How the Chatham Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Peter Cocolis was elected on May 17, 2018 to the rest of Amanda Love’s term, and Cory Metters and Dean Nicastro were re-elected. At its reorganization on May 18, 2018 the board elected Dean Nicastro Chair, Cory Metters Vice Chair and Peter Cocolis Clerk. Covers 43 meetings, May 18 to May 13, 2019.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Chatham, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Annual Town Meeting · May 10, 2025 59 votes: 51 passed, 4 failed, 4 no action
Art. 1Annual Town Election (officers elected by ballot)No action“NO MOTION”
Art. 2Authorize appointment of officers and accept annual reportsPassed“So Voted Unanimously.”
Art. 3FY2025 budget adjustments: transfer $378,200, including $316,200 from free cash to the Affordable Housing TrustPassed“So Voted Unanimously.”
Not here yet: the May 11, 2026 Annual Town Meeting (the Town Clerk's minutes are not posted yet; only an unofficial scorecard is online).
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: 398 meetings from January 8, 2018 to September 15, 2026, with 4,081 votes, from the board’s official minutes on mytowngovernment.org/02633, the town’s minutes site. Not online: 21 meetings since January 2018 with no usable minutes online: for 8 the site says the minutes are “on record with the Town Clerk” (paper only), and for 13 the posted file is empty, belongs to another town or board, or is an attachment rather than the minutes. MassVoter is asking the Town Clerk for these. Released minutes of closed (executive) sessions are loaded as their own Special meetings in 5 cases: where they are the only minutes for that date (December 10, 2018; January 5, 2021; July 5, 2023) and the two sessions on the Town Manager’s contract (January 13 and February 17, 2026). At joint meetings only the Select Board’s own votes are shown; votes of the other board, including the Affordable Housing Trust trustees, are left out. How votes were read: Chatham’s minutes give each motion with its mover and seconder, then either a count (“Vote: 5-0”, sometimes naming who voted no or abstained) or, since 2020, a roll call with each member’s vote. A roll call, or a count that adds up to the members present with any no votes or abstentions named, shows each member’s vote (98% of votes). A count that does not add up, or does not say who voted no, is shown as a count only. Choices between nominees (each member names a person) show the result only, with the roll call quoted in the note. Members and officers for each year come from the board’s reorganization minutes. Discussion settled “by consensus”, without a vote, is not shown as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote. On October 7, 2026 the Town Clerk’s office answered our questions about roll calls that did not match the members present (public records request #26-297): name typos, an attendance line that was not updated, roll calls with no votes written in, and the joint Affordable Housing Trust votes. The 24 votes affected now show each member’s vote, with the answer quoted in the vote’s note. Thank you to the Chatham Town Clerk’s office for its help.
“Motion: by Shareen Davis to offer no motion on Article 60 at Annual town Meeting. Second: by Peter Cocolis Vote: 3-1, Cory Metters dissenting..” (Motion: Davis, second: Cocolis)
May 6Direct the Town Manager to prepare a letter to…Motion: to direct the Town Manager to prepare a letter to Representative…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
May 6, 2019: Direct the Town Manager to prepare a letter to Representative Peake and Senator Cyr that requests a meeting with top MDOT officials to negotiate changes to landscaping, hardscaping and lighting...
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To direct the Town Manager to prepare a letter to Representative Peake and Senator Cyr that requests a meeting with top MDOT officials to negotiate changes to landscaping, hardscaping and lighting proposed in the current plan and which also conveys concerns about delays to the construction schedule
Jeffrey Dykens stepped aside (recused).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Peter Cocolis to direct the Town Manager to prepare a letter to Representative Peake and Senator Cyr that requests a meeting with top MDOT officials to negotiate changes to landscaping, hardscaping and lighting proposed in the current plan and which also conveys concerns about delays to the construction schedule. Second: by Cory Metters. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Cocolis, second: Metters)
May 6That the Board designate its Chairman, Clerk Cocolis, the…Motion: that the Board designate its Chairman, Clerk Cocolis, the Town Manager,…Passed 4–0 · see note
May 6, 2019: That the Board designate its Chairman, Clerk Cocolis, the Town Manager, and Planning Board members Art Spruch as the team that will meet with MDOT officials on enhancements to the…
ApprovePassed · 4–0
That the Board designate its Chairman, Clerk Cocolis, the Town Manager, and Planning Board members Art Spruch as the team that will meet with MDOT officials on enhancements to the West Chatham Roadway Design plan
The count (4-0) does not match the 5 members present at this point, so only the count is shown.
From the minutes
“Motion: by Shareen Davis that the Board designate its Chairman, Clerk Cocolis, the Town Manager, and Planning Board members Art Spruch as the team that will meet with MDOT officials on enhancements to the West Chatham Roadway Design plan. Second: by Cory Metters. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Davis, second: Metters)
Apr 29Send a letter in support of increasing State funding…Motion: to send a letter in support of increasing State funding for…Passed 4–1 · No: Nicastro
April 29, 2019: Send a letter in support of increasing State funding for Community Preservation Act
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To send a letter in support of increasing State funding for Community Preservation Act
Yes: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, MettersNo: Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Jeffrey Dykens to send a letter in support of increasing State funding for Community Preservation Act. Second: by Peter Cocolis. Vote: 4-1, Dean Nicastro dissenting..” (Motion: Dykens, second: Cocolis)
Mar 21Place Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers on the…Motion: to place Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers on the 2019…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 21, 2019: Place Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To place Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
Jeffrey Dykens had not yet arrived (“Selectman Dykens arrived”).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Shareen Davis to place Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant. Second: by Cory Metters. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Davis, second: Metters)
Mar 21Recommend Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers to 2019…Motion: to recommend Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers to 2019 Annual…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 21, 2019: Recommend Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers to 2019 Annual Town Meeting
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To recommend Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers to 2019 Annual Town Meeting
Jeffrey Dykens had not yet arrived (“Selectman Dykens arrived”).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Cory Metters to recommend Article 4 – FY2019 Budget Adjustments/Transfers to 2019 Annual Town Meeting. Second: by Peter Cocolis. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Metters, second: Cocolis)
Mar 21Place Article 14 - CMEA Collective Bargaining/Collins Center Classification/Compensation…Motion: to place Article 14 - CMEA Collective Bargaining/Collins Center Classification/Compensation Plans…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 21, 2019: Place Article 14 - CMEA Collective Bargaining/Collins Center Classification/Compensation Plans on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To place Article 14 - CMEA Collective Bargaining/Collins Center Classification/Compensation Plans on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
Jeffrey Dykens had not yet arrived (“Selectman Dykens arrived”).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Peter Cocolis to place Article 14 - CMEA Collective Bargaining/Collins Center Classification/Compensation Plans on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant. Second: by Shareen Davis. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Cocolis, second: Davis)
Mar 21Place Article 40 – Shark Safety/Mitigation Measures – Oyster…Motion: to place Article 40 – Shark Safety/Mitigation Measures – Oyster Pond…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 21, 2019: Place Article 40 – Shark Safety/Mitigation Measures – Oyster Pond on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To place Article 40 – Shark Safety/Mitigation Measures – Oyster Pond on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant
Jeffrey Dykens had not yet arrived (“Selectman Dykens arrived”).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Cory Metters to place Article 40 – Shark Safety/Mitigation Measures – Oyster Pond on the 2019 Annual Town Meeting warrant. Second: by Peter Cocolis. Vote: 4-0.” (Motion: Metters, second: Cocolis)
Mar 21Support this petition (Article 68 – Withdrawal from Community…Motion: to support this petitionFailed 0–5 · No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
March 21, 2019: Support this petition (Article 68 – Withdrawal from Community Preservation Act by Petition (Seth)
ApproveFailed · 0–5
To support this petition
No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Jeffrey Dykens to support this petition. Second: by Cory Metters. Vote: 0-5. The motion fails..” (Motion: Dykens, second: Metters)
Mar 21Recommend the non-binding resolution on changing the name of…Motion: to recommend the non-binding resolution on changing the name of the…Passed 3–2 · No: Metters, Nicastro
March 21, 2019: Recommend the non-binding resolution on changing the name of the Board of Selectmen to Select Board to 2019 Annual Town Meeting
Adopt resolutionPassed · 3–2
To recommend the non-binding resolution on changing the name of the Board of Selectmen to Select Board to 2019 Annual Town Meeting
Yes: Cocolis, Davis, DykensNo: Metters, Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Jeffrey Dykens to recommend the non-binding resolution on changing the name of the Board of Selectmen to Select Board to 2019 Annual Town Meeting. Second: by Shareen Davis. Vote: 3-2, Dean Nicastro and Cory Metters dissenting..” (Motion: Dykens, second: Davis)
From the Chatham Select Board’s official minutes on mytowngovernment.org, where the town posts them. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Chatham (town website, Select Board Members).