Tisbury voters moved briskly through their annual and special town meeting warrants Tuesday night, approving all 40 articles including the town’s $39,765,401 operating budget.
A total of 161 voters turned out at the Performing Arts Center, with the evening’s liveliest discussion centered on proposed changes to the zoning bylaw covering home-based trades in residential districts. Written by the planning board, but opposed by a majority of select board members, the new language adds a limit of two business trucks and one trailer that can be parked on a residential lot.
The revised bylaw also ends the existing ban on outdoor storage of work materials and supplies, replacing it with a requirement that the stored items be screened from neighboring views.
Select board chair Roy Cutrer told voters the parking language doesn’t account for the difference in lot sizes from one neighborhood to another.
“They’re being painted with the same brush,” Mr. Cutrer said.
Vineyard Haven resident Bernadette Cormie said the two-truck limit won’t help her downtown neighborhood, where lots are small and parked work trucks already crowd the streets.
“Bring back the resident [permit] parking,” Ms. Cormie said.
Other voters supported the new language, saying it will give the building inspector more guidance when enforcing complaints against trade businesses in residential areas of Tisbury.
“I don’t want the building inspector spinning his wheels... teasing something out that’s not in the bylaw. He’s got better things to do,” said Dan Doyle.
Answering the concern of a resident with four business trucks parked at home, town counsel David Doneski said such an existing use would be allowed to continue if it began before the planning board gave notice it was considering a change in the bylaw.
Planning board member Connie Alexander added that the building inspector would only come to a business owner’s home in response to a complaint.
Voter Kevin Lucas proposed an amendment doubling the number of parked vehicles to four on a residential property, which was defeated on a voice vote.
The bylaw amendment then passed by the required two-thirds majority.
A request for $85,000 from Steamship Authority embarkation funds, to replace the police department’s arsenal of aged-out Tasers, was challenged by former select board member Tristan Israel.
“Having been around and helped to actually start the embarkation fee many years ago, the legislation was drafted to... help fund issues that are directly related to our harbor, to Vineyard Haven Harbor, where the boat comes in,” Mr. Israel said.
“I’m not arguing that we shouldn’t have Tasers. I’m arguing that this does not fit the intention of the embarkation fund,” he said.
Main Street resident Peter Stam said he was in favor of the Taser request.
“I live near the Steamship Authority and I’m frequently around when police have to deal with the vagrants that love to populate the bus turnaround area, and I think [the latter] sometimes get rambunctious,” he said.
“I’d like to support [police] in getting non-lethal weapons they can use in those circumstances,” Mr. Stam said.
Mr. Israel’s amendment to drop the Taser budget narrowly failed on a standing vote count of 53-54, and the request passed with the rest of the embarkation fund expenditures.
Most of the other warrant articles drew little or no voter opposition, including the $39,765,401 operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Tisbury’s town election is June 11, with polls open from noon to 8 p.m. in the town’s emergency services facility on Spring Street.
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