1951-03-19-to 1951-03-26 ATM-min

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334 ,,T Alan G. Adams , Chairman of Capital Expenditures Committee presented report of said committee which was accepted and placed on r- J file. 8:13 F M. (-) Errol H. Locke presented report of Town Manager Form of Admin- istration which was accepted and placed on file . Report as follows: TOWN OF TEXINGTON REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON TOWN MANAGER FORM OF ADMINISTRATION To the Voters of the Town of Lexington: This Committee was appointed by the Board of Selectmen in accordance with the following vote of the Town Meeting of March , 1950: "Voted: That the Selectmen be authorized to appoint a Committee of five to study further the matter of a Town Manager for Lexington and to submit a report with recommendations at the next Annual Town Meeting". The previous Committee was authorized by the Town Meeting of March , 1949 . It reported after a year of study , and concluded with the suggestion that further study was necessary to devise the Plan that would best fit the particular needs of our Community. SCOPE OF STUDY The second Committee , four of whose members had served on the first Committee , continued the study of the previous year. We felt that it was first necessary to acquire a rather complete picture of the functioning of the several Municipal Departments or groups. Over a period of many weeks, we met with each Town Official, Department and Committee Head, whether elected or appointed. We were not so much interested in the attitude of each one toward a Town Manager Plan for Lexington. Rather, we secured general information as to how the particular group was organized; its personnel , equipment, records and work load. We were interested also in the sources of its authority, and the degree of coordination with other departments. Each individual with whom we talked cooperated with the Committee to the fullest extent . We met with the representatives of Town Manager Committees of Wellesley and Winchester to discuss the subject with them, and to receive the benefits of their experience and knowledge . Both of these towns in mahy ways are comparable with Lexington. We have studied further the reports of the Massachusetts Federation of Taxpayers' Associations and the reports of Town Manager Comm- ittees of other communities. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS From the standpoint of business organization and efficiency alone , there seems to be no question about the advantage of a Town Manager- Selectmen form of administration, assuming, of course , that a competent man is selected as Manager. The Town Manager form has been used successfully in a few towns in the Commonwealth of Mass- achusetts. In those cases where marked success has been noted, previous conditions were usually so unsatisfactory that improvements were readily accomplished. It is the opinion of this committee after our study that there are no serious inefficiencies in the operation of the Town under its present charter and bylaws. The Town has been fortunate in the high calibre of men who have been serving in the various Town Offices , Boards and Committees . There has also been an active citizen interest in Town Government . Through the creation of a public works department many years ago , our Town has been operated upon a basis substantially the same as the earlier, or the so - called "Weak Form" of Town Manager Admin- istration. The efficiency and organizational structure of this Department have been strengthened during the past year.