The Tisbury select board heard objections last week to a split-rail fence recently built at the Tashmoo Spring building area.

The fence divides what had been an open, grassy area sloping up from the picnic tables to a house on the grounds, originally built for the waterworks director, where town administrator Joseph LaCivita and his wife now live.

“A fence was placed on public grounds without public input. It’s a removal of a public space,” said Tristan Israel, a former select board member who worked to preserve the spring building and surrounding area 15 years ago.

“I would ask you to remove most of that fence,” Mr. Israel said.

Lorraine Wells, of the town committee that manages the park, said that musicians perform on the slope for hundreds of people during the annual town picnic.

“Historically the townspeople have used that space for 100 years as a public space,” she said.

“My compromise, to still allow the place where the band plays, where the people dance, where the singers sing, and the children walk around … is to go back one fence post, which is about 10 to 11 feet up,” Ms. Wells said.

Ben Robinson, a member of the Tisbury planning board and of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, said the fence was not part of the landscaping line in the renovation package approved by town meeting voters in 2025.

“Nothing at town meeting authorized any money to be spent to enclose a portion of the public park with a fence,” Mr. Robinson said.

Select board members Roy Cutrer, John Cahill and Connie Alexander agreed to work with the Tashmoo Spring Building committee toward a compromise on the fence.

“We need to put this issue to rest,” Mr. Cutrer said, noting that the home on the property was renovated for municipal housing. “This is going to be a huge asset for the town. After the town administrator and his family no longer need it, we’ll have it for a police officer’s family or someone else,” he said.

The select board also discussed new shellfish regulations. Visitors to Tisbury will be able to buy short-term shellfishing licenses all year round, instead of only in the summer, under the regulations approved by the select board on June 23.

Shellfish constable Danielle Ewart said she’s seen demand for one-week licenses from off-season visitors who want to go quahaugging.

“This will allow us to sell more licenses,” she said.

No short-term scalloping licenses will be issued, Ms. Ewart said, limiting the takes to quahaugs and soft-shelled steamer clams.

The Tisbury select board meets next July 2 at 9 a.m. on Zoom to appoint a new building inspector, Sean Young, and again in person July 14 for its regular biweekly meeting.