Barnstable Town Manager Previews FY2027 Budget, Court Win, and Summer Sewer Work

BARNSTABLE — May 28, 2026 — Barnstable Town Manager Mark Ells previewed the FY2027 budget and announced a Supreme Judicial Court win as the town moves toward June 11 budget hearings. The Massachusetts SJC on May 20 affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the town's sale of the Jenkins Bog property in Centerville, finding the statute at issue protects municipal interests rather than those of abutters or private organizations. The town's open budget website will be replaced in July by a ClearGov platform with interactive visuals and an AI chatbot. DPW Communications Manager Kelly Colopy reported that sewer construction on main roads in Centerville and Osterville will continue through June 26, while summer neighborhood road work on Marion Way and Old Ham Road in Osterville was approved for the Route 28 West project, with notices sent to more than 300 area property owners. The Cape Cod region's drought status was downgraded from level two to level one, allowing sprinkler and automatic irrigation use one day per week.