How the Oak Bluffs Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Minutes are loaded from January 12, 2021. Jason Balboni chaired the Board of Selectmen (renamed the Select Board in 2021). Covers 9 meetings, January 12 to April 13, 2021.
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.
From the agendas Oak Bluffs posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
What Town Meeting decided
In Oak Bluffs, 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.
Special Town Meeting · November 4, 2025 14 votes: 13 passed, 1 passed as amended
Art. 1Amend the Personnel By-Laws to change references to the Personnel OfficePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 2Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 6.2 on adding new positionsPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 3Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 7.3 on new hire starting payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 4Amend Personnel By-Laws Sections 8.1 and 8.2 on hiring and advertisingPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 5Delete Personnel By-Laws Section 9.1.4 on the work week for paramedic shift supervisorsPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 6Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 12.2 on holiday payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 7Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 13 on vacation timePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 8Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 18.1 on longevity payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 9Amend Personnel Bylaws Schedule A classification schedulePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 10Amend General Bylaw Section 304, Finance and Advisory CommitteePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 11Amend General Bylaw 201-7, Mopeds / Motor ScootersPassed as amended“voted”
Not here yet: the April 14, 2026 Special and Annual Town Meetings (the 2026 Annual Town Report is not out yet and the Town Clerk posts only the warrants 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: Select Board (Board of Selectmen until 2021) minutes from January 12, 2021 through September 22, 2026, from the town’s Agenda Center. Executive session minutes and subcommittee meetings are not included; many minutes are scanned, so we read them with text recognition and checked the votes. Nearly every vote is a roll call naming each member, such as “Roll Call Vote: Cleary - Aye, Leonard - Nay, Alley - Nay… (1 - Aye, 4 - Nay)”. In 2022 some votes give only a count such as “(4 - Aye)”; when the count equals the members present, each is shown voting yes. When a roll call leaves out a member who was at the meeting (for example after they left the room or recused), we show the votes as recorded and say who is not listed. Counts that don’t match the members present show the count only. A few motions with no vote recorded are left out. 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.
Apr 13Approve seventy five seats, deliveries only on Uncas Street,…Motion: approve seventy five seats, deliveries only on Uncas Street, and a…Passed 3–2 · No: Balboni, Barmakian
April 13, 2021: Approve seventy five seats, deliveries only on Uncas Street, and a review and site visit in June
ApprovePassed · 3–2
Approve seventy five seats, deliveries only on Uncas Street, and a review and site visit in June
Yes: Coogan, Packish, RuleyNo: Balboni, Barmakian
From the minutes
“Selectman Packish motioned to approve seventy five seats, deliveries only on Uncas Street, and a review and site visit in June Vote was: Chairman Balboni No Selectman Barmakian No Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Packish Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Coop deVille The Selectmen reviewed the application and allowed that it was the.” (Motion: Packish, second: Ruley)
Apr 13Accept a donation of $3,000 from Lagoon Pond Association…Motion: accept a donation of $3,000 from Lagoon Pond Association to support…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
April 13, 2021: Accept a donation of $3,000 from Lagoon Pond Association to support a town employee who will assist the Shellfish Department and the Harbormaster
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
Accept a donation of $3,000 from Lagoon Pond Association to support a town employee who will assist the Shellfish Department and the Harbormaster
The roll call does not list Brian Packish.
From the minutes
“Selectman Coogan motioned to accept a donation of $3,000 from Lagoon Pond Association to support a town employee who will assist the Shellfish Department and the Harbormaster Vote was: Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Barmakian Aye Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Acting Town Administrator's Report (Attached) Selectmen's Update Selectman Pack.” (Motion: Coogan, second: Barmakian)
Mar 9Approve the request for the Art Stroll on July…Motion: approve the request for the Art Stroll on July 10, August…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 9, 2021: Approve the request for the Art Stroll on July 10, August 7 and September 4
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
Approve the request for the Art Stroll on July 10, August 7 and September 4
The roll call does not list Brian Packish.
From the minutes
“Selectman Ruley motioned to approve the request for the Art Stroll on July 10, August 7 and September 4 , seconded by Selectman Barmakian. Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Barmakian Aye Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Review and Possible vote on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant and the Special Tow.” (Motion: Ruley, second: Barmakian)
Feb 9Approve the transfer the Annual Malt and Wine Package…Motion: approve the transfer the Annual Malt and Wine Package Store license…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
February 9, 2021: Approve the transfer the Annual Malt and Wine Package Store license of Tony's Market from Tony's Market, Inc. to Cottage City Market Place, Corp. dba Tony's Market
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
Approve the transfer the Annual Malt and Wine Package Store license of Tony's Market from Tony's Market, Inc. to Cottage City Market Place, Corp. dba Tony's Market
The roll call does not list Brian Packish.
From the minutes
“Selectman Coogan motioned to approve the transfer the Annual Malt and Wine Package Store license of Tony's Market from Tony's Market, Inc. to Cottage City Market Place, Corp. dba Tony's Market Vote was: Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Barmakian Aye Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Request for appointments to the Police Department. Noah Stobie as a full time o.” (Motion: Coogan, second: Barmakian)
“Selectman Ruley motioned to approve the CVEC letter of Intent Vote was: Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Barmakian No Selectman Coogan Yes Selectman Packish Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Discussion and possible vote on appointment to County Advisory Board There were.” (Motion: Ruley, second: Packish)
“Selectman Coogan motioned to refer the Budget to the Finance Committee Vote was: Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Barmakian No Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Packish Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Meeting called to order at 4:57p.m. Minutes December 8, 2020 December 22, 2020 .” (Motion: Coogan, second: Ruley)
Jan 12Appoint Mark Leonard as Oak Bluffs representative to the…Motion: appoint Mark Leonard as Oak Bluffs representative to the Dukes County…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
January 12, 2021: Appoint Mark Leonard as Oak Bluffs representative to the Dukes County Housing Authority
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 4 present
Appoint Mark Leonard as Oak Bluffs representative to the Dukes County Housing Authority
The roll call does not list Gail Barmakian.
From the minutes
“Selectman Packish motioned to appoint Mark Leonard as Oak Bluffs representative to the Dukes County Housing Authority Vote was: Chairman Balboni Aye Selectman Coogan Aye Selectman Packish Aye Selectman Ruley Aye Selectmen's Update Selectman Coogan commented on the large puddle near the Hosp.” (Motion: Packish, second: Coogan)
From the Oak Bluffs Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Dion Alley, Mark Leonard and Sean DeBettencourt (Ray Ewing) and Tom Hallahan (Jeanna Shepard), Vineyard Gazette; William Cleary and Emma Green-Beach (2024 election day) and Gail Barmakian, The Martha’s Vineyard Times.