Adams Town Administrator Settles In; Two Police Officers Promoted
 New Town Administrator Anthony Mazzucco has been getting know the area and gave his first report on Wednesday. |
ADAMS, Mass. — New Town Administrator Anthony Mazzucco said he has started reaching out to schools and departments.
Mazzucco gave his first administrator report to the Selectmen at Wednesday's meeting.
After thanking interim Town Administer Donna Cesan for "one of the easiest transitions he has seen," Mazzucco said he has been scheduling meetings with local education establishments including superintendents from McCann Technical School, Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School, and the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.
"Even though we have public, private and charter schools in town, I think education is important and I think having a relationship is important," Mazzucco said. "I am going to be reaching out to them to make sure I can build those relationships."
Mazzucco said he has also attended meetings with the town's representatives and wants to eventually meet with all the business owners.
"I spent a lot of time in the last week and a half getting out there trying to meet as many people as I can and get to know the community," he said.
Mazzucco also said he has started holding budget meetings with staff and hopes to have the budget complete by mid-February.
He said he will be slightly changing the budget process by holding joint meetings with both the Finance Committee and the Selectmen. He said this will shorten the time of the process and increase communication.
He said the budget will now be provided online and in a paper copy for all interested residents.
In other business, board promoted Donna Malloy and Matthew Wright from patrolmen to sergeants in the Adams Police Department.
Police Chief Richard Tarsa said the department has faced staffing issues and there has been two open sergeant positions since a past officer retired and Tarsa himself became chief. He said a department of Adams' size has a slower turnover and there has not been a sergeant promotion since 1998.
Tarsa said Malloy has been a full-time officer on the force since 1997 and Wright has been full time since 2010. He said both officers passed the competitive exam and were clear choices for promotion.
"They are going to be a welcomed addition to the supervisory staff of the police department," Tarsa said. "There are several words I could use to describe both of them, all in a positive sense, but what they are going to bring to the table speaks volumes."
The Selectmen also denied BArT school and a local soccer program access to the Memorial School building because there are code issues to address before it meets regulation.
The building does not yet have complete working showers in the locker room, there are air circulation issues, and the bleachers must be inspected.
"I hate to do this ... but we have to make sure we are doing this legally," Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington said. "We will have it on our agenda for our next workshop."
The board also addressed the possibility of hiring an independent property evaluation service.
Last workshop meeting, the town assessor requested the town hire a firm to do the state-mandated evaluation to establish better numbers and take the burden off her department.
However, Mazzucco said the evaluation could cost anywhere between $100,000 and $180,000 and the town will not be able to afford it.
The board agreed to issue a request for proposals anyways because Mazzucco said there may be other options. He said some of the work may be able to be done by a firm and the rest can be done in-house and the price may be able to be split between three years.
He said as long as the town is moving toward a solution the state will allow it time.
• The board agreed to increase the waste-water treatment plant superintendent position from a step 10 job to 11. Mazzucco said the increase will make the position more attractive because at the moment a new superintended can come from within the department or outside and make less money than lower positions in the department.
• Mazzucco was appointed as the chief procurement officer, right to know coordinator, and hazardous waste coordinator.
• Building Commissioner Don Fitzgerald was appointed as the American with Disabilities Act coordinator.
• Town Clerk Haley Meczywor said the annual town census is under way. Census forms will come in the mail and can be mailed back or dropped off at Town Hall. Residents can also call the town clerk to report information.
• Meczywor also said nomination papers for the May 4 town election will be available in the clerk's office Jan. 26 and position up for election will be on the town website.
• Dog license fees have been set at $20 and will start being available in March. They will be due April 1.
Tags: Adams Police, fiscal 2016,
