Town Meeting Tomorrow!

Annual Town Meeting will be held indoors tomorrow, Saturday, May 6th beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Monomoy Regional Middle School gymnasium, 425 Crowell Road. Warrants have been mailed to the households of registered votes. Please bring your copy of the warrant with you to the Meeting!

Every article matters! Please attend the entire meeting. Please consider bringing water and a snack with you in case the meeting runs into lunch time.

At check-in, registered voters will be issued an electronic voting device or "clicker." The devices feature 5 buttons but only the top two - the green #1 button for a "yes" vote and the red #2 button for a "no" vote - will be enabled for Annual Town Meeting. Practice votes will be taken at the outset of the Meeting to give everyone the opportunity to try out the clickers before getting to voting on articles. The Moderator will determine which articles are voted by voice and which will be voted electronically. Please be sure to return your clicker in the designated bins upon your exit!

For a comprehensive review of the articles in the warrant, please take the time to watch the 2023 Annual Town Meeting preview show.

Transportation and Parking

A drop off area at the front of the school will be available for those with mobility challenges. We also encourage carpooling!

Primary parking will be located at the Middle School itself. Volunteers will be on hand to ensure that parking is as efficient as possible to accommodate as many vehicles as possible. Secondary parking is available in the lot on Stepping Stones Road which is a short walk to the school. Additional parking is available at the Public Works Facility at 221 Crowell Road. Pedestrian access to the school from the Public Works facility is available via the Old Colony Rail Trail and shuttle to the school via golf cart will be available for those in need of assistance.

Consent Calendar 101

In an effort to streamline Town Meeting action, the Moderator may propose a “Consent Calendar” consisting of Articles from the Warrant that he has determined to be generally routine, non-controversial, and are reasonably expected to pass unanimously. This group of Articles are proposed to be voted as one block.

The Moderator will read each Article included in the Consent Calendar and if any one voter objects to its inclusion and desires the Article to be debated and voted on separately he/she should indicate such by calling out “hold” or “remove.”

The article will be removed and acted on in the usual manner when it is reached in numerical order.

When all Articles have been read, the Moderator will seek a unanimous vote on those Articles remaining on the Consent Calendar. By that vote, all Articles will be considered passed.

The Articles proposed for inclusion in the Consent Calendar are:

Article 3 Prior Year's Bills Payment

Article 5 Fixed Salaries of Elected Officials

Article 6 Consolidated Revolving Funds

Article 9 Wood Waste Reclamation Facility Enterprise Fund

Article 13 Monomoy Regional School District- PEG Fund

Article 30 George Ryder Connector Easement Acquisition

Article 35 Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Liability Trust Fund

Article 39 Opioid Settlement Funds

Article 46 Community Preservation Act (CPA) Administrative Budget

Article 47 CPA – Reserves

Article 49 CPA – Marconi Lattice Towers Preservation/Restoration & Relocation

Article 50 CPA – South Chatham Library

Article 51 CPA – Cemetery Headstones Restoration

Article 52 CPA – Railroad Museum

Article 54 CPA – Chatham Marconi Maritime Center Archives

Article 55 CPA – Salt Marsh Study

Article 56 CPA – Open Space Trail Guides

Article 57 CPA – Bikeways Improvements – George Ryder Road

Article 59 CPA – Jackknife Harbor Beach

Annual Town Election

Please come out on Thursday, May 11th in the Annual Town Election. Polls are open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the Community Center, 702 Main Street.

In addition to elections of one Select Board Member, three Monomoy Regional School District Representatives, and one Chatham Housing Authority Member, there are four ballot questions. Questions 1-3 seek exemption from Proposition 2 1/2 for funding Article 18 - Center for Active Living, Article 27 - Transfer Station Improvements, and Article 28 - Replacement of Belt Filter Press at the wastewater Treatment Facility respectively. Question 4 seeks affirmation of amendments to the Town's Home Rule Charter passed by 2022 Annual Town Meeting.

Voters may vote absentee in-person at the Town Clerk's Office, 549 Main Street up until 12:00 noon on Wednesday, May 11th.

Low Lying Road Project

The Town and the Cape Cod Commission will hold a virtual public workshop on the Low Lying Roads Project on Wednesday, May 31st at 7 p.m.

The workshop will provide the opportunity to learn about the goals and objectives of the low lying roads project and hazards associated with coastal flooding to low lying roads.

Low lying Town roads will be evaluated and which roads are most critically at risk and would have the most community impact will be discussed.

Priority road segments that should be considered for adaptation solutions in the next project phase will be identified.

For more information visit the Low Lying Road Project webpage. If you have questions contact Chatham's Director of Natural Resources Dr. Robert Duncanson or Heather McElroy at the Cape Cod Commission.

Follow this link to join the meeting. Passcode:join. To participate by phone, call (929) 205-6099; meeting ID: 935 5189 6265.

Light the Night for fallen firefighters May 4 to 7

FD Lights it Up Red

In honor of the 144 fallen firefighters in 2022, the Chatham Fire Department will join the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and landmarks, businesses and homes across the country in participating in Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters. This weekend the Fire Station will be lit up in red to remember the sacrifice of America's fallen fire heroes.

Special thanks to our Facility Foreman Richard Corres for creating custom red lens coverings to make this possible as swapping out lightbulbs in the FD light fixtures was not possible.

Next Week's Road Work

Shore Road

Road construction is expected to begin on Shore Road from Barcliff Ave. to Chatham Bars Ave. on Monday, May 8^th. Work will include reconstruction of the existing pavement, adjusting water valves and drainage structures, overlay of final pavement, and line striping. Work will be performed daily during daylight hours and favorable weather conditions.

Access to residences and businesses in the affected area will be maintained throughout construction with temporary interruptions. Construction signs, message boards, and Chatham Police officers will be on-site to assist traffic in reaching their destination. All work is expected to be completed by Friday, May 19th. We ask that you avoid the area during this time, if possible, to reduce traffic delays and work disruptions.

Crowell Road

Limited paving may take place to improve roadway conditions.

Morton, Middle and Mill Hill Roads

Sewer lateral work is tentatively scheduled to begin on Morton Road and will continue on Middle Road. Police details will be in place to assist motorists.

Water service and sewer lateral work will continue on Mill Hill Road. Travel will be limited to one lane alternating traffic.

Coffee with Fire Chief Justin Tavano at the Center for Active Living on May 17th

Join Fire Chief Justin Tavano for coffee at the Center for Active Living, 193 Stony Hill Rd.

Hurricane Preparedness

National Hurricane Preparedness Week concludes tomorrow but there is still time to prepare before the 2023 hurricane season is officially underway on June 1st.

Now is the best time to prepare. Build a Kit while the store shelves are full and you don't have to fight your neighbor for the last pack of "D" batteries. Have enough non-perishable food, water, and medicine to last each person in your family at least three days. Store additional water, if possible. Have extra cash on hand, a battery powered radio and flashlights. Consider getting a portable crank or solar powered USB charger for your cell phone or an external rechargeable power bank.

And don't forget your pets! Include food and water for them, along with an extra collar or leash in your kit. Store a picture of their current rabies certificate and local licensing information in your cell phone in case you need to evacuate.

Make a Plan and share it with your family and friends. Determine meeting places and make sure to include an out-of-town location in case of evacuation. Write down a physical list of emergency contacts and include utilities and other critical services. Identify a family member or friend outside of our area that can act as a common point of contact if you are separated.

2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season storm names in black in front of a satellite image of a hurricane in gray

Next Select Board Meeting - May 9, 2023 @ 5:30 p.m.

All are welcome to attend and participate in our open and public meetings. The agenda for each meeting is posted 48 business hours prior to the scheduled meeting time and can be accessed through the Select Board’s webpage.

Attend in-person at the Town Office Annex, Large Meeting Room. Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 203 386 491#.

I. Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) Board of Trustees Meeting

A. Convene AHTF Board of Trustees

B. Habitat for Humanity request for construction completion date extension for project at 19 & 25 George Ryder Road South from May 23, 2023 to July 31, 2023

C. Adjourn AHTF Board of Trustees Meeting

II. Select Board Meeting

A. Convene Select Board

B. Minutes

1. May 2, 2023

C. Public Announcements and Agenda Item Requests

D. Public Comments on Business Agenda

E. Business Agenda (Board Discussion Items)

1. Seasonal Closure of Buck’s Creek on May 15th (Shellfish Constable Renee Gagne)

2. One -Day Special Alcohol Permits

i. Melissa Miller, June 3, 2023, 193 Main Street

ii. Local Color Gallery, May 19, 2023, 4-8 p.m., 1652 Main Street

iii. Puritan Cape Cod, May 19, 2023, 573 Main Street

3. Use of Veterans Field; Fireworks; Sunday, July 2, 2023 (Steve West)

4. 2023 Annual Town Meeting – Review/Discussion/Follow-up Items

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

Town of Chatham website www.chatham-ma.gov