Clarksburg Filling Empty Board Seat; Town Administrator Interviews Set

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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town expects to have a new Select Board member in place at the conclusion of the special election on Tuesday, allowing officials to move forward in filling some important positions. 
 
The three-person board has been down to one member since October, part of an exodus of officials that has left the town in limbo.
 
The only name on Tuesday's ballot is Jeffrey Levanos, a veteran member of both the Select Board and School Committee. A Select Board meeting — the first in nearly two months — is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 9:30 at the Community Center. 
 
The agenda includes interviews of three candidates for town administrator: Jeffrey Roucoulet, Christine Dobbert and Carl McKinney. 
 
McKinney is a former member of the Select Board and Finance Committee and was town administrator from 2015 to 2019. He quit in May 2019 over differences with the Select Board on the terms of his contract on wages. 
 
Dobbert is the longtime town administrator of the town of Florida. She has been in that post since 2007 after being office manager of the local law firm. 
 
Roucoulet is director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Pittsfield and Berkshire County. He recently interviewed for town administrator in the town of Lanesborough. 
 
The town has been without a town administrator since the departure of Rebecca Stone, who walked out of a Select Board meeting in August and never returned to her office. The town settled the final year of her contract with her the following month. 
 
The reason for her abrupt exit was months of turmoil in the town's financial offices that boiled over during the Aug. 25 meeting, when then Chairman Ronald Boucher castigated her for failing to manage the problem. 
 
In short order, the administrative assistant, town accountant and town treasurer also left, along with Boucher and Select Board member Allen Arnold. The town is currently depending on interims for accountant and treasurer and has an acting town clerk.

Tags: town elections,   

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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.

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