79th Chatham Summer Town Meeting Slated For Aug. 12

CHATHAM – The summer town meeting, an annual event to provide an opportunity for seasonal residents to catch up on town issues and ask questions of officials, will be held next Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the annex in West Chatham.

 Chatham’s second homeowners are an active bunch, represented by the summer residents’ advisory committee (SRAC), an official town body set up more than a decade ago to advise the select board on issues both general and specific to seasonal residents. It’s one of the only official committees of its kind in the state and is the sponsor of next week’s session.

 Going back decades, the annual summer town meeting has provided a forum for second homeowners to hear from town officials and ask questions about issues important to them. This year’s summer town meeting — which is purely informal and informational — will be the 79th.

 This year’s summer town meeting will cover three topics: the town’s sewer project, short-term rentals, and a residential tax exemption. Town Manager Jill Goldsmith will also make a presentation, according to SRAC Chair Jeffrey Spalter. Select board members and many department heads will also be present for a question-and-answer session.

 The town’s long-range sewer project has been on SRAC’s radar for some time, Spalter said. Last year the group did a deep dive on grinder pumps and recommended that the town purchase and provide the devices for residents who need them in order to connect to the town’s sewer system. The select board followed the recommendation and town meeting voted the funds to cover the cost of the pumps.

 This year the group is concentrating on ways to encourage homeowners to connect to the sewer system. One example is communication of connection details and informing homeowners that it might be efficacious to work with neighbors to realize an economy of scale in the hiring of engineers and installers to make the connections, Spalter said.

 A residential tax exemption — which would give year-round property owners a break on property taxes, essentially shifting some of the burden to non-resident owners — has been discussed in town for years, but hasn’t received much traction. It’s scheduled to come up on the select board’s agenda on Aug. 19, and the SRAC will provide input at that time, Spalter said.

 He called the exemption, which is allowed under state law and has been adopted by a few Cape towns, a “blunt instrument.” While its purpose is generally to help year-round residents better able to afford to stay in their homes, it doesn’t account for the fact that second homeowners’ tax bills will increase, which could also cause economic hardship.

Administration of such a system, including determining who qualifies for the exemption, will also be costly, he said.

“It’s not a freebie,” Spalter said, adding that SRAC supports providing assistance to those homeowners who need it. “This tool doesn’t do it.”

Summer residents are just as concerned about the proliferation of short-term rentals as year-round folks, Spalter said. It’s one of the issues the group has been exploring this summer, meeting with Health Agent Judith Giorgio and Short-term Rental Administrator Karen Chimwaza.

Once again this year, town moderator William Litchfield will moderate next week’s summer town meeting, said Spalter, a retired ExxonMobil executive who lives in Longboat Key, Fla., in the offseason.

The past year is the first that SRAC has met year round, not just during the summer months. Meetings during the offseason have been held virtually on a monthly basis “just to keep us up with all the issues in town,” Spalter said. 

The group’s summer meetings, held every Friday at 9 a.m. at the annex, are open to the public and available to stream on the town’s website. Spalter said members of the committee are thankful to have a voice in town affairs.

“It really is quite remarkable,” he said. “You do really feel supported by the town. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that.”