Mayor Jennifer Macksey delivered her second inaugural address in city council chambers, saying Berkshire County's second-largest community faces a number of challenges.
“I've heard from residents who've asked for help in blight, traffic, drugs, domestic violence," said the mayor. "I've heard from young people who are excited to find their future in North Adams and eager to pursue new pathways of opportunities. I've heard from small business owners who see opportunity to unleash the power of entrepreneurship in North Adams, but they need more supports. I've heard from developers ready to breathe new life into vacant buildings, but who asked for clear rules and procedures with respect to the risks they take. But most importantly, I heard from you, the lifelong residents of North Adams who've worked hard every day, but wonder if they will be able to afford to live in their houses when they retire.”
Macksey made city history in 2021 when she became the first woman elected mayor.
“The journey ahead will not be easy, and it will not be filled with quick fixes, especially with our infrastructure," she continued. "We will continue to focus on keeping North Adams a safe community, an affordable community. There will be a deep dive into education, infrastructure, economic development, addiction and homeless supports, and a large focusing on marketing North Adams’ beautiful natural resources.”
North Adams is still reeling from millions of dollars in summer storm damages that dealt a major blow to the city’s already crumbling infrastructure. The state has yet to issue relief funding to address the destruction.
During the organization of government, Brian Sapienza was voted president of the nine-member city council.
“We have two bridges that we're going to have to look at to see and make sure that they're safe," he told WAMC. "We have some work to do- We have a trash ordinance we're working on. There's a couple of other things, things that don't come to mind at the moment, but I think basically, my goal is to keep the city moving forward and to work with the city council and the mayor and become a coalescence team to get everybody together and keep moving ourselves forward for the city.”
Sapienza offered a preview of the issues that will inform fiscal policy as the new government prepares to draft its first budget later this year.
“It depends on where our COVID money funding is at this point," he said. "I think we're going to have a decent budget this year. If the winter holds up like it is, we may not have to have as much money in the snow removal as we did in years past. I think we have a good budget, we have a good fiscal, solid fiscal foundation right now, and I think that'll continue into the next year.”
Ashley Shade, who became the first openly trans person elected to the North Adams city council in 2021, was voted vice president. She agreed that infrastructure is the biggest issue before the body.
“We have the bridge issues, we have roads that are falling apart- It's going to take a lot of community to push this issue to get the funds from both the state and federal government to find more funding in our own budget for these issues," Shade told WAMC. "It's certainly- The more voices that talk to the state and feds about asking and requesting for money, the more you push that, the more likely you are to receive it. And so, it's going to be really important for the community to come together to solve some of these issues, particularly around infrastructure and budgeting and to hold people accountable and make sure that we are using the money in the correct way and that we are budgeting properly for those types of issues.”
Political newcomer Andrew Fitch was the top vote getter in the 2023 city council race. He campaigned on a community-focused platform of responsible change as North Adams plans for the future.
“We can talk about economic development, and we should, and we have to- But if we're not talking about responsible economic development, where we're not pushing ourselves out where we're not pricing ourselves out," Fitch told WAMC. "We need to focus on affordable housing as well, we need to focus on community services, as well as economic development. That's what I mean.”
Deanna Morrow also won a seat on the council in her first foray into municipal politics. Arecent graduate of the city’s Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Morrow says she’s excited to bring a younger perspective to the table.
“I think that housing is a big theme, just as Macksey had mentioned," Morrow told WAMC. "And I work in the addiction field, so the peer recovery center just came up, so things like that, just delving more into more resources for addiction. And then as well, I feel like, just always, just infrastructure’s just a big thing to, just always delving into that and working on that is a big thing.”
The North Adams city council holds its first meeting on January 16th.
