NAHANT — The Board of Selectmen met on Wednesday evening to receive updates on the town’s annual budget and discuss an upcoming meeting about affordable housing with the multiple boards and committees. The selectmen also received an update about the coyotes in town.
During public comment, Francene Amari-Faulkner, the co-founder of “Nahant Coyotes,” a group that wants to protect the animal, gave an update to the board about the current number of coyotes in town. The group has created a tracking system that is currently showing a decrease of coyotes in Nahant.
“There’s been nothing going on because this is the time of year the pups have dispersed and we think there are between three and five max coyotes right now in town,” Amari-Faulkner said.
Town Administrator Antonio Barletta was unable to attend Wednesday’s meeting to provide an update on the budget process, leaving his assistant Kristin Taylor to step in. Barletta has met with all of the department heads about their annual budgets and the process is “moving on right where it should be going,” she said.
The Planning Board, Short Term Rental Committee, and Housing Plan Advisory sub-Committee will be meeting on Monday at 7:15 p.m. in Town Hall, Housing Plan Advisory sub-Committee Chair Michelle Capano said.
“It is hoping to share some information about some of the statutes and … changes that are happening with affordable housing and bring that information both back to the short-term rental committee in the planning board,” Capano said.
Both the Planning Board and Short Term Rental Committee are working on activities and possible proposed bylaw changes for Town Meeting, she said.
“This meeting is to introduce some of that information to them to help them further along their activities in their decision making. We’re looking forward to having this joint meeting, I don’t recall a joint meeting of three committees together,” Capano said.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Gene Canty said the Planning Board and Short Term Rental Committee are “in line with each other right now.”
“Obviously [Capano] coming on board is going to make a big difference,” Canty said.
