North Adams Council Taking Seat Nominations After November Election
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council postponed action on filling its vacant seat until after the November election.
The councilors indicated their preference for seating the highest non-incumbent vote-getter but will still take letters of interest from candidates.
The council debated the proposition at its last meeting on the resignation of Councilor Deanna Morrow. Council President Bryan Sapienza had suggested leaving the seat open; other councilors debated seating someone now for the final five or six meetings of the year.
On Tuesday, the council voted accept letters, on the suggestion of Councilor Ashley Shade, but also pushed any decision until Nov. 12, eight days past the election.
Councilor Wayne Wilkinson was the only no vote on the amendment to accept letters and the final motion.
"I'm an American, no," said Wilkinson, who strongly favored only seating someone who had received votes from the public.
The council has set some precedent for filling vacancies: Wilkinson, Sapienza and Councilor Peter Oleskiewicz were all nominated and voted in the council. Oleskiewicz and Sapienza also were the 10th and 11th highest vote-getters, respectively, in the prior election; Wilkinson was the 10th. All three were appointed with about six months or more on their terms.
In 2021, Jason LaForest and Marie T. Harpin resigned in August; their seats were not filled until after the election again by those earning the seat on the ballot. In 2009, Clark Billings resigned on Aug. 29 and said he wished to be replaced by the upcoming election.
Wilkinson was for simply leaving the seat open until November, saying anything else was a waste of time.
"We need to have only elected people that actually receive votes from the citizens of North Adams be placed on city council. It's the American way," he said. "The election is a month away, so we're going to form a committee to look at all the people that apply, and we're going to do all this, and we're still not getting it done before there is an actual election."
Shade, however, had a different take, noting council rules give interested parties the opportunity to put themselves forward in nomination. She had stood for the vacant seat filled by Wilkinson.
"I am somebody who benefited from being able to present myself to the public as an interested party," she said. "Even though I wasn't selected, I still have the opportunity. And I think that's people in the community want."
Cody Chamberlain, a member of the School Committee, objected that the council was not following its own rules during hearing of visitors.
"Last week, the solicitor weighed in to affirm that your rules of procedure are enforceable as law, and that council may only disregard the directive of our charter when, quote, failure to comply causes no harm to the rights of private individuals," he said. "With interested candidates having already submitted letters of interest as prescribed, a decision to disregard your rules would deny them their right to have their case heard by you."
Councilor Lisa Blackmer, during debate, said there seemed to be confusion over the charter and the council's Rules of Order.
"Ordinances and state law are our laws. Our charter is our law. Our council rules are guiding how we conduct business, whether people agree with that or not, but that's the clarification," she said.
The rules state the council will accept letters of interest and nominations for vacant seats; the charter that vacancies will be filled by remaining members.
Councilor Keith Bona agreed with Chamberlain that picking the 10th person isn't always the electorate's choice.
"Just because they were on the ballot does not mean they were someone that the people wanted," he said, and added, "I will vote for the person, a newcomer ... someone who got elected, who's the highest vote-getter of the new candidates. And I'm going to say that right now. So you want to apply, you can apply, but that's what I'm going to go for."
He said the council needed to clarify its rules regarding vacancies and that was something General Government, of which he is chair, will take up.
Sapienza though the candidates for council put in the work campaigning and that bringing in the ninth person on the ballot early would "be most reflective of the people's choice."
Wilkinson asked the president why he had changed his mind of leaving the seat vacant for the rest of the term; Sapienza said it was just a suggestion.
The council voted to accept letters of intent by noon on Nov. 7 and address them at the meeting of Nov. 12 (because of Veterans Day). Councilor Peter Breen was absent.
In other business, the council heard a presentation on the library from Library Director Veronica Clark and a request to ban the sale of nip bottles from Police Chief Mark Bailey that was referred to Public Safety; passed an ordinance creating an affordable housing trust to a second reading and publication; and confirmed a list of election workers for the term of Sept. 25 to Aug. 31, 2026.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey informed the council of the appointments of of Dean Bullett to the Airport Commission, Shannon Cahill to the Conservation Commission and the reappointment of Deborah Forgea to the Cemetery Commission, and presented a proclamation recognizing and Supporting General Aviation Appreciation Month.
Tags: board vacancies, election 2025,
