The November 20, 2025 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. Assistant Town Clerk Janet Murphy took the Roll Call.
Town Councilor Betty Ludtke welcomed Corporal Scott Carrol to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Corporal Carrol was born and raised in Hyannis. Scott graduated from Barnstable High School as did his mother and grandmother. His great grandmother immigrated from Ireland. Scott joined the Marine Corps in 1986. He went to school to become an intelligence analyst. He served at Twentynine Palms, California, Japan, and the Philippines. He also served in the Gulf War. His grandfather was part of D-Day in World War II and a founder of the VFW in Hyannis. Corporal Scott Carrol lives in the village of Hyannis.
President Tamash asked all to remain standing for a Moment of Silence in honor of all who have given their lives in service to their country.
Next was Public Comment which was followed by Council Response to Public Comment.
Jim Kupfer, Director of Planning & Development, responded to Councilor questions.
President Tamash announced that Town Manager Communications for the period of November 5 – November 18, 2025 had been pre-recorded and was shown on our Government Access Channel prior to the meeting. The recorded version of Mr. Ells’s Town Manager Communications may be viewed here and the itemized list is shared below:
- The Town Manager in coordination with the Finance Department continues to follow the budget action calendar for FY 2027 operating and capital budgets. The Town Manager Calendar Year Fee Hearing was held on November 13, 2025. The proposed fees have been taken under advisement for 30 days during which time additional public comments will be accepted for consideration. Deadline for Public Comments is 4:00 PM on Monday, December 15, 2025. For information on our fiscal year budgets, please view the Town’s Open Budget website at http://budget.townofbarnstable.us.
- On November 18, 2025, I received a copy of a report submitted to Town Council by Susanne Conley, Chair of Save Greater Dowses Beach, regarding a Save Greater Dowses Beach EMF monitoring project. The report is under review by staff. The report has been emailed to Vineyard Wind and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper for review and appropriate action. Additionally, our Legal Department is preparing a letter to the Energy Facilities Siting Board regarding the report. We will keep you advised of any additional information resulting from the referenced report.
- The Town of Barnstable is currently updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) which is a tool through which a community plans for the future of its conservation and recreation resources. The OSRP will provide a blueprint to guide the Town’s plans, investments, policies and regulations in support of protecting and enhancing open space and recreation resources. The Draft Open Space and Recreation Plan is available for public review and comment. The Plan is accessible from the Town’s website. Hard copies are available at each of the Town’s libraries, the Barnstable Adult Community Center, the Hyannis Youth & Community Center and the Planning & Development office located at Town Hall. A community meeting will be held Wednesday, November 19th at 6:00 PM in person at Town Hall, 367 Main Street, Hyannis, within the Hearing Room located on the 2nd floor. The objective of the meeting is to provide an overview of the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan and to obtain public comment as the Town progresses towards finalizing the Plan. Live Portuguese and Spanish interpretation will be available.
- In accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 55C, paragraph (b), the Town of Barnstable’s Town Manager is seeking Town of Barnstable resident applicants to serve a 2-year term on the Town of Barnstable’s Affordable Housing Growth & Development Trust (BAHGDT). The BAHGDT is a 5-member municipal Trust, created in 2007 “to provide for the preservation and creation of affordable housing in the Town of Barnstable for the benefit of those low- and moderate-income households and for the funding of community housing, as defined in and in accordance with the provisions of G.L. chapter 44B…the Trust shall promote sound and prudent economic development. To achieve these purposes, the Trustees are hereby authorized, in accordance with the procedures set forth herein, to acquire by gift, purchase or otherwise real estate and personal property, both tangible and intangible, of every sort and description; to use such property, both real and personal, in such manner as the Trustees shall deem most appropriate to carry out such purpose, provided however, that the Trustees shall segregate the funds and property received for and dedicated to the preservation and creation of affordable housing from the funds and property received for and dedicated to the promotion of sound and prudent economic development, and all property and funds so segregated and held by the Trust and the net earnings thereof shall be used for the respective purposes for which this Trust was formed and for which the funds were so segregated. Should funds or property be received without a designated purpose, they shall be held by the Trust and used for either affordable housing or economic development purposes at the discretion of the Board.” The Trust receives the majority of its funding through Town Council allocations of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds and the use of those funds are dictated by that Act. The Trust may receive other funds and allocated fees or fines as well as tax deductible gifts and donations of land and property. The Trust has had stable and consistent tenure for over 10 years. Board meetings are currently held remotely (via Zoom) once or twice a month, typically on the second Friday of the month at 9:00 AM. Trust members are unpaid volunteers, subject to all Conflict of Interest and Open Meeting Laws of the State of Massachusetts and to the Town’s conduct rules for Committee members. Interested Barnstable citizens, particularly those with in-depth knowledge of municipal law, public housing, housing development and/or economic development are encouraged to apply to the Town Manager’s Office (townmanager@town.barnstable.ma.us) before 4:00 PM on Friday, December 5, 2025. Please include a resume or summary of your relevant experience and a letter of interest.
- The Barnstable Youth Commission is hosting their 12th Annual Community Substance Abuse Prevention Forum on Wednesday, December 3rd at the Barnstable Adult Community Center from 6:00-8:00 PM. This year, speaker Kevin Rosario will be teaching parents how to effectively communicate with their children. The Barnstable Police Department will have their “Hidden in Plain Sight” mobile mock bedroom available and will discuss vaping and tobacco use. They will also discuss which drugs and alcohol are most prevalent and ways to identity their use and concealment. All are welcome to attend and thank you Barnstable Youth Commission.
- Kelly Collopy, Communications Manager for the Public Works Department, provided an update on Water Resource Management planning including the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. Ms. Collopy’s PowerPoint presentation may be viewed here.
COMMUNICATIONS – from elected officials, boards, committees, and staff, commission reports, correspondence and announcements
Board of Health
F.P. Tom Lee, Chair
Golf Committee
Keith Hochstein, Chair
Coast Guard Heritage Museum
Presentation by Captain Greg Ketchen, USCG (Ret), President
President Tamash announced that as one member of the Council has joined the meeting via Zoom all votes will be by roll call.
Act on Public Session Minutes: November 6, 2025
ORDERS OF THE DAY
OLD BUSINESS
AGENDA ITEM 2026-050 Allocation of Tax Levy Fiscal Year 2026 – Tax Factor to a Public Hearing on 12/04/2025.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-051 Allocation of Tax Levy Fiscal Year 2026 – Residential Exemption.
Item moved to 12/04/2025.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-053 Appointments to a Board/Committee/Commission: Comprehensive Financial Advisory Committee: Rimas Paskorius, as a regular member to a term expiring 06/30/2028.
The item was approved.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-055 Appropriation Order in the amount of $600,000 in Community Preservation Funds for the purpose of the town acquiring a Conservation Restriction on a 13± acre property located at 3640 Falmouth Road in Marstons Mills.
Presented by Lindsey Counsell, Community Preservation Committee Chair, and Janet Milkman, Executive Director, Barnstable Land Trust. The item was approved.
The presentation may be viewed here.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-056 Order accepting the provisions of Section 17C of Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Presented by Councilor Betty Ludtke and former Town Councilor Kristin Terkelsen.
Town Attorney Karen Nober, Barnstable Police Chief Jean Challies, and DPW Director Dan Santos responded Councilor questions.
A motion to withdraw the item was approved.
President Tamash asked to address Town Manager Mark Ells to come forward with a plan that would involve all applicable departments. Mr. Ells said he would come to the Council with a scope, a schedule, and a budget and then we will go forward from there once the Council understands the magnitude of what is required to undertake the project.
NEW BUSINESS
Proposed Vote: To refer Agenda Items 2026-057 through 2026-061, as written, to individual public hearings to be held on each item at the Town Council meeting on December 04, 2025. AGENDA ITEM 2026-058 Appropriation Order in the amount of $721,935 and borrowing authorization reduction for the Hyannis Golf Course Club House Restoration Project; AGENDA ITEM 2026-059 Appropriation Order in the amount of $1,000,000 to complete the Culinary Kitchen Project at Barnstable High School; AGENDA ITEM 2026-060 Appropriation Order in the amount of $200,000 for the purpose of funding a shortfall in the Insurance Premium and Deductible Budget for Fiscal Year 2026; and AGENDA ITEM 2026-061 Appropriation Order in the amount of $400,000 for the purpose of funding outside counsel expenses of the Legal Department.
Town Manager Mark Ells withdrew AGENDA ITEM 2026-057 Order waiving fees for construction work by the Town of Barnstable Department of Public Works for the expansion and renovation of the Water Pollution Control Facility located at 617 Bearses Way, Hyannis, MA.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-062 Order authorizing and approving a Conservation Restriction to be granted by the Town to Barnstable Land Trust, Inc. upon 1.05± acres of property at 71 Harju Road in Centerville and AGENDA ITEM 2026-063 Order Authorizing and approving a Conservation Restriction to be granted by the Town to Barnstable Land Trust, Inc. upon 2.57± acres of property at 111 Prince Avenue in Marstons Mills were referred to a Second Reading on 12/04/2025.
AGENDA ITEM 2026-064 Amending the Code of the Town of Barnstable, Part I General Ordinances, Chapter 170 Rental Properties, to Increase the Rental Registration Fee refer to a Public Hearing on 12/11/2025.
The Town Council will enter Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, sec. 21(a)(3) to discuss strategy with respect to litigation since a discussion in open session may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the Town and Town Council. Specifically, the Town Council will discuss the lawsuit filed against the Town in July 2024 by the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) regarding claims under the federal Clean Water Act as well as the Notice of Intent to Sue dated November 6, 2025 from CLF to the Town regarding claims under state environmental laws; and
The Town Council will enter Executive Session pursuant to G.L. c. 30A, sec. 21(a)(6) to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, specifically, the property located at 0, 167 and 177 Pleasant Street in Hyannis, since a discussion in open session may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town and Town Council.
The Town Council will not return to Open Session.
The next regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2025. 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).
