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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-06-28 ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS Meeting at 9:00 A.M. held Saturday, June 28, 2003, in the High School Cafeteria. 1. Present: Howard Blitman, Trig Cooley, Roger Ernst, Bill Sherman, Jay Strauss, Duncan Sutphen, Helene Weld, and Richard Wolfe. 2. Call to Order: The Chairman called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. with a quorum present. 3. Without objection, the chair declared the minutes of the previous meeting 9/13/02 approved as distributed. 4. After an introduction by our Chairman Roger Ernst, Finn Murphy, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, spoke of some principal concerns. But first he noted the commitment of the Board - at least a majority of it - to attend to the interests of the summer residents, notwithstanding they are without voting rights on the island; they carry some 79% of the residential tax levy currently. In FY03, the Board, in keeping with its goals and objectives: . Improved its working relations with the FinCom, got a favorable vote on a major override for Town operating funds, moved along the Town's legislative petition for authority to tack 1% on the State's sales tax here, held Town departments to level funding despite increasing population and accelerating employee health benefit costs, currently $12,000/year per employee. Negotiations with their union are a challenge. . Moved ahead with broad efforts to improve water quality, notably through the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan nearing July completion of Phase II by Earth Tech, flagging failed septic systems (especially 'hot spots')and coming up with design particulars for the new tertiary-level Surfs ide treatment plant and ideas for solving Madaket's water quality problems. For Madaket, a key question is how to freeze development potential while providing public sewer and water. (Howard Blitman commended funding from the Federal Housing Administration in the form of below-market-rate loan, alternatively, by tax-free bond issue - as done for the 'Sconset plant.)The Selectmen acting as the Board of Health have set an 18 month period for homeowners to hook up to the new Monomoy sewer line. A fine is now specified for illegal boaters' discharges into the harbor. . Set in motion the One Big Beach program to assure future public access to island beaches, including steps such as appointment of Beach Manager Amanda Bixby to assure beachfront owners that their interests are respected. The Beach Management Department will coordinate with Marine and Coastal Resources. . Took steps to mitigate in-town traffic and parking problems, e.g., set a zero-tolerance policy for parking violations to free up spaces held daylong by Core District employees. This season 42 summer specials have respective zone responsibilities, radio- linked to deal with ferry-arrivals traffic. Speed humps are increasingly sought by residents plagued by high-speed traffic. . Strengthened Town Administration management by channeling citizen requests first made to individual selectmen along to department heads via the Town Administrator and only with at least 3 selectmen endorsing departmental action on the request. (Micromanagement had been an abusive practice of prior boards.) 5. Finn Murphy went on to commend ACNVT's 2002 recommendations for Town revision of its licensing of island car rental agencies. These recommendations have successfully been implemented. Possible ACNVT projects for 2003 could be: . Determining whether anticipated capital costs such as the $30+ million for Surfs ide treatment plant should be paid for from betterments charges to users or from the general tax levy, or some combination. Commenting on the solid-waste plant (dump) partly funded from the tax levy, Finn noted desirability of one selectman carrying oversight responsibility for the plant operation, given its $2 million/year cost ($140/ton). . ACNVT could determine whether citizen efforts to separate recyclables are rewarded by actual recycling, or not. . ACNVT could bring to light what has happened to the promise of undergrounding utilities and the escrow account intended to finance undergrounding. . ACNVT might further develop ideas for relocation of bulk fuel storage tanks away from the Core District, e.g., toward the airport. (Harbor Fuel leases tanks from Winthrop. Nantucket Electric owns two, appropriately located toward the airport where NEC back-up turbine generators are located.) . Or ACNVT might figure out how best to exact payments from developers, such as impact fees, to offset the added costs with which development burdens the Town. Howard Blitman expressed interest in pursuing the question of impact fees. From his recent experience heading the National Society of Professional Engineers, he expressed confidence that such fees can successfully be imposed if sanctioned by Massachusetts law. Efforts of the State administration to reform the State's zoning laws hold some promise for the island. The town of Milton has an innovative approach and another MA town successfully charges developers $380/hour to meet with town planners. Howard spoke of 'recreational' fees, e.g., $1000/dwelling unit, exacted for added facilities needed with new developments. The Nantucket Land Council might be willing to re-visit the relocation of fuel tanks. undergrounding of utilities might best be taken up by the Civic League. Interest was expressed in having an ACNVT voice in how major infrastructure improvements are paid for. Evaluating the recycling program held some interest, as well. Choosing ACNVT's focus for 2003 will be on the agenda of our next meeting - set for Friday morning, July 18th at 9 a.m. in the high school cafeteria. 6. Concern was expressed that Town assessments are not increased promptly following completion of improvements and issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. Bill Sherman undertook to ask Town Assessor Debbie Dilworth about current practice. 7. Howard Blitman stressed the importance of careful inspection of new construction before issuance of a C. of o. He cited an instance ~ where a town was sued when damages were incurred in a substandard building for which a C. of o. had been improvidently granted. 8. (Re)election of ACNVT officers will be on the agenda of the next meeting. Helene Weld, responding to urgings, indicated her willingness to serve as Chair, with Roger Ernst as Vice-Chair and Bill Sherman as Secretary. (Nominations will, of course, be open to all ACNVT members.) 9. After setting July 18th at 9 a.m. for the next ACNVT meeting, the current meeting was adjourned at 10:22. Respectfully submitted, Bill Sherman, Secretary DATES OF INTEREST: JULY 18 9 A.M. ACNVT MEETS AT HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA AUGUST 5 7:30 P.M. AT THE HARBOR HOUSE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION VISION 20/20 SUMMER FORUM WITH SELECTMEN AUGUST 11 4 P.M. AT 'SCONSET CASINO CIVIC LEAGUE CENTENNIAL PROGRAM 8 :0 -l~ CiIIl ",,-, ~". ~:::- :z:: ~.. () r- r, ::J:? ::t:>> en o - .j::o. -0 """'~ --4 .....