Lanesborough Town Administrator Announces Resignation

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town Administrator Joshua Lang is leaving town less than a year after taking post. 

Lang will be relocating back to Pennsylvania in September but will stay on remotely until his replacement can be found. 

He has been town administrator since December 2021. He was a county commissioner in Pennsylvania's Bedford County when he applied for the position to replace Kelli Robbins, who left in June after three years with the town. 

According to a press release from the town, he will be joining his wife, Makayla, who is now working in Pennsylvania as a county administrator. Her hiring as the town's administrative assistant earlier this year had prompted Open Meeting Law complaints when residents learned the two were engaged and that the Select Board had not been open about the hiring. 

The couple were married in July. 

Lang will continue to work in the office until Sept. 12, after which he will work remotely from Pennsylvania until the town finds a replacement and will also work in the office in person one week per month.

"God and family are my top priorities," said Lang in the statement.

Lang said he and his team had several accomplishments, including obtaining a full staff complement, improving wages to address retention, updating town policies and procedures, implementing new innovative technology to improve organizational processes, securing new grants, implementing a town strategic plan, hosting regular department head meetings, updating town equipment, securing a temporary police station, and implementing a town training program.

Additionally, the town is working toward revamping the website to improve outreach and communication. Another project is selecting a solar firm to lease property from the town.

"I am proud of the work we have accomplished together, the relationships I have built, and the positive workplace culture we have created," wrote Lang. "As a leader I feel strongly the team will continue to build on the accomplishments and foster an excellence workplace culture. I am thankful for the Town of Lanesborough, my fellow employees and the Select Board for this opportunity."


Tags: resignation,   town administrator,   

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Lanesborough Zoning Board Welcomes New Member

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. – The Zoning Board of Appeals has some new faces.

Last week, the Zoning Board met to restructure its board.

William Matthiesen was elected Chair. He is stepping in following the resignation of Mark Seigars after a heated ZBA meeting in February.

Gwen Miller was welcomed onto the board after being elected from the select board the day before. Chair Deborah Maynard had said she previously worked with Miller on the Planning Board.

"She is a very, very smart woman who is up to date on all the laws and everything else that goes around," Maynard said.

Miller said she wanted to volunteer for the town, but she is no stranger to working with the town. She moved to Lanesborough in 2017 to raise her kids and was recently serving as Chair of the Planning Board.

She has also served on the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's regional issues committee for the town. 

According to her LinkedIn, she has much experience with town planning, recently working with the town of Lenox as their land use director and town planner.

She said she hopes to bring a nice attitude to the board. 

"Just an even keel, a polite demeanor and some objectivity."

 
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