All meetings in Truro are remote only. Go to truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. The agenda includes instructions on how to join.
Thursday, Oct. 21
- Climate Action Committee, 10:30 a.m.
- Human Services Committee, 11 a.m.
- Cable and Internet Advisory Committee, 1 p.m.
- Beach Advisory Committee, 4 p.m.
- Housing Authority, 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22
- Open Space Committee, 12:30 p.m.
- Board of Library Trustees, 3:30 p.m.
- Finance Committee, 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 25
- Local Comprehensive Plan Committee, 10 a.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 26
- Select Board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starters
New Finance Director
After searching for a new finance director for months, Truro has found someone. Alex Marini Lessin has taken the job, coming with experience across a range of municipal departments in Somerville. He managed the finances and administration of the city’s water and sewage dept. and performed data analysis to aid decision-making in the mayor’s office.
The finance director’s chief responsibilities include leading a team that includes accounting, assessing, and the treasurer and collector dept. Together, they manage municipal funds, oversee the collection of money, and assist in shaping the annual budget.
Former Finance Director Cynthia Slade retired in July 2020; in the interim, Mary McIsaac held the position. Lessin started his job on Oct. 19.
Ryder Pond Rebound
Joanne Barkan and her husband Jon Friedman headed to Ryder Pond for a swim on Sept. 25 but turned on their heels when Barkan noticed a green-blue substance that formed “long strands” in the shallow water near the shoreline. “We have been swimming regularly in Ryder Pond for more than 20 years in all seasons,” she wrote to Emily Beebe, the town’s health agent, one day later, “but have never before seen this.”
Beebe responded, saying that water samples had been taken on Sept. 27 for testing. On Oct. 8, Friedman received an email from the address [email protected], stating that the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) had confirmed high levels of cyanobacteria and placed restrictions on Ryder Pond beginning Sept. 28.
“What happened between Sept. 27 and Oct. 8?” Barkan asked Beebe. “Was the public informed on Sept. 27 that going into Ryder Pond could be dangerous?”
Beebe replied that the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) had confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria and notices were posted near the pond, which was continually monitored.
Barkan pressed further about the delay, and Beebe explained that Truro does not have “regulatory jurisdiction” over bathing in Ryder Pond because it is in the National Seashore. The town, she added, does not own property along the shore. The Seashore had advised the town to alert the public, so Truro reposted an alert on its website.
Town Manager Darrin Tangeman added, in a separate email, that there was “an internal communications gap, which delayed the timing of our posting.
“Typically, we strive to post information from the town of Truro and from our local, state, and federal partners in a more timely manner and we apologize for this delay,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the latest sample noted on the APCC interactive map, taken on Oct. 12, shows that cyanobacteria levels in Ryder Pond are low again, allowing the removal of the advisory. —Jasmine Lu
