As the Chilmark planning board moves forward in its efforts to revamp the town master plan, selectmen have urged a slow approach.

A planning board subcommittee has been gathering feedback from town boards this summer, with more meetings planned in the coming weeks and a community survey as early as this fall. At a selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, subcommittee members Janet Widener and Peter Cook gave an upbeat review of their work so far, but hesitated to make any recommendations.

Selectman Warren Doty inquired about a timeframe for the project, which began with planning efforts this spring and will eventually involve voter approval. He highlighted the possibility of a new bus turnaround and pedestrian walkways to ease congestion in Menemsha, and encouraged the town to apply for permits this fall.

“We really need to be planning ahead,” Mr. Doty said.

But selectmen Bill Rossi and Jim Malkin, along with the two committee members, emphasized the need for public consensus before pressing forward with any specific plans.

“I don’t think we need to focus on the practical points of this just yet,” said Mr. Rossi. “We got through this year, we’ll get through another year. But I think we really need to think of something long term that we can all agree on.”

Mr. Malkin advised the committee members to “get it right in terms of what it looks like, and we’d go to the town with bits and pieces,” unless they planned to be done with the planning process by October, which Mr. Cook said was highly unlikely.

“There is a lot of conflicting interests, and it’s going to be contentious,” Mr. Malkin added. “Until we have agreement from the town . . . it’s going to be hard to take a side.” The focus has been largely on developing a vision for Menemsha, where congestion and public safety are issues in the summer.

The master plan was last updated in 2003.

Mr. Cook noted the possibility of a progress report focusing on public safety, which the selectmen could act on more quickly. “It doesn’t have to be in the master plan as such, but it’s one of those things that could be the result of our research,” he said. Selectmen welcomed the idea, noting in particular the dangerous curves on Basin Road.

“I would love to be encouraged to do something,” Mr. Rossi said.

Looking ahead, the subcommittee hopes to meet with Seth Karlinsky, who manages garbage work in the harbor, on Sept. 12 at 4:30 p.m.; VTA administrator Angela Grant on Sept. 26 at 3 p.m.; and local business owners on the first Wednesday in October.

In other business harbor master Dennis Jason Jr. said the remnants of tropical storm Hermine this week pushed the wreck of a sunken sailboat that was involved in a mishap last month 175 feet southwest of its original position. The sunken vessel is now between the two jetties which form the entrance to the harbor. Mr. Jason said the mast is about eight feet below the surface and a potential hazard for deeper-draft boats. “We tried to figure out a way to snap it off, but it was a little more of a problem,” the harbor master said. He added that the owners of the boat are required to move it but that there may be legal action pending.

Also on Tuesday, finance committee member Linda Coutinho agreed to begin sitting in on the up-Island regional school committee, in light of ongoing concerns on the part of Chilmark officials over spending and project management.

Mr. Malkin noted some heated comments at the school committee’s last meeting in August, including by Chilmark representative Robert Lionette, who was upset the committee had not been informed earlier about the discovery of rotten boards in the Chilmark School bell tower, and about an alternate bidding process to do the repairs.

“He expressed some frustration in vigorous terms with things that I personally have found frustrating as well,” Mr. Malkin said. “And so it might be helpful to him, as the only person there from Chilmark, to have someone from the finance committee sitting there as well.”

Selectmen were somewhat puzzled by a letter from Judie Flanders, a member of the Chilmark school advisory council, who encouraged them not to accept Mr. Lionette’s resignation from the school committee as a result of his comments.

“He hasn’t communicated with us that he was even thinking of it,” Mr. Doty said. “But he has been doing a great job and he represents us well.”

Mr. Lionette could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The selectmen’s next meeting is Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.