PAXTON — Goals for the year are a work in progress as the Select Board discusses its list.
Among goals, the board would like to appoint a charter review commission by March 2023, aiming for an interim report by December.
Chairman Julia Pingitore said it is generally suggested that a charter be reviewed every 10 years.
“It’s been longer than 10 years since the charter was reviewed,” Pingitore said at the board’s Oct. 24 meeting.
Select Board member Kirk Huehls said a Marchto- December timeframe to complete the review was aggressive, leading to December being designated as an interim report.
The review could include a thorough look at the town governance framework.
Huehls said one item to look at would be changing to a five-member Select Board instead of the current three members.
Huehls said there was no ability for a veteran member to mentor a new member, referring to the state Open Meeting Law that would prohibit discussions between a quorum of members, which is two on a three-member board. A new member has a lot to learn, from procedures to legal details, he noted.
But options such as the town administrator and other resources could help, it was noted.
“If they (the review commission) are reviewing it, it is not going to review just one thing,” Select Board member Carol Riches said, supporting a long timeline.
Other goals for the board included clarifying that the Capital Improvement board does not determine the funding method for projects.
The board also supported the idea of inviting other town boards to the Select Board meetings for updates on how boards are doing, and possibly having department heads in for reports on a periodic basis.
“When I started, department heads came every month; that was overkill,” Riches said of the practice when she had started as town administrator.
“Maybe quarterly,” Huehls suggested. “It’s just, hey, how are things going, what do you need, how are things going, what can we help you with?”
Pingitore also listed goals such as defining a communications plan.
In other business, Pingitore said the planned Economic Development Committee could be appointed at the Select Board’s next meeting.
She said four town business owners and two residentshad expressed interest in serving on the committee thus far.
And the annual tax classification hearing that sets the town’s tax rate is likely to be held Nov. 28, getting things set for mailing out the property tax bills before the end of the year.
