HANSON – The Select Board on Tuesday, June 25 reviewed goals for themselves and Town Administrator Lisa Green for fiscal 2025, suggesting updates and edits which they wanted to see ready for further discussion at the board’s July 23 meeting.
Green’s work, along with Administrative Assistant Lynn McDowell is a “good start,” Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, noting there is still some prioritizing and editing to do.
Those goals include the areas of governance: union negotiations, Town Meeting communication plans, coordination with other boards they appoint on priorities, modernizing and standardizing of human resources processes and policies. They also aim to revise and amend town policies and bylaws, to ensure they are clear, concise and consistent, prepare a handbook for town boards and committee volunteers, holding monthly inspectors’ meetings to streamline application processes for permit applications, identifying goals of town departments and reviewing progress with the town administrator at the beginning and end of the fiscal year, as well as the recruitment for and direction of the Recreation Commission, to coordinate with other committees.
The goals also would have the board update the town’s master plan.
Budgeting goals include the continued preparation of reimbursement requests for federal CARES Act and ARPA funds through the Plymouth County Commissioners, development of a “robust unified town-wide communications plan,” and follow through on existing grants while exploring other grant opportunities.
They should also plan to explore new ways to increase revenue, according to the goals plan, soliciting ideas from employees and citizens, examining ambulance billing collections, green communities grants, sale of remaining tax title properties and consideration of an increase in local meals taxes to 1 percent.
Where economic development is concerned, the goals include drafting an outdoor dining with alcohol policy, LED streetlight conversion, and support of the economic development of Main Street.
“Some of these are a little loose,” said FitzGerald-Kemmett. “I think we need to tighten them up a bit, I get where you’re going, but I think we need to be a little bit more specific.”
There were also recommendations from Green that the board improve communication with stakeholders by developing a user-friendly website, holding quarterly meetings with the Finance Committee chair, WHRSD and Select Board representatives, improving the workplace environment through employee engagement as well as continuing to improve information sharing with the public in order to increase attendance at town meetings and membership on public boards and committees.
Goals for town-wide improvements include a digital record system, meet with senior center and library about meeting each of their needs through the current library with improvements or a development plan for the Maquan property as well as monitoring the long-term recreational use of Hanson’s ponds and a complete comprehensive building needs assessment and hosting visioning sessions and explore how recreation programs are managed, as well as continuing strategic planning retreats at Camp Kiwanee.
“I think we have a little cleaning up on this to do,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “It’s a good start, but it’s everything and the kitchen sink, so we’ve got to prioritize and, maybe, winnow this down a little bit.”
Member Joe Weeks, for example, said he is really passionate about establishing policies and procedures.
“It’s not jumping out at me and I don’t want it to get lost,” he said. “I don’t know where it sits on that.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett asked McDowell to add development of personnel policies and procedures manual to the town administrator’s goals.
“It’s not ‘speak now or forever hold your peace,’ this is the first pass at it,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said. “There’s a little bit of redundancy – the wording could be tightened up a little bit.”
Vice Chair Ann Rein volunteered to work with McDowell on that.
“We just have to rearrange some stuff,” Rein said, adding that work should be done by the Tuesday, July 23 meeting.