Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to an agenda and details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise noted.
Thursday, Dec. 12
- Finance Committee, 2 p.m.
- Planning Board, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17
- Disability Commission, 9 a.m., online only
- Human Services Committee, 5:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Community Center
- Conservation Commission, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
- Historic District Commission, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 19
- Board of Assessors, 11 a.m.
- Board of Health, 4 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.
Conversation Starter
Recruiting a Police Chief
Town Manager Alex Morse told the select board on Dec. 9 that Police Chief Jim Golden would retire on Feb. 28, 2025, and he outlined a lengthy process for hiring a new chief, including a series of community meetings, initial interviews by a search committee, and a detailed analysis of candidates before they reach the final interview stage.
The plans include hiring a public safety consultant to develop “job-specific exercises and scenarios” that candidates would undergo to assess whether their approaches to problems match the values of the community, Morse said.
“We need someone who will leave the station, engage with the public, and who understands community policing,” said board member Leslie Sandberg.
“The incident at the basketball court last year is proof positive that we have failed with this chief when it comes to community policing,” Sandberg said. “The staff at the police dept. is fantastic — I’m talking only about the chief — but a police chief is to protect and serve and lead by example, not sit off in the station as some kind of imperial force.”
Chair Dave Abramson said that the reference checks on a potential new chief should be extremely thorough and that there was no need to rush the search process.
“Don’t feel pushed to stick to a timeline,” Abramson said. “If you get through the first round of people who apply, and you decide that nobody’s a good fit, it’s OK to go back out and start over.”
Chief Golden did not attend the meeting. —Paul Benson
