1. In one paragraph please give a brief biography.
www.gregoryroach.com/?p=25
Greg is a father, husband, chef and a writer. He has worked in the hospitality industry most of his life and is currently managing and developing the new prepared foods and bakery department at Wild Oats Market. He has worked and trained under some of America’s most famous chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Jimmy Schmidt and Charlie Trotter. His writing includes stints as a columnist for the North Adams Transcript, The Tacoma News Tribune and as a freelance copywriter for various clients. He also journals thoughts and observations at Greg Roach’s Berkshires Blog. Greg has degrees from the University of Michigan and the Culinary Institute of America where he graduated with honors, winning the President’s Scholarship and the Roth Outstanding Student Award. Most importantly Greg is a father and a husband who spends much of his free time plotting activities with his family, helping with homework and projects around the house.
2. What is your vision for a reinvigorated North Adams 10 years down the road?
I have previously asked the question – What will North Adams Look Like in 10 Years?- myself, back in 2008.
http://gregroach.blogspot.com/2008/06/north-adams-circa-2018.html
I see us trending towards a more entrepreneurial workforce, a younger overall population that is closer to the state averages, a more stable and predictable tourist economy, etc... These are all good things. There are obvious challenges to overcome such as the high concentrations of poverty that affect our schools and neighborhoods. This single issue, which needs to be addressed through housing policy and job creation, will define our future more than any other over the next decade.
3. What is the roll of the city council in North Adams government and how should a city councilor’s vision of North Adams come into play in the course of governing North Adams?
The role of a North Adams City Councilor is whatever he or she cares to make it. Aside from the basic legislative duties, a councilor has the ability to put items on the agenda, summon the mayor and department heads, approve or disapprove of the city's budget, write and propose ordinances, propose tax policy, etc.... All of these tools, if used wisely and prudently, make a city councilor potentially far more influential than the current crop of incumbents would have you believe.
An effective councilor will represent the citizens who elected him as an advocate in both bureaucratic matters and in introducing citizen ideas and initiatives.
3. Give concrete examples of how you would tackle three or more of the following issues.
a. Employment in North Adams
I prefer to look at employment as a regional issue that deserves a two-pronged approach – Maximizing our existing talent to create commerce as well as attracting new employers to the area.
The single biggest aspect of North Adams' employment woes is the livability of the community. Will a new company move its operations to a town with struggling schools and a rising crime rate? It seems unlikely. For the same reason, many of the middle-class employees of our two biggest employers, MCLA and North Adams Regional Hospital do not live in town. We need to address the livability issue. With everything else we have going for us, I think we will be shocked at how many people will find North Adams a desirable place to work and call home.
b. Poverty In North Adams
Poverty is nefarious problem. A child raised in poverty has about a 50% chance of living in poverty as an adult. It is my belief that we have valiantly tried to address this problem for about 50 years with limited success. One thing that has been shown to work in reducing the perpetual nature of problem is economic diversity. The fact that so much of our poverty is clustered together in specific housing projects and neighborhoods needs to be addressed. When cities have moved families out of projects and into working communities, the results have been dramatic. Schools that suffer form the social costs of poverty have seen great strides when districts make a conscious effort to deconcentrate kids from impoverished homes.
The other aspect of poverty is the simple fact that jobs for low-skilled employees are few and far between. As our economy grows a certain proportion of the jobs created will help solidify the wages of this segment of the population. Those who are able and want to work should have that option.
c. Housing in North Adams
I believe that North Adams should create policies that give residents the incentives to turn existing rental properties and dilapidated properties into owner-occupied homes. This can be done via tax policy.
Also, the council should make clear to the Housing Authority that poverty concentrating housing “projects” should be mainly for the elderly and disabled. Assistance for younger, able-bodied adults and families should be primarily focused on placing those people in single family rental housing in existing working neighborhoods. No one neighborhood or area should become the dumping ground for the poor.
d. Crime in North Adams
Fully funding and staffing the police department will help in the short term, especially returning the bicycle officers. Long term, the best solution to the crime issue is to reduce poverty.
e. Attracting business to North Adams
Make the community livable for middle class families while promoting the incredible quality of life that our region affords. We are a college town, a museum town, an arts mini-mecca. We are only missing the one piece of the puzzle.
f. Preserving, utilizing, and promoting the Natural Resources of North Adams
I have proposed the creation of a Northern Visitors Center for Mt. Greylock at the approximate site of Fort Massachusetts, which is currently in the sad location of the Price Chopper parking lot. Recreate the fort on the corner that Carbone Ford will soon be abandoning and connect it to both Hertiage State Park and the Greylock Reservation.
I am also a huge fan of the efforts the Hoosic River Revival Coalition to redevelop North Adams’ riverfront.
g. Engaging the people, skills, and talents, of North Adams toward a better North Adams
The single biggest thing that the city can do to encourage the existing residents in the creation of dynamic community is to actually give them a voice and support their efforts. This has been a problem for many years in North Adams.
h. Engaging with and utilizing the neighbors and the region surrounding North Adams
The city-limit-provincialism that pervades our current city government must end. North Adams is both a bedroom community and an employer community. Acting as though we are an island unto ourselves is detrimental. We should engage in more regional planning and dialogue as well as continue to promote inter-community development and activities.
I. The Downtown of North AdamsThere a 100s of great ideas to help rejuvenate downtown North Adams.
The first thing the city needs to do is get out of the way of the people who want to invest their sweat and equity. Also, simple changes to traffic flow, like forcing all exiting traffic from Mass MoCA's parking lot to exit towards Main St could dramatically change the number of visitors who actually stop in our shops. Another idea is creating something like a sculpture walk along Veterans Drive so that visitors driving along Rt 2 see more than Big Y and a large parking lot is a must to engage more people in our economy. I am also a proponent of moving the Farmers Market to Eagle St and creating a temporary pedestrian only thoroughfare on weekend mornings. Also, I have proposed in the past that a City Square be created in the Steeple City parking lot between St. Johns and the Police Station that has a performance stage gazebo, benches with space to hold events and rallys.
