PITTSFIELD — The Pittsfield Town Council has voted unanimously to reappoint Michael A. Cianchette as the town’s mayor and appoint newcomer Jason Hall as the deputy mayor.

In Pittsfield, a new mayor and a deputy mayor are chosen at the start of the year. They are responsible for running the twice-monthly Town Council meetings.

The council reappointed Cianchette and appointed Hall earlier this month. The positions are voluntary, unpaid and serve in largely ceremonial capacities.

Cianchette, who will serve as mayor for a fourth consecutive term, is aiming to work on reevaluating the town’s budget and having it ready for a town vote, he said. Cianchette said he is also pleased to see the town government advancing with new leaders, such as Chief of Police Vicente Morris and Town Manager Jacob Gran.

For this year, he said, the town will work toward filling open positions within the government, such as hiring a code enforcement officer and filling openings within the finance department, along with revising the town charter.  The charter, Cianchette said, needs to be updated for its accuracy.

“I hope we can do a thorough review and have this (town charter) ready for a vote from the town during this fall’s election cycle,” Cianchette said.

Cianchette said he is looking forward to improving Main Street through the revitalization program and helping downtown businesses to expand.

“We are hoping that the Main Street improvement program will be an incentive to upgrade our entire Main Street,” he said. This will, he said, help entice investments in commercial and retail outlets and possibly additional employers.

Cianchette said under his leadership, the Pittsfield Municipal Airport at 176 Harrison Ave. began using its first town-owned hangar, which is now operational.

“This is one of what I call the jewels in Pittsfield’s crown,” Cianchette said.

As a lifelong Pittsfield resident, Cianchette, 61, said he has always had a vested interest in the town. Cianchette said his father was a selectmen in Detroit for more than 35 years. That pushed Cianchette to follow in his father’s footsteps and take on additional responsibility. Cianchette works as a construction manager with K&A Engineering, a consulting firm based in South Portland.

“I have always respected him (his father) for his public service, willingness to roll up his sleeves and take responsibility to make the difficult decisions, and not always with a pat on the back,” Cianchette said. “You can probably say it’s in my genes.”

He first joined the Town Council in 2010.

“I have always called Pittsfield my home,” Cianchette said. “I will continue making it a better place so other people can call it home, too.”

Hall said his decision to take on the role of a deputy mayor came after his predecessor, Howard Margaloskee, said he did not want to run for another term.

“I saw it as an opportunity to take on a more active role,” Hall said. “This is something I have been looking forward to doing.”

Hall held a councilor-at-large seat before being appointed as deputy mayor. He will also serve as a District 2 councilor.

As deputy mayor, Hall, 37, said he hopes to focus on revising the town charter, which has not been updated in 30 years. One of the key changes he seeks is to move from a municipal budget based on the calendar year to one based on the fiscal year. Doing so, Hall said, would allow the town to be in alignment with the school district and Somerset County budget.

Hall said he also aims to focus on developing a road maintenance plan so the town can be more proactive in taking care of its roads.

“I would like to utilize a road management software to put together a comprehensive road maintenance plan,” Hall said. “This will help us understand the needs of our roads and guide the council during budget season.”

The Maine Street revitalization program, Hall said, has been important to Pittsfield’s growth. Significant improvements made to sidewalks, streetlights and downtown infrastructure will be critical, he said. The partnership with the Planning Partnership Initiative, he said, has been a catalyst to some of the improvements the downtown area.

Hall said much work remains in the effort to have businesses utilize old, vacant buildings in the downtown area.

“I think our downtown has incredible potential, with the right vision and financial support,” he said.

Hall, who works as a designer at Kleinschmidt Associates, a Pittsfield-based consulting firm, said his top priorities also include finding a code enforcement officer who would oversee adherence to town ordinances.

“I look forward to serving our community,” Hall said, “and am excited about all the positive changes we have made and will continue to make in the upcoming year.”

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Stephan Bunker to step down from Farmington Select Board

Next »

Hallowell racked up $20,000 in legal fees for investigation of city manager