Only One Capital Funding Request At Town Meeting Was Defeated: $5.4 Million For LORAN Barracks Upgrades

Town Meeting voters approved every capital funding request on the warrant on Monday. Except one.

Article 14, seeking $5.4 million in funding for the next phase of repairs at the LORAN barracks, which is used as seasonal housing for the police department’s community services officers, was defeated. A majority of Town Meeting voters backed the repairs in a 324-218 vote, but two-thirds support was needed for the article to pass. In the end, it received just under 60 percent of the vote.

Opposition to the project was led by former police 911 dispatch assistant supervisor Patrick Considine. Considine, who was recently fired one day after publicly alleging retaliation and discrimination by police chief Jody Kasper, focused primarily on the poor conditions of the barracks, which drew controversy after last year’s summer season.

“This is a worn-down building plagued by asbestos, lead paint, poor ventilation, mold, and mold mites,” Considine said. “We had multiple people out there living in what was deemed uninhabitable, and there is no other way to look at it. I am in full support of the CSO program, but they should not be living there. No one should be living there now.”

The town closed the barracks last September following mold complaints and several health code violations. A Current investigation found widespread reports of mold and insects. Some community service officers believed the mold was making them sick, and one said she thought it could have been a contributing factor to her cancer diagnosis. Town officials initially publicly denied that mold had been found at the barracks, despite significant photographic evidence.

Kasper said that the police department had responded promptly to the concerns raised last year, moving building managers on site, adding air conditioners to the rooms, and cleaning the whole building.

She added that the next phase of repairs at the LORAN barracks is necessary to allow the town “maintain safe and reliable housing for our seasonal CSOs and for our full-time staff who live there.”

The day after the vote, the town issued a statement correcting what they described as "incorrect statements" related to the LORAN barracks.

In the statement, the town wrote that "no mold or moisture-related hazards are present, and the property meets state standards for human habitation."

Considine and Kasper did not reference their ongoing dispute Monday. Considine has claimed he and other town of Nantucket dispatchers were wrongfully suspended, faced retaliation, discrimination, and unlawful surveillance, and that one had even been evicted from their town-owned housing unit. After leveling a series of accusations against Kasper at a recent Select Board meeting, Considine was fired the following day.

The dispute centers on whether Nantucket dispatchers can work paid third-party details, which historically have gone to police officers and the Community Service Officers housed at the LORAN barracks. The dispatchers say such details are written into their existing employment contract, but the police and town administration have so far denied them the opportunity.

Phase four of a lengthy LORAN project, Article 14 would have funded interior renovations of the men’s dormitory; upgrades to bathrooms, showers, kitchen and dining areas; the replacement of plumbing, electrical and fire alarm systems; installation of energy-efficient infrastructure; and enhanced security features such as cameras. Supporters of the project say that this infrastructure work is needed to maintain the building and support the community service officers.

“I've seen great improvements out there,” said licensing administrator Amy Baxter, who recently moved in and lives full-time at the facilities. “Again, I would not be there if I felt any concern, but I think [the community service officers] deserve to have some of these upgrades so they have a better place to come home to.”

Numerous repairs have already been completed at the site, including removal of asbestos floor tiles, window and door replacements, a roof replacement, and kitchen renovations. While the police department said that the kitchen and bathroom renovations have already been completed at the site, further kitchen and bathroom renovations were included on a list of repairs the new article would have funded.

The alleged poor conditions on the site and the continued cost of the project deterred enough voters to prevent Article 14 from passing.

“We have already committed millions to the LORAN project,” Considine said. “This is not a one-time investment. This is an open-ended financial commitment to a failing asset.”

Article 14 failed even though Town Meeting was much more willing to spend money this year than last year. At last year’s Annual Town Meeting, three capital projects proposed by the town were defeated. All three were brought back this year in some form, and, in a sharp reversal of the fiscal conservatism that characterized last year’s votes, all three passed. Those articles included a $137 million proposal to construct a new Our Island Home facility at Sherburne Commons and a $7 million proposal for town employee housing. The other, which sought $1.2 million in design funding for a new Department of Public Works building, wasn’t even called for debate.

Voters also backed $26 million to overhaul the athletic complexes at Vito Capizzo Stadium, $44.8 million to bring sewer to the Somerset area, and $8 million to continue debris cleanup at Tom Nevers. In every vote, an overwhelming majority of those in attendance came down in favor of spending. The athletic complex renovations, which passed by the narrowest margin of the other funding proposals, still enjoyed nearly 72 percent support, closer to three-fourths than two-thirds.

Overall, Town Meeting was willing to spend money on projects that voters felt would bring a significant benefit to the island. But despite asking for less money than every other capital project save the DPW building design funding, which passed on consent, the town’s attempt to continue repairs at the LORAN barracks was defeated.

“That's a finished building, and you guys are still having an issue with black mold,” Sconset resident Amy Eldridge said.

Still, a majority of Town Meeting did support the project. Most of those who stayed to vote on the proposal, which came up after many voters left following the passage of Our Island Home and the athletic complex renovations, wanted the repairs to go forward.

“I could see where our money has been spent. You could see the before, and the after, and that was very evident to me,” town of Nantucket operations administrator Erika Mooney said of a recent visit to the site. “I just think it's money well spent.”

The project is also on the ballot at Nantucket’s local elections, which will be held on May 18th. To pass at the ballot, it only needs majority support.

While a positive vote on May 18th won’t be enough to authorize the borrowing needed for repairs, it could be a signal to the town to bring the project back next year. That’s what happened with both Our Island Home and the town employee housing project. Maybe, with more time and some changes to the proposal, the LORAN barracks repairs could follow the same course as those projects, delayed by a year but not defeated.