Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Truro are remote. Go to truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you want to watch. The agenda includes instructions on how to join.
Thursday, Sept. 22
- Pamet Harbor Commission, 3 p.m., Town Hall
- Charter Review Commission, 4:15 p.m.
- Community Preservation Committee, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 26
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 27
- Select Board, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
- Walsh Property Community Planning Committee, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 29
- Economic Development Committee, 10 a.m.
- Climate Action Committee, 10:30 a.m.
Conversation Starter
Planning Board Seat
Bruce Boleyn has resigned from the planning board a year before his term ends in 2023. The town is now accepting applications from candidates to serve out the last year of his term.
The selection of planning board members has been a hot topic in Truro for the last few years. There is a movement to amend the Truro town charter so that the planning board is appointed by the select board, not elected as it is now. Those in favor of an appointed board argue that the planning board members should be creating bylaws that reflect the goals of the select board, which include prioritizing affordable housing.
Those who want to keep the status quo argue it is more democratic to elect the planning board. In practical terms, however, planning board seats are rarely contested, so whoever volunteers for the position gets elected. The current board has been criticized for being weak on housing.
The applicants for Boleyn’s seat will go before a joint meeting of the select board and planning board. All members of both boards have a vote. In the past, when the seven-member planning board votes unanimously, it has outnumbered even a unanimous five-member select board, said Jay Coburn, a former select board member and current executive director of the Community Development Partnership, which manages housing projects and programs.
Both boards have had membership changes, however. Two newer planning board members, Ellery Althaus and Caitlin Townsend, have expressed support for making their board appointed. —K.C. Myers
