Selectboard Present:  Peggy L. Pschirrer, Chair; Cheryl Mayberry and Steven Dalessio

Staff Present: Jodi Daigle (Administrative Assistant/Water and Sewer Clerk); Jordan Cannon (Recording Secretary); Richard Kreissle (Manager of Finance); Kraig Harlow (Recreation Director); Ben Hoy (Recycling Center Manager); Meghan Hansson (Town Clerk/Tax Collector), Jane Malmberg (Library Director), Justin Sanctuary (Police Chief), Helen Dalbeck (Hooper Institute Executive Director)

Excused: Mike Rau (Road Agent), Sarah Downing (Manager of Administration)

CALL TO ORDER: Mrs. Pschirrer called the staff meeting to order at 5:00 PM in Walpole Town Hall. 

MANAGERS’ DISCUSSION: Mrs. Pschirrer opened up a discussion of staff meetings. Mrs. Pschirrer reflected on the assignment she put to the department managers to evaluate staff meetings and their benefit. She asked what value and purpose these meetings serve. Mrs. Pschirrer engaged those in attendance to answer certain questions:

• What do you value about staff meetings?

• What would you change about staff meetings?

• How does the staff meeting make you a better manager?

• How do you define “manager”?

• What could help you be a better manager?

Mr. Cannon wrote down answers and feedback to the questions posed by Mrs. Pschirrer.

Value:

• Meeting/projects with other departments

• Collaborative environment

• Sitting in a square 

• Everyone getting together

• Hearing what goes on day to day

• Behind the scenes news

• Variety of departments

• Use of other departments’ information

• Data/progress trends in reports

• Knowing timelines

• Everyone’s benefit

Change:

• Quarterly instead of monthly

• Change of location

• Meet at beginning of the workday/earlier – 8 am or 4 pm

• Overview of typical day

• Bimonthly

• Unusual things in reports

• Comparison to previous year

• More Context to data

• Every other month training

• Everyone contributing to the discussion

How do these meetings make you a better manager?

• Sharing challenges

How do you define manager?

• Bring people together

• Kind/supportive/listener/collaborator

• Communication/active listener

• Generalist/specialist

• Accountable for getting job done

• LEADER

• Train staff

• Succession plan

• Control direction

• Sets the culture/tone

What would make you a better manager/leader?

• More training working with volunteers

• Recruiting volunteers

• Training boards – instruction in training

• Training on how to deal with difficult people

Mrs. Pschirrer asked department managers to state the one important item from their report for the month.

RECYCLING: Mr. Hoy stated that one thing he wanted to mention is this week the recycling bins were painted different colors.

SELECTBOARD OFFICE: Mr. Dalessio commented that Mrs. Daigle has taken on responsibility with grants.

FINANCE: Mr. Kreissle stated he met with Lou Beam about collaborating with the Five-Towns to get a better price on fuel. 

HOOPER INSTITUTE:  Mrs. Dalbeck stated that this has been a registration month for camps and programs. She taught the fifth graders how to tell the difference between a raven and a crow.

TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE: Mrs. Hansson stated that all tax bills were printed and stuffed into envelopes today.

RECREATION: Mr. Harlow stated the pool is getting fixed. They put down pickleball lines on the courts this week.

LIBRARY: Mrs. Malmberg stated that programming for summer reading has been finalized and will be published soon.

POLICE DEPARTMENT: Chief Sanctuary stated that Sgt. Landry would be back to full duty next month. Additionally, the Police Department has been doing a lot of school safety programs.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Pschirrer voiced her gratitude to those in attendance and called the meeting adjourned at 6:01 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Jordan Cannon, Recording Secretary