Edgartown joined four other Island towns on Monday, issuing a letter of support for the Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank as it looks to make inroads at both the state and local level.

Members of the housing bank steering committee joined the Zoom select board meeting asking for a letter of support for a hearing on a transfer fee bill that takes place Tuesday in Boston.

Coalition coordinator Laura Silber stressed the importance of the bill, which enable Martha’s Vineyard to create an Islandwide housing bank modeled after the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank and funded through a transfer fee on real estate transactions. The coalition is drafting an article for annual town meetings in 2022, as well as working on the issue at the statehouse level.

“This is the transfer fee bill that’s backed by a very large state coalition, which our group is participating in,” Ms. Silber said. “It includes Boston, Somerville, Brookline, Concord, Truro, Nantucket, Chatham, Arlington, Northampton, among others. It’s very, very important that this bill be reported favorably out of the housing committee. It’s the bill that has the most momentum behind it and the largest state coalition behind it.”

Board members were unanimous in agreeing to a letter of support for the transfer fee legislation.

“A lot of hard work and good luck,” select board member Art Smadbeck told the group. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

But when asked by Ms. Silber if the vote also officially endorsed the local push to create a housing bank or if they would prefer to wait until a draft warrant article was available, board members said they wanted more time to discuss the issue.

“Before I vote to support something, I’d like to know what it is,” Mr. Smadbeck said. “So since that’s not critical at this point in time, if that’s okay with you guys we will leave that to getting worked out before we can offer any support to it.”

Board members Margaret Serpa and Michael Donaroma agreed.

In other business, Cammie Naylor of Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscape petitioned to have a shade tree removed and replaced at 33 North Summer street. The tree is a Norway maple, 32 inches in diameter and 50 feet height. “It’s a big old tree that has a lot of compromise,” Ms. Naylor said. “When I spoke to Bob Hagerty [a tree expert], he said it’s not a matter of if but when it’s going to fail. And it’s real close to buildings downtown in the street, as you know.”

Ms. Naylor proposed that the tree will be replaced by a Cleveland select pear tree.

Selectman Michael Donaroma recused himself from the discussion and vote.

The two other members unanimously approved the removal and replacement, with work to be done before the ground freezes.

Ted Rosbeck, the town’s appointed voting member to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, gave an update on the busy season the commission is having.

“One thing that’s come up a couple times now is how busy the commission is,” Mr. Rosbeck said. “And also there’s some legal and lawsuits going on that will likely drive legal [spending] a little higher.”

Mr. Rosbeck suggested that part of the reason the commission is so busy these days is due to expanding the DRI checklist.

“I’m not too sure why everyone’s shocked that the commission so busy, because when you expand the checklist that’s what happens,” he said.

Town administrator James Hagerty noted that Edgartown pays the largest share of the commission budget and so would be the most affected by any increases due to higher legal fees.

“Edgartown pays 41 per cent of that budget,” he said. “We’re obviously under the constraints of Prop two and a half. It’s in the operating budget. So when we do the budget hearings in January, February, those decisions have to be made because the whole town budget can’t increase exponentially. There’s only so many beans in the pot . . . It’s a good portion, roughly $500,000-plus that comes directly from the town’s operating budget.”

Board members thanked Mr. Rosbeck for keeping them updated on the work of the commission.

The board also voted to review on Nov. 8 extending seasonal liquor licenses past the traditional date of Nov. 30, and to shift when they review commercial marine license renewals to a calendar year basis going forward.