Study committee prefers town manager position
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough - The Government Study Committee, the ad hoc committee established by the Board of Selectmen to study the town's governmental process, discussed its findings at the selectmen's Feb. 26 meeting.

Topping the committee's recommendations was to change from the managerial town coordinator Continued from front page position it currently uses to a stronger, more governing town manager position.

"When it was established, the town coordinator position was a perfect fit for Westborough," Government Study Committee Chair Tom Shea said. "But over time, the size of the town and the complexity of the issues changed dramatically.

"Because of that, it's our belief that Westborough needs a professional management team to conduct the day-today operation of the town," Shea said, "and the management team needs a clear-cut leader who has authority and accountability to match his or her responsibilities."

As Westborough's chief administrative officer, the town manager would not only head the town's management team, but also play a larger role by being directly involved in the hiring of all department heads. In addition, he or she would be a member of any search committee that is hiring personnel key to the operation of the town and would evaluate the performance of department heads for job-review purposes.

Shea said the decision to recommend the switch to Town Manager, and to make that position play a larger, more responsible role, was not done so in an eff ort to diminish or limit the role of the Board of Selectmen.

In addition to recommending that it remain a fivemember

" board, the ad hoc committee advised, among other things, that the Board of Selectmen continue to serve as the town's policy makers and continue to appoint the town manager, chief of police, fire chief, Public Works manager and town counsel, as well as the membership of a vast number of boards, commissions, committees and councils.

"Whether he has the title or not, Henry Danis [currently Westborough's town coordinator] is already overseeing the day-to-day operation of the town," said Board of Selectmen Chair Susan Abladian, who is also on the Government Study Committee. "I don't think making the move from town coordinator to town manager limits the power of the Board of Selectmen at all."

Going forward, the ad hoc committee recommended that the town manager be responsible for new appointments to the Disability Affairs Committee and the Country Club Operating Committee, as well as the appointments of administrative personnel, such as the town accountant, the treasurer collector and the affirmative action officer.

One change that the ad hoc committee suggested, on the recommendation of Town Counsel Greg Franks, was to add the elected positions of commissioners of trust funds.

The ad hoc committee's report recommended that the town keep its open Town Meeting format intact, that all the currently elected positions stay elected positions and that the appointment of key personnel continue to be done by the Board of Selectmen.

Process changes the ad hoc committee recommended included limitations for appointed boards, commissions and committees. Members who have served on a board, commission or committee for three consecutive terms would be required to "sit out" a year before being reappointed to a specific group.

Other process changes recommended were the mandatory use of search committees for replacing key personnel and that "acting" department head appointments can only run for a maximum of one year and that the appointments are made in three-month blocks.