Moderator Sarah Alger examines motivation to continue the tradition
TOWN
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
As Sarah Alger enters her 11th year running uncontested for Town Meeting Moderator, she is taking a step back to review her reasons for continuing so long in the position and whether changing circumstances may cause her to eventually step down.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file Sarah Alger, with Ted Anderson, at the 2004 Annual Town Meeting.

Besides Alger's interest in local government and desire to contribute to the community, a good amount of her original incentive came from her father who was Town Meeting Moderator in Barnstable for 20 years. His death in January is partly why she is examining her future at the podium.

"This is something he and I shared. It gave me a connection," she said. "We had fun talking about it, so I'm sad going into this year, to say the least. I think I will look into my motivation for continuing. Everybody says don't make any huge changes, so I'm not.

"I do really enjoy it - I like giving back to the community and being involved in town government, but I think over the last year or so something has changed in our community," she added. "It has become divisive and there's a lack of civility and some downright meanness in some of the discourse. It's difficult to continue to be involved in that kind of climate. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel as if we've crossed a line.

"I hope that Town Meeting continues to be a civil and orderly process. I know people have crossed the line there a few times, and I've tried to keep a handle on that, but it's hard because you don't really see it coming."

As to recent proposals about altering the format or day and time of the session, Alger said she is uncertain whether the island is ready to switch to a representative model. Personally, she disfavors the concept of a town council taking over because then decisions are made by a small group of people and the public becomes distanced from the process. On the other hand, she believes it might be possible to start the meeting on a Saturday and accomplish enough to be able to wrap up the remaining issues the following Monday night.

"If we had a representative form of Town Meeting it would be a lot easier to work with the schedule. The way it is now, no matter when you have the meeting there are a number of people who can't practically participate," she said. "We could try [changing the day and time]. We haven't tried it, so we don't know how it would work."

Looking at this year's warrant containing 80 articles, Alger speculates that the meeting will last three or four evenings, particularly because there are several zoning articles requiring a two-thirds vote and which generally provoke extended discussion. She also believes some people are confused by articles receiving two or three different recommendations, recalling that when she began as moderator it was most common for the Finance Committee to reserve recommendations primarily for money articles and the Planning Board to offer recommendations only on zoning and land use articles.

Specifically, she anticipates Article 8 seeking passage of an essentially balanced operating budget will be approved without fuss, though some proposals for capital overrides may generate debate. Articles 25 and 26 dealing with establishment of a Harbor Overlay District raise issues for residents of Washington Street, and Alger will have to recuse herself at that point because her law firm represents some of those neighbors.

And while she expects the sewer hook-up requests and articles to amend the bylaw for the sewer commissioners and establish a sewer authority will take time, Alger believes the planning staff has done a good job educating the public on

many proposed zoning changes. I