2019-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report of the Veterans Services Department To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the citi- zens of the Town of Mashpee: The following report is of the activities of the Department of Veterans' Services for Calendar Year 2019. Our duties are categorized in two basic areas: Benefits and Services. Commonwealth Low-income Benefits: This program is mandated under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 115. It provides financial assistance to honorably -discharged veterans, their dependents and parents of Massachusetts veterans who establish need and worthiness, and are residents of the Town of Mashpee. During the year, the Town, through our office, extended benefits to qualified veterans totaling $88,238.63 for housing, food, heat, medical and other related costs. The amount expended is reimbursed to the Town by the Commonwealth at a rate of 75% of total expenditures. Federal Benefits and Services: We assisted veterans and their dependents in obtaining federal, state, and local benefits under the broad umbrella of the Department of Veterans Affairs. These services included payments for service - connected disabilities, pensions, education, medical, burial, medals and records. During the most recent year the VA has provided data, this office assisted in obtaining $5,149,875.00 in cash payments for service - connected injury compensation and for non -service -connected disability pensions for Mashpee veterans and their dependents. These alternative sources of income are at no cost to the Town and greatly reduce the need for the M.G.L. Chapter 115 benefits noted above. We encourage any veteran or dependent of a veteran to contact us or make an appointment at our main office in Hyannis at 508-778-8740, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For those Mashpee Residents who may have difficulty getting to the Hyannis office, we also have office hours at the Mashpee Senior Center and you can call their office for an appointment at 508-539-1440. We can also schedule appointments in one of our other office locations, which now includes the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center's Grace Center in New Seabury or at your home if you are housebound. In Service to Veterans, Gregory J. Quilty Director, Department of Veterans' Services Report of the Waterways Commission To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the citi- zens of the Town of Mashpee: The Mashpee Waterways Commission presently meets on a monthly basis (2nd Tuesday of each month, 9AM) at the Town Hall to deliberate on Waterways related topics. Our goal is to maintain and improve our waterways thus improving the safety of boaters on the bays, lakes, ponds and rivers. We also strive to help the improvement of our water quality with dredging while paying attention to effects of climate change and coastal resilience issues. Our efforts improve and support the recreational interests of the Town. This past November three members of the Commission attended the Town's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Workshop. The goal of this effort is to further resiliency planning and climate preparedness to combat the effects of climate change on our Town We work closely with the Harbormaster, the Shellfish Constable (who are a part of the recently established DNR Department), the Department of Public Works as well as advising the Mashpee Board of Selectmen and Town Management with recommendations that assist them with concerns and issues dealing with our waterways. We oversee Improvement Dredging projects, maintenance dredging projects, the water quality measurement process, and public access to the waters. We continue to review future embayment projects in Waquoit and Popponesset Bays. MAINTENANCE DREDGING Our dredging efforts in 2019 were highlighted by the dredging of the Popponesset Approach Channel in Nantucket Sound and the Little River Channel in