HomeMy WebLinkAboutTGSCminutes20060328Town Government Study Committee
Official Minutes, March 28, 2006
Land Bank Office
Call to Order. Chairman Reinhard called the seventeenth meeting of the Town
Government Study Committee to order at 4:00 pm. Present were members Reinhard,
Lohmann, Miller, Sevrens, and Topham, and guest Barnes.
Minutes. Miller moved and Topham seconded approval of the minutes of March 13; they
were approved as submitted. Topham noted that Reinhard's presentation of the
Preliminary Report to the Board of Selectmen [BOS] was very good, but she wished the
minutes could be more concise and focused. Reinhard felt the minutes provide a record of
the committee's actions and the detail helps in showing the train of thought and rationale.
Distribution of Preliminary Report. Reinhard noted that the Preliminary Report forms
a "road map" of what the committee will follow in the future. Sevrens urged the group
that from now on, they should focus less on reaching out for public information and input
and more on what the committee will work on.
Discussion followed on how best to disseminate the Report: ads or inserts in the
newspapers, handouts, slides or an announcement by the Moderator at the Annual Town
Meeting [ATM], postings on "YACKon," an opinion piece in the papers, together with
ads after ATM. Barnes urged printing the full report, not just the summary.
Miller moved and Sevrens seconded that the committee print up the full [8-page]
report for distribution at ATM, and also submit an opinion piece, together with ads
making reference to the report and summary, in the newspapers after ATM. Motion
passed unanimously. Reinhard will pursue arrangements to accomplish this. He noted
that committee members should also continue to seek responses from groups and
individuals they come in contact with.
Consultant. Reinhard had sought recommendations for possible additional consultants;
there are only two with the requisite expertise; one Michael Curren specializes in small
cities; Tom Groux has experience in towns, and has already submitted information and
met with the committee.
Sevrens moved and Topham seconded that the committee engage Mr. Groux's
services. Motion passed unanimously. Miller urged a timetable be established promptly
with Mr. Groux. Sevrens and Topham noted the committee needs to decide and specify
what tasks we want him to help with, what points we want him to address. Miller sees
Groux's role as a facilitator, to help the committee prioritize, understand the implications
of proposed changes, and keep on track. Lohmann thought he could also help formulate
questions for various officials.
Topham asked if there is a requirement to put the consultant work out to bid;
Reinhard said he'd learned from someone in the Town administrator's office that it is not
necessary; Topham will confirm this.
Future Plans. Sevrens urged the committee to go through the questions raised in the
Preliminary Report and begin to form ideas and proposals about what issues we want to
address or what changes we 'd like to consider, then seek Groux's advice on how to
accomplish that. To this end, for the next meeting, April 10, committee members
should come with specific suggestions, proposals for changes in the areas of:
1) Town Administrator/Town Manger/Town Administration: what the powers of
the position should include, the relationship with the BOS and other official
bodies;
2) The Board of Selectmen: structure, areas of responsibility.
Adjournment. Miller and Topham have to leave at 5:00, therefore, a quorum was no
longer present. The remaining members continued informal discussion on various topics.
Detailed proposals for Town Meeting, Elections, Boards and Commissions will be topics
for future meetings
Respectfully submitted,
Pamela Lohmann