FY 2011 - Town of Uxbridge

Board of Selectmen
The Fiscal Year 2011 Annual
Report is presented to the residents of
Uxbridge to summarize the major
activities of Town Government from July
1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The
compilation and production of this report
is a tremendous undertaking. The Board
of Selectmen (BOS) extends its
appreciation to all who have participated
in the process, with special thanks to
Tracey Ante who tirelessly coordinated
much of the effort.
Board of Selectmen Purpose
The Uxbridge Board of Selectmen
is composed of five elected members, as
set by our Town Charter, each serving a
three year term. The collective role of
the Board members is to serve as the
chief executive office for the Town. The
Board of Selectmen has all the executive
powers possible for a board of selectmen
to have and to exercise. The Board of
Selectmen serves as the chief policy
making agency of the Town. The Board
of Selectmen is responsible for the
formulation and promulgation of policy
directives and guidelines to be followed
by all Town agencies serving under it
and, in conjunction with other elected
Town officers and multiple member
bodies to develop and promulgate policy
guidelines designed to bring all Town
agencies into harmony. The Board
serves as the licensing authority,
appoints the Town Manager, and other
offices of the Town as listed in the
Charter and may make investigations.
General Business
FY 2011 was yet another year of
financial challenge and the beginning of
physical transformations in Uxbridge, as
substantiated in the reports of the
various officials, boards, committees,
and commis­sions contained herein. As
residents and taxpayers, we can be
proud of the capable and committed
team of Town professionals, who provide
the necessary services our community
needs.
With our annual 2010 May
elections, the Board welcomed one new
Selectman: Peter A. Petrillo. The Board
reorganized as is customary after
elections with Ms. Pitman elected Chair,
Mr. Desilets elected Vice Chair, and Mr.
Petrillo elected Clerk. Selectman Cari
Kay Robertson and Selectman Jay Cahill
completed the Board that served the
Town through FY 2011.
The Board extends its sincere
thanks and appreciation to former
Selectman Peter Baghdasarian for his
dedication and service to the Town. We
wish him well in all future endeavors.
As our community continued to
struggle with the challenging local and
global economic climate, the Board
focused its attention on providing the best
possible service to our residents within a
reduced budget and without reverting to
an override. During FY 2011, the Board
reduced services, holding a balanced
budget and reactivated Capital Planning.
The Board sponsored an article to set
aside $100,000 for capital improvements
and garnered approval from residents at
Town Meeting. The Board supported the
purchase of a new fire rescue apparatus
and a new combination dump truck for the
Department of Public Works. The Board
continued to negotiate union contracts
with a goal of equalizing the contract
benefits across all unions. The Board
successfully completed negotiations for
the Fire Fighters/EMT Union Contract
through 2014.
In the true spirit of a small town, the
Board worked with residents and
supported Street Acceptance for 14
private ways either by Citizen’s petition
and/or gift easements. All the streets were
approved and accepted at either the Fall
or Spring Town Meeting.
With the “Go Green” initiative at the
State level continuing to grow, the Board
supported and entered into a PILOT and
NEG (Net Excess Generation) Agreement
with Constellation New Energy, Phase I,
for solar energy collection units to be built
on 15 acres of land on property located at
Commerce Drive. The projected revenue
for the Town is approximately $40,000/per
year.
As construction got underway of the
new high school project in FY 2011, the
Board began an extensive process,
working in tandem with the School
Building Committee, reviewing and
approving contract amendments, budget
transfers and commitments. The project
continued to remain on schedule with the
expectation that it would be completed in
July 2012.
The Board discussed extending the
current contract of Town Manager, Mike
Sloszek. Ultimately, a split vote of the
Board determined not to extend the
Town Manager’s contract. The Board
requested the Town Manager appoint
Finance Director, David Genereux, as
Interim Town Manager. Mr. Genereux
received this appointment on June 27,
2011. The Board began working
collectively as a team, wrote a job
description for advertising purposes and
received interest from many qualified
candidates. The Board worked diligently
during the screening and interviewing
process to find the appropriate individual
to lead Uxbridge through difficult fiscal
challenges, unite the departments while
continually working toward the bigger
picture of fiscal and physical success for
the Town. At the last FY 2011 June
meeting, the Board interviewed the top 3
Town Manager candidates, but took no
action at the time.
The Board extends its sincere
thanks and appreciation to former Town
Manager Mike Sloszek for his service to
the Town. We wish him well in all future
endeavors. The Board also extends its
sincere thanks and appreciation to
current Finance Director, David
Genereux, for his dedication and service
to the Town, as he willingly and
successfully undertook the role of Interim
Town Manager in addition to his Finance
Director responsibilities. We were able
to continue to serve our purpose to the
residents with his assistance and
guidance.
It is difficult to summarize the
myriad of items that crossed the table of
the Selectmen in FY 2011. The actions
of the Board are well documented in the
press, in our meeting minutes (available
at Town Hall and on the Town website
http://www.uxbridge-ma.gov), or
elsewhere in this Annual Report. A brief
list of items the Board addressed in
whole or in part in FY 2011 can be found
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FY 2011 :: Town of Uxbridge Annual Report