MATTAPOISETT — Selectmen started work to cut down on frequent events that crowd the center of town on Dec. 11, but quickly found that the solution may be more complicated than they thought. 

Jordan Collyer started the discussion by saying that he has had “some concern from people in town who are trying to get the the wharf, beaches, and the center of town” who find it difficult because of events that draw crowds. “When we have events for two, three, four weekends it gets cumbersome,” he added.  

“When do we determine that enough is enough?” he asked. 

One criteria could be to target events that are mainly for charity. But Collyer explained that most events have some charitable component, so the board would have to consider how much of the funds go to charity. The events also require a lot of equipment from the town, such as horses, cones, and highway department time for the cleanup. Collyer pointed out that the town should stop providing those things for free. 

Fellow Selectman Paul Silva agreed. “I think you’re right on that. And not just road races, any event that has to use town premises.” 

Silva thought the board should try to get feedback from neighbors in the Mattapoisett Village area. 

Collyer clarified that he didn’t mean for the event to be exclusionary. 

“This time of year, it brings people into the Village,” he added. But in the summer, it is a different question.

Melody Pacheco, the assistant to the Town Administrator, brought up the fact that several Old Rochester Regional students had approached the town for permission to do a race on Memorial Day.  

Collyer said he was fine with that event, since he trusted that high school students were just in it to make as much money for their class as they could. 

Selectmen resolved to communicate their thoughts to the Town Administrator, come up with a comprehensive list of events that use the space, and revisit the issue at a later meeting.