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04/06/2021 01:45 PMThis spring, the Town Council will reach out to boards and commissions to get periodic in-person updates on their activities during future Town Council meetings.
During the chairman’s report section of the Town Council meeting on March 17, Chair Chris Aniskovich floated the idea of asking for regular updates from representatives of the many boards and commissions in town. The suggestion was met enthusiastically from some members of the council who said it would be beneficial for the council to have a sense of what each board is working on.
Aniskovich told the Harbor News that with the Town Council assuming the duties that were previously handled by the now dissolved Board of Finance, it makes sense for the council to be aware of what each entity is working on for budgetary reasons. It would also be an opportunity for boards and commission members to ask for guidance from the council if there was something they needed help with, or just to inform council members on the latest projects they’re working on.
Aniskovich said that inquiries would be made to the boards to set up times.
To ensure the town runs smoothly and oversees its many departments, the town delegates tasks to different boards and commissions. Some are composed of elected positions like the Board of Education (BOE), while some are entirely appointed positions like the Economic Development Commission. Some have concrete authority to approve or deny proposals, and some are entirely advisory in their nature.
At the top of all the boards and commissions is the Town Council, which is charged with overseeing how the town is run. The exception is the Board of Education, which operates under state charter.
“Per our charter, the council is a supervisory position over the boards and commissions,” Aniskovich explained to the Harbor News after the meeting.
It’s not uncommon to see some council members attend high profile meetings or controversial public hearings every once in a while, and some boards have Town Council liaisons that attend meetings and report back to the council.
Aniskovich said an open dialog between the boards and the entire council could be a smart way to make sure everyone is aware of what each board is working on, particularly appointed boards.
“There are some things they may want to do that may require us to budget for them so it’d be good to know what they’re thinking,” said Aniskovich. “I think it would be good for each council member to understand what’s going on.”
Council member Dennis Donovan said he thought it would be a good idea to have semi annual meetings with the BOE to hear about what it is working on, specifically when it comes to building the budget. Though both the BOE budget and town budget are part of the overall budget that makes the town function, the BOE budget is built by the BOE separately from the town budget.
Town Council members typically don’t get a look at the BOE budget until it’s presented to them in the winter. Donovan said that in his opinion regular meetings with the BOE could “dispel the notion that it’s us versus them.”
Aniskovich stated he doesn’t see a real rivalry between the BOE and town, but he said he thinks some people falsely get the idea there is one.
“I think unfortunately people think that because we have separate budgets people get that idea. It’s not true, but we do need to have an open dialog between the two,” Aniskovich said.
Since the council has come into being and he was elected chair, Aniskovich has made increasing the communication between the town and public a priority. By receiving the regular updates from the boards, Aniskovich said he thinks it could lead to more people getting the correct information on different projects occurring in town.
Council member Eric Bergman agreed. During the meeting, Bergman said that the questions he is most often asked by residents relate to budget issues and activity at development sites around town.
Bergman added that he doesn’t necessarily have the most up-to-date answers, and that more frequent updates might help town officials dispel second-hand rumors.
“We need to be open here and by open, I mean make sure everyone has the correct information,” Aniskovich agreed.
“Ultimately, we want people to know we have an open and honest dialog about what we’re able to do and what we can’t do,” said Aniskovich.