Notes for July 9, 2006 General Membership Meeting on "State of the Town" held at the Senior Center, 5 pm to 6:30 pm sponsored by the Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association, July 9, 2006
Present as a panel: The Town Selectmen- Dale Donovan, Mike May, Ira Wood, Jacqui Wildes-Beebe, Jerry Houk and the Town Assistant Administrator, Rex Peterson.
Lila Croen, chair of the meeting, opened with introductions and a request for the audience to fill out a survey of response to the meeting. After which, each panelist gave a brief statement.
Some points made were:
Plans for 335 Main Street, the building previously known as the Catholic Church, are progressing. The 335 Committee, some serving as much as six years, has obtained funds as a grant for a study for the best use for the property. As a result of that study, a private developer is being sought to help with the best use as proposed.
A new fire station is to be built on the Gutsy Bender property on Route 6. The property is purchased, architects are chosen and the start-up date of Spring 2007 has been determined.
A Housing Needs Assessment has been written for the Town. It is a planning tool showing the great need for more affordable housing. Plans are being made to do what can be done to meet that need.
A grant had been applied for from the EPA to finish a project; in it's third summer, of sampling the water in the Harbor. Ultimately, the project will lead to a Maximum Daily Nitrogen Loading for the Harbor. Through this project, the Town will get a better sense of the amount of nitrogen formed in the Harbor waters and can better address the causes.
Two Town committees are working to facilitate the Herring River restoration. The Herring River area involved is the largest salt marsh restoration on the East Coast. A consultant will write a restoration plan. Private property is the outstanding issue.
The audience of over 100 people asked questions:
1. Why do we need a new fire station? The one we have seems large and new.
Answer: We need a bigger station to hold more equipment needed for the influx of summer visitors and our distance from the hospital. Also, the old building was not well built.
2. Could we not combine with another town?
Answer: We have been trying to regionalize but due to jurisdiction problems, it was not an attractive solution.
3. What is the solution to a woman's story of being robbed and calling police, who told her no one could answer her call as they were all at lunch. She drove to the police station where she was told the same thing but asked to leave her phone number. She was never called. Another house in her area was robbed an hour later. When she heard that she called the police again, but has never been contacted.
Answer: Write the story down, and send a copy to the chief of police and to the selectmen, who will find out what happened. Do it even now.
4. Some towns provide wireless service to its members. Could that happen here?
Answer: In some areas in town DSL is available for a price. In other areas service is not available. There is a Cable Advisory Committee who can be contacted.
5. There has been a proposal made, because the Town is going through a Charter review, to forbid non-residents from serving on Town boards and committees and to write that into the new charter. This proposal gives non-residents a bad message from the Town. What is going on?
Answer: One said that it is felt that non-residents, due to their being here only part time, don't have the knowledge or commitment to serve adequately. Also, it would be hard for them to attend meetings given that many of them live far away. Not everyone feels that way, said another, non-residents have given good service in the past. Some think that non-residents should not serve on regulatory boards but on any other. The selectmen did not present that issue for a Town vote. We are encouraged to attend the Charter Review Committee meeting on July 18, at 7pm, in the basement of Town Hall.
Note: #5. What has actually been proposed is that only registered voters can serve on regulatory boards and commissions. At the present time, no mention has been made of other committees or boards.
6. Are proposed changes downtown consistent with the National Historic District rules?
Answer: We are not a National Historic District.
7. Signs governing dogs at Indian Neck are confusing. Can you fix it?
Answer: We'll see what we can do.
8. The power lines in the middle of Wellfleet are on private property. Vehicles drive over that property to deal with the power lines. Can someone put up signs and make a statement in the Chamber of Commerce booklet that the property is private to discourage non-authorized vehicles from trespassing?
Answer: You can put up private property signs.
9. Ira Wood stated that he thought that we had issues with the police and might plan a meeting with the police chief as part of our summer meetings.
10. What about the water issue?
Answer: We have several issues. The allocation of the downtown water is one. Several places in town have trouble with salinity. Sewage is linked to Town water as the wells are seriously impacted by leaking septic tanks in some places. The Harbor water affecting our aquaculture is impacted by runoff, and leaking wastewater as well. The Harbor Management Plan deals with some of these matters.
11. What other issues of this magnitude are before the Town?
Answer: Affordable Housing for the younger generation; teachers, plumbers, service people, etc.
12. What about the poor state of the Transfer station?
Answer: We have a low rate here and will for the next seven years. We have money in the budget to begin the process of planning a new transfer station.
13. Is there a long-range capitol program to project costs and income for the Town in the future?
Answer: Yes. The Finance Committee meets on Thursday night.
14. Is there a plan for a total permanent resident population? What services are planned for them?
Answer: Yes, a projection of 5,000 to 6,000 by 2020. Now we have a winter rate of 3,000. The problems are going to be traffic, water, sewer, etc.
15. In South Wellfleet, on Route 6, a foundation was poured for a storage facility. Nothing has been built and now there is a fence around it. What has happened?
Answer: A rare plant species was found there. Nothing can be done to disturb that plant.
This matter is currently under discussion with the owner.
16. Was there a resolution to the issue of snow plowing on private roads?
Answer: There was no final decision. There will be a meeting in August to address it.
17. Could there be grading during the summer to roads disturbed by Town snow plowing?
Answer: No answer.
18. What can you do about signs for private roads?
Answer: Contact the DPW about signs for private roads. They may send you to a private sign maker. They will be a different color from the Town signs.
19. Congratulations on the new ramps. Will more slips be added later?
Answer: There is not a lot of room for these large boats we have today. The whole Cape has a shortage. Fifteen transient slips will be added this summer at the new dock. We have hope for more in the future. There is a problem with the canoes and kayaks at Gull Pond. People are paying the money to reserve a spot but putting no boat there. We have decided to make a policy of one year for an unused spot and after that time the spot goes to the next person in line. We are also having some trouble with vandalism in the winter, for people who leave their boats there all year around.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary von Kaesborg for Lila Croen, Secretary
| 
