Doug Clark To Leave Director of Community Development Post

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Director of Community Development Douglas Clark is going back to the engineering firm he and his wife Ann own.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After two years of seeing through some major initiatives, Director of Community Development Douglas Clark is going back to his engineering business.
 
Clark's last day with be June 10 and the city's Director of Parks and Open Space James McGrath will take over on an interim basis.
 
In an interview on Thursday, Clark reflected on his work on the final phases of North Street's street scape project, the Berkshire Innovation Center, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail extension, and First Street Common among the initiatives he was tasked with seeing through.
 
"There are just so many good things this department gets involved in. It isn't realistic that you'll get it all done. It is kind of an endless list. At the core what you are trying to do is to make sure we have a revitalized downtown, create economic opportunities, and have more job opportunities," Clark said.
 
Clark took over the position from Deanna Ruffer in 2013 and ushered in the completion of numerous projects. 
 
"Our department has 14 people and we do a lot of different things — planning, zoning, conservation, the CDBG work with neighborhoods, demolitions, parks and open space and economic development. I think every director brings what his particular interest and experience and puts his stamp on things," Clark said. 
 
Clark came from an engineering background with the company he started with his wife, Ann. As the company grew, they reached a point where he could try something new. He is an engineer by trade but also had a master's degree in economic policy from Rensselaer (N.Y.) Polytechnic Institute in 2009. He wanted to go beyond being a consultant on public projects to a bigger role in overseeing the aspects of securing funding and managing regulatory impacts. 
 
"I was ready to try something different. We had good people in place and promoting people from within the company — engineers became project managers. We had a good team in place and I was free to do something else," Clark said. "Now we lost a couple key people so I am needed to come back and fill in. Engineering is in my DNA and that is what I've done for a very long time. So I am kind of looking forward to getting back to that."
 
His engineering firm has now merged into Ryan Biggs Clark Davis, with his wife being a majority shareholder. With the merger and the loss of those "key people," Clark is now returning to the company as he works toward retirement.
 
"This was all part of a transition plan. With small businesses, you run the business for a few years and decide to retire and there is nobody to hand the business off to or sell the business. We had a couple people from within the company that we looked to do that but it didn't pan out," Clark said. "We were approached by a larger firm, Ryan and Biggs, and we ended up merging with them."
 
"That allows us the opportunity in the next 10 years or so transition out of the business and get some value out of our business ownership."
 
Clark served a large role in the development of the Berkshire Innovation Center. The city received an earmark for a $9.75 million grant from Mass Life Sciences to build a facility to help small and medium-sized manufacturers grow. He worked through studies, business planning, and city finances to see the project grow from an idea to the incorporation of BIC, a non-profit that will take over operations once the building is constructed this summer. 
 
"The project that took the largest part of my time was the Berkshire Innovation Center, all the way from securing the grant to working on the business plan and feasibility studies. And now seeing BIC incorporation being established and coming on board," Clark said.
 
Meanwhile, he finished planning for the decadelong street scape project, which enters its final year of construction this summer. Coupled with that last phase, Clark said the department is also implementing the parking plan developed with consultants. 
 
"The exact timing of that, we are still thinking about that. Some of our first wayfinding signs are already part of the design for phase 4," Clark said. 
 
One of the more difficult projects to get moving was the demolition of the former Stetson Dry Cleaners. That project used the city's Community Development Block Grant funding but posed environmental and regulatory issues that needed to be weeded through before the building could be razed. 
 
"It is both interesting and a challenge in how you move projects forward. There are all kinds of obstacles, whether it is the funding or brownsfield issue or regulatory issues or interdepartment things," Clark said.
 
He also picked up where the city left off on trying to expand the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail from Lanesborough to Crane Avenue. That project could start construction as early as next year. 
 
"We've got 25 percent plans. That's one of those things I wish was proceeding quicker but we have an alignment and MassDOT has secured the right of ways," Clark said.
 
There is still work to be done, Clark said, saying there is still a lot of need for economic development initiatives in the Morningside and Westside neighborhoods.
 
"The needs of those neighborhoods are just overwhelming. You look at the great things that happened on North Street and the casual visitor doesn't realize that three blocks either direction, there is still a lot of work to be done," Clark said. "There are certainly plenty of good work that was done but a lot to be done."
 
One of those projects Clark had begun is the Transformative Development Initiative District on Tyler Street. That could result in state help in numerous ways to revitalize the Morningside neighborhood. 
 
"There is never enough money to do what needs to be done," Clark said. "We've been fortunate to get a lot of grants — the MassWorks grant that funded streetscape, the funding Jim [McGrath] secured for the First Street Common, the Mass Life Science Center funding for the BIC. That's given us a lot of resources to work with."
 
Clark said he will particularly miss the employees he's worked the last two years alongside. 
 
"Sometimes there is a negative public perception about government employees. Certainly in this department, I've found the staff here great. They have a professional attitude, good work ethic, and are just great people," Clark said. 
 
Mayor Daniel Bianchi has appointed McGrath to take over the department after Clark's departure. A search for Clark's permanent replacement is currently under way.
 
"Doug Clark has been an excellent department head. His prior work experience served the city well and we have benefited from his expertise. Doug's work on the Berkshire Innovation Center, completing the streetscape, the Tyler Street Transformative Development Initiative and other community projects has positively impacted our city and continued us on a path toward redevelopment," Bianchi said in a statement on Thursday. "He will certainly be a loss to Pittsfield. However, I am confident we will find a strong replacement,"

Tags: community development,   resignation,   

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Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
 
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said. 
 
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said. 
 
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
 
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
 
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
 
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax. 
 
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