June in Town From the Desk of Town Manager Libby Gibson.

What's up in Town Administration?

Needless to say, Summer 2022 is ON – there is a lot going on all around the Island!

Click here for a link to the monthly Town Management activity report provided to the Select Board at its June 22nd meeting.

Summer Reminders Please be kind!

This is anticipated to be a very busy summer – most employers (including the Town) are short-staffed, challenged by supply chain issues and high costs for supplies and materials, goods and services – Please, all of us need to infuse ourselves with patience.

Check out our new QR Code:

Parking. Click here for Summer Parking Rules. We have a full roster of seasonal Community Service Officers who, among other duties, will be actively enforcing parking restrictions. Valet parking is back at the Candle Street lot. Click here for municipal parking lot locations and rules. While we definitely encourage the use of the Town’s electric charging stations, the charging stations are not intended to be parking spots for all day (or overnight) parking. Please be respectful. We are also evaluating a potential fee structure for use of the charging stations. You don’t need to worry about parking at all if you Ride the Wave!

Bicycle users:

• Please do not ride your bike on sidewalks – especially in the downtown area
• Follow vehicular rules: do not ride your bike the wrong way down a one-way street!
• Please indicate when you are passing a pedestrian(s) or other bikers (“Passing on the left” is a customary notice, or, ring your bell)
• If you have an electric bike, please definitely indicate when you are passing someone – and do not operate your bike at excessive speeds, take into consideration those around you
• Be cautious in traffic! Passing on the left of vehicles is a bad idea.
• Please, use a bike light and/or reflective clothing or gear when riding at night

Drivers:

• Without traffic lights, we use kindness and courtesy on Nantucket!
• Please be aware of bikers and pedestrians – on Nantucket bikers generally have the right of way at intersections
• Do not pass within 3 feet of bicyclists who are riding on the road*
• Consider a Random Act of Kindness by letting someone (vehicle, pedestrian, biker, delivery truck, whoever) go in front of you

*and, please be considerate: bikers are NOT required to ride on a bike path! Do not shout at them to “Get on the Bike Path!”

There are existing Board of Health regulations that bans smoking on streets, sidewalks and other public spaces. Please respect the regulation.

Trending:

Nantucket is HIRING

The Town of Nantucket is hiring! Join our team for an exciting opportunity to contribute to the success of our community.

Saturday, July 2 at 2 PM, African Meeting House

Reading Frederick Douglas

​Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Frederick Douglass by reading a passage from his famous Fourth of July speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July".

Frederick Douglass had strong connection to the island of Nantucket where his career as a public speaker was launched. His first speech was at the anti-slavery convention on August 11, 1841, at the Nantucket Atheneum Great Hall at the invitation of William C. Coffin, an abolitionist and businessman.

The event is a part of a statewide initiative where a number of communities read the address together and reflect on our past and present. This event is sponsored by the Museum of African American History Boston | Nantucket, Cape Cod Verdean Museum and Cultural Center, and the Town of Nantucket Culture & Tourism Department.

Coastal Resilience

General update on Coastal Resilience

The Coastal Resilience Plan has 40 recommendations that are to be implemented over the next 10-15 years. Some are relatively simple projects, but most are large and complex and may require a decade or more to be accomplished once started. Considering that this plan was approved only 6 months ago, it is a pleasure to be able to say that 35% of the projects are in progress, underway or in research in some way to move them forward. The chart shows the titles of the 40 projects and the 14 in bold are the projects are currently progressing in some way. This is everything from in-house research, inter-departmental cooperation on projects, undertaking grant applications, or assisting with organizations that are undertaking these projects. The projects with some kind of progress are a mix of both policy/governance projects and infrastructure projects. The infrastructure projects are spread broadly across the island.

There is a need to progress all these projects, and naturally we cannot start all 40 projects at once. Some need to be completed and have results that will be used to inform the subsequent projects. Others are such large projects that it will take a few year of grant applications to get them underway. This is also affected by current staffing issues within the Town.

If you have questions about an area that would benefit from one of these projects and want to know about progress, contact Vince Murphy in the Natural Resources Department at vmurphy@nantucket-ma.gov. To read about all these projects in more detail, see the Coastal Resilience Plan.

These are community projects that need community support and will have long term community benefits as we face the challenges of coastal flooding, erosion and sea level rise.

Water is coming.

Coastal Resilience Coordinator Vincent Murphy

Information & Technology: Cyber-Safe Travel

Summer is a popular time to travel whether it be for a relaxing overnight or a week away exploring a new destination. You are likely taking along that smartphone or other device to assist with directions, locating or identifying points of interest, and capturing that special photo. Practicing good cyber hygiene before, during, and after your trip will help secure your devices and allow you to connect with confidence when you’re away from home.

Before You Travel

• Update your devices. Updating devices will fix security flaws and help keep you protected. Whether it’s your computer, smartphone, or gaming device, be sure to update your operating system, applications, antivirus and malware software, and the like. If you haven’t already turned on automatic updates, now is a good time to consider doing so.
• Back up your devices. Back up information such as contacts, financial data, photos, videos, and other data in case a device is compromised during travel and you have to reset it to factory settings.
• Lock your device. Make sure to lock your device when you are not using it. Set your devices to lock after a period of time and use strong PINs and passwords.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). Add an extra layer of protection so that the only person who has access to your account is you. For more information on MFA, see https://www.cisa.gov/mfa.

During Your Travel

• Guard your devices. Your devices are valuable, but your sensitive information is as well. Always keep your devices close at hand and secure in taxis, security checkpoints, airplanes, rentals homes, and hotel rooms.
• Securely recharge. Never plug your phone into a USB public charging station, such as those in the airport or in hotel room lamp or clock radio inputs, as these cannot be trusted. Malicious individuals can hijack your session or install malware on your device through those seemingly-harmless means. Always connect using your own power adapter connected to a power outlet.
• Delete data from your rental car. If you connect your phone to a rental car for navigation or other purpose, be sure to securely remove the device so that other individuals do not have access to your address book, device name, text messages (hands free calling), or other sensitive information.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi. While public networks are convenient, they are a security risk. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi unless absolutely necessary. Instead, consider using your phone carrier’s internet connection or use your phone as a personal hotspot if your plan allows.
• Turn off auto connect. While auto connect is enabled, devices will seek out and connect to available networks or Bluetooth devices. This could allow cyber criminals to access your device without you knowing it. Disable auto connect, Bluetooth connectivity and near field communication (NFC), like airdrop, so that you can select the network and you can control the connection.
• Limit what you share. Limit the information you share on social media while on vacation and consider posting updates about your trip after you return. Revealing too much information while away can put you and others at risk. Criminals can gain useful information from such posts, like knowing you are away from your home. Scammers may even attempt to contact your family and friends with a variety of scam tactics. Additionally, consider setting your social media accounts to only allow friends to view your posts.
• Avoid the use of public computers. Public computers such as hotel business centers and internet cafes are often poorly managed and provide minimal security protection for users. If you must use a public computer, do not enter any username or password on the computer and do not connect or transfer data via thumb drive/USB.

When You Return Home

• Shred your boarding pass and luggage tag. Scannable codes on boarding passes and luggage tags include full name, date of birth, and passenger name record. These can also contain sensitive data from your airline record, like passport number, phone number, email address, and other information that you wouldn’t want to share publicly. For this same reason, never post boarding passes on social media.
• Scan for virus and malware. It’s best to update your security software when you return home and scan for virus and malware to be sure your device has not been compromised while you were away.

Source: MS-ISAC - Multi State Information Sharing & Analysis Center; Cybersecurity While Traveling.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Actions

Meet NEET: Lora Kebbati, Sewer Department Office Manager

The department’s ocean view offers a breathtaking scene of the Atlantic. “When the administration office opened in 2017… there was an unbroken view to the ocean… We [occasionally] give tours and a lot of people who come out are always shocked at how beautiful it is here for a sewer plant.”

Welcome to the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department, located at 81 South Shore Road. The administration office for this department is under the leadership of office manager Lora Kebbati. The information Lora shared during her Meet NEET interview was educational on many levels.

Entering Lora’s office was a little intimidating, even though she exudes a welcoming disposition. Upon entry, you immediately notice that there are three computer monitors, it is impossible to miss the colorful file folders throughout the room, and there are clearly labeled drop boxes along the walls; keen eyes could map a path of transition for a variety of paperwork.

Kebbati talked about a wide range of professional and personal topics throughout her interview. She talked about being in an inter-religious marriage, did a deep-dive on the personal meaning of inclusion in DEI, and shared that (pre-pandemic) visiting Northern Africa with her family has been her favorite pastime.

As per work, Lora talked about the responsibilities of the office manager at length. Here is a how she described some of her tasks. “My responsibilities are the typical ones for an office manager, specifically the business end of things. I am also the records access (RA) officer for the department and we get a lot of records requests, which keeps us really busy… I support the director, sort of like his right arm in non-technical operations. Then there are personnel things I support, I do purchasing, I manage the two office administrators; there are a lot of things that keep us busy.”

Without the need for a question or prompt, Lora shared an enthusiastic feedback of her supervisor and working for the town. “I really like working for my boss, he is open-minded, temperate, knowledgeable, and collaborative. He’s a great boss to work for.” She continued, “One of the things I like about working for the town is that I feel like I’m giving back. I know it’s a paid role… but I feel like I’m contributing to the community.”

The Meet NEET interviews, including Lora’s, have uncovered a common thread worth noting. Thus far, departments have constantly described themselves as a ‘family.’ Even though Lora never used the word specifically, she described the employees as a “well trained and oiled crew” that knows how to assist each other (sometimes without even having to ask for help), and she mentioned that the sewer department operates like one unit because the crew depends on the office administrators as much as the office workers need the crew. “There is no us versus them,” she stated, “no separation or difference between operations and administration.”

When the interview changed to matters on DEI and race relations, the atmosphere in the office changed from professional banter to personal experiences. Lora was the first Meet NEET interviewee to focus on the significances of inclusion in DEI. While describing her relationship with a family member, she shared, “I hear a lot about inclusion, primarily in the educational model… I think one of the things [my love one] enjoys best is to simply be included. The way I describe it is that, his interest is to run parallel, he wants to run parallel alongside the other students even though he knows he is different. He just likes to be included and I think that’s something everybody likes. Of course there’s more than just being included. You have to be mindful and respectful, social, you know, like [giving everyone] fist bumps; real inclusion.” As per race relations, Lora shared that hearing the term (race relations) in a Nantucket context makes her think back on the 2018 incident at the African Meeting House. Yet, interestingly and without prompt, she shared that Nantucket is making positive strides towards being an inclusive community.

Lora, like all Meet NEET participants, was asked to pick three adjectives that best describe Nantucket Island. Her response was, “diverse, unique, and beautiful.” As she explained, “I live in a place that everyone is trying to get to… I live in that postcard, which is pretty special.”

It was evident throughout the interview that Lora Kebbati loves her job and Nantucket. She is looking forward to both DEI trainings and events that bring departments together. The next time the department is having a gathering like a cookout, Lora strongly encourages fellow Town employees to join the festivity and enjoy the ocean view.

Emergency Management

2022 New England Hurricane Season

Hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin is from June 1st to November 30th. Statistically, peak hurricane season for coastal New England occurs from mid-August to late October. The National Hurricane Center focuses a tremendous amount of scientific resources on storm prediction. There have been significant advances in recent years but 100% certainty on hurricane tracks or storm surge events is still not possible. Hurricane related surge impact begins to occur as storms approach. Generally, this surge along with associated heavy rain amounts is our greatest storm hazard on Nantucket.

For the 2022 hurricane season, NOAA is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes, including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 ). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.

Direct landfall in Coastal Massachusetts by a hurricane is unusual, though not impossible. These storms can extend hundreds of miles across and landfall at a location to our south may still have significant impacts. The last hurricane that made a direct landfall nearby was Hurricane Bob in 1991.

NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Tracker shows 39 hurricane or tropical storm events have occurred near coastal Massachusetts between 1842 and 2020. Within this period the Commonwealth was not impacted by any Category 4 or 5 hurricanes, however the state was impacted by three Category 3 hurricanes, four Category 2 hurricanes, ten Category 1 hurricanes and twenty-five tropical storms.

Stay Informed and Be Prepared!

Every family should have multiple methods for receiving local emergency information and alerts. These official sources of information are important to be familiar with in advance. You should always monitor local social and traditional media platforms when our area is under the threat of a serious coastal storm. Families are encouraged to do a little extra planning for individuals with access or functional needs. Remember your neighbors! Don’t forget to check in on them and make sure they are aware of hazardous weather information and alerts.

Energy Office News

Town of Nantucket receives $10,000 award to study LED Streetlighting Feasibility

Earlier this month, the Town received a $10,000 grant from The Community Foundation for Nantucket’s ReMain Nantucket Fund to engage a professional lighting consultant to conduct an LED Streetlight Conversion Feasibility Assessment.

With the support of the grant award, Tanko Lighting has been recently selected to assist the Town to investigate the economic feasibility of converting the island’s 199 decorative streetlamps and 594 “cobra-head” streetlights to LED, in accordance with local guidelines and preferences. Currently, Nantucket’s streetlights use less-efficient high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs, which cost the Town over $110,000/year to power.

While a conversion to LED streetlights can offer significant benefits, such as reduced maintenance costs, energy cost savings, and increased reliability, there are potential risks if the LEDs are not adequately analyzed, planned and installed according to the latest best practices and industry standards.

Under the guidance of an interdepartmental workgroup, Tanko Lighting will identify streetlighting strategies that are respectful of the island’s historical integrity and which minimize light pollution—a growing environmental concern that can negatively impact wildlife, the ability to see the stars at night, and the health and safety of island residents and visitors.

Tanko Lighting’s assessment is estimated to take 8-12 weeks to complete and will include a report outlining baseline streetlighting conditions, estimated LED project costs and savings, and recommended specifications for new lighting fixtures and smart programming controls. The Town looks forward to sharing the results of the assessment with the community by the early fall.

Questions? Contact: Lauren Sinatra, Energy Coordinator, at LSinatra@nantucket-ma.gov or 508-325-5379.

Fire Department

Every year, grilling fires cause injuries and property damage. Learn to grill safely.

Many people enjoy barbecuing in the summer months. But when grills are not used safely, things can go horribly wrong. Every year, fire departments respond to hundreds of fires involving grills, hibachis, and barbecues. These fires cause injuries and property damage. For safe grilling, always follow your owner's manual and practice the safety tips provided here:

• Always grill outdoors.
• Grills must be 10 feet from the side of a building unless the manufacturer's instructions say it can be closer. Make sure grills are not underneath overhanging branches.
• Grills cannot be used on a porch, balcony or deck with a roof, overhang or wall (other than the exterior of the building).
• Grills can only be used on open first floor porches, decks or patios if there is an outdoor stairway to the ground, or the porch is at ground level.
• Grills cannot be used on fire escapes.
• Place grills away from the house and deck railings.
• Keep all matches, lighters and lighter fluid away from children.
• Keep children and pets three feet away from grills. Children should never play near grills or propane cylinders.

Housing

Last month, we reported on housing activity across multiple fronts. This month, it is timely to focus your attention on a single item which could have generational impact on the island and maybe, just maybe, cure a systemic problem.

That item is a transfer fee to benefit year-round housing on Nantucket. Over five Annual Town Meetings, in excess of 80% of voters each time has voted in favor of establishing a Housing Bank on Nantucket. This modest 0.5% fee, which would only apply to the amounts over $2 million, would have generated over $5 million last year. Those funds can be bonded against and almost overnight we could put 50 to 75 million dollars to work to preserve and create stable, quality, attainable housing for year-rounders – particularly around homeownership opportunities in conjunction with the forthcoming Nantucket Community Housing Trust (a community land trust). We could then continue to operate things like: the police department, schools, conservation organizations, your favorite coffee shop, summer and off-season non-profit programs, the fire department, the hospital, your favorite restaurant.

You get the picture. All of these need people. Presently, there are 46 vacancies at Nantucket Public Schools, 38 vacancies at the Town, roughly 20% of full-time positions at the hospital are open. Our year-round community is eroding far faster than our shores. And the cause is rooted in housing.

If we are looking at ourselves in the mirror, we would honestly say Nantucket ignored the issue for decades. Yet, in recent years, we have engaged. Big time. Voters have approved over $75 million which is being put to work. Problem is, we have a several hundred million dollar problem.

This can’t all be done on the backs of taxpayers. Enter the transfer fee. It doesn’t take a dime more from taxpayers and doesn’t take a dime out of state coffers. It is only paid by the seller at the time of a, arguably high dollar, real estate transaction.

You might say, sounds so logical – why hasn’t it passed yet? Answer: the Massachusetts Association of Realtors has been fighting it. Hard.

The good news: our local realtors get it and are actually helping to fund the consultants we have employed, alongside the Vineyard, to fight for a transfer fee.

Because of the efforts of many, we may have a shot at getting this vital reliable funding stream through the legislature this session. When we met with Governor Baker shortly after we first introduced our transfer fee in 2016, he said that if it makes it to his desk he would sign it.

So, we need your help. Please take a few minutes penning a note to the names below letting them know why you believe it is critical that the legislature give Nantucket this tool now. The bill number associated with our Home Rule Petition for the transfer fee is H.4201. It has been reported out favorably by the Joint Committee on Revenue. We cannot afford to wait. Since we first introduced the transfer fee in 2016, median home price has increased over 86%. Every year without this tool, we are losing out.

Please write to:

• Speaker Ron Mariano – Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov
• Majority Leader Michael Moran – Michael.Moran@mahouse.gov
• Rep. Aaron Michlewitz – Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov

Please cc:

• Sen. Julian Cyr – Julian.Cyr@masenate.gov
• Rep Sarah Peake – Sarah.Peake@mahouse.gov
• Rep. Dylan Fernandes – Dylan.Fernandes@mahouse.gov
• Town of Nantucket Housing Director Tucker Holland – tholland@nantucket-ma.gov

Your letter sent now could make all the difference. The formal legislative session ends July 31st. Thank you for your role in helping preserve what truly is the soul of the island.

Municipal Housing Director Tucker Holland

Human Services

Behavioral Health Initiative Phase One Plus

The Behavioral Health evaluation, produced for the Community Fund of Nantucket, identified several gaps in the island’s services, which we’ve discussed at length. The completed CFN study, available from their webpage, and its recommendations are now beginning to be implemented by the Behavioral Health Initiative’s leadership group. One of the most significant outputs from the study and follow up work revolves around the State of Massachusetts’s own efforts to produce a revised behavioral health system.

The State’s planned roadmap includes many similar gaps to those identified in the CFN study, as well as new regulatory and administrative changes in the way behavioral health is delivered. In order to keep Nantucket’s roadmap in step with the State’s, the BHI leadership group has enlisted consultants Quinlan and Lane. Their primary competencies are working with the State’s existing BH system as well as significant experience in creating and implementing systems level revisions of BH services. Moving forward into what’s being termed Phase One+, the consultants will review the existing studies, implement improve-while-research measures to refine the models of the current system while researching interventions to improve it as they go.

The next several months will bring a number of small workgroups designed to incorporate stakeholders into design stages, increased focus on school age children’s needs, and a focus on bottom-up collaboration, all intended to lead to a cohesive response to evolving needs in behavioral health. Later phases of the process focus on integrating other sectors into the cohesive system being established by both the State and local stakeholders. However, the initial focus will be on improving the resiliency of youth behavioral health efforts

Human services Director Jerico Mele

Natural Resources Department

• Avian Flu - If you have been out enjoying Nantucket’s beaches lately, you may have noticed numerous dead seabirds washed up on shore. It is strongly suspected by wildlife officials that avian influenza is the cause of these significant mortalities. Avian flu is highly pathogenic but does not often infect humans, however it can be passed on to domestic animals so please keep all pets leashed while on the beach and do not permit them to interact with any dead birds. Please do not touch or move any dead, sick, or wounded bird you may find. Local wildlife responders will not take in wounded or sick birds at this time.

• Protected Species: Eel Point access #47 was closed to vehicles last week for the presence of protected species. The site is being monitored on a daily basis to minimize the amount of time that a restriction is required. 40th Pole (access #45 and #46) remains open to vehicles and is an excellent fishing spot! Smith’s Point is also closed to vehicle traffic at this time. There is limited beach driving access at Low Beach.

Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring Program

The Town of Nantucket, in collaboration with Nantucket Land Council, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Land Bank, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, UMASS Boston, and Mass Audubon monitors the following ponds for harmful algal blooms (HABs) weekly from June through October: Long, North Head of Long, Miacomet, Sesachacha, Capaum, Gibbs, Hummock, Clark’s Cove (West Hummock Pond), Maxcy, Washing, Tom Nevers, Stump, Almanac, Wigwam, Pout, and UMASS Boston’s Nantucket Field Station (NFS) Ponds. Subscribe to the Harmful Algal Bloom Alert System or text Join HABS to 30890 to receive weekly updates on the status of our island's ponds.

Learn more about Pond Monitoring Efforts, watch a video of the Pond Monitoring Volunteer Workshop:

Enjoy a FREE Tour of The Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery!