Select Board Makes Annual Commission Appointments

All eyes were on the Nantucket Select Board Wednesday evening as the island awaited to see whether they would vote out Seth Engelbourg and Maureen Phillips, the two members of the Conservation Commission who voted for the removal of the geotubes along the Sconset Bluff and have been critical of the Sconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) throughout this process, as tensions continue to boil between the two sides about what comes next with the project.

The board ultimately voted Engelbourg in via a tiebreaker, with Engelbourg edging out Tim Braine 3-2. Select Board Chair Jason Bridges and vice chair Dawn Holdgate voted for Braine while Matt Fee, Melissa Murphy, and Brooke Mohr voted for Engelbourg. Phillips, however, is the odd person out after the board voted newcomers Michael Misurelli and Joe Plandowski onto the commission.

Other notable votes during Wednesday's meeting include the shakeup to the Nantucket Historical Commission, with Hillary Rayport no longer on the commission after serving as its chair these past three years. Incumbent Clement Durkes maintained his seat with four votes and Rayport was edged out by Abby De Molina, who also received four votes. Rayport only received one vote. Linda Williams attempted run came up short.

Joe Topham was voted onto the Planning Board, with Bridges, Holdgate, Mohr, and Planning Board members Dave Iverson, Nat Lowell, Barry Rector submitting votes for Topham. This seat became open after Fritz McClure resigned in April. The board voted Abby De Molina as the Planning Board alternate (three votes).

Jeanette Topham will remain on the airport commission, winning the vote as the incumbent over Walter Flaherty.

Kerry McKenna was voted onto the Board of Health, edging out Ann Smith, Allyson Bold, and Richard Ray.

Mary Longacre, Sarah Bois, Joanna Roche were voted onto the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee. Steven E. Leinbach was the odd man out.

Kendra Lockley, Arlene O’Reilly, Alison Forsgren, and Robert M. Kucharavy won their bids for the Council on Aging. Laura Holden was the odd person out.

Shantaw Bloise, Brian Sullivan, Reema Sherry, and Meg Browers were voted onto the Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust. Jennifer Porter and Arlene O'Reilly were the two beat out.

Uncontested races included:

Stephen Welch for Capital Program Committee

Barbara White for the Cemetery Commission

Tara Restieri, Jennifer Porter, and Amanda Wright for the Council of Human Services

Justin Cerne, Jordana Fleischut, and Sarah C. Ellis for the Cultural Council

Christopher Glowacki and Jill Vieth for the Finance Committee

Lee W. Saperstein for Real Estate Assessment Committee

Bill Grieder, Allen Reinhard, and Rick Atherton for the Roads and Right of Way Committee

Jeanne Miller and Rebecca Woodley-Oliver for the Scholarship Committee



Susan McCarthy for the Zoning Board of Appeals

There were no applications for the Contract Review Committee, the Agricultural Commission, Tree Advisory Committee and Historical District Commission associate.