Written by Jessica Rapp Grassetti

This Memorial Day it was a great honor to walk in the Centerville Parade. What a grand tradition of remembering our soldiers and families by coming together to march as a community. We enjoyed the sounds of the BHS Band, bugles, soulful bagpipes and drums as we marched from the South Congregational Church with a stop at Monument Square to pledge allegiance and reflect, and ended at the Old Beechwood Cemetery. I was moved by the decorated and uniformed Veterans, Police and Boy and Girl Scouts who ceremoniously lead us in paying tribute to our unsung and decorated heroes with reverence and respect for the American Flag code. The costumed Colonialist women and Military Minutemen also marched and would periodically pause to fire off a traditional musket salute paying homage to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice at the birth of our great nation. This wonderful parade filled with friends and families, provides us with a meaningful tradition to remember because we must never forget.

Ropes Beach and the Boat Ramp is the area in Cotuit receiving the most complaints over pedestrian and vehicular safety and accessibility. Especially during peak season, the congestion along this narrow way has resulted in frequent accidents and causes spirited competition for the few available parking spots. Last season a change in the location of permissible trailer parking allowed for some relief, however, the boat ramp and the road area directly above the ramp remains a challenge. Recently the Town’s Engineer, Roger Parsons, spoke at a Civic Association meeting and stated that Old Shore Road is barely wide enough for a one way let alone a two way road with one side of parking. To seek relief, he and the Department of Public Works Director, Dan Santos, recommended that the road be turned into a one-way. On May 12, the Town Manager approved the change and signed the paperwork necessary to make Old Shore Road in Cotuit a one-way. On May 16 the change or amendment to the Town of Barnstable Traffic, Pedestrian and Tow-Away Zone Regulations was legally advertised and the DPW instructed to adjust all existing signage to reflect this significant change. Keeping on Old Shore Road, the Harbormaster recently applied warning stickers on all of the non-permitted “structures” erected on the beach used for vessel storage and on Tuesday the Waterways Committee discussed a timeline and plan to address the in-season boat storage on Town Property. The Committee will be coming up with a recommendation on how to keep in check the ever growing number of “vessels” that appear along this small stretch of grassy beach after April 15. There have been lots of suggestions from limiting the size of vessels to installing a temporary dingy dock. Whatever is decided, I’m sure this topic will continue to spark fervent discussion and debate.

With the exception of the Town Council’s first scheduled meeting of 2014, which was cancelled due to a Nor’easter, the Council has conducted ten regular meetings, a trash hauler workshop, several executive sessions and numerous adhoc and sub-committee meetings. April and May included approving a $15.2 million capital improvement budget for FY’15, the first of a five-year $129 million budget plan that will focus on improving our current infrastructure. In the next few weeks the Council will be presented with an operating budget in excess of $160 million dollars that will require approval by the current fiscal year’s end, June 30. It’s an honor to continue to serve alongside my fellow Councilors who are committed to the duties and responsibilities of their Town and respective Precincts. Together we have questioned, held thoughtful debate and most importantly, strived to create an atmosphere where the Citizens play a more meaningful role in Town governance.

Please take the opportunity to stop by and discuss any Village or Town issue with me at the Cotuit Library on the second Wednesday of every month from 3-5pm, with no appointment necessary. The next scheduled meeting is June 11 or you may reach me at 508-360-2504 or the Town Council office, 508-862-4738. My email is Precinct7@comcast.net or you may follow my blog at http://www.BarnstablePrecinct7.com for updated information. I welcome your questions and concerns and look forward to hearing from you. Your Town Councilor, Jessica.

Written By Jessica Rapp Grassetti

Red sky in the morning sailors take warning of yet another named storm. It was about a month ago when Hercules blew into our Town causing coastal flooding and erosion and now on the heels of Quintus, which dumped over a foot of heavy wet snow, Rex paid us a soggy visit. Seneca is next on the named storm list and with only four weeks of winter remaining here’s to hoping we don’t receive a visit from Zephyr.  About the only good thing to say about all of the snow is that the children and a few adults have enjoyed the great sledding conditions at Barn Hill at the Cotuit Highground Golf Course!

Many calls were received from residents concerned over the timing of removal of snow from our sidewalks.  According to the Town of Barnstable’s Snow and Ice Policy, sidewalks, in general, are undertaken after the road plowing has been completed. The Town is required to begin sidewalk clearing no later than 48 hours after the conclusion of a storm.  The sidewalks along the Hyannis and Osterville Main Streets are an exception in that they are cleared concurrent with plowing, due to their high-traffic business districts.  All other sidewalks are cleared during the same timeframe.  In other words, no Village is done before another; they each have individual contractors and the sidewalks in Cotuit, Hyannisport, and Barnstable Village, etc. are all cleared at the same time. If you have specific concerns or complaints about snow or ice removal in your neighborhood call Barnstable Department of Public Works snow line 508-790-6331.

Those of us not on Town sewer are mindful of the stress that is put on our on-site septic systems, from clothes and dishwashers to lengthy teenage showers. We abide by the old adage: If it’s yellow let is mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.  According to the Cape Cod Commission’s website, wastewater management is one of the most significant regional concerns affecting Cape Cod. About 85 percent of the wastewater flow from homes and businesses on the Cape use individual on-site septic systems that drain directly into the groundwater, running underground through watersheds to our coastal areas. In many watersheds, coastal water quality has become impaired.

On January 30, 2013, the Department of Environmental Protection directed the Cape Cod Commission to prepare an update of the 1978 208 Section Plan to address the critical degradation of Cape Cod’s water resources.  Over the last year, the challenge has been to integrate the large amount of information into a stakeholder driven process that will ultimately produce a feasible, affordable plan with the specificity warranted by the amount of information and work done over the past 35 years.

Through the development of a Regional Wastewater Management Plan and an update to the Section 208 Area-wide Water Quality Management Plan, the Cape Cod Commission is introducing residents and policy makers to the science, challenges, and the potential solutions for managing wastewater in an efficient and cost-effective way. The Commission has been invited to the February 27^th Town Council meeting to brief the public on the continuing efforts to address this critical concern.

During these gray days many people can suffer from the blues.  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that can occur in the winter. It’s cold, there’s snow and ice preventing us from taking our daily outdoor constitution and the sun has gone south. Some suggestions for coping with this form of seasonal lethargy are getting out in the open air for half an hour every morning where the natural light will help with keeping the body clock in check. Try to get to the gym or take a swim both of which helps to increase serotonin levels that can affect mood. And maybe those Valentine chocolates, in moderation, are a good thing as research has shown that people who suffer the winter blues often crave a natural amino acid called tryptophan, contained in some foods, including chocolate. Tryptophan is involved in the manufacture of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which the body produces when exposed to sunshine. If you are struggling with the blues make sure you seek professional help.

I’ll be looking for the early signs of spring in the green shoots of snowdrops and the purple finches singing their mating songs.  Hope springs eternal!

Please take the opportunity to stop by and communicate any Village or Town issue with me at the Cotuit Library on the second Wednesday of every month, 3-5pm no appointment is necessary. The next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, March 12^th.  I can always be reached at 508-360-2504, through the Town Council office 508-862-4738 or at my email: Precinct7@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you. Your Town Councilor, Jessica

Written by Jessica Rapp Grassetti

Two Thousand Fourteen is an extremely significant and meaningful year for the Town of Barnstable. Throughout the coming months each of the Seven Villages will distinctively honor the 375th year of the Town’s founding. Historical chronicles, interviews and themed celebrations will be showcased with a special emphasis on the past twenty-five years. Events of triumph, tragedy and tradition will be recalled, as there is much to reflect upon and remember. A calendar of events and more information can be found at http://www.Barnstable375.com.
A major change in the past twenty-five years was the transition from a three Selectman-Town Meeting form of governing to the current Town Council-Manager structure. Barnstable adopted, in the spring of 1989, a Home Rule Charter that vested authority in a Town Manager subject to the legislative decisions of elected Town Councilors. While we may miss the open debate, candor and free association of Town Meeting the less provincial and more streamlined method of conducting the people’s business is deemed more productive and efficient.
I am deeply honored and humbled to serve as Council President. One of my first actions will be to create an online public comment procedure that will allow citizens to submit comments directly to the Council on particular agenda items. Further, I have completed Councilor Liaison assignments to the various boards, committees and commissions. The Appointments Committee, which is a standing committee, shall be brought to the full council as a resolve to be voted on by the entire body at our first meeting this year. Ad hoc committees will also be formed to review Town Council Rules, Compensation and Town Manager performance.
A Private Roads Committee will be resurrected to thoroughly examine the complex and costly challenge of repair, upgrade and taking of privately owned roads. No other issue has lodged more comments and complaints than that of public and private roads. With nearly 500 miles of roads; 271 public and the remaining privately owned, this issue is certainly a challenge and the committee will need to wrestle with the dilemma of how to best balance the competing requests for improvements with the realities of a finite budget.
There is a lot to undertake in the next year but I’m excited by the challenge. I look forward to working side by side with my fellow councilors to do our best to preserve and enhance our natural resources, continue to advocate for neighborhood safety and a sustainable local economy, all the while encouraging civic engagement and a strong sense of community. Let’s make 2014 a year to remember!
Please take the opportunity to stop by and discuss any Village or Town issue with me at the Cotuit Library on the second Wednesday of every month from 3-5pm; no appointment is necessary. The next scheduled meeting is January 8th. If you cannot make my meeting I can always be reached at 508-360-2504, through the Town Council office at 508-862-4738 or via email Precinct7@comcast.net. I look forward to hearing from you.
Your Town Councilor, Jessica