2010-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

6 1 2010 Annual Report Town Manager Personnel FY10 FY09 FullTime ............................... 7 ...... ............................... 7 PartTime ............................... 2 ...... ............................... 2 ROLE: As the Chief Executive Officer of the Town, es- tablished in the Selectmen Town Manager Act, the Town Manager administers the policies and procedures of the Board of Selectmen, enforces bylaws and actions passed by Town Meeting, and prepares the budget and manages the daily operation of all Town departments. The Town Man- ager's Office also includes the Human Resources Office. APPOINTED by the Board of Selectmen: Carl Valente has served as Town Manager since July 2005. Budget The FY2011 budget process continued the collaborative effort among the Board of Selectmen, School Commit- tee, Appropriation and Capital Expenditures Committees, and the staff. Three collaborative budget sessions resulted in consensus on a balanced budget for Town Meeting con- sideration that addressed many pressing needs and did not require a Proposition 2 -1/2 override. Finance In June, Moody's Investment Service reaffirmed Lexing- ton's Aaa bond rating, citing consecutive budget surpluses, low debt burden, and accumulation of adequate reserves among other factors. Lexington is one of only 33 Aaa mu- nicipalities in Massachusetts. Local option excise taxes adopted November, 2009 (.75 per- cent on meals, 2 percent additional for hotel/motel) began to generate revenue in calendar 2010. Because free cash was certified at a higher number than anticipated, $710,000 was appropriated to the general stabilization fund and $216,300 to special stabilization funds. Performance measures efforts continued in the Police, Li- brary, and Fire Departments. Public Facilities began devel- oping performance measures and collecting data in 2010. The Selectmen voted to maintain the FY2011 real estate tax classification factor at 1.70. Water and sewer rates were increased, on a combined basis, by .8 percent. Economic Development Economic development continues to be a top priority for the Town. The Economic Development Director, Susan Yanofsky, continues to work with the Board of Selectmen, Town departments, committees, businesses and residents to increase commercial values and job growth in the Town. While Lexington's overall number of jobs has declined by 6% over last year, our life science sector added a net two hundred jobs. The Economic Development Director, together with pri- vate sector partner Shire HGT, secured a second Massa- chusetts Opportunity Relocation and Expansion (MORE) Jobs Capital Program grant for $1,920,500 for infrastruc- ture projects in the Hayden Avenue corridor. Private sec- tor construction was initiated in the Hayden Avenue area for two buildings, a total of approximately 270,000 square feet. Altogether these developments are expected to gener- ate two million dollars in additional tax revenue. The earlier $1,120,000 MORE grant infrastructure project for signals at Spring Street and Marrett Road was completed this fall. At the 2010 Annual Town Meeting, Center zoning chang- es were adopted which allow greater flexibility for signs as part of a program to increase the vitality of the Center. Ad- ditionally, the Economic Development Director received a Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Downtown Initiative Grant for a Parking Management Study. The study process involved interviews with center stakeholders and Town staff as well as a com- munity workshop. The study was completed in the summer and the recommended improvements will be evaluated in the coming year. Organizational Initiatives The Town's Senior Management Team (SMT) continues to maintain the organization's collaborative culture to keep municipal programs and services functioning effectively. Organizational goals are established on an annual basis. • In May, SMT coordinated response to the MWRA wa- ter main break — including public notifications, emer- gency response, and contingency planning. • Collaborated on organizational response to managing the H1N1 emergency. • Completed Town Office Building renovation project planning for three phases of department moves to Cary Hall and back to renovated space. • Based on success of first Citizens'Academy in 2009, ran program again in the fall on ten weekday evenings and graduated 15 participants. • Interdepartmental team analyzed requirements for the Town to archive all e -mail public records, identified op- tions, and interviewed vendors. • Implemented Laserfiche Weblink to make public docu- ments available over the Town's website, with special fo- cus on committee minutes and reports. • Trained staff and members of boards and committees on changes to Open Meeting law. • Achieved Lexington's designation as a Green Commu- nity in the spring, one of 35 municipalities in the Com-