Select Board Offers Permanent TM Position to Interim Bill McKinney

by Inanna Arthen
At their meeting on Monday, November 13, the Select Board interviewed Interim Town Manager Bill McKinney for the permanent position. After going into Executive Session to deliberate, the Board returned to open session and voted to offer Mr. McKinney the position.

Mr. McKinney has been serving as Winchendon's Interim Town Manager since July 7, 2023, just over four months. He was asked similar questions as the other three applicants, plus a few different ones.

Invited to introduce himself, Mr. McKinney said, "Really enjoy the work. There's something going on every single day. On the drive up here and the drive home, always thinking about ways to improve the town. I'm working well with the department heads and all the employees, and getting to know everybody. I've tried to get out to a lot of the different meetings in town, a lot of groups, just to really get let people know that I'm very accessible, I've had residents so just drop in and say hello. If they have any questions or concerns I want to let them know that the door is always open and enjoy meeting them."

Board Chair Audrey LaBrie asked, "You have no formal town manager experience. How have you found over the last few months you've tackled that issue, that you don't have the town manager experience? What steps have you taken to ensure that you know the I's have been dotted and the T's on things that, perhaps as not having that background, are newer and unfamiliar to you?"

"I've been meeting with the department heads every couple of weeks, as a group," Mr. McKinney responded. "I talk to them almost every day on different issues." As soon as he started, Mr. McKinney said, he also met with the Mayor of Gardner and the Town Administrators of Templeton and Ashburnham, to get to know Winchendon's neighbors and how they could work together. "I've already had three intermunicipal agreements with Templeton. One of those included the town of Hubbardston," he said. He added that he has attended Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) events and had met with Ann Gobi (formerly Winchendon's state Senator and now the Director of Rural Affairs for Massachusetts. He's tapped into his connections in state government. "So I've been talking to as many people as possible. And like I said, that means there's a great team here. I really enjoyed working with them and hopefully be able to continue."

Asked, "Would you please describe characteristics we would hear from your staff regarding your management style, what would they be saying about you," Mr. McKinney said, "I think that they enjoy working with me and working together. Open minded, I like to feedback, I like having conversations with them. I like when they come to me with different ideas and solutions things that you may have been overlooked in the past...I think they like the decisiveness, they like the coming into work every day with a smile, asking people how they're doing, how the weekend was, getting to know them. I would say that's probably what they would say.

Asked, "How do you fully utilize our staff's talents and focus their efforts on the most important and urgent projects," Mr. McKinney said that his staff has been great. Several of them have been leading their departments for several years, especially Sheila Bettro at the Council on Aging. He said he wanted to "find out from them what are the roadblocks, what are the things that might be getting in the way of them being as successful as they can be, and to try to remove those. If they're having issue with someone at the state level, so when I could try to make a call and get that resolved." He'd also mediate in conflicts between town residents and staff, he said, "try to get in the middle of that, if I can and just try to come up with a resolution. I want to be able to make sure that they know that I've got their back and find out what it is that is preventing them from doing even better work."

Asked, "How would you approach a staff member who you see is going above and beyond or taking those extra steps?...What's your what's your take on the exemplary employee," Mr. McKinney responded, "Well, I can't thank them enough. You know, I like the public recognition. As you saw, I've been put sending out an email every month, that highlights what's been happening in each department. Employee anniversaries, I want to recognize people, say working one to 10-20 years for the town." He also highlighted feedback from residents--when someone calls or emails and wants an employee recognized for a job well done, Mr. McKinney wants everyone to know. This helps employees feel enthusiastic about their job and enjoy coming to work every day.

Asked, "What educational resources would you tap to help staff who are looking to advance or improve their skills, in particular our Accounting and Treasurer Collector Office who are both fairly new terms to their positions," Mr. McKinney responded, "The Treasurer Collectors Association has an annual school that they have every August, and the Treasurer Collector went to that one this past August, and will probably go every year." He has also reached out to Treasurer Collectors in other towns to help build up a network of mutual support, so people can call each other with questions. He wants to have a level of understanding, he said, so "if I find something that's awful or missing, I want to be able to talk through it, and say this is how I found it, this is something to look for the next time this issue comes around."

Asked "What thoughts have you had about improving our town," Mr. McKinney said, "Sometimes going out for a walk up and down Front Street, I see a lot of vacant storefronts, which is too bad. Because the street looks great. And it's a shame to see those vacant storefronts." So he asked the Secretary of Economic Development what the town could do, and was told there is a Vacant Storefronts Program. "So I've actually got a call with the head of that program next week," he said. He also talked about looking at the different opportunities and talents the town has to help businesses, and talking to state agencies and programs that can help.

Asked, "Tell us what you bring to the position in regards to financial management skills," Mr. McKinney said, "I think I bring it all. I've been working very closely with the town accountant and the treasurer. It's a difficult, challenging positions, especially if you haven't done that before. Fortunately, I have been the CFO for the town of Weymouth, and the treasurer collector for several years." So he has been able to assist with many fine details of the job, which become more familiar the more you do them. "Next year, both of them will be great at their jobs. I mean, they're great now and they're asking all the right questions. But they've gone through it for a year. They were already coming up with ways to better improve the process." The town has started paying vendors electronically instead of having to cut checks, and the same for employee reimbursements and Veterans' benefits. "Let's get our people paid as quickly as possible," he said.

Asked, "If you were to find any town department or departments overspending on their budget, what steps would you take to bring them back into control," Mr. McKinney responded, "First, I go and talk to them and to find out why they're overspending, like what are the different issues, because we want to be able to get out ahead of them. If it's something that's going to be a recurring issue that we need to bring before the Board or before the Finance Committee, I'd rather do it sooner rather than later. That's why some of the issues that we brought before the Special Town Meeting, might normally be on an Annual Town Meeting, but we just didn't want to wait because we need to address these issues right away."

Asked, "What do you see as areas of risk management. Anything that you've come across in the few months or in your experience? Where do we need to be most cautious, maybe have our eyes on a little bit closer," Mr. McKinney responded, "after we get the books closed, just because we're a little bit farther behind, I'll be able to have a better financial picture that I'll be able to present in the [Special Town Meeting] on December 11 to let the whole town know where we stand. You know, as far as not only the Free Cash but what we're seeing as far as the trends." One risk, he said, is the town's dependency on state aid monies, which are a bigger part of the budget than local property taxes. "The risk there is that if the state were to cut that off or to reduce it, it's just such a huge part of our budget, which is why again, it's good to be able to work closely with our state rep and state Senator and people at the State House because that's critical." He also spoke of making Winchendon a place people want to move their businesses and families to so town can grow. The budget can only grow so much because of Proposition 2-1/2.

Asked, "What do you believe is the role of the town manager in maintaining and raising the level of community engagement, and describe how you'd enhance that relationship between the town manager and citizens," Mr. McKinney responded, "I think as I've mentioned before, I just like getting out and going to different events out there. On Saturday, I thought there was a great event at the American Legion. I've been to events over at the CAC, I've been to several different Board meetings, the Council on Aging or the Library Board of Trustees, Selectmen, School Committee, Redevelopment Authority. I want to get a sense of what people like about the town, what they don't like, if there are things that we can improve upon. The worst thing is for people to get frustrated and feel like their complaints aren't being heard, and then take any gripes to social media instead of reaching out to the town first and try to get it resolved." Even if everything can't resolved, Mr. McKinney said, he wanted people to realize that they'll be listened to and respected, and their opinions matter.

Asked about his long daily commute, Mr. McKinney said his only real concern was "the wear and tear" on his car. He doesn't mind the drive or the time, he said. "I went to get an oil change, and they said, 'weren't you just here?'" he kidded.

Asked, "In your experience, how should a Board of Selectmen or a Select Board, School Committee, Finance Committee and town manager work together," Mr. McKinney said, "Obviously I think they should work together. I think it's important that transparency, that everybody knows what's going on. They understand what's happening and Town Hall, they understand what's happening with the finances of the town." Communication is the biggest key to success, making sure everyone is on the same page. Everyone should have everyone's phone numbers and not hesitate to reach out if there is any issue. "Constant communication is the most critical part," he said.

Board Vice-chair Rick Ward asked, "We asked this of all the candidates, and this one dealt with leaving a position before contract end date. Now looking at your resume. I didn't see that you left any position before the completion of your time. However, in 2013, you did offer your resignation over an incident in Weymouth, where you were the chief financial officer. Could you explain to us and clear that up? What was the situation and what was the result? How was it resolved?"

Mr. McKinney explained that for an open meeting to go over the proposed budget, he had created a video, meant entirely in jest, in which kids played the roles of Weymouth city officials discussing issues of the day. The video was not received well, and resulted in very awkward explanations and apologies. "This was not malice towards anybody. This was genuine," he said. "It was just to me, it was just shocking to people who looked at it at a different way than I could have even imagined. So, I met with all the principals involved. Talked to the mayor. And eventually we're able to get past it." He added, "I should have listened to my wife when she said you know, it's not gonna be funny." But, Mr. McKinney said, he felt people still appreciated all he'd done for the city. "I think if you call anybody they'd speak very highly of what I was able to accomplish and I was there for two more years after that, until I joined the [Governor Charles] Baker administration," he concluded.

Ms. LaBrie asked, "One thing that we've worked very hard on over the tenure of the last few town managers, there's a forward momentum, addressing the blight, Central Street update, the community park etc. What do you see you can do to keep that vision and progress going without waiting necessarily for a request? Or complaints about a piece of property? Focus on keeping up forward momentum?"

"That's what we've been trying to do over the last few months," Mr. McKinney said. He spoke of the great job Parks & Recreation Director Tiffany Newton was doing with the amphitheatre and how unfortunate it was that it rained almost every weekend. He emphasized listening to all the residents and making sure they feel heard, and finding the right balance for the town, whether it's more solar or less, or other things that could change the character of the community.

Asked, "Are you finding that there are programs and resources out there that we haven't tapped? Are you finding much new out there for us," Mr. McKinney said, "I think there are some possibilities." There are grants and funding opportunities coming up. "There's talk of obviously a fire station here in town," he said. "There's talk of a new authority similar to the Mass School Building Authority that would have some money set aside for public safety buildings. I don't know if that's going to come to fruition, but it's something that we're monitoring closely at the Statehouse." He's talking to the state about the Chapter 90 funding. "We get shortchanged because the formula really doesn't work as well for rural communities because it's rote, it should be based on road miles, but it's road miles and jobs and population and the more population and jobs, you have more money," he said. It would also be helpful to change the state definition of "rural community" based on total population (under 10,000) or population density, and not both. Winchendon has low population density even though the population is just over 10,000, because it has a lot of square miles, and a lot of miles of road.

Asked if he had any questions, Mr. McKinney said he hadn't been sure at first because it is a long commute. "When I started, I saw Oh, this would be a great opportunity because it's what I've been looking to do for many, many years is to become a town manager," he said. "So you know, as soon as I got here, I just felt so welcomed, from the employees, from the residents, from you. And after after a couple of months, I said, 'You know what, this is what I want to do, you know, it's a great community, and this is where I want to work.' And this is where I want to be for the next several years. So I really appreciate the opportunity."

Mr. McKinney said that he has no other plans; if he gets the job, "I really would not be looking anywhere else."

Asked where he saw the town in three to five years, Mr. McKinney said that again, it meant talking to residents, asking what they wanted to see in the town and what their hopes are. Bringing in more businesses, taking down blighted buildings, getting more aggressive with tax takings so properties can be turned around and get back on the tax rolls. He sees a lot of opportunities, he said.

When the interview concluded, the Select Board went into Executive Session for quite a long time (approximately an hour). When they returned, Ms. LaBrie said, "Looking at the original three candidates and adding Mr. McKinney this evening, I'd like to just thank the search committee for all of the work that they did. It was a very exhaustive, detailed process. The process included background checks, social media, our research, multiple interviews with the candidates, written writing samples, interviewing with their references and such. We've looked at everything from traditional town manager experience to some with bring a non traditional hotel manager background. Experience and their credentials, we pored over their resumes, their responses. And there are some intangibles also that we that we have to take into consideration."

This being said, Mr. Ward made a motion to offer the Town Manager position to Bill McKinney. With no discussion, the Board unaimously approved.

Ms. LaBrie said, "Again, I want to thank the candidates, Heather, Shawn, and Ryan, for the time and effort that they put into the situation into the search. It's been a wonderful experience. It's been an exhaustive experience."

Board member Barbara Anderson said, "I would also like to thank the candidates and recognize that they each had their own set of strengths and skills that we would value. Mr. McKinney just had a little bit of an edge in some of the skills that we are needing right now."

Ms. LaBrie said, "Part of what led us to that decision is we've had feedback from the community, feedback from employees, supporting Mr. McKinney. He's developed a very strong working relationship over the last few months that he's been here as an interim with the town with Town Hall employees and the citizens. We feel that although he does not have the traditional town manager background, his strengths, in particular the financial aspect, his financial background brings him to the forefront."

Mr. Ward said he wanted to thank David Evertsen of Municipal Solutions for his hard work. "I've hired a lot of folks in my career. I've never had such a detailed amount of information from from his company and the search committee," he said.

For those who would like to review Mr. McKinney's Interim interview and application, see:

"BOS Interview Three Interim Town Manager Candidates" in the June 22-29 2023 edition of The Winchendon Courier

"BOS Hire William McKinney as Interim Town Manager" in the June 29-July 6, 2023 edition of The Winchendon Courier

Bill McKinney's LinkedIn page

Citizens, SB Member Express Urgency On Right of First Refusal for Proposed Solar Property

by Inanna Arthen
At the Select Board meeting on Monday, November 13, numerous people raised urgent concerns about the rapidly dwindling time left for the town to exercise its Right of First Refusal on a Chapter 61 parcel of land being sold for a proposed large solar project. The topic was not included on the agenda for that night's meeting and had last been discussed at the meeting on October 23.

When Board Vice Chair Rick Ward opened the floor for Board member comments, Board member Melissa Blanchard said, "I have a question about, we have an issue that's been about the town. It was the Land Trust and the Audubon Society and our time clock is ticking and we really need to have a meeting about this relatively soon. I don't know if you're aware of the Mount Grace Land Trust and Mass Audubon. We haven't had any meetings with the open discussion recently, and we don't have much time left in order to complete this, and get the paperwork done before we lose that ability to join with the Audubon Society. So if we could somehow discuss having a meeting where we can try and get the process running, decide with the community with their voices on it, if we're going to go with it or if we're going to not go with it. But the clock is ticking. And we don't have much time. If we wait until beginning of the year, it's going to be too late."

The Board agreed that the topic would be on the agenda for their meeting on Monday, November 27, but it would not be a public hearing. Ms. Blanchard asked for confirmation that public comments would be open at that meeting. A citizen in the audience spoke up, saying that a hearing needed to be done by the middle of December. Mr. Ward said they would check with "our legal folks" to see when the hearing was required.

Following Mr. McKinney's interview, while Mr. McKinney was still present, the Board opened the floor for questions and comments from the audience, of which there were approximately a dozen people.

Carolyn Sellars rose to say, "I live on Sunset Lake and I own property in Winchendon. And I'm very concerned about what we've talked about tonight earlier, about this offer from Mass Audubon to make this amazing gift to the community from land we talked about preserving in the open space plan and the Master Plan. I guess I'm a little concerned that the town got notice in September, and I didn't hear about it until after it was reported in the Winchendon Courier after an October 23 meeting. So in the interest of transparency, and openness and good communication, I have two questions. Why did that happen? Why are we here at this point trying to move fast forward. And how are we going to move fast forward to make sure we don't lose this amazing opportunity."

Board Chair Audrey LaBrie explained that they had planned to put the topic on that night's agenda, but Town Manager's Executive Assistant Mary Calandrella had told the Board that Mount Grace and Mass Audubon "were okay with moving this to our meeting of the 27th."

Ms. Sellars said that a public hearing was required for the decision to be made. Ms. LaBrie said that the item was not on the agenda, and the floor was open for comments on Mr. McKinney's candidacy for Town Manager. Ms. Sellars persisted, saying that they wanted to hear from Mr. McKinney as to what was going on. Her husband had called the Conservation Agent with questions and Winchendon's Conservation Commission didn't know about the offer or about the land being in Chapter 61, she said. "I think this is a key thing in most communities, that when this happens, notice of it goes to the Planning Board, it goes to the Conservation Commission. That obviously didn't happen in Winchendon and I'd like to hear about why that didn't happen."

Ms. LaBrie said again that the floor was open for questions to Mr. McKinney. Ms. Sellars said she felt the question was relevant. "It's a question for the town administrator and he's applying for this job. He was here when it happened. I think it is related to this."

Mr. McKinney did not respond to Ms. Sellars' remarks during the meeting.

For previous coverage, see:

"Mount Grace and Mass Audubon Ask Town to Preserve 1400-acre Tract of Land Proposed for Enormous Solar "Campus"" in the October 26-November 2, 2023 edition of The Winchendon Courier
and
"Town Boards Hear Initial Pitch for 1,400-Acre Solar Campus in East Winchendon" in the November 17-24, 2022 edition of the Winchendon Courier.

November 25 is Small Business Saturday!

by Inanna Arthen
"Small Business Saturday" is more than just a catchy name. First started in 2010 by American Express, it has been officially co-sponsored by the United States Small Business Administration since 2011. Falling right after so-called "Black Friday," the big shopping day right after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday urges consumers to shop at small businesses. And they do--to the tune of some $17.9 billion in 2022.

But small businesses are local, and shopping small also means shopping local. Small local businesses pay taxes in their own communities; small business owners live in their communities and send their children to school in local school districts. Dollars spent in small local businesses benefit the community because a large percentage of those dollars are circulated locally.

Winchendon has many wonderful small businesses, and the Buy Local Winchendon initiative is encouraging you to check them out this shopping season!

But not every entrepreneur in Winchendon (and Winchendon has many, many entrepreneurs) has their own brick-and-mortar storefront. We have many makers and crafters who vend at local craft fairs, farmers' markets and other venues, often seasonal and contingent on weather.

This Small Business Saturday, you'll be able to meet some of these local entrepreneurs and kick off your holiday shopping with them!

On Saturday, November 25, the Local Makers Hub will present its special "pre-launch" of Makers Alley, a space for local makers, producers and crafters to vend their products. Makers Alley will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with vendor tables offering homemade crafts, baked goods, jams, jellies, salsa, pickles and sauces, jewelry, photos and home decor, and sewn, knitted, and crocheted clothes, curios and decor.

The Makers Hub Makers Alley is located in the Winchendon Community Hub at 5 Summer Drive (the bowling alley).

On December 9, Makers Alley will officially open as a weekly Makers indoor marketplace every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

If you are a maker and would like to vend at Makers Alley, or if you have questions, contact localmakershub1@gmail.com.

Next week: a list of local small businesses and a shopping map!

The Zoning Board of Appeals Needs You!

...and so do your neighbors. Without a quorum on the ZBA, projects requiring approval can't go forward. The ZBA currently needs two members and one alternate member.

The Zoning Board of Appeals meets once per month, on the third Wednesday of the month, contingent on there being business for them to consider. Board members are appointed by the Select Board and the term is three years.

For a description see Town of Winchendon Board and Commissions at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif8401/f/uploads/july_town_boards_and_commissions.pdf (the ZBA is the very last one). Send a letter of interest to Nicole Roberts in the Planning & Development Office, nroberts@winchendon-ma.gov

Click Here for Community Directory

Winchendon Businesses, Organizations, Services, and Government