Selectmen, Town Manager Lay Out Goals For 2013

The Bedford Selectmen and Town Manager Richard Reed discussed what they hope to achieve in 2013, ranging from financial to infrastructural goals.

The first area the Selectmen addressed in setting their goals for next year was for their own organizational capacity including exploring the possibility of televising Selectmen and other town meetings and examining the volunteer process for town committee's.

In terms of financial goals, the Selectmen discussed the funding of the Hanscom Military Dependent Education.

Reed said prioritizing approximately half of the Selectmen's goals for 2013 helps the governing body focus their efforts on completing as many goals as possible.

"The goals that are not prioritized do not mean they are not important," Reed said. "It just means we are not putting our maximum effort into those areas."

The Selectmen prioritized a review of the town's restaurant alcohol liscence policy in hopes of attracting more restaurants and pubs to Bedford.

While the list of goals included 43 items, Reed prioritized 20 of those items, and said the Selectmen would not be able to devote their attention to all of the prioritized items. 

"We just need to keep in mind that because of other issues that will arise, we are not going to be able to do everything we want to do," Reed said.

Selectman Margot Fleischman noted that progress on some items on the list of goals has already begun, including completion of community surveys, a topic that was discussed earlier in the meeting.

Selectmen Chair Catherine Cordes said because progress is already underway on several of the goals, the Selectmen will be able to initiate a "clean-up" process at the end of 2013 to reprioritize the goals they were unable to address.

"Every year we look at what is left on the list, we prioritize again and add to it," Cordes said.