The passion! The drama! Town Meeting can be wild, people — and Monday night delivered. Two hours shorter than May’s Town Meeting, and with a much shorter warrant, the Special Town Meeting wrapped up at 9 PM. For reference, here’s the warrant and EXIT 89’s Preview.
Attendance was fairly standard for a fall meeting. Article 10, a proposal to spend $850,000 to improve recreational facilities at Eldredge Park, drew a total of 485 votes. (Spoiler alert: it passed handily.) Several articles were controversial — in particular the proposal for pickleball courts (Article 9), the proposed acquisition of 72 Tonset Road (Article 11), an East Orleans Historic District project (Article 18), and Orleans housing initiatives (Article 21). Both passion and frustration — in many cases, over lack of specifics in the warrant articles — drew many residents to the microphone.
These emotions were on full display with the proposed $2.5 million Tonset Road purchase, which sparked some of the most memorable speeches of the night. The article’s intentionally open-ended language about the property’s planned uses, combined with a perceived lack of transparency from Finance Committee members about their own votes on the question, dismayed some residents. But their angst was met with even more vehement enthusiasm for the purchase. The longest discussion of the night — 30 speakers over 54 minutes — ended with a decisive vote in favor of buying the property.
In most cases, trust in the Select Board and Town Hall leadership prevailed. EXIT 89 enjoyed following the evening’s twists and turns. Keep reading to see how it all went down.
Our Quick Recap:
Couriers for the Pot Shops – Article 1: Those of you hoping for home delivery of your favorite pot gummies or medicinal marijuana will be disappointed. No representatives from either of our two local outfits spoke at the meeting — and no one corrected the statement delivered by the sole speaker, a resident who said he was “quite upset” about the shops because they were owned by off-Cape big businesses — even though both Seaside Cannabis and Ember Gardens describe themselves as “locally-owned.” Despite unanimous support from the Select Board and Finance Committee, the article failed to garner the required two-thirds majority, failing 190-165.
Pickleball Development — Article 9: Both confusion and passion reigned in the Middle School gym as residents tried to understand what this article — which asked voters to approve $100,000 for “developing pickleball courts at a location to be determined by the Select Board” — was actually proposing. Picklers stood up, one by one, declaring the benefits of the fastest-growing sport in the world and describing how it enhances community life in Orleans. Others drifted into a discussion of Article 10 (see below). “Why not forget the consultant and spend $100,000 on just painting the tennis courts?” resident Scott Zenke asked. “You’re right, Scott,” answered Town Manager Kim Newman, “no consultant is being hired.” It was explained that the funds may well be spent to re-line existing tennis courts. After 13 speakers and 22 minutes, the article passed by a simple majority, 299-173.
Recreational Facilities and Infrastructure — Article 10: Orleans Recreation Director Tom DeSiervo opened the discussion of an $850,000 upgrade to recreational facilities at Eldredge Park with an engaging pitch and slide deck that included his professional qualifications and expertise. (Here's the Recreation Advisory Committee's slide presentation.) His energy and enthusiasm were undeniable — and helped to dilute negative statements made by resident Stephen Cass, who described the Five-Phase Master Plan for Recreation created by Weston & Sampson as “absolute nonsense” and “complete garbage.” Strong words, right? Ironically, Cass went on to urge residents to join him in approving Article 10. Recreation Advisory Committee member Erica O’Reilly pushed back against Cass’s disparaging comments about the master plan, offering examples of successful projects Weston & Sampson has completed statewide and on the Cape, including in Provincetown. “They have a proven track record of helping communities make the most of their recreational resources,” O’Reilly said. After a total of nine speakers and 16 minutes of discussion, residents demonstrated overwhelming support for Orleans Recreation, voting in favor of the article, 431-54.
Acquire Land Located at 72 Tonset Road for $2.5 million — Article 11: After Select Board member Andrea Reed introduced this article with a slide deck, Mike Solitro, Orleans Special Projects Coordinator, took to the podium and assured residents there would be no “tax impact” associated with the biggest ticket item on the fall warrant because the funds would be transferred from free cash. Several residents wanted to know what the actual plan for this land was and if water access — the property has frontage on Town Cove — was a sure thing. One resident argued that the claim of “no tax impact” was false, since the acquisition would remove this private property’s annual $11,000 tax revenue from our town income. Other concerns focused on town spending and debt. (If you’re wondering, what is free cash, anyway, see EXIT 89’s preview for a refresher.) Reed and Solitro were joined by Select Board members Mark Mathison, Kevin Galligan, and Meff Runyon in enthusiastic support of this acquisition and its potential as a future town landing and site for community recreation. (For the presentation given to the Select Board, click here.) Galligan described feeling “ecstatic” about the acquisition. Harbormaster Nate Sears added to the exuberance. “This property is a unicorn,” he said. A turning point: Lifelong Orleans resident Rachia Heyelman, 88, described many missed land-acquisition opportunities of the past, closing with the prediction, “If you don’t think this is valuable now, you will later.” The article needed a three-quarters majority vote and got it, 374-104.
Climate Action Roadmap — Article 12: The topic of climate change seems to trigger strong emotions in people — and often divides them. Unfortunately, the subject can be hard to explain in an engaging way. In a nutshell: This article asks for $100,000 to hire a consultant who would develop a climate action “roadmap” specifically tailored for Orleans that would 1) help bring us in line with the Commonwealth’s climate goals 2) include trackable actions so we could chart progress 3) help us when seeking funding for climate-related actions. Some residents doubted the need for a town plan. Others seemed confused about what exactly the plan would cover. Select Board member Andrea Reed, Assistant Town Manager Mark Reil, and two members of the Energy & Climate Action Committee provided explanations and answered questions. After nearly 19 minutes, the article passed by the simple majority required, 257-138.
East Orleans Historic District — Article 18: The intensity of the conversation over a relatively small sum — $10,000 — may have taken some residents by surprise. The article proposed using Community Preservation funds to continue support for a historic preservation expert or “facilitator” who would prepare a report for a proposed local historic district along Main Street in East Orleans, roughly from Route 28 to Barley Neck Road. The nine speakers included Joan Nix, the chair of the Historic District Study Committee, and other admirers of East Orleans, who described this stretch of Main Street as one of the loveliest historic drives in Orleans. Meanwhile, residents of the stretch in question were decidedly uninterested in having restrictions put on their properties — or becoming what East Orleans resident and longtime homeowner Beverly Fuller called “Disneyland.” Both Bev and Jon Fuller, who live and work in a house occupied by Jon’s family since the 1850s, were “very opposed” to what Bev described as a “land taking.” Another East Orleans resident, Alisa Magnotta, who is also CEO of the Housing Assistance Corporation, pointed out that parts of that area, which have been recently sewered, are targeted for economic development. “This would be a complete buzzkill for that,” Magnotta said. “I am against this. Definitely.” After just seven minutes of discussion, the article failed, 114-236.
The Northwest Schoolhouse building — Article 19: “This building is a mystery to me,” said one resident, speaking early on. “What goes on in there?” A lot, it turns out. Built as a schoolhouse in the 1850s — and used as a community center in Orleans for a century after that — the historic building at 2 Namskaket Road now functions as the Odd Fellows Hall, offers classes in yoga and karate, and hosts daily Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Paul Davies, Grand Noble of the The Independent Order of the Odd Fellows, spoke twice briefly and urged residents to “go to the website. . . it’s available for rent.” The article, which asked for $11,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to continue restoring the building, passed unanimously after three minutes of discussion.
Fund Affordable Housing Trust — Article 20: This was an easy one. A reprieve for the article that failed last May — due in part to confusion over whether the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) could only support “Capital-A” Affordable housing — this proposal to transfer $500,000 from free cash to the AHTF took two minutes to pass by a simple majority.
Orleans Housing Initiatives — Article 21: This one wasn't so simple. The article asked voters for $500,000 to support a long and somewhat ambiguous list of potential housing programs. Voters had many questions. Prior to the meeting, both the Select Board and the Finance Committee had voted in support of the article, though two of the eight members of the Finance Committee had voted “No,” and one had abstained. When a resident requested an explanation of the two “No” votes, Committee Chair Constance Kremer said the “No-votes” had chosen not to speak, and later, that they were not available to speak — unlike Town Meeting in May, when Finance Committee members offered extensive explanations of their votes on a variety of articles. Elizabeth Jenkins, our new Assistant Director of Planning & Community Development, clarified that her office was focusing on two programs in particular: “Lease to Locals,” in which a town provides incentives for landlords who reserve their properties for year-round residents, and deed restrictions, in which homeowners are paid cash by the town for restricting the deed to their home to year-round residency in perpetuity. Talks with Eastham are already underway, according to Jenkins, to create a joint “Lease to Locals” program in which program costs would be shared. Finally, after more insistent questioning from the floor regarding the two “No” votes, former Finance Committee Chair and member Lynn Bruneau came to the floor microphone to explain her vote — the abstention. (Moderator David Lyttle has told EXIT 89 that there will be more clarity and transparency around how Finance Committee members share the reasoning behind their votes at May’s Annual Town Meeting.) Bruneau said she’d abstained because she believed more information should be made available on how exactly the “Lease to Locals” program and other housing initiatives would be implemented. She also expressed concerns about the feasibility of deed restrictions in Orleans, considering the high price of real estate. Jenkins spoke again, explaining that Eastham residents had just passed a “Lease to Locals” program – and the opportunity to run the program jointly would be lost if the article failed. She was followed by two ardent supporters of the initiatives — both concerned about what we’d lose by voting this article down, including some of the $5.1 billion from a housing bond bill that could flow here. Select Board Chair Mark Mathison described the article as addressing the often talked-about “missing middle” — local working people who don’t qualify for subsidized housing but can’t afford to rent or buy in Orleans. After 15 speakers and 25 minutes of discussion, the article passed, 215-109.
Boland Pond — Article 22: Orleans residents really show up for their beloved ponds. This article, which proposed spending $55,000 of free cash to create a management plan for Boland Pond — not unlike the plans already in place to study the water quality at other compromised ponds and lakes — passed unanimously in less than two minutes. (For more information on freshwater ponds in Orleans, and the entire water cycle across Cape Cod, check out EXIT 89’s recent deep dive on water.)
Need More?
- Watch the entire Special Town Meeting.
- Read the Cape Cod Chronicle’s coverage of the meeting.
- Review the final results of all the votes.
Election Day — November 5th
No articles at the Special Town Meeting will require a second, election-day ballot vote. Town Clerk Kelly Darling and town staff have their hands full running the General Election this year.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, at the Orleans Council on Aging & Senior Center, 150 Rock Harbor Road, from 7 AM to 8 PM.
Early Voting ends today, November 1 — at Orleans Town Hall. If you need more information: Watch this quick video about registering to vote, voting by mail, in-person voting, and the entire election process.
Here’s a sample ballot for the General Election.
EXIT 89 is an independent publication. Our mission is to help Orleans voters make sense of town issues by providing a clear and impartial overview of the latest developments. We want to help fill the information gap, reduce the "mystery" of Town Meeting, and promote vibrant civic engagement.
Our hyperlocal digest is researched and written by journalists Martha Sherrill and Emily Miller. Elaine Baird and Lynn Bruneau are the founding advisors. We are all residents of Orleans. Editing, infographics and tech support are provided by Kazmira Nedeau of Sea Howl Bookshop.
Our digest is 100% free — and we aim to keep it that way. With Lower Cape Television (LCTV) — a 501(c)(3) — as our fiscal sponsor, all contributions are now tax deductible. Donations by a check made out to "EXIT 89" will save us a processing fee. Please send these to: EXIT 89, P.O. Box 1145, Orleans, MA 02653, and thank you for your support!
You can also donate online by clicking here.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Readers have enriched our understanding of Orleans — and sharpened our focus. Please share questions, comments, and ideas for future issues at hello@exit89.org. And if you are new to EXIT 89, please take a moment to sign up for a free subscription.