Petition Articles Fail To Get Traction At Town Meeting

HARWICH – On the final night of the annual town meeting, voters agreed to institute electronic voting at future sessions and defeated a series of petition articles, including one to reverse the ban on single-use plastic water bottles.

“It’s ludicrous you can’t buy a bottle of water in town. You have to drive to Dennis,”  said Tom Birch, lead petitioner of an article seeking to end the ban on the sale of single-use plastic water bottles under a gallon in Harwich.

The ban is extremely detrimental to the town as well as residents and guests, according to Birch. He also spoke of a fire along the Dennis town line in which firefighting foam got into the Harwich water system, and water had to be shut off to numerous homes in the area. Officials had to drive to Hyannis to get bottled water for those residents impacted by the incident, he said.  

 Mike Abdow, who operates a charter boat out of Chatham, said many of his clients come from out of town and have high-energy drinks in plastic bottles and water bottles. Abdow said he does not like to have glass containers on board, so his wife goes to BJ’s in Hyannis to purchase items in plastic containers.

“I’m now shopping out of town in Dennis, Yarmouth or Hyannis,” he said.

 Birch’s petition also sought to end the ban on single-use plastic food containers, utensils and associated plastics. Birch said that plastic ban has a huge financial impact on local restaurants. The cost can sometimes add 40 percent, he said.

 “It’s about freedom of choice, so let’s be American and allow for that choice,” said Birch.  

 Patrick Otton said there are nine towns on the Cape that have the same single-use plastic water bottle ban bylaw in place. He offered an amendment to Birch’s petition that called for deleting the section relating to the ban on plastic food containers.

“Plastic waste is coming up in our food chain. There are microplastics in the marshes and it is affecting fish,” Otton said. “Harwich has great water. For the price of a 16-ounce bottle of water you can buy 1,000 gallons of Harwich water. Plastics are harmful to our health.”

“I can make my own decisions, we have to stop all this banning, banning,” said Alan Hall.

There was agreement that the plastic food container provision would be re-written working with restaurants.

Otton’s amendment prevailed on a 132-110 vote. The single-use plastic water bottle ban will remain in the bylaw. An attempt by Hall at the end of the meeting to reconsider the vote failed. 

Otton had much less success with three petition articles he placed in the warrant. He was lead petitioner on an article seeking to authorize the select board to seek special legislation that would allow the town to prohibit fertilizer use except for commercial agriculture and residential use of organic fertilizer. He also filed a petition article seeking legislative approval for the town to adopt a pesticide reduction bylaw. 

Again the protest against bans was raised, and it was argued more education was the answer. The fertilizer article lost on a 94-134 vote, and the pesticide article lost 97-112. Voters also turned aside a tree preservation article filed by Otton.

A petition article seeking to hire a tree warden got a lot of attention. Petitioner Matt Sutphin said every town on the Cape but three have tree wardens. Every year the town cuts down several trees but he could not determine where trees were replanted. The town will end up denuded, he said.

Brian Sullivan said trees improve air quality, prevent erosion and improve life in the community.   

Select Board Chair Jeffrey Handler said he agreed trees are important, but he added that town counsel has determined the article is a non-binding directive because the decision to hire a warden solely rests with the select board. Absent a warden, the responsibility falls to the department of public works. 

Moderator Michael Ford also said the article provides no source of funding for the $25,000 to hire a part-time warden. Sutphin was encouraged to work with the finance committee and the select board and bring the article back to town meeting, which cast an affirmative vote for the article.  

There were several standing counts required during the session, which tends to slow down the legislative process. Voters approved an article seeking $35,000 to lease electronic voting devices, also referred to as clickers, for future use. Ford said he has talked with the moderators in Chatham and Orleans and he has observed the benefits.    

 “It’s really all about efficiency,” said Ford.

 Voters also supported an increase in the town’s demolition delay bylaw for historic structures from one year to 18 months.

 “I urge you to give us one little piece to negotiate with the applicant on a relatively level ground,” said Historic District and Historical Commission member Paul Doane.