Introduction

The Truro Board of Selectmen has agreed to pursue the following goals and objectives for Fiscal Year 2013, July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.  The goals and objectives are divided into six broad categories:

Many of the goals are still in progress or continuous from FY2012 or earlier.  NEW goals have been marked as such.

In establishing these goals and objectives for themselves, the Selectmen intend to provide guidance and direction to the Town's multi-member bodies, and to the Town Administrator and his or her appointees, in establishing their own goals and objectives to assist in the achievement of the overall goals and objectives.

Goals and Objectives

FINANCE

NEW:

1 The Board of Selectmen will work to review the RENTAL REGISTRATION fee structure and to evaluate the fee’s equitability and value.  The Board will explore measures to eliminate the loophole that exempts short-term vacation rentals from paying the room occupancy tax.

Nicole Tudor, Trudi Brazil, Belinda Eyestone, Board of Selectmen

The team has met, and is exploring the history of the Rental Registration program and the revenue generated. The team is also looking into the status of several Statehouse bills regarding room occupancy tax on short-term rentals.  There are currently four pieces of special legislation pending that would allow room tax to be collected on vacation rentals.

CONTINUING:

2 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Town Administrator, the Town Assessor, and the Board of Assessors to develop a procedure that mails the tax bills out in a timely fashion.

Belinda Eyestone, Trudi Brazil, Cynthia Slade, Rex Peterson, David Wennerberg

FY2013 bills were mailed at the beginning of October.  The Deputy Assessor has implemented new procedures for data collection and entry to ensure tax rates can be certified on time and that timely tax bills continue to go out.  Also, she has generated a detailed schedule for the revaluation next year.

3 The Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee, working through the Budget Task  Force, will develop and review the budget on a functional basis.  For the 2013 fiscal year the Task Force will focus on developing a purchase order system for all Town departments and the feasibility of establishing a program of raises and/or bonuses based on employee performance.

Trudi Brazil, Rex Peterson, David Wennerberg, Paul Morris, Kyle Takakjian

Reviewing the budget on a functional basis is a long-term goal that cannot be implemented for the current budget cycle.  We recommend the Selectmen learn more about what this process involves and plan on carrying this goal over to the FY2015 budget.  We are testing an electronic purchase order system through Munis and will expand the program if it works successfully in the pilot.

LONG-RANGE PLANNING

  CONTINUING:

4 The Board of Selectmen will work to develop a framework to develop the next iteration of the Town Charter.  The Board will establish a committee to review and update the Town Charter and the Local Comprehensive Plan.  The Board will create a Charge for this committee that will specify what the range of the Committee will be.

Rex Peterson, Charleen Greenhalgh, Cynthia Slade

At present, there are five volunteers for the five-member Charter Review Committee.  We will schedule interviews and appointments once all have returned full-time to Truro.  We would recommend extending the timeline for Charter Revisions to Annual Town Meeting 2014.

Our recommendation is to form a Local Comprehensive Planning Committee of designees from existing regulatory and advisory boards and committees. 

5 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Town Administrator and the Town's departments and multi-member bodies to find ways to cut costs and/or improve performance by working collaboratively on issues of common interest with neighboring towns and entities, including the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Paul Morris, Jim Knowles, Lorial Russell, Joe Francis

This team submitted a list of areas to consider for collaboration and regionalization.  We will work toward implementing some of the list this year.  The Town Administrator and Chair for the Board of Selectmen continue to attend meetings of the Inter-Municipal Cooperation Committee (Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown).

6 The Board of Selectman will work with the Building Committee, the DPW Head, and the Town Administrator to develop a feasibility-and-cost study of potential options to move the DPW facility from Town Hall Hill.

Rex Peterson, Paul Morris

We met with the owner of a particular parcel that showed promise.  However, after our appraisal was completed, we were not able to reach agreement on the value of the parcel.  Therefore, we have been evaluating alternative locations and will go through a similar process to contact the owners and have the appraisal conducted. 

7 The Board of Selectmen will work with and support the Town of Wellfleet and the Cape Cod National Seashore, through the Herring River Restoration Committee, to finalize the MOU III for the Herring River Restoration project and will support the efforts of establishing an MOU III.

Charleen Greenhalgh , Pat Pajaron, Joe Francis, Tony Jackett

Environmental Impact Study and Review is currently underway.  Town Administrator, Assistant Town Administrator, and Chair for the Board of Selectmen have been attending monthly meetings since January to work on MOU III.  A draft was distributed in April.  Work should be completed by the end of June 2013.

PUBLIC SAFETY

  NEW:

8 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Town Administrator, Public Safety authorities, Health Agent, CERT Team, and community members to ensure we have adequate emergency shelter plans in place.

Kyle Takakjian, Pat Pajaron, Charleen Greenhalgh, Susan Travers

Inter-municipal Agreement completed.  Operations Plan is in development.  Citizen’s Emergency Response Team (CERT) will participate in Red Cross shelter volunteer training starting in May.  Looking for two volunteers to serve as shelter managers.  They would participate in shelter volunteer training and additional manager training.  Shelter renovation should be complete by beginning of June.

9 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Truro DPW, Fire Department, Council on Aging, and community members to address compliance with our Public Safety Clearing Guidelines.

Paul Morris, Brian G. Davis, Susan Travers, Charleen Greenhalgh

Draft General By-law has been developed.  Work on unresolved issues such as disposal and enforcement.  Team met with Council on Aging to explain safety issues involved and to discuss the possibility of financial assistance for those unable to afford trimming or disposal.  Group is also focusing on house numbering.  Town Administrator submitted application for AmeriCorps volunteer to work on road signage and house numbering during 2013-2014.  By-law on ATM warrant.

  CONTINUING:

10 The Board of Selectman will organize an ad hoc task force to work with all relevant parties, including the Board of Fire Engineers, to develop a long-range plan for the Truro Fire Department. 

Brian G. Davis, Board of Fire Engineers, Jan Worthington, Gary Palmer

Town Administrator has budgeted $60,000 to fund a study.  The recommended study would look at various options for organization of the department, including shared services and staff with neighboring towns.

11 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Chief of Police and the Bike and Walkway Committee to develop a safe roadway agenda that addresses the needs of currently “dangerous” roads as well as the expansion of safe bike ways.

Kyle Takakjian, Charleen Greenhalgh

Determining speed limits for secondary roads.  Sergeant Roach assigned as the liaison to Bike and Walkways Committee.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION

  NEW:

12 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Mass DOT, Truro DPW, Planning Board, and Town Departments to establish an eligibility policy regarding the hanging of Temporary Banners on Route 6.

Charleen Greenhalgh, Paul Morris, Rex Peterson

Assistant Town Administrator talked with staff at Mass DOT.  These kinds of temporary signs and banners do not fall under their jurisdiction.  Selectmen may still wish to develop their own written policy.

13 The Board of Selectmen will establish office hours for the Selectmen at Town Hall, posting the hours, and alternating between Members of the Board.

Board of Selectmen

Selectmen have been holding office hours the first and third Thursdays of each month.  First Thursday is at 4:00 p.m., third Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

  CONTINUING:

14 The Board of Selectmen will continue its municipal outreach programs, focusing on exploring the potential uses of social media and expanding the Town's website content to include online permitting.

David Wennerberg, Tom Wingard, Kelly Clark, Tricia Ford

Recreation and Beach Departments are leading the way with the use of Facebook and Twitter to communicate with their participants and parents and to publicize programs and events.  All departments have been charged with reviewing their pages and updating content.  Continue to expand meetings available on Channel 18 and for streaming on the Town website.

15 The Board will explore the implications of the Open Cape System and the Town's role in it.  The Board of Selectmen will work to expand the technology capabilities and infrastructure of the Town by participating as actively as possible with the Town's connection to Open Cape.

David Wennerberg, Rex Peterson, Trudi Brazil, Tricia Ford

  1. Government services which may become available through the Municipal Area Network ("MAN"), which will provide a 1-gigabit connection Cape Cod municipalities.  This will become the foundation of shared municipal systems such as online permitting systems, shared assessing and GIS data, reduced licensing costs through group purchasing.

  2. In order to facilitate the delivery of regional services Barnstable County has created the Office of Strategic Information Services to provide a management and governing structure for delivering services and has provided a building to house the agency and the colocation facility.

  3. Faster connections between Town buildings:  permitting a unified phone system of extension-to-extension dialing between Town buildings, use of Town buildings for offsite back-up storage (such as backing up Town Hall servers to a back-up device in the Public Safety Building, etc.) and faster access to vendor-hosted services, such as our Munis accounting system and the Recreation Department Sportsman software.

16 The Board will work to make available broadband internet service to all areas of the Town.  In consultation with the Cable & Internet Advisory Committee, the Board will explore opportunities for collaboration with other Outer Cape towns to secure “last-mile” providers of internet service using Open Cape.  The Board recognizes the importance of high-speed internet service in advancing economic development opportunities in the Town and is committed to eliminating the “digital divide” for residents and businesses.

David Wennerberg, Rex Peterson, Charleen Greenhalgh, Cable & Internet Advisory Committee

Town Administrator and IT Director continue to work with CIAC and Comcast to compile a comprehensive and accurate list of areas served and not served.  Monitor Comcast’s obligation under current license to provide service to areas in Town.  Look for alternatives such as additional providers using Open Cape or providing last-mile service from wireless facilities. 

ADMINISTRATION:

  CONTINUING:

17 The Board of Selectmen will set as a goal for the Town Administrator the review of all job descriptions for those positions covered under the Personnel Bylaw.  The Town Administrator will report back to the Selectmen no later than June 30, 2013 as to which job descriptions are in need of an update and whether a consultant is recommended.

Susan Kelly, Susan Travers, Rex Peterson

Town Administrator has budgeted $30,000 for a comprehensive classification and compensation study for all positions except Public Safety.  Study will include a review of job descriptions and development of a “leave behind” system to classify new positions and to re-classify existing positions.  Work will begin in May and be completed by the early fall of 2013.

18 The Board of Selectmen will work with the Town Administrator to develop a system of yearly performance review for the TA that measures accomplishments against specific mutually-defined goals and objectives.

Board of Selectmen, Rex Peterson

Selectmen and Town Administrator participated in evaluation during March 2013.  Selectman Dunigan and Selectman Coburn are working on a revised policy and set of goals and objectives for 2014 evaluation. 

Sincerely,

Rex Peterson
Town Administrator
townadm@truro-ma.gov
(508) 349-7004, ext 10