AT ITS MEETING ON JAN. 23, THE BOARD FIRST CONVENED AS THE BOARD OF HEALTH AND:

There is no Board of Selectmen meeting this Wednesday, because it is the fifth Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held on Feb 6.

• Voted unamousouly approved three "tight tanks" -- self contained sewer holding tanks with no leech out - for homes at 34 and 45 Massachusetts Ave. and 289 Hummock Pond Road. Health Inspector Richard ray said the tanks themselves and locations were approved by the Department of Environmental Protection, but will not be installed until he determines what the "privilege fee" should be for the residents to dispose of the waste at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Ray said he expects between eight and 10 of these tanks to be installed islandwide. Department of Public Works director Jeff Willett said he hope the board would consider the impact the tight tanks would have on the Wastewater Treatment Plant before approving large numbers of them.

CONVENING AS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, MEMBERS;

• Led by County Commission Chair Brian Chadwick, voted to send Sheriff Richard Bretschneider a letter inquiring as to the status of some spending request regarding radio equipment for the State Police as well as the status of a $25,000 retinal eye scanner which was to be used to identify lost children through cooperation with the school system. The school did not wish to participate in the program that would have required students to have their retinal scanned, stored. In the event they became lost, their eye could be scanned and compared against the database. A similar scanner went to the sheriff of Martha's Vineyard at no cost from Bretschneider. Chadwick also sought information from both legislative liaison Tim Madden and town counsel as to the impact of the state's taking over the budget of the county sheriff and what impact that would have on funds Bretschneider had promised to contribute to both the proposed public safety complex and a island-wide emergency service radio communication system.

CONVENING AS THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN, MEMBERS:

• Heard a review of the Department of Parks and Recreation on the workings of the department and the management of lands held by the town for the public use. Parks and Recreation director Jimmy Manchester laid out short, medium and long term goals which include adding a bath house at Madaket Beach, expanding the bath house at Surfside Beach and having the teen center program be the sole occupant of the Teen Center building, which it currently shares with the Adult Community Day Care. Manchester also informed the board that beginning this summer the lifeguards will be under the supervision and control of the beach manager, rather than the Department of Parks and Recreation.

• Town Clerk Catherine Flanagan Stover requested a raise from $80,334 to $87,000 next year and $94,000 the following year setting her pay be on par with other department heads. Board members asked for comparisons to other town clerks of similar sized towns on Cape Cod and eventually settled on a five percent or $4,016 raise for this year only.

• Selectmen Michael Kopko proposed holding another round of budget meetings with Town Manager Libby Gibson and one other selectmen to see if there are any other cuts that could be made in advance of Town Meeting. Selectmen Patty Roggeeven and Brian Chadwick both wanted to participate in the work group, which would constitute a quorum, which Kopko did not want to have. Kopko said he felt more would be accomplished if the meeting was smaller in size and brushed off concerns of not being transparent because any changes would have to be brought back before the board. The members eventually voted for the meetings to include all selectmen who wanted to participate and thus, the meeting would be open to the public and posted on the meeting board at town hall.

- Compiled by Peter Sutters