News Flash

Town of Eastham Awarded $175,000 for the renovation of 580 Massasoit Road and the North Eastham Village Center Project

The Town of Eastham has been awarded $175,000 through the Seasonal Communities Grant Program (SCGP). This funding will support two key initiatives, the renovation of 580 Massasoit Road and continued progress on the North Eastham Village Center project.

“This funding allows Eastham to move forward on two important projects that strengthen our community year-round,” said Town Manager Jacqui Beebe. “We’re grateful for the state’s support as we continue improving infrastructure and planning for Eastham’s future.”

The SCGP is intended to assist communities that experience significant seasonal population swings, which place added pressure on local infrastructure, housing, and municipal services.

These investments support Eastham’s commitment to building a vibrant, sustainable community for all who live, work, and visit here.

The Eastham Select Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Bienvenue as the next Town Manager for the Town of Eastham, following a comprehensive six-month search and community engagement process.

The Select Board’s appointment comes after an extensive review period that included interviews with Town staff, community members, and stakeholders to identify the leadership qualities and experience most needed to guide Eastham into its next chapter. As part of this process, on January 14, 2026, the Select Board conducted a public interview with Rich and subsequently voted 4–0 in favor of appointing him as Eastham’s next Town Manager.

Rich has served the Town as Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director for the past five years, where he worked closely with Town leadership, staff, and residents to strengthen operations, expand transparency, and advance major community initiatives.

“Rich has tremendous skills, deep experience and knowledge of Eastham and the Outer Cape” said current Eastham Town Manager, Jacqui Beebe “He brings unique value to the organization, and will serve Eastham well as the next Town Manager. “

Rich has more than 30 years of public and private sector experience, including leadership positions in municipal finance, operations, technology, procurement, and regional collaboration. Before joining Eastham, he served the Town of Yarmouth in key administrative roles and worked for over two decades as a Certified Public Accountant specializing in municipal and nonprofit auditing and governance.

Beyond his technical expertise, Rich is widely recognized for his collaborative leadership style, dedication to government transparency, and strong regional relationships across Cape Cod and Massachusetts. His vision for Eastham includes continued progress on community-centered priorities such as housing affordability, environmental resilience, and long-term sustainability. He is committed to strengthening civic engagement and ensuring both full-time and part-time residents feel connected to their local government

“Eastham has been fortunate to have Rich as its Assistant Town Manager/Finance Director. He has improved the financial management, Human Resources, IT department and been our lead negotiator with our unions.” said Select Board Chair, Jerry Cerasale, “His efforts have gone far beyond financial matters. He is respected by our employees, particularly our current Town Manager—his boss, and his counterparts throughout not just the Cape but the entire Commonwealth. His expertise and open management style will serve the town well in the future, making Eastham an even better place to live. 

Rich will officially assume the role of Town Manager in June 2026.

To watch the public interview click here!

Town of Eastham Wraps Up Green Communities Grant Delivering $408,578 of Energy Efficiency Projects at No Cost to Taxpayers!

The Town of Eastham is pleased to announce the successful completion of its Green Communities Designation Grant, culminating in a major HVAC upgrade at the Fire Station and other energy-efficiency improvements, including lighting and weatherization enhancements at other municipal facilities. 

The Green Communities projects have yielded measurable outcomes for the Town, including; reducing greenhouse gas emissions (C02) by 52 tons annually, lowered energy consumption, annual utility cost savings of approximately $25,000—a figure expected to grow as energy prices continue rising. Through the program, the Town has leveraged its $139,000 grant and received an additional $269,578 in utility incentives, totaling $408,578 in energy efficiency projects delivered at no cost to taxpayers. 

“By investing wisely in energy upgrades, without burdening taxpayers, we’re reinforcing our town’s financial sustainability and building a greener future. Successfully closing this grant round puts us in a strong position to pursue further grant funded energy-efficiency and electrification projects at Town Hall and the Police Department.” said Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director Richard Bienvenue.

These achievements highlight the Town’s commitment to sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and responsible stewardship of public resources.

About the Massachusetts Green Communities Designation

The Massachusetts Green Communities Designation & Grant Program, managed by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), supports municipalities in reducing energy consumption, lowering costs, and advancing clean energy initiatives in public buildings and facilities. To qualify, communities must commit to reducing municipal energy use by 20% within five years, adopt energy-efficient building and vehicle procurement policies, and implement streamlined siting and permitting practices. Since its inception, the program has awarded over $184.5 million in grants and leveraged more than $42.6 million in Mass Save® incentives, facilitating energy-efficiency improvements across the Commonwealth and resulting in significant ongoing energy cost savings.

Cape Cod, MA - September 2, 2025 - A coalition of Lower and Outer Cape towns today announced the regional launch of CredibleMind, a free, confidential, and science-based online platform that helps residents discover expert-vetted, evidence based, mental health and wellbeing resources and local supports. The initiative offers an accessible entry point for people to learn, self-assess, and connect to help before they are in crisis. South Hadley and Mashpee have also adopted the platform, reflecting growing municipal momentum across the Commonwealth.

Residents of Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet can visit lowercape.crediblemind.com to explore hundreds of curated videos, articles, podcasts, apps, and books on topics such as stress, anxiety, sleep, parenting, grief, and substance use. Designed as a prevention-first resource - especially helpful for parents and caregivers - the platform meets people where they are with vetted, peer reviewed content and clear pathways to local services, so residents can take practical steps right away. Users can take self-assessments, save favorites, and return anytime - anonymously. Participating towns will only receive aggregate, de-identified insights about what topics people are exploring. These trends will help local Health and Human Services teams tailor outreach, inform programming, and address the region’s provider gap while strengthening overall quality of life.

“We know there’s a provider gap on the Cape, and getting reliable information early can make a real difference,” said Hillary Greenberg-Lemos, Director of Health & Environment, Town of Eastham. “CredibleMind gives residents a private, 24/7 doorway to  evidence based tools they can trust, and it helps our regional  partners target outreach where it’s needed most.”

“Municipalities have a responsibility and a desire to create the conditions for health and well-being,” said Alex Fitch, Director of Health and Human Services, Town of Orleans. “By expanding prevention tools, removing barriers to help, and using anonymized data to guide services, this collaboration strengthens the  community safety net for residents across the Lower and Outer Cape.”

What the platform provides:

• Trusted, evidence-based content: Peer-reviewed articles and expert-rated resources updated regularly.

• Confidential self-assessments: Learn about personal well-being and track progress over time.

• Local connections: Simple pathways to town and regional services and supports.

• Community insights (anonymous): Aggregated trends help public agencies tailor prevention and early-intervention efforts.

The regional rollout is fully supported by grant funding from Cape Cod Healthcare, National Association of County and City Health Officials, opioid settlement funds, and Barnstable County Health Agent’s Coalition through the Public Health Excellence Grant funded by the MA department of Public Health. Barnstable County funding supports translation into Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Portuguese to expand access for Cape residents. Explore the platform at lowercape.crediblemind.com. To learn more about CredibleMind generally, visit crediblemind.com.

Important: CredibleMind is for education and self-help and is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or experiencing a mental-health emergency, call 911. For urgent emotional support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Town of Eastham Launches “Lease to Locals” Pilot Program to Incentivize Year-Round Rentals

EASTHAM, MA — The Town of Eastham is proud to announce the launch of its new “Lease to Locals” program, a collaborative and forward-looking initiative aimed at increasing the availability of year-round housing. In partnership with the Town of Orleans, Eastham will jointly fund and administer the program to provide meaningful incentives to property owners who convert short-term rentals or underutilized units into long-term housing for local workers and residents.

Eligible property owners in either Eastham or Orleans may qualify for one-time incentive payment of up to $15,000 per unit. To participate, property owners must lease their units to individuals who are employed by a business located in either town or who are already residents of Eastham or Orleans.

“The critical need for year-round housing is the reason we are looking to offer as many tools as possible to residents,” said Jamie Demetri member of the Eastham Select Board. “Cultivating multiple options with regard to housing is our goal, and the Lease to Locals program is one of many solutions we are unlocking and developing.”

The program is being implemented in collaboration with Placemate, Inc., a housing solutions organization with a proven track record of helping vacation communities repurpose existing housing stock into year-round rentals. The Town of Eastham has committed $300,000 in funding for the first year of the program, which will support incentive payments, outreach, and administration.

“This program reflects our commitment to addressing the housing challenges facing our community,” said Rich Bienvenue, Eastham Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director. “By partnering with Orleans, we are taking a proactive step to create more stable, year-round housing options for our residents and local workforce. It’s a smart investment in the long-term health and sustainability of our town.”

This pilot program represents an important step toward ensuring Eastham and Orleans remain vibrant, livable communities for the people who work and live there year-round.

Program Details: 

To qualify, properties must be located in Eastham or Orleans, cannot have had full-time tenants in the unit for more than a year, and cannot currently be rented on a 12 month lease. 

In order to receive an incentive payment through the Lease to Locals program, owners must rent their property to at least one qualified tenant for a minimum 12-month period. Property owners making the switch to long term renting are eligible for a one-time financial incentive ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, based on the size of their property and the number of qualified tenants they rent to. 

A qualified household must have at least one qualified tenant, defined as a renter who works at least 30 hours per week for an employer located or serving customers in Eastham or Orleans. Existing residents of Eastham or Orleans and dependent children of adults in a qualified household are also considered qualified tenants. No tenants in a qualified household may be of blood relation to the property owner. 

Eastham tenants and property owners can learn more about the program and get started by creating their tenant and property owner profiles by visiting http://www.placemate.com/Eastham, calling Placemate at (508) 290-7979, or emailing them at hello@placemate.com. 

About Placemate

Placemate has deep experience and operational capacity to help solve the housing crisis in tourist towns by unlocking new housing opportunities for local employees. They run similar Lease to Locals incentive programs across the country in resort communities in California, Idaho, Colorado, and Massachusetts. Through their trusted online platform, they connect local tenants with homeowners who have underutilized properties available for rent. To bolster this effort, they partner with local governments and nonprofits to incentivize property owners who convert and preserve their units into seasonal and long-term rentals for locals.

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