Barnstable County Commissioners Vote to Host Regional Hunger Summit This Fall

Other Committee · Meeting of July 30, 2026

HARWICH -- Barnstable County commissioners held a joint session with the Harwich Select Board on July 30, voting unanimously to authorize a fall regional hunger summit and to draft a letter opposing state legislative encroachment on local home rule. Commissioner Ron Bergstrom moved to convene the summit "to develop a plan of action" bringing together food pantries, health providers, and municipal officials to address what food access coordinator Andrea Scarpolini described as a surge in Cape Cod food insecurity from 20 percent to 34 percent in a single year; Lower Cape Outreach Council CEO Katie Whibby reported a 150 percent increase in pantry usage since 2022, and Cape Cod Veterans Outreach's Michael Gleason said his organization grew from serving 1,700 families in 2022 to 13,200 in 2025. Select Board member Jeff Handler told commissioners he had "very little confidence currently in regional government," citing three years without a visit from the county's delegate or Cape Cod Commission representative, while fellow member Don Howell called state housing mandates "essentially extortion," saying towns have been given authority in name but stripped of tools to act.

The commissioners' own 2026 local aid report was authorized for release and dedicated to the memory of former Harwich Selectman Don B. Griffin.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report, 3,596 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.