Funding for a new airplane hangar at the Katama Airfield, narrowly defeated at the Edgartown town election April 12, will be subject to a recount.
The recount will take place at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the town hall meeting room.
A request to spend $1.2 million to rebuild the World War-II era plane hangar passed easily at Edgartown’s annual town meeting. At the ballot box two days later funding was rejected by three votes, 466-469.
Town clerk Wanda Williams said she received a petition for a recount signed by supporters of the new hangar. A recount process requires special forms from the state signed by at least 10 people, filed within 10 days after the election.
Ms. Williams said the petition was received in time and certified with 12 signatures. She assembled a crew of ballot checkers and a person who will log the votes. Ms. Williams, assistant town clerk Karen Medeiros, and a town constable will also be on hand, she said.
A recount is allowed for any town election vote, Ms. Williams said, and they are fairly unusual. The last one in Edgartown was about 10 years ago.
“It’s not the first time, but it’s been awhile,” she said.
This article appears in May 4, 2018.
These are all automated machines which very very seldom make mistakes. If the outcome is changed I would insist on a new vote.
Absolutely agree
I’m glad there is a recount. It wouldn’t surprise me if properly postmarked absentee ballots got slowed up in the unreliable local post office.
And make sure the absentee ballots have been properly notarized.
I was and am firmly against spending tax payer dollars for this project. I think the people leading it failed to convince me fees would cover the expenditure, and I sure don’t want to subsidize small plane owners! Private fundraising of less than 100k demonstrated either arrogance, laziness, or entitlement. Maybe all three. However, I strongly support the recount, and if it turns out the vote went the other way, I will respect that decision of my fellow voters. The airport is charming beyond words, and we are all lucky to live here, airfield or not. I just didn’t want to pay for it. If you did, and there is a majority of you, I will write my enlarged check for the tax bill without hard feelings.
The very thing that makes this town charming and attractive is this building and everything it represents. If you can’t see that perhaps take a closer look at the rest of the Cape and scratch your head with all the rest while chanting “what went wrong” This is nickels and dimes , nickels and dimes – for Pete’s sake look at the big picture!
Bruce, I can really see your point in the sense that the airfield is charming. So are a lot of things here. I am not nickel and diming though. This is real money, just like the yellow house. I vote for and pay for more money for teachers and town hall staff and affordable housing. I don’t have kids, but you will never hear me saying I shouldn’t have to pay. Of course I should. I got a free decent education and I owe it morally to provide one for the next generation. But when you get down to cute airfields for dudes who own planes…my wallet shuts fast. They raised a couple million privately to pay off the Halls to reopen a charming movie theater in Oaks Bluff. They can’t raise that for an air field? Or a twentieth of that? These nickels and dimes add up for me. Perhaps you have done better financially…my congratulations to you! I am barely comfortable but wary of becoming not so through projects like this.
I agree Nickels and dimes!
This might have come out to something like $10/mo for one year for a 1mil house. Tell us about the expense. If we lose the airfield to development, that will be on your conscience. Enjoy your extra $100 or whatever it may be, more or less.
This would be a great opportunity for affordable housing or solar panels. I am a resident of Coffins Field Road and there is plenty of expansion at the current airport.
I suggest you read the deed. It is to remain as an airport ‘in its present state’, or it reverts to the Gentles (and I would assume their heirs *RIP Steve and Dorothy*) who were extremely generous in selling it for a lot less than they could have received if they chose to develop it.
I agree I think it would be a great place for a solar array… I do support the efforts of rebuilding the hangar and also looking into possible site for Affordable housing or housing for our summer help. I think we need to help these kids who come here every summer to work and have to live in such terrible living conditions.
Well put them in Coffins Field then! Sounds like you guys have plenty of room and resources….
I support the recount and rebuilding of the hangar,.
As a pilot and former business executive I would like to see this airport preserved and quite frankly it should not even be up for a vote. This airport is Katama and most people don’t understand what it means to preserve the identity of Katama and Edgartown.
Absolutely agree. This structure is wonderful and relates to its time and sense of place. Preserve it.
We need this!
The airfield is an asset to the town, people visit the island just to see this historic grass airfield, have lunch and take a bi-plane ride. Those people will also stay overnight in an inn, go out for dinner in town and shop in our local stores. The state of the existing hangar is apalling and unsafe. To make the argument that this investment is simply for pilots is shortsighted and just ignorant of the big picture.
Is there a price breakdown for this 1.2 mil number available online? I have not been able to find one and I unfortunately have not had time to go to town hall and request one in person due to it being spring on Martha’s Vineyard.