Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day Closures

The Town Offices, Community Center, and Center for Active Living will be closed on Monday, October 14th in recognition of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day.

The Transfer Station will be open for normal operating hours.

Remembering Dougie Bohman

Douglas Ann "Dougie" Bohman passed away on Friday, October 4th. A longtime resident and lover of Chatham, Dougie was appointed to the Finance Committee in 1978 and served through 1989. She was then elected to the Select Board for five terms, 1993 through 2008, and served as its Chair in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004.

In tribute to her service to the community, a plaque declaring the newly rebuilt Mitchell River Bridge as Dougie's Mitchell River Bridge was installed upon the project's completion in 2016.

Our deepest condolences to her family members and friends.

Assessing Vendor Making Rounds

PK VALUATION Group is assisting the Town with cycle inspections of residential and commercial properties for Fiscal Year 2026. Nancy Finch, an employee of PK VALUATION Group, will be working throughout Chatham photographing and measuring structures on various properties and verbally verifying data with owners. Her vehicle is a Black Toyota RAV 4 and she carries an ID from PK VALUATION Group.

Please feel free to contact the Assessing Department at 508.945.5103 if you have any questions or concerns.

Two red, white and blue striped pin buttons side by side with Early Voting written in the middle of them

Early Voting Starts October 19th

In-person Early Voting will be held at the Town Offices, 549 Main Street on Saturday, October 19th and Saturday, October 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday – Friday, October 21st to November 1st from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Parking spaces will be reserved at the rear of the Town Office building accessed from Cross Street for Early Voting only during Octoberfest on Saturday, October 19^th. Signage and a Police detail will be in place.

If you are not already registered to vote in Chatham, the deadline to register to vote is Saturday, October 26th by 5 p.m. You can register to vote in-person at the Town Clerk’s office, 549 Main Street or online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s online voter portal.

The 2024 State/Presidential Elections will be held on Tuesday, November 5th at the Community Center, 702 Main Street. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chatham Select Board sitting at the dais in a large meeting room

Select Board Actions, October 8th

In a joint meeting, the Select Board (5-0) and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees (5-1, with one member absent) voted to approve the Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) for the sale and development of housing at 1533/0 Main Street with Pennrose, LLC after receiving a presentation from Town Counsel Lisa Mead. The presentation reviewed the deadlines and permitting process, including financing, leading to a closing on the property and start of construction. Attorney Mead reviewed the affordability restrictions on the properties and protections afforded to the Town within the LDA.

After adjournment of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees (AHT), the Select Board took no action on a proposal to allocate responsibility for the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of Town-owned property on Stepping Stones Road and at 127 Old Harbor Road for affordable/attainable housing to the AHT. Consideration of this action was prompted by the AHT, which made the request to oversee the development of these properties to the Select Board in August.

The Community Housing Partnership’s recommendation that the Town engage a consultant to conduct test-fits of housing units at 127 Old Harbor Road was supported by a vote of 4-1. The test-fits will be limited to two scenarios; one including 2 units and the other including 4-6 units on the property.

Zach Jylkka, Bureau of Ocean Management, provided a presentation on the status of the Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Project. The BOEM announced Final Sale Notice in September for 8 lease areas off Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. The project area was reduced by 120,000 acres from what was originally proposed after public comments were received regarding the avoidance of offshore fishing grounds and sensitive habitats, and in consideration of existing and future vessel traffic. The auction of the leases will be held on Tuesday, October 29^th. More information is available on the project’s webpage.

The Select Board reviewed a proposed procedure for communications planning on Town projects. The procedure includes evaluating the scope, scale, and impacts of a project on the community and planning the appropriate levels of public engagement to raise awareness of the project, conduct educational outreach about the project, identify opportunities to involve the public, and to provide an appropriate close-out of the project. The Board will re-visit the proposal again in the coming weeks.

Health Agent Judy Giorgio briefed the Select Board on the grants made to local non-profits that offer programs addressing harm reduction and the work of the Town’s Recovery Coach, contracted through Outer Cape Health Services, which are funded by opioid settlement funds.

The entirety of the meeting may be viewed in Chatham TV's on-demand archive.

Red lighthouse with yellow beams of light emitting from it

State Senate Candidates Debate

The students of the Monomoy Regional High School's Political Action Club will host a forum with the candidates vying for election as the Massachusetts State Senator for the Cape & Islands District, incumbent Julian Cyr and challenger Christopher Lauzon on Thursday, October 24th from 11 a.m. to 12 noon in the Monomoy Regional High School Auditorium, 75 Oak Street, Harwich.

The event is organized by student members of the Political Action Club, a nonpartisan group. The candidates will answer questions from a panel of students overseen by a student moderator. All other aspects of the debate including timing, lighting, and sound production will also be run by Monomoy students.

Tax Bill Reminder

FY2025 Real Estate and Personal Property Tax bills were mailed on Tuesday, October 1st and are due in the Treasurer's Office by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1st.

For information on making payments including online options via electronic check (ACH) or credit card, please refer to the Treasurer/Collector webpage.

If you have not received your bill, please contact the Treasurer/Collector at 508-945-5108.

Pumpkin Bash Family Bingo on Oct 25 at the Community Center from 5-6 p.m.

Railroad Museum's Last Weekend

Don't miss your last chance to visit the Railroad Museum this season!

The Museum will be open on Saturday, October 12th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, October 13th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. As always, admission to the Museum is free but donations are happily accepted.

Thank you to all our volunteer docents who make the Museum a "must see" attraction for residents and visitors every year!

Scrabble Tiles spelling "Medicare" with open enrollment written above them

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare open enrollment runs from Tuesday, October 15th through Saturday, December 7th. State certified SHINE counselors are available by appointment at the Center for Active Living, 193 Stony Hill Road, Monday thru Friday to help you understand your healthcare coverage, review cost increases, and find out what's new with Medicare. Meeting with a certified SHINE volunteer could potentially result in a reduction to your out of pocket medical and/or prescription drug costs.

Call the Center for Active Living at 508-945-5190 to schedule your appointment and learn what documents you will need to bring with you.

Net Zero 2024 Conference

The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative will hold Net Zero 2024 conference "Climate Actions for Everyone: Reducing Emissions, Building Resilience" on Thursday, October 24th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Emerald Resort, 35 Scudder Ave., Hyannis. Attendance is free.

After a brief video welcome by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the conference will feature panels on coastal resilience, electrifying transportation on Cape Cod and practical actions for reducing emissions and enhancing community resilience.

Greg Berman, Director of Natural Resources, and Janet Williams, member and past Chair of Chatham's Conservation Commission, will be on the panel for "Planning for Coastal Resilience: Local to Regional."

Two breakout sessions will be held after lunch on local climate action planning and what actions individuals, organizations, and business can take.

Learn more and register for the conference on the Climate Change Collaborative's website.

Close up of a truck plowing snow with a red circle and slash across it

Do-Not-Plow List Posted

Annually, Public Works staff inspect and evaluate private roads for compliance with minimum standards to prevent damage to Town equipment during snow and ice removal. If private roads do not meet these requirements for the winter of 2024/2025, snow plowing and sanding services will not be provided.

Minimum Standards:

The travel lane of any road shall be no less than 12 feet wide.
Roadside clearance of any obstacles including vegetation shall be no less than 2 feet either side.
Height clearance shall be no less than 12 feet from the road surface
There must be ample room for emergency vehicles to turn around if the road is a dead end.
Paved or unpaved private roads shall have no defects (potholes or ruts) exceeding 2 inches in depth.
All private ways shall have a visible street sign and be open to the public.

A list of roads that have failed this year's initial inspection is available on the Highway Division's website. Failed roads will be re-inspected in the first week of December to determine if they have been brought up to these minimum standards to receive snow plowing and sanding services this winter.

Person in orange vest standing on a large pipe in the ground with an excavator in the background

Sewer Construction Update

October 14th – October 18th:

No Work on Monday, October 14th for Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day Holiday except for Oyster Pond Sewer Extension Project as noted below.

Route 137/Morton Road

Site work is expected to continue at Pump Station #3 (Meetinghouse Road) and Pump Station #4 (Twine Field Drive).

Queen Anne Pump Station

No work planned.

Stage Harbor Road Sewer Extension Project

Site work is expected to continue at the pumping station site (Old Mill Boat Yard/Harbormasters Garage).

Mill Pond Pump Station

Mobilization and site work will commence on Mill Pond Road and at the Mill Pond Pumping Station site. Road closures are expected, local traffic only. Police detail(s) will be onsite to assist motorists. Please note that work associated with the Mill Pond Pumping Station will close access to the Town Landing starting Tuesday, October 15^th.

Oyster Pond Sewer Extension Project

Monday, October 14^{th -}Sewer work will continue on Independence Lane. Access will be limited; police detail(s) will be onsite to assist residents.

Tuesday, October 15^{th -}Water work will commence on Kelley Lane. Access will be limited; police detail(s) will be onsite to assist residents.

Fish head and tail with three capital Cs in between them

Grant Applications Due Next Week

Last call for Chatham Cultural Council (CCC) grant applications! 

The CCC welcomes grant applications from non-profit organizations and individuals with proposals in the arts, humanities, and sciences until October 16, 2024. Applications must be completed online at the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s website https://massculturalcouncil.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp where information on the application guidelines and process is available.

For more information, contact either of the Co-Chairs, Sue Foster at 508-945-2236 or Barry Desilets at 508-726-4267. Applications are due by October 16, 2024. Don’t wait until the last minute to apply!

Next Select Board Meeting - October 15, 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. Public Announcements and Agenda Requests

II. Committee/Board/Commission Update

A. Cemetery Commission

III. Chatham Wells, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), and Drinking Water Update for September 2024 – Director of Public Works Rob Faley

IV. Public Comments on Business Agenda

V. Business Agenda

A. Consider Acceptance of Memorial Bench Donation at Seaside Links Golf Course

B. Vote to Approve and Sign the State (Presidential) Election Warrant – Town Clerk Julie Smith

C. Consider Special One-Day Alcohol License; Paint and Sip Event to Benefit the Sampson Fund and Brewster Veterinary Hospital on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 82 Meetinghouse Road, South Chatham from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Patti Smith, The Sampson Fund

D. Cape Light Compact Update on Three-Year Plan – Maggie Downey

E. Consider Donation of Road Plates (Continued from 9/24/24) – Director of Natural Resources Greg Berman

F. Town Projects Public Engagement Procedure – Second Read (Continued from 10/8/24) – Communications Manager Shanna Nealy

G. Consider Amending the Town’s Budget and Financial Management Policies to Limit the Ability of the Town When Borrowing Money to Exclude Debt Under Proposition 2 ½ in Reliance on a Ballot Question Approval that Occurs at an Election that Precedes Town Meeting Action to Authorize the Proposed Borrowing (Continued from 9/10/24) – Select Board Vice Chair Dean Nicastro

H. Consider Amending Meeting Public Participation Policy – Select Board Member Cory Metters

I. Consider Select Board Officer Roles on Committees/Boards/Commissions – Select Board Member Cory Metters

J. Committees/Boards/Commissions Annual Review

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!

Subscribe to The Mainsheet

Subscribe today to have the latest issue of The Mainsheet delivered directly to your inbox each week! Sign-up through Notify Me! by entering your email address and clicking on the envelope icon next to the "Government" subscription list.