TIM BRENNAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PIONEER VALLEY
PLANNING COMMISSION WILL RETIRE IN SEPTEMBER AFTER 40 YEARS OF
DEDICATED SERVICE AT THE PVPC.
BRENNAN HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN SHAPING POLICIES IN OUR REGION
RANGING FROM TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS TO CLEANING UP THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER.
I SAT DOWN RECENTLY WITH BRENNAN TO TALK ABOUT HIS LONG AND
DISTINGUISHED CAREER AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE
PASSION HE BROUGHT TO HIS WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY.
>> IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT DECISION BECAUSE I
LOVE MY WORK.
IT'S INTOXICATING TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON PROJECTS THAT MAKE A
DIFFERENCE, GET PEOPLE A JOB, GET THEM TO MOVE ON A DIFFERENT
MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, CLEAN UP THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.
SO LEAVING THAT BEHIND AND ALL THE COLLEAGUES THAT WE WORKED
WITH TO GET THAT WORK DONE WAS A WRENCHING DECISION, BUT I
THOUGHT IT WAS TIME WE HANDED THE BATON OFF.
>> PEOPLE WATCHING THIS PROGRAM CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE YOU, YOU'VE
BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE AGENCY.
CAN YOU JUST AGAIN TELL THOSE FOLKS BASICALLY WHAT THIS
AGENCY'S INVOLVED WITH?
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY MORE EXPANSIVE THAN MANY PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND.
WHAT PARAMETERS DO YOU HAVE WITH THIS AGENCY IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS?
>> THE BASIC NOTION IS THAT THE PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
FACING A GEOGRAPHIC AREA ARE NOT LOCAL ANY LONGER AND HAVEN'T
BEEN FOR DECADES AND DECADES AND THAT IN ORDER TO SOLVE A PROBLEM
LIKE CLEANING UP THE CONNECTICUT OR CHASING AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE
CONNECTION TO BOSTON WITH RAIL, YOU HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND SO OUR AGENCY HAS A REGIONAL SCOPE AND TO YOUR POINT, I NEVER
IMAGINED THIS MYSELF.
WE HAVE AN AGENDA THAT GOES FROM A. TO Z.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ARE MORE TRADITIONAL,
HOUSING PLANNING, LAND USE PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING.
BUT WE'RE DOING THINGS LIKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION OUT
IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES OR HOUSING REHABILITATION SO THAT
FAMILIES THAT HAVE A DISABLED PERSON CAN MOVE AROUND THE
HOUSEHOLD SAFELY AND EASILY.
SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY BE BORED IN
THIS POSITION.
>> LOTS OF MOVING PARTS, THAT'S FOR SURE.
YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE AGENCY NOW OVER 40 YEARS.
TELL US HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THIS KIND OF WORK IN THE FIRST
PLACE, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU
TRANSITIONED INTO YOUR JOB.
>> WELL, I CAME HERE SEARCHING FOR GRAD SCHOOL AND I SORT OF
FELL IN LOVE WITH THE REGION ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET INTO GRAD SCHOOL AT UNIVERSITY
OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST, GOT MY DEGREE AND TOWARDS THE END OF
THE DEGREE, THEY WERE ENCOURAGING -- WHICH IS A SMART
MOVE -- TO GET INTERNSHIPS AND I HAD THE LUXURY OF GOING TO BE AN
INTERN FOR THEN-MAYOR SEAN IN NORTHAMPTON WHO WAS THE YOUNGEST
MAYOR IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND HE WAS A SUPERB MENTOR.
YOU COULDN'T HAVE HAD IT BETTER, AND HE GAVE ME PROJECTS FROM
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND THEN TASKED ME TO HELP THE PLANNING
BOARD.
THEY HAD NO STAFF AND TOWARDS THE END OF THE INTERNSHIP, WHICH
LASTED A COUPLE OF YEARS, HE ACTUALLY,HAM WORK WITH HIM TO
CREATE AN ORDINANCE, CREATE THE FIRST CITY PLANNING POSITION FOR
THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON AND CERTAINLY, THAT CITY HAS
BENEFITED FROM THAT ENORMOUSLY.
>> YOU SAID THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS YOU LOOK BACK
OVER THOSE 40 YEARS DO YOU HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND MAJOR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THE AGENCY IS MOST PROUD OF?
WHAT WOULD YOU LIST AS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER THE FAST
FOUR DECADES?
>> DO YOU HAVE A FEW HOURS?
WELL THINKING BACK, ONE OF THE FIRST ONES THAT WAS AN
OPPORTUNITY WAS THE LEGISLATURE CREATED ENABLING LEGISLATION TO
ALLOW OUTSIDE OF BOSTON REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, SO THE
FIRST THING I GOT TO WORK ON WITH COLLEAGUES WAS THE CREATION
OF THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY, WHICH TODAY IS A ROBUST SYSTEM,
FINANCIAL ISSUES, BUT CARRIES 11 MILLION PLUS PEOPLE PER YEAR.
CONNECTICUT RIVER WAS LABELED THE BEST LANDSCAPED SEWER IN THE
COUNTRY BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BACK IN THE DAY AND WE HAVE FOR
25 YEARS BEEN SPENDING OUR TIME CLEANING UP THE RIVER.
AND NOW, WE HAVE CLASS B. WATER ABOVE THE HOLYOKE DAM, THAT
MEANS IT'S FISHABLE AND SWIMMABLE.
WE STILL HAVE THE CHALLENGE BELOW THE HOLYOKE DAM BECAUSE
YOU HAVE THE OLDER URBAN CENTER.
BUT THERE'S A NUMEROUS NUMBER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
OUT IN THE RURAL TOWNS THAT HAVE REHABILITATED HOUSING UNITS,
HAVE PUT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SO THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON
AND ON. >> AND THOSE PROJECTS, THAT'S A
GOOD POINT.
THOSE PROJECTS CERTAINLY GO FAR BEYOND THE MAJOR CITIES.
THEY DO HIT THE RURAL TOWNS AND COMMUNITIES AS WELL SO IT'S AN
ALL-ENCOMPASSING REALLY MISSION FOR THE AGENCY.
>> YEAH, THE REGION HAS 43 CITIES AND TOWNS.
EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF AS HAVING
THEIR OWN PERSONALITY.
AND THEY GO FROM GRITTY URBAN CORE, THE SPRINGFIELD HOLYOKE,
TO THE CLASSIC SUBURBS AND THEN THE MUCH SMALLER TOWNS.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE ALL PROUD ABOUT AT THE PLANNING
COMMISSION, THEY ALL MATTER TO US.
IT'S NOT SIZE.
IT'S NOT THE COMPLEXITY.
IT'S THAT THEY ALL HAVE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES, IF WE CAN
WORK WITH THEM AND HELP THEM, THAT'S WHAT WE PROVE OURSELVES
AND OUR WORK AND WE TRADE THAT FOR THEM AND BUYING INTO WORKING
TOGETHER, TO HELPING EACH OTHER OUT AND DOING PROJECTS.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING INCREASINGLY IS BECAUSE IN THE SMALL RURAL
TOWNS THERE'S SO MANY PROBLEMS, A NEW ASPECT OF OUR WORK IS TO
TRY TO GET COMMUNITIES TO ACTUALLY START DELIVERING
SERVICES TOGETHER RATHER THAN INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE
STRUGGLING SO HARD WITH THINGS LIKE POPULATION LOSS AND FISCAL
DISTRESS SO WE HAVE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE WORKING ON JOINT
ACCOUNTING PROJECTS, JOINT ANIMAL CONTROL, THE NEWEST ONE
IS MAYBE LOOKING AT A JOINT POLICE DEPARTMENT OUT IN A
COUPLE OF OUR RURAL TOWNS.
>> YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE OVER THE YEARS OF
IMPROVING THE RAILS SERVICE IN AND AROUND THE REGION AND
THROUGH THE REGION.
AS YOU LOOK BACK AT THOSE -- AT THAT PROGRESS, ARE YOU HAPPY
WITH THE WAY THINGS HAVE PROGRESSED AND WE'RE STILL
TALKING, OBVIOUSLY, ABOUT EAST-WEST RAIL AT THIS POINT,
BUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW FAR IMPROVING RAIL SERVICE HAS COME
AND HOW FAR WE'VE GOT TO GO YET?
>> WELL, I COUNT THAT AS ONE OF MY GREATEST AND EXCITING
PROJECTS AND WE HAVE ENCOMPASSED A GREAT DEAL OURSELVES AND THAT
HAS ONLY BECOME MORE AND MORE STRONG AS TIME HAS GONE ON.
AGAIN, THANKS TO CONGRESS AND LEADERSHIP LIKE THEN-CONGRESSMAN
O'NEIL, WE LANDED STIMULUS MONEY AND WERE ABLE TO REBUILD THE
NORTH-SOUTH RAIL LINE FROM SPRINGFIELD TO THE VERMONT
BORDER.
AND THAT HAS REALLY TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS AND
HOPEFULLY, THIS SUMMER WE'LL SEE ADDED SERVICE NORTH OF
SPRINGFIELD.
AND, OF COURSE, CONNECTICUT HAS BROUGHT COMMUTER SERVICE UP TO
SPRINGFIELD.
EAST-WEST, I WISH THAT WE WERE ON TO IMPLEMENTATION RATHER THAN
PLANNING, BUT THE STATE WAS NOT CONVINCED TO GO FORWARD ON THE
FIRST STUDY THAT WAS FINISHED BACK IN 2016.
AND SO WITH AGAIN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND A LOT OF
ADVOCACY FROM THE WESTERN MASS DELEGATION A NEW STUDY HAS JUST
GOTTEN UNDER WAY AND I'M HOPEFUL, THERE'S CERTAINLY A
HUGE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR IT THROUGHOUT WESTERN MASS THAT
WILL COME TO A FAVORABLE CONCLUSION ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FROM PLANNING TO DOING.
>> AS YOU PASSED THE BATON ON TO YOUR SUCCESSOR, WHAT ARE THE
PROJECTS THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE HIGH ON THE PRIORITY LIST AS FAR
AS YOUR CONCERN TO CONTINUE HERE IN THE PIONEER VALLEY WITH
REGARD TO REGIONAL PLANNING?
>> THERE'S ONE ABOVE ALL ELSE.
IT'S THE CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY AND THAT'S CLIMATE
CHANGE.
IF YOU'VE READ AS I HAVE THE LAST TWO REPORTS THAT HAVE COME
OUT ABOUT THIS SUBJECT MATTER, THEY'VE GONE FROM PROBLEM TO
CRISIS TO URGENT CRISIS.
I THINK PLANNERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT COOPERATING WITH THE
FUTURE.
I THINK WE HAVE A SPECIAL OBLIGATION IN OUR PROFESSION TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO HERE IN THE VALLEY TO MAKE THAT
PROBLEM GET UNDER CONTROL?
IT'S ALL ABOUT IN THE JARGON BRINGING DOWN GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS.
A HUGE AMOUNT OF THAT COMES FROM TRANSPORTATION.
SO IT'S GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES, SINGLE OCCUPANCY
AUTOMOBILES INTO THINGS LIKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, THE RAIL
PROJECT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE LAUNCHED JUST A
YEAR AGO, WHICH IS STARTING TO HAVE GREAT SUCCESS, IT'S THE
BIKE SHARE PROGRAM UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY.
WE JUST ADDED EASTHAMPTON TO THE ORIGINAL SET OF COMMUNITIES SO I
SEE THAT AS ALL-ENCOMPASSING.
A HUGE CHALLENGE AND HAS TREMENDOUS CONSEQUENCES FROM A
PEOPLE POINT OF VIEW, AN ECONOMY POINT OF VIEW AND A EQUALITY OF
LIFE POINT OF VIEW.
>> YOU HAVE BROUGHT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PASSION INTO YOUR
WORK.
THAT'S OBVIOUS FROM THE WAY YOU SPEAK AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
AS YOU LEAVE THE JOB IN SEPTEMBER, WHAT WILL YOU MISS
MOST?
>> I THINK I'LL MISS A DAY THAT I CAN GO TO WORK WITH A
TREMENDOUS STAFF OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE ALL PULLING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION, GETTING THINGS DONE.
THAT ISN'T TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE SUCCESSES OR WE DON'T RUN INTO
OBSTACLES.
BUT WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES, MY MANTRA, AND I THINK A LOT OF
MY COLLEAGUES SHARE IT IS WE PLAN, WE DO, AND THEN WE MEASURE
WHAT WE DO. AND SO I'M GOING TO MISS BEING
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, I'VE HAD A CAREER THAT YOU COULD ONLY WISH
FOR. AND I WILL MISS IT BUT THERE ARE
PLENTY OF THINGS OUT THERE FOR ME TO DO IN A VOLUNTEER
CAPACITY.
PROBABLY NOT RIGHT AWAY.
I THINK THERE WILL BE A PAUSE, BUT THERE'S MANY, MANY THINGS
THAT I COULD WORK ON AND HELP WITH, BUT IN A DIFFERENT
CAPACITY AND PASSING THE BATON ON.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST PLANNING COMMISSIONS IN
MASSACHUSETTS IF NOT ON THE EAST COAST AND I'M ONLY HOPEFUL THAT
THAT CONTINUES OVER THE LONG TERM.
>> TIM, ANY MORE THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU MIGHT BE DOING IN
RETIREMENT?
YOU MIGHT BE DOING SOME VOLUNTEER WORK ONCE THE DUST
SETTLES, BUT AS YOU LOOK FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE PLANS YOU HAVE FOR RETIREMENT AND WHAT'S YOUR
BUCKET LIST SO TO SPEAK WHEN YOU DO RETIRE?
>> I LEARNED HOW TO FLY A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
AND SO I THINK NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO SAIL, WHICH FITS
WITH RETIREMENT KIND OF.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP ACTIVE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST TO MAKE SURE I KEEP ACTIVE I'M GOING TO
TRY TO GET A DOG, WHICH IS SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO
DO, BUT WITH THIS KIND OF JOB I COULD NEVER SEE MY WAY TO IT.