From the Manager's Desk
Select Board Adopts Updated Strategic Plan
Following the Select Board's annual goal setting session last month, they recently adopted an updated Strategic Plan for the next 2 years. This Plan reflects our community's shared goals and it serves as a guide to prioritizing initiatives, projects, and policies across the organization. The Plan includes Mission and Vision statements as well as a series of Guiding Principles. It identifies timelines, responsible parties, and key stakeholders.
The Plan continues to be organized around the building blocks identified in the Town’s Local Comprehensive Plan, including Community Character, Water Resources, Open Space, Housing, Coastal Management, Local Economy, Governance, Community Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Mitigation & Adaptation. There is also a separate section devoted to the Town's work at the Sea Camps.
This year's Plan includes 32 goals in total, many of which reflect critical issues carried over from previous years that remain important. Several new goals were added as well, ranging from updating our Pavement Management Plan and developing a 5-year Road Capital Improvement Plan to considering comprehensive zoning reform.
The Select Board discusses progress on goals identified in their Plan and provides policy direction at their regular meetings on Mondays throughout the year. We will highlight key elements of the Plan in future newsletters.
Peter Lombardi
Town Manager
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Table of Contents
From the Manager's Desk
Strategic Plan
Committee Corner
Natural Resources Advisory Commission
Department Profile
Natural Resources
Meet Our Team
Chris Miller, Director
Project Updates
Stony Brook Gristmill Retaining Wall & Fish Passage
Sea Camps Spotlight
Fall Town Meeting Funding Requests
Seasonal Items
Fall Swap Shop Schedule
Household Hazardous Waste Day
Littleneck Week
Events
Fall Town Meeting
Books & Big Ideas
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Committee Corner
Natural Resources Advisory Commission (NRAC)
2nd Thursday of the month at 6pm
| | Resource Management Plans | | |
The Natural Resources Advisory Commission (NRAC) helps Brewster care for the land, water, and wildlife that make our community special. Comprised of volunteer residents, NRAC advises the Select Board and Town committees on protecting and sustaining natural resources.
Recent work includes the Coastal Resource Management Plan, which guides efforts to balance public access, habitat protection, and coastal resiliency, and the upcoming Pond Management Plan, focused on improving water quality, monitoring pond health, and supporting community stewardship. The Commission also partners on open space preservation and education programs that encourage residents to help care for Brewster’s environment. When asked by the Select Board, NRAC addresses specific issues such as pesticide use.
By connecting science, policy, and community values, NRAC works to ensure Brewster’s natural resources remain healthy for generations to come.
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Front row left to right: Amy Henderson, Kim Crocker-Pearson, Elizabeth Taylor
Back row left to right: Eden Chorm, Chris Williams, Scott Weissmann, Rob Michaels, Ron Essig
Not pictured: Tricia Teixeira Santoianni
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Meet the Chair
Kim Crocker-Pearson
Years served: 3
Q: What is one thing you wish the public knew about the commission?
How thoughtfully we consider the scientific questions brought before us.
Q: What is one of your favorite things about Brewster?
How engaged our residents are with the environment.
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Meet a Member
Elizabeth Taylor
Years served: almost 5
Q: What is one of your favorite things about the commission?
It is especially rewarding, as I am always learning something new about our natural environment and how we interact with it.
Q: What is one of your favorite things about Brewster?
The rural character created by the large amount of protected space in Town and I am very proud of how hard our residents work to protect our natural resources.
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NRAC Joint Meeting with Alewife Committee
November 3, 2025 | 5pm
This joint meeting will review the spawning and habitat assessment at Stony Brook, measuring river herring success, habitat quality, and migration barriers. Results will guide fish passage and habitat improvements, sustaining the run, local ecology, and Brewster’s cultural heritage.
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Department Profile
Natural Resources Department
Shellfish & Harbormaster
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The Natural Resources Department protects and manages Brewster’s natural resources, wildlife, and waters. We provide public access for residents and visitors to enjoy our coastal and conservation areas while advancing the sustainable use of the Town’s shellfish and coastal resources.
Our responsibilities include:
- managing beaches, shellfish areas and conservation lands
- monitoring and enhancing surface water quality for shellfishing and recreation
- providing the Town’s harbormaster services
We co-sponsor town cleanups and the annual Brewster Conservation Day in July.
Our office is located at 1657 Main Street (the old Fire Department building) and includes the Conservation Department who assists with permitting near wetland resources. Our lobby is stocked with informational brochures including the Brewster Walking Trails Guide to over 17 natural areas in town.
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Meet Our Team
Chris Miller
Director, Natural Resources Department
Served since: 2007
Q: What is one of your favorite things about your position?
The variety of what our Department is involved with: boats, beaches, marshes and woodlands, as well as proactive planning and management to help preserve the town's character and resources. We have a wonderful, dedicated staff.
Q: What is one of your favorite things about Cape Cod?
It's all about the water, and Brewster has some of the best resources on the Cape. From the extensive tidal flats to our numerous freshwater ponds surrounded by preserved woodlands, Brewster deserves its reputation as the Cape's Conservation town.
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Intermunicipal Shoreline Management
Brewster is currently working on a shared approach to shoreline management with Dennis and Orleans through a grant provided by the state Office of Coastal Zone Management. We are in the second phase of the grant, and we are creating data and GIS maps that will help manage our changing coast in a manner protective of all three towns and their coastal residents.
Brewster's approach to preserving land, from coastal salt marshes to large tracts of conservation areas like the Punkhorn Parklands and the Freemans Aquifer Protection area, have preserved the generally rural character of the town. This thoughtful and methodical approach has also protected our water supply and surface water.
Natural Resources is proud to help manage these resources for future generations.
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Fall Oyster Sundays
Beginning October 19, the Town will kick off its annual "Oyster Sundays" at Mants Landing. Each Sunday at low tide, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will open cages for 2025 recreational shellfish permit holders to harvest up to 5 quarts of oysters/week. This will continue until our stock runs out in early winter.
Please wait in the parking lot until DNR staff can prepare the cages and check shellfish permits before going on the flats. Come prepared with gloves, boots, and appropriate clothing for the weather.
*Note that due to the tide schedule, there is no harvest on Sunday December 21 - that harvest has been moved to Tuesday December 23.
Contact Ryan Burch, Senior Shellfish & Natural Resource Officer at (508) 896-4546 or rburch@brewster-ma.gov.
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Project Update
Stony Brook Gristmill Retaining Wall & Fish Passage Improvement
The restoration project, funded primarily through federal grants and led by Speakman Excavating, began site work in mid-December 2024.
The north side of the Stony Brook Mill Site and herring run reopened to the public on March 22, just in time for the spring herring run. Four new fish passage weirs have been installed and repairs to the retaining wall have been completed. The site has been temporarily restored for the 2025 season with remaining work, approximately 50%, to resume mid-November 2025, after the seasonal restriction for protecting out-migrating young herring.
The south side of the site, adjacent to the grist mill remains closed to the public. Construction was delayed due to the discovery of a historic wooden sluiceway, requiring preservation. Ongoing work includes installation of the new liner in the headrace pond, backfill, and reconstruction of the elevated walkway, plus general cleanup. There will be some general maintenance to the Mill building as well. The south side is expected to reopen in November.
Please note that some areas will remain restricted to allow new vegetation to become established.
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Sea Camps Spotlight
Fall Town Meeting Funding Requests
In early 2025, the Sea Camps Advisory Committee and Town Administration hosted community listening sessions and a survey asking residents for their feedback on how the Town can continue to advance the phased implementation of the Comprehensive Plans that were adopted at Town Meeting in May 2024.
The Town engaged with engineering partners, Weston & Sampson and EDR, to help refine phasing work for essential infrastructure and amenities desired by the community and to update cost estimates. The revised Sea Camps phasing and financing plan, which requires no debt for initial phases, remains consistent with the Comprehensive Plans adopted by Town Meeting in May 2024. Costs have been reduced and timelines have been extended in response to resident input seeking to limit the tax impacts of implementation.
At Fall Special Town Meeting on November 17, 2025, $1.07M for the following Sea Camps capital requests will be considered. All but $50,000 of this request is proposed to be funded via Free Cash.
Pond Property Improvements ($150,000):
- Initial Design and Permitting for Building Demolition, Trail Improvements, and Parking Areas
Bay Property Improvements ($920,000):
- Infrastructure ($570,000)
- Phase 2 Building Demolition Design
- Phase 2 Demolition (up to 35 buildings)
- Design of Water Main Replacement
- Design of Dune Restoration
- Design of Parking Area for Boathouse and Nature Center
- Amenities ($50,000)
- Tennis Courts Design
- General ($300,000)
- Limited Maintenance and Stabilization of Existing Buildings
- Workforce Housing Improvements (Admin Building & Westcott House)
Going forward, Sea Camp improvements will become part of the Town's annual 5-Year Capital Improvement Planning process. Each year, Sea Camps capital funding requests will be updated and brought to Town Meeting where residents will have the opportunity to vote.
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Fall Swap Shop Schedule
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, the Swap Shop will remain open Thursday through Monday from 10am - 2pm throughout the fall. Entry to the Swap Shop requires either a Brewster Recycle Center permit or proof of residency at the gatehouse. Please review the accepted items list for the Swap Shop.
Thank you to our Swap Shop volunteers!
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Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day
Saturday, October 11 | 9am -12pm | Harwich Transfer Station
Household hazardous waste collections allow you to dispose of toxic products safely and easily. The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension website has more information, including a complete list of disposal items.
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Littleneck Week at Ellis Landing
October 5 - October 11, during low tides
Reminders:
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A valid Brewster Shellfish Permit is required
- Dress for the weather
- The week limit is 5 quarts per permit holder
- Littlenecks must be at least 1” thick to keep
- All undersized clams (seed) must be returned to the rock bed to support future harvests
For more information, contact the Brewster Natural Resources Department at (508) 896-4546.
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Fall Special Town Meeting
Monday, November 17 | 6pm
Stony Brook Elementary School
In advance of Town Meeting, an information forum will be held by Town Administration to review warrant articles. The forum will be held on Thursday November 6 at 6:30pm.
Services offered at Town Meeting will include (advance scheduling required):
- Transportation to/from provided by the Council on Aging
- Childcare for children aged 5-12 provided by Nauset Youth Alliance
Over the next month, the Select Board and Finance Committee will be voting on Town Meeting Articles. Questions about the November Fall Special Town Meeting can be directed to townmanager@brewster-ma.gov.
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2025 Books & Big Ideas
Living on the Coast
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Thurs. 10/23 - 5:30pm @ Ladies' Library
The High House book discussion
For more details and to sign up for this event visit www.brewsterladieslibrary.org
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