Clarksburg Hires New Treasurer/Tax Collector
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Select Board hired Ericka M. Oleson of the town of Florida on Wednesday as the new treasurer/tax collector.
Oleson will begin her duties officially on Monday, Oct. 24. She was selected out of four applicants for the post to replace Melissa McGovern-Wandrei, who was fired two weeks ago.
Officials have not revealed the reason for her termination but they did strongly impress upon Oleson the need for the town's small staff to get along and to be pleasant to citizens.
"What needs to happen is everyone has to get along very well," said Chairman Jeffrey Levanos, later adding that "if I have somebody [at work] who we just don't get along with or don't play well ... you almost don't want to go to work."
Board member William Schrade alluded to phone call complaints from citizens "that just left a bad taste."
Apparently a statement that Oleson had made during her interview last week about how she sometimes "doesn't play well in the sandbox" caused some trepidation despite her impressive credentials.
"We perceive that as possibly causing problems here," Levanos said. "Our customers ... they just want to see a smiling face."
Oleson assured them (board member Linda Reardon was absent) that she was speaking about "internal frustrations" when others don't perform to their abilities, or undermine those who do.
"That question was what's my weakness," she said, adding that she believes her strength and weaknesses go hand in hand.
"I'm very driven, I work very hard and I want to excel ... along with that I can get frustrated internally when other people don't ...
"Don't you think the world would be much better if we all worked a little harder?"
She pointed to her work as a part-time tax collector in the town of Florida, saying her boss, Town Administrator Christine Dobbert, tells her she's "too nice for her own good."
"I go above and beyond to help anybody who walks through our door," she said. "I've never gotten into an arguent with anyone I worked with ...
"I want to leave Clarksburg better than I find it."
Oleson holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting, from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She has worked at Tarm Services Accounting & Business Solutions in North Adams for three years.
"I think she would be an excellent choice," said Schrade.
Both board members voted to appoint her to a three-year term at a wage of $19.72, with a six-month probation. Her hours to start will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 4 and Wednesdays from noon to 7, with a half-hour made up somewhere for her 30 hours.
Oleson said she would come in prior to her start date to familiarize herself and Town Administrator Carl McKinney said he would set up training on the town's SoftWrite accounting software. Police Chief Michael Williams, appointed as interim treasurer/tax collector, was voted to continue as backup so his name could remain on record with the financial institutions.
In other business, the board discussed having the Board of Assessors take over abatement responsibilities. The board had done it in the past but it had been shifted to the assistant town administrator. Levanos said he had been approached by one of the assessors about the board having very little to do.
Schrade, however, rejected the idea of voting that night, saying the Select Board should speak with assessors before making any decisions. They had pushed forward with changing responsibilities in the past, he said, only to find out they were unworkable for the people involved.
It was determined that McKinney would speak with Town Assessor Ross Vivori and, if needed, set up a joint meeting with the Board of Assessors next week.
• Amalio Jusino, part-time police officer, informed the board of a seminar he'd been accepted to on 21st century community policing in Washington, D.C. He attended with North Adams Police Director Michael Cozzaglio and Sgt. Jason Wood, a number of officers from other Berkshire County departments, and many types of law enforcement agencies from across the country.
He was most impressed, he said, with a session on bias that was a "real eye-opener." The attendees were given a test that revealed their implicit biases and learned how to recognize those stereotypical assumptions in their actions. Assumptions about age and obesity are the top biases, he said.
"I can sit in a cruiser at Big Y all day long ... but if I pull into Dunkin' Donuts - and there, you're all laughing because you have a bias," he said to the chuckling selectmen.
Acknowledging and overcoming bias can help officers relate better the citizens, Jusino said. Even though Clarksburg is a small community, many different people are drawn to the area because of Williams College, MCLA and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
Tags: appointments, treasurer,
