2025 Annual Town Meeting & Town Election Information

Chatham's Annual Town Meeting is tomorrow, Saturday, May 10^th, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Monomoy Regional Middle School, 425 Crowell Road. Check in begins at 10 a.m.

Town Meeting is your opportunity to make your voice heard on

The Town Meeting warrant is available for digital download and one copy has been mailed to the household of each registered voter. Additional copies will be available at the meeting. You can also download the Article Index Scorecard to record votes as they happen on Saturday.

This year we introduced the 2025 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Companion. This slide deck includes the votes of the Select Board and Finance Committee on each article as well as video links to relevant presentations and Board discussions.

Town Moderator's Consent Calendar

A consent calendar groups non-controversial articles together to be voted on as a single item. This helps save time and keeps the meeting moving efficiently. Any voter can request that an article be removed from the consent calendar for separate discussion and vote.

2025 Proposed consent calendar (all articles received unanimous votes of support by Select Board and Finance Committee):

Article 4 - Fix Salaries - Elected Officials

Article 5 - Consolidated Revolving Funds

Article 8 - Wood Waste Reclamation Facility Enterprise Fund

Article 12 - Regional School Operating Budget- CC Regional Technical High School

Article 19 - Capital - Fire Department Ambulance

Article 21 - Capital - Dredging

Article 22 - Childcare Voucher Program

Article 25 - Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund Appropriation

Article 27 - Community Preservation Committee Administrative Budget

Article 28 - Community Preservation Act Fund Appropriations

Article 35 - Community Preservation Act - Open Space & Recreation Plan

Article 36 - Public Cable Access & Technology

Article 41 - Grant of Easement for Utility Service - 365 Main Street

Article 42 - Grant of Easement for Utility Service - 114 Training Field Road

Article 43 - Grant of Easement for Utility Service - 608-610 Stage Harbor Road

Article 44 - Refile Home Rule Petition for Prevailing Wages Exemption

Article 46 - Refile Home Rule Petition for the Use of Community Preservation Act Funds for

Affordable and Attainable Housing up to 200% Area Median Income (AMI)

Remember to bring your copy of the Annual Town Meeting warrant with you on Saturday!

Helpful Videos on ATM Articles

Chatham TV and staff produced these relevant videos to inform voters on key warrant articles:

Annual Town Meeting Preview Show

Backstage/Transfer Station Project (Article 16)

Bac kstage/Center for Active Living Walk Through (Article 17)

Backstage/Wastewater Project (Article 18)

West Chatham Neighborhood Center Q&A (Articles 39 & 40)

Seasonal Communities Designation Q&A (Articles 49 & 50)

Electronic Voting

Annual Town Election

The Annual Town Election will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025 at the Community Center, 702 Main Street. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

If you are unable to make it to the polls on May 15th to vote in-person you still have options to cast a ballot.

The deadline to submit a Vote By Mail application was May 8th at 5 p.m. Deadline to return a Vote By Mail Ballot to the Town Clerk's Dropbox is May 15th at 8 p.m.

In-person Absentee voting is available until 12 p.m. on May 14th for those who were unable to Vote By Mail and are unable to vote in person on Election Day.

2024 Annual Town Report Posted Online

The 2024 Annual Town Report has been posted to the Town’s website. A limited number of hardcopies will be available at the Town Offices, 549 Main Street, late next week.

Help Us Honor Our Veterans

Join us on Monday, May 12^th (rain date May 16^th) at 10:30 a.m. as we place flags on veterans' graves in preparation for Memorial Day.

All are welcome — families, friends, and community groups! Flags will be provided. Let’s come together to remember and honor our heroes.

Date: Monday, May 12, 2025

Time: 10:30 AM

Rain Date: Friday, May 16, 2025

Locations: Volunteers will be divided into small groups and assigned one of our four active cemeteries.

Sign Up/Contact: Please reach out to the Cemetery Department at 508-945-5117 or email qforman@chatham-ma.gov for a location assignment.

Public Safety Seminar on May 29th at the Community Center from 9-2

Select Board and Town Manager seated at the dais in te large meeting room

Select Board Action - May 6th

The Select Board approved a One Day Entertainment license for the Short but Sweet 5K Charity Fun Run scheduled on June 14th, and granted Spicy Water Distillery, a Farmers Distillery, permission to sell limoncello at the Chatham Farmers Market for the 2025 season.

The Board approved the extension of the annual Art in the Park installation in Kate Gould Park until Friday, August 15th and approved the set-up of two tables in the Park on July 2nd, July 16th, July 23rd and August 6th from 1-4 p.m. for information distribution by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and the Center for Coastal Studies.

Seasonal shellfish area closures for Buck’s Creek effective May 15th; Mill Creek, Taylor’s Pond, Champlain Creek, and Muddy Creek effective June 1st; and Oyster Pond effective July 1st were approved.

Attorney Bill Riley provided the Select Board an update on the status of the George and Mary Bearse Scholarship fund and requested its permission to terminate the current trust fund and turn the funds over to the Cape Cod Foundation for better management and to expand the distribution to any Chatham resident graduating from any public high school in Barnstable County. He noted the legal steps required to effectuate this action. The Board discussed the potential to include students in private and religious schools as well. The Board approved the concept and asked Attorney Riley to return to the Board with the particulars of the new award criteria.

The Select Board reviewed two Citizen Petition Articles (52 & 53) seeking to amend the Town’s Protective (Zoning) Bylaws in light of the Planning Board’s public hearings and recommendations on each. On Article 52, the Select Board had previously voted to recommend approval of the article to Annual Town Meeting subject to a favorable recommendation from the Planning Board. As the Planning Board voted 0-4-0 on a favorable recommendation, the Select Board rescinded their previous recommendation. On Article 53, the Select Board maintained its previous recommendation of approval in line with the Planning Board’s unanimous vote in favor of the article’s approval.

Finance Director Carrie Mazerolle reviewed the Town’s financing agreement with the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, which the Board approved. She announced the award of the Town’s General Obligation Loan for $8,187,273 to Fidelity Capital Markets with a true interest cost of 3.78% for 20 years and receipt of a $365,510.30 premium which will reduce the principal of the loan which the Board voted to approve.

Carol Gordon presented questions regarding the recent use of the Town Seal and Town property for political purposes by two incumbent Select Board members. Members of the public voiced their concerns about compliance by the incumbents with State ethics laws, campaign finance laws, and Massachusetts General Laws regarding political activity.

The public is encouraged to watch the meeting in its entirety through Chatham TVs on-demand archive.

Kevin Moore's retirement party from the Fire Department is May 10 1-4 at the VFW

Woman seated at a desk in front of a computer screen smiling.

Coastal Resilience Director Named

Town Manager Jill Goldsmith has promoted Catherine Ricks as Chatham’s next Coastal Resilience Director (previously titled Coastal Resource Director).

Ms. Ricks has served as the Town’s Assistant Conservation Agent since August 2024 and brings extensive experience as a project manager and in coastal engineering, permitting, dredge projects, and nourishment design. She previously worked as a Project Manager for Tighe & Bond and has worked as a Permit Specialist, Engineer and Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistant in Massachusetts, Florida, and Louisiana.

Ms. Ricks holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Lehigh University, is a Licensed Professional Civil Engineer, holds certifications from the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissioners, and is a member of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

Join us in congratulating Catherine as she steps into her new role!

IFAW Mobile Unit and CERT trailer parked together

Stranding Exercise a Success

On Monday, May 5th, the Town conducted a training exercise simulating a marine wildlife stranding near Little Beach. This coordinated exercise brought together representatives from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Town’s Drone Team, U.S. Coast Guard Station Chatham, and dedicated volunteers from the Brewster-Orleans-Chatham-Harwich (BOCH) Community Emergency Response Team.

Joint exercises such as this are a vital part of our Emergency Management program, helping to ensure that we and our regional partners are well-prepared, trained, and ready to respond effectively when real incidents occur.

Yellow triangular "Area Closed" sign on a beach

Weekly Shorebird Report

Piping plovers are present on most Town beaches with several pairs having nests with eggs present. Fencing has been adjusted to protect new nests where warranted. Small numbers of terns have been reported an area beaches, as well.

Remember, as of May 1st dogs are no longer allowed on Town beaches. Please keep children out of fenced areas.

As of May 1st, dogs are no longer allowed on Town beaches!

April Monthly Report Posted

The Town Manager's Monthly Report for March was presented to the Select Board on April 29th.

The Monthly Reports contains statistics and narratives about activities from every Town Department and many Town Committees. Read the full report here.

Town seal with the silhouette of a speaker at a podium in the center

Upcoming Public Hearings

The Select Board will hold the following public hearings during its regularly scheduled meetings beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

May 20th

To consider a request for an exemption from Local Licensing Regulations Section IV, General Provisions, “Licensed Hours”, to allow people to use the outdoor patio of The Chatham Squire, located at 487 Main Street, Chatham, for smoking and vaping after the required closing of the patio for the service of alcohol.

May 27th

To consider a petition from NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy to install one (1) handhole 48/H23-5A and 40’ +/- 1-2” conduit to a customer installed handhole 48/H23-5B to provide new underground service to the customer located at 351 Barn Hill Road.

The public is encouraged to participate in-person or through the link in the posted agenda.

Person in orange vest standing on a large pipe in the ground with an excavator in the background

Sewer Construction Update

Work for the week of May 12^th – May 16^th

Oyster Pond Sewer Extension Project

Continued sewer work is planned on Kelley Lane. Local traffic only. Police details and signage will be in place to assist residents.

Site work is planned at the Oyster Pond Condominiums (OPC) pumping station site (1233 Main Street).

Stage Harbor Sewer Extension Project

On Monday, May 12th & 13th, site restoration work along the roadways is planned for Stage Harbor Road and Champlain Road. Minimal traffic impacts are expected.

On Wednesday, May 14th roadway striping is planned (weather dependent) for Stage Harbor Road and Champlain Road. Police details will be on-site and two detours will be in place pending the work area location.

For public safety reasons, Stage Harbor Road between Bridge Street and Cedar Street will be closed and a detour will be in place.

Detour from Champlain Road – via Bridge Street
Detour from Bridge Street around Champlain Road
From Stage Harbor Road – via Cedar Street to Champlain Road

For public safety reasons, Stage Harbor Road between the Harbormaster’s Garage and Bridge Street will be closed and a detour will be in place.

Detour route will be from Bridge Street North to Stage Harbor Road, to Cedar Street, to Champlain Road.
Detour route from Champlain Road to Cedar Street to Stage Harbor Road to Bridge Street.

Site work is planned to continue at the pumping station site (Old Mill Boat Yard/Harbormasters Garage).

Mill Pond Pump Station

Sewer work is planned to continue on Mill Pond Road. Road closures are planned for Mill Pond Road and Homestead Lane, local traffic only.

Buoy Removal Proposed

The Coast Guard is proposing changes to Aids to Navigation (AtoN) in the northeast, discontinuing some buoys as one of several efforts to advance a modern approach to physical aids to navigation.

In the First Coast Guard District, covering the waters from Maine to northern New Jersey, 350 buoys, representing about 6% of the 5,640 federally maintained buoys, are proposed for discontinuation.

In Chatham waters, four buoys are proposed for removal – Stage Harbor Entrance Lighted Bell Buoy, Chatham Harbor Sea Buoy, Chatham Roads Bell Buoy 3, and Pollock Rip Channel Lighted Buoy 8.

Chatham Harbormaster Jason Holm opposes the removal of these buoys on the grounds of public safety as they are visual signs of locations should a mariners’ electronics fail, or they become disoriented due to fog or other weather conditions.

The Coast Guard is accepting written responses to the proposed removals until June 13th and encourages mariners to provide specific information with their comments including the aids to navigation they use, how they use the buoys to navigate and the size and type of the commenter’s vessel. Comments are accepted via email only to D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil, referencing Project No. 01-25-015.

Cartoon image of bottles and cans with skulls and bones on them

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

The first of this season’s household hazardous waste collections will be held tomorrow Saturday, May 10th at the Harwich Transfer Station, 209 Queen Anne Road, Harwich from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Time to check under the sink, dig through the garage, and poke around the shed. Got old oil paints, cleaners, lawn chemicals, or random mystery bottles you forgot you owned? Don’t toss them in the trash—bring them to the collection and help keep Cape Cod’s drinking water clean!

Bonus! Getting rid of this stuff also helps keep our first responders safe. In a fire or flood, those chemicals can explode or cause serious harm. Safe disposal = safer homes AND safer communities.

For a run-down of what is and is not accepted visit www.loveyourlocalwater.org.

Can’t make it tomorrow because you’ll be heading to Annual Town Meeeting? No worries, the next Collection is scheduled for Saturday, June 14th.

Next Select Board Meeting - May 13, 2025 @ 5:30 p.m.

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.

Attend in-person at the Town Office Annex, Large Meeting Room. Join the meeting on-line or participate by phone by dialing 1-508-945-4410 and entering Conference ID 203 386 491#.

I. Open Session

II. Executive Session – MGL Ch. 30A, §21(6) – To Consider the Purchase, Exchange, Lease, or Value of a Real Property at 438 George Ryder Road, that an Open Meeting May Have a Detrimental Effect on the Negotiating Position of the Public Body and the Chair so Declares WITH Return to Open Session

III. Minutes

A. May 6, 2025

IV. Public Announcements and Agenda Item Requests

V. Chatham Wells, PFAS, and Drinking Water Testing and Pumping Update and Drought Update – April 2025 – Director of Public Works Rob Faley

VI. Public Comments on Business Agenda

VII. Business Agenda

A. June Historic Chatham Month Proclamation – Chatham Historical Society – Angela Bucar and Frank Messina

B. 2025 Annual Town Meeting Follow-up Discussion / Action Items

i. Consider Filing of Special Legislation Following Approval of 2025 ATM Actions

a. Article 44 – Refile Home Rule Petition for Prevailing Wage Exemption

b. Article 45 – Refile Home Rule Petition to Establish a New Housing Trust

c. Article 46 – Refile Home Rule Petition for the Use of Community Preservation Act (CPA) Funds for Affordable and Attainable Housing up to 200% Average Median Income (AMI)

d. Article 45 – Refile Home Rule Petition to Establish a Real Property Transfer Fee to Fund Affordable/Attainable Housing

e. Article 48 – New Home Rule Petition to Allow Associate Members of the Conservation Commission the Power to Vote in the Case of Absence by Voting Member

f. Article 49 – Acceptance of Seasonal Community Designation MA General Laws Chapter 23B, section 32(b)

g. Article 50 – New Home Rule Petition: Include “Commercial Fishermen” as a group that can be targeted for affordable and attainable housing under Seasonal Communities Section of the Affordable Homes Act

h. Citizen Petition Articles

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!

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