ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen officially introduced new Police Chief Scott Kelley to the community on Wednesday night.

 

"The day has finally arrived and it seems as though we have been waiting for you forever, Scott," Town Administrator Jay Green said at Wednesday's Selectmen's meeting. "We wanted to take a moment on camera in public to welcome you."

 

Kelley was just sworn in Tuesday morning in front of Town Hall. The former chief of police of the Spartanburg Community College campus in South Carolina replaced interim Chief Troy Bacon.

 

"Thank you so much for the welcome my family and I have gotten. It just really solidifies my decision to come here," Kelley said. "It has just been wonderful. The transition has been great ... we are going to do great things for this community."

 

Kelley was appointed to the Safety Committee and the Traffic Commission.

 

Officer Travis Cunningham, who was promoted to detective, was also on the Zoom call and was congratulated by the board.

 

"We have him on the force, he is available to you as a resource," Green said. "He is very diligent, he is very detailed originated, and in my experience as a prosecutor the better the case that comes in the higher likelihood of getting through any procedural motions ... and making a good case." 

 

Green said the force has one detective position that was recently vacated by Officer Michael Wandrei. He said Cunningham accepted the position in early January.

 

"Thank you for the opportunity. I am very happy and privileged to be part of this," Cunningham said. "It is a team effort, and I like knowing that I have a lot of people that support me all around."

 

Kelley said he has held investigative roles in the past and looked forward to working with Cunningham.

 

"He has the drive to be a great investigator," Kelley said. "I like to keep things close that I used to do so I told him I will stop by the office and see what he's working on because I always enjoyed that." 

 

Selectman Joseph Nowak thanked and congratulated both officers.

 

"I hope that both of you and the rest of the officers continue to make Adams a place where people are willing to come to and even lay down stakes here," Nowak said. "So best of luck to you and godspeed."

 

The Selectmen voted to approve the disposition of 20 East St. and the town will release another request for proposals to try to offload the property.

 

"We are at the point …  where we would like to move ahead," Green said. "We have some good solid inquiries."

 

The building at 20 East has sat vacant since 2019 when the Youth Center moved out of the deteriorating Community Center.

 

The town has tried to move the property in the past through the RFP process to no avail.

 

Donna Cesan, who's been aiding the Community Development Department until she can be replaced, said the town should be ready to release the RFP in a week or two. 

 

Nowak felt the building was too far gone and the town should perhaps focus on demolition and the reuse of the land.

 

"I just don't see the building as being valuable to a developer. It is falling apart," Nowak said. "I don't think it is something someone would want to dive into."

 

Nowak thought it would be a good plot for Habitat for Humanity. 

 

Cesan agreed that the building probably has a negative value and that the five acres of land was probably the only asset. She said the town still has to go through the RFP process and that the 40R zoning overlay has made the property more enticing to developers. She said the plot is secluded yet within walking distance to downtown.