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.
Thursday, Aug. 15
- Community Luncheon, noon, Council on Aging
- Ad Hoc Building Committee, 4:30 p.m.
- Historical Commission, 5 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 19
- Part-Time Residents Advisory Committee, 4 p.m., hybrid; in-person at the Community Center
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 20
- Board of Health, 4:30 p.m.
- Energy Committee, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
- Climate Action Committee, 10 a.m., Town Hall
- Planning Board, 5 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Making More Minutes Public
Town Manager Darrin Tangeman gave an update on minutes of executive sessions at the select board’s Aug. 13 meeting. On May 28, the board voted to approve minutes from 15 executive sessions; now some of those are public records, Tangeman said.
Among them, he said, are sessions regarding Noons property negotiations and contract negotiations, including the town manager’s.
The board voted to withhold minutes from meetings that had to do with pending litigation, criminal complaints, and the town manager’s contract.
Board chair Sue Areson told the Independent on Monday that making executive sessions more transparent by making minutes more accessible is a priority for her.
Areson said she thinks that once the board votes to release minutes, the documents should be readily available.
Areson also noted that under current procedure, the board doesn’t return to minutes it once voted to keep secret, even though the reason for secrecy may no longer be valid.
Tangeman said that the board’s announcement was “a bit tardy under the statute.” It should have come on June 11. “Going forward, the board will ensure that determinations regarding executive session minutes are announced at the meeting immediately following,” he said. —Sophie Mann-Shafir
