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Home My WebLink About2015-7-18ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS Minutes of meeting 10 A.M., SATURDAY, July, 18, 2015, at 4 Fairgrounds Road 1. Attending: Howard Blitman, David Brown, Lucas Fischer (from 10:09 a.m.), Don Green (after 10:16 a.m.), Bill Sherman, and Tony Walsh - -- plus our guest selectman Rick Atherton, also guests Jay Strauss, Holly Wilson and Ken Gentner. Members absent: Lou Bassano, Peter Kahn and Susan Matloff. 2. ACNVT Chair Howard Blitman called the meeting to order at 10:01 and, noting that a quorum of 8 was not present, went on to introduce our guest Rick Atherton, currently selectman and formerly Chair of the BOS. 3. Responding to a first question, Rick summarized status of town bike paths. Selectman Tobias Glidden is currently exploring possibilities for a third way out of town from the Steamboat wharf. (See article in 7/15/15 I &M.) The RR causeway from Washington Street is occasionally used by bikers but many questions arise in further developing it as a bike path. A busy bike crossing of lower Orange Street near Marine Home Center would certainly impact auto traffic. 4. Small roundabouts are envisioned to ease traffic entering Surfside Road from Bartlett as well as at the Fairgrounds intersection with Old South Road. While a high priority, funding remains a key problem. 5. Efforts to curb the excess Fourth of July partying at Nobadeer beach in future could be modeled on success in curbing the earlier Madequecham jam. Excesses at Figawi weekend also need a fuller response. 6. Answering a question by Ken Gentner, Rick noted concerns about the Ch 40B project proposed off Old South Road by the Richmond Group (Phil Pastan). That followed a vote at 2015 ATM and in context of remedial efforts to clean up the property. Howard Blitman expressed his preference for 100% affordable housing subsidized by the federal government. There followed a discussion of the role of the Planning Board and the extent of proffers and local control. Little optimism was expressed that mitigation efforts would offset anticipated adverse impacts. (Typical of infrastructure shortfall linked to development was the poor drainage along Nobadeer Farm Road as the various projects were completed. The Town bore the cost of fixing it.) In any event, the Richmond Group has rights along with its responsibilities and has brought necessary funding to deal with existing shortcomings of the property. 7. On broader aspects of providing affordable island housing, Rick noted that more employer - provided housing is a partial answer but doesn't meet the needs of workers in landscaping (-500 employees) and construction trades. A possible 80 units around 4 Fairgrounds is envisioned. But the existing low percentage of affordable housing leaves the island open to 40B projects overriding local zoning. The Town could take further initiatives through zoning and otherwise and, alternatively, can oppose 40B applications (to the Zoning Board) with the state likely to support the 40B applicant. State -level changes in the 40B legislation have been proposed but face hurdles. 8. In principle 10 island taxpayer can take the initiative to present a warrant article addressing affordable housing if they have, for example, an innovative zoning change to propose. 9. Answering Tony Walsh's question about a BOS Chair's impact on policy, Rick recalled his regular meeting as BOS Chair, along with the BOS Vice - Chair, with the Town Manager. That provided occasion for going through current Town issues. But actual policy setting still remained with the BOS. Doubtless useful to the Town Manager was gaining a better sense of BOS thinking beyond what could be learned in formal sessions. 10. Whether the MA General Court will approve Nantucket's latest home rule petition to return the HDC to elected rather than appointed membership is questioned. Few run for election to a seat on the HDC. In Boston Don Wolf and Tim Madden represent Nantucket in such legislative matters. As with other advisory committees, ACNVT should not express its recommendations directly to legislative representatives but rather to the BOS. Members are free, of course, to express purely personal preferences as they choose. I I. On the question of alternatives to our present open Town Meeting form of government, Rick does not prefer a change. Democratic participation of all voters who show up assures representation of a range of interests. Representative Town Meeting by contrast offers representation only of those interests held by the fewer number who are elected to the task. The elected Major /Council form generally puts much power in the Mayor's office but arguably is more efficient in regular Council meetings versus few Town Meetings. Similarly the Council/Manager form has its efficiencies but is less responsive to voters. Nantucket strives for keeping a balance between responsiveness and governing efficiency. 12.After thanking Rick for his lively participation, Chair Howard Blitman opened discussion of ACNVT's stiff quorum requirement (quorum is 8, total current membership 9) and its need for renewal of officers. Howard recalled discussion at the last ACNVT meeting of the possibility of co- Chairs if no ACNVT member were willing to serve as Chair, allowing Howard to step down after many years as Chair. [Howard and Bill Sherman both turn 89 later this year.] Absent a quorum, election of officers was deferred until next meeting. Absent a quorum, no motion could be acted upon to request that a more flexible quorum be enacted at Town Meeting by amending the ACNVT Bylaw (but a consensus clearly favored a BOS initiative to do that). Jay Strauss indicated that he would seek reappointment, though a (limited) voter at Town Meeting, to increase chances of a quorum. 13.David Brown (President of Nantucket Community Association) announced that the 2015 Summer Forum, co- sponsored by NCA and ACNVT, will be Monday morning July 27 at 9:30 a.m. in the second -floor room of the Atheneum. While BOS Chair Bobby DeCosta and selectman Matt Fee are not expected to attend, the other 3 plus Town Manager Libby Gibson and many of her department managers will be there. ACNVT members are urged to attend. In this context Rick observed that ACNVT has as much potential influence as it could want. 14.Recalling that ACNVT had its origins in the controversy when the BOS raised the residential exemption to 20 %, the BOS may soon be free to go to 30% with state legislative authorization. [The residential exemption is a complicated formula which lightens the real estate tax paid by year -round residents by reducing their assessment a fixed amount.] At 20 %, year -round voters have clearly favored budget constraints. Would 30% significantly relax that constraint? Residential taxpayers, both year -round and seasonal, are favored by a tax rate lower than for commercial property. 15.A question was raised: what percentage of total real estate tax revenue is paid by the top ten highest - paying taxpayers (residential and commercial)? 16.The meeting was recessed at 11:09 a.m. until [the next ACNVT meeting set for] August 1, 2015 (10 a.m. Saturday morning in the PSF Commmunity Room). Respectfully submitted, Bill Sherman, Secretary Draft minutes e- distributed 7/27/15. Minutes adopted 8/15/15, posted 8/17/15 and hard copy submitted to Town Clerk 8/18/15