Government
Town dredging needs, including the possibility of a lease or purchase of a dredge, and needed repairs to the dock at Owen Park topped the discussion at the Tisbury selectmen’s meeting Tuesday.
Selectmen heard a presentation from Steve Miller of Ellicott Dredge in Baltimore, Md. Mr. Miller gave estimates for purchasing or leasing a dredge, including operation, maintenance and fuel costs. To buy would cost about $500,000, and to lease would cost $30,000 a month.
With a hearing scheduled in U.S. district court Monday in a complicated lawsuit over casino rights, the town of Aquinnah Tuesday filed a motion to intervene in the case to protect the town’s position that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) does not have the right to build a gaming facility on the Island.
A home building project in East Chop that has long been at odds with the town is set to come before the Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals for further review next week.
Leslie Hayling, a New Jersey dentist, has been rebuilding a home and garage apartment for nearly 10 years on Dempster Park. In a sharply-worded letter to Dr. Hayling last summer, Oak Bluffs building inspector James Dunn ordered the removal of a long list of additions that were not included in a 2005 special permit.
The Martha’s Vineyard airport commission has the authority to establish salaries for its employees independently of other county employees salaries, an attorney for the Dukes County commission said. In a letter sent by email to county manager Martina Thornton on Dec. 11, Darren Klein, an attorney with Kopelman and Paige wrote: “In my opinion, as long as the airport commission has sufficient funds appropriated through the enterprise fund or otherwise, the airport commission has the authority . . . to fix salaries as it sees fit.”
Tax bills are set to go up slightly in Edgartown, as the selectmen Monday approved an estimated tax rate of $3.55 per thousand dollars of property valuation, a 12 cent increase from last year’s rate.
Principal assessor Jo-Ann Resendes said the average single-family home value in Edgartown decreased by about $15,000, going from $1,131,700 to about $1,116,800.
Thus, the average tax bill would increase from $3,882 to $3,965, about $83. The tax rate still has to be approved by the state Department of Revenue.
Facing criticism from town officials and members of the building community, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission decided last Thursday to remove a controversial “community character” clause from its checklist for developments of regional impact.