Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Closures

Chatham Town Offices and the Community Center will be closed on Monday, January 15th in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The Transfer Station will be open regular business hours.

Paul Wightman working on an exclosure on North Beach

Conservation Agent Promotion

Town Manager Jill R. Goldsmith has promoted Paul Wightman to serve as the Town’s newest Conservation Agent.
Mr. Wightman has served as the Assistant Conservation Agent/Conservation Lands Manager since 2015 and has been the Acting Conservation Agent since September 2023. During his time with the Town, he has worked collaboratively within the Department of Natural Resources and with other local Natural Resources departments to enhance the Town’s shorebird monitoring program and create lands maintenance and management practices, particularly on North Beach.
Mr. Wightman has served as Acting Conservation Agent during previous position vacancies and is known for his dedication to the Town and to the Conservation field. 
As Conservation Agent, Mr. Wightman will lead the Conservation Division and serve as the staff liaison to the Conservation Commission.
“I look forward to my new duties with enthusiasm, and to working with the many talented Town employees, the Conservation Commission, engineers, environmental consultants, companies, and professionals that make working in Chatham a joy and privilege,” said Wightman.
Greg Berman, Chatham’s Director of Natural Resources said "Paul Wightman's appointment as Conservation Agent is well-deserved. Paul has consistently demonstrated his outstanding dedication and has played a crucial role in maintaining our Conservation Division through multiple periods of transition."
Prior to his tenure in Chatham, Mr. Wightman served as the Director of Conservation in Norwell, MA, Conservation Agent/Natural Resources Officer for the Town of Dennis, and Senior Endangered Species Shorebird Monitor in Orleans. He holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Management and Park Administration Wildlife Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Doctor of Law from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Mr. Wightman may be contacted through the Conservation Division at 508-945-5164 or via email at pwightman@chatham-ma.gov.
Congratulations Paul!

Town Clerk's Office Training Closure

The Town Clerk's Office will be closed from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Tuesday, January 16th and Thursday, January 18th for training with the State Elections Division.

Recipients of the Rosenthal Community Champion Award

Rosenthal Community Champion Award

We are proud to announce that the Nauset Interfaith Association Martin Luther King Action Team and members of the Chatham, Harwich, Brewster and Orleans Police Departments received the Rosenthal Community Champion Award from the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission on Monday, January 8th at the Commission’s annual “International Human Rights Day Awards” breakfast for their unwavering commitment to strengthening the bond between police and local communities.
After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the Nauset Interfaith Martin Luther King Action team established the Conversations with Police Task Force with Chiefs from Chatham, Orleans, Brewster, and Harwich.  The objective of this group has been to engage in ongoing listening sessions and dialogue to promote understanding and improve the interactions between the police and communities of color.  Collectively, the Task Force members have focused on initiatives to address the issues of racial biases with a goal to improve the impact of policing operations, especially on black, indigenous, and people of color.  Shared learning, empathy and respect among the members has led to some impressive initiatives that have resulted in positive changes in police policy and practices. The Task Force has expanded over time to a second group, including Wellfleet and Eastham.
The Rosenthal Community Champion Award is given to individuals in the public sector recognized by their peers, community and associates as individuals who have fostered and supported human rights, concepts, and ideals, particularly those who have worked to advance human rights and to eliminate discrimination against immigrants in Barnstable County.
Those honored included Police Chiefs Michael Anderson of Chatham; Mark Pawlina of Chatham, (Retired); Heath Eldredge of Brewster; Scott MacDonald of Orleans; David Guillemette of Harwich and members of the Nauset Interfaith Association Jeff Spalter, Becky Alden, Tia Cross, Jeanne Morrison, Sally Norris, Pancheta Peterson, David Purdy, Deborah Ulman, and Wesley Williams.

Seasonal Affective Disorder program at the Center for Active Living on Tuesday, January 16 from 11 a.m. to noon

Community Engagement Session on Affordable & Attainable Housing

The Town, along with consultants Barrett Planning Group and Dodson & Flinker Landscape Architects, will hold the third and final community engagement meeting to look at possible affordable and attainable housing development scenarios on the Town-owned properties on Main Street, West Chatham and Meetinghouse Road, South Chatham on Wednesday, January 17th, at 6:00 pm. Members of the Chatham community are invited to participate in this hybrid meeting, either in-person in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road, or online via the Teams meeting link, available below and at the Meetings & Events Calendar on the Town’s website www.chatham-ma.gov.

Click here to join the meeting.

This meeting will conclude an inclusive community visioning process launched in December 2022 to guide the direction of future development on each Town-owned property. The Meetinghouse Road site was purchased exclusively with Affordable Housing Trust funds and will have affordable housing, while the Main Street site will likely have a combination of both affordable and attainable housing.

During the meeting, Barrett Planning Group and Dodson & Flinker will present final design concepts that illustrate the development potential of each site. The concepts presented will not represent official plans for either property but will reflect information and feedback received from the Chatham community at the two prior forums in December 2022 and February 2023 and through the online Community Housing Survey, as well as feedback from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees at their meeting of September 19, 2023, regarding site layout, density, and housing type.

This year-long community visioning exercise provides the basis for a longer-term development process. Following this third and final community engagement meeting, the Town will focus on the development of affordable and/or attainable housing on each parcel. The design concepts presented for each site will be used to inform Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for future development in keeping with a grounded, feasible community vision for each site. Housing Development RFPs are expected to be issued in February 2024.

Outline of a house in black with a For Sale sign in front of it

Real Property Sought for Housing

The Town and the Chatham Affordable Housing Trust are seeking to acquire real property, by purchase, gift, or lease (minimum term of 99 years) within the Town a parcel of land, or parcels of land, suitable for construction or an existing building suitable for renovation for use as a mix of affordable and attainable housing (30% of Area Median Income and up to 200% of Area Median Income).

The Request for Proposals (RFP) and supporting documents may be obtained via email from Shanna Nealy or at the Chatham Town Offices, Town Manager’s Office, 549 Main Street.

Sealed proposals will be received at the Office of the Town Manager, 549 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633 until 2:00 PM on Thursday, February 22, 2024. Late submittals will not be accepted. After the bid closing time, the Interested Party submittals will be opened for the sole purpose of recording the names of the Interested Parties submitting.

The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals if deemed in the best interest of the Town.

Registration required.

A green crab on a white surface with a clear ruler below it

Shellfish Advisory Committee Hosts Guest Speaker

The Shellfish Advisory Committee (SAC) will host Owen Nichols, Director of Marine Fisheries at the Center for Coastal Studies, as a guest speaker at the SAC's meeting on Wednesday, January 17th at 3 p.m. in the small meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

Mr. Nichols will be speaking on the Center's Fisheries Habitat Research focusing on the green crab and other invasive species that may impact shellfish populations.

Chatham Town Seal with silhouette of a speaker at a podium in the center

Upcoming Public Hearings

Tree Warden

The Tree Warden will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 23rd at 2 p.m. in the small meeting room of the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road, in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 87 to discuss a request by abutting property owners of 19 Old Wharf Road to remove three street trees located within the Town right-of-way along Old Harbor Road which have been determined to be impacted by Phytophthora root rot. The trees are Sycamore Maples and are approximately (2) 28" and (1) 32 ' in diameter.

All interested parties are encouraged to participate.

Select Board

The Select Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 30th during its regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road, to consider changes to the Select Board's Local Alcoholic Beverages Licensing Rules and Regulations. Remote participation will be available through the link in the meeting's posted agenda.

All interested parties are encouraged to participate.

Ask the Town Manager

Do you have a question about Town government or are curious about how or why it works the way it does? Please email your question to Shanna Nealy and we will use this space to bring the answers to you.

Cartoon image of a woman holding a tissue surrounded by red virus icons

Refresher on COVID-19 Protocols

With a slight uptick in cases of COVID-19 locally, please keep in mind the following protocols to help avoid spreading the virus in the community.

If you test positive for COVID-19 with either a rapid antigen or PCR test, you are asked to self-isolate, whether you are vaccinated or not. Please avoid leaving your home except for medical care and don't visit public places for at least the first 5 days. If you never experienced symptoms, you may end your isolation on day 6, but please wear a mask around others for 10 days. Please avoid people who are at high risk of severe disease for 10 days.

If you are exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you do not need to self-isolate as long as you remain asymptomatic, but you are asked to wear a mask indoors around other people for 10 days following your exposure.

While the Town no longer has a supply of COVID-19 test kits, they are available for purchase at local pharmacies or you may order test kits for free from the Federal Government.

The MA Department of Public Health maintains its COVID-19 Dashboard with reported data from all cities and towns in the Commonwealth updated on Thursdays.

Questions may be directed to Health Agent Judy Giorgio via email or by calling 508-945-5165.

Blue lighthouse with red horizontal stripes and gold stars behind it

Parade Themes Wanted

The Independence Day Parade Committee is soliciting suggestions for the theme of the 2024 Independence Day Parade.

Put on your thinking cap and come up with a fabulous idea (or two!) and submit your suggestion online. Remember to include your name, contact details and why you think your idea will make a great theme. Submission deadline is February 29th and the selected theme will be announced in March.

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