Adams Hopes To Find New Town Administrator By August

By Jen Thomas06:01AM / Thursday, May 24, 2007Print Story | Email Story

Adams Selectman Joseph Dean Jr.

Adams - The search is on! The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved two motions Wednesday night that will allow the town to push forward with the search for a new town administrator. Selectmen Joseph R. Dean Jr., Edward MacDonald, and Joseph Solomon approved the assignment of four members to the search committee headed by fromer Selectman Edward J. Driscoll, bringing the total proposed committee members to 11. Selectwoman Myra Wilk and Selectman Donald R. Sommer were not present at the meeting. And Selectmen approved what Driscoll called "an aggressive timeline" for finding a replacement for Town Administrator William Ketcham, who announced his resignation from the position last month. "I have no idea what we're going to find," Driscoll said about the search, and he noted that planning was still in the early stages. The search committee hopes to meet with the Selectmen on Monday, June 11 to get preliminary ideas about how the search will be conducted, according to the newly-approved timeline. "We hope to get the philosophy of the board and create the ad on that day," Driscoll said. Within a week - by June 18 - the committee plans to meet again with the Selectmen to finalize the advertisement that will request applications, resumes and cover letters from potential candidates. Though the timeline is tentative, Driscoll and the Selectmen hope to set the deadline for applications for July 20 at 4 p.m.. From there, Driscoll plans to present the top 2-4 candidates to the Selectmen for consideration by August 8. After former Town Administrator James J. Leitch retired in 2002, the town underwent a lengthy, nationwide search for a replacement. Ketcham was hired in 2004 after Leitch's successor William Sheridan resigned due to health issues. Ketcham was the third choice selected after a four-month search. Applicant Dennis Lutrell was the Selectmen's first choice for the job but plans to hire him were abandonded after a Boston Globe newspaper article named him as negotiating with another community for a similar job. Second choice candidate Shaun Kelly declined to accept the job. Driscoll said the committee will avoid the same kind of confusion this time around. "We learned from our mistakes," he said. "This time around, we have the experience of having done it twice in the recent past. Before Leitch resigned, the town hadn't done a search in 15 years. We learned our lesson." Driscoll stated that he hopes to find a candidate more locally. He was unable to name the 11-member committee definitively, but Finance Committee member Rosemarie Stachura did confirm that she will sit on the committee. "I'm confident the committee can handle it," said MacDonald. The Selectmen also unanimously approved the planting of public community gardens at Youth Center, Inc. by Peter Levesque and at Greylock Apartments by REACH Community Health Foundation. "Everybody can plant their gardens this week," Dean said.

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Adams Parts Ways With Police Chief

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
04:43PM / Monday, December 22, 2025

ADAMS, Mass. — The town has parted ways with its police chief.

K. Scott Kelley "is no longer employed by the Town of Adams," according to interim Town Administrator Holli Jayko.

The Board of Selectmen voted on Sept. 8 to put the police chief on a paid leave of absence but town officials have declined to answer repeated questions about the nature of the absence other than to clarify it was not a "suspension."

His departure follows an executive session held by the Selectmen last Wednesday to discuss a personnel matter other than professional competence, including health or discipline, or dismissal.

A request for further information on whether Kelley's leaving was through resignation or termination was not provided, or whether his contract had been paid out.

"The Town does not comment on personnel matters and will have no further comment on this matter at this time," responded Selectmen Chair John Duval via email on Friday.

Kelley, who moved here to take the post of chief in 2021, has reportedly sold his home.

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