Select Board Makes Appointments To Town Boards And Commissions

The Select Board appointed members of several Town boards Wednesday in the second round of annual committee appointments, including contested races for the Nantucket Historical Commission and Capital Program Committee.

The Board voted unanimously to re-appoint Capital Program Committee vice-chair Peter Kaizer, who has served on the committee for three consecutive terms, over Conservation Commission member Joe Plandowski. Plandowski, who spoke in support of his application Wednesday, emphasized his lengthy experience in local government, but the Select Board rarely fails to re-appoint sitting committee members and Kaizer proved no exception.

In a three-way contest for two open seats on the Nantucket Historical Commission, the Select Board backed newcomer Sarah Noelle McLane and former Historic District Commission (HDC) member Diane Coombs over Linda Williams, who has served on a variety of Town boards including the HDC and Conservation Commission.

Williams currently serves on the Housing Authority, Conservation Commission, Community Preservation Commission, Harbor Plan Work Group, and Human Services Contract Review Committee. In her application, Williams highlighted her nearly 20 years on the HDC, including a span as chair.

“I have been dealing with the historic nature of Nantucket since I was born,” Williams said.

Coombs also served on the HDC for an extended period and has attended many meetings of the Nantucket Historical Commission. All Select Board members save Holdgate backed her candidacy.

The final candidate, McLane, was supported unanimously by the board. McLane is a newcomer to Nantucket’s local government but served on the Stowe Historic Preservation Commission in Stowe, Vermont for an extended period, including a stint as chair.

“I love old houses and I love what our island can offer and I want to make sure we can continue to be good stewards of what we have here,” McLane said.