Nantucket’s Annual Town Meeting lasted 3 nights with fewer than 600 people in attendance the first night. A total of 31 articles were called out for discussion of the 117 article warrant. Town Meeting provided the usual early spring view of government at work. Articles that generated the most lively discussion were:
Article 31, Expanding the Room Occupancy Tax to the Rental of Private Homes: After much discourse, Article 31 failed to pass on a very close vote. Those in favor: 245, Opposed: 262. We will continue to educate the community and voice our opinions on this new tax every time it comes up (5 times in the past twelve years).
Article 33, Funding for the Debt Service for the Surfside and Sconset Sewer Plants was adopted. The article will shift a significant portion of the debt-service costs for the plants from sewer users to the general tax base. The funding proposal must be approved again by island residents on a ballot vote.
Article 39, Funding to Implement a Mosquito Control Plan for the Island, was approved with $100,000 of funding not contained within the general fund budget. The funding must still be approved by a ballot vote.
Article 44, Allowing Wind Energy Uses on Madaket Landfill Property, was approved. The article will allow town leaders and the Energy Study Committee to continue pursuing the town’s wind-energy project at the dump. Funding and zoning articles related to the project were put on hold until a later Town Meeting.
Article 58, Zoning Bylaw Amendment to Prohibit Construction of Swimming Pools in the downtown and Sconset historic districts was approved on a voice vote following an extended debate. The Planning Board had sought further study on the issue, but the article was amended on Town Meeting floor to eliminate a provision that would have allowed pools through a special permit, and was overwhelmingly approved.
Article 59, No Multi-Story Parking Garages Downtown, received the endorsement of a majority of Town Meeting voters but did not garner the two-thirds margin necessary for approval. The zoning amendment would have prohibited parking garage structures in all areas of the island except a small portion of the mid-island area and the industrial area near the airport without Town Meeting approval. Proponents said the article was intended to raise the bar for the passage of a proposed downtown parking garage by forcing supporters to come to a future Town Meeting and would have placed the power with the voters rather than a majority of any elected board.
Article 93, Authorizing the Sale of the Town-Owned Mooney Building at 22 Federal Street, was approved on a voice vote. An amendment proposed with language that would have mandated that the proceeds from the sale be used for town and county office space in the core district was defeated.