HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-08-20
ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS
Minutes of meeting at 10 A.M., SATURDAY, AUGUST: ~ 2005, in the
Town Annex Building Meeting Room.
1. Present: Roger Ernst, Bill Sherman, Jay Strauss, Duncan (Terry)
Sutphen, and Jim Treanor.
2. Acting Chair Terry Sutphen called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.
Minutes of the 8/13/05 meeting were distributed and approved.
3. Discussion turned to island issues of special importance to ACNVT
members, namely: the Master Plan and its treatment of secondary
dwellings, Town failures to enforce important regulations (see Para. 5
below), work of the Town Government Study Committee, e.g.,
possible proposals for structural changes such as bringing the various
land-use agencies under one planning director and coordinating
tourism concerns through a director of tourism, concerns about
population growth, and curbing traffic congestion.
4. More focused concerns included a bar on a second (February) hunting
season and getting MA legislative authority for imposing impact fees
on new island development projects. Roger, after recounting the
importance of unity of government, delegation of responsibilities and
minimal administrative overhead, expressed a desire that the
Steamship Authority avoid higher fees for summer residents.
5. A major concern about questionable Town enforcement of its
regulations centers on septic system inspections. Anecdotal accounts
suggest a "don't worry" casualness during inspections, e.g., those
mandated when property changes hands. Similar concern was
expressed about well water evaluations. Focusing ACNVT concern on
septic systems in harbor and pond watershed areas, suggestion was
made that we look at inspection reports for properties where turnover
has occurred in the last year or so. Bill Sherman undertook to obtain a
Town listing of recent residential property transactions and Jim
Treanor offered to look at selected Health Dept. records. Records that
suggested less than independent professional testing could be referred
to Howard for a better technical assessment.
6. The next ACNVT meeting is Saturday, September 10th, 10 a.m., in
the Town Building Annex. Our meeting was adjourned at 10:57 a.m.
~u~~
Bill Sherman