Hollis Select Board Transparency Archive

Hi all,

A quick ask — before responding to a question or taking action on anything town-related, it’s worth pausing to ask: “Should I redirect this to the Town Manager?” In most cases, the answer is yes.

The vast majority of operational matters should start with the TM. He’ll engage the Board where appropriate. Our job is to ask questions, provide direction when asked, and approve budget decisions that require board action — not to manage the day-to-day.

When we find ourselves pulled into something operational, the right move is to loop in Dick immediately and step back as quickly as possible.

The mowing question that came through recently is a good example (and I include myself in this). A vendor price adjustment is exactly the kind of thing the TM should handle and bring to us only if board approval is needed. Are our voices/opinions needed to solve for such an insignificant issue?

On that note: when operational questions (from town staff) get sent directly to the full board, we really shouldn’t engage. (Again, this was absolutely my bad). Responding pulls us into a role that isn’t ours and inadvertently signals that’s an acceptable way to reach us. A united front on this matters.

I’m not pointing fingers at anyone: this is a shared habit we’re all building. Getting this right is one of the most important things we can do to make this form of government work the way it’s supposed to.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Mike