Aquinnah Cancels Special Town Meeting

MARTHA'S VINEYARD—Aquinnah selectmen voted in favor of cancelling Saturday's special town meeting on Tuesday due to concerns over the rising number of coronavirus cases on Martha's Vineyard.

The meeting was scheduled to take place outdoors in front of the Aquinnah Fire Station. Because there would be a quorum of 43 Aquinnah residents, the town planned to space chairs six feet apart and hold an informational Zoom forum ahead of the meeting to minimize close contact among residents.

At the November 14 meeting, the town planned to vote on 12 articles, including one to transfer $35,000 from town funds to begin renovations to the town hall, one to allocate $20,000 for new restrooms at Aquinnah Circle, one to spend $20,000 to install a parking lot at the library and repair the parking lot at the town hall, and one to designate $19,000 for leasing town vehicles, and several articles to pay outstanding debts.

Another article on the schedule for voting is an aspirational goal in response to the climate change crisis, which would seek to reduce fossil fuel use on the Island 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040, increase the Island's renewable energy usage to 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040, and foster biosphere carbon capture through adopting regenerative agriculture and landscaping, protecting and expanding wetlands, and preserving woodland resources.

The town has not yet announced when voting on these articles will take place or what the options are if Martha's Vineyard continues to experience an increase in coronavirus cases.