Here's how Brewster voted on a plastic ban, nip bottle ban and millions in school budgets

BREWSTER — Whether or not the elementary schools and Nauset Regional School District get the extra funding officials say is now up to voters who cast ballots at the May 16 town election. The extra funding is to cover increased expenses while maintaining programs.

A pair of school budget overrides coming in just shy of a combined $965,000 were approved at Monday night's annual town meeting, clearing the first of two hurdles. If they are approved at the polls, they will be implemented, adding about $106 per year to the average tax bill.

Town meeting also adopted a "nip" bottle ban, directed the town's leadership to seek special legislation to turn Wing Island over to the town conservation commission, and indefinitely postponed a proposal to ban food establishments from using plastic takeout ware, among other decisions.

Gathered at the Stony Brook Elementary School, 384 Underpass Road, voters took four hours to dispense with 27 business items, including adopting a $25.3 million town operating budget, a 4.2% increase, without any debate.

School overrides clear the first of two decision points.

After extensive discussion, voters OK'd both a $316,878 operating override to support the Stony Brook and Eddy elementary school budgets, and a $647,720 override to support the Nauset Regional School District budget.

Both overrides are necessitated because of significant increases in special education expenses and supporting greater social and emotional needs among students, transportation and utilities, school officials said. For the regional district, increased costs associated with school choice and charter school tuitions were also cited.

If approved, the first override will bring the elementary school budget to $11.1 million, and the town's share of the Nauset regional budget to $15.5 million.

If approved, the elementary school override will add 6 cents per $1,000 of valuation to the tax rate, resulting in a permanent increase of about $35 to the average property tax bill, based on an average home valuation of about $636,000. The second override, if approved, will add 11 cents per $1,000 to the tax rate, resulting in a permanent increase of about $71 for the average taxpayer.

At least two more member towns must approve the Nauset school override for increases to pass.

The other school district towns — Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet — are also slated to consider overrides in support of the Nauset school budget. Three of the four member towns must approve their override amounts before the full budget can take effect; in that case, the fourth town would be required by state law to fund its full share.

But if fewer than three towns OK the override, Nauset would have to submit a revised budget within 30 days, and the towns would have to call a special town meeting to act on it.

Brewster will petition the state to transfer Wing Island to conservation.

In other business, voters gave the Select Board their blessing to petition the state legislature to transfer control and care of Wing Island to the town Conservation Commission, and give over the land's designated uses from public bathing and recreational to conservation and open space.

The town's attorney previously said, since Wing Island is protected under Article 97 of the state constitution, transferring control requires a special act of the legislature.

Voters were not so positive about two Wing Island-inspired bylaws proposed via citizen petitions, brought forward as a result of controversy around proposed boardwalk plans many feared would bring too much traffic to the barrier island and surrounding saltmarsh.

First, the body turned down a proposed bylaw requiring town meeting approval before the town can spend more than $100,000 on developing, improving or altering land under the town's care, no matter what the funding source. Instead they kept in place the present process, which allows the town to undertake projects without a town meeting vote as long as funds come from gifts or grants.

Opponents argued it would overly restrict the town's ability to complete important grant-funded improvement projects in a timely manner, and to take advantage of time-sensitive grant programs.

Voters also withheld support from a bylaw requiring any anonymous gifts to the town be accompanied by "full disclosure of the terms and conditions of anonymous gifts so that the voters have the benefit of complete disclosure and transparency."

Proponents noted the bylaw was "driven by an anonymous gift to the Brewster Conservation Trust, which it in turn pledged to the Town of Brewster for the construction of a boardwalk to be named after the anonymous donor – after it was built."

Voters narrowly defeated the proposal, 147 opposed to 135 in favor. Town Manager Peter Lombardi pointed out that the Select Board informs the public about gifts already, and did so with the Wing Island offer last August.

Brewster bans the sale of nip bottles.

Voters also decided to ban the sale of miniature single-use containers for alcoholic beverages — so-called "nip" bottles, which are not recyclable. The ban will take effect Jan. 1.

Recycling Commission Chairman Meg Morris said nip bottle litter is "a major problem" in the town. Last year, for example, “Beautify Brewster” volunteers collected 2,767 nip bottles in one day along some Brewster streets.

Similar bans have been adopted in other communities, including Falmouth and Wareham, and were "found to be lawful by the Massachusetts Attorney General," according to the town.

Proposed plastic food container and utensil ban indefinitely postponed.

Voters took a pass on accepting a proposal to ban single-use plastic takeout containers and utensils in Brewster, voting 253 to 134 to indefinitely postpone it.

The measure — developed by Cape Cod environmental advocacy group Sustainable Practices — sought to prohibit food establishments from dispensing prepared foods to customers in disposable containers made of plastic and bar them from providing plastic utensils.

The same bylaw has been submitted to Eastham and Harwich. It was also discussed at Sandwich town meeting Monday night, as well as last month at the town meetings in Provincetown, Falmouth and Yarmouth.

Sandwich rejected the ban, while Provincetown indefinitely postponed it so the petitioner could work with local businesses to see how it could be enacted. Falmouth voters called for the formation of a committee to create a revised proposal and return for a decision in the fall. Yarmouth adopted the ban.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Brewster Town Meeting adopts nip bottle ban, but postpones plastic ban