Road public safety facility, until mid-December. The Town’s focus with the proposed projects is primarily on maintaining, repairing and/or improving its infrastructure. In mid-December the Finance Committee will hear the CapCom’s recommendations. The voters will have final say at the Annual Town Meeting. Several of the proposed projects are likely to be revised, removed or some added between now and the final recommended proposed projects. Town Administration is meeting with all departments in October and November to review their budget proposals, with a proposed budget recommendation currently scheduled to be presented to the Board of Selectmen on December 9th. After that the Board will continue any discussions it wants to have about the budget throughout December, has a scheduled public hearing for any public comments on January 6, 2016; then, the proposals will be forwarded to the Finance Committee which will meet with various departments January – March, with final recommendations included in the Annual Town Meeting warrant, in the Finance Committee motions. Nantucket Street Signs The making of a Nantucket street sign is no easy task. Ray Sylvia, our in-house sign maker, walked us through the process of making Nantucket Ave and Cobblestone Hill Rd, two street signs that need to be replaced quite often. Most municipalities purchase their street signs and have them shipped already completed. Ray makes them from scratch, in keeping with the historic character of the island. Ray also makes signs for the Cemeteries and Lifeguard stands, certain Town buildings and facilities, and all decals for Town vehicles (excluding Public Safety) and Harbormaster boats. See our trivia below to see which signs "go missing" the most... Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] This Week In Town Government Trivia Questions October Trivia Where are 3 pink houses on Nantucket? Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] Previous Trivia Q. Which 3 street signs go "missing" the most? Whalers Lane Nantucket Ave Massachusetts Ave Honorable Mentions: Any Tom Nevers sign (west side), Shady Lane, and Lovers Lane Ray Sylvia also reports... "Whalers Lane used to be before we installed a cement posts but Nantucket Ave, and any one of the Tom Nevers signs ( Gloucester st.,Exeter st.,Berkely st) and Madaket roads that are named for states. Massachusetts Ave is probably the top sign though." There were many great guesses but no correct answers. Town of Nantucket 16 Broad Street Nantucket, MA 02554 P: (508) 228-7255 F: (508) 228-7272 Special Town Meeting, 40Bs, and 3 Pink Houses http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc2c42bcb6cc04d8937a4da58&id=ad02331bbc&e=d8171b4561[12/7/2015 4:17:41 PM] Contact Us! Town of Nantucket Website Newsletter Archives Subscribe to Newsletter Copyright © 2015 Town of Nantucket, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences