<p>Five of the six Vineyard towns have settled on April 27 as the date to phase in limited construction work, voting to extend strict building moratoriums for an another 10 days.
In the spirit of compromise — and Islandwide unity — five of the six Vineyard towns have quickly settled on April 27 as the date to phase in limited construction work, voting to extend strict building moratoriums for an another 10 days before allowing one and two-man crews to get back on the job.
Edgartown, Chilmark, West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Tisbury have all agreed to the construction ban extension. Phase one of new back-to-work guidelines will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 27.
The decisions cap a week of impassioned debate around how and when to restart construction work that ultimately split the Island along geographic lines.
In the past 24 hours, however, the towns rapidly fell into lock step, deciding on April 27 as an appropriate date to allow small crews back on job sites, with strict protocols for hygiene and distancing.
Oak Bluffs town administrator Bob Whritenour, who previously advocated strongly for a start date of April 22, said Friday that he understood the importance of choosing a date that worked for all Island towns — and that heeds the advice of medical professionals.
“Regionally and locally, I do have some misgivings on not allowing some limited crews out on April 22,” Mr. Whritenour said at an Oak Bluffs selectmen’s Friday. “But in the spirit of keeping the entire Island community 100 per cent together and in lockstep with the medical community, I think it’s reasonable to take this step to adopt the order that establishes the limited phase one back to work on April 27.”
Five of the six Island towns instituted strict construction bans shortly after the coronavirus outbreak began, with the intention of drafting guidelines during that time frame.
The bans were set to expire on Tuesday and will now be extended.
Earlier in the week, with the back-to-work guidelines in hand and a plan to allow limited work to begin again April 22, town leaders paused when hospital president and CEO Denise Schepici intervened at the 11th hour, calling it a “dire mistake.”
After a tense conference call Wednesday, towns remained divided on the issue, with up-Island officials advocating for April 28 and down-Island towns arguing for April 22.
By Friday, tensions had cooled, and all five towns settled on April 27 as a compromise date.
Oak Bluffs selectman Brian Packish credited town attorneys, as well as the working group that drafted the guidelines, for helping to broker the compromise.
“After that [Wednesday] call, town counsels and the working groups had some discussion,” Mr. Packish told the Gazette.
West Tisbury and Chilmark voted to adopt the guidelines Thursday afternoon.
On Friday Tisbury approved the guidelines at a morning meeting. Oak Bluffs followed suit early Friday afternoon. Edgartown voted its piece at a meeting late Friday afternoon.
(Early on in the pandemic, Aquinnah adopted its own construction ban that is slightly less restrictive than the other towns.)
Drafted by a group that included town public health officials, building inspectors, and members of the construction, landscaping and trades community, landscaper and other tradespeople, the guidelines aim to bring the Island construction ban more closely into compliance with regulations at the state level. They constitute phase one of a larger get-back-to-work game plan that officials hope will gradually allow the robust building trades to resume once the pandemic subsides.
Among other things, the guidelines outline detailed safety and hygienic protocols for workers, requiring them to wear gloves, keep cleaning logs for jobsites, and to have running water and at least one bathroom with soap.
No more than one or two workers at a time will be allowed at construction sites or work sites.
The guidelines also state that workers can only arrive at sites by foot, by bicycle or single-occupancy vehicle.
Will Sennott and Aaron Wilson contributed reporting.
Comments
Sadly, Mr. Whritenour caved
Vineyard Haven Strong Vineyard HaveSadly, Mr. Whritenour caved to the pressure. Why tell us what you wanted to do and then do something else? That’s the easy way. Once again our elected officials have taken the easy way out at the expense of the majority. I’d like to know why I should believe that we will be allowed to go back to work on April 28? We have already been told we could go back to work on April 7 then again on April 22. Both times they changed the date. Broken promises seem to be the theme here and I don’t believe this will be any different. I DO believe this is an attempt to stomp down a mutiny which may be what happens if people aren’t allowed to earn a living.
What if we have another one or two cases? Then the hospital CEO will have another 11th panic to scare the selectman into submission. I’m sure the doctors and nurses should be praised but she should be fired. We are on our 10th day without a new case yet we have to wait another 10days to go back. This will make working people think twice before donating to that hospital.
^^^There were two new cases
A dissenting opinion Below^^^There were two new cases confirmed on the 17th so we have not gone 10+ days straight without cases. The suggestion that Ms. Schepici should be fired is nonsensical. You do not speak on behalf of so-called working people. Your talk of mutiny is overblown.
I, for one, am surprised that construction is being allowed to resume prior to the expiration of the May 4th stay at home order anyway. I know the local regulations went above and beyond the state guidelines, but if health officials believe a few more weeks will make all of the difference then gird up and endure it. Massachusetts has excellent social services and will not let anyone who actively seeks their assistance to incur irreparable harm to their living situation. They cannot, however, cure your boredom and agitation.
Older folks like to complain how much easier things are today than they used to be—ok then, let’s see some of that olde time resolve.
Younger folks are always on their phones anyway so keep texting younger folks, keep zoomin’
"This will make working
Bulkington Edgartown"This will make working people think twice before donating to that hospital." How dare you threaten the Hospital! God Forbid you need medical attention, the Hospital will NEVER think twice about giving it to you.
I agree 100% that was has
Save Our Summer EdgartownI agree 100% that was has happened to the construction trades has been very unfair! So many broken promises as you alluded to with the likelihood that the ban will be extended when the Head of the Hospital cries wolf yet again. The scary part is that our elected officials(and their electorates) don’t care about the working people of this island! What about all the people and businesses that are solely dependent on summer tourism? Will the powers that be not allow restaurants, hotels, activities,...to open in time for summer so people can make an honest living?! Our hospital sits empty while we wait for the plague to strike, that will never come. Statistics for Massachusetts show that 50% of the fatalities are from people in nursing homes.....how does reopening the economy affect them? They are the most vulnerable to be sure and should stay in quarantine. Please LET’S SAVE OUR SUMMER AND ECONOMY before it is too late!!
This isn't a compromise. It's
ZephyrThis isn't a compromise. It's an outrage! Listen to the health professionals at the hospital and extend the lockdown at least until May 4, and probably longer. Massachusetts is one of the hardest hit states in the country, and we need to act like it. The island is not immune from the raging fire seen just across the water on the Cape.
Here on the Cape where COVID
John Cape CodHere on the Cape where COVID conditions are certainly much worse than MV most Towns have continued to allow all construction,landscapers and other trades to continue working following guidelines all along. Also keep in mind that the entire Cape has only 2 Hospitals that have limited resources as well. People need to be allowed to go back to work following safe guidelines so they can earn a living, as this COVID issue isn't going to disappear anytime in the near future.
Thanks for letting my kids go
Island girls VhThanks for letting my kids go hungry,
It is distressing when you
Tom VHIt is distressing when you say letting my kids go hungry, please I urge you to make calls to community services, school, food bank, net result or any of the many more restaurants or grocery store offering help. Please take advantage of any and all opportunities to help you family, we all care.
There are plenty of resources
DownislanderThere are plenty of resources on the island that will feed you and your children. Stop.
House in the Reserve at the
Robbin Oak BluffsHouse in the Reserve at the Woodland with a work crew working? Why??
House on Water View in Oak Bluffs getting a new roof? Why??
Did you call the police? I
Islander MVDid you call the police? I know with absolute certainty that they have been responding to illegal job sites. Those numbers have been dropping by the way. Sometimes what you see is a crew doing emergency repairs(allowed). The police will tell you. If it isn’t specifically allowed the site will be shut down. End of story. We need to be careful making false or misguided accusations of officials looking the other way. It leads to mutiny. If that is what you are going for, I can’t atop you. But if you are genuinely asking about these sites please call the police. Let us know if they won’t help.
I'm laughing at the BOH's
Native Not MVYI'm laughing at the BOH's logic to finally to comply with the Governor's directive, exactly during the projected peak of C-19 cases in MA. What great leadership. Your community leaders have hurt your building community badly. This should have never been managed this way. On par with POTUS's handling. And now you ask for more handouts from the Governor for your SSA while your hospitals sit empty and you send your sick to a BOS while asking healthy not to come to the Vineyard. You all have to look at each other.
What a farce. Nobody can
Rich Vineyard HavenWhat a farce. Nobody can explain how hiring a single person to mow my lawn or paint the exterior of my house will spread the virus and kill us all.
That's because there is no
David JohnThat's because there is no logical explanation. Workers at an isolated, self-quarantined jobsite are a zero health threat. And, much safer than being one of the additional hundreds of people in and out of the open stores throughout the day. We've reached a tipping point where poorly made decisions are now more harmful than the virus itself. Stress and panic are compromising immune systems which is the number one defense against any virus. Child abuse is on the rise, domestic violence is on the rise, sexual abuse is on the rise. The rally cry of stay-at-home is necessary and fine for some but not everyone. Logic and common sense have taken a backseat and put the island, as a whole, in harm's way health wise and economically.
Domestic violence is a choice
Bulkington EdgartownDomestic violence is a choice. It is a learned behavior and is not caused by a virus. An abuser has experienced that violence, a form of control gets them what they want. Abusers have a sense of entitlement, power, and control over a family member. Many abusers do not face any negative repercussions for their sexist attitudes and abusive behaviors. If they are challenged, their excuses are accepted (e.g. blaming the behavior on alcohol use, stress, being provoked by the victim, or, even being confined during a pandemic.) Perhaps the most despicable part of it all is that not only the aggressor but also, society is willing to speak up, to blame it on something or someone else other than the coward who commits it. The tipping point is not the virus. The tipping point is people loudly trying to find a plausible reason for domestic violence.
The town representation has
No FaithThe town representation has not served the community well on this issue. Weeks ago the ban was put in place with assurances they would work towards safety guidelines and in a TIMELY manner. We are told there are guidelines yet the ban is extended once again. Instead of taking small steps overtime, they are creating an avalanche of work with no way to manage it.
As a frequent visitor of the
Scott Foxboro MaAs a frequent visitor of the island with love and respect for what it offers the way officials are handling things is beyond comprehension.
I am in the construction business we are going about our business as usual with caution. To date everything is fine. If we dont let some sectors of the economy to continue there will be no economy and we will all suffer. So much energy is being spent in the wrong direction right now. Please protect the most vulnerable with the all the resources possible. make smart decisions in regards to things like 50k people gathering at Boston garden for a concert. But please we are not going to just make this virus go away, we need to do the right thing, live a healthy lifestyle and go about our business.
I have gone off Island til
Roy W TisI have gone off Island til the madness and misleading information ends on island. The administrator at the hospital is exactly that. She is not a health professional she is there to promote the hospitals [ usefulness to the community during this pandemic ] What she is not saying is that there have been no inpatient cases of the 14 claimed Island cases how many are over it and recovering. The last time I went to hospital they plaster casted my broken wrist then asked me to come back in two weeks to have it rebroken when the orth doc got back from vacation There’s plenty of work off Island and hardware stores and lumber yards are open. I’m in Massachusetts by the way. The leaders there aren’t acting like we’re idiots that don’t know how to behave safely. But island leaders think your stupid . Why would I donate to a hospital that everyone dreads having to go to
I am not a lawyer but I am a
Janet TisburyI am not a lawyer but I am a bit unclear why people are actually adhering to this ban. The response letter by Gov. Baker to the initial request for a construction ban clearly indicates that his order designates construction projects as Essential services: "construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection and maintenance of construction sites." And the letter goes on to indicate that "Local policies, regulations, or directives that provide otherwise are in direct conflict with the order and should be withdrawn." If sites are fined they should be able to legally contest this... And it shouldn't really be enforceable.
These are interesting
Lorraine EdgartownThese are interesting comments. I have made telephone calls around the country to well known friends, etc., good sources, and small towns, villages, country areas, are working. The cities are driving this to a large part. Small towns where everyone knows everyone and are good neighbors are working, getting things done and supporting their families. Cities of huge, diverse populations have other concerns. In many large cities government assistance is prevalent; in rural areas of the country with small businesses as the main, people are working. I know this from telephone calls I have made within the last week.
Note that Massachusetts has
ZephyrNote that Massachusetts has one of the least restrictive bans on non-essential work, and we started late, while at the same time the state has the third most cases per 100,000 people in the country--only behind NY and NJ. Compare Mass to Washington state with an almost complete construction ban, far fewer cases, far fewer deaths, and more likely to open up sooner. Read the Globe article about how Mass is doing much worse than most of the nation.
These comments are
C formerly ChilmarkThese comments are distressing. What we need are tests (both for active infections, and for antibodies), so that we know who's contagious and who probably has immunity, at least for some time. We also need contact tracers - an army of them (jobs!). This isn't astrophysics; it's basic public health that we knew in the Spanish flu epidemic. States can't make that happen because they're broke, and they can't print money, as the Federal gov't can. (Econ 101). The problem is the Feds - not using the DPA to compel more domestic manufacture of swabs, reagents and tests; seizing PPE from states; and then lying about all of it daily. (sigh) This isn't about red/blue politics; it's about competent governance, good government. If we had enough tests, certainly all the workers with antibodies could go back to work (masked & socially distant).
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