In Tisbury: Tisbury Voters Back Main Street Renovation

By JOSHUA SABATINI

Tisbury residents this week green-lighted major structural
improvements in town by approving both the initial phases of the
ambitious Main street project and the construction of a harbor
master's facility at the foot of Owen Park.

In the first session of annual town meeting, 273 of 2,457 registered
voters - about 11 per cent - visited the Tisbury School
gymnasium to sound off on the town's future. Selectman Ray LaPorte
said it was the largest crowd he had seen in 15 years of attending town
meetings.

When all was said and done, voters approved a $14,496,931 operating
budget, the borrowing of $918,000 for the Main Street Project and the
spending of almost $1 million in other capital improvements.

Fred LaPiana, director of the department of public works, introduced
the three items on the town warrant related to the Main Street Project,
a comprehensive plan to provide aesthetic improvements to Tisbury when
the downtown streets and sidewalks are dug up to install sewer lines for
a wastewater treatment system.

"We have a big challenge ahead of us," he said.
"We have a number of issues to address before we move ahead"
with the project.

Addressing the first article related to the Main Street Project,
voters took the first step toward borrowing $493,000 to install an
underground electrical conduit that provides the opportunity to bury
electrical cables that are now overhead. An estimated $1.2 million would
be needed to actually bury the cables in the future.

"We can bury the cable five, six years from now," said
one resident who supported the expenditure. "But without the
conduit you'll never be able to do it."

Travis Tuck spoke in agreement, suggesting it would be
"shortsighted" to not take advantage of the opportunity.

"The next time we will have this chance is when we put a
subway in to West Chop," said Mr. LaPorte. "It's not
going to happen. . . . [P]ut the conduit in."

A resident who opposed the expense charged that it would be unfair
to raise taxes for an improvement that would benefit only the business
community. But the article passed nevertheless.

Now residents must again vote to borrow the money at town elections
on May 7.

There was no debate on the second project-related article, on
resurfacing the downtown streets - "to put the streets back
together once they are ripped up," as Mr. LaPiana said - and
it passed easily.

The final project-related item addressed the materials to be used
for the sidewalk. Mike Ciancio advocated concrete, calling the present
brick sidewalk "disgusting and nasty."

Anson Krickl, chairman of Islanders for Universal Access, said
concrete is the best surface for wheelchair use; others said it is
dangerous to use a cane on a brick walkway.

An amendment was adopted downgrading the materials from brick to
concrete, at a cost savings of $189,000.

The third article also was amended to provide for a design review
committee to consist of five members, one each from DPW, the board of
selectmen, the Tisbury Business Association, the planning board and the
historical commission. This committee will recommend a final design for
the project, subject to final approval from the selectmen, by Sept 1.

Sewer installation is now set to begin after Columbus Day this
October.

If the ballot question to install the underground conduit passes on
May 7, town borrowing for the Main Street Project will total $918,000.

Harbor master Jay Wilbur opened the second night of town meeting by
introducing an article that requested $107,500 - on top of $25,000
already appropriated - for the construction of a harbor
master's facility that is to include an observation room, office,
bathrooms and showers.

His presentation was met with wide support. Tom Hale, Mr.
Wilbur's predecessor for 11 years, said, "There is no
question this town gets an enormous amount of income from the harbor.
For the visiting yachtsmen who come in and spend a great deal of money
the least we can do is provide them with this facility."

Mr. Wilbur "has to have a proper place to work out of,"
he said.

The article passed unanimously.

Additional articles relating to the harbor passed with little
discussion, including $25,000 for dredging the harbor breakwater back
channel; $2,000 to purchase buoys for marking sensitive shellfishing
areas in Lake Tashmoo; $14,000 to implement a mooring grid for Lake
Tashmoo's east side, and $2,000 to purchase dinghy storage racks
for Owen Park, to help clear up its beachfront.

Voters also approved spending $18,000 as the town's share of a
grant to improve docking facilities in Lake Tashmoo.

In the vein of structural improvements, voters approved $69,000 for
town hall. The money will go toward repainting, fixing the leaky roof
and replacing the windows and shutters.

An article advocated by the police union prompted spirited debate.
Patrolman Dan Hanavan said about two-thirds of the cities and towns in
the state have adopted the Quinn Bill, which gives raises to officers
who complete selected college-level programs. The cost of such raises is
shared by the state and the town.

John Best said the Quinn Bill was a bad fit for Tisbury. He
suggested that the $100 million of taxpayer money spent each year
yielded few marked improvements in police services in the state. Town
administrator Dennis Luttrell said that the cost to the town could
exceed $14,000 in the first year.

But it was more than the expense that seemed to sway voters who
voted to defeat the article.

"The board of selectmen manage the town, the money, the
taxes," said selectman Tristan Israel. "If you approve this
article you are undermining our ability to do this. . . . Don't
take our management tools away."

Mr. LaPorte said it was a matter of poor timing. "The police
department has been a troubled department for a long time," he
said. "For the nine months I have served the town, the majority of
my time has been spent dealing with various painful issues with the
police department.

"We have made a lot of changes and there is lots more to
do," he said. "The Quinn Bill might make sense in this town,
but it is premature."

Residents did approve $36,400 in police department expenditures for
leasing a motorcycle, purchasing a police cruiser, training an officer
and providing matching funds for the Islandwide drug grant.

Affordable housing came to the forefront when residents were asked
to allow selectmen to sell the Lake Street Apartments, four residential
units owned by the town and managed by the regional housing authority.

Mr. LaPorte said that sale of the units would yield money to
"bring better housing options for more Tisbury residents."

But confusion soon spread through the gymnasium. Jack Sternbach,
chairman of the town's affordable housing committee, asked what
would become of the present tenants and offered an amendment to
guarantee the tenants can remain after the sale.

Selectman Tom Pachico said, "The details are not worked out
yet" regarding disposition of the property if the article were
approved. After David Ferraguzzi, who sits on the town's housing
committee, said he was disappointed the housing committee was not given
an ample opportunity to review the article before town meeting, Kay
Mayhew said she had "a serious problem" if the housing
committee didn't understand the proposal.

The article was tabled.

Voters did pass an article to designate a town-owned, 2.95-acre
parcel of land on Lambert's Cove Road for affordable housing.
Selectmen will likely solicit developers for an affordable housing
development there.

Residents approved DPW's request of $163,000 for general
sidewalk repairs along with improvements to Lake street, but turned down
an article placed on the warrant by petition that would have spent
$3,500 to survey and lay out a new paved public way leading from the
intersection of Lake street and Moonstone Way.

The current dirt path, used as a shortcut, is in poor shape. But
planning board chairman Tony Peak said he could not support the road
because, even though it has been used for over 30 years, it is not a
public way and was intended only for Nstar's access to the power
lines.

Mr. Peak said there are other accesses owned by the town that should
be fixed up for use instead.

The near $1 million in capital expenditures approved included
$100,000 for new financial computer software, $225,000 for installing
the Tisbury school's heating system and repairing the ventilation
system, $250,000 to repair the water mains when the streets are dug up
for the sewer system, $9,500 for new fire equipment, $29,000 for a
shellfish department truck and $29,000 for an animal control truck.