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Government Study Committee
Meeting Minutes

March 17, 2011 Meeting Minutes

Present:  Judith Cole; Phil Edmundson; Scott Ford; Irma Lauter; Alec Macmillan; Eva Marx
Absent:   Edna English

Chair Judith Cole called the meeting to order at 7:04PM in the Town Hall Building.

The Committee approved the minutes from the February 16, 2011 meeting.

Mrs. Cole introduced Ted Alexiades, Town Administrator.  Mr. Alexiades provided the following comments for the Committee:

• Hingham has a diffused structure, a very democratic government
• It is well run with top flight management
• High level of participation by volunteers
• Since the Town is a AAA rated, he does not want to minimize the Committee’s work but the government is running at a high level
• Hingham’s government is as much a social institution relying on trust, tradition and goodwill between groups and people.
• He is not in favor of a Town Manager because of the culture of the Town.
• AAA communities are much like Hingham.
• The talent pool for Town Managers is diminishing due to the aging of the baby boomers.
• He is comfortable with a job description that may be fluid as the Board of Selectmen may delegate duties to him which he does not now have.
• Job descriptions are all held by the Personnel Board (except School Department and HMLP).
• One issue he would like addressed is the fragmentation of hiring and managing in today’s structure. Hiring and managing on a part time basis is occurring by elected Boards.  While these are highly qualified elected officials, it is still part time.  Day to day management of selected personnel is fragmented as well.
• With respect to increasing the BOS to five members, Ted said he does not have time to deal with five because his job is to work to bring the Board to consensus.

Bruce Rabuffo, Chair of the BOS, was in the audience and echoed Mr. Alexiades’s comments.  He also was not in favor of increasing the size of the Board of Selectmen because of time management and human nature that everyone would feel compelled to speak on all issues.  Mr. Rabuffo also expressed concern over Open Meeting Law issues with a BOS of five versus three.  With additional members, coalition building may occur.

Kitty Ward provided an update on the Citizen Survey.

• The survey was tested on approximately 15 people with good results.  Based on the results it is evident that the Survey is contemplative in nature and not suited for the telephone.
• The subcommittee has decided to make the survey available through a number of touch points to allow citizens ample time to express themselves.
• Surveys will go out to the public with the May 1st HMLP bills; be available at Town Meeting; and the Town Clerk’s Office.  In addition the Survey will be available on the Town Web site as a downloadable PDF and as an interactive document.

Mrs. Ward will be attending an LWV meeting to solicit help in coding the responses.

Mrs. Cole informed the Committee that she and Ms. Lauter met with the Consultants hired to evaluate the proposed merger of the DPW and Sewer Departments.  Both were impressed with the depth of knowledge and pertinent questions asked by the consultants.
The next meeting will be on April 20, 2011 at 7:00PM.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Irma Lauter