Page 9 - BusinessWest November 23, 2020

Community Spotlight
Progress Continues on Projects in Longmeadow
By Mark Morris
For Longmeadow Town Manager Lyn Simmons, it’s been quite a first year on the job.
With 16 years of experience in municipal government in of Northampton — the last six years as chief of staff for Mayor David Narkewicz — Simmons became Longmead- ow’s town manager a year ago this month. After three months on the job, Longmeadow — like the entire world — found itself in uncharted territory.
As challenging as the pandemic has been, Simmons said one positive has been the opportunity to build relationships with department heads and the emergency-man- agement team much faster than she might have under less-hectic circumstances.
“We had to come together quickly and navigate all of this together,” Simmons said. “As difficult as the pandemic has been, the team that’s in place here and the relation- ships that we’ve formed have made dealing with it much easier.”
She also credits Longmeadow residents for their response in handling the pandemic, noting that people in town are adhering to public-health guidelines and taking per- sonal responsibility. “We see people social
distancing, wearing masks, and doing what they need to do to help protect themselves, their families, and our community.”
Because most residents complied with state mandates, Longmeadow experienced low numbers of the coronavirus through- out the summer. While the number of cases in town has begun to increase during the fall, this reflects the overall trend in Western Mass. and across the state, Simmons said, adding that a team of municipal employ- ees is monitoring pandemic-related grants and other funding sources that might be available through the state and federal government.
“The pandemic has certainly been a dis- ruption to normal life, whether it’s doing business with town offices or making adjust- ments to programs that are run by the Parks and Rec department, or the Adult Center,” she noted. But business not been halted, and as she spoke with BusinessWest, she out- lined some of the ways progress continues in this small, residential town.
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
NOVEMBER 23, 2020 9
Longmeadow at a glance
YEAR INCORPORATED: 1783
POPULATION: 15,784
AREA: 9.7 square miles
COUNTY: Hampden
RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE: $24.21
COMMERCIAL TAX RATE: $24.21
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $109,586
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME: $115,578
TYPE OF GOVERNMENT: Open Town Meeting; Town Manager; Board of Selectmen
LARGEST EMPLOYERS: Bay Path University; JGS Lifecare; Glenmeadow
* Latest information available