Rather than look back, let’s look forward. Certain trends and issues will be paramount to the town in the coming year. They include (but are not limited to) the schools, property development, and town structure and finance. Here is a quick look at each.

The Schools – the schools are the largest employer in town, and they touch more residents on a daily basis than any other single town department, organization, or business. If they are forced to live with a level funded budget for FY12 then the administration expects that ~11 FTEs (full time equivalent staff) will need to be laid off (learn more here). That will be painful. The school committee and administration are also being strongly lobbied by  a grassroots group of parents, The Milton Visual Arts Alliance, to expand arts education in the elementary schools. Expanding that instruction in the current budget climate will be challenging to say the least. There are likely to be continuing logistical issues with managing French and English enrollments across the elementary schools. French Immersion is a very popular option for incoming first graders and is a magnet for young families considering a move to Milton. And there is the nationwide debate on how to improve education and the Obama administration’s examination of student testing and teacher performance. Milton schools have been outstanding. This is reflected in test scores, college admissions, and national rankings. Maintaining this high level of performance in the face of never ending budget pressures will be tough. At some point unions may need to step up and provide some sort of relief. Randolph appears to be leading the way. In that town, public safety workers have agreed to tie their raises to the growth of municipal revenue. (View story here.)

Property Development – Milton is for the most part completely built out. Two areas for development – one underway, one long simmering – may reach resolution this year. Two mixed use buildings will bookend the square at Central Avenue and Eliot Street with relatively large buildings that change its complexion in major ways. It will change the look of the square, impact traffic levels, and, hopefully, continue to revitalize an area that has received a positive injection of retail business, particularly with Esprit du Vin, and more recently Cakes. The building at 36 Central Ave is near completion. The design is unremarkable, but the building is an improvement over the odd parking lot that was there. The most interesting unanswered question is what businesses will move in. The plan for redevelopment of Hendries is in discussion before the Planning Board. It is similar to 36 Central Avenue in that it will be a mixed use building. It will be at least as big, but one can hope more architecturally interesting. These two buildings will anchor the square and define its profile for generations to come. In the same neighborhood, the owners of the Milton Hill House seek to build a companion apartment building. It won’t all be complete this coming year, but important decisions will be made that will result in a significant change to the area. Lastly, the Governor Stoughton land has been discussed at length without any consensus or decisions to date; however, the Selectmen intend to issue an RFP this month which will result in the disposition of the property. The response to the RFP will be particularly interesting because the Selectmen will entertain the possibility of selling the property. This will affect the Milton Animal League, the neighbors, and it will provide in some way for the poor of Milton, as stipulated in Gov. Stoughton’s will.  Any disposition will be reviewed by the state Attorney General’s office to ensure compliance with the will. Other property development yet to be determined includes the Temple Shalom and the Pope Pious properties

All these developments matter and will affect the character of our town.

Town structure and finance – This year will see a major change in town services. A new department of facilities is being formed that will be tasked with the long term maintenance and day to day care of all the town’s buildings. It is a remarkable and welcome initiative that may serve as a template for a larger strategy town officials may elect to pursue in a quest for better efficiency in operations and savings. The department head will report to the town administrator Kevin Mearn and School Superintendent Mary Gormley. Serving  two masters may be tough for the new department head who we hope will be in place soon. However, Mearn and Gormley are both committed to making this a success. It happened with a lot of tremendous work from Tony Cichello and his Consolidated Facilities Committee. It might be hoped that town officials look at how other departments and functions can be consolidated. Town finances is one area that seems ripe for examination. Separately, Milton can continue to look to work with other communities. The Department of Public Health has an RFP out for towns to “provide financial support for groups of municipalities to enter into formal, long-term agreements to share resources and coordinate activities in order to improve the scope, quality, and effectiveness of local public health services for their combined populations.” (Learn more here.) Another past achievement that can bear future benefit is the qualification of the town as a green community. The town is now eligible for ~$150K in state grants. State aid to towns is at risk, but grants for education, environmental conservation, and health are out there.

In closing here are some remarks from Abraham Lincoln that seem appropriate for this time of year:

It is not “can any of us imagine better?” but, “can we all do better?” . . . The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.