Building Department Transition
Tom Wingard’s last day as Building Commissioner was October 16. We have hired Elbert Ulshoeffer to fill in as interim, at least until the end of December. Elbert is available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We will be examining the department to determine what our needs are for a new Building Commissioner. We will consider a part-time position and also look at opportunities to collaborate with neighboring communities.
Special Town Meeting on November 12, 2013
We have a total of nine articles on the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting:
Article 1: Authorization for Police Cruiser Replacement
Comment: General Laws require Town Meeting approval to use proceeds from an insurance claim to replace damaged equipment if the amount is in excess of $20,000. The Town received $32,138 in damages from our insurance company for the police cruiser that was totaled in an accident in August 2013. The Police Department wishes to use that payout and an additional $3,862 from available funds to purchase a replacement cruiser.
Article 2: Transfer Available Funds to Purchase Police Vehicle
Comment: This article would approve funding to purchase an unmarked Police cruiser. The Department’s existing 2007 “unmarked” Ford Taurus (6 years old, over 120,000 miles) currently requiring 2 catalytic converters at a cost estimated to be up to $3,000. Replacement vehicle identified as a Toyota Camry (high resale value, dependability and good fuel economy) – Cost $28,000.00 minus trade-in. This vehicle is used for court work and conducting investigations were a marked car is inappropriate.
Article 3: Transfer Available Funds to Purchase Police Vehicle
Comment: This article would approve funding to purchase a four wheel drive vehicle for the Police Department. Originally scheduled for replacement in 2015, the Department’s existing 2006 Ford Expedition (4X4) (7 years old, 78,088 miles) currently requires the following repairs; Radiator/AC Condenser cross-member support is completely rusted (parts held in only by the hoses) Repairs require removal of front end and both fenders, cutting out and welding new parts in. Right side exhaust manifold and spark plugs are bad and need replacement, and the transmission is slipping. Outside vendor repairs are estimated at $5,000 – $6,000 if nothing else is found. This vehicle is used primarily in the fall, winter and spring. It’s now used only to transport personnel to training, court or a meeting, and not for emergency response.
The Article proposes replacing this vehicle with a (4x4) pickup truck and sharing its use during the summer with the Beach Department. If the Police Department is not the primary user during the summer, why not have two departments benefit from a single vehicle purchase? Police Department use of a pick-up truck would give the department greater flexibility to support Town events, training programs and respond to storms. This vehicle cost is estimated to be at $30,000.00 minus any trade-in.
Article 4: Transfer Available Funds to The Housing Trust Fund
Comment: At their meeting on September 24, 2013, the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Trustees of the Affordable Housing Trust, approved expending $27,315 to make much needed repairs to the property. Timing was critical in order to retain a contractor and to make the repairs before cold weather sets in.
Article 5: Re-Appropriate Funds for Overhead Doors At The Public Safety Facility
Comment: This money would be used to replace two overhead doors at the Public Safety Facility.
Article 6: Appropriate Funds for Regional Emergency Shelter
Comment: This article would appropriate funding to pay Truro’s share of the costs associated with medical supplies and meals for the emergency shelter. The shelter is a joint effort between the Town of Truro and the Town of Provincetown, and will be located at the old Veteran’s Elementary School in Provincetown. Each town will contribute $10,000 toward these costs for stocking the shelter.
Article 7: Return of New South Cemetery Lots and Reimbursement
Comment: Mr. and Mrs. Huettner no longer live in the area and wish to return the lots they purchased in 2004 to the Town. This Article would allow the Town and Cemetery Commission to accept the lots and to reimburse Mr. and Mrs. Huettner for the original purchase price.
Article 8: Appropriation of Affordable Housing Trust Funds To Assist With Land Purchase For Affordable Housing
Comment: Last spring, voters approved a $180,000 allocation of Community Preservation Act funds to the Housing Authority for land acquisition for affordable housing. In response to an RFP, Habitat for Humanity, Cape Cod was selected to receive the grant and to build an affordable home in Truro. However, land prices have begun to increase during the past year, and a few of the lots which were being considered have been purchased by other buyers.
The Housing Authority is requesting approval for disbursement of up to $45,000 from the Truro Affordable Housing Trust Fund to ensure that land acquisition can be completed and Habitat for Humanity can move forward with a home build in the coming year.
Article 9: Appropriate Funds to Implement Modifications To The Staffing And Structure Of The Fire & Rescue Department
Comment: In performance of their review of the Fire Department, Municipal Resources Inc. has identified that in their opinion the majority of the on-call members of the Fire & Rescue Department lack the necessary training and certification. This represents a possible threat to their personal safety and that of the Town. The Board of Selectmen, as part of their over sight, may determine it is necessary to instruct the interim Fire Chief to hire part-time firefighters that have received standards-based firefighter training as determined by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
You can view the entire Warrant on line at: http://www.truro-ma.gov/downloads_auto/Special%20Fall%20Town%20Meeting%20Warrant2014.pdf
Lightning Protection Project at the Public Safety Facility
We had eight companies request the bid package for the project. The bids are due on October 30 at 2:00 p.m. We will move quickly to award the contract, and Turning Mill Consultants will oversee the construction. We are continuing to negotiate with AT&T regarding the stand alone generator for the project and damages the Town sustained as a result of previous lightning strikes.
Classification and Compensation Study
Sandy Stapczynski from Human Resources Services will be in Truro with one of her associates on November 5 and 6 to begin the Classification and Compensation Study. We will hold orientation meetings with Department Heads and staff during those two days. Also, we will work on some of the more pressing issues such as job descriptions for the Library reorganization, a new lead position at the Transfer Station, a combined Harbormaster and Shellfish Constable position, and a job description for an Assistant Health & Conservation Agent. HRS will also be working on a performance evaluation system and will provide training for Department Heads on goal setting and employee feedback.
SEMASS Covanta
Paul Morris and I met with Tom Cipolla from Covanta Energy on October 17. Covanta continues to refine its proposal for accepting our solid waste and offered to make a presentation to the Selectmen, Board of Health, and Recycling Committee along with interested members of the public. We have scheduled that presentation for November 19 at 5:00 p.m. prior to the Selectmen’s regular meeting. We hope to make a decision by the end of December of which company to sign with. We need to plan and budget for the end of our current contract in December 2014, which will mean a new rate for the second half of FY2015.
Meanwhile, we will keep the old site up and running; and we will continue to update meeting notices, minutes, and streaming of board and committee meetings. We hope to have the new site up and running later this fall.
Town Website
We signed a contract with Virtual Town Hall to develop the new Town website. We have started to work on the layout and design with a goal of launching the new site shortly after the first of the year. One of our goals is to move away from the webmaster model and to allow departments to post and update their own content. We also want to make the site more user friendly for non-government users, making it easier to find what you need without needing to know nor to understand how the Town government is structured. We will continue to offer streaming of Board and Committee meetings and an archive of past meetings.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Town offices will be closed on Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th to allow staff to enjoy time with their families and loved ones.
Sincerely,
Rex Peterson
Town Administrator
townadm@truro-ma.gov
(508) 349-7004, ext 10