Tewksbury Department Heads Present Goals and Objectives to Selectmen

With budget season fast-approaching, Tewksbury department heads presented their goals and objectives for the upcoming year to selectmen at their Nov. 19 meeting. 

Below we've included a summary of the goals and objectives set by each department head:

Community Development

• Assist the planning board and town manager in the implementation of planning initiatives such as the Master Plan and Town Center Master Plan.
• Enhance interdepartmental coordination in the permitting process.
• Enhance the town's grant award capabilities and increase revenue proposal. 

Community Development Director Steve Sadwick said improving interdepartmental coordination in the permitting process is a goal his department has worked on over the past years.

"We're looking forward to seeing an interdepartmental review process," Sadwick said. "It would hopefully streamline things to have everyone at the table prior to projects moving forward."

Tewksbury Public Library

• Improve service to all residents
• Prepare a strategic plan that includes technology, facility and staffing improvements to guide library services from 2015 to 2019
• Hire a teen librarian to further develop library services for Tewksbury teens
• Update and codify library security policies, procedures and training

Library Director Diane Giarrusso commended the library staff on providing teen services without having a teen librarian on staff.

"We have determined this group needs to be served whether we have a teen librarian or not," Giarrusso said.

Council on Aging

• Complete registration/issuance of scanning cards for the Servtracker Program
• Summarize information obtained from the Council on Aging Survey that will be sent out with January Consensus material
• Continue preparation for the transition of Director in March of March FY14

Town Manager Richard Montuori once again thanked Council on Aging Director Linda Brabant for her 32 years of service in Tewksbury. 

It was announced at a citizens forum earlier this month that Brabant will retire in March.

Selectmen Chairman Scott Wilson commended Brabant on working under a tight budget in recent years as all department heads have, and for the volunteerism at the Senior Center. 

"Budgets have shrunk and you've found ways to do more with less," Wilson said. "One thing I love about the Senior Center is all the volunteers that get involved. It's a model I'd like to see our community embrace."

Fire Department

• Resolve apparatus deficiencies with two engines (Engine 2 and Engine 3)
• Implement fleet maintenance program with the Department of Public Works
• Complete traning and implementation of additional members on shifts
• Continue firefighter and fire officer training programs

Fire Chief Mike Hazel said the Fire Department hopes to address cracking and fraying issues on the two apparatus mentioned above.

Police Department

• Develop, review and revise department policies and procedure
• Develop and plan for FY14 traffic enforcement unit
• Develop and implement an employee recognition program

Sheehan said through a grant and the support of the School Department, Tewksbury Police will soon have a School Resource Officer at Wynn Middle School.

Sheehan also highlighted the need for holding a recognition night for Tewksbury officers in the future. 

Department of Public Works

• Develop a system of measure to evaluate Public Works production to improve efficiencies in service delivery focusing on the priorities of each division's mission
• Collect and attribute information relative to location and description/type for various elements within the Town's various infrastructure systems
• Identify where administrative and field staff will benefit from training experiences to address areas of improvement and loss of institutional memory due to turn-over of key staff
• Develop and approve rules and regulations for the use of Town infrastructure to insure compliance with federal, state and local requirements
• Advance the development of town infrastructure as it relates to current and future needs of the community where expansion and upgrade, rehabilitation of aging structures are of concern

Superintendent of Public Works Brian Gilbert said the DPW Highway and Forestry division could use increased staffing levels to implement their program.

"We currently have nine folks in that division," Gilbert said. "A town this size should have 15 to 16 staff in that operation."

Gilbert also said DPW will be losing two supervisors and one crew leader with a combined 115 years experience in the upcoming year, placing an emphasis on training staff to compensate for the loss of institutional memory due to turn-over of key staff.

Town Clerk

• Increase access to information/services and improve communication by means of our municipal website.
• Continue to administer document management plan during temporary relocation and Town Hall renovation.
• Provide consistent communication, training and support to Tewksbury boards and committees.

Graffeo said a focus for the Town Clerk's office over the coming year will be improving the town website to provide more information to residents as well as allowing resident to conduct more business through the town's website.

"We want to develop and implement strategies to provide meeting minutes in a timely manner on the website," Graffeo said. "Putting meeting minutes up on the website that's more streamlined in the way we post meeting agendas."

Town Manager Administration and Finance

Town Manager Richard Montuori said a focus for town administration in the coming months will be transitioning to conducting business out of the Pike House while renovations begin on Tewksbury Town Hall.

According to Montuori, the selectmen's office and town manager's office will be completely moved to the Pike House by the end of this week.

Montuori said he and Gilbert will soon be overseeing the design process for upgrades to the town's water treatment plant, a project expected to begin in the coming months.

Using Town Meeting appropriations, the playground equipment at Funway Park and the town's schools will be replaced within the next year, Montuori said.

Other goals for the town administration included improving employee development and training, preparation of an employee performance evaluation process and updating policies and forms.

Montuori said he hopes to improve the liquor licensing process as well as the process for requesting use of town land such as the town common.

Another goal the town administration will be focusing is creating a disaster recovery system for MUNIS and the Vision server in case something were to happen to either of the systems.

"We have no plan right now if we lose all of our systems in town," Montuori said. "Moving MUNIS and the Vision server offsite will help address that."