Business and developer speakers press town for housing solutions, cost control and clearer permitting leadership

At the meeting, multiple speakers warned that deferred capital and rising construction costs are saddling the town with large bills while municipal staffing shortages make delivery of projects harder. Matt, a long‑time local business owner, said the town faces “probably quarter billion, half a billion dollars worth of deferred infrastructure” that must be addressed, and described limits on how much property tax growth can offset big capital needs.

A developer who identified himself as working on a 32‑unit project described voluntarily providing eight year‑round affordable units and three additional units for municipal worker housing. He said the permitting process took about three and a half years and called for a single point of contact or ombudsman to coordinate across boards and departments.

Why it matters: speakers tied housing shortages and rising costs to the town’s ability to hire and retain essential staff and to deliver capital projects efficiently. They also raised concerns about the town’s procurement and prevailing‑wage requirements, which they said contribute to high local construction costs.

Discussion highlights - Deferred infrastructure and costs: Matt said the island has built more homes in the last 30 years than in the prior 300, creating deferred maintenance and capital needs that are now costly to address. He cited an example: a recent town athletic‑field shed that cost “2 point something million dollars” and still needed an additional roughly $600,000 for utilities. - Workforce housing and hiring: Multiple speakers urged the town to prioritize housing for municipal hires so that departments can recruit. One developer said he is dedicating several units from his market project to town and affordable housing to help fill that gap. - Process and leadership: Speakers suggested an official ombudsman or coordinator role to shepherd projects across planning, conservation and permitting bodies. Committee members noted that the Select Board and planning departments lack the staffing capacity to manage a rising project load and that leadership or governance changes alone won’t solve staffing and housing shortages without concrete housing plans.

Ending: No formal committee vote or policy change was taken. Several members recommended closer coordination between developers, Select Board, planning staff and neighborhood groups and said the town should explore targeted measures — including fee adjustments and housing set‑asides — to reduce procurement and delivery obstacles.