Town Council Meeting – Thursday, May 28, 2026
The May 28, 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. Due to technical difficulties, the meeting started one half hour late. Barnstable Government Access channels 8, 1070 and 1072 are currently experiencing an outage. The Town’s livestreaming platform as well as streaming applications are also temporarily unavailable. The May 28, 2026 Town Council Meeting proceeded as planned and was available live on Barnstable Government Access’s YouTube Channel. Town Council President Craig Tamash chaired the meeting and called the meeting to order. President Tamash announced that Councilors John Crow and Felicia Penn are participating remotely this evening. Assistant Town Clerk Janet Murphy took the Roll Call.
Town Councilor Betty Ludtke introduced Specialist Donnie Young to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Specialist Donnie Young served in the U.S. Army from November 1964 to November 1966. Donnie grew up in Holyoke, Massachusetts. After graduating high school, he earned a scholarship to UMass Amherst as a football player. Full of vim and vigor, he decided that since he was on a full scholarship, going to class was optional for him. As a result, he failed most of his classes and UMass Amherst officials decided that Donnie needed some time off. As luck would have it, when Donnie left UMass, his number was called and he found himself drafted into the U.S. Army. He was fortunate to be assigned as a communication specialist to Bosco Montico near Vicenza, Italy. This was a former World War II Luftwaffe base. Donnie spent most of his two years of Army enlistment in Italy. However, when his senior officers learned of his football prowess, he was sent to Germany on occasion, to play in the Army – Air Force games. When his enlistment was up, Donnie returned to UMass Amherst, using the GI bill. He was far more focused during his second time at UMass and graduated in 1970, as a business major. He worked for Pillsbury and lived for a time in Washington, DC, the Virgin Islands, and then on an island in North Carolina. His wife advised him that she hated living on that island and strongly suggested they move to Cape Cod, which they did in 1998. In between, he earned a Master’s degree from UMass Amherst in 1977. Donnie’s son and daughter have both completed their college degrees, one from Yale, the other from the University of New Hampshire. In two weeks, Donnie will be 83 years old. His father always told him that no matter what he did he always came out smelling like a rose. This is still the case. The village of Centerville is Donnie’s home these days.
President Tamash asked all to remain standing for a Moment of Silence to honor all who have died in service to our nation and to all you hold near and dear.
The Town Council will enter Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, sec. 21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to potential litigation related to federal grant conditions since a discussion in open session may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the Town and Town Council.
RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION
Next was Public Comment followed by Council Response to Public Comment.
President Tamash announced that Town Manager Mark Ells’s Town Manager Communications for the period of May 13 through May 26, 2026 had been pre-recorded and was shown on our Government Access Channel prior to the meeting.
Mr. Ells’s Town Manager Communications video may be viewed here and the itemized list is shared below:
- We remain on schedule with the budget action calendar. The Fiscal Year 2027 proposed operating budget is posted on the Town website. FY 2027 Operating Budget is available at the following link: https://city-barnstable-ma-cleardoc.cleargov.com/22636/1031780/d. Additionally, it can be accessed from the Town’s home, Finance, and Town Manager’s pages. Hard copies of the budget document will be provided to the Town Council prior to the public hearings on the operating budget which are scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026. The first reading of the operating budget appropriation orders will take place at the May 28, 2026 Town Council meeting. The Fiscal Year 2027 Capital Improvement Plan is available on the Town’s website at the link provided. For information on our fiscal year budgets, please view the Town’s Open Budget website at http://budget.townofbarnstable.us.
- On May 20, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in Helen Banevicius et al v. Town of Barnstable et al, affirming the Superior Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit and ruling in favor of the Town and Bog Partners LLC, the purchaser of the Jenkins Bog property. In this matter, plaintiffs, consisting of abutting property owners and a nonprofit preservation group, challenged the sale of the Jenkins Bog property in Centerville. Under Chapter 61A, which provides favorable tax treatment for properties used for agricultural and horticultural purposes, the seller of such a property is required to notify the Town and various Town boards, along with the state forester, of an upcoming sale of the property so that the Town may consider whether to exercise its right of first refusal to purchase the property. The notice that was sent by the seller of the property was not sent to all of the entities specified in the statute. The plaintiffs claimed that the sale was invalid because the seller did not comply with the notice requirements and further claimed that the Town was required to enforce the notice provisions of Chapter 61A. While the Court agreed that the statutory notice process had not been strictly followed, it held that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to challenge the transaction, as the interests they claimed they had in this matter were not interests that the statute sought to protect. The Court concluded that the statute protects municipal interests, not the interests of abutters or private organizations. Furthermore, the Court held that the Town acted appropriately and sufficiently in notifying the seller of its defective notice and found that the Town had no obligation to take steps to enforce compliance with the statutory notice requirements.
- The Town’s Open Budget website will be replaced with a new version of transparency software provided by ClearGov in Fiscal Year 2027 (after July 1, 2026). The ClearGov solution will offer more robust financial visualizations of the Town’s operating and capital budgets transforming data into dynamic, interactive visuals for residents to explore the budget at their own pace. The site will include an AI powered chatbot which can deliver instant responses which should help residents better understand budgets, spending, and financial priorities. We will keep you advised as this effort advances.
- The Town was awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to complete a data-driven Affordable Housing Market Feasibility Study to inform recommendations to amend the Town’s Inclusionary Affordable Housing ordinance. The goal of this project is to improve the Town’s existing ordinance to produce meaningful numbers of affordable housing units without imposing requirements that create a hardship for development of new projects. The Town has selected RKG Associates in collaboration with Tighe & Bond to lead this effort. At this time, RKG Associates is working on a Baseline Market Analysis to evaluate Barnstable’s local real estate market conditions. The study is anticipated to be completed by December 2026.
- Please join the Town of Barnstable Shellfishing Team at Scudder Lane, Barnstable for a free Learn to Shellfish for Razor Clams class. May 31st at 6:15 AM. The class is limited to 20 people. To register for the class please call 508-790-6272.
- Kelly Collopy, DPW Communications Manager, provided a Water Resources Update including the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. Ms. Collopy’s Water Resources Update Presentation may be viewed here.
President Tamash asked Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer to speak to a recent study that showed among small metros, Barnstable Town ranks #2 nationally, driven by one of the country’s highest concentrations of small businesses, strong business survival rates and a highly entrepreneurial local economy. CoworkingCafe analyzed 286 U.S. metro areas across three population tiers using 12 metrics tied to entrepreneurial activity, economic performance and workforce strength, including new business formation, small business density and survival rate, GDP growth and coworking availability. The Town recently published a summary of ongoing efforts it takes to support the business community on BusinessBarnstable.com.
Act on Public Session Minutes: May 14, 2026
COMMUNICATIONS – from elected officials, boards, committees, and staff, commission reports, correspondence and announcements
Historical Commission update
Bob Frazee, Chair
John F. Kennedy Memorial Trust Fund Committee update
Lynne Poyant, Chair
Review of Seasonal Communities program requirements
James Kupfer, Director, Planning and Development
Senator Julian Cyr
Mr. Kupfer’s PowerPoint Presentation may be viewed here.
President Tamash took a number of items out of order.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-204 Resolve to approve the resubmission of substantially the same subject as Town Council Item 2026-139 within six months of the date of rejection of said item.
Presented by Town Attorney Karen Nober and Cape Cod Gateway Airport Manager Mike Nelson. Town Manager Mark Ells was invited to provide clarification to a statement. The item did not pass.
Motion to refer Items 2026-175 through 2026-197, and item 2026-201 as written, to individual public hearings to be held on each item at the Town Council meeting on June 11, 2025 was approved.
AGENDA ITEMS 2026-175 Appropriation Order in the amount of $96,436,131 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Barnstable Public School Department Budget School Department; 2026-176 Appropriation Order in the amount of $13,753,721 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Airport Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-177 Appropriation Order in the amount of $12,362,909 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Public Works General Fund Budget; 2026-178 Appropriation Order in the amount of $4,327,342 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Public Works Solid Waste Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-179 Appropriation Order in the amount of $14,088,265 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Public Works Water Pollution Control Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-180 Appropriation Order in the amount of $10,572,365 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Public Works Water Supply Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-181 Appropriation Order in the amount of $20,666,594 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Barnstable Police Department Budget; 2026-182 Appropriation Order in the amount of $3,282,279 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Community Services Department General Fund Budget;
2026-183 Appropriation Order in the amount of $4,186,621 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Golf Course Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-184 Appropriation Order in the amount of $4,293,710 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Hyannis Youth and Community Center Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-185 Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,780,959 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Marine & Environmental Affairs Department General Fund Budget; 2026-186 Appropriation Order in the amount of $810,975 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Marina Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-187 Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,231,392 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Sandy Neck Park Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-188 Appropriation Order in the amount of $3,157,921 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Inspectional Services Department Budget; 2026-189 Appropriation Order in the amount of $2,459,418 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Planning and Development Department Budget; 2026-190 Appropriation Order in the amount of $273,810 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Town Council Budget;
2026-191 Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,454,093 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Town Manager Budget; 2026-192 Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,114,808 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Public, Education & Government (PEG) Access Channels Enterprise Fund Budget; 2026-193 Appropriation Order in the amount of $9,048,060 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Administrative Services Department Budget; 2026-194 Appropriation Order in the amount of $250,000 for the Town Council’s Fiscal Year 2027 Reserve Fund; 2026-195 Appropriation Order in the amount of $62,794,395 for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2027 Other Requirements Budget; 2026-196 Appropriation Order pursuant to the provisions of General Law Chapter 44B Section 6, for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2026, the following sums of the Annual Revenues of the Community Preservation Fund be set aside for further appropriation and expenditure for the following purposes: $532,827 for open space and recreation; $532,827 for historic resources; $532,827 for community housing; $3,478,784 for a budget reserve, and that the sum of $250,000 be appropriated from the annual revenues of the Community Preservation Fund for the administrative expenses of the Community Preservation; and 2026-197 Appropriation Order in the amount of $65,450 for the Fiscal Year 2027 Community Preservation Fund Debt Service Requirements; and AGENDA ITEM 2026-201 Order Amending Article II, Sewer Assessments, Chapter 184 Sewers and Water of the General Ordinances.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-198 Fiscal Year 2026 Spending Limitations Revolving Funds was referred to a Second Reading on 06/11/2026.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-170 Appointments to a Board/Committee/Commission: Comprehensive Financial Advisory Committee: John Virgona, as a regular member to a term expiring 06/30/2028; Historical Commission: Megan Farrington Greenwell, as a regular member to a term expiring 06/30/2028; Housing Committee: Meaghan Mort, as a regular member to a term expiring 06/30/2027; Infrastructure and Energy Committee: Jignesh Amin, as a regular member to a term expiring 06/30/2028.
The item was approved.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-171 Reappointments to a Board/Committee/Commission: Hyannis Main Street Waterfront Historic District Commission: Laura Cronin, as a regular member, to a term expiring 06/30/2028; Steamship Authority Port Council: Greg Egan, as a Town of Barnstable Representative member, to a term expiring 12/30/2028.
The item was approved.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-173 Order authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Town of Barnstable and Barnstable County for Shared Regional Housing Services.
Presented by Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer. The item was approved.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-174 Appropriation Order in the amount of $10,000 in Community Preservation Historic Preservation Funds for preservation work at the Rothwell Icehouse at the Dottridge Homestead, located at 1148 Main Street, Cotuit.
Presented by Community Preservation Committee Chair Lindsey Counsell and Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit Board Member Molly DeMello. The item was approved.
Ms. DeMello’s presentation may be viewed here.
President Tamash officially recognized Lindsey Counsell for his 47 years of public service to the Town of Barnstable. Lindsey’s service included the Conservation Commission, Open Space Plan Committee, Sandy Neck Governing Board, Arts & Humanities Committee, Bikeway Committee, Golf Committee, Water Resource Advisory Committee, Land Bank Committee, Open Space Committee, Local Comprehensive Plan Committee and he leaves a lasting impact as the longtime Chair of the Community Preservation Committee. Lindsey received a standing ovation from the Town Council and those in attendance at the meeting.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-200 Amending the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 86 Funds, Article III Revolving Funds to add a Revolving Fund for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and to modify the Asset Management Fund.
Presented by David Anthony, Director of Asset Management, and Environmental Sustainability Manager Sean Hogan. First Assistant Town Attorney Tom LaRosa and Finance Director Mark Milne were on hand to answer Councilor questions. The item was approved.
Presentation from Mark Milne, Director of Finance – Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget
Mr. Milne’s Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget PowerPoint may be viewed here.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-202 Order altering the public roadway layout for South Street and Old Colony Road in Hyannis, and authorizing the acquisition or taking of easements by eminent domain in connection with such purposes was referred to the Planning Board.
Planning & Development Director Jim Kupfer addressed Councilor questions.
The Town Council voted to continue the meeting past 11:00 PM.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-203 Acquisition of an affordable housing restriction on land located at 114 Grove Street, 199 Barnstable Road, 191 Barnstable Road, and 187 Barnstable Road in Hyannis.
Presented by Planning and Development Director Jim Kupfer. The item was approved.
The next regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 11, 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: Council@barnstable.gov. The meeting Agenda will be available on the Town of Barnstable’s website (www.barnstable.gov).
