Wellfleet Town Meeting approves town planner, wastewater facility financing
Editor's note: A correction was made on Sept. 19, 2023, to the spelling of a name.
WELLFLEET — Two big-ticket articles — one to hire a new town planner and another to amend and supplement a borrowing authorization for a wastewater facility treatment facility — passed special town meeting relatively easily Monday night. The two appropriations will now be decided by town election voters on Sept. 27.
The $145,000 planner position carries an annual tax impact of $32 on a home valued at $789,000, the average-valued home in Wellfleet. The borrowing authorization (assuming a 20-year bond) for the wastewater treatment facility will raise property tax by about $29 a year for the average-valued home.
Resident Dennis O'Connell was in favor of hiring someone to work with town staff, boards and committees on what are sometimes complicated land use and zoning issues.
"We've been cruising along with volunteers," he said, adding it was time to bring a professional on board.
Ten articles dealing with bylaw changes and amendments took up hours at the special town meeting. Housing affordability underscored many of those bylaws.
A nip bottle ban, which was ultimately defeated, brought up scores of speakers to the microphones. The prevailing sentiment seemed to be that such a ban would hurt the three liquor stores in town. Had the article passed, Wellfleet would have joined Falmouth and Mashpee as the only towns on the Cape with a nip ban.
Shellfisherman Brad Morse, an alternate on the town's Shellfish Advisory Board, moved to indefinitely postpone citizen petition articles 15, 16 and 17, all of which concerned dredging plans for Wellfleet Harbor. The select board's recent vote not to carry through with a mitigation plan rendered the petitions moot, Morse said.
TOWN MEETING RESULTS
WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBER | WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT? | PASSED, FAILED, POSTPONED |
|---|---|---|
1. FY 2024 budgetary transfers | Transfer $23,070 for FY 2024 beach expenses. | Passed |
2. Phase 1 wastewater treatment facility | Amend and supplement previous town meeting authorization so the town can get better financing terms and seek grants. | Passed |
3. EIA septic program | Amend the previous $250,000 authorization to allow the town to borrow through the State Revolving Fund at a lower interest rate. | Passed |
4, New town planner position | Raise, appropriate or transfer money to fund a $145,000 town planner position. | Passed |
5. Bylaw - inclusionary zoning | Add new Section 6.28, Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw to support affordable housing efforts. | Passed |
6. Bylaw - cottage colonies | Amend definitions of what constitutes a cottage colony. | Passed |
7. Bylaw - multi-family dwellings | Add an amendment that would change the minimum lot size for multi-family dwellings. | Passed |
8. Bylaw - Tree definition | Add definitions of trees and timber in the zoning bylaw. | Passed with amendment, Trees of 16 inches or more. |
9. Bylaw - cutting timber | Update bylaw, begin community wildfire protection plan. | Passed |
10. Bylaw - locally notable trees | Stricter bylaw for cutting and trimming large trees. | Passed with amendment striking "municipal" |
11. Bylaw - enforcement penalty | Increase fines for Alternative Dwelling Unit (ADU) noncompliance. | Passed |
12. Bylaw - nip bottle ban | Prohibit nip sales | Did not pass |
13. Bylaw - animal control regulations | Amend and update current bylaws in keeping with state law. | Passed |
14. Bylaw - animal control - beaches | Definitions and penalties added to bylaw. | Passed |
15. Citizen Petition - dredging | Any mitigation plan that relies on private property agreements needs voter approval. | Indefinitely postponed |
16. Citizen Petition - dredging | Any disposition of town owned land needs voter approval. | Indefinitely postponed |
17. Citizen Petition - dredging | Appropriate $7.5 million to dredge Wellfleet Harbor, but not costs associated with a mitigation plan. | Indefinitely postponed |
18. Board and committee reports | Opportunity for Select Board, town officers, and committees to report in an effort to encourage residents to get involved in town government. | Passed |
For more information about the articles on the special town meeting warrant go to: https://www.wellfleet-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5166/f/pages/2023_stm_warrant_final.pdf
Denise Coffey writes about business and tourism. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Wellfleet town meeting approves wastewater treatment, town planner
