COVID-19 Update

There have been 741 total cases Of COVID-19 reported in Chatham since March 2020. There were 22 cases have been reported in Town in February 2022 compared to 42 cases in February 2021. The Town's 14-day positivity rate is less than 5% and there have been fewer than 5 cases per week reported in Town for the last three weeks.

Test Kits Available

Free antigen at-home COVID-19 test kits are still available from the Health Division at the Town Annex. One kit per household member can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 9 AM-3 PM. Proof of Chatham residency (Driver’s License, long-term lease, or real estate bill) is required to receive a test kit.

Updated Face Covering Advisory

The latest advisory from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is that masks should be worn by fully vaccinated individuals if they have a weakened immune system or increased risk for disease or if a family member has any of these conditions. Unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear a mask indoors in public. Everyone should wear a mask for five days after their quarantine period if they have tested positive for COVID-19.

Chatham Police Department Celebrates 100 Years

The first full-time Chatham Police officers were sworn into duty in March 1922. The Department is planning several events to commemorate its 100 years of service to the community through March 2023. Watch this space for more details as they become available!

Nomination Papers Available From Town Clerk

Town elections are fast approaching! Two seats on the Select Board, one on the Monomoy Regional School Committee (Chatham representative), and one on Chatham Housing Authority Board are on the ballot this year.

Nomination papers are available from the Town Clerk's office, 549 Main Street, and the last day to submit papers for signature certification is Thursday, March 31st.

Check out the full job description!

Join the CFD April Fools in "Taking A LITTLE Dip" 

Annually since 2008, members of the Chatham Fire Department have taken part in an April Fools’ Day “plunge” at one of our local beaches to raise money for a different local individual or family in need, usually to assist with the financial burden of an illness or injury. Each year, the swim has grown immensely, both in the number of participants and in the funds raised. In 14 years of publicly advertising the swim, nearly $175,000 has been raised for local families. Aside from the financial assistance, the huge crowd generates an enormous emotional boost for the recipient and his/her family. 

This year marks the 15th year that the April Fools from Chatham Fire have led the community into the frigid waters. This year's event will benefit Chatham Police Officer Bill Little. On April 27, 2021, Bill suffered a stroke which has kept him out of work for the past year. Bill has proudly served our community since 2003 as a Chatham Police Officer and a member of the Barnstable County Regional Law Enforcement Council, including the Crash Reconstruction Team, the Motorcycle Unit, and the Search and Rescue Team. Bill has taken care of his community with pride and professionalism, and it is our turn to take care of him. We hope to make this our biggest and best swim yet. There is no better way to slam the door on the winter season than to take ter first refreshing dip of the year! 

Please join our firefighters Friday, April 1st at 4:30 pm at Hardings Beach. Donations of all amounts are graciously accepted. T-shirts will be available for $20 prior to the event and any remaining will be sold at the swim. A BBQ will be held at the Chatham VFW immediately following the swim.

If you would like to donate but are not able to attend, you may donate online via the “Taking a LITTLE Dip” GoFundMe page, or cash and checks may be sent to:
April Fools, Chatham Fire Department, 135 Depot Rd., Chatham, MA 02633.

Next Select Board Meeting 

All are welcome to attend and participate in our open and public meetings. The agenda for each meeting is posted 48 business hours prior to the scheduled meeting time and can be accessed through the Select Board’s webpage.
 
Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 134 208 476# or join the Select Board in the Large Meeting Room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

I. Minutes
March 1, 2022

II. Public Announcements and Agenda Item Requests

III. New Business

A. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update (Director of Natural Resources Dr. Robert Duncanson and Town Manager Jill Goldsmith)

B. Public Comments on Business Agendas

C. Business Agenda (Board Discussion Items)

a. Consider Donation: Speakers for Bandstand; Chatham Band (Anita Harris)

b. 2022 Annual Town Meeting Articles Review

i. General Bylaw Amendment – Waterways Bylaws [Public comments will be accepted]

ii. Consider a Preschool Family Support Program for 3- and 4-Year Olds (New)

iii. Child Care Voucher Funding

iv. Fishermen’s Storage Relocation Project 

v. Collective Bargaining Agreement(s) – Placeholder Article

vi. Collins Center Reclassification/Compensation Plan – Placeholder Article

c. Easements:

i. Old Colony Rail Trail; Sewer

ii. Sylvan Garden Walking Trail

d. Committee Appointment; Parks and Recreation Commission Rep. to Community Preservation Committee

IV. Executive Session – MGL Chapter 39, §23B #6 & #3
To consider the purchase, exchange, taking, lease, or value of real property and to discuss pending litigation and the Chair declares that such discussion may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating and litigating position of the governmental body with no return to Open Session. 

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!