Town Meeting '07 opens this Monday night
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Regardless of all the talk over the past year about changing the format of Town Meeting, the tradition of residents gathering in force to have their say in governmental spending and decisions remains intact. The 2007 Annual Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 3, in the high school auditorium. Sarah Alger returns for her eleventh year as moderator.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file Finn Murphy addresses the crowd on the floor of last year's Town Meeting.

This year's session is expected to run at least three, if not four nights, because of an extensive list of zoning articles, as well as several sewer-related proposals that should generate discussion. Also among the 80 articles on the warrant are nine by the Town Government Study Committee, three of which - to change the Planning Board, Historic District Commission and Shellfish and Harbor Advisory Board from elected to appointed boards by the selectmen - are sure to draw lengthy debate.

Two housing articles submitted by citizens will also likely spark talk, including Barbara Gookin's Article 62, a Home Rule Petition seeking to alter the Community Preservation Committee Act so that 80 percent of its allocations are mandated toward housing. Also, Curtis Barnes' Article 63, a Home Rule Petition to amend the Land Bank Act so that 25 percent of its revenue goes toward affordable housing, should provoke discussion on whether his idea has merit. Neither article won support from the Finance Committee, but ultimately it is the voters' choice.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent Though attendance traditionally trails off after the first night, the importance of the articles often do not.

Another citizen article that will probably cause debate was submitted by builder James Lydon. His Article 54 seeks to reverse Michael Kopko's successful article last year to change the noise bylaw so that outside construction work can begin at 7 a.m. Kopko's approved article moved up the start time from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. to avoid early disturbances to residents and visitors.

Besides its three separate articles seeking to have the Planning Board, HDC and Shab appointed, another Town Government Study Committee article is aimed at changing the title of Town Administrator to Town Manager. In its final report issued in early March, the TGSC explains that while there is no statutory difference between a manager and administrator, the committee believes the manager title is generally perceived to be stronger and lends greater authority to the position.

Article 45 seeks additional appointment powers for the administrator/

manager, giving authority to appoint members of the Commission

on Disability, the Council on Aging,

the Council for Human Services and the Cultural Council. Article 46 seeks to prohibit people who work 20 hours or more a week for the town, and are eligible for town benefits, from serving as selectmen to avoid job-related conflicts and time conflicts.

Further, the TGSC wants the annual audit of town spending and financial practices to be mandatory rather than recommended as it is now in the charter. It calls for a three-member audit committee composed of the selectmen chairman, Finance Committee chairman and a selectman representative to be appointed each year to choose an outside auditing firm.

Article 51 is essentially housekeeping, to delete the no longer functional personnel board and board of Our Island Home from the charter. The final TGSC article seeks adoption of a bylaw for a review of town government every five years, starting in 2010. It would require the selectmen to appoint a seven-member Town Government Study Committee every five years to serve one year and make recommendations to Town Meeting.

Gookin said one of the reasons she submitted her article is because the CPC only allocated about 15 percent of its funds to housing this year. The act requires that 30 percent of all monies are allocated at 10 percent each to open space, community housing and historic resources. Except for five percent dedicated to administrative costs, the remaining 65 percent is then designated as the committee sees fit, according to its perception of project needs. By category, some of the FY08 highlights include, under open space, $400,000 to Parks and Recreation to help it build four new playing fields on Land Bank property off Nobadeer Farm Road, and $300,000 each to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation towards purchase of the UMass Field Station and to the Land Council towards a conservation restriction on Linda Loring's 270 acres off Eel Point Road.

Under community housing, there are four allocations with the largest at $175,000 to the Nantucket Housing Office for its house recycling program, plus an additional $155,000 to help fund the office for a sixth year. Under historic resources, $400,000 went to the Nantucket Historical Association for the restoration of Greater Light, and $300,000 was allocated towards the restoration of the First Congregational Church and the same amount to the 'Sconset Trust for the preservation of Sankaty Head Light.

Health and Human Services is level funded for the fourth year at $331,000, however it is possible voters may take issue with a couple of the proposed allocations. HHS administrator Maryanne Worth explained that many of the agencies included in the allocations have seen consistent reductions in state and federal revenue. Specifically, the allotments, which were determined by the town's Contract Review Committee, are for $20,000 for the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention to be used for its scholarship program for treatment and recovery; $50,000 for A Safe Place to be used for emergency services, court advocacy, prevention and education, staff training and development and abuse survivor support and counseling.

The amount of $15,000 is allocated to Martha's Vineyard Community Services towards the salary of an agency advocate who has come to Nantucket since 1992 and administers programs through the Department of Mental Retardation for island families with members with developmental disabilities. There is $8,027 slated for Elder Services of the Cape and Islands for Nantucket's Meals on Wheels nutrition program; and $20,000 proposed for the Interfaith Council Food Pantry to offset the salary for its director and cost of some food. It is essentially a grant to match a voluntary contribution from the council.

The Interfaith Council is also to receive $10,000 to use in subsidies for clients in its emergency rental assistance program. South Coastal Counties Legal Services is to receive $3,800 to defray transportation and attorney's costs to come to the island once a month and provide free legal representation to elders and low income residents with civil cases. Worth said 52 residents were served in 2006. Nantucket Behavioral Health Services has the highest allotment at $122,005 to support salaries and all its outpatient mental health and substance abuse programs including at the hospital emergency room, in the schools, its Tryworks sober house and its Fairgrounds House for the mentally disabled.

Lastly, the appropriations include $50,000 for Nantucket Cottage Hospital for its social services office using three staff members who assist people in enrolling in insurance programs, provide health care advocacy, case management, financial assistance, long-term care planning, crisis intervention and an interpreter. Small Friends on Nantucket is to receive $32,168 to pay a permanent, full-time substitute teacher, including health benefits. Small Friends is the island's only licensed day care facility that accepts infants and

operates 52 weeks a year. I