HARWICH – The Harwich Select Board recently voted to transfer the money collected from a cell phone tower lease to support affordable housing.
The amount is for $218,293.95, and will go towards the Affordable Housing Trust fund.
“The fund was created out of the cell tower fund, and it was voted at town meeting in the early 2000’s that anything in excess of what it costs to operate [the cell towers]. It’s like buying a flag,” said board member Donald Howell.
“It was a vote at the town meeting to allow the board of selectmen to disperse from that fund for that purpose; affordable housing.”
A policy decision four years ago saw the board able to annually vote to disperse the prior year’s fund for use for projects, however the board did not vote to disperse the funds in 2020.
Howell said that upcoming town projects had a need for a money, spurring on the annual vote.
About Grady Culhane
