Selectmen Selections
December 2021-Edition 41
Introduction
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
On October 5, 2021, the Shrewsbury Board of Health voted to approve the following Order: To require face coverings in all indoor private common spaces in the workplace and indoor private spaces open to the public.*
Due to the unprecedented amount of COVID-19 cases in the region and in order to ensure continuity of operations and meet service level expectations, effective Monday January 10, 2022, the Town Hall will be open to the public by appointment only.
Appointments can be made between the hours of 9:00am - 12:00pm and 1:00pm - 3:00pm on Monday through Friday. If you require an in-person appointment, please call the office in which you are seeking an appointment for. A staff directory can be found HERE. If you are unsure which department you need, please call the Town Manager's Office at 508-841-8508 and they will direct you. Please be advised staff are working at Town Hall on alternating weekly schedules and appointments will vary depending on the availably of employees.
Residents are strongly encouraged to pay by check and utilize the black “Town Bills and Correspondence” drop box located in front of Town Hall for tax and water/sewer payments. As always, bills can also be mailed to our lockbox at P.O. Box 725, Reading, MA 01867, or paid online. The Town of Shrewsbury payment portal accepts credit card and ACH payments on all tax and water/sewer bills. To access the payment site, go to shrewsburyma.gov and select “Pay Online” or click here: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/customerinfo.aspx
*Exemptions from the Mask Requirement: Those with medical and other eligible conditions.
Email: Health@worcesterma.gov
Website: shrewsburyma.gov/coronavirus
Phone: 508-799-1019
Budget and Financial Updates: Town of Shrewsbury Financial Objectives
The Board of Selectmen approved the Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Objectives for the Town. The Financial Objectives can be found HERE.
Mr. Mizikar summarized the changes and updates to the Financial Objectives for Fiscal Year 2023. He noted that the items were kept in historic order and the order does not signify significance or importance. The most substantial changes are from the retirement and pension being fully funded. There were also updated to reflect COVID-19 impacts. He noted that they made sure there was alignment between the budget and the strategic goals set by the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. DePalo noted that meeting the override commitment is the overarching goal in the objectives and remind people it may look like the Town has a lot of money, but it is money put in the bank to sustain Town operations. The Town needs to make sure they look at the long term goals and be disciplined in managing money. The goal is long term financial stability.
Ms. Casavant noted she agrees with Mr. DePalo and that it is worth mentioning how different this budget cycle will be versus last year and the Town is in such a better place because of the community trusting in the Board of Selectmen and School Committee.
Mr. Samia noted it is important to see where and what the priorities are as a community and where the community wants the Town/Board of Selectmen to go through the strategic planning process.
December 2021 Board of Selectmen Meeting Highlights
BOS Meeting Schedule: January - June 2022
Beal Public Hearing Recap
She summarized the timeline of the process and the elements of the RFP for the Beal Reuse project. She detailed how Civico/Greenly Development met each of the elements of the RFP. Mr. Samia detailed the elements that would bring vibrancy to the Town Center with the proposed project by Civico/Greenly Development. Andrew Consigli presented on behalf of Civico/Greenly Development. You can view Civico/Greenly's presentation HERE.
The Board heard comments from the public and Civco/Greenly helped the Town address questions from the public as well. The Board concluded the hearing and took all of the public's comments into consideration for the process moving forward.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Final Report Update
The Board of Selectmen summarized the process and steps they have taken so far to address the recommendations in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report presented to them in October by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.
Mr. Samia noted that they have reached out to consultants in this area to get a scope of work to the Board of Selectmen soon and give a path to move forward. He noted that the consultants mentioned it would be good for this to be linked to the strategic plan. The Board discussed the best path forward in terms of forming the DEI committee before or after obtaining the consultant.
Mr. Samia said he wanted to move forward in a quick, deliberate, and meaningful way and the Board will have an initial meeting with the consultant to figure out how to be successful. No actions were taken at this time.
You can view the final report HERE.
Board of Selectmen Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022, 07:00 PM
Richard D. Carney Municipal Office Building (Town Hall), Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
Board of Selectmen Meeting
Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022, 07:00 PM
100 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
About Us
Email: selectmen@shrewsburyma.gov
Website: https://shrewsburyma.gov/535/Board-of-Selectmen
Location: 100 Maple Ave, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
Phone: 508-841-8504
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShrewsburyMassachusetts
Twitter: @ShrewsburyMAGov