Select Board lists committee openings, makes several committees inactive and defers parking decision

The Select Board reviewed dozens of committee openings and applicants and agreed May 28 to move several rarely active committees to inactive status while scheduling applicant interviews beginning June 4.

Bridal (staff) presented the list of openings and applicants, noting committees with full or partial applicant slates and others with no applicants. Among items listed were two agricultural commission seats (two applicants), airport commission (one seat, two applicants), an empty Cannabis Advisory Committee seat, and multiple openings on the finance committee (four seats available, eight applicants).

Board members discussed the parking benefit district commission, which has been largely inactive. Select Board member Brooke Moore and others said the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission (MPDC) has considered widening the scope of a mobility or bike/ped/parking advisory committee and that MPDC may propose changes. "My recommendation is that we don't seat anyone on this and wait for NPDC," Bridal (staff) said. The board reached consensus to make the committee inactive for now and to bring the topic back for further discussion.

Several committees with historic inactivity were similarly held as inactive but will be revisited if an issue arises, the board said. The board scheduled its first round of applicant interviews for June 4 and assigned board liaisons to several committees, including the audit committee, the ad hoc budget work group (chair and vice chair), Washington Street resiliency working group, and the affordable housing trust.

The board also addressed committee membership turnover and asked staff to proceed with scheduling interviews and follow-up. No formal policy changes were adopted; rather, the board directed staff to begin applicant interviews and to return items for future action as needed.