Board of Selectmen set goals for 2004-2005

Published October 29, 2003 | Select Board's Office | Automatically Archived on 6/14/2004

This Post has been archived and its content might be outdated. If you are looking for recent content, please check this Department's Homepage.

The Board of Selectmen voted to establish the following five goals, with the expectation that they will be accomplished by April 2005:

• Ensure that the FY05 and FY06 budget planning process and outcomes protect the Town’s fiscal health and core municipal and educational services
• Evaluate and determine actions based on the PTERC report to the Board of Selectmen
• Create a capacity to ensure progress is made on a Rte 20 Master Plan and related projects that contribute to economic sustainability of the Rte 20 business district
• Develop a multi-year plan to implement the Master Facilities Study
• Create a new process to respond to, evaluate, and make recommendations for traffic improvements based on requests from Sudbury residents

Further, the Board assigned the following tasks to the Town Manager to assist them in other high priority items:

• Present options for the future use of the Frost Farm house
• Present options for rethinking the mission and composition of the Town Bike Trail Committee. Temporarily suspend the Town Bike Trail Committee
• Develop a draft policy for the hanging of banners over Rte 20. Such policy should specify that banners will be approved only if they are requested by a town appointed/elected committee
• Develop a list of names of residents who have been prominent in the Town’s past and would be appropriate persons to honor and recognize should the Board of Selectmen want to dedicate a building, park or other facility in honor of a person. Seek the assistance of those who are familiar with Sudbury’s history to assist in this process

Final version of goals voted by Board of Selectmen October 21, 2003. Board also voted to ratify in existing form their Statement of Values and Statement of Ethics of the Board of Selectmen on October 3, 2003

TOWN OF SUDBURY
Statement of Values for Determining Goals
of the Board of Selectmen


Protect and Enhance the Financial Health of the Town

Protect and Enhance the Educational Excellence offered by the Town

Protect and Enhance the Unique Sense of Place offered by the Town

Protect and Enhance the Professionalism of the Town’s Staff, Boards and Committees

Protect the Environmental Quality of the Town

Enhance Relationships and Communications

Emphasize Long-Term, Strategic Planning

Protect and Enhance a Climate of Acceptance and Tolerance with the Community of Sudbury

First adopted by the Board of Selectmen May 10, 2000
Amended and reaffirmed by the Board of Selectmen, Town of Sudbury 5/23/02


Town of Sudbury

Statement of Ethics of the Board of Selectmen
Amended and Reaffirmed 6/10/02


1. A member of the Board of Selectmen, in relation to his or her community should:
a. Realize that his or her basic function is to make policy, with administration delegated to the Town Manager.
b. Realize that he or she is one of a team and should abide by, and carry out, all Board decisions once they are made.
c. Be well informed concerning the duties of a Board member on both local and state levels.
d. Remember that he or she represents the entire community at all times.
e. Accept the role of a member is a means of unselfish service, not to benefit personally or politically from his or her Board activities.
f. Abide by the ethics guidelines established by the State and not use the position of Selectmen to obtain inside information on matters that may benefit someone personally.
2. A member of the Board of Selectmen, in his or her relations with the Town Manager, should:
a. Endeavor to establish sound, clearly defined policies that will direct and support the administration of or the benefit of the staff and residents of the community.
b. Recognize and support the administrative chain of command and refuse to act on complaints as an individual outside the administration.
c. Give the Town Manager full responsibility for discharging his or her disposition and solution.
d. Not give instructions to or request assistance from Town department heads, but rather channel all such activities through the full Board and the Town Manager.
3. A member of the Board of Selectmen, in his or her relations with fellow Board members, should:
a. Recognize that action at official legal meetings is binding and that he or she alone cannot bind the Board outside of such meetings.
b. Not make statements or promises of how he or she will vote on matters that will come before the Board until he or she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Board meeting.
c. Uphold the intent of executive session and respect the privileged communication that exists in executive session.
d. Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed.
e. Refrain from communicating the position of the Board of Selectmen to such entities as reporters or state officials unless the full Board has previously agreed on both the position and the language of the statement conveying the statement.
f. Treat with respect the rights of all members of the Board despite differences of opinion.

4. A member of the Board of Selectmen, in his or her relations with Town staff, should:
a. Treat all staff as professionals, with clear, honest communication that respects the abilities, experience, and dignity of each individual.
b. Limit contact to specific Town staff. Questions of Town staff and/or requests for additional background information should be directed only to the Town Manager, Town Counsel, Assistant Town Manager, Administrative Assistant to the Board of Selectmen, or Department heads. The office of the Town Manager should be copied on all requests or correspondence.
c. Never publicly criticize an individual employee. Concerns about staff performance should only be made to the Town Manager through private conversation.
d. Limit requests for staff support, and insure that all requests go through the Town Manager’s office.
e. Insure than any materials or information provided to a Selectmen from a staff member be made available to all Selectmen.

First adopted by the Board of Selectmen May 10, 2000