Adams Government Review Committee Members Sworn In
ADAMS, Mass. — Members of the newly-created General Government Review Committee were sworn in on Monday as the group met for its first meeting.
"We are ready to change; we need to change. The culture is changing here in Adams," said Board of Selectmen Chair John Duval on the committee and its mission. "Good things are happening in Adams, and we need to keep that going. But government needs to also be efficient and up to date. I'm really excited for this group."
Town Clerk Haley Meczywor swore in committee members Tim Burdick, Carrie Burnett, Jonathan Butler, Carol Cushenette, Virginia Duval, Jeff Grandchamp, George Haddad, Donald Sommer and Leah Thompson. Adams began planning the committee in November of 2021 and approved the nine members in January to review the town's founding documents and suggest potential revisions.
The committee's first act was to elect Sommer to be the board's chair; it then elected Burdick as vice chair and Thompson as the clerk. Bernard Lynch, a consultant from Community Paradigm Associates that will be guiding the committee, outlined the goals of the group and the work necessary to reach them.
"Essentially, what I'm going to be doing is working with you to provide technical support and advice and, sort of, help facilitate and guide discussions throughout the process," he said.
Lynch said he expects the committee to complete its first phase of work in May and suggested members determine its scope and the issues it seeks to resolve during April's meeting. Lynch presented an expected timeline to the Board of Selectmen in January.
"Perhaps you as a committee should think about what are we trying to solve? What are we trying to achieve? I would propose that, as we look to our next meeting, that that be the topic of discussion."
Town Administrator Jay Green said the cumulative experience of all committee members should serve them well. Several on the committee have previously served as members of the Board of Selectmen and other committees in Adams -- Haddad and Sommer are former selectmen; Cushenette, Burdick and Burnett are Finance Committee members, and Duval is a library trustee. Also, Butler is a former town administrator and current president and CEO of 1Berkshire, Thompson is director of enrollment and development at Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter School, and Jeffrey Grandchamp is a local attorney.
"I think this committee is really positioned well to come up with some good recommendations and findings that we can tweak and implement through the next step in the process," he said. "It's not an easy undertaking for any community, Bernie [Lynch] will tell you that, but it's definitely time for us to take a look at it."
Selectman Joseph Nowak thanked the committee members, saying the work they are undertaking is crucial to the future of Adams.
"I think you're going to need to look deep into things that you're doing with foresight because things are always changing," he said. "And I think you're going to have to almost look at a magic globe and see deep down the future when you craft some of your bylaws,"
The committee will meet next at 3 p.m. on April 12.
Tags: charter review,
