Choose Granite Countertops in Wellfleet, MA for Elegance and Durability

Tom Guerino will be the interim town administrator pending contract negotiations

WELLFLEET — As the town heads into budget and warrant season, its leaders have been faced with a more urgent job: finding a new administrator for its rapidly approaching busiest season.

The select board voted on Tuesday to appoint Tom Guerino interim town administrator, two weeks after Assistant Town Administrator Silvio Genao announced that he would not take the job. The board had appointed Genao on Jan. 9 following Town Administrator Rich Waldo’s resignation.

Guerino is currently director of the Greenfield Housing Authority. He served 14 years as town administrator in Bourne, according to a letter submitted to the select board. He also served as interim municipal manager of the Town of Putney, Vt., as well as executive director of the Mass. Rural Development Council, according to his résumé.

The selection came after public interviews with four candidates. At its Jan. 30 meeting, the board narrowed the choice to Guerino or former Wellfleet Town Administrator Harry Terkanian. Chair Barbara Carboni and vice chair John Wolf wanted Terkanian; members Michael DeVasto, Ryan Curley, and Tim Sayre favored Guerino.

Current Bourne Assistant Town Administrator Liz Hartsgrove and Kenneth Eldridge, a resident of Wellfleet and former select board member in Littleton, also applied for the position.

Waldo’s last day at town hall is Feb. 9, and Genao will leave less than a week later, on Feb. 15. Waldo had been Wellfleet’s administrator for 18 months; Genao had been in place for only three months.

Both cited disharmony with the select board and job stress as their reasons for resigning.

On Jan. 24, Carboni said, “This is not an ideal way to conduct the start of a search, but we are on a very short timeline, and there was not really time for the normal process. We are doing the best we can under the circumstances.”

But select board members said they were impressed with the candidates. DeVasto said that Guerino’s background “is everything we need. I am 100 percent confident in his ability to move the ball forward. It is clear he has a breadth of administrative experience, knowledge, and professionalism.”

Curley expressed interest in Guerino’s municipal finance experience. According to Guerino’s cover letter, during his tenure in Bourne, the town’s bond rating from Standard and Poor’s increased from AA- to AA+.

“Having someone who brings financial acumen is important,” Curley said.

Carboni said that Terkanian’s background in Wellfleet would provide needed stability to a tumultuous moment at town hall. “We need as much familiarity as possible, both on the part of the interim but also on the part of staff,” Carboni said.

During Guerino’s interview with the board on Jan. 29, he said he hoped his tenure as interim town administrator would last a year. Select board members deliberated on whether a year contract would violate the town charter, which stipulates that the appointment of an interim town administrator cannot exceed 90 days but can be renewed.

The board ultimately voted to appoint Guerino as interim administrator “subject to successful contract negotiations” and to appoint Terkanian as interim if contract negotiations with Guerino fail.

At the select board’s two interview sessions on Jan. 24 and Jan. 29, board members laid out their priorities for an interim administrator.

Carboni listed staffing as her main concern. “We are in a vulnerable place right now with the transition, and I want to make sure that the staff feels supported and listened to,” she said. “I am looking for someone who is a good manager of people and someone who is interested in employee retention.”

She asked candidates about the town administrator’s role in supporting and retaining staff during a transitional period.

“My management style is horizontal as opposed to vertical,” said Guerino. “My job is to help facilitate for them to do their best job, offer guidance and support — the idea is not to micromanage.” Retaining staff is about finding out “what the impetus is that people are leaving, how do we meet with the board to address those issues and calm the water,” he said. “That’s what I can bring to the table.”

“I make the rounds with department heads to try to find out what is on their mind, what they see on the horizon that is going to need attention,” Terkanian told the board. “I am there to help them with problems as opposed to telling them how to run their department.”

Staff retention revolves around working conditions, training, and compensation, Terkanian said. “It’s striking a balance between doing the best you can for your employees and respecting the fact that you have your hands on the taxpayers’ wallets.”

DeVasto asked about the select board’s working relationship with the town administrator: “How would you respond to a select board member who oversteps into the administrative role in operations?”

“We need to go to the board and get their buy-in to be sure that we are all marching the same way,” Guerino said. “The charter is very clear.”

Another concern expressed at the candidate interviews was the erosion of trust between members of the public and local government. Wolf called heated exchanges at public meetings “very pointed, very personal, and very nasty. Is that something you are mentally prepared to deal with?” Wolf asked.

Terkanian said that acrimony at meetings is “unfortunately one of the joys of public service.”

Select board members asked each candidate to outline how they would respond to such exchanges.

“There seems to be a communication issue going two ways,” Guerino said. “There needs to be clear understandings of the role of municipal government. But lack of respect for another person’s position can’t be tolerated.”

“The thing you can do is to be transparent and to try to lower the temperature of the debate in terms of being concise, factual, and not engaging in ad hominem attacks,” Terkanian said.

The town is in the process of hiring a recruiting consultant to help search for a permanent town administrator, said Carboni. Solicitations for quotes from interested vendors “will go out shortly,” she told the .

The board will also appoint citizens to a screening committee to interview candidates for the position; the committee will select three finalists for the select board to interview. The board does not have a deadline for hiring a permanent town administrator, Carboni said.

The new town administrator will appoint an interim or permanent assistant town administrator, as required by the charter, said Carboni.

“Onward through the fog,” DeVasto said at the Jan. 30 meeting.

As she waits for the Legislature to dig into her detailed proposal to deal with the housing access and affordability crisis, Gov. Maura Healey announced Monday that 26 housing projects across Massachusetts, including two supportive affordable housing developments for vulnerable residents in Lynn and Boston, are slated to receive financial assistance from the state.

More than 1,900 housing units in 19 municipalities will be built or preserved through a jolt of funding from subsidies and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which saw a $20 million increase in the tax package Healey signed in October. More than 90 percent of the units will be "income-restricted, affordable units," the governor said.

Healey announced the slate of projects Monday at the Hyde Square Task Force in Jamaica Plain, where state and local officials gathered to highlight a "historic adaptive reuse project" for the adjacent Blessed Sacrament Church. The church, which has sat vacant for the last 20 years, will be redeveloped with 55 affordable housing units and a performance space.

"Each of these 26 developments is thoughtful, creative and rooted in community, and each will provide someone -- a senior, a family, a working person -- with a comfort of home and the peace of mind that comes with financial security," Healey said. She added that the state was able to award funding to all applicants this year due to the expanded Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Policies intended to support families and children

Two days away from unveiling her fiscal 2025 budget amid nearly flat revenue collections, Healey expressed appreciation for the Legislature, which largely supported the $1 billion tax cut package. Beyond raising the Low-Income Tax Credit program cap from $40 million to $60 million, the package also increased the rental deduction cap and doubled the senior circuit breaker tax credit, among other policies to support families and children.

"These homes will also stand as a testament to the impact we can have when we take action as partners in government," Healey said. "This time last year, we would not have been able to fund this many affordable homes; we would not have been able to issue awards for every strong application that came in. But last year, we got together, we said we were going to do this, and together our administration and the Legislature made it happen."

The projects are receiving nearly $95 million from the Low-Income Tax Credit, including about $50.4 million in federal tax credits and $44.5 million in state tax credits, a spokesperson from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said. They're also supported by about $138 million in subsidies from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Housing and Stabilization Fund, and the Housing Innovation Fund, as well as other state and federal programs, the spokesperson said.

Where are the projects that will be funded?

The projects are located in Boston, Lynn, Athol, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Franklin, Holyoke, Northampton, Rockland, Oak Bluffs, Salem, Somerville, South Hadley, Springfield, Templeton, Wellfleet and Worcester, according to the governor's office.

All of those communities have a "dire need" for more affordable housing, said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. A quarter of the housing units will serve "extremely low-income" residents and people who are transitioning from homelessness, Augustus said.

In Lynn, Augustus said, the Solimine House project will create 150 affordable apartments for seniors, and residents will be able to access health care services at home thanks to a partnership with a nonprofit health care organization.

99 single-room apartments in a former hotel

A hotel in Boston, located on Morrissey Boulevard, will be converted into 99 single-room apartments meant for individuals who are chronically homeless. Augustus said residents will receive services, care coordination and life skills training to help them "get back on their feet."

"Supportive housing does more than provide a roof over someone's head -- it provides them with essential wraparound services that help build a safe, stable future, and it is our best weapon in our battle against chronic homelessness," Augustus said. "These two projects and the 24 others we celebrate today are all fantastic. We need resources to do even more."

The secretary, echoing Healey's remarks, used the press conference to highlight the administration's $4.1 billion housing bond bill proposal, which went before the Housing Committee for a hearing last week. The bill would support the creation or preservation of 70,000 housing units, while implementing a string of housing policies, such as local-option real estate transfer fees, administration officials say.

"Last week in her State of the Commonwealth address, the governor said we need to go big on solving our housing challenges. The projects we celebrate today show Massachusetts is full of big ideas and bright solutions," Augustus said. "And together, we can make Massachusetts a place where everyone can afford to live."

Creating a sense of community

Surveying the direct impact of the new housing grants, Augustus, Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll took a brief stroll outside of the Blessed Sacrament Church, built in 1913 and purchased a decade ago by the Hyde Square Task Force, a nonprofit that supports Afro-Latin culture. Driscoll said she couldn't wait to return for a future ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Project planners intend to repair and maintain the facade of the church, while revamping the back of the building."We set out with this grand idea of creating an arts and cultural center, but soon realized that the project would require more than what we could do on our own," Celina Miranda, executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force, said. The funding support will enable residents to stay in the area and "enjoy all the cultural richness and vibrancy this neighborhood has to offer," Miranda said.

Historic assets are important for affordable housing initiatives, said Charlie Adams, regional vice president of development company Pennrose, the task force's partner in refurbishing the church.

"They are symbols of the community, and they create a real sense of community," Adams said. "It's always exciting and a great opportunity when they can no longer serve their original purpose that they can be converted to something else, and so we are particularly excited to be able to transform this beautiful asset, this historic asset for the community into a new generation of years to come."

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When you think of Wellfleet, you may think only of its popular summer drive-in movie theater, one of the few left in New England, but it is so much more than that. Jutting 45 miles out into the Atlantic (according to wellfleet-ma.gov), Wellfleet abounds in natural beauty, and is largely part of the Cape Cod National Seashore – 61 percent of its land mass, in fact. It has an intriguing history and a decidedly nautical feel to it, and is well worth the trip just to explore.

Here are some interesting tidbits about Wellfleet, of which you might not be aware:

Wellfleet is the home of the Cape Cod National Seashore Headquarters, as well as the 1,000-acre Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary. Some of Cape Cod’s finest ocean surfcasting, fresh-water pond and boat fishing possibilities are found in Wellfleet. The town is well known for its plentiful supply of shellfish, including the famous “Wellfleet Oysters.”

At the height of summer, the town’s normal population of around 3,500 explodes to over 17,000, all there to enjoy Wellfleet’s stunning, sandy beaches, spring-fed ponds, art galleries, shops and restaurants… and, yes, the drive-in, too.

The village first became the “hamlet of Billingsgate,” after a famous fish market in London. Originally part of Eastham, the residents first began to think of establishing themselves as a separate town in the second decade of the eighteenth century but were unable to do so until 1763 when the North Precinct of Eastham was finally declared a separate district to be known as “Wellfleet,” named for a famous oyster produced in the eastern waters of England.

Marconi Beach is named after famous Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who chose this area of Wellfleet due to its elevated, barren landscape, to set up Marconi Station – a site where he hoped to make the first transatlantic wireless communication (though that eventually occurred elsewhere). Marconi Beach is also a good place to see seals, as they seem to love gathering there. But remember, where seals congregate, sharks follow.

If you hear bells ringing at odd times of day, that’s the First Congregational Church’s bell-tower clock (known locally as the “Town Clock”). This is the only bell clock in the world that still chimes on “ship’s time.” Ship’s bell time originated in sailing ship days, when the crew of a vessel was divided into Port and Starboard watches, each on duty four hours, then off four hours.

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, which is run by Mass Audubon, has six trails for exploring different facets of nature. Bay View Trail winds through shaded pine/oak woodlands; The Boardwalk crosses over the salt marsh to the beach; Goose Pond Trail visits a diversity of habitats – great for birdwatching, and is all-person accessible from the Nature Center to Goose Pond; Silver Spring Trail borders a small fresh water pond; and Try Island Trail supports an oak/hickory woodland with views of Cape Cod Bay.

Wellfleet sits 14 miles south of Provincetown. You literally have to drive through it to get there, so stop and enjoy all that this charming seaside town has to offer.

WELLFLEET — A $28 million budget and overrides worth $635,192 for four new town positions will be at the heart of the town meeting on April 29.

A Housing/Community Preservation Act coordinator, wastewater supervisor and two firefighter positions are on the warrant for voters to consider.

Select Board Chairman Ryan Curley said they’d hoped to avoid asking for an operating budget override, but the Nauset Regional School system budget came in $320,000 higher than last year, and the county retirement fund costs came in $172,000 higher than last year.

The town faced 12% increases in both health, and property and liability insurance according to Town Administrator Richard Waldo. He said the overrides would cost the owner of a median priced home ($790,000) a $142 annual assessment.

Wellfleet financesWhat led to Wellfleet's financial woes?

The capital budget calls for 13 debt exclusions totaling $3 million.

They include $50,000 for maintenance dredging, $365,000 for an ambulance, and $850,000 to extend the water main to Maurice’s Campground.

Curley said it's important to get the water main extension to Maurice's done this year. The state is repaving Route 6, and when finished, there is a several-year moratorium on cutting into the pavement. Delaying the extension would cost the town more money, Curley said.

The warrant includes 53 articles, including 16 budget articles, 10 additional finance articles, eight Community Preservation articles and 12 bylaw amendments and petition articles.

The warrant calls for a Housing/Community Preservation Act Specialist for $115,000, a water/wastewater supervisor position for $145,000 and two firefighter positions for $221,400. The funding is subject to a proposition 2 ½ override. The positions have been recommended by the Select Board and Finance Committee.

Only 18% of Wellfleet’s residential properties are primary residences.

Housing must be a high priority, Curley said.

“We just need help with housing,” he said. “It’s undermining everything. It’s undermining us as a town to hire staff, but it’s not just us having that difficulty. Outer Cape Health Services are having trouble recruiting doctors and nurses."

Only 18% of Wellfleet’s residential properties are primary residences. Seasonal homes and Airbnb’s have removed available housing stock from year-rounders who live and work on the Outer Cape. Articles that would okay the hiring of a housing coordinator, allow the town to purchase deed restrictions and increase the residential tax exemption for owners renting to year rounders are on the warrant as means to helping the housing crisis.

Housing costsWellfleet home for sale at $1.695M

Of eight community preservation articles, four deal with housing.

The Lawrence Road affordable housing project would receive $1 million from CPA and undesignated funds. The downpayment assistance program would get $100,000. An affordable housing project in Orleans would get $20,000. And $7,500 would go to the Community Development Partnership for its Lower Cape Housing Institute.

Article 46 would establish a real estate transfer fee that would be used to create revenue to address the housing crisis. The fee would apply to the sale of properties valued at more than 120% of the median home value. Another article would allow the town to purchase deed restrictions to permanently limit the occupancy of a unit to year-round housing. Article 48 would expand the residential property exemption to year-round rental units as long as a Wellfleet resident claims the property as his/her principal residence.

Town Meeting will be held at the Wellfleet Elementary School on April 29 at 10 a.m. Officials are urging residents to arrive early so the meeting can begin on time. The warrant can be found at https://www.wellfleet-ma.gov/2022-special-fall-town-meeting/pages/2023-final-town-meeting-warrant.

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.

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Jennifer Congel has a message for Cape Cod drivers: Make it a point to stop in Wellfleet.

“People are just driving down Route 6 and passing Wellfleet on their way to P-Town and not realizing how beautiful Wellfleet is and all the great stuff there is to do here,” said Congel, town resident since 2000 and town clerk since 2020.

She said her Cape town is well worth exploring.

“There’s definitely a little bit more of a rustic and bohemian side in Wellfleet,” Congel said. “We’re not Chatham. We’re not Nantucket. But we’ve got an artsy, bohemian vibe going on that’s really great.”

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Ahead, Congel offers her picks for what to see and do when visiting Wellfleet.

Spend time at Wellfleet Harbor

Congel called Wellfleet Harbor “one of the most beautiful little harbors in the world.”

Some who drive through Wellfleet might miss how spectacular the harbor is, she said.

“Once you get off the highway and you come into town, it really starts to dawn on you, I think, when you make that turn and you see how sweet Main Street is and Commercial Street going down to the harbor,” Congel said.

Hungry travelers can dine at Mac’s on the Pier, described on its website as an “honest-to-goodness clam shack” on Wellfleet Harbor.

“You can pick up food and sit at one of the picnic tables by the harbor and sit there with the harbor view,” Congel said.

Grab a meal at Moby Dick’s Restaurant

Congel’s go-to place for family meals is Moby Dick’s Restaurant, which has been feeding folks since 1983.

“We bring all our family members that come to see us there,” she said.

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and invites customers to bring their own beer and wine.

“They’ll put all your wine in an ice bucket with a wine opener and bring it to your table, so they’ll totally take care of you,” she said.

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The menu offers lobster, grilled fish, fried clams, burkers, steak tips, chicken, and Wellfleet oysters, of course.

“The owners, Todd and Mignon, are very fastidious on how fresh their seafood is,” she said.

The fish fry in particular is a favorite in her house.

“My husband always gets a fish fry and my husband is very particular about fish fry,” she said.

Catch a sunset at Duck Harbor beach

Congel spends a lot of time at Duck Harbor Beach.

“It’s a really special place,” she said. “I don’t know if people coming here, that are just coming here for a week, if that’s necessarily going to be on their radar because there’s so many more more famous beaches like Cahoon Hallow and the Beachcomber [restaurant] to go to. But it’s just such a beautiful spot.”

Congel loves to collect rocks and tiny shells on the beach. And there’s something else that draws her there.

“A lot of people go to Duck Harbor for the sunsets,” she said.

A beach sticker is required to park at Duck Harbor, she said, but guests can also park at the National Seashore’s Great Island Trail and bike over, she said.

Beach stickers are required at certain beaches and ponds in Wellfleet between the third Saturday in June and Labor Day weekend.

Hike the Great Island Trail

The Cape Cod National Seashore’s Great Island Trail is Congel’s favorite place to meet friends.

Hikers can choose between short and longer hikes, she said, and those feeling adventurous can hike the 8.8-mile round trip out to Jeremy Point, a stretch of sand only available when the tide is out. It’s important to coordinate your trip with the tide.

“Jeremy Point goes underwater at high tide to a certain degree,” she said

When timed just right, it’s breathtaking, Congel said.

“It’s really gorgeous,” she said. “It’s just such a spectacular sight out there.”

What readers say about Wellfleet:

“Hate to give up my spot but Great Island Trail is a must experience,” wrote @kmoriahb.

For things to do:

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail — @mayamtz11, @dreann10Cahoon Hollow Beach — @Chloeg104, @alvcourt, @o.kellyFrying Pan Gallery — @alvcourt, @travelikealocalma, @surfergirlackGreat Island Trail — @Hayleysanders_, @Andymiami_and_beyond, @kmarachi510, @kmoriahb, @suzyq0027Great Pond — @Jakearmstrong_5Gull Pond — @mayamtz11IMPROVincetown — @htarnoweKettle ponds — @etoile_ciel, @chloes3raLeCount Hollow Beach — @kmarachi510Left Bank Gallery — @travelikealocalmaLieutenant Island hike — @adunne313Marconi Beach — @its_mish, @adunne313, @Larabear89, @Jakearmstrong_5, @steve_parziale, @mayamtz11, @kmoriahb, @tonycanklesNarrow Land Pottery — flaherty_paulaSand dunes — @lmlegayThe Wellfleet Beachcomber Store — @suzyq0027Uncle Tim’s Bridge — @kmarachi510, @photographybykarenjoy, @travelikealocalmaWellfleet Bay — @surfergirlackWellfleet Drive-In Theatre — @_caitlin11, @laurajoyal, @Double_g7745, @Ianoned513, @Gstone208, @Nolan_denaro, @Peggamac805, @cliffama, @Evan_dasilva_, @Reegs.0296, @Bobbua, @o.kelly, @spud.196Wellfleet Harbor — @o.kellyWellfleet Marine Retail Store — @donnasponyWellfleet OysterFest — @bethanyrochefort, @dreann10Wellfleet Flea Market — @jenn.a.wall, @Gstone208, @Karenfaheyriccardi, @glinny616

For food and drink:

Blue Willow Bakery — @_sar_alexandraBomb Shelter Pub — @briannamcarstens, @melluvspatsBookstore & Restaurant — @Hayleysanders_, @lauriesimonian, @tjkubaska, @darcymagliozziMac’s on the Pier — @kmarachi510, @nauticallynorthernMac’s Shack — @dornaca, @Tricia_flaherty, @jenn.a.wall, @Colletejoylove, @elizmcdonough, @msbean8616, @mrshairbear, @mayamtz11, @dreann10, @carerita, @_sar_alexandra, @ejgearysphrMoby Dick’s Restaurant — @melluvspats, @spud.196, @tonycanklesPB Bouglangerie Bistro — @Hankeen, @_luppino_Pearl — @alvcourt, @highfives4life, @_sar_alexandra, @tonycankles, @suzyq0027P.J.’s — @Jakearmstrong_5, @Cyn.palmer, @mwlphelps, @halliecoThe Beachcomber — recommended by dozens of readersThe Block & Tackle — @kmoriahbThe Flying Fish — @EmmaliklyThe Wicked Oyster — @thatgirlkillah, @kmarachi510Winslow’s Tavern — @christabel02460

Reader @tonycankles wrote the following: “Oof too much to name… The Pearl is just the perfect restaurant, Marconi is one of the best beaches hands down, Moby Dicks is a must & of course the Comah. Wellfleet or bust!”