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Wellfleet Selectboard
How the Wellfleet Selectboard voted, from the Selectboard’s official minutes. 5 Selectboard members elected townwide. Dennis Murphy chaired the Board of Selectmen, with Janet Reinhart as Vice Chair and Kathleen Bacon as Clerk. MassVoter has loaded this board’s minutes from January 9, 2018 on. Covers 9 meetings, January 9 to April 23, 2018.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Selectboard 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 Selectboard, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budgetYour Wellfleet ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
From the agendas Wellfleet posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
What Town Meeting decided
In Wellfleet, Town Meeting — not the Selectboard — 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 · April 28, 2025 36 votes: 34 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 failed
- Art. 1 Appropriate $33,073,887 for the FY2026 town operating budget Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 2 Pay prior-year unpaid bills (IRS bills of $5,312.90 and $18,920) Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 3 Appropriate $2,565,150 for the FY2026 capital budget Passed “the motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 4 Appropriate $881,245 for the FY2026 Marina Enterprise Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 5 Appropriate $360,092 for the FY2026 Water Enterprise Fund Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 6 Raise $600,000 for Town Marina repairs, contingent on a Proposition 2½ capital exclusion Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 7 Transfer $290,000 from free cash and $15,000 from the Beach Fund to stabilization funds and pond monitoring Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 8 Use $319,881.09 of surplus police station bond proceeds for police and fire building repairs Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 9 Set a $60,000 FY2026 spending limit for the Shellfish Propagation Revolving Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 10 Transfer $90,000 for an operational and financial model of the Transfer Station Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 11 Transfer $173,250 from Marina Enterprise retained earnings to the Stabilization Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 12 Have the Selectboard act as Sewer Commissioners, subject to the 2025 town election Passed “main motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 13 Borrow up to $360,000 to assist enhanced I/A septic system upgrades in the Wellfleet Harbor watershed Passed “carried on a 2/3rds vote”
- Art. 14 Establish a special education reserve fund for the Nauset Regional School District Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 15 Establish a Wellfleet Elementary special education reserve fund and transfer $100,000 into it Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 16 Exempt personal property valued at $5,100 or less from taxation Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 17 Community Preservation: FY2026 administrative expenses and reserves Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 18 Community Preservation: $35,000 for playground equipment for Wellfleet Elementary and Montessori preschool Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 19 Community Preservation: $15,084 for a playground sunshade at the Adult Community Center Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 20 Community Preservation: $11,342 for a Wellfleet Elementary School learning garden Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 21 Community Preservation: $10,000 for the Lower Cape Housing Institute Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 22 Community Preservation: $32,000 for solar panels at Habitat for Humanity Old King's Highway homes Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 23 Community Preservation: $50,000 for Forward at the Rock Phase II housing Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 24 Community Preservation: $34,500 for Homeless Prevention Council rental stabilization assistance Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 25 Community Preservation: $300,000 for infrastructure for affordable homes at 120 Paine Hollow Road Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 26 Community Preservation: $125,000 for consultants for housing at Maurice's Campground; at least 3 acres deed-restricted affordable Passed as amended “main motion as amended, the Moderator declared the motion carried on”
- Art. 27 Community Preservation: $250,000 to hire a Wellfleet Housing Coordinator Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 28 Community Preservation: $14,000 for the Historical Commission historic plaque program Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 29 Community Preservation: $20,000 for a Cape Cod Trout Unlimited archaeological survey Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 30 Resolution: direct 80% of short-term rental taxes to the Affordable Housing Trust from FY27 Failed “main motion failed by a hand count by 90 ayes, and · 90 ayes, and 101 no”
- Art. 31 Amend Charter Section 3-6-5 to let the Selectboard remove committee members for cause by a 4/5 vote Passed “carried on a 2/3rds vote”
- Art. 32 Accept the Seasonal Community Designation under Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2024 Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 33 Authorize the Town Administrator to dispose of surplus personal property Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 34 Authorize the Town Collector to use all means of collecting taxes available to the Treasurer Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 35 Accept state law to set Nauset Regional School District assessments by the regional agreement Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 36 Hear reports of the Selectboard, town officers and committees Passed “carried on a majority vote”
Source: Town Clerk's minutes of the April 28, 2025 Annual Town Meeting.
Special Town Meeting · June 17, 2024 2 votes: 2 passed
- Art. 1 Acquire 1035 Cemetery Road for town offices; borrow $1,700,000, contingent on a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion Passed “carried on a 2/3rds vote · Yay’s -180, Nay’s 54”
- Art. 2 Petition: authorize the Selectboard to make the South Wellfleet Fire Station available to the Wellfleet Food Pantry Passed “carried on a majority vote”
Source: Town Clerk's minutes of the June 17, 2024 Special Town Meeting.
Annual Town Meeting · May 20, 2024 34 votes: 30 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed, 1 other
- Art. 1 Appropriate $31,356,611 for the FY2025 town operating budget Passed “declared the motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 2 Pay $55,500.97 in prior-year unpaid bills Passed “carried on a 4/5ths vote · 251 votes for aye and 25 votes for nay”
- Art. 3 Appropriate $2,606,500 for the FY2025 capital budget Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 4 Appropriate $929,567 for the FY2025 Marina Enterprise Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 5 Appropriate $498,490 for the FY2025 Water Enterprise Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 6 Authorize a lease-purchase agreement for a Fire Department ambulance; $125,000 from the Ambulance Fund for the first payment Passed “carried on a 2/3 vote”
- Art. 7 Transfer free cash: $400,000 and $442,500 to stabilization funds, $500,000 to the Affordable Housing Trust, $57,500 for OpenGov Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 8 Transfer $5,125.76 in opioid settlement funds to the Outer Cape Opioid Remediation Work Group Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 9 Increase the maximum tax reduction under the Senior Work-Off Abatement Program Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
- Art. 10 Set a $76,000 FY2025 spending limit for the Shellfish Revolving Fund Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 11 Accept state law establishing a Sewer Enterprise Fund effective July 1, 2024 Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 12 Appropriate $140,000 from the PEG Access and Cable Related Fund Indefinitely postponed “indefinitely postponed”
- Art. 13 Community Preservation: set aside FY2025 reserves and administrative expenses, and fund Maurice's Campground debt service Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 14 Community Preservation: accept return of $200,000 of the Emergency Housing Assistance grant to the CPA fund balance Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 15 Community Preservation: $750,000 to the Wellfleet Affordable Housing Trust Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 16 Community Preservation: $175,000 for Habitat for Humanity housing on Old King's Highway Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 17 Community Preservation: $7,500 for the Lower Cape Housing Institute Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 18 Community Preservation: $20,000 for Spring Rock Village affordable housing Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 19 Community Preservation: $25,000 to remove a structure at 360 Blue Heron Road Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 20 Community Preservation: $150,000 to establish a Wellfleet Land Conservation Fund Passed “the motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 21 Community Preservation: $15,000 for Historical Commission historic property inventories Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 22 Community Preservation: $200,000 grant to the Cape Cod Modern House Trust for the Breuer House Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 23 Community Preservation: $15,000 for the historic AIM Thrift Shop building at 305 Main Street Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 24 Community Preservation: funds to preserve the historic Henry Gray House Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 25 Community Preservation: $100,000 for the Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum building Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 26 License Old Chequessett Neck Road land to the Cape Cod National Seashore for at least 99 years Passed “carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 27 Petition: establish a Town of Wellfleet scholarship program and appropriate $100,000 Failed “the motion failed on a majority vote”
- Art. 28 Petition: resolution supporting an enduring ceasefire in Gaza Passed as amended “main motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 29 Petition: resolution endorsing the Medicare for All in Massachusetts bill Other “declared the motion on a majority vote”
- Art. 30 Petition the Legislature for special legislation to adopt a pesticide reduction bylaw Passed “main motion carried on a majority vote”
- Art. 31 Authorize the Town Administrator to dispose of surplus personal property Passed “motions for Consent Agenda Articles 31-33 carried on a”
- Art. 32 Authorize the Town Collector to use all means of collecting taxes available to the Treasurer Passed “motions for Consent Agenda Articles 31-33 carried on a”
- Art. 33 Accept state law to set Nauset Regional School District assessments by the regional agreement Passed “motions for Consent Agenda Articles 31-33 carried on a”
- Art. 34 Hear reports of the Selectboard, town officers and committees Passed “carried on a unanimous vote”
Source: Town Clerk's minutes of the May 20, 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
Not here yet: the October 2024 Special Town Meeting and the spring 2026 Annual Town Meeting (minutes not posted on the Town Clerk's page).
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).
Members
"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: Selectboard minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until mid-2018) from January 9, 2018 through August 18, 2026. Minutes from 2018 through 2024 come from the archive folders in the town’s online Document Center; minutes from 2025 on come from the town’s Agenda Center. Not here: executive-session minutes; two 2019 files that are empty (January 29 and February 12, 2019); two files that hold other minutes (January 6, 2020 holds the Shellfish Advisory Board’s minutes, and October 15, 2024 repeats the October 19, 2023 minutes); the regular meeting of October 7, 2025 and the July 14, 2026 joint meeting with the Sewer Commissioners, for which the town posted other minutes in their place; other meetings for which the town has not posted minutes; and every meeting after August 18, 2026. Most minutes are typed; 5 are scanned copies, which MassVoter read with text-recognition software and checked by hand. Wellfleet’s minutes name the mover and the seconder and give a count for each motion, such as “Motion: Houk Second: Reinhart 4-0-0” (early 2018), “Bacon seconded, and the motion carried 4-1” (2018 to 2020) or “Roll Call Vote: 4-0-1 (DeVasto abstained)” (2021 on). Even when the board voted by roll call, the minutes usually give only the count; since June 2026 they list each member’s vote by name, as in “Roll Call Vote: Yeston (yes), Carboni (recused), Lyons (yes) …”. 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, abstained or recused, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. Some motions say only “it was voted”, with no count; we show those with no count, and never assume they were unanimous. 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.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Apr 23Reappoint Lilli-Ann Green as a voting member to the…Motion: I move to reappoint Lilli-Ann Green as a voting member to…Passed 4–1 · see note
April 23, 2018 (regular meeting): Reappoint Lilli-Ann Green as a voting member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020
I move to reappoint Lilli-Ann Green as a voting member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020.
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to reappoint Lilli-Ann Green as a voting member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020. Motion: Wilson Second: Houk 4-1-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Wilson, second: Houk)
Apr 23Reappoint Kathleen Bacon as an alternate member to the…Motion: I move to reappoint Kathleen Bacon as an alternate member to…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
April 23, 2018 (regular meeting): Reappoint Kathleen Bacon as an alternate member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020
I move to reappoint Kathleen Bacon as an alternate member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020.
The minutes give the count as "4-0", counting the recusal. Kathleen Bacon stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“I move to reappoint Kathleen Bacon as an alternate member to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Board for a two-year term ending July 6, 2020. Motion: Reinhart Second: Wilson 4-0-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Reinhart, second: Wilson)
Apr 23Recommend Article 45 as printed in the warrantMotion: I move to recommend Article 45 as printed in the warrant.Passed 3–2 · see note
April 23, 2018 (regular meeting): Recommend Article 45 as printed in the warrant
I move to recommend Article 45 as printed in the warrant.
The minutes give only the count (3-2), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to recommend Article 45 as printed in the warrant. Motion: Reinhart Second: Wilson 3-2-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Reinhart, second: Wilson)
Apr 23Recommend Article 30 as printed in the warrantMotion: I move to recommend Article 30 as printed in the warrant.Passed 4–1 · see note
April 23, 2018 (regular meeting): Recommend Article 30 as printed in the warrant
I move to recommend Article 30 as printed in the warrant.
The minutes give only the count (4-1), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to recommend Article 30 as printed in the warrant. Motion: Wilson Second: Reinhart 4-1-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Wilson, second: Reinhart)
Apr 10Reconsider the vote of October 24, 2017 which directed…Motion: I move to reconsider the vote of October 24, 2017 which…Passed 3–2 · see note
April 10, 2018 (regular meeting): Reconsider the vote of October 24, 2017 which directed staff to demolish the old shellfish shack
I move to reconsider the vote of October 24, 2017 which directed staff to demolish the old shellfish shack.
The minutes give only the count (3-2), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to reconsider the vote of October 24, 2017 which directed staff to demolish the old shellfish shack. Motion: Houk Second: Reinhart 3-2-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Houk, second: Reinhart)
Apr 10Demolish the shellfish shackMotion: I move to demolish the shellfish shack.Failed 2–3 · see note
April 10, 2018 (regular meeting): Demolish the shellfish shack
I move to demolish the shellfish shack.
The minutes give only the count (2-3), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to demolish the shellfish shack. Motion: Wilson Second: Bacon 2-3-0.” (Motion: Wilson, second: Bacon)
Mar 27Approve the exercise of the power of eminent domain…Motion: I move to approve the exercise of the power of eminent…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 27, 2018 (regular meeting): Approve the exercise of the power of eminent domain by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, acting pursuant to and in accordance with Sections 3 and 3A…
I move to approve the exercise of the power of eminent domain by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, acting pursuant to and in accordance with Sections 3 and 3A of Chapter 132A of the General Laws, to acquire in fee a parcel of land located at 180 Old King's Highway in the Town of Wellfleet, containing twenty- seven and seven hundred and fifty-seven thousandths (27.757) acres, more or less, and shown on Exhibit A attached hereto.
The minutes give the count as "4-0", counting the recusal. Janet Reinhart stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“I move to approve the exercise of the power of eminent domain by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, acting pursuant to and in accordance with Sections 3 and 3A of Chapter 132A of the General Laws, to acquire in fee a parcel of land located at 180 Old King's Highway in the Town of Wellfleet, containing twenty- seven and seven hundred and fifty-seven thousandths (27.757) acres, more or less, and shown on Exhibit A attached hereto. Motion: Bacon Second: Wilson 4-0-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Bacon, second: Wilson)
Mar 27Switch the order of articles 45 and 47Motion: I move to switch the order of articles 45 and 47.…Passed 3–2 · see note
March 27, 2018 (regular meeting): Switch the order of articles 45 and 47
I move to switch the order of articles 45 and 47. Denny O'Connell would like the order to be kept as is as per the recommendation from the Planning Board.
The minutes give only the count (3-2), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to switch the order of articles 45 and 47. Denny O'Connell would like the order to be kept as is as per the recommendation from the Planning Board. Motion: Houk Second: Reinhart 3-2-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Houk, second: Reinhart)
Mar 27Approve Cape Cod Commission third extension agreement of the…Motion: I move to approve Cape Cod Commission third extension agreement of…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 27, 2018 (regular meeting): Approve Cape Cod Commission third extension agreement of the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) public hearing period to April 5, 2019
I move to approve Cape Cod Commission third extension agreement of the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) public hearing period to April 5, 2019.
The minutes give the count as "4-0", counting the recusal. Dennis Murphy stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“I move to approve Cape Cod Commission third extension agreement of the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) public hearing period to April 5, 2019. Motion: Bacon Second: Wilson 4-0-0. Motion carries..” (Motion: Bacon, second: Wilson)
Mar 20Recommend ATM 2018 Town Meeting Article 26 as printedMotion: I move to recommend ATM 2018 Town Meeting Article 26 as…Failed 2–3 · see note
March 20, 2018 (regular meeting): Recommend ATM 2018 Town Meeting Article 26 as printed
I move to recommend ATM 2018 Town Meeting Article 26 as printed.
The minutes give only the count (2-3), not how each member voted.
From the minutes
“I move to recommend ATM 2018 Town Meeting Article 26 as printed. Motion: Bacon Second: Murphy 2-3-0.” (Motion: Bacon, second: Murphy)
From the Wellfleet Selectboard’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Document Center (2018–2024) and Agenda Center (2025 on). We check every vote against the Selectboard members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Provincetown Independent (courtesy of the members, or by Michaela Chesin).
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