Board of Selectmen Set FY05 Goals

Published June 10, 2004 | Select Board's Office | Automatically Archived on 6/17/2005

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Board of Selectmen
FY05 Goals, updated

The Board of Selectmen voted on June 1, 2004 to update their previously established goals for FY05 as follows:

• Ensure that the FY06 and FY07 budget planning provides for the future financial sustainability of the Town of Sudbury by following comprehensive financial policies as well as protecting our core municipal and educational services
• Evaluate and determine Town responses to senior tax issues based on the PTERC report to the Board of Selectmen and any legislation that might be enacted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• 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
• Continue the multi-year plan to implement the Master Facilities Study
• Ensure that the process whereby the Town evaluates and decides on the future of large open parcels within Sudbury is consistent with the Master Plan

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 and evaluate a draft policy for the hanging of banners over Rte 20.
• 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
NOTE: The Board voted to temporarily suspend the previous goal to create a traffic improvement program until such time as the Sudbury Police Department is fully staffed.


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 within the Community of Sudbury

Encourage Diversity of Housing Opportunities within 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, and 6/1/04

Town of Sudbury

Code of Conduct of the Board of Selectmen

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
Amended and reaffirmed by the Board of Selectmen, Town of Sudbury 5/23/02, and 6/1/04