The Town Council is hoping to close the door on 2007 – a year marked by division and discord – and move on to the challenges it faces this year.

The town road program, rising taxes and the intersection of Route 101 and Nashua Road are among the top policy priorities the council has for 2008, according to Mike Izbicki, the new chairman elected after town elections in March.

The council held a day-long retreat Saturday, April 5. Izbicki said councilors went through a series of team-building exercises, first identifying their strengths and weaknesses and then focusing on opportunities and concerns.

The retreat ended with a list of five strategic goals the council will pursue this year. “I had great expectations and I wasn’t let down,” said Town Manager Russ Marcoux. “They did a great job.”

Last year began with the resignation of then-chairman Bill Van Anglen, due to work obligations. That set off a months-long stalemate over whom to select for his replacement, even leading to a citizen lawsuit over the matter.

Toward the end of the year, the council split over what to do with the road program. The council voted 6-1 to place an $8 million bond on the ballot, with about $3 million intended for the Nashua Road intersection near the new high school and $5 million for the town road program.

Michael Scanlon, the sole dissenter, supported a $12 million citizen-petitioned bond which, he said, would continue the road program for three years.

“Last year is over,” Izbicki said. “Let’s learn from last year and we’ll move forward, because we had some good things and some not so good things.”

Izbicki said the retreat had succeeded in unifying the council, adding the council has agreed upon several goals related to communication with each other, community groups and the general public.

“This was an exercise to get everyone on the same wavelength so we can move forward,” Izbicki said.

The goals include developing a communication strategy for the council, cohesive interaction with the School Board, and guidelines for working together as a group. The council also wants to do better in reaching out to employees, board and commissions, and community organizations, Izbicki said.

A fifth goal is framing a strategic, long-range plan for the town. That includes planning for land use, future capital purchases and buildings, such as a community center for seniors and other groups, according to the official notes from the retreat.