Commission presses for clearer reporting, agenda timing and grant rules for town administration

Charter Revision Commission members raised several operational issues Wednesday that they said should be clarified in the charter or by internal policy: the town manager’s reporting cadence and the board’s access to timely agenda materials, the town’s process for applying for grants, alignment of town-manager performance review items with charter duties, and automatic review dates for temporary boards and commissions.

Multiple commissioners said the charter’s current language requiring “periodic reports” from the town manager is too vague. One commissioner suggested replacing “periodic” with a specific cadence — for example, monthly or quarterly — and adding a short status report for major projects and near-term budget issues to each packet. “A regular report that tells you where you are … would help,” a commissioner said, noting that more predictable reporting would let the board ask targeted follow-ups and reduce surprises.

Members also said they frequently receive agenda packets late in the business cycle and asked that materials be delivered earlier in the week to allow volunteer board members time to review. Several commissioners suggested the agenda should be posted earlier (for example, by Wednesday for a Monday meeting) and that staff provide a separate status sheet for projects and grants.

On grants, commissioners described a practical tension: staff and the town manager want to apply quickly for short-notice opportunities, while the charter currently requires Board of Selectmen authorization to apply. Several commissioners proposed a middle ground: allow the town manager to apply for grants consistent with board policy but require prompt notice to the board and a ratifying vote to accept awards when required. “Town staff identifies them, but ultimately to vote it down before an application is made,” one member noted; others said rapid-notice grants can be handled by immediate notification and later ratification for acceptance and appropriation.

Commission members also asked that the town manager’s contract and the performance-review instrument align with the charter duties so the board can hold the manager accountable to responsibilities listed in the charter. Staff confirmed the personnel subcommittee is already updating the performance review instrument to reflect charter duties that were previously omitted.

Finally, the commission asked staff to ensure temporary committees — such as the DEI council and the sustainability committee — are scheduled for periodic review rather than remaining open-ended. One commissioner suggested adding a charter requirement that temporary bodies include a sunset or review date so the selectmen can renew or dissolve them as needed.

Ending: The Commission requested staff and legal counsel to draft specific language on reporting cadence, agenda timing, grant-application authority and temporary-committee review schedules for consideration at a future meeting.