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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-06 Select Board Packet TOWN OF READING Town Manager Evaluation FY 2020 Combined Reports from Select Board Members: Mark Dockser, Chair Anne Landry, Vice Chair Carlo Bacci, Clerk Karen Herrick Vanessa Alvarado 1 Town Manager’s FY’2020 Goals Reviewer: Mark Dockser Provide comments for each goal and in total for Area. (Refer to May 20, 2020 SB Update, also in 6-16-20 Packet page 114) Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Community Goal #1 Community Conversations Important that Bob attended these to listen to the conversations. A very good start. Want to do more in the future, in-person and virtual. New virtual requirements may be an opportunity to get even more involvement. Goal #2 Volunteerism Goal of bringing in new volunteers that are willing to work collaboratively. I have had concerns in the past about volunteers being bullied/not treated well. Want to keep a focus on this. Goal #3 Economic Development – Downtown Wayfinding is a bright start in this area. Parking has made considerable progress and is one of the most important priorities going forward as well. Goal #4 Economic Development – Eastern Gateway Very good start with visioning and community involvement. Community Goal Comments: The pandemic has changed this area, especially economic development activities. Good progress was made through March in conv ersations and parking. Continued efforts in parking can definitely take place now and perhaps this is a great opportunity with the downtown a little quieter with Covid. We need to take advantage of community conversations virtually to see if we can engage more residents and encourage continued and more volunteerism. Now more than ever we want forums that allow for discussion and listening in formats that encourage open participation, the ability to both listen and speak, and all without the vitriol. 2 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Policy Goal #1 Building Security Governance Important project and progress until Covid halt. Want to see more involvement of elected boards in governance. Did not engage enough with the community at start of project but adjustments made have been improvements. C-19 delays now. Goal #2 Employee Attraction and Retention Many strong areas with good retention. Review of structure of health department needed to help both staff and board. Goal #3 Charter & General Bylaw Updates I think it would be good to hear from the bylaw committee and also for the Select Board to listen and anticipate needs and offer guidance to the Bylaw committee. Goal #4 Zoning Bylaw Updates Good job with updates brought to November 2019 TM. We need to find a way to engage the community and perhaps TM members BEFORE town meeting. There have been many hearings…issue is getting more participation early on. Policy Goals Comments Policy goals too will benefit from higher community involvement as early as possible. Want to keep this as a goal going forw ard. 3 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Operations Goal #1 Software Review and Evaluation Fire and MUNIS updates are great as well as training. We should also look at how to share information better with the community, perhaps through software. Good goal to explore for FY21. Goal #2 Emergency Management Exceptional work here with the C-19 response. This has appropriately been the dominant area of focus for Emergency Management, to keep the community safe and to both help and anticipate how to help. A+ Changes in the world and the heightened sensitivity of racial and social justice as well as mental health will have impacts on how we and every other community in the Commonwealth, the country and the world look at emergency response. Important area for FY21. Goal #3 Capital: Parks & Fields Pre-Covid, studies to understand community desires and needs for Parks and Fields were initiated. Many of the projects were then deferred in the Covid world. Slower pace makes sense but still should look at what we think we want and what is possible (Symonds Way, Rec Plan). Goal #4 Capital: buildings Covid has forced a pause. Core now is community input as we learn more about how buildings can be used. Near term priority should focus on services that residents need and then thinking about how best to offer them with existing facilities. Operations Goals Comments Covid had a huge impact on the operations of the town currently and looking to the future. Kudo’s to town staff for operatin g to meet the needs of the community quite well in the unknown that we have faced. We need to be sure we learn about and understand community needs with a focus on providing the needed services. Capital projects will need to take a back seat until we can better understand how space will be needed and used for schools, seniors, youth and all residents. 4 Town Manager’s FY’2020 Goals Reviewer: Anne Landry Provide comments for each goal and in total for Area. (Refer to May 20, 2020 SB Update, also in 6 -16-20 Packet page 114) Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Community Goal #1 Community Conversations Very positive for our community and more necessary than ever as we face COVID-19, greater isolation, and more polarization within our community for us to continue to engage in dialogue and come together, even virtually. Goal #2 Volunteerism It is a challenging time to be a community volunteer; much is demanded and expected and many have been asked to step up to nearly full-time positions, particularly in light of COVID-19, in a way that is not sustainable. This is worth ongoing examination. Goal #3 Economic Development – Downtown Very positive work in this area, upended as a result of COVID-19. With respect to the Venetian Moon tent, it was challenging to find ourselves in a position where we had relied on information provided by staff that turned out to be incomplete relative to neighboring businesses’ support for the tent. I’m still not sure at what stage the breakdown in information took place, but I appreciated the staff recommendation later that staff in the future take charge of the notice portion of the EAT process. Goal #4 Economic Development – Eastern Gateway Very positive work in this area, upended as a result of COVID-19. Community Goal Comments: I appreciate that Bob has been in touch with and listening to the needs of volunteers- the Board of Health in particular. It’s important to have an ongoing conversation about what volunteer, funding, and staffing structures are working (or not working) so that we are able to conti nue to recruit volunteers. Given the demands and expectations of volunteers by the Reading community, the Town (and the Board may have a role here) may want to consider opportunities to demonstrate appreciation for our volunteers and the hours they put in. 5 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Policy Goal #1 Building Security Governance I appreciated the last Town Manager update to the Board; I understand COVID-19 put things on hold. These conversations should resume as and in advance of buildings reopening. Goal #2 Employee Attraction and Retention I’m glad to have Sean on board and look forward to working with him in the future. Goal #3 Charter & General Bylaw Updates It sounds like the Bylaw Committee has been working hard and is current with this goal. Goal #4 Zoning Bylaw Updates I’m comfortable with deferring this goal in light of COVID-19. Policy Goals Comments 6 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Operations Goal #1 Software Review and Evaluation I have appreciated the ability of the Town to transition to remote meetings and virtual work, supported by the appropriate technology. Goal #2 Emergency Management This has been all-consuming and has required Town staff (in addition to the volunteers mentioned above) to go above and beyond. I appreciate that Command meets regularly and has included our Chair, Mark Dockser, in their meetings. Goal #3 Capital: Parks & Fields I have no reason to question the prioritization of what has moved forward or been delayed as a result of COVID-19. Goal #4 Capital: buildings This is a critical goal for our long-term planning, but was appropriately deferred as a result of COVID-19. I do think the conversation needs to be revived soon so that we don’t let it get away from us. Operations Goals Comments Operations are at the heart of what Bob does and does well: keeping the Town running. There have been a lot of “fires burning” this year and Town s taff has had to rise to many challenges, which can go underappreciated. The Clerk and her staff are the most recent example that s prings to mind. Thank you to all of you. 7 Town Manager’s FY’2020 Goals Reviewer: Carlo Bacci Provide comments for each goal and in total for Area. (Refer to May 20, 2020 SB Update, also in 6 -16-20 Packet page 114) Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Community Goal #1 Community Conversations Covid 19 has changed the way local government functions on a daily basis. Implementing a Command structure and weekly SB updates with BOH was a valuable resource to the town. Goal #2 Volunteerism Exceptional job with countless meetings to keep the town safe for it’s residents, staff, and business owners Goal #3 Economic Development – Downtown No much to discuss other that to retain what we have to make sure they can survive. Some creative ideas were presented to hold pop-up stores in empty storefronts and reimagine our Fall Street Fair. Lots of work to be done to attract new businesses Goal #4 Economic Development – Eastern Gateway Great proposal given at the Library as a long term goal for the town. Community Goal Comments: Dealing with the pandemic has been a challenge. The TM and staff had to deal with a lot of uncertainty that changed by the d ay or even by the hour. There were many hours spent in meeting to protect the public and some goals have been pushed further out t hat I would like. Understanding that our future is uncertain for many months to come, Bob and staff have done a great job with Covid 19. I would have like to see Code Red used more often for important updates. 8 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Policy Goal #1 Building Security Governance Closing town hall and all public buildings was for the safety of our residents and town staff. Protocols were put in place and updated as needed. Goal #2 Employee Attraction and Retention I have not had any experience with this matter other than catering to the needs of staff to keep them safe and healthy Goal #3 Charter & General Bylaw Updates There seems to be a very good understanding of our Town Charter and Bylaws that need to be updated in the future. Goal #4 Zoning Bylaw Updates Zoning has been quite during the pandemic. Policy Goals Comments While policy has to be updated consistently and implemented, Bob understands that the needs of a town will change and have to adapt. He is willing to provide that guidance. 9 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Operations Goal #1 Software Review and Evaluation Nothing to comment from myself at this time. Goal #2 Emergency Management Bob and staff acted quickly to implement a command structure as Covid 19 became very real and threat to our health. I appreciate the countless meetings that were attended with our local and state officials. There were 2 successful face mask distributions and the safety of our elderly population was a priority. Goal #3 Capital: Parks & Fields No much went on other that closing our parks and fields and safely re- opening them to the public. Goal #4 Capital: buildings A lot has been put on hold, but we need to keep having discussions about how we look at our buildings and how we look at new projects. Bob has made me think differently on what a highest and best use is for a building in the future. Operations Goals Comments Operations and services in town were provided with not much interruption. The updating of our town website was very helpful as was all the updates at our meetings. 10 Town Manager’s FY’2020 Goals Reviewer: Karen Herrick Provide comments for each goal and in total for Area. (Refer to May 20, 2020 SB Update, also in 6 -16-20 Packet page 114) Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Community Goal #1 Community Conversations Not enough data Goal #2 Volunteerism Goal #3 Economic Development – Downtown Goal #4 Economic Development – Eastern Gateway Not enough data Community Goal Comments: #1 As a new SB member I am not comfortable weighing in here. #2 The Town Manager has shown an excellent adoption of Zoom/virtual meeting technology - without which most 2020 volunteer meetings would not have been possible. Post local election, there was good use and control of the Town Gov’t Facebook page and Code R ed for community outreach. I encourage the continued use of Zoom meetings and other electronic communication to make it easier for volunteer members on boards and commi ssion to stay productive. Staff was able to attract and leverage community volunteers fo r mask distribution and other outreach efforts during COVID. VASC was able to interview 60 applicants for open BCC positions thanks to the work done for outreach and scheduling. Going forward it will be important to have metrics for this goal as well as a plan to train staff to facilitate these meetings for volunteers on BCC’s. #3 The E.A.T. idea was an excellent idea and very appropriate for our economic challenges for restaurants during covid . The execution & communication could have been better given the vocal pushback from a small number of businesses. The outdoor dining was nevertheless a very positive experience for the community and should remain a priority going forward. #4 No activity reported to SB during this period. 11 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Policy Goal #1 Building Security Governance Need more frequent updates for financial oversight. (Qtrly) Goal #2 Employee Attraction and Retention Need metrics. Goal #3 Charter & General Bylaw Updates n/a Goal #4 Zoning Bylaw Updates n/a Policy Goals Comments Goal #2. Difficulties attracting/expanding qualified BOH staff to address COVID -19 contact tracing and other BOH requirements. BOH volunteers overwhelmed trying to meet all requirements. 12 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Operations Goal #1 Software Review and Evaluation n/a Goal #2 Emergency Management Goal #3 Capital: Parks & Fields n/a Goal #4 Capital: buildings n/a Operations Goals Comments Town Manager appropriately created a cross disciplinary crisis management team as soon as COVID was recognized as a State and National pandemic. This effort was instrumental in containing the spread in Reading. That being said there were a n umber of areas that fell short of expectations. The BOH was caught understaffed and unable to quickly address a very dangerous situation. Reading was not alone with this issue as many c ommunities cut back and underfunded local BOH’s in the last decade. The BOH was unable to take advantage of State PPE grant funding and early offers of much needed PPE due to lack of autonomy. The Town was not a leader in PPE distribution which put many residents in danger. Once the masks were recei ved two well organized distribution efforts were made - but this is an area where the Town could have done better for vulnerable resident groups. Other towns made door to door distributions of masks. When COVID outbreaks occurred in high density senior housing - the Town was unsuccessful despite repeated requests in getting the affected facilities to immediately publicize this event at the facilities to protect the other residents. The Town initially turned down state offered contract tracing services and was caught without appropriate staff available and trained in required systems. 13 Town Manager’s FY’2020 Goals Reviewer: Vanessa Alvarado Provide comments for each goal and in total for Area. (Refer to May 20, 2020 SB Update, also in 6 -16-20 Packet page 114) Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Community Goal #1 Community Conversations The Town Manager has partnered well with the Library Trustees and the Library Director to hold and attend the Community Conversations. These sessions have been well-received and appreciated by residents. Like many things affected by the pandemic, these have been on hold since March 2020. I look forward to renewing these sessions once a safe path forward has been identified. Goal #2 Volunteerism (See below) Goal #3 Economic Development – Downtown Under the supervision of the Town Manager, the Economic Development Director has continued outreach to local businesses. The downtown parking outreach, including a survey and listening sessions, have appropriately captured the opinions of business owners and residents. Goal #4 Economic Development – Eastern Gateway A creative and inspiring presentation was put forth to demonstrate the potential use and reuse of the Eastern Gateway area as a multi-purpose space, including walking areas, cultural use and business space. Community Goal Comments: Volunteerism Many of our boards, committees and commissions have seen some significant turnover this past year, some due to long -serving members stepping down, others due to the exceptionally high demand on them due to the pandemic. Under the Town Manager’s supervision , the staff has done well in getting these new volunteers up to speed and working in their new roles. The one exception to the above collaboration has been in regards to the Board of Health. We have lost four volunteers between June and early August 2020 due to the unprecedented and exceptional demands on the time of volunteers that began in March 2020. After having spoken to s ome current and 14 former BoH volunteers, it has become clear that unpaid volunteers were conducting the vast majority of pandemic -related work, instead of the town staff. Most, if not all, neighboring towns, including Lynnfield, Stoneham, and Andover, have utilized full or part -time staff members to conduct pandemic-related work, with volunteer BoH members serving appropriately and primarily in an oversight capacity. In March 2020, the then BoH chair repeatedly asked that a member of town staff represent the BoH at Incident Command meetings . This request was denied by the Town Manager, forcing BoH members to spend ~11 hours per week in m eetings with ~30 hours per week in communication and preparatory time during the peak of the pandemic. While this has decreased to ~10 hours per week since June 2020, this is still an unreas onable amount of time being demanded of volunteers. This arrangement and the corresponding burden placed on volunteers was not adequately communicated to the Select Board, rendering us unable to support either the BoH volunteers or the town itself in responding to the town’s pandemic needs. While the Town of Reading is fortunate to have outstanding volunteers with professional experience in public health, this lapse in proper use of town staf f has caused us to lose truly extraordinary volunteers at a time when we can least afford it. In order to correct the unbalanced distribution of work, I recommend assigning a member of the staff to represent the BoH in all Incident Command (and other related) meetings, as this was the original request of BoH members and would properly redistribute the workload to the full-time professional staff. It would also mirror how many of our peer communities are structured. If a joint meeting between the Select Board and BoH would be helpful to discuss how this collaboration with staff can be accomplished, let’s ensure this happens promptly. 15 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Policy Goal #1 Building Security Governance Due to the pandemic, some work on building security has been delayed. The Town Manager has indicated that some work has been completed at RMHS and the middle schools, however limited updates have been provided to the Select Board. When the $4M funding was approved by Town Meeting, the agreement reached with the Town Manager was that the elected officials would be informed and kept abreast of progress. I recommend that the Town Manager provide quarterly updates beginning October 2020, outlining specific funding spends, completions and next stages. These updates should be provided verbally as well as in writing so that the details can be included in the Board packet. Goal #2 Employee Attraction and Retention (See below) Goal #3 Charter & General Bylaw Updates Town staff have conducted ongoing bylaw review, updates and presentations, partnering with the Bylaw Committee. Goal #4 Zoning Bylaw Updates Town staff have conducted ongoing bylaw review, updates and presentations, partnering with the Bylaw Committee. Policy Goals Comments Last year, the Select Board had asked for data on retention of town staff. I had separately expressed concern about another r esignation from the Health Department. The Town Manager assured both me and the Select Board that the department was functioning we ll and was fully staffed. It has recently come to my attention that we have lost seven employees in less than four years in this small and critical department, in addi tion to an interim health agent who declined to continue his temporary work with Reading. This frequent turnover of staff raises a red flag to me and has added to the burden on BoH volunteers mentioned above, under Volunteerism, as the department has been understaffed, the volunteers have been forced to attend more meetings than was appropria te and take their own minutes during the entirety of the pandemic. I am deeply concerned about the lack of communication from the Town Manager to the Select Board on this significant issue, especially as it pertains to public health during the pandemic. In order to address the current situation, I recommend a staff member be responsible for keeping minutes of all BoH meetings a nd that the Town Manager provide an update to the Select Board on what efforts are being undertaken to keep this department functio ning appropriately given the high demand for their expertise that all residents rely on. 16 Area / Goal(s) Description Comments Operations Goal #1 Software Review and Evaluation Appropriate progress is being made. Goal #2 Emergency Management The Town Manager has informed the Board and the public about ongoing emergency preparedness plans and training. The outcome of this planning was demonstrated in November 2019 when the town issued a boil water order and I was able to witness the Emergency Management protocol firsthand. The collaboration, professionalism, collegiality and commitment demonstrated by every department present was impressive. As a resident, I felt safer knowing how well these teams operated and how prepared they were. Goal #3 Capital: Parks & Fields Appropriate progress is being made. Goal #4 Capital: buildings Appropriate progress is being made. Operations Goals Comments 17 Town Manager’s Performance Rating for Standard I: Leadership and Professional Culture Ratings are from 1 (Exemplary) to 5 (Unsatisfactory). Check one box for each indicator and circle the overall standard rating. 1 2 3 4 5 I-A. Leadership: Demonstrates strong leadership practices in the exercise of executive functions and personnel management. MD, CB AL KH VA I-B. Communication: Demonstrates strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. MD AL, CB KH VA I-C. Commitment to High Standards: Fosters a shared commitment to high standards of public service delivery by staff, professional interaction with the public, and professional development, with high expectations for achievement for all. CB MD(1.5), KH AL, VA I-D. Assessment: Ensures that all department and division heads use a variety of formal and informal methods and assessments to measure employee growth and understanding and make necessary adjustments to their practice when employees are not performing. CB MD, AL VA I-E. Evaluation: Ensures effective and timely supervision and evaluation of all staff in alignment with town policies, state regulations and contract provisions. CB MD, AL, VA I-F. Managing Conflict: Employs strategies for responding to disagreement and dissent, constructively resolving conflict and building consensus throughout all Town departments. CB MD VA, KH AL (3.5) Overall Rating for Standard I (Circle one.) The Town Manager demonstrates strong leadership and promotes a strong professional culture. 1 MD, CB 2 3 4 VA 5 Comments and analysis (recommended for all ratings; required for any rating of 4 or 5): Mark Dockser: Bob established and maintained strong standards and practices. With the impact of Covid, he stepped up to a new level to keep government running, maintaining essential functions and providing the community with needed leadership and services. The command team is very st rong and an asset to the community. Want to continue focus on listening to the community, encouraging the participation of new voices, and supporting our volunteers. Want to focus going forward on strengthening the health department structure as one specific. Would like to tighten relationship between the Town and RMLD in areas where our interests are aligned. 18 Anne Landry: That we are seeing so much conflict in town accounts for the rating of “3.5” for I-F, but I believe and recognize that responsibility for the conflict we currently face in our community does not lie simply at Bob’s feet; it is borne in a very difficult time for so many members of our community. While many have stepped up to the plate in confronting these challenges, we have also witnessed an unprecedented (to my knowledge) amount of conflict that has no t been constructively resolved. I hope that with additional community conversations and shared leadership from across the community, we will be able to move forward and do so me restorative work together. It is essential for our community’s well-being and I hope and trust Bob will work together with the Select Board and other community stakeholders in an effort to resolve the tension we have seen in recent months. Carlo Bacci: My time has been short for this evaluation, but my observations have been that Bob is very professional and had been available 7 days per week during the pandemic. He is very thorough and thoughtful when giving guidance and information. His performance during this pandemic has been excellent and we are very lucky to have such a dedicated Town Manager. I have not seen any issues with department heads. What I have seen, is a command structure put into place with many moving parts and has been a great resource for the town. Karen Herrick: Overall Rating: 3 with just COVID and 4 months in this role I do not have depth in many of these areas. 1-A 1-B Town Staff did an excellent job of quickly adapting our Town website to communicate during the peak of the 2020 Covid crisis. Town Manager communicates clearly in written correspondence. Out of office auto-emails need to be better tailored with information on how and when someone might reach Town Manager and acknowledgement that the communication has been received and will be responded to with in a reasonable timeframe. Some staff never use out of office messages - but most do an excellent job of follow up even just to acknowledge the receipt. 1-C 1-D No data. 1-E No data 1-F BOH and Staff struggled to be effective and independent during the COVID peak. Vanessa Alvarado: The below examples refer to the categories ranked above: Leadership, Communication and Assessment. Communication with the Select Board has been an area of struggle for the Town Manager. Per the Charter, the Town Manager is to keep the Board informed on all pertinent town-related matters. As the day-to-day Manager of the town, personnel issues when surfaced need to be addressed and reported on to the Board. Below I cite speci fic instances where leadership, communication and assessment fell short of expectations for the central role of the Town Manager. Police Chief Hiring Process At the beginning of the police chief hiring process, all five members of the Board indicated a strong desire to be involved a nd informed of the progress and decision-making process. In January 2020, I learned that the Town Manager had not been communicating regularly with the three Board members n ot liaisons to the hiring process and had no information or details as to who they would be voting on or how the Town Manager had come to his recommendation. This was especially difficult for me to understand as one member of the Board communicated that they had been trying to contact the Town Manager for several weeks to learn the sta tus of the hiring process. 19 This failure of communication is a shortcoming of both the Select Board and the Town Manager. The calendar and process were t o be led by the Town Manager. As it was his individual responsibility to lead this process, it was accordingly his responsibility to bring his decision-making process forward to the full Board so that we were all aligned with his recommendation. We all missed an opportunity to collaborate fully on a key decision that affected the entire town. Moving forward, I recommend topics of this significance have monthly public updates at Board meetings and that they have a specific agenda item so the community can be adequately informed. Board of Health and Health Department See sections above on Policy and Volunteerism Unnamed Town Department (Due to the desire not to name specific employees or departments, this section will be intentionally unnamed, however the Tow n Manager and I have had 1:1 discussions about this department.) I have received numerous complaints about this departme nt from town residents and businesses. There have been reports of unprofessional behavior including yelling, insults aimed at residents, inconsistent application of rules, changing rules arbitrarily, and general rudeness. The Town Man ager has requested specific examples, however residents and businesses do not wish to come forward for fear of retaliation. The Town Manager and I have spoken on two separ ate 1:1 occasions about this specific department and one employee in particular, and requested that he address the issue. The below satisfactory rating is due to the fact that this issue continues to exist with no apparent improvement. To address this issue, I recommend the Select Board go into Executive Session to discuss the concerns w ith labor counsel as this is a personnel matter and speaks to the reputation of the Town of Reading. Pandemic Response The Town Manager was responsible for the overall rollout of the town’s pandemic response. In mid -March 2020, the Board received an email from members of the DPW staff expressing concern about the lack of precautions being taken to protect them from COVID -19 during their work day. Reading was approximately two weeks behind other towns in implementing safety protocols for our DPW workers. While the response to needs for some town departments was timely and thorough (e.g., Police, Fire), DPW workers were left without staggered schedules, cleaning supplies or information to help keep them safe. This department is essential to the fu nctioning of the Town of Reading and should have been provided with the tools and consideration necessary to do their work safely. This example demonstrates the inconsistency of the rollout. I recommend future decisions on safety protocols include the DPW and other critical town departments in a more timely fashion. 20 Town Manager’s Performance Rating for Standard II: Management and Operations Ratings are from 1 (Exemplary) to 5 (Unsatisfactory). Check one box for each indicator and circle the overall standard rating. 1 2 3 4 5 II-A. Environment: Develops and executes effective plans, procedures, routines, and operational systems to address a full range of financial, safety, health, and social needs. CB MD(1.5), AL KH VA II-B. Human Resources Management and Development: Implements a cohesive approach to recruiting, hiring, development, and career growth that promotes high -quality and effective organization. CB MD AL VA II-C. Scheduling and Management Information Systems: Uses appropriate systems to ensure optimal use of data and time for staff productivity and collaboration, while minimizing staff disruption and distraction. MD, AL, CB VA II-D. Law, Ethics, and Policies: Understands and complies with state and federal laws and mandates, Select Board policies, collective bargaining agreements, and ethical guidelines. CB, VA MD, AL KH II-E. Fiscal Systems: Develops a budget that supports the Town’s vision, mission, and go als; allocates and manages expenditures to balance goals vs. available resources. MD, AL, CB, VA KH Overall Rating for Standard II (Circle one.) The Town Manager uses resources to implement appropriate staff operations and facility management. 1 CB 2 MD 3 VA 4 5 21 Comments and analysis (recommended for all ratings; required for any rating of 4 or 5): Mark Dockser: Bob has established a strong culture that allows the town to run effectively and efficiently. Would like to have more community input impacting decisions about social needs. Also want to encourage more collaboration between board members and staff. Harder with Covid -19 but still an important goal. Anne Landry: Once again, very glad to have you at our (fiscal) helm! Carlo Bacci: Bob and staff have done a great job dealing with the pandemic. More immediate communication could have been provided using C ode Red. How town government was changing so fast was managed well and all departments worked together to keep us safe. Making su re that public safety was our # 1 priority was made clear. Karen Herrick: 2+ 11-A. SB has not had any visibility to the 2020 Performance Contracting initiative progress goals and expenditures. 11-B Going forward this is an area that should have metrics for employee turnover, trends for average length of service. How many positions are open and or how long? Given that we (to my knowledge) do not have much diversity in our hires - I recommend a specific plan to improve in this area. COVID has severely limit ed the SB visibility to employee moral and development plans. This would be a good area to implement skip level feedback system and employee surveys to gauge effectiveness and appropriateness of existing training opportunities and employee satisfaction in the working environment. It is also an opportunity for employees to speak up about how to improve customer service and return on the community’s assets. 11-C - No visibility to any systems, but the closing of Town Hall has likely reduced interruptions for many staff. 11-D - SB has had some difficulty with appropriate level of detail in meeting minutes. Repeated requests for summary style minutes. I believe this will be better going forward. 11-E. Town manager consistently develops on-time budgets to support many operational & capital goal. A number of departments won grants recently - Fire, MVP Planning. Town should continue to seek all grant opportunities and utilize qualified volunteers when available to address public health and safety concerns. Vanessa Alvarado: II A and B: See Employee Retention above II A and B: Police Morale/Environment From the summer of 2018 through February 2020, the former Police Chief had been on leaves and we had an interim chief for lon g periods of time. Throughout this timeframe, the Town Manager repeatedly assured the Board that the Police Department was running smoothly and he had no concerns while it was under the leadership of 22 the Deputy Chief. However, on January 28, 2020, Town Manager informed me that there was unhappiness within the department abo ut the lack of a permanent Police Chief and that the department was frustrated with the lack of progress regarding the investigation into the officer -involved shooting that took place in 2018 (that investigation is being conducted by the state). If the Town Manager was aware of these environmental issues, it was his responsibility to communicate this to the entire Board so that we could respond accordingly or otherwise address the department’s concerns. If the Town Manager was not aware of the environmental issues until January 2020 , then this raises concerns as to how well- informed he is to the functional and social needs of a key town department. 23 Town Manager’s Performance Rating for Standard III: Community Engagement Ratings are from 1 (Exemplary) to 5 (Unsatisfactory). Check one box for each indicator and circle the overall standard rating. 1 2 3 4 5 III-A. Sharing Responsibility: Collaborates with citizens and community stakeholders to formulate and support the Town’s goals. CB AL MD KH, VA III-B. Communication: Engages in regular, two -way, proficient communication with citizens and community stakeholders about Town government performance. MD, CB AL, VA KH III-C. Community Concerns: Addresses community problems and concerns in an equitable, effective, and efficient manner. CB MD, AL VA, KH Overall Rating for Standard III (Circle one.) The Town Manager forms effective partnerships among town employees, citizens , community organizations, and other stakeholders that address citizen concerns and build support for the mission of Town. 1 2 MD 3 VA 4 5 Comments and analysis (recommended for all ratings; required for any rating of 4 or 5): Mark Dockser: Bob spent more time engaged with the community through community conversations and other community meetings which is great! Staff has been doing more outreach for activities ranging from parking to economic development. All admirable. Important that we all now encourage input from many citizens and then build plans that best meet the needs of the community in both the near term with Covid impacts, and the longer term. I would like to work with the Town Manager to help build these bridges with the community to address these needs. Anne Landry: Thank you to you and Jayne for keeping the website up-to-date with COVID-19 updates. The expanded use of reverse 9-1-1 calls for community information alerts has been useful and has been responsive to Board and co mmunity input, for which I’m grateful. I look forward to completing the work with you on the Board communications policy. Carlo Bacci: I have seen a very thoughtful and forward-looking process in dealing with the Ad Hoc committee to potentially hire a Social Justice Director under the Library. He is all about the process and doing is correctly, so it can be presented in the best possibl e light to Town Meeting. We all learned a lot from closing the cobblestone parking area for 1 business. The right intentions were there, but it seemed that the process could have been more open. There is on ly so much time in a day and Bob seems to be 24 aware of all that is going on and willing to listen. Bob gives a great perspective on matters and make you think about matters in a different way and that is a very strong quality. Karen Herrick: 3.5 A. Morale issues at RPD were not widely communicated to the SB in advance of the February meeting or were not communicated to the Town Manager by the department head. Morale or other department wide concerns should be reported to the Town manager and the S B. SB received many emails regarding businesses concerned that they were not informed a tent was going up that would limit access to the cobble stone parking area. Residents living near the wat er tower were not notified by the Town that a 200ft cell tower would be installed. RMLD received no comments or feedback from the Town of Reading on the buildings they identified for a sol ar roof evaluation even though both the Town Mgr and the Dept Head received the proposal. MVP back -up generator planning is going to utilize natural gas and require installation of gas lines in sensitive wetlands areas where they can potentially leak. This is not supportive of a Town Meeting and community goal to iden tify and minimize natural gas leaks or to implement more sustainable energy solutions. B. Town Manager was slow to respond or did not respond to a number of requests for information. Two examples include the RMLD Community Solar RFP (see above) and the Town Meeting approved Methane gas leak audit. The methane gas leak audit initiative required multiple emails and SB public meeting update requests in the late spring for the 1 page contract to be approved in July. Town Manager is sending too many automated “out of office” responses. A bette r approach is needed for the new normal of working remotely. Staff is not empowered to work with Select Board members on approved projects directly. Often difficult to reach staff for live phone conversations or to know whom to ask. Email only communication policy (perceived) limits effect ive communication and progress. C. Town Manager/Staff have been working on the green communities application with involvement and collaboration with stakeholder s. Many department heads, volunteers, and RMLD participated in an educational meeting provided by DOER Staff. Planning Staff has been proactively engaging with Green Communities program administrators, DOER staff, RMLD Gen Mgr, Commissioners and By-Law committee. Staff has effectively laid out a road map to prepare for possible Town Meeting warrant article related to Green Communities application. Vanessa Alvarado: III A: Change of ownership of Daniel’s House At the public session to discuss the change of usage for the (former) Daniel’s House property, the Town Manager took no publi c management responsibility in an active and heated discussion with neighboring residents. There were numerous questions asked by residents that the staff were unable to answer or simply did not step up to answer. This was an important community conversation and the Town Manager missed an opportunity to connect with and reassure residents of a significant change to the neighborhood. I recommend that the Town Manager be present and actively involved with all stakeholders in all future communit y discussions. III B: Cell Tower Discussions vs. Pandemic Updates Communication with residents is a unique goal in that it changes dramatically based on the issue at hand. In the instance of the water/cell tower discussions, the neighborhood had previously asked to be kept abreast of developments to the replacement plans. This dates back several years and each time, the abutters and general neighborhood respond that they were not informed of the meetings where the issue would be discussed. The Board and staff then state they will keep the neighbors apprised in the future and then this pattern repeats itself. This practice needs to change so we are accountable to the public. Notice s should be sent to the neighborhood when any issue is set to be discussed. This is an example of the Town Manager struggling to communicate to residents about a specific neighborhood issue. 25 On the other hand, the Town Manager has kept the community very well -informed via the COVID-19 updates provided at Select Board meetings beginning in April 2020. The updates continue through today and have been a central point of pertinent and timely information for the community. These upd ates have ensured residents know the efforts the town is taking to address safety concerns, as well as how people can both seek and offer help to their neighbors. These updates are appreciated by the community and I thank all the staff and volunteers who contributed to them. 26 General/Overall Comments/Feedback: Anne Landry: I appreciate the work you have done in the COVID-19 era, and I also am glad you have managed (and key Town staff has managed) to take some time off this year, despite the constant demands; I believe time off is essential when the demands are great to allow staff time to decompress; they will then have the “reserves” to meet the demands when they return. Carlo Bacci: I would renew your contract today if you wanted to continue. I have been very impressed the way you have handled our response to the pandemic. Your great understanding of our town finances and the needs of the town are commendable. Working with our local legislatures and town staff have put us in a good position going forward. I would not like to kick th e can down the road on some Capital projects, such as the Zanni property and making Reading more Business friendly. Overall, The Town of Reading is very lucky to have you. Having a healthy cash reserve and managing our finances will fair us well for the futu re. Karen Herrick: As a new member joining the Select Board during a pandemic, I understand that the normal world has been turned upside down and that we have all been struggling to figure out the new normal and how to best achieve short term and long ter m goals while keeping our families, town employees and volunteers safe. We are not our of the woods yet by any means - but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how lucky we are that as a community we have so far had the financial resources to avoi d significant staff or service cuts. I appreciate how hard Town Manager and Staff have been working to pivot and address the crisis related concerns of 2020. I think we should our consider ourselves fortunate to have many senior level and experienced staff working at Town hall with the ability to quickly respond and adjust to this crisis and to be willing to make many rapid changes in order to achieve a high service level and while striving for high standards of excellence whenever possible. That being said there are some areas where we can all do better. It is understood that COVID restrictions and virtual meetings will likely continue for some time. During these uncertain times and beyond, there needs to be more cohesion and trust between the SB and town management/staff regarding mistakes and missteps. This is essential to effective working relationships and problem solving. Some level of mistakes or unintended consequences are inevitable, especially during a time of crisis. When these mis takes - process or otherwise- occur, this lack of cohesiveness and trust results in a reluctance to discuss them honestly. If our mutual goal is the highest level of service and safety for our community now and for the future - then it is important to jointly recognize and discuss problems before us, then collaboratively seek solutions. A key factor for improving cohesiveness and cooperation is more live interaction between the SB and Town Manager/Staff, including department heads. Just like death and taxes - we can’t be avoid missteps, but I would like our response to be as an effective and united team and so ask that we figure out how to incorporate more live interaction into planning and decision making as we work toward our defined community goals. Vanessa Alvarado: Throughout my evaluation, communication continues to be a central theme. The examples listed above demonstrate a consistent pattern of communication challenges. Going forward, all of us need to hold the Town Manager and ourselves accountable for sharing information that is pertinent to the successfu l functioning of the Executive Branch of local government for the good of the entire Town of Reading. 27 Suggestions/Ideas for the Future: Mark Dockser: Would like to see how we can further listen to and engage with volunteers to help move the community forward on priorities ranging from sustainability to social justice and for understanding priorities for capital for recreation, seniors and youth. Some of this was to take place but Covid-19 shifted priorities. Anne Landry: Looking forward to future collaboration on our shared goals. Carlo Bacci: Once we get through this pandemic, I would like to see a more collaborative effort to avoid any future overrides. Having a town wide financial forum with all stakeholder departments involved. Getting staff in place to handle the challenge of making Reading a destination. Karen Herrick: Adopt best practices for the town website and social media and continuing moving forward with improving the site/pages. Increase communication, including decision-making processes, between staff members involved in the town’s response to COVID - 19 and the BOH. This will help ensure that our response to COVID -19 is driven by science and will help prevent the town from missing out on critical grant opportunities. Increase staffing in Human Health Services so that the BOH will have the support needed for them to respond effectively to the crisis. Regularly schedule live conversations or coffee between department heads and all SB members as they request and as neede d for initiatives related to key 2021 goals such as sustainability, clean energy adoption, and racial justice. Empower staff to eff ectively work with SB members as appropriate and in order to re-establish trust. Empower ALL staff to respond to SB phone cal ls and not limit them to emails cc’ing the Town Manager. Adopt best “working remotely” communication practices so that volunteers and residents seeking to reach TM/Staff know how and when they can reach staff live and when they will be working remotely. These best practices might include a strategy for forwarding phones so that TM/Staff can be reached directly as in pre-COVID days. Include specific measurable goals related to sustainability and the implementation of clean energy and a closer working relat ionship with RMLD. 28 Town Manager Comments on Review: