GREENFIELD — It has been six months since Mayor Roxann Wedegartner took office, and while the global pandemic has consumed much of her time, she was able to create this fiscal year’s budget, provide grants to small businesses, pursue a Community Development Block Grant and help restaurants reopen.
Wedegartner was clear, though, that she couldn’t have done it alone, so before talking about some of her accomplishments during a Wednesday press conference, she thanked her staff — everyone from Police Chief Robert Haigh Jr. and Fire Chief Robert Strahan to Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams, Health Director Valerie Bird, and Recreation Director Christy Moore and their employees, veterans services and the Senior Center, and all other city employees for their adaptability and flexibility.
In March, Wedegartner declared a state of emergency, giving the city access to funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and other sources to have the resources it needed while responding to the effects of the virus on the community and local economy.
“We explored new ways to establish working conditions for our essential and nonessential workers to keep them safe, and to allow them paid time off should they or a family member become sick, and I’m proud to say that we were able to do that without any layoffs or furloughs,” Wedegartner said. “As the virus began to surge, I issued a mask order and we established a homemade mask program that has given out well over 700 masks to residents and city employees. We began contact tracing in March and were one of the first communities in Western Mass. to do so.”
That will likely continue for some time, she said.
“As we began to flatten the curve, which we have largely achieved, we began to think of recovery and how to help our small businesses that had been hit so hard,” the mayor said. “As for the future, we are well aware that we’re not out of the woods yet.
“What I really want to emphasize right now is this: In the beginning, we had no playbook to help us navigate a deadly, extremely aggressive pandemic. We have one now. We will know what to do if this starts up again and we are prepared.”
Although her current budget was approved by City Council, she said people should understand it’s a lean budget and there could be future cuts, depending on state aid, which won’t be known until August.
Before she closed her remarks, Wedegartner said she recognizes that today “society as a whole, and more importantly our own community, are at an important turning point, where the causes of social and racial justice, public safety, increased affordable housing and wealth equity are uppermost in our minds and dialogue.
“I have a healthy measure of optimism for Greenfield where those causes are concerned,” she said, “and I am committed to working on them as your mayor throughout this term in office to the greatest extent possible.”
Wedegartner said she plans to establish a permanent housing partnership within the next six months. It will be made up of local experts, business people, landlords and activists who will advise her and work with her to improve housing in Greenfield.
“I am currently in discussion with Police Chief Robert Haigh about how he and his officers can create greater trust and communication through more focused community policing,” she added.
Community and Economic Development Director MJ Adams spoke briefly about the city’s help through a loan program to small businesses that were forced to close during the pandemic, saying the last few months have been “very busy.”
Adams said people stopped shopping downtown and many had to either stop working or work from home. The city helped create a program to help mom-and-pop businesses and received 39 applications for loans.
The city is working with other municipalities to create a regional program using Community Development Block Grants, she said, and so far, 24 of the 26 towns in the county have signed on.
“We’re helping restaurants reopen and establish outdoor dining,” she said. “We’ve applied for equipment for them that will make that easier.”
Though it hasn’t announced where yet, Adams said the city is helping the Center for Self-Reliance Food Pantry move downtown into a larger space, and is working with other organizations to plan for a winter shelter for the homeless.
“We’re continuing our work,” the mayor said. “We ask everyone to continue to be diligent in terms of social distancing, wearing masks and washing and sanitizing hands to stop the pandemic.
“We acknowledge the road we’ve all traveled together,” she said. “We have much work to do while recovering and rebuilding.”
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.