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Gay Head Lighthouse Advisory Board
Notes of Meeting 11/26/18
Aquinnah Town Hall Selectmen’s Meeting Room
Members present: Chairman Len Butler, Tom Murphy, Richard Skidmore, Jim Pickman*, Renee Pianka (representing Condo Owners) *
*via phone
Members Not present: Bettina Washington, Kathy Rainey
Also present: Selectmen Gary Haley
- The meeting began at 4:34pm
- First on the agenda was a review of the 9/10 minutes. Tom motioned to approve the minutes as presented and amended. Motion was seconded by Richard. The Board voted 5-0, the motion passed.
- Under Old Business, Jim gave a review of accounts. Jim reported that the reimbursement from Mass Historic Commission was received and repaid into the stabilization fund. Currently there is $56,737 in the account. Jeffrey has sent a letter to Permanent Endowment requesting the $9,379. There is $15,000 remaining in the FY’19 CPC funds. Assuming all money is drawn down and received there will be $81,116.00 in the account. The Committee discussed keeping a small amount in the PE fund to keep the account open. Len informed the committee that it is time to renew the Lighthouse Society membership. Renewal cost for 1-year is $29.95, 2-year $52.95 or lifetime cost of $475. The Committee agreed to expense $52.95 for a 2-year renewal.
- Next, Richard gave a Lighthouse and Park report. Richard informed the Committee that he has formally requested the application to re-designate the Lighthouse as a National Historic Landmark (currently registered on the list of National Historic Places). The Committee agreed that having the Lighthouse as a landmark can open the door to additional funding sources. Richard showed the Committee the photos he took for the annual LUCIP report. Tom and Richard agreed to meet with Jeffrey in the coming week to begin the annual LUCIP report. The Committee discussed the park grass issue. Len has spoken with Josh at Landscope who agreed to met with Len and Richard to discuss remediation/solutions. Richard informed the Committee that he has had to fix/reset 3 split rails at the park. Renee reported that the Condos are closed for the season. The Committee discussed designating a lookout spot (small wood platform) because there seems to be a few spots that people already gravitate to. The Committee discussed a recent $200 donation. There was brief discussion concerning the pathway which currently has a large rut along the side. Len felt that adding crushed stone in the gully will keep the pathway from deteriorating more until it gets resurfaced next year. Richard will talk with Jay about adding the stone.
- Next, Len gave an update on restoration. With money in the account, the Committee discussed the next phases of restoration that could be done, such as the repointing of the interior brick, restoring the old Keeper’s Passageway and possibly restoring the roof. Len will touch base with International Chimney to see what can be done with some of the funds available. The Committee briefly discussed the $300,000 State Bond Bill which would be helpful in restoring the lantern room (most critical issue to restore).
- Next, the Board discussed fundraising and grants. The donor “update” letter written by Kathy Olsen had been mailed. Richard had only received 1 reply out of 190 letters sent. The Committee requested that Kathy Olsen attend the next meeting to discuss upcoming grants. The Committee discussed the two articles that address Lighthouse concerns on the upcoming Special Town Meeting warrant. One is a request for $12,000 to fund grant writing services for projects in relation to the Circle, which the Committee agreed, the Lighthouse could qualify under. The second article is a request for $20,000 to design and construct a sun/weather protection structure at the Lighthouse. This was the first that the Committee had heard of the request and they agreed that the requested amount seemed to be high. There was discussion on types of temporary structures that would be appropriate for the area. The Committee agreed to look at some options to advise Jeffrey on.
- With no other business to discuss, the Board agreed to meet again Monday January 14th, 2019 at 4:30pm. A motion was made and seconded to adjourn. The Board voted unanimously in favor, the motion passed.
- The meeting ended at 5:20pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Sophia Welch
Board Administrative Assistant
