TNRTA

At a Special All Town meeting held in Truro on November 14th, voters rejected an article put forth by the Planning Board to regulate house size. Splitting 75-74, the Town voters showed their continuing interest in house size regulation and their continuing concern that articles drafted so far are not sufficiently well-crafted to avoid unintended outcomes. The Planning Board has no intention of putting forth another article for vote at the 2012 ATM, and may not do so in the near future. However, concerned citizens are likely to take up the matter moving forward.

This evening, the Truro BoS voted 4-0 to accept John Lundborn’s resignation from the position of Police Chief, effective immediately, and to appoint Kyle Takakjian as Police Chief, pending successful conclusion of contract negotiations. Mr. Lundborn will receive all that he is entitled to by law (e.g., whatever pension rights he has, unused sick/vacation time) but nothing in addition. The Town will not be involved in future legal matters which Mr. Lundborn may have to address independently. It is not anticipated that any contractual matters will delay the appointment of Acting Chief Takakjian to the full post imminently. We are fortunate to have a qualified candidate for the position, already fully vetted, in whom the Truro PD and the community has great trust and for whom they have great respect. We give our good will and best wishes to the Truro PD and to its new Chief for a successful transition and future.

Cape Cod homeowners have been subject to unreasonably high and unwarranted homeowners insurance costs based upon hurricane modeling for the southern coastal regions of the US. Finally, as a result of hard work of Paula Aschettino and other citizens, and prompted by Hurricane Irene, these disparities are now resulting in calls for reform for local homeowners insurance. Our Rep. Sarah Peake is leading the charge: “If you were to look at the average homeowner’s premium in the Berkshires, which sustained more damage (during Hurricane Irene), versus the homeowner’s premium for a similarly valued house on Cape Cod, people probably pay twice as much on Cape Cod as they do in the Berkshires,” Peake said. TNRTA has notified Rep Peake we endorse her position and support vigorous reform efforts, specifically those aimed at passage of House Bill H311/S Bill 1856.
Click here for the final language on the Bill on Homeowners Insurance Reform.

Click here for SouthcoastToday.com article on the issue.

TNRTA has assembled an outstanding group of experts on various aspects of coastal erosion and management to discuss the patterns, remedies, practicalities and regulations affecting coastal erosion in Truro.
Panelists include Grahan Geise, Center for Coastal Studies, Steve McKenna, Coastal Zone Management, Stacey Rogers, Coastal Engineer, and Deborah McCutcheon, Chair of the Truro Conservation Committee. Please come to learn more and ask your questions about this increasingly important topic that affects all of us who live and play along the Truro coastlines.

August 16, 7 PM
Community Center

In proceeding with the Solar Farm Array Project, which voters approved in April 2011, it was learned this week that the Truro landfill was not certified as “closed and capped” by the DEP. Without this certification, the project cannot move forward. The Town is moving quickly with the DEP to resolve the matter and obtain this certification post-haste, but additional expenses will be incurred which were neither budgeted or approved. This may require a Special Town meeting vote in the Fall. TNRTA will do all it can to assist in achieving an expeditious solution to the matter.

Construction of the high-density affordable housing project has begun on Sally’s Way, near the Truro Library. After 10 years of planning and litigation, the 16-unit rental property will break ground soon. The site, which has been a longtime eastern box turtle habitat, was deemed satisfactory for construction by the State after a sweep of the property showed no turtles in the Spring 2011. Truro has obtained $700,000 in state funding for the project; the remainder will be raised by the developer. The units will follow the “Craftsmen’s” architectural style of the Library, and will consist for four two-unit buildings and tow four unit buildings. These are the first high-density rental projects in Truro. Construction is planned to begin in the Fall and finish by early 2013.

In July, the BoS took another important step forward to solidify Truro’s Ag future, by establishing a Truro Agricultural Commission under its new Chair, Dave DeWitt. Many know Dave as an organic farmer in town and as part of the leadership of the Truro Ag Fair, along with Francie Randolph. In the Fall 2010 TNRTA newsletter, we urged the local community to think green and think Ag(riculture), and we began to “seed” an agricultural future as a serious part of the economy and the rural character of the Town. We have also supported efforts to move this forward by Truro groups such as Sustainable Cape and the Truro Ag Fair. By giving support to other like minds in the community who share this perspective – some who proceeded us and some who joined in recently – this common vision has gained momentum. Watch this space for ways that part- time residents can be involved hands-on in making Truro grow green!

Truro was designated a Green Community on July 19 by the Commonwealth, a distinction shared by 21 communities this year. Truro was the only Cape town to be recognized this year, and only the second Cape town to receive this distinction so far. The designation makes Truro eligible immediately for $142,000 in designated funding and the Town receives other bennies including a Big Belly Solar Trash Compactor for Town Use and road signs designating Truro as a Green Community. The Town must also meet specific requirements to establish a baseline for Town government’s use of energy soon and to reduce energy consuption by 20% in five years. Congratulations to the Energy Committee for its hard and frutiful work!

TNRTA has completed the first draft of its Truro BizList. We ask for your help in expanding, refining and correcting this list. The electronic version is driven by web links, meant to connect to each business’s websites. We have many Truro Biz website links to obtain! A printable version that provides a more traditional format (with name, contact info, brief description, etc.) will be available by mid-summer as a PDF on our website and then for printing and distribution in Town. We are taking this a step at a time, to get accurate information, expand the list, and make sure it will work for a variety of users. Help us make this an effective tool for Truro businesses and residents to use and rely upon. We will update regularly, with your help. Thanks!