The Oak Bluffs selectmen voted Tuesday against a request by West Tisbury psychotherapist Julia Kidd to install a “positive message” sign near the Steamship Authority building for two weeks. Town administrator Bob Whritenour said the board objected to the placement of the proposed sign, not to the positive message. Kidd, who has advocated for putting positive signs in various places around the Vineyard, proposed hanging a sign in Oak Bluffs that said “I want to hear every story you have to tell.”

According to Mr. Whritenour’s weekly report, the town’s budget process for fiscal year 2013 is entering a “critical phase.” Mr. Whritenour said he will be meeting individually with each department head to discuss budget requests, and has a goal of submitting the recommended budget to the selectmen in January. He said the town is also working to have tax bills go out on time, in early January.

In other business, the selectmen approved a request to appoint James Dunn as local building inspector and voted to use $40,000 in remaining dredge money to dredge Sengekontacket Pond inside the little bridge. They also approved the apointment of a new police officer, Derek Back.