COVID-19 Update

Director of Natural Resources Dr. Robert Duncanson reported the status of COVID-19 in Town to the Select Board at its meeting on August 10^th.

There have been 341 cases reported in Town since March 2020 and there have been four cases reported in Town to date in August.

As of August 5^th the Town’s percent positivity rate was 1.9% which is the lowest of any town on Cape and is below the State average of 2.4%.

No swimming sign in front of blue sky and water.

Beaches Closed to Swimming

Oyster Pond and Buck's Creek are both closed to swimming due to elevated levels of Enterococcus bacteria. Re-testing has occurred and any changes will be noted on social media.

Signs are posted at the beaches and lifeguards are reminding beachgoers to stay out of the water. Please adhere to these closures. Follow the Town's Facebook and Twitter accounts for further notices.

In Case You Missed It

The Town has been awarded over $13 million in subsidies for past and current wastewater projects from the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative. This the highest amount awarded by the fund to any member town.

Chatham will receive $2,374,961 for wastewater projects in 2018 and 2019 to be paid to the Town over four years, $2,156,250 on current projects to be paid over four years and $8,654,945 to offset pre-existing debt on projects to be paid over 10 years.

The Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative is funded by a 2.7% tax on traditional and short-term rentals. Its Advisory Board developed criteria to evaluate member town’s wastewater projects and allocate funding.

Painted and decorated wooden whale shapes displayed in a park.

Last Week for Art in the Park

It's the last week to view and bid on the Art in the Park entries. The whales will be leaving Kate Gould Park on Friday, August 20th and the online fundraising auction closes at noon that day.

This year saw a record number of entrants - 60!

Fifty percent of the funds raised goes directly to the artists. The balance of the funds raised, after expenses, supports Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Merchants Association year round sponsored community events and initiatives, such as the plan and implementation for the beautification of Kate Gould Park, as well as supporting local non-profits.

New Homeowner Survey By Cape Cod Commission

COVID-19 is reshaping the way people are living and working, and it is having profound effects on Cape Cod’s real estate market.

Cape Cod was a popular place to move during the pandemic and Barnstable County saw the fourth-largest change in population in the nation from 2019 to 2020.

To further understand the changes in population on Cape Cod, the Cape Cod Commission is collaborating with the UMass Donahue Institute and the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell on a 2021 Cape Cod New Homeowner Survey.

The survey was designed to better understand homeowners' decisions to purchase a home on the Cape in the past year, as well as near- and long-term plans for the use of their newly purchased home. People who purchased a home on Cape Cod between April 2020 and May 2021 may receive a mailing requesting their response to the survey.

The survey builds off the Commission's past survey efforts for Cape Cod Second Homeowners. The Cape Cod Commission periodically surveys the second homeowner population on Cape Cod to understand how second homes are used, how they might be used in the future, and how second homeowners contribute to the local economy. Data collected informs regional planning efforts, including land-use, housing, and economic development.

Information on the New Homeowner Survey is available on the Cape Cod Commission’s website.

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

Town of Chatham website www.chatham-ma.gov