The Mattacheese Utilization Committee is pivoting toward direct public engagement, finalizing a presentation for the June 3 Select Board meeting that will officially introduce a town-wide survey regarding the site’s future. Chair Sharon Wymer led the committee through a meticulous refinement of their upcoming presentation, ensuring the public and the Select Board have a clear roadmap for the property. Wymer noted that the first order of business will be review of the select board presentation... I'd like to find out everybody's opinion as we go page by page.

During the session, Town Manager Robert Whritenour urged the committee to direct residents toward the town’s existing digital resources as a prerequisite for meaningful feedback. He emphasized that the committee’s webpage already hosts the foundation of the project, including the Open Space plan and various team reports. From a public outreach perspective, you have a pretty robust web page... that stuff is your foundation which is all public domain in one place now, Whritenour said, suggesting that residents should digest this context before responding to the survey. Following this advice, the committee acted to ensure the survey and digital resources remained front and center. Motion Made by B. Levoy to split Slide 14 and add a new Slide 15 for a website screenshot and additional comments on obtaining information (4-0). Additionally, Motion Made by A. Leair to add the survey URL/link to the final Next Steps slide (4-0).

Andrew Leair argued for placing the survey details specifically at the end of the presentation to manage expectations, stating, I think if anything, [the survey mention] goes in the next step slide... you could make a comment of input from teams, consultants, etc. Barbara Levoy echoed the need for clarity in the presentation, noting that public outreach encompasses working with the consultant and approving the survey, and suggested that these efforts be clearly differentiated to show the committee's progress. Consequently, Motion Made by A. Leair to approve the presentation slides as corrected and amended (4-0).

The committee also grappled with how to synthesize a buffet of proposals from various town teams, ranging from housing to recreation. Whritenour cautioned that the committee needs to provide a unified interpretation of the data for their consultants, rather than leaving dozens of different interpretations on the table. John Anderson pushed for a collaborative approach to this analysis, suggesting that the full group must weigh in before liaisons take specific questions back to their respective teams. I think we need to discuss each team's proposal as a group and decide what questions we have as a group and then you could do the liaison piece, Anderson said.

Beyond administrative planning, the committee received a glimpse into the desires of Yarmouth’s younger generation. DPW Director Roby Whitehouse reported on her recent attendance at a Civics Day at DY High School, where students presented projects focused on local improvements. Whitehouse noted that several student groups were very vested in the development of a sports facility at the Mattacheese site. Each of [the students] were extremely articulate... they all want a place to go, they want to have something to do, Whitehouse informed the committee, noting that their ideas aligned closely with goals heard from the town’s recreation and economic development teams.

To accommodate a heavy upcoming schedule and avoid conflicts with Capital Budget committee meetings at Town Hall, the committee will transition its meeting location. Future sessions from September through February are slated for the DPW meeting room at 6:00 p.m. Whitehouse noted the department has a dedicated space available should we get bumped from Town Hall. The committee is expected to begin substantive group discussions on the individual team reports at their next meeting on June 9.