Government
The Steamship Authority governors Tuesday authorized $2.5 million in repairs for the Oak Bluffs ferry terminal, which was damaged in Hurricane Sandy.
The main pier section of the Oak Bluffs terminal was damaged by rough seas and high waves during the storm. The storm damage repairs have qualified for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the authority will be reimbursed up to 75 per cent of the cost, Steamship Authority general manager Wayne Lamson said.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission began the new year meeting last Thursday with a round of introductions before getting on to more typical perennial Vineyard topics: affordable housing and seasonal lodging.
It was the first meeting for newly-elected commissioners Madeline Fisher, Joshua Goldstein and Clarence (Trip) Barnes 3rd, and Fred Hancock took over for former chairman Chris Murphy, who along with other members, has left the commission.
As the Massachusetts Department of Public Health scrambles to write regulations for the medical marijuana law that went into effect Jan. 1, towns are preparing for their own kind of scramble amid the prospect of medical marijuana dispensaries in counties across the state. They don’t have long, Martha’s Vineyard Youth Task Force coordinator Theresa Manning warned the Dukes County commission this week.
The Edgartown lighthouse, having outlived its mission as a beacon for ships, is on the verge of its next chapter as a town-owned landmark.
Edgartown selectmen signed off Monday on the town’s application to take stewardship of the 1875 lighthouse perched a quarter-mile out in Edgartown harbor.
In May, the town learned that the U.S. General Services Administration, the current owners of the lighthouse, would look for a new owner for the lighthouse, which was deemed no longer critical to the U.S. Coast Guard.
In an attempt to raise more revenue, Dukes County commissioners voted this week to support a state bill spearheaded by Norfolk county that would raise registry of deeds filing fees by $10.
The proposed $10 fee hike would go to county governments that manage their own registries; for registries under state control, the extra money would go into the state general fund.
Based on last year’s numbers, register of deeds Dianne Powers said at the Wednesday meeting that the $10 fee hike could raise another $130,000 for the county annually.
Shared use of a fingerprinting machine sparked discussion among the Aquinnah selectmen this week about the terms of a contract between the town and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) for emergency services.
Aquinnah police chief Randhi Belain told the selectmen Tuesday that he had questions about the use of a new fingerprinting machine, soon to be obtained by the tribe through a federal grant. Chief Belain said it was his understanding that the machine would be housed at the town police station and be available for use by both the tribe and the town. Mr.