2012-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Town Manager continued from previous page new business activity to the Center, the Board of Selectmen supported the Economic Development Director's efforts to create the Town's first ever on- street public bike park- ing corral. This trail project transformed one vehicle park- ing space into parking for 20 bicycles during the months of May through October. Businesses enthusiastically support- ed the concept and anecdotally reported an increase in busi- ness activity due to the corral. At the same time, managing vehicle parking in the Center remains essential to healthy business environment. The Economic Development Direc- tor has been tapped as the Center's "parking champion' and has organized a new Parking Management Team to pri- oritize and implement recommendations from the parking report completed in 2010 funded by a state grant. The Economic Development Director also serves as a key liaison to the business community to support small busi- nesses through any type of permitting process. Since Feb- ruary, approximately 50 businesses have received assistance on a range of issues including sign permitting, site location, and parking. In addition, the Economic Development Di- rector worked with the Lexington Chamber of Commerce to host a free workshop open to all Lexington -based busi- nesses, entitled Retail Best Practices, which over 30 busi- nesses attended. The workshop helped business owners to take a fresh look at how to improve their marketing and storefront image. In addition, the Economic Develop- ment Director partnered with the Planning Department to launch the Town's first web -based civic engagement tool, LexEngage. The website allows residents, business owners, and other stakeholder to share ideas on a variety of land use and economic development initiatives; at present, there are nearly 500 registered participants. Lastly, in support of increasing large -scale investment in the Town's commercial districts, the Economic Develop- ment Director has led a new effort to organize property owners along Hartwell Avenue as well as promote Lexing- ton as a key player in the life sciences industry. In the Hart- well Avenue business district, property owners have come together to create an informal group dedicated to collec- tively addressing issues and encouraging new investment in the district. This effort has resulted in plans for new pedes- trian connections, district branding, and signage. The group is also working with a nonprofit transportation group, the 128 Business Council, to explore options of offering direct shuttle service from Alewife to Hartwell Avenue businesses to augment transportation options and link the district to the Cambridge /Somerville workforce. This year also marked the first time the Town participated in the BIO International Convention, the largest bio phar- maceutical industry convention. The Economic Develop- ment Director developed a new Lexington BIO brochure TOWN OF LEXINGTON 1 7 highlighting the local bio pharmaceutical cluster with 26 companies and approximately 2,800 jobs in town. In ad- dition, the Economic Development Office, working with MassBIO, organized the area's first bus tour with over 25 international guests. The tour featured site visits to Shire, Cubist, and a stop at the Battlegreen to highlight Lexing- ton's place in American history. The participation in the BIO International Convention also resulted in visits by a Chinese delegation and a London -based company explor- ing locations to establish a U.S. presence. Human Resources The Town Manager and Human Resources continued to devote considerable time in 2012 to negotiating an agree- ment with the Town's Health Insurance Coalition for fis- cal years 2013 -2015. The Town settled contracts through fiscal year 2012 with all of its collective bargaining units except IAFF Local 1491 Lexington Fire Fighters, which is scheduled for Arbitration in late 2012. Other accomplishments of the Human Resources Depart- ment during 2012 include: • Completed recruitments for 22 position vacancies throughout the organization. • Completed successful migration of 2150 retired and ac- tive health insurance subscribers from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health insur- ance plans to the Group Insurance Commission health insurance plans. • Worked with the Social Security Administration to suc- cessfully migrate 130 Medicare Part A and B eligible re- tirees to Medicare supplemental plans, saving the Town an estimated $525,000. • Worked with the Police Department to coordinate an as- sessment center promotional process for the position of Police Sergeant that will take place in the spring of 2013. • Drafted and implemented organizational -wide admin- istrative directives. • Continued work on a classification and compensation study for the Lexington Municipal Management Asso- ciation and Senior Managers. • With the assistance of the Wellness Coordinator, con- tinued wellness workshops and the annual Wellness Day /Benefits Fair. Organizational Initiatives The Town's Senior Management Team (SMT) continues to maintain the organizations collaborative culture to keep municipal programs and services functioning effectively.