Glenn's answers to the in-depth questionnaire on lex-wiki.org, published and maintained by Andrei Radulescu-Banu.
From Elaine Ashton:
I cannot think of anyone I'd recommend more highly for Selectman than Glenn Parker. I won't comment on his platform, as you can peruse that for yourself on his website at parker4lexington.org.
That said, I've attended nearly every Appropriation Committee meeting over the past two years whilst Glenn has been Chair, and through those meetings I've been able to gather a sense of his character, which a web page cannot convey with convincing sincerity.
Glenn is whip-smart, thoughtful, open minded, and is someone who cuts to the chase on difficult issues. He is keenly aware of, and sensitive to, the fiscal challenges facing Lexington, and the burden of property taxes on many of our residents.
Lexington has a growing list of capital and fiscal needs which will challenge the Board of Selectmen to make very difficult decisions and choices in the near future. I know Glenn will be a champion of the rational and the necessary, whilst balancing the need to limit the escalating growth of property taxes. These are challenging times and we need candidates like Glenn who are willing to prioritize the many needs our town has and move them forward.
I'm absolutely certain Glenn will be an asset to the Board of Selectmen, and I hope you'll join me in voting for him on 6 March.
From Jon Dreyer:
I'm writing to support Glenn Parker for Selectman.
In addition to his remarkable resume, thoughtful stances on the issues, devotion to our town, and unassailable integrity, one of the things I'm most impressed by is how he thinks. Glenn has an uncanny ability to see connections that the rest of us have missed, the seemingly unrelated facts which turn out to be crucial, the unintended consequences. He pulls together knowledge from diverse fields and sees how it's connected to the current moment. He pays attention to detail while seeing the big picture.
The job of Selectman is nothing if not complex. Glenn seems to have been made for the job.
From Scott Burson:
Lexington’s extraordinary public schools and town services are not some happy accident. For many years, the Town has been blessed by Selectmen with the vision and financial acumen to deliver and sustain high level services and facilities in a fiscally responsible way.
We are fortunate to have Glenn Parker as a candidate for Selectman. I am going to vote for him, and I urge you to as well.
Glenn has been on our Appropriation Committee for eight years and chaired it for six. Over that period, he has been Town’s preeminent authority in balancing our desire to provide first class services at a reasonable cost. Glenn understands how to balance our desire for services with what we can afford.
We need to have Glenn’s vision and judgment on our Board of Selectmen. In the near future, we will address a daunting list of capital projects for our schools and Town departments; we are acquiring much needed additional property; and we have to invest in our infrastructure. In addition, we need to make sound decisions with respect to our Operating budget. We need to examine whether we are spending money on the right things and that we are getting the best value for what we do spend.
From Mary Ann Stewart:
Glenn Parker is the right candidate right now for Lexington’s Board of Selectmen. The Town is entering a period of unprecedented capital growth and we need Glenn’s expertise now more than ever.
Glenn’s many years of service, both in Town Meeting and on the Appropriation Committee, provide him with the necessary experience and insight for a new role on the Board. As Chair of the Appropriation Committee for the past 6½ years, Glenn has led the AC in making recommendations for all of the Town’s financial matters. In addition to analyzing operating and capital budgets, Glenn’s leadership and expertise has helped shape decisions for school mitigation and construction projects and for community preservation.
Our newest member of the Board of Selectmen will need to prioritize all facets of funding for all of our Town’s public structures. Glenn’s unique skillset will not only complement the Board, it will enable him to hit the ground running. On Monday, March 6, please join me in voting for Glenn Parker for Selectmen.
From Margaret Heitz:
I am very pleased that Glenn Parker is running for Lexington Board of Selectmen. He is someone who is dedicated to Lexington's current citizens and to Lexington's future.
Glenn's family has lived in Lexington for nearly twenty-five years. Many families that have been here longer---in some cases, for generations. But two decades has been enough time for Glenn and Faith to raise their daughter, establish roots, and for Glenn to invest in Lexington through his membership and chairmanship of the town Appropriations Committee.
As chair for six years of the 9-member Appropriations Committee, Glenn is informed on all facets of Lexington's municipal budget----including the capital expenditures that the Selectmen must recommend to Town Meeting in March, and their potential effect on taxpayers. I appreciate Glenn's ability to assess facts, consider priorities, and weigh possibilities for mitigating costs to taxpayers. I recommend that voters watch the "Coffee with the Candidate" interview with Glenn posted on the LexMedia web site: https://youtu.be/dRKjaY_7NR0
I've known Glenn since 1986 when we both worked for a software font company. Glenn was an exceptional professional colleague who shared his skills and listened with intelligent interest and curiosity to others' ideas and recommendations. Glenn would be a terrific member of Lexington's Board of Selectmen
From Andy Friedlich:
We need Glenn Parker on the BOS.
With Norm Cohen not seeking reelection, I want to thank him for his years of service, devotion and expertise; we are indebted. With Michelle running for her seat, there is one “open” seat on the Board of Selectmen. We are so fortunate to have three wonderful candidates running for the two seats.
Given the town’s capital needs and the possibility of needing an operating override in a couple of years, Glenn Parker’s background is exactly the expertise we need on the Board. I initially got to know Glenn when he was elected as a Town Meeting Member. His abilities were quickly recognized and he was appointed to the Appropriation Committee (AC) by the Town Moderator eight years ago. Glenn was then chosen as the Chair of the AC six years ago and served in that position until he stepped down to run for this election. He served as the AC liaison to the Capital Expenditures Committee, the Community Preservation Committee, the Center Streetscape Review Ad Hoc Committee and the School Design and Construction Committees. Glenn’s knowledge of the myriad of issues which face us is unparalleled.
With my having been responsible for reporting the majority of financial articles covered in the TMMA Warrant Information Reports for years, I’ve worked closely with Glenn. When madly preparing for Town Meeting, he was always available since what we were saying had to dovetail with the work being done by the Appropriation Committee. I’ve always been so impressed by his familiarity with the issues and the depth of his analyses. As we head into financially difficult times with respect to affordability for the residents, I cannot think of anybody with a more appropriate background for the BOS.
Please join me in voting for Glenn for the Board of Selectmen.
From Peter Enrich:
At a moment when Lexington faces critical choices and needs excellent leadership, I ask you to join me in supporting three exceptional candidates for key offices:
First, our school system over the coming years will be dealing with enormous challenges, both financial and programmatic. Unfortunately, the school committee recently has also been facing some serious challenges of its own and has not always been able to provide the strong, clear voice for educational excellence that we need.
That’s why I’m delighted that Kate Colburn is running for the three-year school committee seat. Kate is a thoughtful, inclusive leader with a deep commitment to the values of excellence that have guided our school system so successfully. Her work as founder of the Lexington Parents Advisory group and on the town’s Permanent Building Committee, Appropriation Committee, and as a town meeting member have demonstrated to me both her depth of understanding of the schools’ needs and her ability to work collegially to advance our children’s and our community’s best interests.
It’s not only the schools that face daunting challenges and demand thoughtful, nuanced, and inclusive leadership. The next few years will confront complex planning and fiscal challenges, amidst an unprecedented turnover in the town’s senior management staff. That’s why I’m pleased to be able to support both Michelle Ciccolo and Glenn Parker for the two seats on the Board of Selectmen. Each of them brings an extraordinary track management of excellent services.
We are truly fortunate to have such excellent candidates. Please join me in supporting them.
Question: In three year's time, what is one change you hope to see in Lexington?
I hope to see Lexington making significant investments in vital new facilities for both school and municipal departments. I hope to see the Lexington Children’s Place Pre-K in its new location, and to be nearing completion on a new Hastings Elementary School, both of which will reduce overcrowding while providing quality educational environments. I hope to have a new Fire Station Headquarters Station, and to be proceeding towards an upgraded Police Station, both of which will meet modern standards for public safety. Most of all, I hope Lexington embarks on this campaign with the trust and support of our residents.
I believe in the quality and strength of our local government, a system that is based on open, collaborative, thoughtful decision-making. For the last 10 years, I have served the citizens of Lexington in Town Meeting and as Chair of the Appropriation Committee, where I developed a deep understanding of town finances. I have an informed perspective on the position of Lexington relative to our neighboring towns, as well as where we stand among other communities in the Commonwealth.
I am running for a seat on the Board of Selectman because my financial expertise, regional perspective, decade of experience in town government, and respect for Lexington’s residents and heritage will be valuable as we navigate a sea of competing priorities and uncertain economic trends.
Lexington has already entered a time of serious financial challenge. Looking back over the last 10 years, while maintaining and enhancing our existing infrastructure, we have also rebuilt an elementary school (Estabrook), renovated two more (Bridge and Bowman), and replaced the Department of Public Facilities building.
Looking forward to the next 10 years, we face a combination of large projects. We are preparing to rebuild Hastings Elementary School, create a real home for our Pre-K program, rebuild our main fire station, and rebuild or renovate our police station. Doing all this will require voters to approve additional revenue. We must remain attentive to the impact of continued growth in our public school enrollment, and we must prepare our high school for the wave of new Lexington students coming up from the lower grades.
I have participated in developing the plans for these infrastructure projects, all of which are critical, but I see reasons for concern. Seeing them through will require a renewed respect for thrift and good communication with voters. I commit that the Board will be mindful of these important questions:
I ask Lexington’s voters for their support in my campaign for Selectman and invite everyone to learn more about my campaign at http://parker4lexington.org/.
Question: How would you balance Lexington's revenues and expenses given that there are new operating expenses and several significant capital expenditures looming in the near future?
The Town has developed a multi-year capital plan to address longstanding concerns with public schools, public safety buildings, and other infrastructure. All of these projects are vital for the future of our Town. These projects will be funded by a combination of state aid, stabilization funds, and voter referendums allowing the use of excluded debt.
School enrollment trends suggest that the operating budget will soon be strained by the growth in staffing for our school system.
As we initiate the capital plan, we will need a combination of lowered expenses and increased revenues. In part, that means prioritizing our operating budget to accommodate state mandates first, scaling back discretionary spending, and possibly reducing service levels in some areas. It means ensuring that we continue to encourage economic growth and prosperity in the Town, which sustains our tax base. And, it means asking voters to approve the additional tax revenue needed to make these investments.
The Town should carefully consider ways to mitigate the impact of property taxes for lower-income residents.
Every year, the Town must offer a prudent budget proposal that considers both the current year’s needs and the long-term plan. Lexington’s budget process is open and transparent, and I hope that residents will take advantage of that to stay informed and to participate in the debate.
Question: Are you in favor of continuing to add to the Town’s tool kit to limit or otherwise control the pace of residential development in our community? If so, please indicate which types of measures you feel the Town should take to add to the controls already in place. Please also include a brief statement as to why you feel the position you are taking is important for the future development of our community.
As a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 3, I have voted in favor of most of the Planning Board’s proposed reforms to zoning regulations. I believe that changes requiring lower height restrictions, reduced floor area to lot size ratio, and reasonable setbacks will result in homes that are more appropriately scaled, both for the lots they occupy, as well as the neighborhoods they share. I also supported the bylaw changes simplifying requirements for accessory apartments. In addition to making more efficient use of land and town resources, these small apartments extend the range of housing options, which helps to maintain economic diversity in our town.
I would consider certain restrictions on retaining walls and the use of blasting. My interest here is based on the need to better control storm runoff and erosion. As a result of climate change in the coming decades, we can expect storms in New England to grow in intensity. We already face a federal mandate for major improvements in our handling of storm runoff. It would make sense for all new development to improve this situation, or at least avoid making the problem any worse.