1974-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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127 Report of the Otis Task Force Committee To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: The Otis Task Force;which was created by the Governor in 1973, is still trying to create a conversion plan for the use of the land areas and facilities at Otis Air Force Base. As any such plan must be acceptable to the four-town area of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee and Sandwich, as well as to the State and Federal Governments, it is proving to be a difficult and frustrating undertaking. During 1974 the most serious set-back to the Task Force was the refusal of the State Senate Ways and Means Com- mittee to pass on the proposal of the Task Force to establish a Land Bank Commission for Otis. The following, however, is a list of some of the affirm- ative accomplishments of the Task Force: 1. The legal transfer to the Town of Bourne of the four schools located on the Base. This transfer insured that there would be no interruption in the education of the children (including the Junior High Students of Mashpee) attending these schools. 2. The Task Force was one of the first groups to actively oppose the removal of rail service to the Cape and to sponsor a study which urged the return of rail passenger service to Cape Cod. 3. The control of the Base swimming pool was turned over to the Cape Cod Swim Club, a non-profit organization, so that the pool could be used by the general public as well as by such groups as the YMCA and the handicapped. 4. Succeeded in having a new lease enacted between the Commonwealth and the Federal Government which provides for a contiguous perimeter around all Otis land and facilities being retained for Military usage. This lease also contains provisions that property leased from the State must be used for military use only and any other usage must be acceptable to the Commonwealth.