Adams Selectmen Expanding Subcommittees
 The Selectmen are developing subcommittees to explore finances, the Greylock Glen and the Memorial School. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen created two new subcommittees focused on finances and the Greylock Glen.
Selectmen John Duval recommended that the board expand on its subcommittees during the workshop meeting Wednesday night to help relay information to the board and create more transparency and more efficiency.
The first new committee focused on the town's finances. Duval said it would focus on the budget, the tax rate and assessing.
Duval said he has had concerns with the budget process and would like to meet with department heads before the process starts to discuss their needs in the budget.
"When there is a new position request or if there is a vehicle or equipment request I would like to have additional information beforehand," Duval said.
Duval said the tax rate branch of the subcommittee would focus on educating the public on the process.
"I would like this subcommittee to get a good understanding and have a breakdown of the tax rate … and have a public meeting … to educate people of what the tax rate is made up of," he said. "I think a lot of people would be surprised that the tax rate goes to a lot of services we enjoy."
The third aspect of the subcommittee would deal with making recommendations for any assessments of the community.
Interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan said many of Duval's recommendations are already in the works and the subcommittee could be the point committee for the Selectmen.
"We have reached out to the chairman of the Finance Committee, we talked to the town accountant, and when the new town administrator gets here, we will have some immediate meetings to talk about the budget process and how we can make it more transparent and more understandable," Cesan said.
Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington asked that the subcommittee also look into saving money by sharing services within the departments and with other surrounding municipalities.
Harrington said he would be cautious in going too far with the finance subcommittee without the presence of the new town administrator. He also said he did not want to micromanage the town administrator.
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"I'd be a little cautious about doing his job. I think we are policy setters and that is what we do," Harrington said. "I believe if we want the town administrator to do the budget in a different way, then we should make recommendations."
Selectmen Richard Blanchard and Harrington will be on the finance subcommittee.
Duval said he would also like to implement a Greylock Glen subcommittee that would relay information to the board and help implement aspects of the project.
Selectmen Joseph Nowak and Jeffrey Snoonian were appointed to this subcommittee.
Duval also expanded the memorial building subcommittee to include downtown redevelopment.
The board also went over a new winter parking process that will open the Renfrew Field parking lot for off-street permit parking to aid with plowing.
Cesan said the permit would cost $50 and will pay for the application process and extra snow removal.
Tags: municipal finances, subcommittee,
