How the Chatham Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Same five members; Jeffrey Dykens and Peter Cocolis were re-elected on May 16, 2019. At its reorganization on May 20, 2019 the board elected Shareen Davis Chair, Peter Cocolis Vice Chair and Dean Nicastro Clerk (Jeffrey Dykens attended but had not yet been sworn in, so he did not vote that night). Covers 45 meetings, May 20 to June 23, 2020.
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.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Jun 16Approve funding of $125,000 for engineering and $75,000 for…Motion: approve funding of $125,000 for engineering and $75,000 for Owner’s Project…Passed 4–1 · No: Nicastro
June 16, 2020: Approve funding of $125,000 for engineering and $75,000 for Owner’s Project Representative as outlined in the Board’s packet
ApprovePassed · 4–1
Approve funding of $125,000 for engineering and $75,000 for Owner’s Project Representative as outlined in the Board’s packet
Yes: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, MettersNo: Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Cory Metters approve funding of $125,000 for engineering and $75,000 for Owner’s Project Representative as outlined in the Board’s packet. Second: Peter Cocolis. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: Yes Cory Metters: Yes Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: Yes Shareen Davis: Yes.” (Motion: Metters, second: Cocolis)
Jun 16Appoint: David Davis to the Waterways Advisory Committee until…Motion: to appoint: David Davis to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Davis
June 16, 2020: Appoint: David Davis to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30, 2023 unless sooner revoked or a successor is appointed. Dick Hosmer to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30,…
AppointPassed · 4–0
To appoint: David Davis to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30, 2023 unless sooner revoked or a successor is appointed. Dick Hosmer to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30, 2023 unless sooner revoked or a successor is appointed
Yes: Cocolis, Dykens, Metters, NicastroAbstained: Davis
From the minutes
“Motion: by Cory Metters to appoint: David Davis to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30, 2023 unless sooner revoked or a successor is appointed. Dick Hosmer to the Waterways Advisory Committee until June 30, 2023 unless sooner revoked or a successor is appointed Second: by Dean Nicastro. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: Yes Cory Metters: Yes Dean Nicastro: Yes Peter Cocolis: Yes Shareen Davis: Abstained.” (Motion: Metters, second: Nicastro)
Jun 9Approve Verizon continue work in West Chatham to be…Motion: to approve Verizon continue work in West Chatham to be complete…Failed 2–2 · No: Davis, Metters
June 9, 2020: Approve Verizon continue work in West Chatham to be complete by July 2, 2020
ApproveFailed · 2–2
To approve Verizon continue work in West Chatham to be complete by July 2, 2020
“Motion: by Peter Cocolis to approve Verizon continue work in West Chatham to be complete by July 2, 2020. Second: by Roll Call Vote: Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: Yes Peter Cocolis: Yes Shareen Davis: No.” (Motion: Cocolis)
Jun 9That the Board support the proposal for a direct…Motion: that the Board support the proposal for a direct boat sales…Failed 0–4 · No: Cocolis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
June 9, 2020: That the Board support the proposal for a direct boat sales pilot program at the Fish Pier
ApproveFailed · 0–4
That the Board support the proposal for a direct boat sales pilot program at the Fish Pier
No: Cocolis, Dykens, Metters, NicastroShareen Davis stepped aside (recused).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Dean Nicastro that the Board support the proposal for a direct boat sales pilot program at the Fish Pier. Second: by Jeffrey Dykens Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: No Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: No.” (Motion: Nicastro, second: Dykens)
Jun 2Approve the application from Artis Winery to vend at…Motion: to approve the application from Artis Winery to vend at the…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Dykens
June 2, 2020: Approve the application from Artis Winery to vend at the Chatham Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from June 9 to October 20, 2020
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To approve the application from Artis Winery to vend at the Chatham Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from June 9 to October 20, 2020
“Motion: by Peter Cocolis to approve the application from Artis Winery to vend at the Chatham Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from June 9 to October 20, 2020. Second: by Dean Nicastro. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: Abstain Cory Metters: Yes Dean Nicastro: Yes Peter Cocolis: Yes Shareen Davis: Yes.” (Motion: Cocolis, second: Nicastro)
May 27Authorize the proposed work until June 30, 2020 by…Motion: to authorize the proposed work until June 30, 2020 by the…Failed 0–4 · No: Cocolis, Davis, Metters, Nicastro
May 27, 2020 (Joint meeting): Authorize the proposed work until June 30, 2020 by the utilities as presented in the packet
ApproveFailed · 0–4
To authorize the proposed work until June 30, 2020 by the utilities as presented in the packet
“Motion: by Cory Metters to authorize the proposed work until June 30, 2020 by the utilities as presented in the packet. Second: by Peter Cocolis. Roll Call Vote of the Board of Selectmen: Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: No Shareen Davis: No.” (Motion: Metters, second: Cocolis)
May 7Enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of…Motion: to enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Barnstable…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
May 7, 2020: Enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Barnstable for participation in their Weights and Measures program
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Barnstable for participation in their Weights and Measures program
Cory Metters stepped aside (recused).
From the minutes
“Motion: by Dean Nicastro to enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Barnstable for participation in their Weights and Measures program. Second: by Jeffrey Dykens. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: Yes Dean Nicastro: Yes Peter Cocolis: Yes Shareen Davis: Yes.” (Motion: Nicastro, second: Dykens)
May 7Recommend the approval of the petitioned article to amend…Motion: to recommend the approval of the petitioned article to amend the…Failed 0–5 · No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
May 7, 2020: Recommend the approval of the petitioned article to amend the Zoning Bylaws regarding sheds to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
ApproveFailed · 0–5
To recommend the approval of the petitioned article to amend the Zoning Bylaws regarding sheds to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Dean Nicastro to recommend the approval of the petitioned article to amend the Zoning Bylaws regarding sheds to 2020 Annual Town Meeting. Second: by Peter Cocolis. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: No Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: No Shareen Davis: No.” (Motion: Nicastro, second: Cocolis)
May 7Recommend the approval of the petitioned article regarding adopting…Motion: to recommend the approval of the petitioned article regarding adopting MGL…Failed 0–5 · No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
May 7, 2020: Recommend the approval of the petitioned article regarding adopting MGL sections allowing residential exemptions to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
ApproveFailed · 0–5
To recommend the approval of the petitioned article regarding adopting MGL sections allowing residential exemptions to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Dean Nicastro to recommend the approval of the petitioned article regarding adopting MGL sections allowing residential exemptions to 2020 Annual Town Meeting. Second: by Cory Metters. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: No Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: No Shareen Davis: No.” (Motion: Nicastro, second: Metters)
May 4Recommend approval of the petitioned Stepping Stones Road COA…Motion: to recommend approval of the petitioned Stepping Stones Road COA article…Failed 0–5 · No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
May 4, 2020: Recommend approval of the petitioned Stepping Stones Road COA article to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
ApproveFailed · 0–5
To recommend approval of the petitioned Stepping Stones Road COA article to 2020 Annual Town Meeting
No: Cocolis, Davis, Dykens, Metters, Nicastro
From the minutes
“Motion: by Dean Nicastro to recommend approval of the petitioned Stepping Stones Road COA article to 2020 Annual Town Meeting. Second: by Jeffrey Dykens. Roll Call Vote: Jeffrey Dykens: No Cory Metters: No Dean Nicastro: No Peter Cocolis: No Shareen Davis: No.” (Motion: Nicastro, second: Dykens)
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).