West Tisbury selectmen made quick work of a short agenda Wednesday evening, wrapping up all business within 50 minutes.
Leading off the agenda was Paddy Moore, West Tisbury resident and chairman of the Healthy Aging Task Force. Ms. Moore was there to describe the launch of a needs assessment survey focused on seniors that will be arriving in Island mailboxes. Ms. Moore brought a sample envelope to help get the word out. “It is a plea to look for the big yellow Martha’s Vineyard logo and to remember that this is a survey from the healthy aging task force to islanders 65 and older,” she said.
Ms. Moore explained that the elderly population is expected to double from 2010 to 2030. “It will go from one in six to one in three,” Ms. Moore told The Times. “There is a lot of work to do.”
The survey is targeted at 4,800 Islanders targeted. Ms. Moore is hoping for a 50 percent return. “That may be very naïve, but I think the Island elders are going to know that it is an important piece of information,” she said.
Selectmen were appreciative of the project and thanked Ms. Moore for her effort.
In other business, West Tisbury highway superintendent Richard Olsen described his plan to expand the storage space on the lot at Old Stage Road.
“What I would like to do,” said Mr. Olsen, “is to go into the bank about 40 feet back from what is dug out now, going no closer to Dr. Fischer Road and certainly no closer to any abutting properties — there is plenty of buffer room. I just need extra room for storage, better drainage, and more room to move around. I would just like to enlarge the lot.”
About six small trees would need to be removed and equipment is needed to stump and strip the area and haul out the 200 to 300 yards of fill, he said. Mr. Olsen said that perhaps the fill could go near the public safety building where the proposed highway department building is going.
“An off-the-cuff estimate to truck it over to the other place and spread it would be under $10,000,” Mr. Olsen said.
“Where’s the money?” Chairman Cynthia Mitchell said. “I don’t have it,” responded Mr. Olsen.
The superintendent was asked to place his request on the annual town meeting warrant.
Mr. Olsen also told selectmen about a problem with disposing of sand deposited on town roadways last winter. Mr. Olsen does not know what to do with the sweepings from last year, and the Goodale company will not take it back, as it once did, because it is mixed with petroleum products after contact with the roads and becomes hazmat material.
Mr. Olsen tried to mix last year’s sweepings 50-50 with new sand to use for the winter, but it is too time consuming and he is worried it will freeze because there is moisture in the salt shed where it is stored.
“I like the thought,” said selectman Jeffrey “Skipper” Manter.
“I don’t know what to do with it, I really don’t,” said Mr. Olsen. “We may have to take it off-island, I don’t know.” Selectmen did not have any answers.
Selectmen reviewed two articles for the proposed warrant of a special town meeting scheduled for 7 pm, Nov. 17. One related to article funding, the other to affordable housing on a town lot behind the ball field and fire station one off West Tisbury Road.
David Vigneault, Dukes County regional housing authority’s executive director, was on hand to comment on the affordable housing article. “I just want to thank the town for looking at this lot and this project,” he said. “Rental units are badly needed out there.”
Selectmen made a motion to sign the warrant.
Selectmen also approved the appointments of Mark Barbadoro as the alternate building inspector and Chris Decker for the board of directors of the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living.
Lastly, selectmen thanked the fire department for its help in the cleanup of the recent tractor-trailer spill of hay on North Road. “The truck was not on fire there was nobody hurt, but it was in the middle of the road and they did their usual outstanding job,” said Mr. Manter. He also thanked the town of Chilmark for its assistance.
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