Oak Bluffs summer residents packed the library meeting room Tuesday to register concerns about their part-time home and talk with town officials before summer ends. The state of public bathrooms, the public beach, loitering and noise from the bowling alley were all among concerns aired.

But the possibility of a residential tax exemption for year-round residents was a primary worry.

The tax exemption would lower property taxes for year-round residents, shifting more of the burden onto summer homeowners. A recent analysis done by the town estimated that 1,600 of the town’s 4,550 properties would qualify for the residential exemption.

“Those of us who are summer residents are very concerned about that,” said summer resident Dawn McKenna.

Ms. McKenna and several others asked that if the town does pursue a residential exemption, town leaders should seek comment from summer residents.

Selectman and board chairman Brian Packish said the town is only in the very early stages of exploring the idea.

“The selectmen have worked with the board of assessors to begin a discussion and exploration,” Mr. Packish said. “I’m told it’s about a 14 to 16-month process to even investigate.”

He said extensive property data is needed to understand the potential impact of the exemption, and said the decision would not be made without seeking summer resident perspectives. “We’ll need a tremendous amount of public input before we take any step along those lines,” Mr. Packish said.

The town’s principal assessor MacGregor Anderson and town leaders also said they would update the website regularly, so summer residents could follow from afar.

Applying a residential exemption would require more assessor staff time. Selectmen plan to ask the town to fund an administrative assistant position for the assessor’s office at next year’s town meeting, according to the assessors’ website.

On the Island, Tisbury is the only town with a residential exemption.

“It will be a very exhaustive process,” Mr. Packish said. “If nothing else, if we get to the end and decide it’s not a direction that we want to go . . . it’s an opportunity for us to learn a lot more about who lives in our town, how they live in our town, who rents, who doesn’t rent, all those types of things, and it will help us guide a lot of conversations moving forward.”

Summer residents also voiced concerns about the state of public bathrooms.

“It’s kind of embarrassing to bring someone, for the first impression of Oak Bluffs to be the public bathrooms downtown,” said Byron Barnett. He also said noise from the bowling alley dumping glass bottles was a nuisance at night.

Tené Shavers said reports last spring of squatters living in temporary town buildings left her family concerned for their summer home. Mr. Packish said the buildings are now occupied by school administrators, and that they will be needed eventually when a new town hall is built.

“The break-in that happened there was we had some people who unfortunately didn’t have a place to live, and they were there and they were warm. They got into them and they stayed for a short period of time,” Mr. Packish said.

Amelie Loyot said freight trucks have been parking and idling along the seawall.

“We’re all looking at mobile billboards. They are running the trucks for like, hours, and it is loud,” she said.

Selectmen said the trucks are likely waiting there before taking the ferry and need to stay running for refrigeration purposes. Police chief Erik Blake said the road is a state road, and vehicles are free to park there for less than 72 hours.

Selectman Gail Barmakian asked whether selectmen could limit commercial vehicle parking in the area.

“They’re going to end up in downtown,” Mr. Blake said. “They’re doing it because it’s easy to stay there and get to the boat.”

In other business, after a lengthy public hearing, selectmen approved a request from Noman’s owner Doug Abdelnour Jr. to include some outdoor patio space in the restaurant’s liquor license. Mr. Abdelnour bought the restaurant, formerly Lola’s, last year.

The restaurant is located in a residential area, and a large contingent of neighbors came to the meeting to express misgivings about any expansion of the establishment’s liquor license.

“The operation is no longer just a restaurant, but an outdoor entertainment business,” said Alfred Woollacott 3rd, leader of the Harthaven Neighborhood Association. “The restaurant is allowed only because it’s grandfathered to operate in a residentially zoned area.”

But Mr. Abdelnour said the changes did not represent an expansion of the license, but an acknowledgement that people who are served drinks inside the restaurant may wander outside.

“Lola’s was a bar. It was a restaurant. It had outside seating. It had music. That’s exactly what we’re doing. Except we’re doing it in a manner that starts at 9 a.m. and closes around 9:30 p.m.” he said.

Selectmen stipulated that alcohol may not be served outdoors and that the restaurant submit a detailed description of its operations for the record.

Selectmen also approved a contract with the EMS employees through the International Association of Firefighters Local 5137 Union, and approved the fourth annual Martha’s Vineyard Marathon for May 16, 2020.