Town manager praised during annual review
Aug. 11—Town Manager Andrew Flanagan received high marks from the Select Board during his recent annual review, scoring a "4.25 out of 5." Chairman Alex Vespoli explained that a score of three represents meeting expectations.
The manager received especially high praise when it comes to finance, with Vespoli providing a written statement from board members that mentions financial planning expertise.
"Exceptional financial acumen and leadership of the pension obligation financing and investment process," the chairman said. "Financial management and budgeting continues to be a strength. Andrew's outside the box thinking on finance matters benefits the town."
Other shared statements praised Flanagan's crisis management skills.
"Andrew has shown that he does well in a crisis having successfully navigated the gas explosions and the pandemic," said Vespoli.
He also shared the board's collective thoughts on areas the Town Manager can improve, specifically when it come to communication.
"Developing a more comprehensive approach to outboard communications with the help of a dedicated resource will be a critically important goal for FY23," said Vespoli. "Quarterly updates to the board should be provided on schedule more consistently, presentations from departments will increase visibility of projects and initiatives."
Flanagan's overall rating from each board member was as follows:
Chris Huntress, 4.15, Annie Gilbert, 4.04, Laura Gregory, 4.28, Melissa Danisch and Alex Vispoli, 3.93.
The Select Board also voted to approve the Town Manager's upcoming goals, including implementation of the Town Governance Committee report, increasing public engagement and town wide communications, launching a Wellness and Support Services Division under a coordinator, and the finalization of the Climate Action Plan.
