image description

Clarksburg Sets Candidate Interviews for Town Administrator

Staff ReportsPrint Story | Email Story
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The two finalists for town administrator will be interviewed on Monday night. 
 
The search committee has recommended Lisa Blackmer, treasurer/tax collector in the town of Buckland, and Rebecca Stone, town administrator in Otis, as candidates to the Select Board. 
 
Blackmer will be interviewed first, at 6 p.m. on Monday, and Stone at 7 p.m. Both interviews will be in the Select Board's meeting room and will be open to the public. 
 
The town has been without an administrator since the resignation of Carl McKinney in May. The former Select Board member had been in the post since 2014. 
 
In the interim, board Chairman Ronald Boucher has been covering the day-to-day needs of the town. 
 
Blackmer is a former North Adams city councilor who is running again this year after two years off the council. She is a former president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and also was a town administrator in Sandisfield.
 
Stone was formerly the town administrator in Readsboro and Guilford, Vt. She lives in Jacksonville, Vt., and has experience in municipal government in both Vermont and Massachusetts. 
 
Boucher said each candidate will be interviewed for about a half hour by the Select Board and then department heads and residents will be allowed to ask questions. 
 
He said he hoped the board could come to a decision that night but if not, the members will determine their choice at the regular meeting on Wednesday. 

Tags: candidate interviews,   town administrator,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

View Full Story

More Clarksburg Stories