Challenging perceptions at Town Hall

Last week, I was invited to speak at the United Methodist Church’s monthly community dinner. The dinner is typically held on the third Thursday of each month, but some vagaries of the calendar occasionally alter that regular schedule. The food was outstanding and the company very enjoyable. Contact the church for more details.I was asked to speak about my job as the town manager. Not many people are familiar with the role of the town manager. The town manager is hired by the Board of Selectmen, not elected (by either the board or the townspeople). I have a contract with the Board of Selectmen and serve as an at-will employee: I can be dismissed at any time, for any reason, by five members of the board. Job security is measured by the number of hours it takes to call a special meeting.I love my job. I hope that my passion for playing a key role in revitalizing a community is evident to all of the groups that invite me to speak. As I indicated to the Board of Selectmen during my interviews, my role is that of a symphony conductor: I need to bring the various parts and players together. I enjoy the challenges, especially in a community such as Winchester.So what do I do on a regular basis? Well, there isn’t much that is actually regular. For the church dinner, I put together a list of projects and meetings, as well as the subject of the email messages that I received in the course of just one week. The list filled two columns on a standard sheet of paper.The projects included grant applications, union negotiations, the budget, parking, roads and the annual audit. My meetings include the Board of Selectmen and other boards and commissions. I had the opportunity to attend graduation at The Gilbert School and visit with the Rotary Club. The list of topics of emails is extensive: State Department of Education, the Chamber of Commerce, state legislative issues, storm warnings and damage reports, interested developers, housing, newspaper inquiries, resident complaints, insurance claims, grant reporting, student questions, farmers market, permits, inspections, pension plans, professional accreditation and other agency meetings. I cannot handle all of these on my own, so I have a very capable assistant to help keep me on track. That variety is what makes this profession so exciting: I need to have the knowledge and experience to address any of those issues at pretty much any time.Most of my experience with those issues did not come from school, but throughout my professional career. I still vividly recall the first phone call that I ever got in my first village manager job. I was all excited about taking on the world and making the good things better. It was going to be glorious. That first call was from a resident who wanted to know if he could have a pet pig.Those calls and those issues, however apparently trivial, are the foundation of my philosophy at Town Hall. We are here to serve the residents first. My frustrations at Town Hall have little to do with residents and their issues. The most trying times are the petty squabbles between departments, between union and non-union personnel, over trivial issues and rules that suck the energy from the building and distract us. Public service is a proud and passionate calling — it is not simply a job. I will be challenged to cultivate a philosophy of professionalism and dedication at Town Hall in an environment that is seeded with skepticism and distrust.Things have to change. We simply cannot do things the way things have been done for the past several years. Look at what the last decade has done to Winchester. Nearly everyone I have met has been enthusiastic about Winsted, but very skeptical: They have seen more of the past here than I. I strongly believe in the opportunities in this community. Stop the pervasive negativity and work to promote your town: Visit the shops, eat at the restaurants, stroll the sidewalks, play in the parks.Part of my responsibility is to develop the culture at Town Hall. I have to overcome daily issues of what employee is permitted to carry what box and how employee comp time is being tracked. In some instances, common sense and courtesy get shunted aside. Changing that environment will take time and effort. In the meantime, I need all of you to work with me in changing the culture outside of Town Hall. Remember, at this point, most of you have more invested in the community than I. I want you to be proud of your town that I have only recently had the pleasure, enjoyment and challenge to become a part of.I think we can be great, but then again, I’ve only been here for three months. I will share as much information as I can with you in as many forums as possible. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, please call me. Dale Martin is the town manager in Winchester. 

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