AMHERST — The executive committee overseeing the University of Massachusetts-Town of Amherst Collaborative will soon be reorganized as part of a renewed effort to get projects and initiatives focused on housing, economic development and cultural opportunities underway.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman told the Select Board Monday that he and UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy have agreed to enact recommended changes made at a retreat in March in which members of UTAC expressed frustration at the lack of perceived accomplishments in the 18 months it has existed.
Economic Development Director Geoff Kravitz and Tony Maroulis, executive director of external relations and university events at UMass, will serve as co-directors of the reconstituted committee.
Kravitz said a majority of membership felt there was a need for a central driving force to become more active in implementing ideas to benefit both the town and university.
“We felt that having directors instead of staff would be helpful in that,” Kravitz said.
The executive committee will be made up of the chairmen and vice chairmen of the housing, economic development, and culture, arts and living subcommittees, along with one designee from the Select Board and one designee from UMass.
As a result, Maroulis said, the executive committee should be stronger and gather momentum to enact concepts coming from the subcommittee.
“We’re hoping to look at the town-gown relationship from a much larger lens,” Maroulis said.
Select Board member Alisa Brewer said she supported the changes, noting that proposals have taken longer than they should to implement.
All voices still need to be represented, Select Board member Andy Steinberg said, including those who would be affected by proposals from UTAC.
But he agreed that the town and UMass can accomplish projects together, and that restructuring should allow that to happen.
UTAC developed out of a $60,000 study proposed by Subbaswamy that led to a report from U3 Advisors, completed in December 2014, which recommended the formation of a permanent advisory council to the town manager and chancellor.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
