The February 12, 2026 Meeting of the Barnstable Town Council was conducted in person. The public was able to attend in person or participate remotely in Public Comment or during a Public Hearing via Zoom. The public was able to view the meeting on Barnstable Government Access Xfinity Channel 8 or 1070 or in High Definition on Xfinity Channel 1072 or via the live stream through the Town website. Viewers can now watch BGA programming through our dedicated app available on both Apple and Android smartphones, as well as popular streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire Stick. Town Council President Craig Tamash chaired the meeting and called the meeting to order. President Tamash announced that Councilor Felicia Penn is participating remotely this evening and all votes will be via Roll Call. Town Clerk Ann Quirk took the Roll Call.

 

Town Councilor Betty Ludtke welcomed 1st Lt. Robert “Bob” Stolte to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Bob was born and grew up on Long Island, graduated from Clarkson University in 1964 with a BS in Industrial Distribution, and as a Senior ROTC graduate was commissioned a 2nd Lt. US Army Signal Corps. He served on active duty from January 1965 to January 1967. Following some Army schools, including Airborne School, he was assigned to Signal Company, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg where he served as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and as a 1st Lt, was Company Commander of Signal Company. Following active-duty Bob returned to work for what is today Exxon for 36½ years retiring in 2000. For the last half of his career Bob worked in Facilities Management and Corporate Security. During his Exxon career Bob and his family lived in Stony Brook, NY, Danbury, CT, and Bridgewater, NJ. While on Long Island, Bob served in an Army Reserve Unit for 2 years and also earned an MBA at Adelphi University. Bob and his wife Shirley moved to West Barnstable in 2003. They have three married children and seven grandchildren. Bob has been an active participant in a number of local organizations including 13 years with the West Barnstable Fire Department as an EMT and Chief’s Aide. He has also been Treasurer and currently Assistant Treasurer and Financial Secretary at West Parish of Barnstable and a Director and Assistant Treasurer of the 1717 Meeting House Foundation. After retiring from the West Barnstable Fire Department in 2016, he became a director and currently Treasurer of the West Barnstable Civic Association. For 22 years Bob was a member of the West Barnstable Village Festival Committee and more recently was a member of the Barnstable-West Barnstable 4th of July Parade Committee. He is also a member and Past President of the Cape Cod Men’s Club. Bob had the honor of being West Barnstable’s Citizen of the Year in 2019, and, with his wife, Grand Marshals of the Barnstable-West Barnstable Fourth of July Parade in 2021. Both honors he shares with Kris Clark. During January to June 2025 Bob was a Senior Volunteer in the Barnstable Town Clerk’s Office.

 

President Tamash asked all to remain standing for a Moment of Silence for Melvin Pauze who recently passed away at the age of 99. Up until his death, Mel was an active volunteer and served on the Board of Assessors and for many years served as a volunteer of the Barnstable Police Department. President Tamash also offered the Moment for all who have died in service to our country.

 

Next was Public Comment which was followed by Council Response to Public Comment.

 

President Tamash announced that Town Manager Communications was recorded by Assistant Town Manager Andy Clyburn for the period of January 28 through February 10, 2026 had been pre-recorded and was shown on our Government Access Channel prior to the meeting. The recorded version of Mr. Clyburn’s Town Manager Communications may be viewed here and the itemized list is shared below:

  1. The Town Manager, in coordination with the Finance Department, continues to follow the budget action calendar for FY 2027. Town Council is planning to conduct a second workshop on Fiscal Policy and Revenue Strategy at their February 26, 2026, meeting. For information on our fiscal year budgets, please view the Town’s Open Budget website at http://budget.townofbarnstable.us.
  2. On February 4, 2026, S&P Global Ratings issued its credit rating for the Town of Barnstable’s $26.3 million series 2026 general obligation municipal-purpose bonds. S&P assigned a AAA rating to this issue and affirmed all existing debt as AAA and issued an accompanying stable outlook.  Credit highlights include a long history of surplus financial results (more than a decade), which has resulted in increases to reserves. Available reserves have reached new highs, both on a nominal and percentage basis, above the median AAA-rated communities in the Commonwealth. Barnstable is also considered to have an affluent residential economic base, a comprehensive set of formalized policies and practices regarding reserves, debt and investments, and a manageable debt burden and contingent liability profile especially when measured against revenue and as a percentage of total market value. The full report is attached. Congratulations to Mark Milne and his team on their continued excellence!
  3. The Town was notified on February 3, 2026 by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) that it has been awarded the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This is the 25th consecutive year the Town has received the award. I would like to recognize Gareth Markwell’s work in achieving this award, as he is actively managing the Town’s continued efforts to comply with the ever-changing program requirements, and his major role in the development of the annual 5-year Capital Improvement Projects and Operating Budgets.
  4. The Town of Barnstable Board of Health will be holding a Public Hearing regarding Proposed Tobacco and Nicotine Control Regulations on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM at Barnstable Town Hall. The proposed changes to the regulations are attached.
  5. The Town of Barnstable Board of Health will be holding a Special Workshop on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 3:00 PM at Barnstable Town Hall. This workshop pertains to a proposal from the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) Ad Hoc Committee requesting that the Board of Health require the installation of best available innovative alternative (I/A) sewage disposal technology at properties located within 1,000 feet of nitrogen sensitive area waterbodies and within 1,000 feet of surface waters that feed into nitrogen sensitive areas (other than at locations identified within Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the CWMP).  This proposal also requires the installation of best available innovative alternative sewage disposal technology at properties located at Little Island, Osterville and at Grand Island, Osterville. The map of proposed affected parcels is attached.
  6. The Cape Light Compact has announced that the Compact Governing Board has selected Margaret Song to serve as its next Chief Administrative Officer starting in late March. Song will be assuming the leadership role from Maggie Downey who is retiring after 29 years of service as the organization’s first and only administrator. Song currently serves as the Compact’s Evaluation, Strategy and Policy Manager and has worked at the Compact since 2003. Downey has led Cape Light Compact since its creation in 1997and she helped oversee the Compact’s formation as the first municipal aggregator in the country. David Anthony, the Town of Barnstable’s Director of Asset Management, is the Current chair of Cape Light Compact’s Governing Board, which has representatives from all of the towns on the Cape and Islands. The Cape Light Compact is an important regional partner with the Town, providing energy efficiency investment and power supply to its residents, businesses and local government.
  7. Cape Cod Gateway Airport is beginning the process of transitioning from Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is firefighting foam that contains PFAS, to BIOEX Fluorine-Free Foam (F3) firefighting foam that contains no PFAS. The goal is to complete the transition as soon as possible but no later than the end of FY27.

 

Act on Public Session Minutes: January 29, 2026

 

COMMUNICATIONS – from elected officials, boards, committees, and staff, commission reports, correspondence and announcements

 

ORDERS OF THE DAY

 

President Tamash took a couple of items out of order.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-145 Authorization to contract for and expend a Fiscal Year 2026 Grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Environmental Protection in the amount of $137,719 for the purpose of funding nitrogen scenario modeling and hydrogeologic evaluations.

Presented by DPW Director Dan Santos. The item was approved.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-146 Transfer Order in the amount of $57,450 for the purpose of buying information technology equipment for the Barnstable Police Department in lieu of extending the lease.

Presented by Barnstable Police Deputy Chief Mark Mellyn. The item was approved.

 

OLD BUSINESS

AGENDA ITEM 2026-003 Amending the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III Section 24.1.5(c) Table 2, to modify the required parking for residential or artist live/work (per du), modify the calculation for minimum parking spaces, and establish minimum dimensional standards for parking spaces.

Motion to amend to 1.25 parking spaces did not pass.

Presented by Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer. The item was approved.

Mr. Kupfer’s PowerPoint presentation on Proposed Zoning Amendments may be viewed here.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-005 Amending the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning, Article III District Regulations, to modify building height requirements in the Downtown Main Street District and Downtown Village District.

Motion to amend.
Presented by Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer. Bob Schulte, former Chair, of the Town Council Ad Hoc Sub-Committee to Review and Assess Zoning, provided additional information. Assistant Town Attorney Jan Kendrick provided procedural guidance.

Motion to continue the item to the 3/12/26 Town Council Meeting was approved.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-087 Authorizing the grant of an easement for gas facilities on Town-owned land at 790 Iyannough Road in Hyannis.

Presented by First Assistant Town Attorney Tom LaRosa. The item was approved.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-090 Appropriation Order in the amount of $105,000 for the purpose of funding additional Fiscal Year 2026 operating expenses at the Town’s Municipal Golf Courses was referred to a Public Hearing on 02/26/2026.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-089 Order approving amendments to the Town Council Rules.

Presented by First Assistant Town Attorney Tom LaRosa. The item was approved.

 

The Public Hearing for AGENDA ITEM 2026-006 Amending the code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning to repeal the Downtown Village District and amend the zoning map to replace the Downtown Village District with the downtown neighborhood zoning district was opened and continued to 2/26/2026.

 

AGENDA ITEM 2026-007 Amending the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 240 Zoning to amend the area in the Downtown Main Street District where ground floor commercial space is required.

Presented by Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer. Assistant Town Attorney Jan Kendrick provided procedural guidance. The item was approved.

 

The next regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The public is able to view through Xfinity High-Definition Channel 1072 (or Xfinity Channel 8 or 1070) or Live Streaming on the Town of Barnstable’s website. Viewers can now watch BGA programming through our dedicated app available on both Apple and Android smartphones, as well as popular streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire Stick. Real-time public comment may be addressed to the Barnstable Town Council utilizing the Zoom video link or telephone number and access meeting code which will be included on the Agenda. Written Comments may be submitted to:  https://tobweb.town.barnstable.ma.us/boardscommittees/towncouncil/Town_Council/Agenda-Comment.asp. The meeting Agenda will be available on the Town of Barnstable’s website (www.townofbarnstable.us).