How the Eastham Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Jared Collins joined the board after the May 2019 town election; Wallace Adams left. On May 22, 2019 the board chose Aimée Eckman as Chair, Alexander Cestaro as Vice Chair and Jamie Rivers as Clerk (each by a roll call of all five members). On September 9, 2019 the board adopted a policy to be known as the Select Board (rather than the Board of Selectmen). The 2020 town election was held later than usual because of COVID-19. Covers 33 meetings, May 22 to June 17, 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.
Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
What Town Meeting decided
In Eastham, 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 4, 2026 38 votes: 30 passed, 1 failed, 2 indefinitely postponed, 4 referred, 1 advisory
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: Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until September 2019) from January 2, 2018 through September 8, 2026, from the town’s online Agenda Center, which holds minutes back to 2017 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). Not here: executive-session minutes; one set of minutes for which the town posted the wrong file (September 27, 2021, which holds the Housing Production Plan instead); minutes the town has not posted, including the February 26, 2026 emergency meeting and June 22, 2026; and every meeting after September 8, 2026. Most minutes are typed; 11 are scanned copies, which MassVoter read with text-recognition software and checked by hand. Eastham’s minutes give the mover, the seconder and a count for each motion, such as “VOTE: Yes 5, No 0” or “VOTE: Yes 4, No 1 (Jamie Rivers)”; many votes, especially from 2018 to 2023, are roll calls that list each member’s vote by name (since 2025 sometimes by first name only, as in “Jerry, Yes”). Warrant-article recommendations in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023 are recorded in tables. When the count matches the members present, we show every member present as voting yes, and when the minutes name the members who voted no or abstained, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, a roll call leaves out a member who was there or names one who was not, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. A few motions have no vote written down; we show those with no count. Members who stepped aside (recused), had not yet arrived or had left are left out of that vote. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (such as the Finance Committee) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Jun 1Approve the Seasonal Common Victualler License for the Friendly…Motion: To approve the Seasonal Common Victualler License for the Friendly FishermanPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
June 1, 2020: Approve the Seasonal Common Victualler License for the Friendly Fisherman
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To approve the Seasonal Common Victualler License for the Friendly Fisherman
Jamie Demetri stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Aimée Eckman made a motion to approve the Seasonal Common Victualler License for the Friendly Fisherman Martin McDonald seconded the motion Roll Call VOTE: Jamie Rivers, Recused; Martin McDonald, Yes; Aimée Eckman, Yes; Jared Collins, Yes.” (Motion: Eckman, second: McDonald)
May 18Revoke the Aquaculture Grant for Nathan Davis at Site…Motion: To revoke the Aquaculture Grant for Nathan Davis at Site B17EPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
May 18, 2020: Revoke the Aquaculture Grant for Nathan Davis at Site B17E
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To revoke the Aquaculture Grant for Nathan Davis at Site B17E
Jared Collins stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote. Alexander Cestaro stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Aimée Eckman made a motion to revoke the Aquaculture Grant for Nathan Davis at Site B17E Jamie Rivers seconded the motion Roll Call VOTE: Jamie Rivers, Yes; Martin McDonald, Yes; Aimée Eckman, Yes.” (Motion: Eckman, second: Demetri)
May 18Suspend the commercial shellfish permits for Nathan Davis and…Motion: To suspend the commercial shellfish permits for Nathan Davis and David…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
May 18, 2020: Suspend the commercial shellfish permits for Nathan Davis and David Howe for a period of 1 year
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To suspend the commercial shellfish permits for Nathan Davis and David Howe for a period of 1 year
Jared Collins stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote. Alexander Cestaro stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Aimée Eckman made a motion to suspend the commercial shellfish permits for Nathan Davis and David Howe for a period of 1 year Jamie Rivers seconded the motion Roll Call VOTE: Jamie Rivers, Yes; Martin McDonald, Yes; Aimée Eckman, Yes.” (Motion: Eckman, second: Demetri)
Apr 6Approve the New Seasonal Beer and Wine Off Premise…Motion: To approve the New Seasonal Beer and Wine Off Premise License…Passed 4–1 · No: McDonald
April 6, 2020: Approve the New Seasonal Beer and Wine Off Premise License for The Landing
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To approve the New Seasonal Beer and Wine Off Premise License for The Landing
“Aimée Eckman made a motion to approve the New Seasonal Beer and Wine Off Premise License for The Landing Alexander Cestaro seconded the motion Roll Call VOTE: Jamie Rivers, Yes; Jared Collins, Yes; Alexander Cestaro, Yes; Martin McDonald, No; Aimée Eckman, Yes.” (Motion: Eckman, second: Cestaro)
Mar 2Approve the appointment of Gary Senecal to the Recycling…Motion: To approve the appointment of Gary Senecal to the Recycling CommitteePassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 2, 2020: Approve the appointment of Gary Senecal to the Recycling Committee
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To approve the appointment of Gary Senecal to the Recycling Committee
Alexander Cestaro had not yet arrived.
From the minutes
“Jamie Rivers made a motion to approve the appointment of Gary Senecal to the Recycling Committee Martin McDonald seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 3, No 0.” (Motion: Demetri, second: McDonald)
Mar 2Select the photo titled Lovely LupinesMotion: To select the photo titled Lovely LupinesPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 2, 2020: Select the photo titled Lovely Lupines
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To select the photo titled Lovely Lupines
Alexander Cestaro had not yet arrived.
From the minutes
“Jamie Rivers made a motion to select the photo titled Lovely Lupines Martin McDonald seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 3, No 0.” (Motion: Demetri, second: McDonald)
Mar 2Approve the change in use of Liquor License for…Motion: To approve the change in use of Liquor License for Sam's…Passed 2–1 · No: Demetri · Abstained: Cestaro
March 2, 2020: Approve the change in use of Liquor License for Sam's Deli / Uncorked
ApprovePassed · 2–1
To approve the change in use of Liquor License for Sam's Deli / Uncorked
“Aimée Eckman made a motion to approve the change in use of Liquor License for Sam's Deli / Uncorked Martin McDonald seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 2, No 1 (Jamie Rivers), Abstain 1 (Alexander Cestaro).” (Motion: Eckman, second: McDonald)
Feb 24Adopt the Eastham Municipal Harbor and Waterways Plan with…Motion: To adopt the Eastham Municipal Harbor and Waterways Plan with the…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 24, 2020: Adopt the Eastham Municipal Harbor and Waterways Plan with the comments discussed at this meeting
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To adopt the Eastham Municipal Harbor and Waterways Plan with the comments discussed at this meeting
Jamie Demetri had not yet arrived.
From the minutes
“Alexander Cestaro made a motion to adopt the Eastham Municipal Harbor and Waterways Plan with the comments discussed at this meeting Martin McDonald seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 4, No 0.” (Motion: Cestaro, second: McDonald)
Feb 24Approve the revised Charge for the Eastham Harbor Planning…Motion: To approve the revised Charge for the Eastham Harbor Planning Committee…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 24, 2020: Approve the revised Charge for the Eastham Harbor Planning Committee with the changes discussed during the meeting
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To approve the revised Charge for the Eastham Harbor Planning Committee with the changes discussed during the meeting
Jamie Demetri had not yet arrived.
From the minutes
“Alexander Cestaro made a motion to approve the revised Charge for the Eastham Harbor Planning Committee with the changes discussed during the meeting Jared Collins seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 4, No 0.” (Motion: Cestaro, second: Collins)
Jan 13Create a policy that triggers the Residential Tax Exemption…Motion: To create a policy that triggers the Residential Tax Exemption should…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Cestaro
January 13, 2020: Create a policy that triggers the Residential Tax Exemption should the division of non-residents to residents reach 60/40 for 2 consecutive years
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To create a policy that triggers the Residential Tax Exemption should the division of non-residents to residents reach 60/40 for 2 consecutive years
“Jamie Rivers made a motion to create a policy that triggers the Residential Tax Exemption should the division of non-residents to residents reach 60/40 for 2 consecutive years Jared Collins seconded the motion VOTE: Yes 4, No 0, Abstain 1 (Alexander Cestaro).” (Motion: Demetri, second: Collins)
From the Eastham Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Provincetown Independent (courtesy of the members, or by Nigel Diamond and Joe Navas).