Meetings Ahead
Meetings in Truro are often held remotely. Go to Truro-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in for an agenda and details on how to join.
Friday, March 8
- Finance Committee, 8:30 a.m.
Monday, March 11
- Energy Committee, 5 p.m.
- Bike and Walkways Committee, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12
- Select Board, 5 p.m., hybrid
Conversation Starter
A Tentative $20,000 Tent
The select board voted unanimously on March 4 to hold annual town meeting outdoors at the Truro Central School ballfield. While the location may now be decided, other logistics are not.
For one thing, Town Manager Darrin Tangeman said officials anticipate needing to provide accommodation for 1,000 people. The town may rent an 80-by-120-foot heated tent for May 4 and 5 that would seat 1,200 people.
According to Tangeman, the tent and 1,200 chairs would cost $20,000 — an amount that townspeople would be voting to pay in a free-cash-funded article while sitting under said tent, according to Assistant Town Manager Kelly Clark.
The date for the annual town meeting has also not yet been confirmed. The select board had been leaning towards holding it on Sunday, May 5, the day after special town meeting.
“This tent is very expensive, and the possibility of having to go to three days could be even more expensive,” Tangeman said. He suggested beginning annual town meeting on the same day as the special town meeting, May 4, and finishing it the next day to lower the odds of its going to a third day.
“It will be fairly difficult to determine how long special town meeting is going to take,” vice chair Sue Areson said, making it hard to name a start time for a same-day annual town meeting.
That would be particularly complicated given the meetings’ two separate voter lists and the need for separate check-ins.
There will also be two separate pre-town meetings: likely on April 11 for the special town meeting and on April 24 for the annual town meeting.
Moderator Paul Wisotzky said a small group has been meeting every couple of weeks to prepare for both meetings.
With limited parking available, the town is considering reserving spots for people who need greater accessibility. Town staff are planning for shuttle services with at least three buses, Clark said. —Sophie Mann-Shafir
