Chilmark voters sped through a series of spending articles for fire repairs in Menemsha at a special town meeting Monday night, but bogged down heavily when a money article to restore the farmhouse at Tea Lane Farm came to the floor.
Voters unanimously approved three separate articles relating to the July 12 Menemsha fire, including $1.5 million to replace the West Dock car-way, $25,192 to pay for the cost of responding to the fire, and $59,477 to put toward a new set of floating concrete docks. The new docks are installed; the Coast Guard has begun removing debris from the destroyed boathouse, and Chilmark has received $140,522 in insurance reimbursements as of last week, selectmen told voters during the meeting at the Chilmark Community Center.
“The board of selectmen would like to emphasize that after the July 12 fire we have worked hard at putting Menemsha back together again as fast as we can,” selectman and board chairman Warren Doty said. “If we don’t approve this project today, we won’t have a dock next summer.”
The town plans to replace the old wooden car-way with concrete planks with steel pilings; the connecting pier will be rated to carry a 20-ton truck. Next week selectmen plan to meet with members of Gov. Deval Patrick’s seaport council to apply for reimbursement for the $1.5 million bill; Mr. Doty said he hopes the state will pay for half the project.
“If we act tonight . . . this project could be finished by June 1 and be in full operation next summer,” he said. “We’ve worked hard at it and I think this is a recommended plan.”
Voters agreed and the articles were approved.
Things did not go quite as smoothly on a request for $300,000 to restore the farmhouse at Tea Lane Farm and prepare it for a tenant farmer.
The town and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank jointly bought the farmhouse and surrounding land at the intersection of Tea Lane and Middle Road in 2001, with a life estate for Bobby Silva. When Mr. Silva died this past February, a committee was formed to begin plans to take over the farm. The town-owned portion of the property includes the farmhouse and the surrounding three acres; the land bank holds title to the 48 acres of farmland.
A town committee has been working on a plan for the farm, with the assistance of the town historical commission. The $300,000 article called for a combination of funding from the town historical preservation fund, the community preservation act fund and other town coffers.
But there was disagreement about whether the town has done enough work to develop a clear plan for the property.
“To put a farmer in there with the idea the farmer is going to make a living of it is nonsensical,” said Chris Murphy. “There are other options. The simplest is to set up list of conditions under which the town would sell the property and the new owner, hopefully someone with deep pockets, will do what we want them to do. It’s a good option the town should explore.”
Eric Glasgow, owner of the Grey Barn in Chilmark (formerly Rainbow Farm), agreed. “If you really want a successful model farm, I think you have to have an equity situation,” Mr. Glasgow said. “At the end of the day we may be facing a reality, how much effort are they going to put in to expand?”
But Tea Lane resident and longtime town land bank representative Pamela Goff had another view. “I’m sort of torn on this because I want to see it done, but I want to see it done to a certain standard,” she said. “It’s a tumultuous but useful conversation. It’s time for a single, well-implemented plan. I don’t want the next plan to be any less than it could be.”
Selectmen urged voters to approve the article, warning of the consequences of putting things off. “If we go ahead with this plan I believe we can hopefully work on awarding this by next spring, hopefully have someone moved in by the end of next summer,” selectman Frank Fenner said. “If delayed, I believe it will add at least a year onto it before someone can move in. It’s a shame to let it sit that long.”
Mr. Doty agreed, noting that the town has already received applications from prospective tenant farmers. “I want somebody who’s got their feet in the dirt,” he said.
In the end there was compromise, brokered by Leonard Jason Jr., the town building inspector and a member of the town community preservation committee. After lengthy conference with moderator Everett Poole on the stairs to the community center stage, Mr. Jason proposed an amendment reducing the amount of the article to $30,000. The money will be spent to develop a plan backed by the town selectmen, historical commission and CPC in consultation with the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust. The plan will be brought before voters at the annual town meeting in April.
The amendment was approved 61 to 29.
With little discussion, voters agreed to spend $10,000 to pay for debt service on the Middle Line Road affordable housing project bond, and $25,000 to build a bathroom on the preschool room of the Chilmark School. The town will receive $5,000 from the Friends of the Chilmark Preschool and $2,500 from the Chilmark Town Affairs Council to put toward the project.
Judy Jardin questioned the need to pay a $3,164 bill for Tri-Town Ambulance for the prior fiscal year from available funds in the treasury. But town executive secretary Tim Carroll said it was a non-recurring expense, and voters agreed and the bill was paid.
A $5,000 request to pay for a boardwalk construction project at Lucy Vincent Beach was approved after some discussion about the cost burden on the town from a state requirement to remove debris from piping plover habitat.
And voters agreed to pay a $512 bill from Araujo Brothers.
At the outset quiet tribute was paid to the late Russell (Rusty) Walton, the longtime town conservation agent who died on August 3 of cancer at the age of 70. The absence of Mr. Walton, who was a front-row fixture at town meetings, was conspicuous. “He gave years of dedication to the town,” Mr. Doty said earlier in the night. “We’re missing Rusty tonight.”
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