State lawmakers outline housing, court access and local-option priorities for Nantucket

State Senator (Senator Cyr) and Representative Thomas Mokley updated the Select Board on state-level work they said is intended to ease housing and justice access for Nantucket residents.

Representative Thomas Mokley opened by identifying himself and the Housing Court bill he and the senator introduced: “My name is Thomas Mokely. I am the new state representative for the Barnstable Dukes and Nantucket District,” and said the bill would “require [Housing Court] to sit in Nantucket and Dukes Counties regularly” to improve local access to specialized judges, clerks’ templates and other services for tenants and landlords.

The senators framed the housing work as the top regional legislative priority. Senator Cyr described the Affordable Homes Act passed last session and what he called a new “seasonal communities” designation within it, saying the law gives island towns a bundled set of tools for year‑round housing needs: “If you meet the designation…then you’re able to implement certain housing policies to both develop and preserve year‑round housing.” He listed provisions now available to qualifying towns, including establishing a year‑round housing trust without a home‑rule petition, local authority to purchase or subsidize deed restrictions, an option to raise the residential property tax exemption cap from 35% to 50%, and encouragement to allow tiny homes and merged/undersized lots for year‑round housing.

Both lawmakers said they will continue to press for a local‑option real estate transfer fee for seasonal communities; the measures failed last session and will require additional sessions and island advocacy to move forward. Cyr said they “got very close” for Nantucket and the Islands but that politics and House‑Senate dynamics prevented passage.

Mokley and Cyr also described other items affecting islanders they are tracking or sponsoring: a trial court staffing and services study for Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties; attention to the recent power outage (including the governor’s state‑of‑emergency declaration and outreach to the U.S. Small Business Administration on disaster loan eligibility); efforts to avoid what they described as onerous regulatory fees in the Island’s proposal for a municipally owned skilled nursing facility; and follow‑through on transportation and Steamship Authority issues (including prior debate over raising the embarkation fee). Cyr noted state investments in behavioral health and the ban on PFAS in firefighter turnout gear as work completed last session.

Why it matters: the bills and administrative changes described would change local tools and funding available to address long‑standing housing shortages, improve local access to specialized court services and shape how the town responds to infrastructure and health needs. Several items the lawmakers mentioned will require further committee hearings, statutory language and, in some cases, multi‑session campaigns to pass.

Select Board and public reaction: board members asked for clarification on remote‑participation law timing and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) guidance as it relates to Nantucket’s tertiary units; Mokley said state guidance allows municipalities to require year‑round occupancy restrictions and advised the town to consult counsel about how municipal bylaws and the state guidance interact. Several islanders’ questions and comments during the meeting reiterated support for the transfer‑fee fight and pressed the delegation to continue help with inspections, regulatory response and the nursing facility project.

What’s next: the legislators invited the board and residents to continue to raise problems and ideas with their offices and said they will follow up on regulatory questions and the status of specific home‑rule petitions.