Clarksburg Selectman Resigns to Apply for Adminstrative Post

Selectman Chairman Carl McKinney, seen in this file photo, has resigned from the board to apply for town administrator.

CLARKSBURG,  Mass. — It's deja vu all over again for Clarksburg.

Selectmen Chairman Carl McKinney has resigned his seat to apply for town administrator.

"It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I had to give it a lot of thought," he said on Monday. "I consulted with family and friends and they've all been very supportive so that led me to believe that is the route to go."

McKinney said he met with retiring Town Administrator Thomas Webb last Thursday to inform him of the decision and submit a letter of resignation to the other selectmen.

The scenario is similar to that two years ago, when then Chairwoman Debra Lefave also resigned to unsuccessfully apply for the administrative post.

McKinney has more than a decade on the board and another four years prior to that as a member of the Finance Committee.

"It gave me great pause ... where can I better serve the town?" he said. "There are a lot of things I would like to do for the town. ... I can promise a very diligent and hard-working commitment to the town if that's the way it goes."

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.