1997-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

strong and growing sense of community pride in Report of the Mashpee. Board of Selectmen The Board of Selectmen have also devoted consid- erable effort in working with the Executive Secretary and the Finance Committee to hold down expenses Residents of the Town of Mashpee: and keep our tax rate stable. This year represents the third year of our property tax relief program which Mashpee continues to grow as an attractive place turned back over five million dollars in excess rev both for our current residents and for new folks to dis- enues to help keep the tax rate down. As a result we cover.As the economy in our region and here on Cape have been able to ramp into the operation of our new Cod continued its strong growth in the previous year, high school with no impact on taxes at all.In doing so, our community faced the challenges and opportunities however, we have necessarily depleted our excess rev- of dealing with several large development projects enue accounts, and will be faced with difficult finan- with potential impacts for our Town. A great deal of cial decisions over the next few years.This Board will time has been devoted in the past year to studying the continue to work hard to keep expenses and taxes in potential impacts of an expansion of the neo-tradition- line. al village concept of Mashpee Commons, and the Cape Cod Commission has been presented with a In addition to these key areas, the Board has been development plan for a shopping center project at the extremely active on a great number of issues of impor- site of Dick and Ellie's Flea Market. Additionally, tance to the town, and we have made significant after many years of inactivity, the developers of progress in many areas. In listing some of these Southport, a large-scale, age-restricted residential accomplishments, it is critical to acknowledge the community,have begun to move forward on the devel- dedication and hard work of the employees of the opment of this project which will bring many new res- Town of Mashpee,who make the policies of the Board idents to our Town. into reality.Without the talented and dedicated support of the Department Heads and every employee of the With this renewed growth pressure, never has the Town, progress would not be made on any major development of a comprehensive plan to guide future issues. Successful years such as this last are truly a growth been as important. The Selectmen are very tribute to the efforts of our staff. Our success is also a happy to see the completion of our comprehensive tribute to the hard work and dedication of our admin- planning process, and hope to present a plan for the istrative leadership and support staff here in Town j approval of voters at our May, 1998 Town Meeting. including our Executive Secretary,Robert Whritenour, This plan is the culmination of many years of work, our Assistant to the Executive Secretary,Joyce Mason, and should be extremely helpful in addressing the land our Administrative Secretary, Kathleen Harold and use challenges of allowing limited growth while pre- our Clerk Jean Baggs. serving the beautiful rural character of our Town which we enjoy so well. A listing of some of the accomplishments of the y Board of Selectmen during the previous year are as E The previous year has also witnessed a continued follows: strong emphasis by this Board on the maintenance and improvement of our Town facilities. Over the previous • Completed a closeout agreement for Mashpee five years the Town has reconstructed its Senior High School construction project j Center, built an addition to the Middle School, built a new Junior/Senior High School and renovated the • Completed Town Hall Renovations Town Hall.We have also performed feasibility studies on the renovation of our Central Fire Station, the con- • Connection of Town Hall to public water supply struction of a South Mashpee Fire Substation and the renovation of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Completed the Route 130 Bike Path from the Museum,which was recently transferred to the owner- Town line to Heritage Park i, ship of the Wampanoag Tribal Council. Building pro- jects on the horizon include the construction of a Initiated an ad-hoc Committee to study the reg- Harbormaster Facility, the expansion of the Town ulation of sexually oriented businesses; led to Library and the renovation and expansion of our major zoning proposal for May 1998 Town Leisure Services Community Center. The Board rec- Meeting ognizes the importance of these community assets, and has worked to preserve and expand facilities ompleted dredging projects in Popponesset and which help to serve the public and contribute to our Waquoit Bays 8