On Thursday, Selectmen and several town boards charged came together to review a plan designed to streamline how Wareham plans for the future.

Selectmen, the Community Economic and Development Authority (CEDA), the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Conservation Committee, and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) all met to discuss a Town Meeting warrant item: Article 21, the reorganization of town departments.

In the warrant, the reorganization is explained as combining “the positions of Director of Planning and Community & Economic Director to create a new position anticipated to be named Director of Planning and Economic Development.”

This plan was made known to CEDA board members during the Selectmen's April 13. On that night, for more than an hour, Selectmen and the CEDA board traded jabs over past issues related to poor communication, the unionization of the office and personnel treatment.

By the end of the meeting, however, tempers had cooled and the boards seemed to be on the same page.

Thursday night's meeting was the first time the other boards were brought in on this new plan, just four days before Town Meeting.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said, “We welcome as much input as possible.” Sullivan reviewed aloud the important parts of the eight page document, which was handed to members of the other boards before the meeting.

Titled “Planning and Community Development Department Handout,” the document lays out the reorganization and its impacts on each board, stating “This reorganization is not meant to take away any authority or change the make-up of any boards, commissions, and committees.”

It included a flow chart which illustrates that the Director of Planning and Community Development will answer directly to the Town Administrator, and CEDA, the Conservation Department, Inspectional Services Department, and the Planning and Zoning Department will answer to the new director.

At the top of the chart is the voters, and underneath them, the Board of Selectmen.

“We're trying to use something that's worked in other communities,” said Sullivan. “What we're trying to do is put one person in charge of those departments and have one person acting for community development.”

The Selectmen opened the floor for questions after their explanation of the handout.

After expressing concerns about the limited time the board members had to review the document and ask questions, Nazih Elkallassi, director of the Zoning Board of Appeals, was met with an answer by Whiteside explaining that more discussion would occur after the regular discussion.

“Hire one person to help everyone?” he said. “Okay good. I think it's a good idea.”

Many board members expressed their concerns about the likelihood of one person being able to handle all of the responsibilities the job entails.

Sullivan explained that the Selectmen probably will have to “add staff along the way” to fill empty seats in CEDA.

The public hearing closed within a half hour, then each Selectmen shared their opinion of the new department plan.

“We have to start thinking of economic development,” said Patrick Tropeano, who explained that he thinks the hiring of a new director will be proactive when it comes to searching for development.

“CEDA has basically managed a grant... Prop 2 1/2 doesn't work... our services have dwindled, they continue to dwindle, they will continue to dwindle,” he said.

Whiteside explained the article and push for an overall director as “letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing.” She continually stressed the importance of communication throughout the departments, explaining that this director would help facilitate information.

Whiteside motioned to push tables together to have a closer “conversation” after a five minute recess. During this conversation, board members brought up many other issues not directly related to the hiring of a new director.