Chilmark town meeting considers electric vehicles, housing

On Tuesday, April 23, Chilmark voters will decide the fate of 33 warrant articles at the annual town meeting.

Questions before voters will cover funding for more than a dozen Community Preservation funding opportunities, the purchase of new electric vehicles for the town, and a much-anticipated bylaw amendment to change the management of town-owned tennis courts.

Community Preservation will be a big focus at the town meeting, as Article 31 involves 13 different funding opportunities. These include $100,000 for the town housing committee’s rental-assistance program, multiple $25,000 items for funding affordable housing projects, $39,000 to preserve the town’s historic Brickyard and improve visitor access, and around $30,000 to rehabilitate the community center’s outdoor basketball courts.

Chilmark Police, Fire, and other departments will also be looking to secure new electric vehicles at the annual town meeting.

Town administrator Timothy Carroll said during the April 16 select board meeting that Chilmark plans to buy a Ford Lightning for the police department — Article 8 would approve spending $75,000 from the town’s police vehicle stabilization fund for a new electric pickup truck.

Article 9 also concerns spending around $25,000 from the fire stabilization fund, on gear and equipment for the fire department’s Engine 121. And for Article 22, the fire department will look to approve spending of $22,000 on an off-road utility task vehicle (UTV).

Chilmark voters next week will also decide whether to increase the local room occupancy excise tax from 4 to 6 percent. This tax covers transfers of occupancy of a room or rooms in a bed and breakfast, hotel, lodging house, short-term rental, or motel. This is Article 30 in the warrant.

Many voters will be anticipating the meeting’s second-to-last article, which involves the creation of a public committee to manage the town-owned tennis courts throughout the year. If approved, the article would transfer management of the courts away from the Chilmark town affairs council, which currently manages the courts and tennis programs during the summer. Instead, the article would establish a year-round town tennis committee (TTC) as the new manager of these courts, and would also involve creating a revolving fund.

In its recent meeting, the select board did favor postponing an article until the fall special town meeting. This article, No. 17, is to approve $26,000 to purchase an electric SUV/pickup for the town building inspector and facilities manager.

However, town administrator Timothy Carroll explained at a recent select board meeting that after contacting Ford to ask about buying their Maverick pickup model, he learned that the company does not make an electric vehicle of that model, and makes only hybrid or gas-powered options.

To buy a suitable electric vehicle, Carroll said, could cost significantly more than stated in the warrant article. Buying another Ford Lightning, for example, could cost around $60,000 without the upgrades needed for police use.

Select board member Bill Rossi felt that the town should not so significantly increase the amount of money requested for that article, and board member Marie Larsen insisted that the vehicle acquired should be all-electric.

The town meeting will be held at 7 pm at the Chilmark Community Center, 520 State Road.