PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission continues to brainstorm solutions for municipal staffing issues — even within its own organization.

On Thursday, the Executive Committee discussed possible staff advancement opportunities. BRPC currently has two policies: one that allows all staff up to $500 and 21 hours per year for development not covered by a project contract and a "professional development program" that allows permanent staff with five years of experience up to $1,500 per year for training and education to advance their professional development.

Due to the challenges that the organization is facing with a tight labor market, Executive Director Thomas Matuszko wants to look into adding an additional benefit to train or educate newly graduating or otherwise inexperienced but interested people to build its skill set.

"We, not unlike many other entities and public employers across the country, are having a hard time filling our positions," he explained.

"We have two open positions right now, they've been open for several weeks, we have very few applicants and even fewer qualified applicants, and we have to be, I think, more assertive in terms of our recruiting practices."

Matuszko would like to have a process for training these folks, getting them on board, and making the commitment to provide a training program in the specific area that they are working on.

"And then with some type of agreement, a contract, we would enter into this for a period of time, maybe two years or so, maybe three years, where we would agree to provide X amount of training according to somewhat of a structured training program," he said.

"But that they would agree to remain with us during that period and also if they left then they would need to kind of repay us our training investment."

Sheffield alternate Rene Wood explained that her community has that program in the police force. But the town's counsel had advised that these agreements often are not enforced in a court of law.

"We have been told that they can be signed and that frequently people do honor them, but that if somebody doesn't honor that, that the likelihood of taking them to court and recouping the money is likely not to be decided in the agency's favor," Wood said.

"But we have been doing this for a while and we go for a five-year period that the police officer needs to stay with us, again this is a little bit different but we decrease the amount of the investment in them every year so if it was $10,000 over five years, it goes down every year by $2,000 and both we sign that and the officer signs it."

Matuszko said he did check in with BRPC's counsel, who confirmed that this policy would be legal.

The organization has a nominal six-month probationary period and all employees are at will. Part of the training contract would stipulate that the employee meets performance requirements.

Wood said the choice of words is "very critical."

"I'm not sure that we use the word contract. Contract has a very specific term, definition to it so I'm sure legal could also advise on that. You've got to maintain management flexibility in any kind of arrangement that you have," she said.

Ideal candidates include people who are right out of graduate school with the basic principles but no experience. BRPC would have to train the employees anyways but with a dedicated commitment, the candidate would feel like they are not just being thrown into the position.

"Right now, our training or professional development is relatively limited," Matuszko explained. "This would be a more substantial commitment."

He also recognized that if such a policy was integrated into the organization, current employees would have to be considered as well.  

Andrew McKeever, former district attorney Andrea Harrington's communications director, was recently hired as a planner.

Before working for the DA, McKeever was the Pittsfield bureau chief for iBerkshires for nearly a decade and had also worked as a reporter for the Bennington (Vt.) Banner and other news outlets.

Matuszko explained that even though he does not have a direct background in the position he is well-informed because of his coverage as a reporter.

"Trying to find someone like that would be another target that we would be going after," he said.

Last week, the Regional Issues Committee discussed survey results on staffing issues that were sent to all 30 Berkshire County towns that revealed shortages in employees and volunteers.

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