Special Town Meeting on November 12, 2013
We will need to schedule a Special Town Meeting this fall to address replacement of two vehicles and the purchase of a third vehicle for the Police Department. One of the Department’s existing cruisers was involved in an accident earlier this summer, so was taken out of service. We had full replacement insurance coverage on the vehicle, but we will need Town Meeting approval to apply the insurance payment toward a new vehicle. We will plan to fund the other two vehicles from "Free Cash." We do not know the exact amount of "Free Cash" available this year, but we anticipate enough to cover the two vehicles with enough left to pay for various projects and equipment at the Annual Town Meeting in April.
The Selectmen have decided on Tuesday, November 12 as the date for the Special Town Meeting. The Board will most likely open the warrant at its meeting on September 24 and close it at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 15. The last day to register to vote at the Special Town Meeting will be Friday, November 1. The Town Clerk/Treasurer/Collector’s office will remain open until 8:00 p.m. that day for voter registration.
Library WiFi
David Wennerberg, our IT Director, recently completed an upgrade to the WiFi service at the Truro Library. Service was spotty and inconsistent before the upgrade. Now, a strong signal is available throughout the building and outside, in the garden and parking lot.
Truro TV, Channel 18
We are continuing to upgrade the content and information available on Truro TV, Channel 18. Most recently, we started sharing content with Provincetown TV (PTV), beginning with Selectmen’s meetings, with many more Board and Committee meetings to be added in the future. Thanks go to Truro resident and Provincetown Television Executive Director Beth O’Rourke for helping us set up the shared content with PTV. We also plan to buy portable recording equipment that will allow us to tape presentations at the Library, COA, and elsewhere for broadcast on Truro TV.
Town Website
We have interviewed two companies to provide an upgraded website for the Town. We are trying to move away from a webmaster model to a content-management model with several staff members posting to the site. Both companies we looked at also provide opportunities for subscribers to sign up to receive email notifications of agendas, minutes and bulletins. One of our major goals is to have the website more interactive and engaging.
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.
End of Summer
We had a great summer overall, with great participation in our Recreation programs, record numbers at the beaches, and good turnout at the Highland Links Golf Course. Thanks to Kelly Sullivan Clark and Damion Clements for managing both the Recreation and Beach programs this year. Jim Knowles and his staff did a great job at the Golf Course, and they will continue through the fall. Weather permitting, Jim even comes in on Thanksgiving Day to provide carts for anyone wanting to play a round before or after their turkey dinner.
The first year of the Truro Farmers' Market was a great success. The Monday morning time slot worked well and provided visitors, summer folks, and year-rounders with fresh produce, flowers, honey, and jam. The Farmers Market will continue through Monday, September 30.
Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and a slightly less hectic pace.
Sincerely,
Rex Peterson
Town Administrator
townadm@truro-ma.gov
(508) 349-7004, ext 10