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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTown Managers Newsletter - 2013 06 28 From the Desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson JUNE 28, 2013 VOLUME 4, NUMBER 5 Town of Nantucket 16 Broad St. Nantucket, MA 02554 P: (508) 228-7255 F: (508) 228-7272 Contact Us! Town of Nantucket Website Newsletter Archives Subscribe to the Newsletter Town Administration News and Updates At the June 19, 2013 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, I provided the Board with an overview of current and recent Town Administration activities. The overview was not meant to be all-inclusive, just highlights. It included the following: 2013 Annual Town Meeting follow-up, including the development of a “plain English” guide to the Town Meeting warrant, for the 2014 Annual Town Meeting; preliminary work on the FY 15 General Fund budget, including discussions with the Finance Committee about improvement of forms and information; meetings with our new Auditor and the development of a Fraud Policy for the Board of Selectmen’s upcoming review; several real estate items, including the sale of 58A Orange Street (former DPW garage) and the preparation of a Request for Proposals for “the Mooney Building” at 22 Federal Street; work on long-term municipal space needs and facilities maintenance plans; getting the necessary items in place (ie, insurance, improvements, agreements) to get the National Grid Candle Street lot ready for valet parking for this summer; numerous personnel items including preparing for upcoming collective bargaining negotiations with several unions for contracts that will expire on June 30, 2014; organizing an analysis of the landfill mining program for the Board’s consideration as to continuation of the program; entertainment and liquor licenses issues; discussions with the HDC regarding bike racks, benches and trash barrels. Fourth of July This year, Nantucket Visitor Services is organizing the Fourth of July Town- sponsored events. They are doing a great job, along with the help of numerous volunteers. It is going to be a great Fourth! (Pray for good weather so we don’t have to rain date the fireworks…) Visitor Services is also organizing and coordinating summer activities at Children’s Beach. A lot of the same popular events and activities are continuing, along with some new ones. Projects Hummock Pond Road Bike Path A terrific and very well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony with a cook-out, guest speakers, music, a bike safety clinic and the presentation of a “Big Check” in the amount of $620,718.31 occurred on Saturday, June 15th at noon. The “Big Check” was comprised of an anonymous private donation of $500,000 and the remainder was raised by and through the Friends of the Hummock Pond Road Bike Path to help pay for the path which cost approximately $3.2 million. We are extremely grateful for the efforts and contributions of the private donor, the Friends, the Town staff and officials, the taxpayers, the contractor, and adjacent property owners - all of whom brought this path to fruition. The path is already heavily used and is a tremendous addition to the Town’s bike path system. Alex Gibson cuts the Hummock Pond Road bike path “grand opening” ribbon. Formerly-used Defense Site (FUDS) At its June 19, 2013 meeting, the Board was provided a presentation on this Army Corps of Engineers multi-year project which involves the identification and removal of unexploded demolitions at the site known as “Nantucket Beach”, which basically covers the area of Tom Nevers. This area was used as a training site for military operations during World War II. The project is expected to be completed sometime in the next two or so years. Mosquito Control At the 2011 Annual Town Meeting $100,000 was authorized to create a Nantucket Mosquito Control Program under Mass General Law Chapter 252 called Improvement of Low Lands and Swamps. Some progress was made in 2012 as the funding became available and more progress is expected this year. The Mosquito Control Program will follow an Integrated Pest Management plan. All pest management decisions will be made after conducting surveillance and determining that mosquito populations have reached an action threshold. The integrated plan will combine multiple pest control measures in an environmentally responsible manner and may include surveillance, source reduction, ditch maintenance, water management, application of larvicide and pupacide and education. Larvicides to be used are "essentially nontoxic" according to the EPA, and will not harm humans, animals, birds, other insects, fish, shellfish, plants or the environment. Unless there is a serious public health threat, pesticides and aerial and truck spraying will not be employed. Private property owners will be permitted to opt out of testing and treatment. Additional information is available on the Town’s website. Fertilizer Regulations Board of Health regulations pertaining to fertilizer use became effective on January 1, 2013. An informational brochure for homeowner and commercial landscapers was developed this spring by the Nantucket Land Council. Adherence to the regulations is expected to help address water quality issues by reducing the amount of nitrogen run-off into water bodies, including the harbor, ponds and other estuaries. Transportation Improvement Program Annually, the Board of Selectmen is presented with the “TIP” for review and endorsement (or modification) in accordance with state requirements for state funding, and planning purposes. Transportation Planner Mike Burns presented the multi-year program, which primarily involves bicycle paths, at the Board meeting on June 19, 2013. These projects are likely to emerge for future voter consideration in the next few years. Community News Veterans’ Agent The Veterans’ Agent, Mr. Arnold Paterson, is expected to move his office from the Saltmarsh Senior Center to the new VFW Building on Bunker (New South) Road by July 1, 2013. 2013 Senior Citizens of the Year On June 27, 2013 at a luncheon held at the Faregrounds Restaurant and sponsored by the Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs, two individuals were honored with the designation of “Senior Citizen of the Year”: Francis Pease and Sara Johnsen. They were presented with certificates from the Town of Nantucket by Rick Atherton, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen; additionally, Rick presented them with Proclamations from the State Legislature, which were procured by our State Representative Timothy R. Madden who could not attend the luncheon. Rick Atherton, presenting the Proclamations Human Services staff (l-r): Ann Medina, Pamela Meriam, Ginny Carrera, Laura Stewart The July Council on Aging newsletter is just out, click here to see it! Recognitions Visitor Services Advisory Committee Long-time Visitor Services Advisory Committee member Charles Balas, who stepped down this year after 20 years of service, was honored at a Committee meeting held on June 13, 2013. Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Rick Atherton and Board member Bruce Miller both attended the meeting and added their appreciation and thanks to Charles for his service. Thank you Charles! Me, Charles Balas, and Rick Atherton Town Arborist You may be seeing our Town Arborist Dale Gary and his assistant Scott Williams around Town lately treating the American Elm trees against Dutch Elm disease. Dale is happy to explain the treatment program, is extremely proud of the Town’s trees and does a terrific job taking care of them. According to Dale, Nantucket has the largest, healthiest population of American Elms (which also happen to be the state tree) in the Northeast. Thank you Dale! Dale, explaining the treatment program to some visitors Community Service Officers The 2013 “class” of seasonal Community Service Officers (CSOs) was presented to the Board at its June 5, 2013 meeting. This year we have 25 CSOs and 7 Reserve Officers. These officers will be deployed to the downtown area, island beaches, Sconset and the bike paths throughout the island. Their mission is to monitor and assist with the flow of traffic and pedestrians, enforce the parking regulations and be alert to suspicious or unusual behavior as well as assist with special event management. They are representatives of the Town in their interactions with our year-round residents, summer residents and visitors. The training these officers receive is built around the Customer Service Principles adopted by the Board earlier this year. They have received training on enforcement of applicable Town bylaws and parking regulations as well as first aid/CPR, traffic control and special event and crowd control. They received special instruction provided by Strategies for Youth, a Cambridge, MA organization that specializes in working to improve the relationship between police officers and youths. CSOs being presented to the Board of Selectmen Board of Selectmen Activities The May monthly Cape Cod & Islands Selectmen and Councilors’ Association meeting was held in Nantucket on May 11 at the Brotherhood. The meeting was well attended and the speakers were our own Assessor Deborah Dilworth and Selectman Matt Fee discussing tax rates and residential exemption. The presentation was very well-received and produced extensive discussion. Get to Know Your Town Volunteers This monthly feature highlights a member of a Town board, committee or commission, their interest in serving and some other information about them. This month, I interviewed Bill Connell, of the Clean Team, a special volunteer who actually is not a “traditional” Town volunteer but whose dedication, commitment and motivation is instrumental in the ever-continuing quest to keeping our island clean. Q: How long have you lived on Nantucket? A: This is my 48th summer, and I have been a property owner since 1989. Q: Where are you from? A: Born in Brooklyn, New York, I now live here, on the West Coast and in Connecticut. Q: What is your job? A: I am an attorney representing international banks. Q How long have you served on the Clean Team? A: Along with Sarah Oktay and Grant Sanders, we founded The Clean Team 11 years ago. Q. Have you served on any local groups? A: My only service has been the board of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Q: What interests you about serving the Town makes you want to be involved? A: I recognize the historic significance of Nantucket and its fragile beauty. I am happy to do anything at all to make it a better place for all who live here and for all who wish to visit. Q: What is the most rewarding part about serving? A: My most direct service is in clearing beaches and roadsides of litter. After walking a mile along a road or a beach and knowing that you are personally responsible for clearing a bag or two of trash, one has a feeling of personal satisfaction and of service to both the Island and to those who will soon come to enjoy it. Q: What is the most challenging part? A: The most challenging part is returning to the same beach or roadside even an hour or two later and seeing more debris. It takes a certain sense of perspective not to become discouraged. Q: If you could change one thing about Town government, what would it be? A: I am not closely involved with Town government. My only information comes from the newspaper. But I would like to see all members of Town government lighten up and have a sense of humor. Yes, certain issues can divide us, but we must remain civil and respectful at all times. Q: What is your favorite spot on Nantucket? A: Any one of the Conservation Foundation’s properties. I particularly enjoy walking in the Middle Moors. Bill Connell of the Clean Team JUNE TRIVIA QUESTION In what year did the LORAN station in Sconset start transmitting navigation signals? MAY TRIVIA QUESTION Nantucket Memorial Airport is the second busiest airport in: a) New England b) Massachusetts c) Cape Cod & Islands Answer: b Correct answers submitted by: Erika Mooney Barbara Gookin Jim Lentowski who also provided this: 8th busiest in New England – behind (in order) Boston, Hartford, Providence, Manchester, Portland, Burlington, and Bangor. Charley Walters Anne Medina Diane O’Neil Penny Snow (let her have it after all) As always, ideas for future e-newsletter topics are welcome!