Adams Begins Interviews of Town Administrator Finalists

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Matt Kerwood, the Richmond town administrator, was the first of two candidates interviewed on Thursday night by the Board of Selectmen.

ADAMS, Mass. – The Selectmen interviewed a former Pittsfield city councilor and a Brewster selectman on Thursday for the post of town administrator.

The two were among three finalists being interviewed; a third candidate, whose name the Selectmen declined to release, will be appear before the board on Saturday morning at 10. 

The three candidates were chosen by the Town Administrator Search Committee from more than 40 applicants. The Selectmen will be making the final choice for the replacement of Jonathan Butler, who is now leading the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The five selectmen asked three questions each and took turns addressing the candidates.  

First up was Matthew Kerwood, a Pittsfield native and former city councilor who has been town administrator for Richmond for the past five years.

Kerwood said being a town administrator is more than just "day to day management" and that the person in the post should be "weaved" into the community.

"Anybody can technically come in and manage a system, but to be an effective town administrator ... you have to embody and embrace the community," Kerwood said. "You have to interact with the various organizations, institutions, and get into the neighborhoods and understand what the issues are."

Asked if his efforts in Richmond have made it a better place, he said he helped bring Richmond into the modern age with up-to-date technology. He said he integrated the software between the school and town that streamlined productivity and cut costs. He added he revamped the town's website and created a newsletter focusing on communication and government transparency. Kerwood said he also helped create Richmond's first long-term plan.

Kerwood said collaboration and cooperation would be the key to developing and implementing a strategic plan for Adams. He said he would bring everybody together to brainstorm. He added he liked Adams' plan but would update it more frequently.

Being from Berkshire County, he said he is very aware of the challenges the town faces. Focusing on the downtown and the Greylock Glen, he said he would look to get "more feet on the ground" by filling in the vacant storefronts. The key to this is making Adams more business friendly by streamlining the permit process and offering incentives for businesses to move in so the town can "foster entrepreneurship."

He added that he sees Commercial Street as the "Gateway to Park Street" and would like to target it for improvement. He gave examples of how he worked with state representatives to secure funds for Richmond and Pittsfield, pointing to efforts to restore the Colonial Theatre, the relocation of Barrington Stage and the Central Block project. He also noted his work as a regional director of the state's Office of Business Development.

"I know where those resources are and who we need to work with," he said "I have experience in bringing in those resources not only as a local official, but as a state official."

The Selectmen asked for examples of when Kerwood has dealt with differing opinions and found a compromise.

Kerwood said Richmond is debating whether or not to keep its elementary school because of the declining population. He said some people feel strongly about keeping it and others think it should fade out as it becomes more fiscally challenging to sustain.

He said he created a committee of 17 people from both sides of the argument and that by driving meetings with data, each side is growing to understand the other perspective.

Kerwood cited his strong background in municipal finances and his ability to monitor and track budgets as a strength along with his knowledge of many aspects of small government.

"Coming from a small community you have to know every job and be able to, in some cases, perform in every job," Kerwood said. "Which is fair to say I have done just about every job in Town Hall in exception to the DPW director."

He said his greatest is weakness is sometimes he focuses too much on getting things done and neglects listening.

He described his style of management has having an open-door policy and not micromanaging, but understanding the connection between all aspects of town operations. Department heads should be trusted to do what they were hired to do, he said.

Kerwood lives in Pittsfield and had two children attending Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter School. The job description does not call for residency, and he feels he does not have to live in Adams to be effective.

"I bring my profession, integrity, work ethic, and my desire to see the community better when I leave it then when I started," he said. "In my opinion, and you can ask anybody in the town of Richmond, and they will tell you the same thing, it doesn't matter that I don't live in the community you get 100 percent of me."



Kerwood said he has dedicated his life to bettering Berkshire County.

"I am a Berkshire County guy born and raised, and I have absolutely no desire to live anywhere else," he said. "I have committed my entire career in the public sector to the betterment of Berkshire County."

James Foley, a businessman and Brewster selectman, was the second of three candidates for the town administrator post.

James Foley, a self-described "government nerd," has served on the Brewster Board of Selectmen for 15 years and is currently chairman.

The owner of home medical supply company and former IRS employee, he said his management style depended on communication and integration into the community to create "comfort and growth".

"The job, in my mind, does not exist in an office," Foley said. "I think mingling in the community, at the events, the supermarket, at football games, I think make people more comfortable with you as a community representative."

Foley said he has read Adams' current plan and believes in continuing its efforts and trying to pinpoint priorities. He said he would like to focus on bringing people in from surrounding communities to fill vacant storefronts and focus on recreation and art.

"There is an enormous capability toward tourism in this town," he said. "The Greylock Glen has gone forward to his point, and if you can bring it to fruition I think that is a homerun for the community, but it is only one facet and there is so many other things to do."

He also could see a nursing home rehabilitation center in Adams filled with local employees or people trained by the local colleges in a satellite classroom at the facility.

Foley said he needs to get to know the area better before weighing on its challenges.

"I need to learn a lot about its people, its history, and the background that has formed your past decisions," he said. "I don't think I can come in with a set of blinders on saying this is the only way I can do it."

Foley said his experience with obtaining state and federal funding included his board working with the state to develop Nickerson State Park Campgrounds and restore the Crosby Mansion, built in 1888.

A committee was formed to pinpoint issues in the mansion and was successful in receiving partial funding for restoration needs, a parking area, and the opening up of a mile of beach from the state, he said, adding this has been an ongoing project since the 1980s.

Foley cited the same project as an example of how works with differing opionions, saying many residents around the park did not want a parking area near their homes. He said he was able to hold community site meetings with them and ultimately found a better location for the parking lot.

When asked about his strengths, Foley said he has strong communication skills and that he believes in the constant sharing of information and listening.

He advocated for bringing more technology into government so productivity can be streamlined. He said he believes in communication and the sharing of information with town employees and the selectmen because it "makes the job easier."

He also said he would like to bring a new financial format to Adams that focuses on extrapolating budgets, being aware of leaner years, and planning accordingly to generate more free cash. He said Brewster recently had $2.2 million in free cash.

He said although the two towns are different, he believes the Brewster formula can be applied to Adams with some tweaking. He also spoke of a "Pay as You Throw" plan developed in Brewster that charged people for how much trash the threw away. He said it not only improved recycling, but saved the town over $600,000 in a 15-month period.

Foley said solutions to problems should reflect what the community is asking for and different groups need to be brought together to solve issues. He also does not like to micromanage and said it is important to provide employees with what they need to complete their jobs.

"I think when you hire quality people that have a lot of capacity you tell what you need done, you show them how to do it ... and then you let them do it," he said. "I really don't like hanging over people's shoulder. I don't like it when they hang over mine so ... I am a firm believer in if you have good quality people they will give you good quality results."

Foley said he loves government and would love to work in Adams.

"I am a government nerd; I like the work," he said. "You don't do the job for the wonderful pay, we get $1,000 a year, it's just one of those things you have to love it to do it."


Tags: interview,   search committee,   town administrator,   

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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