[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6215205,"mediaKeyId","3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7","parentId",3662450,"title","Select board schedules July public hearing on tiered sewer rate plan that would raise $10.5M","audioSeconds",1012,"startMs",5174000,"endMs",6186000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7&start=5174&end=6186","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7/thumbnail_5174000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6215205/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Select-board-schedules-July-public-hearing-on-tiered-sewer-rate-plan-that-would-raise-105M","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6215205-8a1bb78ce935407d11ee1553e6588ed2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770989650&Signature=f-8UgS0ActcMV7f1QC9jIUGMASuq3dUavyNG9q2biA~08j3ZjYXhY5uKa8Z8NbA2HSrntwu~JXGHF0lWuOCfOpOf0IUd5pmU8nsjFZKtnyzz6qhO2tSmXE1AUyRoK1MnshN-hpXbiO0P45n7wlK4jRk3EWl1I2GNWwz~sGFyMCeuP9FB54FvGtp-10vBKkrJ1bmWbgCcp-kGt0-ZTSvdjBGuiNnMtX-cZ1pxfri35CDgWaxduI2OaBvcsxL6z~QOn41VEkWaXGN6-4AlnJ-n0Lhn~Uu-bzS2Q4rJh9nrrIpgHbv24Yu8Kmy3HSe7bZForodqfHNhA8bC8HxueDdtbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town-County of Nantucket, MA","date","2025-01-03T19:33:09Z","article","The Select Board voted to schedule a public hearing on July 9 for a proposed, tiered sewer-rate structure designed to stabilize revenue and encourage conservation.

Finance Director Brian presented a five-tier rate proposal that would (per the materials) generate about $10.5 million in sewer rate revenue for fiscal 2026 — a roughly 25% increase needed to meet the budget. Under the plan the monthly base (tier 1) would rise to $50 and include up to 2 cubic feet (about 1,500 gallons) of usage; higher tiers would be billed at stepped per-unit rates. The board voted to set a public hearing to receive public comment on the proposal and directed staff to refine modeling (members also requested a four-tier comparison before the hearing).

Brian and consulting staff (Hazen & Sawyer was cited) described the reasons for changing the structure: the town currently has separate winter and summer per-unit rates on top of a $36 monthly base; the proposed approach merges seasonal rates and moves more revenue onto a stable monthly base while assigning higher per-unit costs to heavy users. The five-tier rate schedule presented in the packet would set: tier 1 base $50 (includes up to 2 ccf), tier 2 (2–6 ccf) at $8.80 per ccf, tier 3 (6–9 ccf) at $11.10 per ccf, tier 4 (9–20 ccf) at $14.00 per ccf, and tier 5 (>20 ccf) at $17.60 per ccf. The finance team reported that an average residential customer’s change averaged to about $3.64 per month when spread over 12 months; higher-usage customers would see larger increases.

Officials said the model aims to give more predictable revenue for the sewer enterprise and to better align costs with peak treatment and capacity impacts. The presentation noted that the largest users in tiers 4 and 5 are largely restaurants and lodging businesses; staff also said some single-family homes that irrigate extensively can fall into higher tiers. Brian acknowledged the board’s request to model a four-tier alternative for comparison ahead of the hearing.

The board voted to schedule the hearing for July 9 and to continue refining the analysis. The vote to schedule a public hearing passed on a roll call; board members voting aye included Brooke, Tom and Malcolm and the chair. Staff told the board the new rates would take effect with the first billing in August if the board and public process move forward and the board adopts final rates following the hearing and required notices.

What’s next: staff will provide a four-tier comparator as requested by board members; the public hearing will be advertised ahead of the scheduled July 9 date per statutory notice requirements. The board will accept public comment at that hearing and may adopt the final rate schedule afterward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Nantucket Select Board - June 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Select Board voted to schedule a July 9 public hearing on a proposed tiered sewer-rate structure that finance staff say would generate roughly $10.5 million in sewer revenue and produce a 25% increase needed to meet fiscal 2026 budget targets.","taxTitle","Nantucket County, Massachusetts","taxId",61456,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6215201,"Cape & Islands district attorney outlines child‑protection team, fentanyl enforcement results and $1M SIMS grant",698,1545000,2243000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7&start=1545&end=2243","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7/thumbnail_1545000.jpg","/articles/6215201/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Cape-Islands-district-attorney-outlines-childprotection-team-fentanyl-enforcement-results-and-1M-SIMS-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6215201-b8efd37dfaa9f9d2851293be3a79ec76/orig.mp4?Expires=1770989650&Signature=MhieU-YZn7eQ9tF-h5GTxwD7Eg3KiZ0dez-dWgq0tKFz2u4ZQ3r8zfZL7peYDDT6biJbYXTVXJ9KqCJhC-1XxDELhAG4H~OLFC1CMvR7wB6Fa07btjzS1YjinkcqIVDjAP1TJPqcDzmidXPn~JpyevyKZ736OxCiAxNAx1jBwTAtsK2H3SX-y5wHqSgHFLui2xKaulVYFsrk3NOK1f4vuPJitvcFD-Wq0HGVKT84y-dLciK2vjuimr4ERJSimOOLJ0wNcGIw1dQJWYWDu6Y1DPfa4tol8U6wTpLhkW3OijeSOC9Fo33xcEud8fb7EyauOKnNcymcnyAsNm2bgQFosg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Galloibois, district attorney for the Cape and Islands, updated the board on public‑safety and victim‑assistance initiatives including a newly launched child‑forensic response team, expanded human‑trafficking training, an enforcement policy targeting fentanyl traffickers, a seven‑figure grant to expand an overdose‑incident database (SIMS), and a proposed elder‑fraud response package for which the DA’s office is soliciting local support.

Galloibois described the Child Emergency Response Team (CERT), launched about two months earlier and led by Courtney Scalise in the Child Protection Unit. The CERT brings prosecutors, victim‑witness assistants, law enforcement and Department of Children and Families staff together with the local Children’s Cove facility to coordinate forensic interviews and services for child victims. The DA said two trainings to date had more than 60 attendees each, including attendees from Nantucket.

On human trafficking, Galloibois described a statewide conference funded after the office secured an additional $100,000 grant; the April conference in Hyannis drew more than 200 attendees per day and included presenters from the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office. The DA said other funders have suggested expanding the event to a New England‑wide conference in future years.

Galloibois reviewed his office’s policy of seeking detention without bail for those charged with trafficking fentanyl under Massachusetts’ “dangerousness” statute. He reported district data that, in 2023, nonfatal overdoses were down 10% and fatal overdoses down 7% from the prior year, and that 2024 nonfatal overdoses were down 25% from 2023 while fatal overdoses were down 35% from 2023. He explicitly noted that other factors (for example, wider availability of naloxone) exist and said his office views the enforcement policy as a contributing factor to those trends.

The DA also described a $1,000,000 grant to expand the critical‑incident management SIMS database (initially used to record overdose responses) funded with participation from Cape Cod Healthcare and the Department of Public Health. He said the grant will expand SIMS outreach to Martha’s Vineyard and explore broader uses of the system (interpretive services, housing and wellness tracking); he invited local law enforcement (including Nantucket’s police chief) to discuss participation in the program.

On elder fraud, Galloibois said the district has seen a notable increase in elder‑fraud reports and is proposing a package — hiring two forensic examiners, additional prosecutors and victim‑witness assistants — with a funding need of roughly $580,000. He said 21 of 22 police chiefs in the district had provided letters of support to date and that regional banks had indicated they would offer support letters as well. He asked town boards to consider offering support and invited the board to request additional information via staff if they wished to assist with funding or outreach.

Galloibois closed by noting the CERT rollout, the SIMS grant and training work reflect an emphasis on coordinating criminal justice, health and social services across the district. He offered to return with further updates and thanked town officials for their time.","Robert Galloibois, Cape & Islands district attorney, told the board the office has launched a Child Emergency Response Team, pursued expanded human‑trafficking training, maintained a strict enforcement posture against fentanyl trafficking and secured a $1 million grant to expand an overdose‑incident database (SIMS).",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6215211,"County commissioners pick buffer-aligned route for Tom Nevers Road multiuse path",1391,110000,1501000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7&start=110&end=1501","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3662450-f0af3d93667f5b4e438e40e6fc7893d7/thumbnail_110000.jpg","/articles/6215211/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/County-commissioners-pick-buffer-aligned-route-for-Tom-Nevers-Road-multiuse-path","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6215211-ae60f6edf1b8793b1bb5bb9fba8850dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770989650&Signature=T7lo0TXsWCBR9kXjh01JYH1b2VQZ6oQNwofhvjMG0wBIxC-VHNH0V8hw9hFsPulCqNy0caPHW5fUjQZ57VQ60IedNEUpxfb2hi7S6Fby~aDRrSLxep7fxxPJXFKknTnwAFq8beKA5mvIOM-e3fVrvm1DpU0gjYFVqa7Zs~xmjA1LB~HkwPjUgO7yaSi5kxW9CKtDbGkzMBYUQzVi78YcFITWiW-g2AKUY67EGqSZ3nLUVGx20qObjb5GA9vY3n-nkixOio1majlzzxCX8Py-8IDqPzFXrBdh3B5HJ9nsWKJwgeTUeClen3vHexZLIbzl31LKW~MdhSfnoKjTeCGtCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nantucket County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt preferred alignments for the Tom Nevers Road multiuse path, selecting east-side option 3 and south-side option b to finalize plans and move the project toward construction.

The decision came after a presentation by Mike Burns, transportation program manager for the MPDC, who described three east-side alternatives and two south-side alternatives and summarized outreach, utility coordination and cost estimates. Commissioners approved the recommendation from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission (NPDC) — option 3 for the east segment and option b for the south segment — and directed staff to use those alignments to finalize plans.

The selection matters because funding for easement acquisitions and construction was approved at the town’s recent annual meeting and on the ballot, allowing design and easement work to proceed. Burns told commissioners staff hopes construction could begin as early as fall 2026 with possible completion by summer 2027. The county, as owner of the road layout, will be responsible for easement acquisitions and any associated costs.

Burns laid out the differences among the east-side alternatives: option 1 places a variable-width 10-foot path abutting the road and narrows to 5 feet to avoid utilities and properties; option 2 is a straight 10-foot path with an approximately 8-foot buffer that would require some property impacts; and option 3 is a 10-foot path with mostly a 4-foot buffer that curves behind utility poles to reduce property impacts while avoiding utility conflicts. For the south segment (Old Town Nevers Road to the playing fields) option a would provide paired 5-foot usable shoulders (bike lanes) with minimal property impact, and option b would extend a separated 10-foot multiuse path to the end of the road but require additional property and landscaping impacts in places.

Burns said coordination with utilities reduced anticipated conflicts (many guy wires can be removed or adjusted) and that the Lampang property would include a boardwalk supported by the Lampang Commission. He presented project cost ranges tied to the south-segment choice: choosing the usable-shoulders approach (option a) would yield a project estimate between about $4.7 million and $5.0 million depending on the east alignment chosen; choosing the extended multiuse path (option b) raises the estimate to roughly $5.5 million–$5.8 million, driven largely by property acquisition costs and potential landscape relocation.

Public commenters and several commissioners pressed on safety and property impacts. Neighbors who would be directly affected said they favored the least intrusive option for the south segment (option a) because of reduced property impacts and lower cost. Other residents urged a larger buffer and a separated path because of dense summer fog and safety concerns; one commenter said fog and previous accidents at the location made a buffer important for user safety. Commissioners noted both the homeowners’ concerns and BPAC/NPDC recommendations; after discussion Brooke moved to approve the BPAC/NPDC recommended options (3 and b) and Don Holgate seconded the motion. A roll-call vote recorded all commissioners voting aye; the motion carried unanimously.

Next steps listed by staff include notifying affected landowners again, finalizing a preferred alignment for plan completion, continuing coordination with utilities, and beginning easement acquisition and design work. Burns and staff said final alignment details in affected private landscaping and layouts would include further property-owner input and would be used to estimate final project costs.

Votes at a glance:
Motion — Approve BPAC/NPDC recommended alignments (east option 3; south option b) as preferred alternatives to finalize plans and implement the Tom Nevers Road multiuse path.
Mover — Brooke (County Commissioner)
Second — Don Holgate (Chair, County Commissioner)
Vote — Matt: Aye; Dawn: Aye; Brooke: Aye; Malcolm: Aye; Don Holgate (Chair): Aye
Outcome — Approved (unanimous)

Staff and the presentation materials note the project funding was approved at town meeting and on the ballot; however, final construction depends on acquiring easements and completing final design. The county’s DPW director, Drew Patton, was on the call to answer technical questions during the discussion.","Nantucket County Commissioners unanimously selected alignment options 3 (east segment) and b (south segment) for the Tom Nevers Road multiuse path, following public comment and recommendations from advisory bodies. The choice follows funding approved at the recent annual town meeting; easements and final design remain to be secured.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Select board schedules July public hearing on tiered sewer rate plan that would raise $10.5M

Cape & Islands district attorney outlines child‑protection team, fentanyl enforcement results and $1M SIMS grant

County commissioners pick buffer-aligned route for Tom Nevers Road multiuse path