All meetings in Truro are remote only and can be watched online. Go to truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. Follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, July 22
- Climate Action Committee, 10:30 a.m.
- Housing Authority, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, July 23
- Community Preservation Committee, 12 noon
- Charter Review Committee, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, July 27
- Select Board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Water Oversight Committee Gets Flushed
The select board announced it has voted to dissolve the Truro Water Resources Oversight Committee because the original purpose of the committee had been accomplished and its duties have been absorbed by the board of health.
The decision is part of an ongoing effort to consolidate some of the 37 town committees that exist in Truro. Town Manager Darrin Tangeman said many of these boards take up an inordinate amount of time for the staff supporting them, and they are mostly advisory. He called this glut of committees an artifact of an old form of government.
The Water Resources Oversight Committee had not met in the previous 18 months. But that does not mean the town has lost its focus on water quality. In fact, since 2019 the board of health has adopted local septic regulations aimed at reducing the overall nutrient load from septic systems across town, according to an announcement from Tangeman.
For example, the board of health closed a loophole that allowed deed transfers without septic system upgrades. The board of health recently ordered that cesspools be replaced by 2023. The board established private well testing triggers linked to municipal permitting.
Groundwater quality and wastewater management now take on a much larger role for staff who deal with properties, Tangeman announced. At the annual town meeting on June 26, voters approved adding a new assistant health and conservation agent to the operating budget. This new employee will be tasked with testing and compliance. —K.C. Myers
