LRPC - Index

The Town of Somerset establishes a Long-range Planning Committee to consist of approximately 12 to 15 members, including a Town Councilmember, who are residents of the Town, who represent the Town geographically, by age, and by years of residence in the Town.

The Mayor will appoint the committee members and the chairman. Ex-officio (non voting) members of the committee shall include the chairs of the Swimming Pool, Board of Supervisors of Elections, Tennis, and Parks and Natural Resources Committees.

The mission of the LRPC is to develop guidelines for the Town Council and Mayor for maintenance, change, and growth within the Town. The committee is directed, but not limited, to focus on budget, development, facilities, and governance (including personnel and communications).

The LRPC will hold regular public meetings, collect and collate information from Town residents, staff and others as necessary, and will submit interim reports to the Town and the Council. The LRPC will present a written report with recommendations within 6 months. The committee will have the authority to organize itself within the above parameters.

Executive Committee
Nat Finkelstein, Chair
Howard Byron
Tom Eldridge
Gayley Knight
David Lynn
Jeffrey Slavin

Budget Committee

Jeffrey Slavin, Chair
Walt Auburn
Nat Finkelstein
Bill Spitzer

Development Committee

Howard Byron, Chair
Kaz Fotoohi
Richard Furcolo
Bonnie Lewin
Rob McGarrah

Facilities Committee

Tom Eldridge, Chair
Sue Besharov
Bridget Cowie
Marc Geffroy
Lesley Simmons

Governance Committee

David Lynn, Chair
Gayley Knight
Andrew Resnick
Phyllis Wiesenfelder

The Town of Somerset is following a best business practice developed for governments, non-profits, and corporations. It has been established that forming a long-range planning committee to determine future needs is an optimum way to make government responsive to the needs of its citizens.

The mission of the Town of Somerset LRPC is to develop guidelines for the Town Council and Mayor for growth, change, and maintenance within the Town. The committee is directed, but not limited, to focus on budget, development, facilities, and governance (including personnel and communications).

The goal is to ensure continuation of our quality of life and to meet future needs of residents as the town grows and changes in both an organized and consistent fashion.

The Council wants to take a long-term view to its decision making Ð determining the future in a thoughtful, not haphazard, manner. The Council is responsible for evaluating the Town's governance and facilities, for looking at how development is affecting the Town, and for approving the five-year budget presented by the Mayor (and revised annually). The Council agrees that planning with an eye to the future is the best way to provide consistent and adequate services to residents. This plan will also guide the Council and Mayor when dealing with the community outside Somerset.

The LRPC will make concrete recommendations on those issues as to which there is consensus in the Town. It will recommend a process for prioritizing projects. It will recommend a process for dealing with issues that do not have a consensus.

The Town Council will work with the plan to develop specific projects within the limits of the annual budget, within the five-year budget plan, and with the priorities as identified in an annual review of the plan by the Council with residents and the Mayor.

The data will be used to create a blueprint or guideline which will be approved by the Council and/or residents, for the Town government to use annually in their strategic and budget planning.

6. The LRPC has an allocation of $14,000 from the Council. What is this being spent on?

Most long-range planning efforts cost far more than $14,000. Somerset is fortunate to have many knowledgeable and competent residents who are volunteering their time and expertise to this project. The money being spent is to ensure unbiased development of a plan that will be of value to the Town government as it plans its strategy each year.

The resident volunteer hours spent on this project far outweigh the costs of hiring an outside consultant. The consultant will guarantee the project truly reflects the sense of residents regarding their Town government, development in and around the Town, the use and maintenance of Town facilities, and the sequence of implementing projects in and for the Town within budgetary constraints. The specifics of the LRPC budget are below.

PROJECTED BUDGET FOR LRPC THROUGH MAY 2002
Initial Consultant 1800
Hired Consultant (for focus groups, facilitation public meetings) $4640
Data Tabulating and Processing (for confidentiality of residents responding to the questionnaire) 5000
Mailing of questionnaire $300
Buffer $2000
Total Projection $13740*
*does not include formal strategic planning as this is, for the moment, not being considered by this committee

Volunteer Costs - donated to the Town
Survey/questionnaire, compilation, results, reporting ($11000)
Tabulating data into graphs ($4000)
Internet assistance ($1100)
Committee Hours and Time (priceless)
Total volunteer dollars ($16100)*

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS

This survey is a census of the opinions of everyone age 18 and older residing in the Town of Somerset in March 2002. The purpose of the survey was to allow all adult residents to express their views on topics being considered by Somerset's Long-range Planning Committee. The total questionnaires returned was 373 (out of a possible 800).

Questionnaire with highlights and detailed findings - [PDF - a 64-page documents].

Highlights

A survey of all adults age 18 and over residing in the Town of Somerset was conducted in March 2002 to assist the Long-range Planning Committee, which is charged with making recommendations to the Town Council. Nearly half (373 total) of Somerset adults answered the survey.

Somerset residents expressed a high level of satisfaction with life in Somerset. Almost everyone (94%) said they are at least somewhat satisfied with Somerset as a place to live, and 81% said they are very satisfied.

Features that make the Town attractive and that draw residents to move here include:

Somerset residents are generally satisfied with the Town maintenance, appearance, services, friendliness of neighbors, opportunities for social interaction, and governance - including the form of governance and the adequacy of information and Town Hall staffing.