Above: As part of a Governance Study, the Town is promoting a session to seek input from residents. (images cropped from flyers)
The Town of Southborough is inviting the public to talk to their consultant about your priorities for improving how the Town government is run.
The “Public Listening Session” will take place a week from tonight.
The session is part of a Governance Study being conducted by consultants Capital Strategic Solutions (CSS).
As I’ve previously reported, the Select Board hired CSS to study and make recommendations on improving Southborough’s government efficiency. The focus is potential restructuring of departments and/or committees. (You can read more about the reasons behind the review here.)
The listening event will take place on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 6:00 pm. It will be held in the Public Safety Complex at 32 Cordaville Road, but also allow virtual participation. (The zoom link and details will be posted here next week.)
The public promo invites:
Help shape the future of Southborough. Join the Town of Southborough
for a public listening session as part of the governance Study. . .
Residents are invited to learn about the purpose of the study, share their perspectives, and identify priorities for improving municipal governance. Public feedback will be documented and incorporated into the overall analysis.
Update on the Governance Study
At an update on October 6th, consultant Bill Keegan told the Select Board that he had already surveyed department heads and members of committees and boards. He previewed that he planned to hold an in-person listening session for the broader public in early November.
Keegan said he would talk to attendees and ask them some questions. He preferred not to preview his questions to avoid “canned responses”.
Select Board Chair Kathy Cook encouraged adding a virtual option for attendance. Member Tim Fling asked to also follow up with an online survey for people who couldn’t attend.
In the update, Keegan said that he expects to have a final report for the board ready by December. His intent was to get the Town’s “collective input” on “what has worked well, what has not worked well. This is what we think we should be trying to do”.
Then he would present a for what he thinks the Town’s organizational structure, staff, and committee structures should look “more like”. That would allow a “conversation” about how to implement changes.
He recommended a slow transition, warning “It’s not going to happen overnight.” He described 95% of plans that fail as based on not implementing it the right way. He said:
if people try and force change, it never goes well
He advises his clients to make changes at times when people are transitioning out of roles. That’s when he recommends pulling out the plan to help decide next steps. The point is to avoid making the discussion about positions personal.
With a potential proposition 2½ override request looming — f recommendations point out ways to potentially streamline positions and shave costs, some members of the Select Board and Advisory Committee might have a hard time supporting a slow rollout.
But, the savings might not be a possibility, even if major changes are recommended. Back in August, Town Administrator Mark Purple warned the Select Board that that improved efficiencies don’t always translate to cost savings.
