BELCHERTOWN — Steve Williams, who was appointed as the next town administrator by the Select Board at its May 1 meeting, has been settling in.

“It has been going very well. It has been enjoyable, the work has been manageable and the people I am working with are great so it is something I am looking forward to and I think it is going to work out very well,” he said.

Williams served as the DPW director in Belchertown for 25 years before being named the new town administrator.

Every town has their unique challenges that they present but Williams thinks his time as DPW director allows him to jump right in things as town administrator since he said he is familiar with the town.

Williams takes over for former Town Administrator Gary Brougham, who served in the role for 26 years before officially retiring on June 3.

“I think it is quite an honor to be town administrator here in Belchertown and to take over for Gary Brougham who spent 25 years in this capacity, so I am looking forward to another lengthy tenure,” Williams said.

He added, “The good news is it is easier I think for me than it would have been for somebody else because we worked together that entire period.”

Williams said he and Brougham were both hired in 1993 and have worked closely together on a lot of projects.

Williams added, “I think right now my biggest challenge is getting a handle on all of the projects and loose ends that I need to address and prioritizing those. That seems to be the first step. Having the familiarity with the town over the last 25 years as the public works director has certainly helped with getting to know everybody. I was able to hit the ground running and jump right into things.”

One of the items the Select Board has been prioritizing over the last few months is giving more of the day-to-day responsibilities to the new town administrator and eventually transition the role to more of a town manager.

The proposed legislation for the town manager position was approved at Town Meeting on May 8 before Williams took over and has been sent to the local and state legislators for a follow up.
Williams expects to be hearing back from them in a few months on weather the proposal has been accepted or they want to adjust a few items.

Some of the responsibilities that are outlined in the legislation have already been delegated from the Select Board to Williams so that he can start getting use to some of the new duties.

Brougham received the William “Gerry” Whitlock award for his years of service and gave high praise to Williams.

Brougham added, “I am confident that the town is in good hands and I will always be here for anyone who has questions.”