What do we need to know to be informed voters?
Thursday, April 20, 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Nauset Room, Orleans Town Hall

This will be a hybrid meeting that can be attended in person or via remote Zoom participation.  Real-time public access is provided by Orleans Channel 18 on the Town website and cable television.

Join Zoom Webinar is Computer or Mobile Device: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85283455921
 Or Dial in via Phone:  Phone Number: (646) 558-8656.  Webinar ID: 852 8345 5921

Orleans Spring Town Meeting is on Monday, May 8, followed by an election on Tuesday, May 16.  The warrant for the meeting has recently been finalized and is accessible on the Town website and in hard copy at Town Hall.  We encourage all voters to try to take a look at it before the Town Meeting. Click here to view the warrants.

To help raise awareness about major elements of the warrant, the Orleans Citizens Forum will host a presentation on some of its major components on Thursday, April 20 at 5 PM at the Nauset Room at Town Hall.  This will be an in-person presentation, live streamed, accessible by zoom and archived on the Town and Orleans Citizens Forum websites.   We welcome your participation.

The panel will include the following speakers and topics:

These presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer session.  Questions may be submitted in advance to info@orleanscitizensforum.org.  Participants can also ask them in person or on Zoom. We welcome your participation.

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

On Thursday, March 2, at 5 PM at the Orleans Senior Center, the forum will host a panel discussion on Doing Business in Orleans: Perspectives from the Front Line. This session builds on two recent forums that looked at some long term economic trends we face, town planning in relation to those trends, and possible investments in capital projects to enhance both growth prospects and the quality of life in the community.

Left to explore is the impact of these trends on Orleans’ business community.  Among challenges faced by businesses are the impact the pandemic has had on our habits and priorities, the lack of affordable housing for our workforce, and the need to improve quality of life for all members of our community – from preschoolers to senior citizens.

Despite these and other challenges, there are successful businesses in town, and occasional new businesses springing up. Orleans’ residents have a strong desire to create a year-round vibrant town center.

The questions that will be explored at this forum will build on some of the discussions already taking place at town hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and all around town:

• What lessons have been learned?
• How can we build on the successes?
• How is the business community tackling the obstacles that stand in their way?
• How can the Town and its citizens work with the business community to help make this happen?

The panelists will share their experiences and thoughts on these issues, answer questions from the audience and gain their perspectives as well.  They are:

• Cameron Hadfield – The Rail Restaurant
• Brian Junkins – Friends Market
• Dawn Lee – Gibson Sotheby’s
• Pam Andersen – Community Development Partnership

Following the presentations there will be time for questions from the audience.
Please join us on March 2 for what promises to be a stimulating discussion.

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

In the near future, Orleans voters may be asked to make decisions on extremely important capital infrastructure projects, all of which are at various stages of development.  These include:

• A new library
• A new fire-rescue station
• The development of the Governor Prence property
• A community center

While all these projects will not be starting up at the same time, and some will not be built for a long time, the planning has already begun, and it’s important that citizens have information and answers to questions such as:

• What is the current status of these projects?
• How will they contribute to the quality of life in Orleans?
• What are some of the fiscal considerations associated with funding such capital projects?

A knowledgeable panel will address these issues and answer participants’ questions. 

Speakers for the January 26^th Forum are:

• Tom Finan, Chair, New Fire-Rescue Station Feasibility Study Committee
• Steven Gass, Member, Trustees of Snow Library
• Fritz Luft, Chair, Community Center Feasibility Task Force
• John Sargent, Chair, Governor Prence Planning Committee
• Scott Walker, Orleans Treasurer/Collector

Following the presentations there will discussion with the audience.
Please attend to discuss these issues of vital importance to Orleans

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

Orleans Housing: How extensive is the housing crisis in Orleans? What do we mean by ‘affordable housing’? Which housing needs should we address? Do we have viable solutions?

The Orleans Citizens Forum will host a forum digging deeper into the ‘housing problem’. Everyone agrees we need ‘affordable housing’, but everyone is not talking about the same thing. There are multiple housing needs, each with its own challenges. If we are going to tackle the housing problem in Orleans we need to understand the problem thoroughly. Who are the housing-stressed people in Orleans and how do we prioritize their needs? Who we want to provide housing for: Low-income or missing middle-income families? Young professionals or hourly wage earners? Municipal employees or labor force for area businesses? Grown children of our neighbors or people commuting to work in Orleans? All of the above? Lastly, we need to look at the resources needed and obstacles faced to provide the different types of housing needed to allow people to live and work here.

Fran McClennen, of the Affordable Housing Committee, will explain the types of housing needs facing Orleans, and help us understand the terminology used to define these needs.

Lisa Simundson, Executive Director, Orleans Chamber of Commerce, will illustrate the effect lack of affordable housing has on local businesses. In turn, we will see how all of us are affected by the lack of services driven by the housing shortage.

Hadley Luddy, Chief Executive Officer, Orleans Homeless Prevention Council (HPC), will put a face on the housing and financially stressed residents of the Lower and Outer Cape.

Marsha Allgeier, Affordable Housing Coordinator for the Town of Orleans, will speak to the challenges we face providing affordable and attainable housing, including available government subsidies, other possible incentives and strategies, and ongoing planning and efforts needed.

Following the presentations there will discussion with the audience.

Please attend to discuss these issues of vital importance to Orleans

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town

The Orleans Citizens Forum will host a presentation on the challenges facing the Town of Orleans’ future including concerns regarding climate change, housing shortages, economic uncertainties, and shifting demographics.  Given these challenges, what are the consequences of inaction within Orleans and throughout the Cape?  What options for action exist and at what cost?

The following panelists will explore these questions and discuss potential ramifications for the future, depending on how the Town and the Cape in general chooses to address these issues.

Chloe Schaefer, Chief Planner of the Cape Cod Commission, will present data that underlies regional priorities and talk about how regional trends and goals impact the Cape, and Orleans in particular.

George Meservey, Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Orleans, will focus in on Orleans’ Comprehensive Plan, how it’s impacted by the regional vision, and the anticipated consequences of various options versus doing nothing.

Andrea Reed, Orleans Select Board Chair and Former Chair of the Orleans Planning Committee, will elaborate on the planning process for key Town initiatives.

Please attend to discuss these issues that are of vital importance to the future of Orleans