FY2025 Budget PresentationOn Tuesday, January 23rd, Town Manager Jill Goldsmith and Finance Director Carrie Mazerolle presented the Town's preliminary FY2025 budget to the Select Board. The Operating Budget without educational assessments is proposed at $40,016,023, an increase of 5.06% over FY2024. Funding is proposed from available revenues with no increase to the FY2024 tax rate of $3.57. The Capital Budget is proposed at $2,367,220 or 5.4% of the Operating Budget, well within the 9% limit set by the Town's Budget and Financial Management Policy. Free Cash and other available funds are the proposed funding sources with no use of the tax levy. The Budget Presentation is available for viewing through the Chatham TV archive. The presentation and supporting documents including any updates to the proposed budget are found in Budget Central.
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Half Staff NotificationPlease be advised that Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has ordered that the United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, January 27th, the date of interment, in honor of Petty Officer Second Class Merle Chester Joseph Hillman, U.S. Navy, USS California, (KIA, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941) of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Remains of Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class Hillman, who was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1941, will be laid to rest at the Saint Jerome Cemetery, in Holyoke, Massachusetts on this day.
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Shared Use Path Construction to BeginWork is anticipated to begin on the George Ryder Road Shared-Use Path to connect the Old Colony Rail Trail to Route 28 on February 1st. Lawrence-Lynch Corp. will be constructing an 8.5 ft wide recreation path along the east side of George Ryder Road to facilitate safe travel along this corridor for cyclists and pedestrians. The work will continue through May. Electronic message boards have been deployed to inform motorists traveling this corridor of the scheduled work. If you have any questions about this project, please reach out to Chatham DPW at (508) 945-5155.
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Request Past Tax Information OnlineThe Treasurer/Collector's Office has added a new feature to help you prepare to file your taxes this year. If you need copies of prior year taxes/utilities paid to the Town, you can now request them online. Just indicate the tax year you are requesting and select Real Estate/Personal Property Tax, Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, and/or Water Bills. Requests will take up to 10 days to process and the documents will be emailed to you. Hard copies are still available at the Treasure/Collector's Office at 549 Main Street for 10¢ per copy.
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Presidential Primary is March 5thThe Massachusetts Presidential Primary is Tuesday, March 5th. Polls will be open at the Community Center, 712 Main Street, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The last day to register to vote in the Primary is Saturday, February 24th. The Town Clerk's Office, 549 Main Street, will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day for in-person registration. You may also register to vote in Massachusetts online. In-person early voting will take place at the Town Offices, 549 Main Street, from February 24th through March 1st. Hours to be determined. The last day to apply to Vote by Mail is Tuesday, February 27th at 5 p.m. The deadline to apply to vote in-person absentee is Monday, March 4th at 12 noon.
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Town Offices Closing Early January 30thTown Offices at 549 Main Street will close at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30th for workplace safety training. Apologies for any inconvenience! |
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Ask the Town ManagerQuestion: The playground at Volunteer Park in West Chatham was torn down due to safety issues over a year ago and was to be replaced. It was voted on positively so, when will it happen? Answer: The Volunteer Park playground was taken down due to safety concerns in late 2022. Voters at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting approved $300,000 in funding for the playground's replacement and the project was sent out to bid in June 2023. Upon receipt of submissions it became apparent that an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant path leading from the parking area to the playground was required but not figured into the project's budget. Voter's at the Special Town Meeting held in September 2023 approved a transfer of $60,000 from the Public Safety Department-Fire Capital Outlay account to Community Services-Recreation and Beaches Capital Outlay account to cover the increased cost of the project. The contract was awarded to M.E. O'Brien and Sons in October 2023. All equipment has been ordered and installation is anticipated in April or May but that is fully dependent on the timing of the equipment's delivery. |
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Backstage with Snow & Ice OperationsChatham TV has produced the second segment in its Backstage series which provides our community with a behind the scenes look at Town operations. This segment showcases Snow & Ice Operations with Deputy Director of Public Works Tom Barr.
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Upcoming Public HearingsThe following Public Hearings will be held during the Select Board's regularly scheduled meetings at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road. Remote participation is available through the link in the meeting's posted agenda. Select BoardJanuary 30To consider changes to the Select Board's Local Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Rules and Regulations. February 13To consider a request from Animal Control Officer Diane Byers, pursuant to General Bylaw Chathapter 115, Section 6(f) regarding complaints of a nuisance dog at 48 Sylvan Way. Tree WardenFebruary 13To listen to concerns over proposed removal of public shade trees in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 87. The subject trees are located within the Town Right of Way along Old Harbor Road adjacent to 19 Old Wharf Road. The trees are Sycamore Maples and are approximately (2) 28" and (1) 32" in diameter. All interested parties are encouraged to participate.
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Sewer Connection Relief ProposedThe Commonwealth’s budgeting process took a significant step forward on Wednesday, January 24th when the Healey/Driscoll Administration filed its $56.1 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget recommendation. The Administration’s budget recommendation, filed as House 2, will be followed by filings by the House, and finally the Senate. A Conference Committee made up of members of the House and Senate will then meet to reach a final agreement on the budget for both the full House and Senate to vote on. If approved by both, it will be presented to the Governor for final review. The budget recommendation includes funding for many programs and services that affect our community including investments in education, childcare, transportation, and housing. One item of particular interest to many in Chatham is an amendment to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 62 Section 6 (i) which specifies the criteria under which a property owner qualifies for a tax credit related to design and construction costs to upgrade or replace a failed septic system or cesspool pursuant to the provisions of Title V as promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection in 1995. The proposed amendment would expand eligibility for the tax credit to include design and construction costs associated with “connection to a sanitary sewer collection system, if such … connection is required pursuant to the provisions of Title 5 of the State Environmental Code, the provisions of a watershed permit issued by the department of environmental protection, or other requirements or conditions for implementation of the watershed permit imposed by the permittee or the department of environmental protection.” Inclusion of the proposed amendment in the Commonwealth’s final budget would provide relief to those who are scheduled to connect to the Town’s sewer system.
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Draft Regional Housing Strategy Deadline ExtendedThe Cape Cod Commission has has extended the deadline for comments on the draft Regional Housing Strategy until Friday, February 16th. The draft Regional Housing Strategy addresses the housing supply, affordability, and availability issues facing the region by identifying appropriate areas for housing development and crafting policies and strategies to further its goals. Comments may be submitted via email to housing@capecodcommission.org. |
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Enjoy "A Little Chaos" at the OrpheumJoin members of the Chatham Garden Club on Wednesday, February 7th at the Orpheum Theater, 637 Main Street, for a special screening of the 2014 British period drama "A Little Chaos." The film stars Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, and the late Alan Rickman, who also directed. Winslet plays a gardener hired to assist with the landscape designs of King Louis XIV's gardens at Versailles. The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by the movie at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $20 and all are welcome to attend. Tickets are available in advance through the Orpheum's website or at the door.
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Batter Up! CCSSL Recruiting New PlayersThe Cape Cod Senior Softball League (CCSSL) is looking for new players for their upcoming season. men and women ages 50-95 are encouraged to register to participate in the premier Senior Softball League in New England. CCSSL's 5 division structure allows players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the game of slow pitch softball at a number of Mid-Cape field locations accommodating players commuting from Provincetown to the South Shore. New player evaluations are conducted in April. A 28 game season follows and concludes in late August with a post-season tournament. For more information and to register visit the CCSSL website.
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Next Select Board Meeting - January 30, 2024 @ 5:30 p.m.All are welcome to attend and participate in our open and public meetings. The agenda for each meeting is posted 48 business hours prior to the scheduled meeting time and can be accessed through the Select Board’s webpage.
Attend in-person at the Town Office Annex, Large Meeting Room. Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 203 386 491#.
I. Minutes A. January 16, 2024 B. January 23, 2024 II. Public Announcements and Agenda Requests III. Public Hearing A. Proposed Amendments to Local Alcoholic Beverages Regulations IV. Public Comments on Business Agenda V. Business Agenda A. Consider Acceptance of Bench Donation at Veteran’s Field – Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation Aimee Howell B. Consider Special One-Day Alcohol Permit; Creative Arts Center in Chatham, Inc. February 5, 2024 from 2:30 – 4:00 PM C. Consider Use/Access of Town Land; Harding’s Beach and Cockle Coe for Cabron Export D. Disclosure of Appearance of Conflict of Interest/Request for Exemption Determination; Richard Leavitt Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees E. Review Results of Community Communications Survey - Communications Manager/Community Engagement Officer Shanna Nealy F. FY2025 Budget Review/2024 Annual Town Meeting Articles Review i. Town Department Budget Presentations – Public Safety – Police/Fire ii. Article Review a. Fix Salaries - Elected Officials b. Wood Waste Reclamation Facility Enterprise Fund c. Childcare Voucher Program iii. Updates to Town Manager Budget Recommendations (if any) G. Appointments i. Summer Residents Advisory Committee ii. Traffic Safety Committee iii. Zoning Board of Appeals iv. Planning Board v. Golf Advisory Committee vi. Conservation Commission H. Town Manager’s Report – December 2023 |
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The MainsheetThe 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! |
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