Massachusetts is making good on its promise to repay towns for costs incurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic this spring.
Tisbury has received $65,080 in reimbursement for pandemic-related expenses, town finance director Jon Snyder told the select board Tuesday afternoon.
“(It was) faster than I expected,” said Mr. Snyder. The reimbursement covers extra costs such as putting up a tent and holding the annual and special town meetings in the open air, he said.
The select board — renamed by town meeting vote under the tent on June 13 — welcomed a returning member and a new assistant fire chief at their regular Zoom meeting Tuesday, and agreed to hire a financial specialist to find outside funding for town building projects.
`Larry Gomez joined the board for his first meeting since defeating two-term incumbent Melinda Loberg at the polls one week earlier. Mr. Gomez also served a term as selectman from 2015 to 2018.
The board promoted fire lieutenant Patrick Rolston to the assistant fire chief’s position, replacing Greg Leland, who takes over the department July 1 as chief John Schilling retires. All three board members — two of whom had worked with Mr. Schilling as firefighters — thanked the longtime chief for his service.
Mr. Schilling remains a member of the town’s short-term rental task force, and town administrator Jay Grande said he could expect to be in demand on other town bodies as well.
“Enjoy your two weeks off,” Mr. Grande said, as Mr. Schilling laughed.
The board unanimously approved a proposal by chairman James Rogers to engage a financial specialist who will identify outside funding sources for town buildings, beginning with the Tisbury School, which is facing an estimated $55 million renovation and addition project.
In addition to finding ways of financing the school building that will have the least impact on Tisbury taxpayers, Mr. Rogers said, the specialist could help town officials prepare for longer-term projects as well.
“I’d like us to do some future planning for a town hall and police station,” he said. “Let’s look at the whole thing and find out what kind of planning we can do.”
Department of Public Works director Kirk Metell, who was reappointed for another three-year term Tuesday as well as another one-year term as tree warden, told the board that a pilot reorganization of taxi parking and traffic flow at the Steamship Authority has been successful.
“We took the taxis that were parked alongside the building [and] we parked them parallel to the building,” Mr. Metell said.
Cabs now enter the pickup area from the bus and parking circle at the ends of Water and Union streets, where traffic has been moving smoothly, Mr. Metell said.
“It seems to be working very well down there. The taxi companies are happy,” he said. “They still have the first crack at people coming off the boat before they hit the park and ride . . . It seems to be holding up pretty well and doing exactly what we designed it to do.” The board authorized Mr. Metell to make the changes permanent.
Permanent affordability restrictions on the deeds to two Edgartown Road properties owned or managed by Island Housing Trust were also approved. The former Clark House, renamed the Perlman House, has seven rental apartments and nearby 299 Daggett avenue has an ownership unit, housing trust executive director Philippe Jordi said.
“They are both receiving CPA [Community Preservation Act] funds and therefore need a permanent restriction,” Mr. Jordi said.
During a brief public hearing, the select board voted to issue a common victualer’s license to The Cove Golf and Grill at 386 State Road. The former Island Cove Adventures mini-golf center is now owned by Brook Katzen, who recently purchased Little House Café at 339 State Road.
A twice-continued public hearing on a common victualer license application for Vineyard Grocer was again continued to the board’s next meeting July 14 and a hearing on regulations for food trucks was continued to the following meeting, July 28.
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