Chilmark voters enthusiastically approved an $11 million project to build a joint firehouse and EMS building and breezed through a flurry of school spending articles and capital improvement projects at their annual town meeting Monday evening.
The meeting went off without fuss, with unanimous approval for all but two of the 37 articles on the warrant. Voters whipped through requests to change the board of selectmen to select board, numerous school capital projects and nonbinding climate action goals. Security cameras on the Menemsha docks was the sole item to see pushback, but was ultimately passed.
Held outdoors on the basketball courts behind the Chilmark Community Center with a brilliant spring sky as backdrop, the meeting got under way promptly at 5:30 p.m.; with 100 voters in attendance.
At the outset proceedings were paused to honor moderator Everett Poole, who stepped down this spring after over 40 years of guiding town meetings.
“I’d like to take a brief moment to thank Everett Poole on behalf of this town for his years — decades — of service as our town moderator,” selectman Jim Malkin said. “He has been pretty much the soul of the character of the town of Chilmark. His common sense, his logic, his occasional dry wit . . . is very much a part of this town.”
Town clerk Jennifer Christy opened the meeting, calling for nominations for a temporary moderator. Selectman Warren Doty nominated Janet Weidner, a longtime member of the planning board who is running for the seat at a special election Wednesday.
Ms. Weidner was voted in and took the gavel, guiding voters with a steady hand through money transfers and an $11 million operating budget, which passed unanimously.
“We’re getting through the easy ones first,” she said, receiving chuckles from the crowd.
The big-ticket item this year, the $11 million project for a new Chilmark fire house and Tri-town ambulance building at 399 Middle Road, was unanimously approved with little discussion.
The project will build two public safety buildings in a campus-style format on property beside town hall.
After a brief overview and statement in favor of the project from selectman Bill Rossi, voters raised a handful of questions about how green the building design is and how visible the new facilities will be from Middle Road.
“What’s important here to me is . . . how are we going to protect our environment even as we’re building this new very much needed building,” said Caitlin Cook.
Others emphasized the need. “I look at that building every day and that building is an embarrassment to this town. I really feel like we need to do better,” said Marie Larsen, referring to the old firehouse.
After the article was approved, Mr. Malkin took note of the moment.
“Tim Rich, who has been working very hard at this for almost all of 25 years said at our last meeting that when this building is completed he will shave his hair and his beard so we look forward to that,” Mr. Malkin said, inviting Mr. Rich to take a bow.
But the haircut will have to wait until the project clears the ballot box Wednesday.
Voters readily approved a slate of nine school spending articles for improvements at the Chilmark and West Tisbury schools totaling $311,000. As in other towns, a request to reduce the regional high school’s OPEB liability was postponed at the request of the superintendent.
One snag surfaced late in the meeting during discussion of an article seeking $20,000 for security cameras for the Menemsha town docks for use by the harbor master and police department.
“This strikes me as a kind of step towards a surveillance system and it seems to me that having yourself recorded when you go to the dock raises other kinds of issues that we ought to be thinking about,” said Rick Shweder.
But harbor master Ryan Rossi described instances of vandalism, trespassing and lobster theft over the past year. “It’s mainly to be used as a deterrent to keep these types of things from happening,” he said.
The article was ultimately approved.
A series of Community Preservation Act initiatives were swiftly approved, including $15,000 for Harbor Homes, $100,000 to the affordable housing reserve fund and $15,000 for the Tabernacle roof replacement.
A new boat for the shellfish department, $2,500 for water sample testing for Stonewall, Chilmark and Tisbury Great Ponds and $34,000 for Dukes County regional services were also all quickly approved.
Finally, an Islandwide article proposing nonbinding climate goals for fossil fuel reduction and renewable energy goals also passed quickly with only one nay vote, one of the few non-unanimous votes of the evening.
The meeting wrapped up in an hour and a half, adjourning before the sun had set.
The town election Wednesday includes a series of series of debt exclusion questions and a special ballot for moderator.
Polls are open from noon to 8 p.m. at the Community Center.
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