With perennial town volunteers David Ferraguzi and Elaine Miller vying for appointment to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the select board declined to appoint either one.
With perennial town volunteers David Ferraguzi and Elaine Miller vying for the Tisbury appointment to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the select board Wednesday declined to appoint either one.
The board moved instead to name town administrator John (Jay) Grande as its temporary MVC representative, and to extend the application period by at least two weeks in the hopes of attracting a wider — and potentially younger — pool of candidates for the one-year seat.
“No reflection on Dave or Elaine at all,” board chairman Jeff Kristal said.
Select board meeting over Zoom Wednesday.
Select board meeting over Zoom Wednesday.
Mr. Ferraguzi sparked the conversation resulting in the extension, when he remarked on the lack of younger applicants.
“I’m kind of surprised there are ony two people from the town of Tisbury that are interested,” he said. “Where are the people in the 30-40-year-old-bracket? In their 50s?”
Mr. Kristal chimed in.
“I get it and I feel your befuddlement,” he told Mr. Ferraguzi. “Where are those 30 year olds and how are we not reaching them?”
The board agreed to readvertise the opening, with Mr. Ferraguzi and Ms. Miller to remain in the running as well. Both applicants voiced support for the move.
The appointment was formerly held by Josh Goldstein, who decided to step aside this year.
In other business Wednesday, the board ratified a three-year contract for recently-named police chief Christopher Habekost, reviewed proposed changes to personnel bylaws and approved up to $18,000 in vacation buy-back for an employee who has accrued hundreds of vacation hours over the statutory limit of 240 hours.
“Staffing challenges will prevent [the employee] from taking meaningful time off in the near future,” said personnel board chairman John Schilling.
An official buy-back policy is needed because town personnel bylaws are silent on excess accrued hours, Mr. Schilling told the board. “Past practice has been ‘use or lose it,’ which is not legal actually, because vacation hours are considered wages,” he said. “That’s a ruling from the [state] attorney general.”
Also Wednesday, the board received a report from wastewater superintendent Jared Meader outlining proposed rate changes, which he said would be the first for the town since 2017.
Lower-volume users would see the biggest increase, Mr. Meader said.
“We have a lot of people on the system [among whom] some pay nothing and some pay the bare minimum . . . service charge,” Mr. Meader said. “They’re not paying their share.”
The board set a public hearing for Feb. 16 on the proposed rate changes.
Board members also voted to sign a letter of support for Oak Bluffs in its pursuit of state legislation to outlaw moped rentals, which are no longer permitted in Tisbury.
The three-hour-plus board meeting, which included a pair of hearings on the technical aspects of aquaculture licenses, drew to its close with a heartwarming announcement from animal control officer Kathleen Hoffman.
After rescuing a geriatric papillon named Muffy that went astray last month, Ms. Hoffman said, she received a donation offer from the dog’s owner.
“He was just extremely happy [and] had just asked, could he make a donation toward the animal control program,” she told the board.
“It was really nice of him to do that. This is my job — I don’t do it for donations. But it was nice,” Ms. Hoffman said.
The board voted to accept the donation and send Muffy’s owner a letter of thanks and appreciation.
Comments
the current appointment does
gabrielle west tisburythe current appointment does little to instill confidence in the selectboard
It is laudable what the
Islander Martha’s VineyardIt is laudable what the Tisbury board is doing. As someone in that age bracket they seek, I can suggest at least one reason why it is hard to find candidates: it filters down from the top of US government. We have seen in Congress and the Presidency an unending parade of now older or elderly leaders who have refused to welcome the generations that will follow them into the corridors of leadership. Think about what kind of message that sends to us. It is unwelcoming and betrays a profound lack of confidence in younger generations. Or, it is selfish. Hopefully, this comment is at least food for thought, although I have found the defense mechanism in those I have suggested this reasoning to, a perfectly valid reasoning I will add, to flare up and so I doubt self-reflection will help change the times. But I applaud the Tisbury approach. They should be able to find someone and I will spread the word. I would say in a national level that it’s not too late, but I think even an optimist would admit the world the children and grandchildren of the current generation of headers are being left, including on the Vineyard, is going to take a lot of fixing.
Ive been told the young
Ken Edg.Ive been told the young people arent going to serve for free. Stipends have been offered for the Housing commission if it passes. I dont think it has anything to do with elderly people.
Stipends are a bad idea for
Bob EdgartownStipends are a bad idea for everyone and I would suggest a better answer is these committees have always been done by an older crowd. And the the younger crowd today is more selfish with there time and have no interest in being subject to long meetings. The MVC maybe the worst of all committees on the island in terms of time and being subject to slow moving agonizing decisions. Try and watch one of their meetings and listen to the discussions that get off track with no focus on the subject. Or the interest in the smallest of details that have no real impact on the project. It is a wonder they get anyone to serve on the MVC.
I am sorry Ken but stipends
younger and willing Martha's VineyardI am sorry Ken but stipends don't make or break a person that wants to give back to the community they live in. The sense of feeling valued and that their voice is listened to is what counts. There are a lot of useless boards on this island of older folks, much older folks and they simply feel that the past is the best way to keep things and the younger generation is frustrated and don't want that antiquated approach. We want to discuss and have our opinions heard and all to often they're drowned out by the older more seasoned volunteers which frankly lack creativity and ingenuity to current day issues. Succinctly put, their skill set is lacking in current ways to problem solve.
I to applauded this approach by the town and hope other towns have the stomach to say thank you but no thank you.
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