Southborough – Six candidates will be on the ballot for two seats on the Board of Selectmen in the Tuesday, May 9, Annual Town Election. The Community Advocate has invited the candidates to share a bit about their backgrounds and why they are running for this position. Here are the responses from two of the candidates. All candidates’ statements may be found on www.communityadvocate.com.
Sam Stivers, Advisory Committee member, former Chair of Zoning Board of Appeals:
I am a 20-year resident of Southborough. I have spent most of this time as an active participant in town government. My work experience as a teacher, as a business consultant and as a manager, combined with my educational background in finance and operations management, gives me the skills to help with a broad range of town government issues. My town government experience with the Advisory Committee gives me a detailed view of all aspects of town government. I’ve spent most of my working career helping organizations be successful—and this experience can be applied directly to town government.
What is the one main reason you want to run for the Board of Selectmen?
I care a lot about Southborough’s future. I want to help retain and enhance the great things about Southborough that made us all want to live here. An important part of our future success will be an effective town government that has the support of its residents. My management skills can help town government be more effective. My record of taking an independent approach to town issues, without any conflicts of interest or obligations to special interest groups, and my record of listening carefully to all sides of an issue, can help restore public confidence that town government has lost.
If you are elected, what is the committee or project that you will be most interested in working on and why?
Overall, I am very interested in helping the town get the most value from the over $50 million that we now spend annually. A particular focus for me will be the substantial new project expenditures over the next several years – primarily the Main Street Reconstruction Project and the Public Safety Building/Golf Course Project. These major projects will consume over $30 million (from all funding sources). The town needs to utilize the most skilled management resources to assure that these expenditures will deliver the best value for the taxpayers. My experience allows me to play an effective role in this process.
Lisa Braccio, Chair of the Open Space Preservation Commission:
My family and I have resided in Southborough for 16 years; my son attended Southborough schools and is now at Algonquin. I have volunteered in numerous capacities including many roles in the schools, 12 years on the Open Space Preservation Commission, 5 years on the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Southborough Emergency Planning Committee (SEPC) and the St. Marks Golf Course Master Plan Committee. I founded “Care Packages for Troops” which with community involvement has shipped over 9,000 boxes overseas. I am the Business Manager for Braccio Electrical and prior was a Finance Manager in the Marketing and Advertising Industry.
What is the one main reason you want to run for the Board of Selectmen?
I am running for many reasons, but most important to me is rebuild the trust in town government. In the near future Southborough will be undertaking some large and complex projects, including Main Street reconstruction and the Public Safety Complex. For these projects to be executed in a manner that is most efficient and least disruptive Southborough citizens need to know their voices are heard and that town government is working for them. I’ve been very successful in bringing people together to achieve a common goal and I will bring that skill to the Board of Selectmen.
If you are elected, what is the committee or project that you will be most interested in working on and why?
I plan to establish better lines of communication with town residents to the Board of Selectmen by creating a defined process that will allow residents to have their concerns addressed. I also want to work on improving inter-committee and board communication. Currently much work is done in a silo fashion without one entity knowing what another one is doing even when they are working on the same project. Important decisions need to be made with input and knowledge of all relevant town entities.
Daniel L. Kolenda, Incumbent
I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and then went to Boston College where I met my wife Kathy. We’ve lived in Southborough for the last 20-plus years, where we have raised our three kids, all of whom have benefited from our great school system. For employment, I’m vice president, business practices & compliance, at CA Technologies, a large software company based out of New York where I’ve worked for the last 14 years. I enjoy training and presenting to our 11,000 employees on good business practices, and always operating with the highest ethical standards. I’m also a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserves, JAG Corps. I served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Baghdad, Iraq, from 2008-2009, and have conducted three missions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012, 2104 and 2016, and to Uganda in 2015 where I provided training on areas including the Law of Armed Conflict, Rules of Engagement and human rights. I am currently a member of the Board of Selectman, having been elected twice. I also serve on the Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee (elected), and have previously served on the Advisory Committee (appointed), Southborough Housing Authority (elected), and Southborough Little League (elected).
What is the one main reason you want to run for the Board of Selectmen?
The main reason I am running for re-election is to help complete the amazing work we’ve started together over the last few years, including ensuring that our Main Street is repaired and repaved properly. I’m proud to have helped secure over $7 million in state funding for the project, money that would have otherwise come out of the pockets of the hard-working taxpayers of Southborough. I also want to see our new Public Safety facility built, and built properly. The safety and security of our residents is of primary importance to me, and I want to ensure our police and fire professionals have the facility they need and deserve to perform their incredible work on behalf of all of our residents.
If you are elected, what is the committee or project that you will be most interested in working on and why?
As stated, there is no greater responsibility for a public official than helping to ensure the safety and security of the residents we serve. With the improvements to Main Street will come much needed turning lanes at the intersection of routes 30 and 85. These will help eliminate the long lines seen during high volume periods where cars too often dart across that intersection when a light is turning from yellow to red just to get through. We’ll also see bike lanes that will greatly improve the safety of our bicycling public, and we’ll finally have American with Disabilities Act-approved sidewalks, something that has been missing for way too long in that area of our town. These improvements, as well as our new Public Safety facility, will not only enhance the overall beauty of our town, but will greatly increase our collective safety.
John Wood, Advisory Committee Member (former chair 2012-2014) Designated Public Safety Study Committee member
I am a 30+ year resident of Southborough; my wife Sue’s family has been in town for four generations. Sue and I have two sons, RJ and Mike, who went through the public school system starting at Southborough Village and continuing all the way through to Algonquin, before heading off to college.
I have served or volunteered for numerous boards and organizations over the years; these include the Southborough Fire Department – Call Firefighter/EMT, Advisory Committee, Public Safety Study Committee, and United Parishes Food Pantry. While working as an EMT/Paramedic for over 25 years, I worked my way up to the position of Director of Operations; needless to say, I am no stranger to making decisions that will have a lasting impact on others. In my current role as a sales executive, I work in a fast paced environment where I must continually make meaningful decisions on a day-to-day basis.
What is the one main reason you want to run for the Board of Selectmen?
At no time more than now do I believe our town has ever been at a more critical crossroad where the decisions that will be made by our Board of Selectmen will have such far reaching impacts for generations to come. Issues such as the impending Main Street Road Project, preservation of St. Mark’s Golf Course, and the construction of a new Public Safety Complex will have a material and emotional impact on many of our town’s residents. As such, I believe strongly that these projects, will require decisions based upon detailed analysis by individuals exhibiting common sense, fiscal responsibility, and respect for the feelings of the members of our community.
If you are elected, what is the committee or project that you will be most interested in working on and why?
I am a strong supporter of a new Public Safety Complex to be built upon a small portion of land on the edge of St. Mark’s Golf Course. That being said, I understand the importance of trying to lower the residential tax burden by retaining existing and incentivizing new businesses within town; I believe this is crucial to ensuring that Southborough’s senior community can continue to remain and thrive within town. I also feel that it is necessary to make sure that the town’s municipal and school departments are properly funded and staffed as to provide excellent levels of service while ensuring that our schools remain some of the top performing in the state.
