No dragging will be allowed in Lake Tashmoo for the scallop season this year.

Tisbury selectmen Tuesday approved shellfish constable Danielle Ewart’s recommendation that scallop dragging be prohibited in Tashmoo because of sensitive habitat and few scallops.

“Last year I had some dragging in there and it wasn’t worth it. It was all mucky,” Ms. Ewart said. She said scallopers can use peep sights or snorkel and scuba in Tashmoo.

Shellfish committee chairman James Tilton agreed.

“That was just to protect eelgrass and the bottom is very soft there so it’s just sensitive,” he said. “Last year we pretty much just got mud. I don’t think there’s a great amount of scallops there, very few if any.”

Commercial scalloper Lynn Fraker said she dragged in Tashmoo for two days last year before she stopped.

“I didn’t feel the destruction of bottom was worth the amount of scallops that you were getting,” she said. “I don’t think there are any other commercial people right now who are opposed to the closing of dragging in Tashmoo.”

The selectmen unanimously approved the ban. Scallop season in Tashmoo opens on Dec. 3 for family scalloping and Dec. 5 for commercial.

Ms. Ewart also informed the selectmen that she has no new information regarding the state-ordered shellfish closures due to a bloom of the diatom Pseudonitzchia. Bay scalloping is not affected by the closure.

“People’s livelihoods are being affected,” selectman Tristan Israel said. “I know it’s not us and the state is doing it for very good reasons.”

Selectmen also approved the installation of test wells in Veterans Park to monitor groundwater for a study conducted by Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. Emma Green-Beach with the shellfish group will consult with Department of Public Works director Ray Tattersall to make sure the wells do not affect people using the sports fields.

The project, funded by a grant, aims to see whether the invasive reed species phragmites absorbs nitrogen from the ground water directly beneath them, and when they are at peak nitrogen absorption. Phragmites could be cut and taken away at the time of peak nitrogen absorption, helping remove excessive nitrogen in coastal ponds.

There will be 12 monitoring wells in Veterans Park.

There are a total of nine phragmites testing stations around the Island spread between Chilmark Pond, Farm Pond and Lagoon Pond.

Ms. Green-Beach said the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to recognize their data and the shellfish group hopes phragmites harvesting will be another tool towns can use to mitigate excessive nitrogen.

In other business, selectmen agreed to an updated building permit application process that requires the applicant to get a sign-off from all applicable boards before the permit is granted.

Town administrator John (Jay) Grande said the roof renovation project at the stone building where Santander bank is housed has been referred to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the town is waiting for the hearing schedule to proceed. The community expressed outrage over the replacement of distinctive curved red Spanish tiles with flat composite shingles; selectmen voted to send the project to the commission for review as a development of regional impact.

Mr. Grande also notified the selectmen that going forward, the town would be responsible for a share of the superintendent’s budget representing all students from Tisbury, including those who opted for school choice. Students already in school choice would continue to have their portion of the superintendent’s budget paid by the town where they attend school.

The all-Island school committee recently voted to approve the school choice change.

Mr. Israel said he thought it was a reasonable compromise and asked that the town take it into consideration as they proceed with the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s grant program for an updated school building.

“For this and for special needs, I hope that whatever we do with our new elementary school, that we make room so that we can number one, take care of our own, and number two, maybe that we may have something to offer,” he said. “I think it’s shortsighted if we don’t consider that in our plans.”

The selectmen signed the warrant for the state election on Nov. 8, scheduled a tax classification hearing for their next meeting and appointed Benjamin Robinson to serve on the MVC until Dec. 31.

The Vineyard Haven Business Association also presented Halloween weekend activities, which the selectmen approved. There will be a parade at 4 p.m. on Halloween day and trick or treating at downtown stores. On Sunday, Oct. 30, carved pumpkins will be judged in three categories: most originality, funniest and scariest, and there will also be a charter school scarecrow scavenger hunt.