HomeMy Public PortalAboutRemarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll - Retirement AnnouncementRemarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll
June 22, 2021 Town Council Meeting
Mr. President, members of the Honorable Town Council, the audience here and
watching at home, as this is the first in person meeting in 15 months, I wanted to
share some reflections. The past year and a half have been a time of reflection for all
of us. We have much to be proud of over the past months, years and decades.
Much has been accomplished over the last twenty-nine years and here are some of
the accomplishments.
We have initiated services such as curbside recycling over 27 years ago and
Intermunicipal agreements for services with Belmont.
We initiated Faire on the Square in 1999, Watertown Free Summer Concerts Series in
2002 and Watertown Farmers' Market in 2014.
We created an aggressive capital improvement program and reinvested in the
infrastructure of our community including the following:
• We built a new Senior Center in 1993 and a new Police Station in 2010. We
should look to build a new Senior Center.
• We have renovated and expanded the Library and Public Works facility, with
both buildings being the envy of surrounding communities.
• We have renovated three fire stations, Town Hall, skating arena and parks and
playgrounds.
• Town Council has appropriated $17.4 million dollars within the General Fund
Budget over the last 24 years for street and sidewalk improvements; and
beginning in FY2013 and continuing through FY 2026 has or will authorize loan
orders for another $51.3 million of street and sidewalk improvements, all
within the confines of Proposition 2 1/2.
• We joined the Group Insurance Commission on July 1, 2009 which allows the
Town to continue providing quality health insurance to its employees and
retirees; and we have an agreement in place to continue this group health
coverage through June 30, 2023.
• On November 7, 2013, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a municipal bond
credit rating agency, upgraded the Town's long-term rating from 'AA+' to
'AAA', the highest rating attainable.
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Remarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll
June 22, 2021 Town Council Meeting
• We have executed a lease extension with the Boys & Girls Club through
August 2042.
• Fully Funded Retirement System as of July 1, 2021
As a result of aggressive funding of the Retirement System, whereby the Pension
appropriation increased by $11,159,992 from Fiscal Year 2009 through Fiscal Year
2019, which is a 152.34% increase or an annual average increase of 15.23% over
those ten fiscal years, the Town's Unfunded Pension Liability will be fully funded in 9
days!
• Funding Plan to Address the Unfunded (OPEB) Liability
As a result of aggressive funding of the Retirement System, the Unfunded Other
Post- Employment Benefits (OPEB) Liability is being addressed with the continued
implementation of a Funding Plan that began in Fiscal Year 2020. The Town will be
having an actuarial valuation of the Post Retirement Benefit Program as of June 30,
2021. Subsequent to that valuation, the OPEB Funding Plan may be adjusted.
• Funding of the Three Elementary Schools Project
As a result of aggressive funding of the Retirement System, financing of the
$170,000,000 for the Three Elementary Schools Project continues in Fiscal Year 2022
and all of this project is being done within the confines of Proposition 2 %2.
• Acquisition of Land/Open Space Stabilization Fund
Last month on May 11th, as a follow-up to conceptual recommendation #32 on the
Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program, the Honorable Town Council
established an Acquisition of Land/Open Space Stabilization Fund and approved an
initial appropriation of $6,500,000 thereto.
• New High School Stabilization Fund
At the same meeting, as a follow-up to the top priority of the Honorable Town
Council's Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Policy Guidelines and conceptual recommendation
#22 on the Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program, the Honorable
Town Council established a New High School Building Stabilization Fund and
approved an initial transfer of $2,500,000 thereto.
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Remarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll
June 22, 2021 Town Council Meeting
• New High School Project
The School Building Committee has been working tirelessly to review conceptual
design options for the new High School in an effort to ultimately select a preferred
design option that is in the best interests of the Town, the taxpayers and the
successful education of our children.
On June 2, 2021, the School Building Committee (SBC) unanimously voted to move
forward with Option 1H, a 4 -story new building constructed on the existing high
school site only in a single phase with the use of temporary modular high school at
the PFC Richard Moxley Field. The SBC plans to submit the new Preferred Schematic
Report (PSR) to the MSBA on July 7, 2021 in anticipation of approval at the August
2021 Board Meeting. The PSR submission will complete the Feasibility Study Phase
for the Watertown High School project, after which the project will proceed into
Schematic Design.
After completion of Schematic Design in December of 2021, the Town will seek
approval from the MSBA at their first Board Meeting in 2022.
During all of the School Building Committee's tireless efforts, we have been working
on how best to proceed with the financing of the new High School. As indicated on
April 27th, I am pleased to inform that a plan will be finalized and presented at
October's Fiscal Year 2023 Preliminary Budget Overview whereby financing of the
new High School Project with MSBA funding included will be done within the
confines of Proposition 21/2; and all of this to be done without the need to request
debt exclusion financing from the taxpayers of Watertown.'
All of these accomplishments are good government initiatives that have involved a
lot of planning, a lot of hard work and a commitment to the taxpayers of Watertown.
As Town Manager and since 1993, I have seen firsthand a lot of hard work and
commitment to the taxpayers of Watertown from 15 sets of Town Councillors who
were elected in the biennial Town election for 2 -year terms by the voters of our
community. I would like to personally thank all of the Town Councillors who have
served from 1993 and through 2021 for all of their efforts.
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Remarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll
June 22, 2021 Town Council Meeting
The final report of the Watertown Charter Commission that was issued in 1980
indicated that a majority of the Charter Commission's members believe that a special
relationship should exist between the Council President and the Town Manager.
After serving as a Town Councillor since 1995, Mark Sideris was elected Town Council
President on November 3, 2009. Since January 2010, Honorable Town Council
President Mark Sideris has strived and fulfilled the expectation of the original Charter
Commission members that a special relationship should exist . Mr. President, thank
you again for all of your efforts.
On August 18, 1977, I began working for the Town of Watertown at the young age of
24!
Tonight, I am announcing my intention to retire as Town Manager the end of January
2022, when I will be 69 which will be 45 years of serving our community, with the
last 29 years as Watertown's Town Manager.
A few months prior to the start of COVID-19, my Mom passed away on January 19,
2020. I miss her and think of her daily. Mom's guiding principle in life was family,
family, family. It is time to continue my Mom's legacy and spend more time with my
family.
My family starts with my beautiful, lovely and wonderful wife, Jane. Jane is my
everything and I love her dearly. I will be forever grateful for her unwavering
support and concern for my well-being. Thank you, Jane. I am really looking forward
to spending more time together and have committed to having dinners at a far more
reasonable time, unlike the many late dinners through the years.
As many of you know, I have 4 loving daughters, Amy, Allison, Aileen and Sarah, and
their presence in my life means everything. At the risk of bragging, all four of my
daughters are smart, beautiful, wonderful and I love them all dearly. Over Father
Day's weekend, I informed them of the decision and their reactions were
overwhelmingly positive and each of them confided their long-standing hope that my
retirement would become a reality.
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Remarks by Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll
June 22, 2021 Town Council Meeting
Although calendar year 2020 was trying for everyone in facing the threat of COVID-
19, we were blessed with the birth of 2 precious grandchildren, Lola Jane on
September 16th and Charlie Duke on October 25th. As a very proud Papa, I am really
looking forward to spending more time with Lola and Charlie.
Lastly, our family dog, Libby has been pressing me to retire since she became a
member of the family back in May 2010!
As a follow-up to earlier comments regarding hard work and commitment to the
taxpayers of Watertown, we are blessed that our Town employees are incredibly
committed and are led by talented and dedicated Department Heads who put their
heart and soul into their responsibilities.
I am very appreciative and will always be grateful for all of their efforts.
I would also like to thank our Board and Commission members for their tireless
efforts and for the continued support of our Legislative delegation.
CLOSING
As I have mentioned many times throughout the years, the goal of this
administration and all of the Town departments is to provide the highest level of
services to the citizens of Watertown while utilizing the taxpayers' dollars as
efficiently as possible.
I believe the 29 budgets that have been submitted beginning with Fiscal Year 1994
and through Fiscal Year 2022 are consistent with this goal; and are focused on
achieving the long-term goal of sound financial management and fiscal stability in
accordance with the Honorable Town Council's Ongoing Budget Guidelines.
In closing, and most importantly I want to thank all of the members of our
community for their support throughout the years. It has been and is a privilege and
an honor to serve as Town Manager for all the citizens of Watertown.
Thank you and God bless.
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