>>> ANOTHER WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS MAYOR IS NOT
SEEKING REELECTION THIS YEAR AS NORTHAMPTON MAYOR TOM BERNARD
JOINS ALEX MORRIS ANNOUNCING THEIR CURRENT TERMS WILL BE THE
LAST ONES IN OFFICE. RAY HERSHEL SPEAK SPOKE WITH
MAYOR BERNARD ABOUT HIS DECISION TO STEP DOWN AND WHAT LIES AHEAD
FOR HIM AND THE CITY OF NORTH ADAMS.
>> A LOT OF THINGS CAME TOGETHER FOR THIS DECISION.
CERTAINLY WHAT THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN LIKE FOR LEADERS EVERYWHERE
IN WHAT, ALMOST A FULL YEAR, A YEAR AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, I
THINK, OF CRISIS RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT DID A LOT OF THINGS. ONE, IT TOOK FOCUS AND PUT IT
WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE. BUT IN DOING THAT IT TOOK MY
FOCUS OFF OF SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT I DIDN'T GET
A CHANCE TO GET DONE. THINGS AROUND LONG-TERM FISCAL
AND CAPITAL PLANNING. AND NOW THAT THINGS ARE TRENDING
IN A GOOD DIRECTION, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE'VE OUT OF THE WOODS
ENOUGH TO SAY THAT WE'RE IN FULL RECOVERY MODE.
BUT AS WE CAN LOOK AHEAD AND SAY, WELL, THERE'S STILL TUNNEL
TO GO BUT WE CAN START TO SEE THE LIGHT.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO REALLY FULLY COMMIT MYSELF AND MY TEAM
TO WORKING ON THOSE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO
DO AS DEEPLY AND CONSISTENTLY AS I WANTED TO OVER THE COURSE OF
THE LAST YEAR. AND THINKING ABOUT THE CONTINUED
RECOVERY. THAT WORK AND A CAMPAIGN, I FELT
LIKE I COULD DO TWO OF THOSE THINGS BUT NOT THREE.
SO I DECIDED I WOULD RATHER SPEND THE TIME REMAINING TO ME
DOING THE WORK AND THEN LEAVE IT IN A POSITION TO HAND IT OFF TO
SOMEBODY ELSE. >> AS YOU CONCLUDE YOUR LAST
TERM IN OFFICE IN NORTH ADAMS, MAYOR, WHAT WILL BE YOUR
PRIORITIES? WHAT'S YOUR PRIORITY LIST LOOK
LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET DONE BEFORE YOU
LEAVE OFFICE? >> YOU KNOW, PASSING A GOOD
BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, UPDATING OUR CAPITAL PLANNING FOR THE
FUTURE, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT
THE CITY IS POSITIONED FOR SUCCESS.
WE HAVE A LOT -- WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OTHER
CONVERSATIONS, RAY. A LOT OF THINGS TO RECOMMEND
NORTH ADAMS. A LOT OF PROGRESS.
A LOT OF INVESTMENT. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS
WE RECOVER WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRAJECTORY, BOTH IN TERMS OF
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AREA OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH OUR REPUTATION AND FOR A CULTURAL INDUSTRIAL
AND CENTER FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION, BUT A PLACE THAT'S
AFFORDABLE TO LIVE, A PLACE THAT IS WELCOMING, A PLACE THAT IS
INCLUSIVE. AND A PLACE WHERE OUR
FUNDAMENTALS ARE AS SOLID AND SOUND AS WE CAN MAKE THEM.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF I. AND A COUPLE OF CONCERNING ITEMS COME
UP RECENTLY. ONE OF THEM BEING THE CONDITION
OF OUR FIRE HYDRANTS THAT WE REALLY GOT A WAKE-UP CALL ON
AROUND TWO RECENT FIRES. AND MAKING SURE THAT THE WORK
THAT I AM DOING IS ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS AND MAKING SURE
THAT WE ARE AS SAFE AS WE CAN BE, WE'RE INVESTING WHERE WE
NEED TO BE, AND WE ARE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT'S SUSTAINABLE FOR
A COMMUNITY THAT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, STILL STRUGGLES WITH OUR
UNDERLYING ECONOMICS. >> MAYOR, HOW HARD DID COVID-19
HIT YOUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, IN
TERMS OF ECONOMC DEVELOPMENT, AND ECONOMIC HARDSHIP?
WHAT KIND OF HIT DID NORTH ADAMS TAKE AS A RESULT OF COVID-19?
>> WE TOOK A BIG HIT LIKE EVERYBODY DID.
FIRST OF ALL, WE LOST MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE -- AND THEN PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ALSO LOST FRIENDS AND
FAMILY MEMBERS WHO DON'T LIVE HERE BUT THAT AFFECT IS FELT.
WE HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME DOWN WITH COVID AND SUFFERED AND STRUGGLED
AND WERE HOSPITALIZESSED. WE HAD BUSINESSES CLOSE.
WE HAD BUSINESSES STRUGGLE. AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
SEE THOSE STRUGGLES AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE RECOVERY.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT BY PAYING ATTENTION TO PUBLIC
HEALTH FUNDAMENTALS, PAYING ATTENTION TO SOCIAL DISTANCING,
AND MASKING AND PREVENT SZYCH AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, WE
WERE ABLE TO MANAGE IT. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE
OR DIMINISH THE IMPACT ON ANY INDIVIDUAL, ON ANY FAMILY, ON
ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER, BUT WE DID A GOOD JOB MANAGING THROUGH THIS
CRISIS. >> CAN YOU LOOK BACK JUST AND
GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU FEEL YOU THINK YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED?
WHAT YOUR MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN IN NORTH ADAMS OVER
YOUR LAST TWO TERMS? >> I WOULD SAY AGAIN IT IS THE
WORK OF OUR FOUNDATION. ADDRESSING THINGS LIKE
TRANSITIONS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
HIRING A NEW POLICE CHIEF. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING A
FIRE CHIEF. UPDATING OUR ZONING.
BRINGING IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE GOT A REALLY GOOD MASS WORKS GRANT LAST YEAR IN THE MIDST OF
THE PANDEMIC FOR $2.4 MILLION TO SUPPORT BOTH INFRASTRUCTURE WORK
IN OUR BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD BUT ALSO WORK THAT WILL SUPPORT
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT DOWN THE ROAD.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE
THE MOMENTUM FOR NORTH ADAMS AS POSITIVE AS IT CAN BE.
>> YOU ANNOUNCED EARLY IN THE LAST YEAR OF YOUR TERM THAT YOU
WOULDN'T SEEK REELECTION AT THIS POINT.
ANY THOUGHTS ON WHERE TOM BERNARD MAY END UP IN THE NEXT
YEAR OR TWO? PRIVATE SECTOR?
IS PUBLIC SECTOR STILL A POSSIBILITY?
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE
FUTURE? >> HONESTLY, RAY, I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TODAY BEING VIKSEDED A WE GET FURTHER INTO THE YEAR AND
I START NETWORKING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND CONSIDER SOME
OPTIONS. BUT ALSO TRYING TO CARVE OUT
SOME TIME TO REFLECT AND TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE TOTALITY OF
MY CAREER UP TO POINT, HAVING WORKED IN THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR,
HAVING WORKED IN HIGHER ED, NOW HAVING WORKED IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
WHAT IS IT THAT TAKES ALL THOSE THINGS AND PUT THEM TOGETHER IN
A WAY THAT IS EXCITING, THAT'S ENGAGING.
AND STILL GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OF SOME
POSITIVE USE. >> AND MAYOR ONE FINAL QUESTION.
JUST WANTED TO GET YOUR QUICK THOUGHTS ON HOW NORTH ADAMS HAS
FARED IN TERMS OF COVID DISTRIBUTION AND ROLLOUT?
HAS YOUR CITY GOTTEN ITS FAIR SHARE OF DOSES AND GONE AS
SMOOTHLY AS YOU ANTICIPATED? >> LET'S TAKE BOTH THOSE.
IT'S GONE INCREDIBLY SMOOTHLY BECAUSE FROM DAY ONE, FROM DAY
ONE A YEAR AGO, WE'VE HAD A CLOSE, TRUSTING, TRUSTED
COLLABORATIVE CONNECTION THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN
BERKSHIRES. AND WHETHER IT'S BEEN OUR
INITIAL RESPONSE, WHETHER IT'S BEEN CONNECTING WITH OUR HUMAN
SERVICE PARTNERS, OR WHETHER IT'S THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO
SET UP OUR VACCINATION CLINICS AND MODELS, WE HAVE DONE IT
REALLY WELL, WHICH IS WHY THE GOVERNOR AND OTHERS ACROSS THE
STATE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK IN THE BERKSHIRES.
BUT WE HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES, WHICH
IS VACCINE SUPPLIES STILL REMAINS THE CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF
US. AND I WAS TALKING WITH SOME
FOLKS THE OTHER DAY AT OUR CLINIC.
AND THEY WERE MAKING THE POINT, IT TAKES THE THE SAME AMOUNT OF
EFFORT TO VACCINATE 300 PEOPLE AS IT DOES A THOUSAND.
AND WE WOULD RATHER HAVE THOSE THOUSAND APPOINTMENT DAYS AS
OFTEN AS WE CAN BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO GET US THROUGH.
THAT'S GOING TO GET OUR FOLKS VACCINATED.
THAT'S GOING TO CREATE THE SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND SAFETY AND
SECURITY AND PROGRESS THAT WE NEED TO REOPEN OUR ECONOMY, TO
GET PEOPLE BACK IN SCHOOL. SO IN WE'RE PROBABLY, I THINK,.
DATA IS WE'RE PROBABLY GETTING 10% OF OUR ALLOCATION STATEWIDE
ON A WEEKLY BASIS. SO I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE
FRUSTRATED. I I UNDERSTAND WHY SOMETIMES IT
CAN FEEL LIKE WAITING FOR CONCERT TICKETS OR BUYING A
LOTTERY TICKET TO TRY AND GET A COVID APPOINTMENT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MANAGE, TO CONNECT OUR
COUNCILS ON AGING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO
TO SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE DOING AS WE
HAVE SINCE DAY ONE OF OUR PANDEMIC RESPONSE.