Town Council Special Meeting Report

At the August 19, 2024, Town Council Special Meeting, the council voted on the agenda items listed below.  Councilor Susan Gillis was absent.


1.  Motion to Approve Consent Calendar Items #135-2024 through #137-2024; 7-0 vote 
The items on the consent calendar were removed from the August 12, 2024 Town Council meeting due to the hour and length of the meeting.  The motion to approve the following consent calendar items were approved unanimously:
  • Item #135-2024 Recommendation Relating to a Traffic Calming Pilot Program
  • Item #136-2024 Consider Authorizing the Police Department to Apply for an MMA Risk Reduction Grant
  • Item #137-2024 MMA Annual Ballot


2.  Motion to Suspend Council Rules in order to include a new agenda item sending Amendments to Senior Tax Relief Program to a Public Hearing; 7-0 vote.

Councilor Stephanie Anderson, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, made the motion to suspend council rules in order to include sending a new agenda item relating to proposed amendments to the Senior Tax Relief program to a public hearing in September.  The council supported the motion unanimously.


3.  Motion to send proposed amendments to Senior Tax Relief program to a Public Hearing on September 9, 2024; 7-0 vote.
Anderson and the Ordinance Committee have recently reviewed the Town's Senior Tax Relief program and are proposing increases to relief amounts according to income.  Anderson motioned to send the proposed changes to a Public Hearing at the next Town Council meeting on September 9, 2024.  The council supported the motion unanimously.

4.  Motion to Table Item #133-2024 Consider a Recommendation from the Conservation Committee Relating to the Disposition of Town Owned Real Estate - 40 Stephenson Street; 7-0 vote.
The Town Council voted to table the Conservation Committee's recommendation to retain the property and decline an offer for the sale of a town-owned lot on 40 Stephenson Street.  The amount offered comes from an abutting property owner and is lower than the most recently assessed valuation.  Asked if the Conservation Committee based their recommendation on funding, Interim Town Manager Mike McGovern said, "The Conservation Committee doesn't typically take price into consideration. They look at the value of it for conservation purposes."  In tabling the item, the council requests the Conservation Committee to clarify the lot's conservation considerations. With this knowledge, the council could potentially put the lot up for sale witht a bidding process and easement.

5.  Motion to Table Item #134-2024 Approval of Funding for a Traffic Engineering Study Relating to Parking of the Streets Adjacent to Shore Road near Cliff House Beach; 7-0 Vote.
On July 8, 2024, the Town Council authorized the request of the Ordinance Committee for a traffic engineering study of the streets adjacent to Shore Road near Cliff House Beach.  The estimate for the work came in at $37,000.  In an August 5 Memo, Interim Town Manager McGovern recommended appropriating $30,000 from the undesignated fund balance with staff to define reductions in the scope of work to reduce the cost to $30,000.  Councilors expressed surprise at the costs and considered alternatives such as requesting Public Works to evaluate limiting parking on Shore Road and/or restricting parking on one side of adjacent streets.  Councilor Anderson said, "This is a mixed question which we really can't resolve either exclusively through an engineering study or exclusively through community sentiment."  The council unanimously voted to table the item and direct the Town Manager to request that Public Works assess options.

6.  Motion to Approve a New Outdoor Basketball Court 7-0 vote.
The council voted unanimously to authorize the Town Manager to undertake a project to provide a new outdoor basketball court adjacent to the former Thomas Memorial Library.  The council established a budget of $165,000 for the project, with $16,500 to be raised by the CAPE HOOPS group and $148,500 to be appropriated from the Town's unassigned fund balance.  The Town Manager is also authorized to apply for all required permits and to sign any necessary agreements to carry out the project.

7.  Motion to Authorize the Signing of the Municipal Election Warrant for the November 5, 2024 Election as Amended; 7-0 vote.
Councilor Jeremy Gabrielson made the motion to approve the Municipal Election Warrant; Councilor Penny Jordan seconded.  Councilor Anderson made a friendly amendment to remove from the warrant language "critically needed" in two places.  Both Gabrielson and Jordan accepted the motion. Councilor Tim Thompson moved the question, and Anderson seconded. Before adjourning, the council signed the amended warrant, which was previously reviewed by the bond counsel.


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