AMHERST — Citing the need to be a good listener and be accountable to the community, Amherst town manager finalist Maria Capriola said she sees the job as one that not only develops municipal budgets and builds relationships with institutions of higher education, but responds to citizen concerns.
“Something I think is incredibly important is follow-up with residents,” said Capriola, assistant town manager in Mansfield, Connecticut, and one of three finalists vying to become Amherst’s next town manager.
During a two-hour interview with the Select Board Monday evening, Capriola said that if someone comes to her office because they are upset about a pothole, it’s likely out of frustration that the issue hasn’t been addressed.
Capriola said she always operates in a mode of how town government can be more responsive. “I’m always looking at resource deployment and how we can do things better,” she said.
In her role in the community that is home to the University of Connecticut, Capriola said she has seen the conversion of single-family homes into student rentals, something that affects Amherst neighborhoods because of the presence of the University of Massachusetts.
“That is something we also struggle with in Mansfield,” Capriola said.
Capriola said she recently worked to address problems at a home where trash was strewn in the yard and numerous vehicles were parked in the driveway by developing a strategy involving the town’s zoning enforcement agent, the administrator of the town’s housing code program and the resident state police troopers who serve as Mansfield’s contracted police force.
“There will (now) be some door-to-door visits from our resident troopers,” Capriola said.
For town employees, Capriola said she will be challenging in a fair and firm way.
“I think it’s really important to have staff feel supported,” Capriola said. “I think it’s important for me to be approachable, but at the same time I have really high expectations of myself and staff.”
When a staff member is not performing well, one-on-one training may be necessary. But there is also a chance to develop effective leaders through a leadership retreat, such as one in which she brought in a speaker on one day and on the second day discussed strategies that could be put in place.
“Building relationships (and) building trust, that has been effective in Mansfield,” she said.
Capriola has also established peer groups and a young professionals initiative, recognizing it is important for millennials to feel part of the team.
“Managing a millennial is a lot different than managing a boomer,” Capriola said.
Mansfield, she said, has created a climate where people want to work, noting that the town was once perceived as an old boys’ club.
“It’s really important to me we have an inclusive organization,” Capriola said.
This has been accomplished through offering flex time for parents with young children and offering breaks for breastfeeding mothers. As town manager, Capriola said she would try to cast as wide a net as possible in recruitment methods to ensure a diverse workforce.
Capriola said she appreciates that community relationships need to be built to gain support for taxable projects. She cited the 10 years of planning for the Storrs Center development, which created a downtown for Mansfield and provided the tax base to fund some of the town’s capital needs.
“I think that’s a great example of a project that is the result of a really, really thoughtful process,” Capriola said.
It came even after concern from residents about creating an urban downtown where none existed.
“That really didn’t get fully resolved until after construction had begun,” Capriola said, observing that the fear of having empty storefronts when students are gone for summer has not materialized, and people appreciate they no longer have to drive to Manchester to go shopping or go out to eat.
Amherst, she said, is like most New England communities in its struggle with aging infrastructure.
Her goal would be “developing a capital plan that is reasonable and doesn’t saddle the community with too much debt all at one time,” Capriola said.
Capriola has assisted in budget development in Mansfield and brings expertise in negotiating with three collective bargaining units, including firefighters, public works employees and various clerical workers and department heads, as well as managing employment benefits for town and school employees.
A collaborative approach would be brought to discussions with UMass, she said.
“My role as manager is to be an advocate for the town, which means we may not always agree when at the table with the university,” Capriola said.
She has coordinated with UConn on finding opportunities for sharing of services, such as using UConn police and reducing the dependence on the resident state troopers.
During a tour of the community earlier in the day, Capriola said she was impressed with Amherst’s department heads and employees who are committed to their work.
If selected, Capriola, 36, said she will move with her husband and daughter to Amherst, observing that she has visited the town several times since being selected as a finalist.
“I definitely think this could be a real good match, a long-term match,” Capriola said. “I think I could be a strong leader for you.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
