Plans to renovate the Howes House in West Tisbury are on-hold indefinitely as the town select board reckons with policy violations on the Up-Island Council on Aging, the intermunicipal body headquartered there.
The West Tisbury select board Wednesday learned that two members of the Up-Island Council on Aging board are apparently in violation of the council's bylaws. The bylaws say members can't serve more than two consecutive terms.
This week, the West Tisbury board presented a new prospective breakdown for the Howes House renovation, with 60 per cent of the project being paid for by West Tisbury, 30 per cent by Chilmark and 10 per cent by Aquinnah.
The new proposed formula would make West Tisbury responsible for 60 per cent of the renovation costs, Chilmark for 30 per cent and Aquinnah for 10 per cent.
West Tisbury is pumping the brakes on plans to renovate the Howes House after the select board voted Wednesday to withdraw an article to appropriate $215,000 for a project now estimated to cost $10 million in total.
The town has access to $304,000 in American Rescue Plan Act and a warrant article for the Howes House proposal will be presented at this year’s spring town meeting.
