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HomeMy WebLinkAboutManagerNewsletter20140520 From the Desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson MAY 20, 2014 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2 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 FY 2013 Financial Audit The FY 2013 independent audit of the Town’s finances was reviewed by the Audit Committee in March, with the auditor (Tony Roselli of Roselli, Clark Associates), who also made a presentation to the Board of Selectmen at its April 23, 2014 meeting. The annual audit is accompanied by what is known as a “management letter” which identifies any findings made, recommendations or issues of concern. The management letter has an associated action plan, which is underway and some items have already been addressed. Overall, the auditor acknowledged progress with a number of issues that have been concerns in the past. 2014 Annual Town Election At the April 15, 2014 Annual Town Election, the two incumbents Rick Atherton and Bobby DeCosta were re-elected. They were sworn-in by the Town Clerk the following morning. The election of officers occurred immediately thereafter, with Mr. Atherton remaining as Chair and Mr. DeCosta remaining as Vice-Chair. Congratulations, gentlemen. Projects/Reports Wage and Classification Study Several months ago, we initiated a wage and classification study for Town employee positions. Many towns conduct such studies every 5 years or so. We haven’t done one in approximately 20 years, so, it’s time. The consultant (DIJ Consulting) has revised position descriptions and is in the process of finalizing development of a consistent classification system (which will ultimately have to be bargained with the affected unions); and, conducting a comparative review of Nantucket employee compensation vs. other municipalities. Completion of the study is expected later this month. Proposed Bulk Fuel Storage Facility Feasibility Study In 2007, the voters approved $250,000 for a study to review the issue of relocating the downtown bulk fuel tank farm to an out-of-town location. For various reasons the study did not get actively underway until 2013. In mid-2013, following the issuance of a Request for Proposals, a contract for the study was awarded to the firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB). At the Board’s workshop meeting on April 9th, VHB consultant Leo Roy presented the Board with the findings of the study (click here for a summary and here for the complete document – it’s long). Over the next few months, I expect the Board will be having further discussions to address how best move a relocation forward. Personnel The Town has been working toward getting various employees certified by the state for procurement purposes. Certification as a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) requires attendance at 3 specific, individual classes (each is 3 days long); and, passage of a test for each class (Public Purchasing Overview – pre-requisite for the other two classes; Design and Construction; and Supplies and Services Contracting). Rachel Chretien, Administrator of Our Island Home recently was designated an Associate MCCPO, bringing the total number of MCPPOs in the Town to 4. Six other employees have completed the required classes and are awaiting designation. Congratulations, Rachel! Police Department On April 11, 2014, Officer John Rockett was promoted to the position of Sergeant in a nicely attended ceremony in Chief Pittman’s office. Sgt. Rockett’s mother was on hand to perform the “pinning”. Immediately following the pinning ceremony, Officers Keith Mansfield and Chris Carnevale were honored for their work to coordinate the Citizen Police Academy. The fifth class of which graduated on April 17, 2014 (see related item). Thank you Officers! Departure Jessica Gage, an administrative assistant who has worked at the County Registry of Deeds, for the last 7 years, has left the employment of the County to pursue her career as an optometrist. Her last day was May 2, 2014. She was honored with a bugling solo by Richard Loftin at the end of the day and we wish her the best of luck. Of Interest On April 14, 2014, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored a “Listening Tour” of state legislators regarding the importance of tourism to the local economy. The Chamber held a “Meet and Greet” breakfast at its offices and then a forum at the Atheneum where several local business owners and community members spoke. Legislators in attendance were: Rep. Corey Atkins and her assistant Joanne Muti; Sen. Kathleen O’Connor and her assistant Hailey Klein; and Reps. Paul Mark, Michael Finn and Timothy Madden. Citizen Police Academy The Police Department provided this information about the Citizen Police Academy: On April 17, 2014, the fifth class of the Town’s Citizen Police Academy graduated. In total 67 citizens have participated in the program. The following 13 citizens, who come from all walks of life, including high school students and retired citizens graduated in this class: Anthony Valero, Paige Buckley, Sonya Martel, Kevin Santangelo, Tyler Wheeler, Bonnie Sylvia, Richard Dauteuil, Blair Jannelle, Katelyn McGrath, Colby Roberts, William Sarnie, Colton Robinson, Wendy Clinton-Jannelle The initiation of the Citizen Police Academy was to bridge the gap between the Police Department and the people it serves. Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies tend to shroud themselves in secrecy. This is due to many factors, some of which are rights of privacy, court/case laws and court/case precedents. As a result, the public often does not understand why police officers handle some incidents the way they do. The public is not aware generally of the legal requirements that come into play. The C.P.A. is intended not only to remedy some of the misunderstanding but to allow citizens to experience some of the training and to have some "hands on" experience with situations that are normally not experienced outside law enforcement circles. During the ten week program, a wide variety of subjects are covered, including: • History of the Police Department, infrastructure, organization and facility tour • Dispatch Center & Criminal Arrest Warrants • Civil Process, School Resource Officer(s), Juvenile Detention • Surveillance • Drug investigations • Various specialized units and programs • Use of force continuum, fire arms, range shooting • Investigations • Patrol functions, K-9 unit, vehicle stops • Crime scene processing • SWAT Team • Graduation Participants are allowed to ride with a police officer to see firsthand what happens on the street. They can also spend time observing the inner workings of the Police Department. The C.P.A. is a 10 week program that takes place on Thursday evenings, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The next C.P.A. is anticipated to begin during the first week of October, 2014. Applications to enroll in the program may be obtained here, or from the Public Safety Facility at 4 Fairgrounds Road. Completed applications may be brought to the Public Safety Facility. The program is accepting applications now, and is on a first come, first serve basis, with a student capacity set at 15 students. There is no cost for the C.P.A. Academy participants are furnished with a notebook with information covering all the topics throughout the ten weeks. Pedestrians and Traffic Click here for an interesting article from a publication issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts about Round-a-bouts. Fertilizer Use Regulations This in from the Natural Resources Department: The Board of Health adopted fertilizer use regulations two years ago and the components to implement the regulations are now in place. Nearly 300 licenses (required for commercial fertilizer use) have been issued to date. The Natural Resources Department offered the course required to obtain the license on four separate occasions so far this year. The first course was on March 21st at the Nantucket Hotel and had nearly 190 attendees. The class was developed and instructed by the UMASS extension office. The primary speakers were Mary Owen, Dr. Scott Ebdon, Dr. Michelle DaCosta and Charles Bramhall of Harrells, LLC. The class was also held on April 4th, 10th and 11th. Based on demand we are intending to offer the class multiple times in May and periodically throughout the summer. We are working on developing specialty courses like gardening, flower beds, trees and shrubs. Another on-going goal is to have the classes available in Spanish. We have begun enforcement of the Board of Health regulations and despite some written warnings the majority of inspections have resulted in compliance and have been positive interactions. We are hoping to develop materials for homeowners and possible have small information cards or something like a refrigerator magnet for homeowners to be aware of the regulations and the questions they should be asking their landscapers. The entire staff of the Natural Resources Department has completed the course and a number of Department of Public Works and Public School employees have completed the course as well. Keep It Clean! Speaking of “fertilizer”, there are a lot of dogs on Nantucket. I would say that most dog owners are responsible enough to pick up after their dog(s) and dispose of their waste properly. Some however, are not and leave messes like this behind (this is at Coffin Park in April): Please, the Town is making strong efforts to provide dog waste bags at several locations – be a responsible person and do not leave your dog’s waste out for everyone to experience. New! Tick Testing Program At the April 23, 2014 Selectmen’s meeting, Health Officer Richard Ray announced a new tick testing program, which includes Nantucket and provided this information about it: FIND A TICK. TEST A TICK! Individuals may now test the tick they find either on or under their skin for tick- borne diseases prior to making the decision whether or not to seek medical treatment. This is excellent news for individuals who are concerned with taking too many antibiotics or demonstrate allergies or adverse reactions to common antibiotics used to treat tick-borne diseases. Individuals who find a deer tick on their personage may now send that deer tick to a University of Massachusetts Laboratory and receive a report of the diseases (Lyme, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis) present within that tick within 5 days or less. The process is easy. Simply log onto www.tickreport.com and fill out the forms on the website. You will immediately receive a number which you secure to a plastic sandwich bag with the tick inside, and mail to the address provided on the website. Or, visit the Health Department at 2 Fairgrounds Road where forms and a mailer envelope will be provided. These tests are free to the first 100 individuals who use either approach (website or Health Department). Following the first 100 tests, tick diagnostics are available for between $30 and $100 depending on the diseases tested. Individuals can find and connect to the website on the Health Department’s web page. Pond Openings These updates from Natural Resources: Sesachacha Pond This pond originally opened in less than optimal conditions on April 15th. We were forced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife requirements to complete the pond opening by April 15th due to the presence of a threatened species: the piping plover. The pond closed during the night and was found not to have flushed properly the next day. We gained permission to re-open the pond and completed that opening on April 21st. The pond remained open to tidal flushing until April 24th. The pond breeched itself due to wind on the 24th and closed again on the 25th. The pond continues to receive some overwash. There were no impacts to any threatened species and given the conditions I feel that this second opening was fairly successful. Sesachacha Pond panoramic view on 4/22/2014 Hummock Pond Based on recommendations from the Massachusetts Estuary Report for Hummock Pond Natural Resources worked within a pond opening “window” of as many ideal conditions as possible to allow the pond to be open for a minimum of four days. Prior to the opening we established a water sampling protocol, which is on-going, and with the assistance of SMAST staff (The School for Marine Science and Technology/UMass Dartmouth) selected the area of the opening and established transect lines to better approximate the channel widths. The basic parameters for opening conditions that we look for are the astronomical tides and to have winds out of the north. The pond is then opened on an outgoing tide to help the channel establish prior to the high tide cycle to help ensure that the channel stays open. Hummock Pond was opened on April 16th and remained open for entire tide cycles through April 20th. It continues to get seawater overwashing the beach and entering the pond at high tide. We achieved the goal of having the pond open for four days per the recommendation and are completing the water sampling program for its analysis to assess the success of the opening on water quality. Board of Selectmen Activities Coastal Management Plan At its April 23, 2014 meeting, the Board of Selectmen heard a presentation from Dr. Sarah Oktay, chair of the Board’s Coastal Management Plan Work Group. The Group has been meeting for well over a year, has held numerous forums and meetings and developed a Coastal Management Plan for the Town, with a number of action items. The plan also had input from officials of the state’s Coastal Zone Management office – who have advised that this is one of the first, if not the first, plan of its kind in the Commonwealth. Thank you, Work Group! On Saturday, May 10th, for the third year in a row, the Nantucket Board of Selectmen hosted the monthly Cape Cod & Islands Selectmen and Councilors Association meeting. It was held at the Brotherhood and the topic for discussion was “Coastal Erosion”. We provided two speakers, Dr. Sarah Oktay, vice chairman of the Conservation Commission and chairman of the Coastal Management Plan Work Group; and, Jeff Carlson, the Town’s Natural Resources Coordinator. Towns represented at the meeting included: Chatham, Harwich, Falmouth, Orleans, Eastham, Barnstable and of course, Nantucket. We were also joined by Representative Timothy Madden. There were a lot of questions and discussion about this topic of mutual interest. At its May 7, 2014 meeting, the Board discussed whether or not to submit comments regarding a request from the Hy-line to the Steamship Authority to replace its “slow boat” (the Great Point) with a new fast ferry. After a lot of discussion as to whether or not this service would impact the Airport, the Board issued a support letter with a comment. 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 Andrea Planzer who was appointed to the Airport Commission in 2013. Q: How long have you lived on Nantucket? A: My husband, Neil, and boys, Preston and Bobby and I were summer residents for many years until we, like many, fell in love with the island and chose to make it our full-time residence two years ago. Q: Where are you from? A: I was born and raised in Texas. I studied International Business at the University of Texas and went to SMU Law School. In the summer of 1985, while I was clerking for a law firm in Sweetwater, Texas, I got my pilot’s license. When I graduated from law school I moved to Washington, DC and practiced law at the Federal Aviation Administration. I was an aviation attorney for over twenty years before we decided to move permanently to Nantucket. Q: What is your job? A: Primarily, I manage our home and raise our children. I also manage several rental properties in Washington, DC and Nantucket. Q: How long have you served on the commission? A: I was appointed to the Airport Commission a year ago in 2013. Q: Have you served on any Town boards or committees besides that one? A: Although I have not had the privilege to serve on any other Town boards or committees, I am involved with the Friends of Nantucket Public Schools and hope to be on their Board soon. Q: What interests you about serving the Town that makes you want to be involved? A: I am thrilled to have the opportunity to combine my passion for aviation and love of Nantucket. I understand how critical the airport is to Nantucket and I believe that I can help the airport to better serve the community. Q: What is the most rewarding part of serving? A: It is rewarding to know that the airport can make a difference to our community. The airport has many untapped resources such as land that could be used for affordable or seasonal housing. I believe we can help the community while improving the airport’s financial sustainability. Q: What is the most challenging part? A: The most challenging part of the commission is ensuring that we stay focused on the needs of the community while improving the airport performance and passenger experience. Q: If you could change one thing about Town government, what would it be? A: I came from a large city where the local government was inefficient, ineffective and over half of the city council was under investigation or in jail. In contrast to DC, I find Nantucket government refreshing in its honesty and straightforwardness. I love the concept of town meeting where we can hear directly from one another. Q: What is your favorite spot on Nantucket? A: My favorite spot is Nobadeer Beach, watching airplanes landing or taking-off. The beach, the surf, the airplanes, all in one place, it’s my heaven. Mr. Butch Ramos has sent me some beautiful sunrise photos over the past couple of years, and this was a really good one he recently sent: Thank you Butch! MAY TRIVIA QUESTION Who brought his automobile to Nantucket in 1913 in spite of a special act which excluded vehicles from the island? APRIL TRIVIA QUESTION Who discovered the Island of Nantucket and in what year? Answer: Bartholomew Gosnold; 1602 CORRECT answers (as it turns out I should have given this question a lot more thought…): Jim Lentowski – who added: “what about the Native Americans?” Good point, Jim! Sarah Alger – who added: “are you talking about Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 or the Norse people who were here before that or the Native Americans who were here before that? Or do you mean when was Nantucket “discovered” by the rich and famous? I “discovered” it in the early 70’s.” Even better points, Sarah! DIFFERENT ANSWERS: Richard Ray had this to contribute: The town of Nantucket was “discovered” (again) in 1983 by 45 individuals from a large southern New England state while enjoying a somewhat off course bus tour whose driver mistakenly drove on the Steamship thinking it was the tunnel under the Cape Cod Canal. The flow of individuals from that southern New England state shows no sign of lessening!!! As always, ideas for future e-newsletter topics are welcome!