'Remarkably beautiful.' New town seal in Yarmouth passes town meeting
SOUTH YARMOUTH — Yarmouth will have a new town seal, updated wetlands bylaws, new hybrid police cruisers, a potential school budget Proposition 2 ½ override and wastewater improvements as a result of near unanimous approvals at the annual town meeting Tuesday night.
All 33 articles on the warrant passed with limited objections in just under three hours at the Dennis-Yarmouth Intermediate School in South Yarmouth. The school budget override of $880,000 is needed to reach the $43.8 million school budget, school officials said, and will be on the town election ballot May 21.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Mike Stone and board member Mark Forrest said after the meeting they had expected more questions about the town seal and the school budget, but they were pleased with the outcome. Stone said he believed several Selectmen meetings where town meeting articles were explained helped educate the voters.
The town seal drew some of the most positive comments and only two objections. Bob Lawton, chairman of the Town Seal Committee, said the committee has been researching and developing proposed seal changes since 2022.
The original seal that was adopted in 1894.
'Remarkably beautiful'
A printout of the new seal with explanations of the symbols was handed out before the meeting, stating that it “kept the essence and historical value of the original seal.” The original symbols of Point Gammon Light, the David K. Akin schooner and the Eastern Pine Tree, a sacred symbol of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, were all enlarged and put in different places on the new seal.
West Yarmouth Resident Angela Carbone called the new seal “remarkably beautiful,” and was glad that two incorrect symbols were removed — a Native American of a tribe that didn’t live on the Cape and a teepee that she said the Wampanoag tribe members didn’t live in.
One man called out to leave the seal alone and Yarmouth Port resident Christine Marzigliano said the seal should still have a Native American at the center. Betty Logan, vice chairman of the Town Seal Committee, said a survey showed that 64% of residents favored a new seal.
Answering a question about the cost of the seal, Lawton said the only upfront cost is $800 to $900 for the town clerk to make the official seal change, and replacing the old seal on town uniforms, vehicles and buildings will be phased in.
Extra money requested for special events
Former Selectman Norman Holcomb questioned a new expense under the Selectmen’s budget, which increased from $1,000 to $51,000. Town Administrator Robert Whritenour said the funds were needed to offset expenses for town-sponsored special events, such as the Seaside Festival and St. Patrick’s Day parade. Without the money, there would be no future St. Patrick’s parade, he said. There are no charges to attend the events and they take much coordination and public safety. Holcomb’s amendment to reduce the fund back to $1,000 was voted down.
Holcomb also questioned a raise in total wages for seven full-time and part-time employees from $676,144 to $842,003 as “irresponsible and unsustainable.” The total town budget of $49. 9 million passed with no other objections.
The Dennis Yarmouth Regional School District budget drew few objections and strong support from teachers and parents. Superintendent of Schools Marc Smith said the driving factors for the override were a reduction in federal and state funds, cost of living increases and inflation. The original budget was reduced by $2 million, 35.5 staff members were laid off despite the highest enrollment in 10 years, Smith said. The town and school officials in Yarmouth and Dennis agreed to “a three-year step-down plan as a more tenable solution and the best way to bridge the gap for the next three years,” Finance Committee chairman Richard Simon explained.
An 11th-grade AP English teacher said she worried about having larger classes for the very stressful subject and she broke down in tears when relating that her son in first grade was losing his reading teacher.
Conservation Administrator Brittany DiRienzo summarized the changes in the new wetlands bylaw that hadn’t been updated since 1987. She explained that it was necessary to modernize the language and clarify procedures in keeping with the local and state regulations. She also explained the importance of vernal pools as “hotspots for biodiversity.” Eight public meetings were held on the bylaw last year and it will go into effect when the Massachusetts attorney general approves it.
An approved new sewerage bylaw will implement the sewer treatment plant and related projects that were approved at last year’s town meeting for $207 million. The town meeting also authorized the library board to apply for a state public library grant for planning and design of town library improvements.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Voters decided on new Yarmouth town seal at town meeting
