Longtime Edgartown shellfish constable Paul Bagnall told the town select board Monday that he planned to resign, effective Jan. 1, 2022, after an extended career on the waterfront that has spanned three decades.

Mr. Bagnall, who has served as the shellfish constable since the mid-1980s and is now 66, told the board that he thought it was time to step aside at the end of the year.

“I got my reappointment this year, but after 30 years I didn’t get my last merit raise, so I’ll take that as kind of indication that it’s time for me to step down and let younger people take over,” Mr. Bagnall said. “I just wanted to thank you.”

A veteran of the Edgartown waterfront who has been instrumental in preserving the bay scallop fishery throughout the once-plentiful Cape Pogue shellfishing grounds and beyond, Mr. Bagnall has worked as a mentor and peer for shellfish officers and aquaculturists across the Vineyard during his career, earning a reputation as the Island’s senior shellfish constable.

His efforts to preserve eelgrass beds and scallop seed led to him being named the officer of the year by the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association in 2007. He previously served as head of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group.

In December of 2020, Mr. Bagnall was involved in a dispute with a neighbor and charged with defacing property in Edgartown district court. He agreed to pay $1,500 in restitution, and the charges were later dismissed.

On Monday, Mr. Bagnall thanked the select board for his years of service and appointments. Select board members said they would take his request to resign in January 2022 under advisement.

In other business Monday, the board voted to approve the 2021 scallop season, with recreational scalloping opening on Oct. 1 and commercial scalloping opening a month later, on Nov. 1.

The recreational limit was set at one 10-gallon washbasket, and the commercial limit at three 10-gallon washbaskets daily. Dragging is not allowed until Oct. 29.

Mr. Bagnall estimated there will be between 20 and 30 commercial scallopers on the bay, down from good years that see between 50 and 60 commercial scalloping vessels.

“The season that we’re looking at is probably a little better than last year, but no bonanza,” he said.

The town also took multiple steps on the climate change front, hearing a presentation from Martha’s Vineyard Commission consultant Megan Gombos on the Island Climate Action Plan, and adopting an update to its town-specific hazard mitigation plan.

According to MVC special projects planner Dan Doyle, the largest change between the 2015 and 2021 plan is the inclusion of an extensive municipal vulnerability plan, particularly for wildfire and flood risk.

The town also voted unanimously to extend outdoor dining regulations until the end of October.

Adopted as a pandemic adaptation, special zoning regulations that allow for outdoor dining in the town were originally scheduled to end during Columbus Day weekend. But town administrator James Hagerty suggested extending them to the end of the month due to their popularity.

“I’ve received some requests to extend the date . . . for those same reasons about the Covid situation, and its progression,” Mr. Hagerty said. “I think that is appropriate.”

The select board agreed, voting unanimously to extend the regulations until Oct. 31.

“They’ve done a good job on that, and hopefully the weather holds out to make it until the last day of October,” selectman Margaret Serpa said.

“I heard the weather was going to be like this all winter,” Mr. Donaroma quipped.