Harbored View
Chris Perry

According to some, it appears that Nantucket's form of democracy is alive and well.

Much like the politics in Washington, Nantucket is famous for letting the minority rule the majority.

For example, our Town Meeting form of government allows for a vocal minority to rule the day. Annually, we have relatively few people calling the shots for the majority of island voters who are sitting at home watching The West Wing. Those who choose not to attend Town Meeting certainly have no leg to stand on when they start to complain.

Nevertheless, by the end of Town Meeting when important issues such as zoning are traditionally debated, there are more people, historically, at a Boys & Girls Club basketball game in the winter than there are sitting in the auditorium listening to Paul DeRensis mumble to Sarah Alger.

How about town elections? More often than not, 1200 votes will get you in. And in a crowded field, you might sneak by with only 900 votes even though there are thousands of registered voters. Just a week or so ago, fewer than 1000 voters reaffirmed a Town Meeting vote at the ballot box.

Lately, it seems like Nantucket has gone a step further. We now have examples of individuals routinely rattling the town. In fact, our most recent example has our Board of Selectmen, the Harbormaster and the Town Administrator looking at new safety regulations for kiteboarders simply due to one person’s crusade.

Specifically, Lawrence Mannix doesn’t want kiteboarders near his house in Pocomo. Of course, emphasizing that he is doing this for “safety” reasons for the Pocomo sunbathers, even though it is the kiteboarders who are far more at risk, Mannix now has the Town of Nantucket reviewing new kiteboarding regulations, which would conveniently ban all kiteboarding activities during the summer near his property.

If I had known it was that easy to get the BOS motivated, I would have put my list of pet peeves together a long time ago. When is it going to stop? With all the red tape, regulations and bureaucratic nonsense going on, Nantucket is starting to remind me of the National Football League (N.F.L), which is sarcastically known as the “No Fun League.”

Having a minority opinion push all the right buttons has become an art form on this island. Sadly, however, it is starting to cost us valuable time and money. Our elected officials are wasting way too much of their time and spending way too much of our tax dollars on frivolously driven attempts by certain individuals.

Highlighting some of these efforts are people desperately trying to throw up any possible roadblock to applicants before a town board. Ultimately, it is their goal to drag out the process and mire the applicant in “Nantucket mud.”

With all due respect to Mr. Mannix, a process which has regulations allowing this kind of action should be the ones the BOS should be reviewing.

One has to look no further than the ongoing struggle the Great Harbor Yacht Club has been forced to endure. Despite following proper procedure and securing the necessary permits, the GHYC is regularly dragged back in front of one town board after another on appeal.

The tactics used by the Yacht Club’s opponents has forced the GHYC to bounce back and forth like a ping pong ball between the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, HDC, etc.

Often times, the various boards do nothing more than reaffirm an earlier vote. On and on this game goes like Forrest Gump practicing against a brick wall except this opponent is simply abusing the system at our expense.

I hate to sound like an attorney at Town Meeting, but I guess full disclosure is necessary. As I have said in earlier columns, I have nothing to gain here. I am not a member of the GHYC. In fact, the only chance I have of getting into the Yacht Club is either sneaking over the fence late at night or faking my way in through the front door. I doubt either will happen.

However, I am embarrassed as a citizen of Nantucket that we have allowed this charade to continue. Today, the ongoing fight against the GHYC has absolutely nothing to do with saving Nantucket’s waterfront or finding a historic wharf or overturning an arbitrary and capricious ruling. The game has selfishly moved forward and it has negatively affected the Town of Nantucket on several fronts.

I know. I know. Everyone has the right to appeal. That’s what makes our democracy so great. But let’s be honest. The most recent roadblocks thrown at GHYC — including a recently filed lawsuit in Nantucket Superior Court — are simply examples of a system being abused.

In turn, the GHYC responded and the process will continue to drag out with legal fees mounting. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, the tail will wag the dog and it appears there is no immediate end in sight.

To me, the bottom line is the fact that our tax dollars are being wasted over and over and over again on something that is a fait accompli.

Someone downtown needs to say enough is enough. With town departments begging for more money and services being slashed, is it possible for our town leaders to review the present process which appears to be easily abused instead of devoting their time on developing kiteboarding regulations?

Something needs to change or we will continue to throw good tax dollars after bad. As Murray Weidenbaum once said to a group of politicians when commenting on their efforts to amend government regulations: “Don't just stand there — undo something.”