Meetings Ahead
Meetings are held remotely. Go to provincetown-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
- Historic District Commission, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6
- Board of Assessors, 9 a.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Covid-19 Update
As of July 28, Provincetown had one active case of the coronavirus, 29 cases considered recovered, and one death.
Salary Bump for Superintendent
Suzanne Scallion was hired as superintendent of the Provincetown Schools in May 2019 to work three days a week for $60,000 from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2019, and then $60,000 for all 12 months of 2020.
But the school committee agreed in March to pay her an additional $512.82 for every extra day she worked so that she could help the schools adjust to the online learning and other challenges presented by the pandemic.
So far, she has worked 21 extra days for a total of $10,769, which can be covered by CARES Act funds, said Scallion this week.
Scallion said the job was already nonstop but the pandemic has amped up the challenges for school leaders.
Wait Times for Test Results Too Long
Board of health chair Steven Katsurinis told the select board Monday that the plans for keeping the town safe during a pandemic relied on quicker test results than are currently available, as the medical labs are overwhelmed.
“We did not expect to wait for seven days for a test return,” Katsurinis said. “Quest Diagnostics is inundated and so we are trying to do something to improve that.”
On the other hand, he said, the town had made it more than 20 days past a busy July 4th weekend without any apparent outbreak.
“But we should not let our guard down,” Katsurinis said. “As long as there is a pandemic, we are at risk. So we need to wear masks and keep six-foot distancing.”
Rapid tests, available at Carewell Urgent Care in Dennis, are not as accurate as the molecular tests, which are now taking a week or more to get results, said Morgan Clark, director of the health department.
Paradigm Associates Not Rehired
Community Paradigm Associates of Plymouth, the consulting firm used to help the select board hire Robin Craver as town manager, was not picked to be part of the hiring process this time around.
Craver resigned after six months at the end of her probationary period on July 10 following a closed select board meeting. The reasons for her abrupt resignation were not made public.
The select board Monday chose four “headhunter” organizations to pick from and Paradigm was not one of them. The executive search firms invited to submit bids are Municipal Resources Inc., the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management, Groux-White Consulting, and Isaacson Miller.
The board members agreed not to rush this decision and will hire an interim manager for the next six months while they look for a new permanent town manager —K.C. Myers
