Mayor Salem Derby
Reminder Publishing file photo
EASTHAMPTON — Having already served in an interim capacity for several months, Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby said he’s already found his footing in his first month of his first official term at the city’s helm.
“Now that I’m about seven months in, I’m feeling like I’m really starting to hit my stride, which is great because this is where most mayors are actually literally in their first two weeks, so I have a head start,” he said.
Derby officially became interim mayor of Easthampton last July following the resignation of former Mayor Nicole LaChapelle. After eventually deciding to throw his hat in the race in the fall, Derby was ultimately elected as the fourth mayor in Easthampton’s history during the November election.
In a recent check-in with Reminder Publishing, the 22-year City Council veteran said his time as interim mayor allowed him to further accentuate his resourcefulness and communication skills. He said he is now ready to work closely with department heads as the budget season evolves over the next several months.
“They all know that we’re trying to be as mindful as we can about how we spend money and getting value for the money that we do spend. That’s been one of my priorities from the get-go,” said Derby. “Mayors right now are just getting into the, ‘this is what I’m about,’ but I’m at the place where they kind of know what I’m looking for, and now they’re able to come to me as we’re getting to the budget season.”
Derby said his leadership and what the shared mission for the community will ultimately be are two of the many focuses he has in his first official term as mayor.
“Leadership is not done in a vacuum. Leadership is based on relationships and expectations, and it’s really so much easier when everyone is on the same page, and when you have clean, open lines of communication and mutual respect,” Derby said.
With the added focus, Derby noted this effort will be a work in progress as he aims to continue growing and learning from his new position. As a third-generation teacher who has taught physical education and wellness at Northampton High School for two decades, Derby said his life has always been about understanding leadership and the dynamics and interpersonal communications that come with his previous roles.
“If I can help people be able to feel good about coming to the job and feel good about the work that they’re doing, and if I can have even a little part in that of making them feel good about that, that’s huge,” said Derby. “One of the things I’ve learned about being mayor is there’s no typical day. It is dynamic. It is exciting. It is scary. All of the above. But when you have the pieces in place that allow you to be successful, all of those things are manageable.”
Derby said another focus in his first term as mayor is building on the city’s relationships with state and federal partners. Derby called these relationships critical. He said that although the federal government is currently “in a place of chaos and craziness,” having relationships with federal representatives was still crucial because there are earmarks that could benefit the city in the future.
“We need to make sure that we not only can access those funds, but can advocate for those funds. For me, one of the things I see as an important piece in my role is to advocate for Easthampton every opportunity I can,” said Derby.
Looking ahead to the new year, Derby said he is focused on reestablishing the city’s social media presence to improve communications so citizens are better informed on what’s going on in Easthampton. Derby shared excitement for a new Easthampton city app that will help mitigate any communication gaps.
“We are … creating a city app where it will be an integrated app. We haven’t decided on a name yet, but what it’s going to do is have all of city services incorporated into a one-stop shop. Paying water and sewer, paying real estate taxes, excise taxes, getting permits — whether it’s a burn permit from the fire department or a tag sale permit from the clerks. Mountain road closed? You get a push notification to your phone. Emergency communication goes out, you get a push notification to your phone,” Derby explained.
Information regarding recycling and trash hauling options will also be included on the app, as well as press releases from city officials and departments. There will also be a way residents can report potholes or un-shoveled streets.
“Part of the functionality is, ‘oh man, there’s a huge pothole right here.’ Boom, take a picture. And it has GPS location, and will send to the right department,” Derby added.
Derby said the app idea came from him wanting to better streamline city information and communications for the public because social media postings don’t always reach enough of the city’s residents. The app will be conceived from the city’s website, so any postings there will be integrated into the app.
The mayor also plans to propose a live music subcommittee made up of local musicians and artists charged with looking at opportunities to promote and bring live music to Easthampton.
“Some of the things we were thinking [are] a more regular music series at Millside Park. So instead of just having Millpond Live for one weekend, we’ll look at having things throughout the summer,” explained Derby.
Partnering with the area’s talent would only help the city’s continued efforts to expand its entertainment options and help create more communal spaces for the public to gather, according to Derby.
“That’s what that committee would be, to really try and promote. Not just work with the venues that we have, but work with the artists. We have so many amazing artists in the valley,” said Derby. “Where some communities are starting to lull with their live music, for us to really bring it to the next level with live music would help add to the vibrant arts and music culture in town.”
Derby added that more live music opportunities would further augment economic development in Easthampton.
“As many opportunities as we can get to bring people into the city, to bring more economic development in, to make Easthampton more vibrant, that is priority number one, because its going to help me with my budget, it’s going to help us provide the services that people want, and it’s going to make it a better place,” said Derby.
Aside from these grounded short-term initiatives, Derby said he also has some bigger “pie in the sky” ideas on the back burner. He explained that he often thinks about how the city can establish a new Senior Center for the city’s seniors. Right now, they use the Library Annex as a temporary home.
“I wish the economic climate was better because what I would really love to see is a community center where the Senior Center has their own dedicated space, but it was connected to a boarded recreation center with a gym, a pool, activity space, connected to a community space that has some meeting space, had some offices, a dedicated spot for the Easthampton Community Center to have a more appropriate food pantry, and have that be on a campus,” said Derby.
He said that a multi-purpose community center was a lofty goal, but it is something that would probably give the city the most bang for its buck, specifically for the recreational spaces, as it would provide resources to people of all ages.
“With the economic climate that we’re in right now, where rents and everything are going up, it’s a hard sell. So I’m pulling back on that a little bit, but really, if I could wave a wand, I would love to see that. And again, I’m not done. And that’s where those relationships with our federal delegation are so important. Finding an earmark for a project like that to help us offset costs would be huge,” said Derby.
Overall, Derby reiterated his resourcefulness as a strength of his as he continues to build upon the city’s foundation in his first term as mayor.
“It means something,” he said, regarding his resourcefulness. “It’s just part of who I am, which is I’m going to try and find the most efficient path to the best result. In my campaign, I felt like I was using my resourcefulness and my skills to be able to find the most efficient path to becoming mayor. I spent the least, I was in the race the shortest amount of time, and I got the best result.”
He added, “I do take that philosophy very to heart, and it really is part of who I am. I’m going to try and find as many efficiencies as I can to improve operations and to find ways to get more for the money that we’re spending.”
