Christopher J. Tremblay: City Council Candidate
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| City council candidate and business owner Christopher J. Tremblay. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Christopher J. Tremblay, 33, of 57 Harris St., acknowledged that he does have a "special interest" in securing an elected two-year city council term.
"I have a special interest," Tremblay said during a Sept. 23 interview at his 85 Union St. Tremblay Electric business. "I want to further the city. I want to help the people who live here and whose families have lived here for generations be included in the vision of the future. That is my special interest."
Tremblay is among eight incumbent city councilors and seven challengers vying for nine city council seats during a Nov. 8 city election. City Councilor William Donovan announced earlier this month that he will be moving from the city and is no longer seeking reelection to the council.
Business Owner
A city native, Tremblay owns and operates the namesake electrical supply and electrician services business and "Berkshires Best," a retail store that promotes regionally-crafted items also located at 85 Union St. The retail store opened in July; the electric business was launched six years ago, Tremblay said. The electric business also moved to the Union Street site earlier this year.
Tremblay employs two licensed electricians and two assistants at the electrical firm. Family members staff the retail store, he said. A "Berkshires Best" sign placed outside the store on an exterior wall has been deemed to be in violation of city sign regulations as non-conforming, and Tremblay said that he is being fined $100 per day for every day that the sign remains in place. Tremblay said that he disagrees with the finding and would like to see clear, precise sign regulations established and applied to city business owners.
Tremblay also owns a single-family rental property near his home. Tremblay said that as a rental property owner, he has renovated property "to a standard that I would live in."
Interest in Local Affairs
Working and living in the city inspired him to seek election to the city council, Tremblay said. "I've always been interested in local affairs," he said."It's an interest that comes from growing up here, from living and working here. I want to see the city grow in a positive manner. I'd like to see healthy discussion, and if the constituents, the people who vote for you, have questions, the questions should be asked and answered."
Tremblay has not previously sought elected office but he served as a member of the city's Conservation Commission. Conservation Commission members are appointed by city Mayor John Barrett III; when Tremblay's first term expired on Aug. 31, he was not reappointed, he said. Tremblay said that he enjoyed his time on the commission and was interested in being reappointed. He attended a commission meeting as a commission member in September, he said. A letter informing him that he was not being reappointed was subsequently delivered to him, Tremblay said.
City Views
If he were elected to the council, Tremblay said that he would investigate block grants that focus on renovating residential properties. Energy costs and renewable energy resources also interest Tremblay, he said, and noted that the city's public library renovation included significant use of "green technologies" such as geo-thermal wells and other alternative energy sources. Tremblay said that if elected, he would lobby for councilors to contribute any stipends they receive as councilors into a fund that could be used to encourage business development.
Waste-water issues seem to plague the city, Tremblay said, and he added that the issues place the city in "adversarial situations" with surrounding communities. "I would like to look for new solutions," he said.
Raising the city's profile as an arts community is a positive action that has generated positive reactions, but the city should seek additional growth opportunities, Tremblay said. "The arts can't be the sole focus,†he said. "There are many families who stayed here through the hard times. I stayed through the hard times. I watched family members lose their jobs to the Sprague closing. And I want to encourage artisans and have them be able to sell their wares, but it's important to remember that there are people who stayed here, made lives here, paid their taxes here, sometimes for many generations. These families need places to live and to work."
As a local contractor and retail shop owner, Tremblay said he has a perspective that would benefit city residents. "The first job I did as an electrical contractor was Gramercy Bistro," he said. "I've seen a lot of the businesses come to the downtown and I've seen some leave. We can all look back on urban renewal and say that we wish it didn't happen, but it did. And now we have to get people into the downtown."
Roots and Pride
Following high school graduation, Tremblay attended the Champlain College in Burlington, Vt. for two years. He studied business but left the college before earning a degree. Tremblay said that he returned to the area and worked in the construction industry before deciding to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and his uncle and become an electrician. He worked his way from an apprentice to a journeyman and was certified as a master electrician in 2003.
His wife, Melissa, is employed by the Greylock Federal Credit Union. The couple has no children. Two dogs, Roxie, a golden retriever, and Nala, a cocker spaniel, share the family home. Tremblay said that he is proud of the city's residents and proud to be counted among them.
"I was doing some work at a house on Yale Street and right there, on the [electrical] panel, was a business card for my grandfather, Jack Tremblay, who was a master electrician," Tremblay said. "And it felt pretty good to see that, to really see my roots."
Tremblay has scheduled a campaign "meet the candidate" ziti supper fundraiser on Oct. 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Frank R. Stiles American Legion Post 125 post home on American Legion Drive. Admission is $4 per person.
