How the Truro Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. John Dundas joined the board after the June 29, 2021 town election; Janet Worthington left. The town has not posted open-session minutes for the board’s meetings from June 15 to July 30, 2021, so the reorganization vote is not here; minutes from August 2021 list Robert Weinstein as Chair, Kristen Reed as Vice Chair and Susan Areson as Clerk. Covers 37 meetings, July 13 to April 26, 2022.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Truro, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Annual Town Meeting · May 16, 2026 57 votes: 46 passed, 2 passed as amended, 6 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed, 2 tabled
Art. 3 · motion 2Free cash to the OPEB Trust Fund (recorded as $400,00.00)Passed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 3Free cash: $575,000 to the Capital Expense Stabilization FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 4Free cash: $100,000 to the Stabilization FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 5Free cash: $125,000 to the Reserve FundPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 6Free cash: $75,000 to the Employee Benefit AccountPassed“PASSES”
Art. 3 · motion 7Free cash: $1,150,000 for operating capital (police vehicles, septic, trucks, Motor Inn site work, jetty design and more)Passed“PASSES · 348-YEAS 56-NAYS”
Art. 3Transfer free cash for the tax rate, reserves, OPEB, EMS support, capital projects and other items (climate item cut to $10,000)Passed as amended“motion carries as declared by the Moderator.”
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until May 2018) from January 8, 2018 through August 25, 2026, from the town’s CivicClerk portal, which holds minutes back to 2014 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). Also loaded: Budget Task Force meetings, joint meetings, and executive-session minutes the board has released where they are the only minutes posted for a meeting. Not here: minutes the town has not posted (about 85 calendar dates since 2018 have an agenda or listing but no minutes, including the open sessions of June 15 to July 30, 2021, October 14, 2025, January 13, 2026, July 16 and August 18, 2026); the April 2, 2024 minutes (the town posted the January 14, 2025 minutes in their place); May 5, 2020, where the posted file starts partway through; four files of an ADU subcommittee posted under the Select Board; and every meeting after August 25, 2026. All of Truro’s minutes are scanned copies; MassVoter read them with text-recognition software and checked doubtful votes against the page images. Truro’s minutes give the mover and seconder for each motion. Until 2020 they give a count (“the motion carried 4-0-1”); since 2020 most votes are roll calls that list each member’s vote by name (“Member Rein - Aye”), followed by a count (“So voted, 5-0-0, motion carries”). When the count matches the members present, we show every member present as voting yes, and when the minutes name the members who voted no or abstained, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, a roll call leaves out a member who was there, names a member twice or names one who was not there, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. Motions with no vote written down are shown with no count. Members who stepped aside (recused) or had left are left out of that vote. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (such as the Finance Committee, Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Apr 12Appoint Robert Ross to the Conservation Commission for a…Motion: To appoint Robert Ross to the Conservation Commission for a term…Failed 2–2 · No: Areson, Dundas
April 12, 2022: Appoint Robert Ross to the Conservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2022
AppointFailed · 2–2
To appoint Robert Ross to the Conservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2022.
Yes: Reed, ReinNo: Areson, DundasRobert Weinstein stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Member Reed made a motion to appoint Robert Ross to the Conservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2022. Member Rein seconded. Roll Call Vote: Member Areson-Nay Member Dundas-Nay Member Rein-Aye Member Reed-Aye So voted; 2-2-1 (Chair Weinstein recused), motion does not carry.” (Motion: Reed, second: Rein)
Apr 12Appoint Amy Wolff to the Conservation Commission for a…Motion: To appoint Amy Wolff to the Conservation Commission for a term…Passed 4–1 · No: Reed
April 12, 2022: Appoint Amy Wolff to the Conservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2022
AppointPassed · 4–1
To appoint Amy Wolff to the Conservation Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2022.
Apr 12Appoint Curtis Hartman to the Zoning Board of Appeals…Motion: To appoint Curtis Hartman to the Zoning Board of Appeals as…Passed 5–0 · see note
April 12, 2022: Appoint Curtis Hartman to the Zoning Board of Appeals as an Alternate member with a term of one year, expiring June 30, 2023
AppointPassed · 5–0
To appoint Curtis Hartman to the Zoning Board of Appeals as an Alternate member with a term of one year, expiring June 30, 2023.
The minutes give the result as 5-0, but the roll call reads: Stephanie Rein yes, John Dundas yes, Kristen Reed no, Susan Areson yes, Robert Weinstein yes. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Member Dundas made a motion to appoint Curtis Hartman to the Zoning Board of Appeals as an Alternate member with a term of one year, expiring June 30, 2023. Member Reed seconded. Roll Call Vote: Member Rein-Aye Member Dundas-Aye Member Reed-Nay Member Areson-Aye Chair Weinstein-Aye So voted; 5-0-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Dundas, second: Reed)
Apr 12Acknowledge that there was a Policy #54 violation made…Motion: To acknowledge that there was a Policy #54 violation made by…Passed 4–1 · No: Areson
April 12, 2022: Acknowledge that there was a Policy #54 violation made by Cheryl Best with respect to specific comments that were made in a joint meeting held on January 25, 2022
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To acknowledge that there was a Policy #54 violation made by Cheryl Best with respect to specific comments that were made in a joint meeting held on January 25, 2022.
Yes: Dundas, Reed, Rein, WeinsteinNo: Areson
From the minutes
“CLERK Chair Weinstein made a motion to acknowledge that there was a Policy #54 violation made by Cheryl Best with respect to specific comments that were made in a joint meeting held on January 25, 2022. Member Reed seconded. Ms. Best would like a listing of what statements specifically are in Policy #54 vote, and she also asked that if an admonishment is voted for that the admonishment be a dual admonishment to both herself and Mr. Panessiti because she is not alone in this issue. If that cannot be done, she stated she has the right (and reserves the right) to put in her own Policy #54 complaint against Mr. Panessiti. Roll Call Vote: Member Rein-Aye Member Dundas-Aye Member Areson-Nay Member Reed-Aye Chair Weinstein-Aye So voted; 4-1-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Weinstein, second: Reed)
Apr 12Admonish Cheryl Best for her comments made on the…Motion: To admonish Cheryl Best for her comments made on the joint…Passed 4–1 · No: Areson
April 12, 2022: Admonish Cheryl Best for her comments made on the joint meeting on January 25, 2022, with the Select Board and Charter Review Committee, and recommend admonishment
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To admonish Cheryl Best for her comments made on the joint meeting on January 25, 2022, with the Select Board and Charter Review Committee, and recommend admonishment.
Yes: Dundas, Reed, Rein, WeinsteinNo: Areson
From the minutes
“Member Reed made a motion to admonish Cheryl Best for her comments made on the joint meeting on January 25, 2022, with the Select Board and Charter Review Committee, and recommend admonishment. Member Rein seconded. Roll Call Vote: Member Rein-Aye OF TR Up Member Dundas-Aye & o Member Areson-Nay JUL 27-2022 Member Reed-Aye Chair Weinstein-Aye RECEIVED So voted; 4-1-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Reed, second: Rein)
Apr 12Approve the 2022 Common Victualler license for Salty Market…Motion: To approve the 2022 Common Victualler license for Salty Market Farmstand…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
April 12, 2022: Approve the 2022 Common Victualler license for Salty Market Farmstand Inc. upon compliance with all regulations and receipt of the necessary fees
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To approve the 2022 Common Victualler license for Salty Market Farmstand Inc. upon compliance with all regulations and receipt of the necessary fees.
Kristen Reed stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Member Areson made a motion to approve the 2022 Common Victualler license for Salty Market Farmstand Inc. upon compliance with all regulations and receipt of the necessary fees. Member Dundas seconded. Roll Call Vote: +\ OF TR Member Rein-Aye of Op Member Areson-Aye & o Member Dundas-Aye JUL 2 7.2022 Chair Weinstein-Aye So voted; 4-0-1, motion carries.” (Motion: Areson, second: Dundas)
Mar 29Recommend Article 2: Authorization to Set the Salary of…Motion: To recommend Article 2: Authorization to Set the Salary of the…Passed 4–1 · No: Areson
March 29, 2022: Recommend Article 2: Authorization to Set the Salary of the Select Board as printed in the Warrant
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To recommend Article 2: Authorization to Set the Salary of the Select Board as printed in the Warrant.
Yes: Dundas, Reed, Rein, WeinsteinNo: Areson
From the minutes
“Select Board Member Reed made a motion to recommend Article 2: Authorization to Set the Salary of the Select Board as printed in the Warrant. Member Rein seconded. Member Areson is uncomfortable voting on doubling the Select Board salary. She is not sure she's prepared to vote in favor but does not want to offend any fellow Board members. Member Reed mentioned the compensation study being done for the Town and noted various Select Board salaries from around the Cape. Member Dundas is in support of the Article as is the Chair. Roll Call Vote: Member Rein-Aye Member Dundas-Aye Member Areson-Nay Member Reed-Aye Chair Weinstein-Aye So voted; 4-1-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Reed, second: Rein)
Mar 29Recommend Article 3: Authorization to Set the Salary of…Motion: To recommend Article 3: Authorization to Set the Salary of the…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
March 29, 2022: Recommend Article 3: Authorization to Set the Salary of the Moderator as printed in the Warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To recommend Article 3: Authorization to Set the Salary of the Moderator as printed in the Warrant.
Robert Weinstein stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
Mar 29Recommend Article 35: Charter Amendment to Section 7-1-2Motion: To recommend Article 35: Charter Amendment to Section 7-1-2.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 29, 2022: Recommend Article 35: Charter Amendment to Section 7-1-2
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To recommend Article 35: Charter Amendment to Section 7-1-2.
The roll call does not give a vote for John Dundas, who was at the meeting. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Member Reed made a motion to recommend Article 35: Charter Amendment to Section 7-1-2. Member Areson seconded. wn OF 7 Roll Call Vote: 60 *e, Member Areson-Aye O Member Rein-Aye Member Reed-Aye MAY 19 2022 Chair Weinstein-Aye RECEIVE So voted; 4-0-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Reed, second: Areson)
Mar 29Recommend Article 42: Charter Amendment to Section 3-2-1 as…Motion: To recommend Article 42: Charter Amendment to Section 3-2-1 as printed…Passed 4–0 · see note
March 29, 2022: Recommend Article 42: Charter Amendment to Section 3-2-1 as printed in the warrant
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To recommend Article 42: Charter Amendment to Section 3-2-1 as printed in the warrant.
The roll call does not give a vote for John Dundas, who was at the meeting. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Member Reed made a motion to recommend Article 42: Charter Amendment to Section 3-2-1 as printed in the warrant. Member Areson seconded. Roll Call Vote: Member Reed-Aye Member Areson-Aye Member Rein-Aye Chair Weinstein-Aye So voted; 4-0-0, motion carries.” (Motion: Reed, second: Areson)
From the Truro Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town’s Agendas & Minutes calendar (CivicClerk). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: The Provincetown Independent (courtesy of the members, or by Aden Choate and Nancy Bloom).