Town Manager Recommends Appointments to Town Committees

In memos to the Town Council dated February 27, 2024 and March 12, 2024, Town Manager Paul Bockelman recommended appointments to the Conservation Commission, the Design Review Board, the Elementary School Building Committee, and the Jones Library Building Committee. These appointments were endorsed unanimously at the March 14 Town Services and Outreach Committee and will  come before the full Town Council for final approval at their meeting on March 18.

Conservation Commission 
Nominated for a three-year term expiring June 30, 2027:
Rachel Loffler of Bay Road
The charge of the Conservation Commission can be found here.

Design Review Board
Nominated for a two-year term beginning April 1, 2024 and expiring June 30, 2027:
Karen Blum of Tanglewood Road

The Design Review Board provides that two members shall represent the Planning Board and Historical Commission, voted by their members, and forwarded for appointment. Currently, Karin Winter represents the Planning Board and Patricia Auth represents the Historical Commission. Blum would fill the seat currently being held by Catharine Porter, who has served on the Board since 2015.

The charge of the Design Review Board can be found here.

Elementary School Building Committee
Nominated for a term lasting until the end of the Massachusetts School Building Association process:
Bruce Coldham of Pine Street.
This seat is available due to the resignation of Phoebe Merriam who had filled one of the residents’ seats.

The charge of the Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) can be found here.

In public comment at the March 14 TSO meeting, Jennifer Shiao noted that the committee charge for the ESBC recommends that a parent, bilingual resident, and someone experienced with outreach be included as a member, but Amber Cano Martin who meets all of those requirements applied and was not selected while architect Coldham was, even though the committee already has an architect as a member.  Bockelman explained that at this stage of the project, the outreach phase has been largely completed, and Coldham’s architectural experience is what is most needed. 

Jones Library Building Committee
Nominated for a term for the length of the building process.
Alex Lefebvre of North Prospect Street
This fills the seat of a resident with experience in effective community outreach.

The charge of the Jones Library Building Committee can be read here.

Biographical Information:
The Town Manager provided the following biographical profiles of the nominees. 

Conservation Commission
Rachel Loffler is a registered landscape architect with more than 23 years of experience in the field. She is one of the Principals at Berkshire Design in Northampton and regularly presents to Conservation Commissions throughout the region.  Loffler is interested in helping the Commission and Department protect wetland resources while also maintaining and enhancing our conservation areas. She noted that she is interested in helping the town prepare for increased rainfall, elevated groundwater, and increased demands to our local vegetation, soils, and stormwater management.

Design Review Board
Karen Blum brings a keen sense of design to the Board. She understands the role of design in building a sense of community and appreciates the town’s rich history, community spirit, and the elevated level of public engagement. Coming from a family of architects, city planners, and art historians,  Blum believes that changes in land use, structures, and sites should be in keeping with the town’s overall design goals and should create an attractive and welcoming environment for the community. She is especially attentive to the way the design of physical environments is absorbed by people in their day-to-day lives.

Elementary School Building Committee
Bruce Coldham  has attended almost every meeting of the Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) since its inception as an interested member of the community. Coldham is an experienced architect with decades of professional experience with special knowledge of and direct experience with sustainable energy initiatives in buildings. He identified the role members of the Elementary School Building Committee could play in the next phase of design and construction. He noted the important role teachers, students, parents and other users of the new building will play in the success of the town’s first net-zero building including the choice of equipment and need to educate users about the technology of the new building.. Coldham brings a keen eye for the details of architectural plans, experience in knowing the various stages of the building process, and a proven commitment to the work of the committee and its subcommittees.

Jones Library Building Committee
Alex Lefebvre: is a formerly elected member of the Jones Library Board of Trustees and, in that role, served as a member of the Jones Library Building Committee until her term ended on January 2, 2024. She has also chaired the Jones Library Building and Facilities Subcommittee and served on the town’s Joint Capital Planning Committee. As a member of the Jones Library Building Committee, Lefebvre was effective in community outreach. She chaired the Jones Library Building Committee Outreach Committee which generated over 1,500 public comments, most coming from teens, all of which were reviewed, discussed, and remain available to the public. She is committed to addressing the shortfalls and gaps in the town’s library spaces and resources and providing access to services, so we are not leaving behind our fellow community members who are in the most need. In addition to her work at the Jones Library,  Lefebvre volunteers in the classroom at Crocker Farm Elementary School, at the Amherst Survival Center, and as a language partner at the Jones Library.

These nominees were recommended after interviews with the Town Manager, a member of the Residents’ Advisory Committee, and the Chair of the Committee for which the person was nominated, or  a member of the Planning Department for the Conservation Commission, Jones Library Building Committee, and Design Review Board.