Background

Retired attorney Andrew Hogeland is seeking his fourth three-year term on the Williamstown after being first elected in 2014. He previously served on the town’s Conservation Commission, Finance Committee and Planning Board, and he currently fills the Select Board’s chair on the board of the Affordable Housing Trust.

A lot of the talk during the fiscal 2024 budget season centered on the tax levy for town residents. If you think it's too high, in what specific areas would you like to see less spending? If you think it's too low, where should more spending be directed?

I believe the question whether the tax levy is too high can be better understood by asking whether we are satisfied with the town services we are getting for our taxes.

Our property values are higher than those in several nearby communities, and I believe this is based in part on the quality of our educational and other services. Our taxes pay for these services. I think the focus should not be on cutting services, but on making sure town budgets are restricted and that they grow slowly so there are no big jumps in the tax burden.

Williamstown is financially well run with a strong bond rating, and our town and school employees do an excellent job of delivering the services we rely on, including educating our children, keeping roads, sewers and water systems in good repair and providing public safety and library services. In this year's budget, the sewer rate, the water rate and the transfer station fees are all unchanged from last year, which indicate frugal management.

Our biggest budget item is for our public schools. Our Mount Greylock Regional School District assessment is going up about 3 percent, and our McCann Assessment is going down 19 percent. To alleviate the property tax burden for our low-income seniors, I initiated and drafted the article for town meeting which would expand the eligibility for this program, and I ask that you vote in favor of this article at town meeting. As for areas for increased funding, I advocate for more help to make housing in Williamstown more affordable for lower-income residents.

Town meeting has a chance to allow potential new growth in the residential stock through zoning bylaw amendments on the warrant in May, but more residents can also mean a greater demand for services. Should the town be encouraging more commercial development and, if so, what concrete steps can local government take to generate that development?

I was an organizer and member of our Economic Development Committee, which looked at a comprehensive array of measures to promote economic development. That report can be found here on the town website. Many of its findings and recommendations are still applicable today.

Notably, having a strong school system was identified as a top priority because it attracts residents and businesses, and provides job training skills. Similarly, although the report identifies ways to attract businesses, such as through zoning and marketing initiatives, the first step should be to support the health and growth of our existing businesses. These include our educational, health and service institutions that provide employment opportunities, and also our cultural institutions which draw many visitors to our town.

We should always be on the lookout for economic development opportunities, and facilitate efficient permitting, but the merit of this goes far beyond just another source of property tax: it goes to the vitality of our community and our ability to attract new residents and businesses. We should not overlook the fact that investing in housing contributes to our tax base. Our investment in Cable Mills has generated over $800,000 in tax revenue over the last several years.

The affordable housing projects at 330 Cole, Highland Woods and Church Corner together pay over $100,000 per year in property taxes. Being more open to zoning changes could help attract development in both the housing and commercial sectors.

One question the Select Board periodically faces is whether the board should take stands on issues not directly under its purview. Some say board members have a duty to vote their conscience as representatives of their constituents. Others say it should stick to the matters over which it has jurisdiction. How would you strike that balance?

I feel lucky to live in a town of informed and engaged citizens who can make up their own minds without having five people on the Select Board tell them what to think about issues not directly related to town governance.

I think we should stay in our lane and not opine on matters beyond our jurisdiction over how the town is run. Citizens can and do appear at board meetings to express themselves, and they can always seek approval of a citizens' petition at town meeting.

Several years ago we put together a protocol for dealing with requests to take a position on particular issues, and it calls for a statement of how the issue is relevant and important to Williamstown, and for hearing all sides. The protocol can be found as an attachment to the Select Board Handbook which can be found here. The guide itself (page 3) states that board members do not run or serve as part of a political party and the board generally does not discuss state or national politics, except for the degree to which such matters might affect Williamstown locally.

I initiated and drafted the article on this year's town meeting warrant to keep the Select Board out of the business of deciding what flags and banners should be flown on certain flagpoles and properties. It provides that Town Hall only fly the American flag, the Massachusetts flag, and the POW-MIA flag calling for remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

The Select Board recommended not giving itself the option to fly any flags in support of any other specific causes, thus taking the Board out of the business of declaring through town flags and banners that the entire town endorses any particular cause.

The Select Board in the last year briefly considered developing a bylaw proposal on short-term rentals but ultimately decided the issue needs more study. Do you feel this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the near future? Say, by town meeting 2024?

The Planning Board spent time developing a short-term rental (STR) zoning bylaw and then turned the matter over to the Select Board, but not in time for us to do our own work on it for this year's town meeting. I would like to get a proposal together for town meeting 2024 because there are a number of issues requiring some attention.

Questions include how can we provide our residents with the ability to run STRs as a source of supplemental income? How can we prevent too many housing units from being unavailable to long-term residents? How do STRs affect the neighborhood? Should there be a limit on how many days a unit can be rented as an STR? Should we distinguish STRs that are owner-occupied from those with absentee owners? What regulatory requirements, especially as to health and safety, should be applicable to STRs? How can we use STRs to accommodate tourists to our cultural attractions?

Fortunately, cities and towns across the state have already been dealing with STR bylaws for a few years so we have an ample supply of lessons to learn from them, although we will need to be careful because these municipalities may be addressing somewhat different problems than we are.

Does town government have adequate interaction with Williams College when it comes to planning for the future of the community and the impact of its largest employer? How do you see that relationship playing out over the next few years?

Williams College and Williamstown have been inextricably linked for over 225 years. It is necessary that their respective planning actions are coordinated, and I think for the most part they are coordinated well.

Conversations between the town and the college happen regularly. Both are now undergoing comprehensive planning exercises, so there is a great opportunity for that collaboration to continue. In recent years, the college has given significant financial support toward the elementary school, high school, police station, housing at Highland Woods and, most recently, a new fire station. I am grateful for that support because without it we would have had a very difficult time funding these essential parts of our community.

One area that perhaps could use more attention is how the college's housing needs intersect with the housing needs for everyone else. Since the college is the town's biggest employer, we want to make sure we make room for college employees who want to live and work here, but over the course of time that has meant competition for the housing needs of others. Over the course of decades, as the college's footprint has expanded, numerous private houses have been converted to college use or destroyed. We are now short of the housing we need for both college employees and people who want to live here but are not affiliated with the college.

Although other topics for coordination will come up as a result of the current planning processes, I believe that addressing our mutual housing needs should be high on that list.

Municipalities as large as San Francisco and as near as Northampton are considering a system of reparations to address centuries of inequality. Is the time coming when Williamstown should do the same?

This is a complex topic that needs a lot more consideration than can be given in the short time and space allowed, but here are some initial thoughts. In looking up various reparations initiatives across the country, I notice that most of them, including the examples of Northampton and San Francisco, have not gotten beyond the stage of forming a commission or making recommendations. There seem to be only a few that have gotten to the point of implementation.

There also seems to be some lack of clarity whether programs should be limited to descendants of slaves, or open to any disadvantaged group regardless of what happened over the decades and centuries. It seems that the term "reparations" can mean more than one approach to inequity. One common theme I detected that resonates with me is a focus on housing for the disadvantaged, regardless of what caused the disadvantage.

I am a bit concerned that trying to identify particular descendants of particular ancestors could distract from the more immediate question for the present: if our fellow residents today are having trouble with housing or any other issue, we should focus our efforts on improving their current conditions. In addition, we have lessons to learn about our history, and we should be ready to acknowledge and address the impacts of long periods of victimization.

Background

Local real estate agent Paul Harsch is running for his first term on the Select Board. A longtime participant in town affairs, Harsch in recent years has served as the elected moderator of the Williamstown Fire District.

A lot of the talk during the fiscal 2024 budget season centered on the tax levy for town residents. If you think it's too high, in what specific areas would you like to see less spending? If you think it's too low, where should more spending be directed?

As a first-time candidate for a vacant seat on the Select Board, it is premature for me to offer any specifics prior to digging into the details. The tax rate is determined by the overall spending of the town which is the result of the many persons working on every committee and branch of town government that submit budgets to the Finance Committee. Once a recipient group, committee, or organization has received financial support, with rare exceptions, they will be returning annually with growing requests.

It is difficult for a Select Board member to single out any recipient for reduction or removal once they have been funded. There are some I would not have supported however, once approved, it is more difficult to discontinue the support. Aside from making individual recommended cuts, one equitable method could be to impose the same across-the-board percentage reduction in all budgets.

Williamstown has the fifth highest tax rate in the county, a distinction we should take a closer and more critical look at in the future as this has a direct impact on our quality of life and affordability.

Everyone has different choices of where to live. There are more affordable towns within the larger region. Without supplemental taxpayer support, Williamstown might have been out of reach for some families. Can and should Williamstown strive to create more affordable housing while being mindful of the cost to the taxpayers? The personal interests of town residential property owners to optimize the sale of their properties makes purchasing a little less affordable every year due to inflation, property improvements, and every seller's wish to maximize the sale of their homes.

Town meeting has a chance to allow potential new growth in the residential stock through zoning bylaw amendments on the warrant in May, but more residents can also mean a greater demand for services. Should the town be encouraging more commercial development and, if so, what concrete steps can local government take to generate that development?

It is tempting to think the town could achieve any significant increase in commercial development or activity. I do not believe this to be possible except on a very small and minimally impactful scale. Our quality of life, our geographic location, the nature of commerce in general in this day and age of the internet and the Amazons of commerce, make it extremely difficult to imagine anything other than the unique and specialized smaller businesses that currently operate in town.

Instead, we enjoy a pristine village that is centered around Williams College, the single dominant employer and around which everything else, residentially, and commercially, revolves. The college is the commercial hub and engine within the town. Fortunately, Williams, its administration and Board of Trustees recognize not only their position but also their obligation to provide vital support where needed while also focusing on their own priorities within the college and to their faculty, staff, and student body.

Growth, as it will gradually happen, will be more of a residential nature, not commercial, in the coming years and this will continue to support the many service oriented businesses in town.
If elected, I would welcome any fresh new ideas for how we might increase and enhance commercial development in Williamstown. I am doubtful this can be much improved upon from where we are at present. We need to come to terms with the choices made over the years, that have endowed Williamstown with the character and quality of life all who live, work, and visit, enjoy.

One question the Select Board periodically faces is whether the board should take stands on issues not directly under its purview. Some say board members have a duty to vote their conscience as representatives of their constituents. Others say it should stick to the matters over which it has jurisdiction. How would you strike that balance?

The task of Select Board members, as stipulated in the Mass Municipal Association guide is to see to the management of the town in an efficient and prudent manner. Unless and until I might be elected to the board, I would have to say those decisions would be ones I'd have to make on a case-by-case basis when the time comes. They may or may not be topics or causes appropriate for the Board to engage in. We all have consciences and we all have causes that are important to us as individuals and groups. I can imagine that if there was a cause or concern that was widely supported by a large percentage of town residents, that it would help weigh on whether to take a broader stand. That said, I am only just learning of the legislated duties of members of the board. I would want to be much more informed as to those duties before taking a stand on this question in general or a cause that we are being asked on the Board to step outside of our mandate as board members.

I believe it is important to observe and follow the guide as to the duties of a member and not to step outside our appointed role and duties unless there may be some exceptional reason this becomes almost imperative. Of course, there being five board members, even these decisions may be divided among the members.

The Select Board in the last year briefly considered developing a bylaw proposal on short-term rentals but ultimately decided the issue needs more study. Do you feel this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the near future? Say, by town meeting 2024?

Here's another topic that merits consideration but at the same time, for which I believe there are no easy or obviously correct answers. I would encourage further study by a select committee to generate a report, if the interest remains.

The short-term rental trend can be seen as both positive and detrimental to the community. For example, by renting more otherwise vacant homes, this in principle, brings more visitors to the town who in turn dine out, shop, visit cultural venues, buy gas and groceries, etc. thus adding to the local economy. On the other hand, if investors buy a home for rental purposes, this in theory deprives would-be homeowners from being able to purchase that same home and add to the economy, school population, adding more to the employment base in the town.

At what point is it appropriate, in a "free market capitalist economy," to regulate the use of a home or condo such as adding limits to short-term rentals? This is another topic involving a level of complexity and which carries outcomes, and sometimes, unintended consequences thus deserving more thorough and thoughtful investigation.

Does town government have adequate interaction with Williams College when it comes to planning for the future of the community and the impact of its largest employer? How do you see that relationship playing out over the next few years?

I'm not in a position to know whether the town government and college have "adequate interaction." Only those currently in town government and at the college would be able to answer this question and then only from their limited perspectives. I have a sense this topic has run hot and cold, depending on what's going on or not going on at a particular time or if there is a need or planned development where the town or college need input. Most recently the college has pledged to contribute $5 million toward the new fire station.

My view, currently as an outsider to the inner workings of college and town government, is that it could be very desirable to designate a person on behalf of both entities, who would communicate regularly and in depth, on the plans and needs of the two and how the town and college can best support and improve the each other. In principle, given the college is the largest single property owner and largest employer in town, the more communication and cooperation between the town and college the better for both, recognizing at the same time, that both are entirely independent of one another.

Municipalities as large as San Francisco and as near as Northampton are considering a system of reparations to address centuries of inequality. Is the time coming when Williamstown should do the same?

Where would this morality discussion and movement start and end? So much harm has been done by humans to other humans over the ages as well to animals, sea creatures, the planet, even to outer space, that reparations for one segment seems infinitesimal relative to the total damage done. The "harm" or damages were almost always done in the furtherance of "progress," economic forces, or just plain ignorance and different values.

Once you start down the road of considering reparations to one group, you ethically and morally cannot overlook the myriad other ways in which reparations are due so many others. The descendants of native tribes, polluted air, waterways, farmland, oceans littered with plastic, war ravaged countries, etc. etc. would all be worthy of correction.

We are not guilty for the actions of our predecessors and we all, in some manner or fashion, could trace back through the ages to a time when our distant ancestors were likely victimized in some manner.

The tragedies and cruelties of the past were horrific in our eyes today, but they drove the economy and reflected the values and level of human awareness, of their time. This is a topic for national debate, if at all, and not one that the town, especially the Select Board, should or is equipped to meaningfully engage in let alone solve.

Background

Artist and civil engineer Stephanie Boyd is running for her first term on the Williamstown Select Board. She currently is completing a five-year term on the Planning Board, during which she also has co-chaired that body's Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.

A lot of the talk during the fiscal 2024 budget season centered on the tax levy for town residents. If you think it's too high, in what specific areas would you like to see less spending? If you think it's too low, where should more spending be directed?

The tax levy is a function of the level of services that towns provide for their residents and businesses. It's the main source of town revenue. Whether the amount is too high or too low will be determined by our expectations for municipal services and our ability to pay. New England states have the highest property taxes in the country. Massachusetts ranks sixth highest. But since states collect state and local taxes differently, it's hard to make comparisons. For example, nearly all of Vermont's education is financed at the state level, but in many states schools are primarily funded locally.

Our community sets a high bar for its schools, library, safety services, recreational facilities, affordable housing, along with roads and other infrastructure. However, these aspirations have a cost. And, while the median income in Williamstown is $91,000, almost $30,000 higher than it was 10 years ago, many residents struggle financially. Over a quarter of our families are housing cost burdened. They pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing expenses. It's hard to imagine we can ask those families to pay more in taxes.

How can we best fund town services? Well, unlike income tax, property tax is regressive. Since property tax is calculated as a percentage of home value and not overall wealth, those with lower incomes pay a higher percentage of their income. Fortunately, there are some mechanisms we can explore to address this inequity.

Town meeting has a chance to allow potential new growth in the residential stock through zoning bylaw amendments on the warrant in May, but more residents can also mean a greater demand for services. Should the town be encouraging more commercial development and, if so, what concrete steps can local government take to generate that development?

Recently I've been co-chairing our comprehensive planning effort. Among other things this plan will identify opportunities for development. Building on our existing strengths is key: tourism, farming/agritourism, education, and quality of life. Commercial development approaches include:

• changing some of our zoning bylaws to be more accommodating to businesses. We've made it a little easier for our farms to host events, but there is more that we can do.
• collaborating with Berkshire county towns to promote tourism will help our existing businesses and bring in visitors to support new businesses.
• diversifying housing options and adding amenities like shops and offices close by will improve the quality of life and attract businesses and people,
• developing infrastructure that would support the remote worker economy.
• adaptive reuse of existing structures is a great way to add development without stressing municipal infrastructure or putting natural resources at risk, such as Cable Mills, 330 Cole, and Sweetbrook.

At a recent meeting with [state Rep.] John Barrett III and [state Sen.] Paul Mark, we had a robust discussion about encouraging educational institutions to train tradespeople and HVAC companies to be proficient and knowledgeable in equipment needed to electrify heat systems. With Williamstown's focus on net zero emissions, this is a fantastic way to develop the economy while meeting other goals.

We need to continue to work with our legislative representatives to lobby for improved transportation options between Berkshire County towns and rail service to major hubs like Boston and New York, building electric charging stations, supporting renewable energy programs and improving the electric grid.

One question the Select Board periodically faces is whether the board should take stands on issues not directly under its purview. Some say board members have a duty to vote their conscience as representatives of their constituents. Others say it should stick to the matters over which it has jurisdiction. How would you strike that balance?

The Select Board's primary responsibilities are its roles in setting town policy and supervision of the town manager, and other mandated tasks. We also need to represent the interests of our town in the state Legislature. There are many bills and initiatives at the state level that impact our town and other rural towns directly. In those cases, we have an irrefutable responsibility to be the voice of the community. For example, we might get involved supporting transportation initiatives that promote rail service to Berkshire County from the state capital, or lobbying the state to allow more flexibility in how we calculate municipal taxes, or seeking funds/programs to support economic development efforts, green energy, training, and information technology infrastructure.

In addition, we need to be engaged in efforts that have wider impact, such as bills or projects that impact climate change, air quality, the environment, and human rights. We live in a global community, we need to be engaged in building a promising future for all.

People should have the right to advocate on public property. They should be free to gather, protest, and display signs. The government has a responsibility to represent all people and perhaps the best way to do that is to allow all the freedom to express their views openly.

In my view, important government roles include actively advocating for legislative efforts at the state and national level and implementing policies locally to support people of color, women, LGBTQ-plus and other underrepresented members of our community.

The Select Board in the last year briefly considered developing a bylaw proposal on short-term rentals but ultimately decided the issue needs more study. Do you feel this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the near future? Say, by town meeting 2024?

Short-term rentals provide a benefit to our town. They are a source of income for those who have an extra bedroom or two, an accessory dwelling unit, or a multi-unit home. They can allow someone to be able to afford to live in Williamstown who otherwise might struggle to do so. They also provide needed space for visitors on high tourist volume weekends, for example, Williams graduation or homecoming, Fresh Grass festival weekend, leaf season, etc.

Short-term rentals start to become problematic when they take rental units out of our limited housing stock, resulting in those who work here being unable to find appropriate accommodations. The Planning Board drafted a short-term rental bylaw in the fall of 2022 and delivered it to the Select Board for further action. The bylaw would allow operators to have two rental units as long as owners lived in Williamstown at least part of the year. It imposed no fee or charge, the terms were quite liberal. The most significant impact is that it would prevent out-of-town developers buying up residential properties to be used as commercial short term rentals.

I'd love to see the Select Board solicit more community input, revise if necessary, and take the bylaw to town meeting in 2024. It's another key piece in supporting attainable housing in Williamstown. We'll lose more long-term housing to short-term rentals owned by out-of-town developers the longer we wait.

Does town government have adequate interaction with Williams College when it comes to planning for the future of the community and the impact of its largest employer? How do you see that relationship playing out over the next few years?

The town has many points of contact with Williams College, our largest employer. A sprinkling of Williams employees are members of town boards. The employees and students shop in our businesses, frequent our restaurants, and vote at town meeting. As an institution, Williams has provided financial support for school capital projects, Town infrastructure improvements, and the Fire District. They allow our school kids to use their fields. WIlliams is our largest taxpayer due to their properties outside of the campus boundary.

Williams College and Williamstown have many overlapping goals. We both want Williamstown to be a great community to live in, to work in, to learn in, to grow up in.

I worked for Williams College for many years, I co-authored a paper with Cappy Hill, former provost on the affordability of higher education; I managed Facilities Operations; I was the founding director of the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives; and I co-taught a class about the Sustainable Campus in Environmental Studies. I understand Williams from a variety of viewpoints.

As the town's Comprehensive Plan co-chair, I've been working to coordinate our work with overlapping aspects of Williams' Campus Plan — particularly along the Route 2 corridor and where our town and campus interests intersect on the borders. We are identifying ways that our municipal code doesn't communicate effectively how we'd like college development to occur. We've got a great opportunity to develop a cohesive vision for our community. Continuing to strengthen our formal and informal relationships will ensure that we build a mutually beneficial future.

Municipalities as large as San Francisco and as near as Northampton are considering a system of reparations to address centuries of inequality. Is the time coming when Williamstown should do the same?

A report by Rashawn Ray and Andre Perry, "Why we need reparations for Black Americans," informs us that the American Dream promises that with hard work, you can own a home, start a business, and amass wealth for future generations. But the U.S. has denied wealth to Black Americans through slavery, red lining, and other policies. The impact is that the average white family has 10 times the wealth as the average Black family. Equity demands that wealth denied to Black Americans be restored through reparations. Others remind us that Native Americans and Japanese Americans have also suffered at the hand of the government.

There isn't yet a national consensus on the issue of reparations. Even among those who support some form of reparations, there is disagreement on the form they should take. According to Pew Research, of those who support reparations, three-quarters say the federal government holds most of the responsibility to pay. While little action has been taken at the national level, towns and cities are beginning to formulate plans.

Northampton is forming a reparations commission. Amherst Town Council voted to create a $2 million reparations fund. Boston's Mayor Michelle Wu named members of a task force to study the city's treatment of Black residents. California is the first state to create a task force. In Northampton, the commission's job is to study past racial injustices committed against Black residents, workers, and students and make recommendations on corrective actions. As a progressive, thoughtful community, Williamstown would benefit from reflecting on what role it might play.