9364-R2_Harrison_2025_AnnualReport

Town Manager

To the residents of Harrison: It is my pleasure to present the 2025 Town Manager’s Report. This year brought significant transition in the Town’s administration. Following the departure of Cass Newell early in the year, Brad Plante served as Interim Town Manager and made meaningful, positive contributions during his seven months of service. I was appointed in September, and in a short time I have been impressed by the level of service Harrison provides for a community of this size—from our parks, beaches, and sports complex to village infrastructure and road maintenance that is second to none. Having served as a town manager in other municipalities, I can say our Public Works and grounds operations deliver strong value and are often more cost-effective than outsourcing. Town Hall staff are also cross trained across multiple functions, which improves responsiveness and efficiency. Looking ahead, one area that warrants further evaluation is public safety as Harrison continues to grow. With dwindling fire and EMS resources and rising costs for law enforcement coverage, I hope we will explore options and identify sustainable solutions in the coming year. While many municipalities are experiencing turnover and vacancies, we are fortunate to have all positions filled—a reflection of Harrison’s strong workplace culture. In the short time I have been here in 2025, we have already begun work that will shape Harrison’s next chapter. Priorities underway include preparing for a comprehensive planning process, initiating the early stages of a five-year Capital Improvement Plan, advancing planning for two major stream-crossing projects for which the Town secured grant funding, and revisiting a downtown revitalization plan. Together, these efforts will position Harrison well over the next two years by strengthening our foundation for economic vitality, infrastructure investment, and overall quality of life for residents and visitors.

Some notable accomplishments by the Town in 2025 include:

Updated the Finance Policy Updated the process for tax-acquired properties Removed a dangerous building on Main Street Established a safety committee Provided safety training for Town staff Ordered a new fire engine Completed FY 2023 and FY 2024 audits

Reached an agreement with the Boosters on bottle redemption at the transfer station Purchased street-scanning software to provide an index of pavement conditions

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