[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6207132,"mediaKeyId","3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4","parentId",3759462,"title","DPW headquarters study and related climate resilience measures defeated at town meeting; committee urges clearer public outreach","audioSeconds",160,"startMs",3075000,"endMs",3235000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4&start=3075&end=3235","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6207132/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/DPW-headquarters-study-and-related-climate-resilience-measures-defeated-at-town-meeting-committee-urges-clearer-public-outreach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207132-7ebcb79a84d854d4f593dac076c2fef1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136176&Signature=SJ6lUYQGrarwyv6CkYM8~itDPlLUIDfe~cmPE~cO~w69BJIw-j4~MNMpExeKFch92BO4GZBgE7CpMaaO5MObtQCpzjEVJDeGjr7UDMjc0zCb-oTaNvR0dweyzhXXbuzkSCJ3ryiyw1~QNt3r1NbT8r~Shi1~qjKWtKqnKOqTccIp7x7Zf3NV8Nnl1MX8Y3U8Lz9t2S14Uu6nTr-rUIrpskhSF-s9Kk4q1dcWUwasXJ6eV27Oz6A3ctwdtL2oM~4TyNXcS24VJufLn9NLB2IyQLGSIodM3uMuGEqwj8tZ4uL1sss~m3054flUh8zZnqFRD0GuNTZAaUtDDImazthjXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town-County of Nantucket, MA","date","2025-06-11T08:07:37.507Z","article","A warrant article to fund study and preliminary work for relocating Nantucket’s Department of Public Works (DPW) headquarters failed at the recent town meeting, Advisory Committee for Nonvoting Taxpayers members said June 7. Committee members described public confusion about what the article covered and said the town did not effectively convey the climate‑related reasons for the proposal.

What the vote covered: Meeting participants clarified that the defeated article sought funds to study and design a replacement for DPW headquarters (equipment garages, vehicle maintenance buildings), not the town’s waste disposal operations. Speakers said the current DPW location is at risk from rising groundwater and flooding and that equipment life and service reliability are being affected by exposure to salt air and weather.

Why voters rejected it: Committee members said voters resisted what they perceived as a large initial design expenditure (the figure discussed at meeting ranged in the low millions) while many residents were also wrestling with the Our Island Home proposal. Several members said opponents conflated the headquarters study with immediate relocation costs and with the waste disposal site, which created confusion that officials did not adequately correct before the vote.

Resiliency and timing: Speakers argued that delaying investment could increase long‑term costs as equipment degrades and climate impacts accelerate. Committee member Lynn noted DPW has been holding public open houses and that department staff attempted to explain constraints and needs but the public remained unconvinced.

Committee response: ACNVT members urged better public education, clearer scoping of future warrant articles and suggested that targeted outreach to explain why headquarters replacement is a separate issue from waste disposal might produce different results in the future.

Ending: The committee said it will continue monitoring capital planning and recommended clearer municipality communication on climate adaptation needs and the cost trade‑offs between renovation and relocation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Advisory Committee of Non-Voting Taxpayers - 6/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A warrant article to fund study and relocation of the Department of Public Works (DPW) headquarters failed at town meeting; ACNVT members said the public confusion about headquarters vs waste‑disposal facilities and climate‑driven need for relocation hurt the measure and recommended better public education.","taxTitle","Nantucket County, Massachusetts","taxId",61456,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207136,"Nantucket's Our Island Home plan stalls after town meeting; committee volunteers to gather options",2015,214000,2229000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4&start=214&end=2229","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4/thumbnail_214000.jpg","/articles/6207136/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Nantuckets-Our-Island-Home-plan-stalls-after-town-meeting-committee-volunteers-to-gather-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207136-114d4ee127a7f134842745972dd60a2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136176&Signature=D2AO35h9bMpIgG27qeL-kAIt2bYPgsbCqaJjHGGfRBUj~VJ5ZSax6Sf0PZ6cZDDQKymGXaeYqmtvKZhf1-sTufAivLoYxdPgfbYAjt2cM4q1~chRTFD5w7DesL9RfkPtx0UrZFvFtKAYtpujys2mE90yMZjkcFUULgED1YfW0AyMNrWSCYGsrlsru7rGCVf7RvEdWX6~A86cFQSbTNcz5ZWsQKxlNWARvhNMfuICqvTr5KczDWw2sEGYgweiLkZ6laOSvys78Y2Cn-epoFcUqvaa9T9meK1Eyif9TOojIqj7wbILN3LTT5IJt2PblPQvVV~jugR-n7tmjqSsTchq4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A proposed $125 million plan to replace Nantucket’s Our Island Home failed to secure the two‑thirds majority needed at the town meeting and later on the ballot, and the project’s future is now uncertain, Advisory Committee for Nonvoting Taxpayers members said at their June 7 meeting.

Why it matters: Committee members said the proposed cost — described repeatedly as “enormous” at public meetings — and concerns about moving a long‑standing town facility off its current site drove opposition. Members also noted that operating funding partly depends on Medicaid and that federal budget uncertainties could affect long‑term operating support.

Funding and design alternatives discussed: Jean Briskman and other members pointed to a Martha’s Vineyard project with about 70 beds built at roughly half the per‑bed cost, funded in part by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan of about $30 million and delivered as five separate modular buildings. ACNVT members discussed exploring private financing, naming‑opportunity fundraising, modular construction, and the possibility of renovating the existing facility to extend its useful life as less‑expensive alternatives to the original plan.

Eligibility and admissions questions: Committee members raised whether Nantucket residents would have priority admission. An administrator’s written reply, circulated to ACNVT members, stated that under Medicaid rules the facility must be open to all eligible persons, including nonresidents; ACNVT members said that rules therefore do not guarantee local priority for beds.

Committee response and next steps: ACNVT members debated whether to form a subcommittee to gather information, analyze lower‑cost models, and identify funding sources. Volunteers — Don, Jean Briskman, Donna, Michael Cody and others — agreed to pursue a fact‑finding approach and to check the existing governance and who “calls the shots” at the town level (the select board and Our Island Home governance were identified as leads). Peter Halley, ACNVT chair, advised that the select board planned to take up the issue at its June 11 meeting and that ACNVT would monitor and offer advice as requested.

Ending: ACNVT members agreed the committee’s role is advisory and that gathering factual information — project cost drivers, renovation cost estimates, funding sources and operational projections — would produce the most useful input for town leaders considering next steps.","A proposed $125 million replacement for the Our Island Home failed to secure the required two‑thirds approval at town meeting and on the ballot; ACNVT members volunteered to form an information‑gathering group to review alternatives, costs and funding options, including modular construction and federal loans.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207141,"Judge's order on short‑term rentals narrows legality in historic district; town expected to decide whether to appeal",3524,274000,3798000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4&start=274&end=3798","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759462-499cf311f02aab39101dd7c6e71482d4/thumbnail_274000.jpg","/articles/6207141/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Judges-order-on-shortterm-rentals-narrows-legality-in-historic-district-town-expected-to-decide-whether-to-appeal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207141-d94ceed7da6fc5c4af1e55a526e41eb6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136176&Signature=hAMtldboxFVj9bipFNyFx7I1k5QwyBb-J5nxaWyONaUf8ds81a4Gtg4CcI0D3dnukgKZrXT-rGzCdrqPNilXWOWohbkGMM5l97KM8HIKZEzab5eANT889sVJl1mHESlGq0Lr0KQYUKrCa9AVRXTsaEWVaCA9Q9yp0mCTAirPndqdS4XxCn6WfG1fE3HCdDYUd2hrTUJV~g5XAdXnmW1BXAmvu8EZd3~cE8O2ZsG2Tm1bfWMGMq0eDFhdiuCd64pw6JnQB~3EGQpigX8Y1PPJO2rVR-r~0Xj7KPfNkMMoJFretKdM3ei6hfeImP36uIr0lDyQKlo6bPJzCJNJIuAYOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A recent court order restricting short‑term rentals in Nantucket’s historic district is prompting town officials and residents to consider immediate legal and legislative responses. The Advisory Committee for Nonvoting Taxpayers (ACNVT) discussed the order June 7 during its regular meeting; committee members said the ruling is narrow but could spur broader action by the town.

The order, described in the meeting as “an order without an opinion,” concluded that the town’s zoning did not expressly allow short‑term rentals in the Old Historic District, and it remanded some matters to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Kathy Baird, an ACNVT member who attended the court hearing, said she came away “not surprised that he came down with a … really strict decision” and quoted the judge as warning the town to “fix it at your next town meeting or I will.”

Why it matters: committee members said the ruling could force the town to act quickly because it affects rental properties used seasonally and by owners who are not year‑round residents. ACNVT members noted that the decision, though narrow in scope, removes a layer of legal uncertainty that the town has faced for years and could affect hundreds of properties downtown and elsewhere.

What the town can do: meeting participants described three likely paths: the select board could appeal the decision (which would likely put the order on hold), the town could seek a special town meeting if citizens gather 200 petition signatures, or the town could revise zoning and general bylaws to clarify what is allowed. Kathy Baird reported published comments from town counsel and town officials indicating an appeal was likely; she also noted a June 11 joint session between the ZBA and select board had been scheduled to discuss litigation strategy.

Practical consequences and enforcement: committee members said practical enforcement is limited because the town lacks a registration system that distinguishes whole‑house short‑term rentals from hosted rentals (room rentals by a resident). Enforcement, they said, would likely depend on neighbor complaints and ZBA adjudication. ACNVT members also noted the ruling could complicate this summer’s operating season for some rental owners if no stay is granted.

Positions in the meeting: Peter Halley, ACNVT chair, described the ruling as a “big cloud” over the summer rental season and urged the town to clarify policy. Peter Connan (committee member) said the decision could be a motivation to bring stakeholders together and noted an Act Now representative had suggested mediation between parties. Several members said they expected the town to appeal and that an appeal would likely produce an automatic stay while the case proceeds.

Next steps: ACNVT members said they will monitor the select board’s actions after its June 11 meeting and will be available to advise, but the committee has no legislative authority. Committee members discussed possible outreach to help the town craft zoning language if asked.

Ending: The committee agreed to watch the select board–ZBA meeting results and to reconvene on the issue if a special town meeting or appeal is filed.","A recent court order limited short‑term rentals in the island's historic district and remanded questions to the town's Zoning Board of Appeals; town leaders and local groups are considering an appeal and a potential special town meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DPW headquarters study and related climate resilience measures defeated at town meeting; committee urges clearer public outreach

Nantucket's Our Island Home plan stalls after town meeting; committee volunteers to gather options

Judge's order on short‑term rentals narrows legality in historic district; town expected to decide whether to appeal