AMHERST — Town manager finalist Paul Bockelman says he is aware that the University of Massachusetts and two private colleges define Amherst.
“The positives they bring to the community just can’t be calculated,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman acknowledged that with the college population come issues for the community, such as graduate students at UMass who bring families that live in tax-exempt housing and whose children may not speak English as their primary language.
“They’re in houses that aren’t paying any taxes and their kids are going to (Amherst) schools,” Bockelman said. “UMass should recognize there is an impact.”
Bockelman said he sees the existence of the University-Town of Amherst Collaborative as a great way to enhance the relationship between the leaders of the flagship campus and town officials.
“It’s a forum for starting to talk about real deep things,” Bockelman said.
The director of administration and finance for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and a Hampshire College graduate, Bockelman on Wednesday was the last of three finalists to interview with the Select Board for the town manager position.
He followed Maria Capriola, assistant town manager in Mansfield, Connecticut, who interviewed on Monday, and William Fraser, city manager in Montpelier, Vermont, who answered questions from the board Tuesday.
The Select Board is expected to decide which finalist to hire at its May 5 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in Town Room at Town Hall. The person selected would become Amherst’s sixth permanent town manager, succeeding the late John Musante.
As town manager, Bockelman said he wants to learn about issues from residents and staff because complaints can improve his work.
“The town manager also has to be open to listening to anybody and be welcoming to insight and information from people,” Bockelman said.
“To me, customer service is job one,” Bockelman added.
Being responsive means fixing the little things in a timely manner, whether it is a pothole or a fallen tree.
“People don’t like shouting into a vacuum,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman said creating a more diverse workforce is a challenge every community faces.
When he was town administrator in Manchester-by-the-Sea in the 1990s, Bockelman said he used the state’s minority intern program to recruit a person of color to work for the town.
And at the MMA, where summer internships are available, Bockelman said he has reached out to Somerville schools to find students who do not have a parent advocating for them, giving those youngsters a better chance of success.
“I think it’s an alertness and a cultural thing to say this is a value we hold — we want to diversify the workforce,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman said he credits Amherst with doing a great job promoting affordable housing. “I love that you’re not letting up,” Bockelman said.
This housing can also be for municipal workers, from police officers and firefighters to teachers and public works employees, he said.
“It’s important to define affordable housing as not just being for poor people,” Bockelman said.
During a tour earlier in the day, Bockelman said he got a sense of why the town is pursuing projects to upgrade the elementary schools, Jones Library, public works headquarters and fire station.
“The ones I saw do look like they need help, significant help,” Bockelman said
Potential funding is complicated, though, and the town will need to think about the big picture and provide options so that the projects can be done without overburdening taxpayers, Bockelman said, adding that a new finance director will need to be hired.
“In my mind you have a big hole to fill,” Bockelman said, referring to former Finance Director Sanford “Sandy” Pooler, and Musante as forming a “dream team.”
He calls downtown Amherst the “lifeblood” of the community, but said the mix of businesses has changed a lot since when he was at Hampshire in the 1970s, with retail mostly gone and now a place where people seek out cultural activities and restaurants.
Bockelman said the commercial area is going through an identity crisis, but there may be opportunities for incubator spaces.
“For the downtown area, you want to preserve what’s great, but you want to create a business environment where people want to come here,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman said he would bring transparency in how decisions are made. “I’m a huge believer in communication and being on the same page with everyone,” Bockelman said.
He said the board will be informed about all the work he is doing.
“First off, there are no surprises,” Bockelman said, noting that the Select Board chairperson will know everything, based on his previous experience in Manchester. “If there were any issues coming up, they got a phone call right away.”
He sees the relations between the Select Board and town manager as a shared executive officer-type of responsibility, with the town manager responsible for overseeing staff and ensuring the budget is carried out in accordance with the will of Town Meeting, Amherst’s legislative body.
Underperforming staff would also get assistance, Bockelman said.
“I think a lot of people don’t want to perform poorly, they don’t have the training or the skill set we can give them,” Bockelman said. “Providing them that support and interest resolves the situation directly.”
He said he also is prepared to deal with critics. Even if he were walking on water at Puffer’s Pond, Bockelman said he knows some would say that’s because he doesn’t know how to swim.
“You have to have a certain amount of thick skin to do the job,” Bockelman said.
Bockelman said he has a daughter graduating from college. He declined to give his age or marital status.
He said he would want to be part of the community if chosen as town manager. “I don’t think you can do the job without being here. You have to be in the town,” Bockelman said.
“I would be eager and proud to work for the town of Amherst,” he added.
Residents will be able to view all three town manager interviews on public access channel 17, as well as on the website amherstmedia.org They are encouraged to send comments about the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses to selectboard@amherstma.gov by 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
