Barnstable County administrator urges overhaul of administrative code, stresses value and strain on county dredging program

Barnstable County Administrator Dutton reviewed the powers and duties of the executive branch under the county's Home Rule Charter and urged the Assembly of Delegates to update an outdated administrative code, while highlighting the county's dredging program as a core, regionwide service.

Dutton told delegates the charter assigns the Board of Regional Commissioners broad executive responsibilities including preparing an annual operating and capital budget, custody of county property, selection of depositories and investments, and appointing department heads and multi-member bodies. He noted commissioners may delegate signature authority for approved contracts up to $50,000 to the county administrator.

Dutton said the administrative code, which he said appears last revised around 2010, spells out departmental responsibilities in more detail than the charter and contains sections that no longer match current practice. "The administrative code just lays out, with a little more specificity, what's in Article 4 in the charter, and just identifies the responsibilities of the department heads and the supervisors," Dutton said. He described plans to propose a complete revamp of the administrative code after charter revisions are settled.

Dutton and several delegates also focused on the county dredging program. He described dredging as an enterprise fund that provides navigational and coastal services used by 14 of the Cape's 15 towns and said the program's revenues should ideally match its costs. "You're talking about navigable channels, tourist dollars, fishing dollars, a whole bunch," Dutton said, adding that the department is busy and constrained by limited allowable dredging days.

Delegates raised financial concerns about the dredge. Delegate Wyman Colombo observed the enterprise fund has not been self-supporting in recent years and asked whether there is a plan to restore it to a true enterprise fund. Dutton said rates have been reviewed and that county staff and the dredge manager (referenced in the meeting) communicate regularly about cost recovery and scheduling. Delegates also discussed potential expansion of sand dredging off certain towns and the regional economic value of the service.

Dutton listed departments named in the administrative code (finance, regional clerk, planning agency, facilities, health and environment, dredging, human services, Cooperative Extension and others) and said some listed offices or committees no longer exist or require modernization. He said the code currently prescribes specific supervisory assignments for an assistant county administrator, a structure that can be too rigid.

Dutton asked delegates to review both the charter and the administrative code to identify "low-hanging fruit" and antiquated provisions to remove. He said the county will propose code updates over the next one to two years after charter revisions are completed.

The Assembly did not take a formal vote on charter or administrative-code amendments at the meeting. Delegates and staff agreed to continue discussion during the charter-review process and the coming budget cycle.