Treasurer/Collector’s Office Closure Continues

Minor construction work continues at the Treasurer/Collector’s Office at 549 Main Street through Friday, July 18th. Staff will be available to answer questions and assist with payments. Online payments and email & phone contact are encouraged during this temporary disruption of normal operations. Thank you in advance for your patience if making in-person payments or inquiries.

Front facade of the Chatham Railroad Museum

Celebrating 65 Years of the Chatham Railroad Museum

The Select Board has proclaimed this Saturday, July 12th, as the designated day of celebration for the 65th birthday of the Chatham Railroad Museum.

The Chatham Railroad Station opened on November 21, 1887 and operated as part of a vital link for both freight and passengers to Harwich, Boston and beyond for 50 years. When the railroad closed in1937, the Station was purchased by Phyliss Cox who donated the building to the Town in 1951. The Railroad Museum was opened in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Museum currently attracts approximately 6,000 visitors per year and is operated by the Railroad Museum Committee and dedicated volunteer docents.

The Museum, 153 Depot Street, is celebrating the day with special family-friendly activities (and cake!) from 1 to 4 p.m. As always, admission to the Museum is free but donations are gladly accepted.

Community Health Educator at the Chatham Farmers Market

Stop by the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment table at the Chatham Farmers Market, 60 Meetinghouse Road, on Tuesday, July 15th anytime between 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. to connect with our Community Health Educator and learn more about helpful tick safety tips, resources for tick testing, and tools to help you enjoy the outdoors safely. They’ll have tips, resources, and friendly conversation to support a healthier and safer Cape Cod!

No registration needed — just swing by while you shop local!

And don’t forget - the Council on Aging offers transportation to the Farmers Market by reservation! Call 508-945-5190 to sign-up.

Cartoon image of toxic bottles and poison cans

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Your next chance to safely dispose of household hazardous waste is tomorrow, Saturday, July 12th at the Harwich Transfer Station, 209 Queen Anne Road, Harwich from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Participating in the event not only rids your property of hazardous chemicals, cleaners, stains, and paints but it keeps them out of the trash and protects our drinking water.

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

Summer Youth Police Academy begins July 21

Click above for more info & to apply!

Subscribe to Smart911

Smart911 enables the Town to provide reliable and effective communication to community members in emergencies.

Smart911 is a high-speed notification system designed to send calls, emails, and SMS text notifications to subscribers. These messages may include information on floods, fires, water emergencies, road closures, missing persons, evacuation orders, weather and other emergencies.

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Need help? Call the Fire Department’s non-emergency line 508-945-2324 for assistance.

Select Board Action

The Board approved a petition from NSTAR Electric Company dba Eversource Energy to install one handhole 20/HA57 and 100 feet +/- 1-3 inches conduit at 739 Crowell Road.

The Board approved Special One-Day Alcohol licenses for a fundraiser for the Cape Cod Hospital Auxiliary at St. Christopher’s Church on September 25th and Trunk Show event at Mahi Gold on July 29th. The Board approved several requests related to Monomoy Community Services’ annual Taste of Chatham event in Chase Park on July 28th. The Board granted a Common Victualler license for Hey Joe & Jam located at 18 Seaquanset Road and a Special One Day Entertainment license for live outdoor music at that location on July 19th.

Jeff Gregg, GHD, provided an update on the Town’s watershed permitting efforts for those watersheds not covered by the original watershed permit for Pleasant Bay. He reviewed the areas of Town in the next phases of sewer implementation. He noted the benefits of the sewering to date on embayments.

The Select Board reviewed the Chatham Sewer Assistance Grant Program Policy for the second time, and approved it, noting that all previous suggested edits had been incorporated.

The Select Board discussed revising the local Water regulations to increase fines for those with unmetered irrigation systems using Town water. The potential to charge those accounts at a different rate was discussed by Town Counsel. The possibility of involving the Board of Health in addressing the violations was discussed.

The Select Board made the following appointments/reappointments: Barnstable County HOME Consortium Advisory Council - Gloria McPherson; Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees - Karolyn McClennan, Jonathan Avery & Louis Heib; Zoning Board of Appeals - Randi Potash and David Nixon (full members) and Ed Acton, Steve DeBoer & Leigh Hovey (Associate members); Airport Commission - Brian Phillips and Alfred Tria; Historical Commission - Bob Lear and Stephanie Hamilton (full members) and Sandi Porter (Associate member); Conservation Commission - Eric Hilbert; Traffic Safety Committee - Ellen Marx Zeyen; and Open Space Committee - George Cooper.

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

Lunch with the Angler's at the CFAL on July 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Yellow triangular "Area Closed" sign on a beach

Shore Bird Report

Mass Audubon shorebird monitors report the presence of Piping Plovers, Least Terns and American Oystercatchers on many of Chatham’s public beaches, many with nests and chicks.

The monitors continue to report concerns about dogs (leashed and unleashed) on beaches, and dog tracks and human footprints within fenced areas. Please respect our beach regulations. Dogs are not permitted on Chatham’s public beaches after May 1st and please keep all members of your group out of fenced areas.

Water Conservation Restrictions Remain in Place

All non-essential outdoor water use shall be restricted to no more than two days per week. Watering by sprinkler or irrigation is allowed on customer assigned days only before 9:00 AM and after 5:00 PM.

Odd numbered addresses are assigned Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Even numbered addresses are assigned Wednesdays and Fridays.
No non-essential outdoor watering Saturday - Monday.

Non-essential uses include:

Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems
Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety
Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways, or sidewalks (except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or concrete).

Irrigation Systems on Town Water Supply

The Town’s Rules and Regulations of the Water Department require all irrigation systems connected to the municipal water supply:

be registered with and permitted by the Town.
be placed on a separate water meter at the customer’s expense.
be equipped with a timing device that can be set to conform with local watering restrictions.
be equipped with a rain/and or soil moisture sensing device that will prevent the system from starting automatically during periods or rain or high soil moisture.

Is your system in compliance? For information on ensuring that is, contact the Water Division at 508-945-5150 or email Pam Jones.

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 hearing during their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

July 22

To consider a petition from NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy to install two (2) handholes 291/HA2 and 291/HB2 and 35 feet plus or minus 1-3 inches conduit. The purpose of this construction is to provide new underground service to the customer located at 41 Lakeview Avenue.

To consider a request for a new annual entertainment license for indoor and outdoor live music for Hey Joe & Jam, 16 Seaquanset Road, Chatham, MA 02633.

August 5

To consider a petition from NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy to install 50’ +/- 1-3” conduit and one (1) handhole 57/HA10 for new underground service to the customer located at 161 Old Queen Anne Road.

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

Volunteer opportunities on Town committees

Get Involved – Volunteer to Serve Your Community

Want to make a real impact in our community? We have openings on several Boards, Commissions, and Committees — and we need civic-minded individuals to step up and serve.

By volunteering, you’ll help guide important decisions, preserve what makes Chatham special, and strengthen the bonds that tie our community together.

Don’t wait – join the conversation and be part of Chatham’s future! Apply today!

*Non-resident taxpayers are eligible to serve on Advisory Committees, the Cultural Council and the Council on Aging Board of Directors. Members serve 3-year term; Associates/Alternates serve 1-year term.

Large A in light blue in a darker blue square with "at the Atwood" imposed over it

Music at the Atwood

The Atwood House Museum's summer concert series continues on Thursday, July 24th with The Fred Clayton Band + J-Place and the Rockers.

Doors to the tent open at 5:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and are available through the Museum's website.

Next Select Board Meeting - July 22, 2025 @ 5:00 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#.

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!

Subscribe to The Mainsheet

Subscribe today to have the latest issue of The Mainsheet delivered directly to your inbox each week! Sign-up through Notify Me! by entering your email address and clicking on the envelope icon next to the "Government" subscription list.