Yarmouth to hold town meeting on Tuesday night
YARMOUTH ― Voters at the Nov. 15 Yarmouth Special Town Meeting are scheduled to consider more than 20 articles, including steps to fund a study that will recommend several reuses of the Mattacheese Middle School.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in the middle school at 400 Higgins Crowell Road.
Article 23, which proposes amendments to the accessory dwelling unit zoning bylaw, has been postponed and will likely be dealt with during the spring town meeting.
During a Board of Selectmen meeting on Wednesday, town officials discussed the warrant outlining each article.
Treatment system to remove PFAS from water
A big-ticket item on the warrant asks voters to raise and appropriate, borrow, and/or transfer from available funds $5 million to design and build a temporary PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substance, treatment system at two wells.
In 2021, two of the town's wells exceeded Massachusetts' newly created maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in drinking water and were shut down. Department of Public Works Director Jeffrey Colby said the source is unknown, though the town has done some studies to pinpoint the cause.
"There's no smoking gun," said Colby, saying his professional opinion is the chemicals are from septic systems.
PFAS are a group of thousands of man-made chemicals, some of which have been linked to increased risk of some cancers, reduced immune system effectiveness, hormone disruption, developmental delays in children and increased cholesterol levels.
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The treatment system would allow the Water Division to bring the two wells back online in the shortest time possible, according to the town.
Once treatment is no longer needed on the wells south of Captains Village, the system could be used at other wells if needed.
"That's why the wording is mobile and reusable because it can be moved around," Colby said.
The proposal would also enable town officials to apply for and accept any federal, state, county, or other funds available to offset the cost.
Study for Mattacheese Middle School redevelopment
Article 15 asks whether the town will use $225,000 from free cash to fund a study to analyze, assess, plan, and recommend three to five alternatives for the reuse and redevelopment of Mattacheese Middle School.
Along with the middle school, the adjacent M.E. Small Elementary School would also be under study. The town has also considered moving that school.
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Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District will vacate the West Yarmouth Middle School in January 2023 to move to the new school on Station Avenue.
A successful vote on the article would also authorize the Board of Selectmen to appoint a Mattacheese Utilization Committee to oversee the study. That committee would combine comments from the community with technical information to determine several reuse scenarios that could help develop education, economy, housing, parks, tourism, and more in Yarmouth.
Transferring opioid settlement funds
If voters approve Article 3, $9,555.68 from free cash will be appropriated and transferred to the opioid settlement expenses account for costs related to substance abuse prevention or other related actions. The capital was received during the previous fiscal year as Yarmouth's share of the National Opioid Settlement, which requires appropriation and must be directly spent on substance-abuse prevention efforts.
In total, the town received $275,000 from the settlement, Town Administrator Robert Whritenour said during a board of selectmen meeting on Wednesday. These funds will be distributed over a 17-year period.
"While we don't get the funds upfront, at least it's good to have an ongoing revenue source that will be expended under the direction of the substance abuse committee for their programming," he said. "We'll be seeing these types of articles that take the annual portion ... and will distribute that directly into our accounts to support the substance abuse committee's efforts."
Funds for historic preservation
Article 20 asks voters to transfer and appropriate $50,000 from Community Preservation Act money to pay for a design and engineering plan for the rehabilitation of the historic barn at the 200-year-old Taylor Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port.
The capital would fund the professional services needed, such as site survey, civil engineering, permitting, and mechanical system design for phase II rehabilitation efforts at the farm, including internal and external finishes.
West Yarmouth land purchase for housing
Voters are also expected to consider whether to buy or take by eminent domain a 9.6-acre property on Higgins Crowell Road. The vacant, undeveloped land has been approved for 10 units of single-family housing.
The property is owned by the Diocese of Fall River and has been appraised by the town for about $1.5 million.
"We entered into an agreement to purchase the property subject to town meeting approval well under that $1.5 million," Selectman Mark Forest said during the meeting.
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Whritenour said there is also $300,000 in a Massachusetts Drinking Water Supply Program Grant that further defrays the cost.
This acquisition would also align with the goals of the town's Open Space and Recreation Plan and Water Master Plan, which recommends the town considers acquiring properties within 1,000 feet of existing wells.
Contact Zane Razzaq at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @sanerazz.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Yarmouth to hold Town Meeting on Tuesday night
