Brewster Town Meeting: School overrides, plastic ban, Wing Island – Cape Cod Times

Two school-related budget overrides that together would add about $106 per year to the average tax bill are among the decisions voters will take up as they head to Brewster's annual town meeting next week.

Other items include proposals to ban the sale of "nip" bottles in town, to ban food establishments from using plastic takeout ware, to turn over control of Wing Island to the Conservation Commission, and to require the Select Board to seek town meeting approval for any significant projects related to town land.

Town meeting convenes at 6 p.m. on May 1 at the Stony Brook Elementary School, 384 Underpass Road, Brewster. Check-in begins at 5 p.m.

In all, there are 27 items in the lineup, including a $25.3 million town operating budget, a 4.2% increase.

Here are some of the highlights.

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For Stony Brook and Eddy elementary schools, voters will consider an $11.1 million operating budget, a combined increase of 5.5% driven primarily by significant increases in special education expenses.

Speaking at a forum on April 18 to review the meeting agenda items available for viewing on the town website Town Manager Peter Lombardi said the town can support a $10.76 million operating budget within the levy limit, but an operating override of $316,878 would be needed to fully fund the requested budget.

An override proposal would need approval both at town meeting and at the May 16 town election. If OK'd, it would add 6 cents per $1,000 of valuation to the tax rate, resulting in a permanent increase of about $35 to the average property tax bill, based on an average home valuation of about $636,000.

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A second override proposal would support the Nauset Regional High School budget. Without an override, the requested school assessment for Brewster is $12.7 million plus a $2.19 million debt assessment for the ongoing school renovation project, or $15.5 million with an override.

The school's overall operating budget request reflects a 7.7% increase, driven primarily by higher special education costs, and increased costs associated with school choice and charter school tuitions and transportation.

As with the local school budget, Lombardi said the town can only fund 4% of the proposed budget increase within the levy limit. A $648,000 override is needed fully to fund the requested budget. If approved, the override would add 11 cents per $1,000 to the tax rate, resulting in a permanent increase of about $71 for the average taxpayer.

Other district towns Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet are also slated to consider overrides in support of the Nauset school budget.

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Voters will consider a number of capital and special projects. Among the highlights is a $200,000 plan for improvements at the Stony Brook Mill, paid for with free cash.

The project includes repairs to the historic retaining wall that supports the headrace pond. Also included are improvements to the fish weirs north of Stony Brook Road, ultimately to make it easier and safer for the river herring to make their way upstream during their annual spawning migration.

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Wing Island will once again take the spotlight with the Select Board looking for approval to petition the state legislature to transfer care and control of the property to the town Conservation Commission.

The request is in answer to a vote taken at a special town meeting in March to give over the land to conservation and to clarify the land's designated uses from public bathing and recreational to conservation and open space.

The town's attorney gave an opinion that, since Wing Island is protected under Article 97 of the state constitution, transferring control requires a special act of the legislature.

There are also two citizen petitions inspired by the Wing Island discussion, which stirred up controversy because of proposed boardwalk plans many feared would bring too much traffic to the barrier island and surrounding saltmarsh.

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One petition proposes a bylaw requiring town meeting approval before the town can develop, improve or alter land under the town's care, no matter what the funding source the proposal applies only to projects exceeding $100,000. Presently, the town can undertake projects without a town meeting vote as long as funds come from gifts or grants.

The other petition proposes a bylaw requiring any anonymous gifts to the town be accompanied by "full disclosureof the terms and conditions of anonymous gifts so that the voters have the benefit of complete disclosure and transparency."

Proponents note the proposal is related to the previously proposed development of a boardwalk to Wing Island, "driven by an anonymous gift to the Brewster Conservation Trust, which it in turn pledged to the Town of Brewster for the construction of a boardwalk to be named after the anonymous donor after it was built."

While the donation offer was withdrawn, the proponents argue that the matter "raised concerns about anonymous donations driving town policy and actions."

Voters will also deliberate on banning the sale of miniature single use containers for alcoholic beverages so-called "nip" bottles, which are not recyclable.

Last year, the town said, Beautify Brewster volunteers collected 2,767 nip bottles, in one day, along some Brewster streets.

Similar bans have been adopted in other communities, including Falmouth and Wareham, and were "found to be lawful by the Massachusetts Attorney General," according to the town.

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Another citizens' petition proposes a bylaw to ban single-use, plastic takeout containers and utensils inBrewster.

The measure developed by Cape Cod environmental advocacy groupSustainable Practices would prohibit food establishments from dispensing prepared foods to customers in disposable containers made of plastic and bar them from providing plastic utensils.

The same bylaw has been submitted to Eastham,HarwichandSandwich, and was also discussed at both Provincetown's and Falmouth's town meetings. Provincetown indefinitely postponed the proposal "in order for the petitioner to work with local businesses to see how it could be enacted," according to Provincetown Select Board member Leslie Sandberg.

Falmouth town meeting directed town administration to form a committee to give the issue further study, create a revised proposal and return for a decision in the fall.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT.

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Brewster Town Meeting: School overrides, plastic ban, Wing Island - Cape Cod Times