Committee notes busy events season, requests maintenance follow‑up and raises bike‑safety concerns

Dina (last name not specified), the town’s cultural affairs and events coordinator, told the committee on Oct. 14 that the office received 281 event applications to date this year, with 168 of those falling in the June–August period. She said July had more than 70 events and August 66, while September fell to 11 as the shoulder season began.

Dina said several seasonal events and new beach‑day programming were well attended; the children’s tie‑dye activity drew more than 50 participants in a two‑hour session. She also said the triathlon and wine festival have already started early application conversations for next year.

Committee members raised maintenance and public‑space concerns. Matt Peele and others noted visible wear on grass areas at the beach, which staff attributed to a summer drought and to the town’s decision to limit watering. Members also asked about beach cleaning and playground upkeep. Shanta Bloise Murphy and a chair said that DPW and Parks & Recreation maintain beach trash and that lifeguards often walk the beach to pick up debris; staff recommended using the town’s SeeClickFix reporting tool to flag specific issues.

Members expressed concern about bicycle safety after what several described as a record year for bike accidents and collisions. Committee members suggested the Visitor Services Office consider outreach to visitors (for example, materials supplied by ferry operators) with rules of the road and information about secure downtown parking for bikes. Committee member Liz Holland proposed exploring dedicated downtown bike parking, noting many bikes were locked to light posts and benches during the season.

Dina and staff said they will coordinate with DPW and Parks & Recreation on maintenance follow‑up and suggested the committee include bike‑safety and downtown bike‑rack needs in upcoming agenda items for November or the December annual report.