How the Yarmouth Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Dorcas McGurrin joined the board after the May 17, 2022 town election; Tracy Post left. On May 24, 2022 the board chose Michael Stone as Chair and Licensing Chair, Dan Horgan as Vice Chair, Peter Smith as Clerk and Dorcas McGurrin as Appointments Chair (each 5-0). Covers 33 meetings, May 24 to May 2, 2023.
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 Yarmouth, 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 17, 2025 15 votes: 12 passed, 2 passed as amended, 1 failed
Art. 2FY2026 municipal operating budget ($51,530,178), amended to use $2 million of ambulance receipts for fire wagesPassed as amended“Moderator declared the motion carries”
Not here yet: the April 28, 2026 Annual Town Meeting and the June 24, 2026 Special Town Meeting (no official results posted yet; they should appear in the 2026 Annual Town Report).
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 from January 3, 2018 through June 24, 2026. Minutes for 2018 and 2019 come from the town’s Archive Center (its Selectmen Minutes go back to 2005); later minutes come from its online Agenda Center. Not here: executive-session minutes (except four dates, in 2019 and 2020, where they are the only minutes posted), and meetings whose minutes are not online, including most meetings from March 30 to October 19, 2021 (19 meetings), about 20 other agenda-only dates from 2018 to 2025 (many of them executive sessions, workshops or joint meetings), and almost all of 2026: by October 4, 2026 the town had posted minutes for only three 2026 meetings (April 28, May 20 and June 24). Two files are not the minutes of the meeting they are posted under (the August 19, 2023 file is a copy of the November 15, 2022 minutes; the June 27, 2022 file is another committee’s minutes), so those dates are left out. Since 2023 most minutes are scanned copies, which MassVoter read with text-recognition software. Yarmouth’s minutes set out each motion with the mover, the seconder and the vote, such as “Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay (Mike Stone)” or “Yea 5 Nay 0”, and remote and hybrid meetings record roll calls by name. 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. Members the minutes say were absent for a vote, left, or had not yet joined are left out of those votes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, the count does not match the members on the attendance line, or a roll call lists a member the minutes do not show as present, we show the count only and add a note. Votes by other boards at joint meetings 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.
Apr 25Not recommend Article 34 - Petition for Plastic Reduction…Motion: That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 34 - Petition…Passed 4–1 · No: Horgan
That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 34 - Petition for Plastic Reduction Bylaw.
Yes: Forest, McGurrin, Smith, StoneNo: Horgan
From the minutes
“MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 34 - Petition for Plastic Reduction Bylaw. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: Mike Stone Roll Call Vote: Peter Smith, aye; Mark Forest, aye; Dorcas McGurrin, aye; Dan Horgan, nay; Mike Stone, aye. Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay. The motion passed..” (Motion: Forest, second: Stone)
Apr 25Not recommend Article 35 - Petition for Single Use…Motion: That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 35 - Petition…Passed 4–1 · No: Horgan
That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 35 - Petition for Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban Bylaw.
Yes: Forest, McGurrin, Smith, StoneNo: Horgan
From the minutes
“MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen not recommend Article 35 - Petition for Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban Bylaw. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: Mike Stone Roll Call Vote: Peter Smith, aye; Mark Forest, aye; Dorcas McGurrin, aye; Dan Horgan, nay; Mike Stone, aye. Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay. The motion passed..” (Motion: Forest, second: Stone)
Apr 25Would recommend an amended Article 35 - Petition for…Motion: That the Board of Selectmen would recommend an amended Article 35…Passed 4–1 · No: Horgan
April 25, 2023 (Special meeting): Would recommend an amended Article 35 - Petition for Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban Bylaw, if the amendment eliminated the deletion of Section 142-12 from the article motion
ApprovePassed · 4–1
That the Board of Selectmen would recommend an amended Article 35 - Petition for Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban Bylaw, if the amendment eliminated the deletion of Section 142-12 from the article motion.
Yes: Forest, McGurrin, Smith, StoneNo: Horgan
From the minutes
“MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen would recommend an amended Article 35 - Petition for Single Use Plastic Water Bottle Ban Bylaw, if the amendment eliminated the deletion of Section 142-12 from the article motion. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: Mike Stone Discussion: It was clarified that the amendment to the article would allow the penalty provisions to remain in the Bylaw. The amendment would only delete Section 142-11 pertaining to registration of sprinkler systems. Roll Call Vote: Peter Smith, aye; Dorcas McGurrin, aye; Mark Forest, aye; Dan Horgan, nay; Mike Stone, aye. Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay. The motion passed..” (Motion: Forest, second: Stone)
The minutes name two seconders (Dorcas McGurrin, Peter Q. Smith); the first is shown.
From the minutes
“MOTION: To recommend Article 20. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: Dorcas McGurrin, Peter Q. Smith Vote: 4 ayes; 0 nays; one member absent. The motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Forest, second: McGurrin)
Mar 21Recommend Article 32, Open Space/Recreation ProjectsMotion: To recommend Article 32, Open Space/Recreation Projects.Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
March 21, 2023: Recommend Article 32, Open Space/Recreation Projects
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 5 present
To recommend Article 32, Open Space/Recreation Projects.
The minutes record the seconder as "none noted". The minutes do not name a seconder.
From the minutes
“MOTION: To recommend Article 32, Open Space/Recreation Projects. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: (none noted) Discussion: Selectman Smith said that he was not opposed, but he had received questions about the Riverwalk Park portion. It was agreed that the article would be discussed at a future meeting. Vote: 5 ayes; 0 nays. The motion carried unanimously..” (Motion: Forest)
Feb 28Approve the All Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License from June…Motion: To approve the All Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License from June 15…Passed 4–1 · No: Smith
February 28, 2023: Approve the All Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to…
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To approve the All Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Yes: Forest, Horgan, McGurrin, StoneNo: Smith
From the minutes
“MOTION: To approve the All Alcohol Restaurant Liquor License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Motion by: Dorcas McGurrin Seconded by: Peter Smith Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay (Peter Smith). The motion was approved..” (Motion: McGurrin, second: Smith)
Feb 28Approve the Weekday Entertainment License from June 15 th…Motion: To approve the Weekday Entertainment License from June 15 th to…Passed 4–1 · No: Smith
February 28, 2023: Approve the Weekday Entertainment License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to June 14th,…
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To approve the Weekday Entertainment License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. All music will be confined to the interior of the premises and to the exclusion of the exterior of the premises.
Yes: Forest, Horgan, McGurrin, StoneNo: Smith
From the minutes
“MOTION: To approve the Weekday Entertainment License from June 15 th to September 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and the rest of the year from September 9th to June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. All music will be confined to the interior of the premises and to the exclusion of the exterior of the premises. Motion by: Dan Horgan Seconded by: Dorcas McGurrin Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay (Peter Smith). The motion was approved..” (Motion: Horgan, second: McGurrin)
Feb 14Appoint Enrique Arrascue as the next Fire ChiefMotion: That the Board of Selectmen appoint Enrique Arrascue as the next…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
That the Board of Selectmen appoint Enrique Arrascue as the next Fire Chief.
The minutes name two seconders (Peter Smith and Dorcas McGurrin); the first is shown.
From the minutes
“MOTION: That the Board of Selectmen appoint Enrique Arrascue as the next Fire Chief. Motion by: Mark Forest Seconded by: Peter Smith and Dorcas McGurrin Roll Call Vote: Mark Forest, aye; Dan Horgan, aye; Dorcas McGurrin, aye; Peter Smith, aye; Michael Stone, aye. Vote: 5 ayes; 0 nays. The motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Forest, second: Smith)
To not recommend Article 23 if not postponed or withdrawn.
Yes: Forest, McGurrin, Smith, StoneNo: Horgan
From the minutes
“MOTION: To not recommend Article 23 if not postponed or withdrawn. Motion by: Peter Smith Seconded by: Mike Stone Vote: 4 ayes; 1 nay (Dan Horgan). The motion passed..” (Motion: Smith, second: Stone)
From the Yarmouth Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center and its Archive Center (2018 and 2019). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Yarmouth (Tracy Post, Liz Argo); The Provincetown Independent, courtesy Mark Forest (Mark Forest); Cape Cod Times (Joyce Flynn); AARP (Dorcas McGurrin)