Thursday, March 20, 2008

Spring Visit to Town Hall

As spring has sprung, I decided to head down to town hall for a quick update on the latest buzz. I found Assistant Committee Secretary Mary Rogers at her desk, busy typing minutes, a job that was mine for two years. I asked what’s on folks’ minds. “Amnesty Day, of course!” she said. “And, town meeting.” Both events will take place in April. Mary also told me the Planning Board is collaborating with the National Seashore on reworking Wellfleet's zoning bylaws. I found town collector Marianne Nickerson getting ready to mail out tax bills. Assessor Nancy Vail told me values are staying flat but taxes are on the rise. Bob Nazarian, her assistant, described the “hoop-de-doo” over the fire station – the groundbreaking took place this month – and the upheaval that has ensued from a request to greatly enlarge a house at the Gutt. I already knew the Select Board recently appealed this decision, but learned the Seashore has done so as well. McMansionization will be the subject of the next Forum meeting, Mary said. Finally, town clerk Dawn Rickman suggested sending readers to the town Web site for updates. Indeed, I found a long discussion on the proposed teardown in the March 5 Planning Board minutes. Before leaving, I got a glimpse of Planning Board chair, Denny O’Connell, above, one of the town’s most active volunteers.