14-Article Warrant Finalized For Fall Special Town Meeting

BREWSTER – Voters attending the special town meeting next month can expect a relatively typical fall warrant including capital expenses, Sea Camps funding requests, a few bylaw amendments and one citizen's petition promoting a pollinator-friendly community. 

 The warrant includes 14 articles and will be voted on starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17 at Stony Brook Elementary School. 

 Historically, most capital requests are added to the special town meeting warrant, and this November won’t be much different.

 The first article requests an appropriation of $3,316.50 from available funds to cover outstanding bills from last year. Two of the charges come from the golf department for golf shoes while the remaining bill was from the facilities department for elevator service.

 The capital and special projects article requests an appropriation of just over $3 million to cover 10 departments’ expenses. 

 The assessors department is requesting $80,000 from the overlay account to cover inspections required by the state’s department of revenue. The natural resources department has a few projects along with security expenses that will total $112,000 and is requested from free cash. The water department is asking to use $110,000 in retained earnings to pay for communication system upgrades and the replacement of a variable frequency drive. The department of public works will be requesting an appropriation of $745,000 in free cash to pay for maintenance work, landfill monitoring, stormwater compliance, a trailer replacement, a mower, a dump truck replacement and an evaluation of the DPW building. 

The facilities department requests $63,500 of free cash for security purposes, town hall plumbing repairs and improvements to the Drummer Boy Park shed and gazebo. The IT department is requesting $65,630 for updates to a surveying map and technology software. The police department is asking for $200,000 in free cash for three vehicle replacements and community room improvements. The fire department is looking to appropriate funding from ambulance receipts and prior approved capital articles to purchase one administrative vehicle, repair a forestry truck and replace their cardiac monitor. 

The Brewster Ladies’ Library is requesting an appropriation of $75,000 in free cash to pay for the library’s roof replacement design. And finally, the golf department is requesting to appropriate just under $1.2 million from the golf retained earnings and prior approved appropriations for an array of improvements and replacements around the course and clubhouse. 

 The select board and finance committee unanimously voted in favor of recommending all appropriations. 

 Voters should recognize article seven quite well. Over the last few months, town staff, the select board and the Sea Camps advisory committee have hosted multiple forums, spoke at meetings and answered public questions regarding the new phasing and financing plan for the Sea Camps comprehensive plan. The article seeks $1.07 million for the plan, with all but $50,000 funded from free cash, which was certified at $3.75 million.

 The accompanying comment for the article says that “the new plan requires no debt for initial phases. Project costs have been reduced, and timelines have been extended to limit the tax impacts of implementation. As a result, proposed Sea Camps capital improvements have been integrated into the town’s capital planning processes that account for all anticipated facility, fleet, property and initiative needs across the entire organization.”

 The updated financing and phasing plan will be added to the appendix of the warrant for voters to review prior to casting their vote. The article received another unanimous endorsement by the select board and finance committee.

The community preservation committee (CPC) is bringing two requests to the special town meeting for consideration for a total of $125,000. 

Habitat for Humanity is seeking $105,000 for community housing set to go at 3571 Main St., also known as Mackie Drive. If approved, the funding will be appropriated from the community housing reserve. The project is in collaboration with the Brewster Conservation Trust, which has a conservation restriction on a portion of the property and agreed to sell 0.65 acres for the purposes of affordable housing. 

The CPC is seeking the remaining $20,000 from budgeted reserve to update the five-year community preservation plan. The current plan is set to end in 2027, so the updated plan will cover 2028 to 2032. 

Articles three and four round out the remaining capital requests. Article three requests that the town transfer $387,216.95 from the private road betterment receipt account for temporary road repairs. This will cover the debt issued in the Vesper Pond neighborhood project, which repaired private roads Vesper Pond Drive, Mayflower Circle, Cranberry Lane, Deer Path Circle, Jam Lane, and Bay View Drive.

Article four seeks an appropriation of $97,000 in free cash for Crosby Beach parking. Of that, $52,000 will be paid to the department of conservation and recreation for overflow beach parking at the Crosby Mansion property grounds in Nickerson State Park. The remaining $45,000 will be transferred directly to the Crosby Mansion revolving fund. 

 Two articles are on the warrant regarding short-term rentals including the establishment of a revolving fund. The fund, which will have a fiscal year spending limit of $200,000, will help to manage registration and inspections for short-term rentals. 

 The other article is to accept the short-term rental task force’s report. 

 Article two is likely to bring some smiles to the town meeting floor. It seeks approval to rescind previously authorized but unissued debt for capital requests and projects that have been completed under budget.

 In an effort to meet state regulations of nitrogen mitigation, the select board is hoping to move forward with a unique, cost-effective approach: purchase a conservation restriction on Thacher’s Bog in Harwich to prevent future fertilizer application. The article seeks an appropriation of $300,000 from the water quality stabilization fund to purchase the conservation restriction from the Harwich Conservation Trust. 

 There are two bylaw amendments on the warrant, including a zoning bylaw and the alewife general bylaw. 

 The alewife general bylaw, if approved, will be updated to reflect clear and concise language around the committee’s charge, increase its membership from three to five and clearly delineate tasks between the committee and the herring warden. 

 The zoning bylaw amendment is related to accessory dwelling units (ADU) and is a little more complicated. The amendments seeks to align with new state regulations, clarifying some language and definitions. One big change will be deleting the term accessory commercial dwelling unit with mixed-use development.  

 On Monday, select board member Pete Dahl questioned town planner Jon Idman about how this would impact sewer infrastructure and the sewer capacity on houses. Idman said while these are concerns, the zoning bylaw doesn’t dictate those standards and homeowners would have to be aware that more would go into building an ADU than just erecting a structure. 

The select board voted unanimously to recommend the amendments.

The citizens petition, brought by Karen Fry of the Brewster Pollinators, seeks to declare the town a pollinator-friendly community. While the resolution is non-binding, town manager Peter Lombardi said it was aspirational in nature. 

 Finance committee member Bill Meehan was the lone “no” vote for recommendation due to his personal policy against non-binding resolutions. 

 The final article, if approved, will allow the town to solicit bids for a formal property reevaluation of all real and personal property in the town.

 Nauset Youth Alliance will be providing free childcare for ages 5 to 14 in a room next door to the gymnasium during the event. To participate, contact the NYA at 508-896-7900 or emcbrearty@nausetyouthalliance.org by Wednesday, Nov. 12.