2009 Annual Report.pdf - Town of Milton

REPORT OF THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen: June 30, 2009
I am pleased to submit my third Annual Report. This report covers some
of the major issues in which we have been involved during fiscal year 2009 and
areas of concern to the Milton taxpayers.
Financial
Fiscal Year 2009 was a financially difficult year. With a mid-year state aid
cut by the Commonwealth, department heads were challenged with absorbing
this reduction in their budget without reducing the level of service to the Town.
As a result, a February 2009 Special Town Meeting was held for the purpose
of making mid year reductions in order to balance the Town’s FY2009 budget.
The FY2010 budget process proved to be extremely arduous with local aid cuts
of approximately 1.1 million dollars. As departmental budgets were formulated
it was apparent that an operational override was essential in order for departments
to provide close to level service to the Town. The Warrant Committee
was tasked with crafting and presenting to Town Meeting a contingent and noncontingent
budget for FY2010. Town Meeting voted a contingent budget and on
June 8, 2009 a Proposition 2½ override in the amount of $3,420,189 was voted
by the residents of the Town for the fiscal year which began on July 1, 2009.
Following lengthy negotiations a contract was signed between the Town
and Comcast of Milton, Inc. that will grant a license to Comcast to operate and
maintain a cable television system within the Town of Milton from October 16,
2008 through October 15, 2018. On October 20, 2008 the Board of Selectmen
signed a contract with MPEG Access, Inc. for the purpose of providing local
cable programs to the residents of Milton.
Growth and Development
The Town received a federal grant to assess current traffic patterns, parking
supply, present and future traffic projections and parking demand, and to develop
measures that will help East Milton Square remain as a viable commercial
center. The recommendations from this traffic and parking study may include
the alteration of traffic patterns and roadway layouts, implementation of parking
supply management strategies, creation of additional parking supply and
other traffic or parking-related proposals. The guiding document for this study
is the East Milton Square Parking Study: Scope of Work dated March 2009.
The Board of Selectmen appointed a Business & Citizen Advisory Committee
(“BCAC”) comprised of four business owners, nine Town residents, one member
of the Board of Selectmen and one member of the Planning Board. The
BCAC will provide recommendations to the Traffic Commission, the Board of
Selectmen and the Planning Board through meeting minutes and through comments
on and endorsement of the final study report.
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