Sheila's Vision
Problems and Possibilities
The average person, the average business, and the average Town on Cape Cod share a problem. Budgets are stretched to the breaking point by the increasing costs of necessities. The cost of food, housing, electricity, and fuel are rising faster than our ability to pay those bills. Money is tight. For Towns, this means difficult choices that are made almost impossible as we begin to realize the massive costs of providing quality jobs, schools, safe roads, human services, and clean water. The biggest challenge of the next 25 years will be accommodating the population growth we’ve experienced in the last few decades while preserving the spiritual sense of “place” that makes Cape Cod unique and has driven our economy for generations.
Paying for these future costs locally, that is, on a town-by-town basis, is a luxury we can no longer afford. A regional approach is necessary to face these challenges in the most efficient and affordable way.
Open Government
In order for County Government to play a meaningful role it must be credible. Citizens should know their County Commissioners and what they do. Government must be transparent to those it serves. The County Assembly of Delegates took the first step to increasing transparency by including in FY2009 budget monies to cover televising the Commissioners’ meetings. While television cameras are important they are not enough. Meeting times and detailed agendas need to be posted, as do minutes of each meeting. The public needs to be informed and educated about the problems we face and the possible solutions available to us.
The Challenges: The people, the economy and the environment
Human Services
Society has a responsibility to care for those who cannot care for themselves. On Cape Cod, this responsibility is met every day by a combination of private, non-profit, and government people and programs. They provide a safety net for the permanent and temporarily disadvantaged among us. The resources to support this network come in large and small amounts from a multitude of very different places. The County needs to play a pro-active role in coordinating and in providing these services, and the support necessary to attract additional resources from outside of the region.
Economic Development
It is crucial we understand that the environment IS the economy on Cape Cod. Balancing these concepts is crucial as we to attempt to develop a sustainable economy designed to increase the quality of jobs and the number of opportunities for year-round residents without damaging the Cape’s unique sense of “place.” We need to employ “smart growth” principles. We need to streamline regulations in those areas where we can. And we need to allow redevelopment where possible.
Environment
Only 17% of the land on Cape Cod is even capable of being developed. Cape Cod is approaching “build out,” which is increasing the strain on our natural resources. We don’t have enough land to devise solutions. We have only one aquifer and we have little existing infrastructure to insure good drinking water.
Although presently it may be at a stand still, the burgeoning population growth that has occurred in the last 40 years has overloaded our waters, both fresh and tidal, with nitrogens. Yet it is our beautiful waters that have attracted beach goers, recreational boaters, and anglers for generations, making tourism our major industry. Our multi-million-dollar fishing and shell fishing industry depends on healthy waters in order to thrive. They are the most important resource Cape Cod has, and protecting them is essential. Cape Cod, as we know it and love it, will not survive if the issue is not dealt with on a collaborative basis
One of the answers is wastewater management. Several years ago the Waster Water Collaborative was formed to explore viable regional solutions in order to attract federal and state monies. Towns cannot sustain the financial burdens of “going it alone”. The Commissioners and the Assembly of Delegates need to be proactive on this issue. We must push the envelope and encourage towns to work together where possible in seeking regional comprehensive wastewater treatment solutions.
Leadership – Learning from the Past to Build the Future
County government pre-dates the state and the federal governments, but it needs to be updated and to become more professional. We need to recognize the efficiency of a regional approach to solving some of the challenges we face. We must decide which services the Towns can provide and which services will be more effectively handled regionally. We need to decide these questions openly, and we need to educate voters about them. It is time that the County, lead by the Commissioners, makes efforts to reach out to the public and to the fifteen Boards of Selectmen. We ALL need to be aware, vigilant, and included in the dialogue and process of decision-making.
