Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Massachusetts Select Board Association will host its second Western Massachusetts Municipal Conference on Saturday, April 9, at Easthampton High School in Easthampton.
The event will bring together regional stakeholders, including municipal officials, planning agencies and legislators from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties, to address challenges facing the region. Conference goals are to promote sustainable cross-governmental partnerships across western Massachusetts, to share best practices for adaptation to and mitigation of challenges facing the four counties, and to advocate more effectively for the region.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the Rural Policy Advisory Commission.
Due to COVID, attendees of this in-person meeting will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated (card, photo or QR code) on the day of the event. (Religious or medical exemptions are allowed with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours.) Masks are optional. These safety protocols are subject to change based on the latest public health data and guidance.
The registration fee is $35. Registration will be available in early March.
8-8:30 a.m.
Registration and Networking
Light breakfast will be served
8:30-8:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Overview
Andy Hogeland, Williamstown Select Board, MSA First Vice President
Geoff Beckwith, Executive Director and CEO, MMA
Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
8:45-9:45 a.m.
Legislative Panel
Representative Natalie Blais, 1st Franklin
Representative Daniel Carey, 2nd Hampshire
Senator Joanne Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Moderator: Andy Hogeland, Williamstown Select Board, MSA First Vice President
9:45-10:45 a.m.
Workshop 1: Police Reform and Its Impact on Small Towns
Chief John Paciorek, Deerfield
Chief Michael Wynn, Pittsfield; Commissioner, Police Officer Standards and Training Commission
Moderator: Trevor McDaniel, Deerfield Select Board
Workshop 2: ARPA Funding and Economic Recovery From COVID-19
Heath Fahle, Special Director for Federal Funds, Executive Office for Administration and Finance
Alicia Zoeller, Community Development Director, Holyoke
Moderator: Eric Weiss, Director of Economic and Municipal Collaboration, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
10:45-11 a.m.
Break
11-Noon
Workshop 3: Impact of Post-COVID Population Shifts on Housing Affordability
Jessica Atwood, Economic Development Program Manager, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Alyssa Larose, Real Estate Project Manager/Housing Development Director, Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority
Christopher Rembold, Assistant Town Manager/Director of Planning, Great Barrington
Moderator: Tom Matuszko, Executive Director, Berkshire Regional Planning
Commission
Workshop 4: Public Infrastructure in Western Massachusetts
State Auditor Suzanne Bump
Senator Joanne Comerford, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Moderator: Jackie Lavender Bird, Senior Legislative Analyst, MMA
Noon
Closing
Boxed lunches will be available
Location
Easthampton High School, Easthampton
Contact
MMA Senior Member Services Coordinator Isabelle Nichols, inichols@mma.org
Massachusetts Select Board Association