By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY,  APRIL 15, 2014) — What’s going on at Berkshire Works? Sources there and elsewhere say the “new” executive director, on the job for less than three months, is already on leave — with pay, of course. The charges? Multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Is it so? THE PLANET has poked this story from near and afar, and we find reason to believe it’s true. The sources we got it from, and they are multiple, don’t lie. This looks like another story the local daily (its name escapes us here at THE FORTRESS) either doesn’t know about or doesn’t want you to know about.

Put another plucked feather of failure in the fedora of Mayor Dan Bianchi, who, from what we hear, desperately tried to keep this story from seeing daylight. He’s like daybreak trying to sneak the sun past a rooster. It’s the second embarrassment for Bianchi in the past week, the first being when Our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council refused to go along with his school bus scheme and the unnecessary millions for which the taxpayers would be on the hook.

Bianchi has already strung up taxpayers on more hooks than you’d find at a pirate’s convention, but on the bus business, he found himself foiled. Ditto on his attempt to coverup a story that, if true, puts into serious question his executive ability, his judgment, and his trustworthiness.

THE PLANET again gave Bianchi every opportunity to comment on Berkshire Works. That included the chance to say, “PLANET, there’s nothing to it. The charges are baseless.” He didn’t do that. Neither did any other official source we contacted (later we name them). Instead, rather than show a particle of leadership, the mayor hid behind the skirts, an apt analogy in this case.

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You’ll recall, back in January, Bianchi — who couldn’t dump John Barrett fast enough after der Wunderbarrett‘s two-year contract expired — named William Monterosso, a Pittsfield native, to the post of Berkshire Works executive director. Bianchi took one whole day after his inauguration to name Monterosso, who began the job on Jan. 21. ALong with the move came the whispering campaign against Barrett by Bianchi supporters.

Bianchi touted Monterosso’s “experience in workforce development, including positions in Kentucky and West Virginia,” as if somehow moving on from two hick states is a badge of honor. Actually, come to think of it, with the third-world state of Pittsfield under Bianchi, it may be an “honor,” at least as the mayor seems to reckon these things. Think of it as a Red Badge of Courage from an alternate and opposite universe, der Wunderbarrett replaced by a southern wunderkind!

THE PLANET makes no accusations, mind you. We are merely raising questions based on what reliable sources are telling us. Sources close to and within Berkshire Works allege that “a dozen people have filed sexual harassment complaints against [Monterosso].” The complaints, they say, were made to both the mayor’s office and to the city head of personnel, John DeAngelo. Sources say Bianchi called Monterosso into the corner office and “told him to go home” — not show up for work for while, apparently while the situation cooled off. They add, however, that Monterosso defied the mayor, “went back to work, and started to accuse the people who had accused him.” Reminds us of the old story of the rapist blaming his actions on the victim’s tight clothes and tarted-up looks.

Yesterday, on the basis of our “teaser” comments on the Berkshire Works situation, “Matt” sent us this comment: “You’re right on target with Berkshire Works situation. The Exective Director was placed on administrative leave following an outburst at a staff person suspected of being one of the staff who filed sexual harassment complaints against him.”

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At the time of Monterosso’s hiring, Bianchi said, “Berkshire County will be well served by an experienced workforce development expert of Mr. Monterosso’s caliber.” Bianchi gushed that he was “looking for someone who lives and breathes workforce development.” We wonder: Did the mayor get exactly that?

How does the mayor feel about the appointment now? Does he regret it, or does he stand behind his man? Is there substance to the story, or is it mere scuttlebutt?

At the time of his announcement on Monterosso, Bianchi emphasized the strength of his search committee that scoured the globe for this beacon of integrity. It included North Adams Mayor Dick Alcombright and Richmond Town Manager (and former Pittsfield at-large councilor) Matt Kerwood. THE PLANET’s question for this trio is a simple one: “What kind of due diligence did you do on Monterosso?”

Alcombright got back to us first, telling THE PLANET, “I have no knowledge of this and will speak to [Mayor Bianchi] on Monday.” He hasn’t commented further. Kerwood said, “Mayor Alcombright and I only participated in the interviewing of the three finalists for the position.  While I can not speak for Mayor Alcombright, I would say that he and I were operating under the premise that the candidates
were properly vetted by the Mayor and his team prior to being asked to interview.  Of the three candidates interviewed, we all felt that Mr. Monterosso was the best candidate based on the interview. I can not speak to anything that has transpired since his hiring by the Mayor.” Neither Bianchi nor DeAngelo has responded to our inquiries.

Here’s a key question: Did the city run a background check on Monterosso? If so, how what did they discover? Is he legitimate, or is he just another of those “carnival barker” types who blow into Pittsfield (e.g., Caveny, Armitage) periodically to feast on the political sickness that has paralyzed the city?

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The manner in which Bianchi sacked Barrett reveals much about how the former likes his politics.

Barrett’s last day on the job was Friday, Jan. 17. Barrett said Bianchi never called him or any member of Barrett’s staff to inform him he was out of a job. Barrett had been working under an extension of his two-year contract granted by former Mayor Jimmy Ruberto, who asked Barrett to stay on after the state began issuing unemployment benefits online.

“I’ve never seen it done like that before,” Barrett said of his anonymous dismissal. Bianchi told The Boring Broadhseet of Barrett’s notice: “I just assumed that he had received it. Mr. Barrett was aware that we were in the process.”

“I just assumed.”

Lame, Mr. Bianchi. Utterly lame. It reminds us of the scene in The Godfather where Don Corleone bitch-slaps a whining Johnny Fontaine, saying, “C’mon, Johnny. Be a man.”

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Channel 3 WAVE: A Sketchy Record in Kentucky

As best as we can put together Monterosso’s prior experience before taking the Berkshire Works job, he last worked as executive director of WVARF, a West Virginia trade association. Before that,  Monterosso was executive director of the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training, an operation “plagued” with “confusion and frustration,” according to an investigative report by Eric Flack of WAVE, Channel 3 news in Louisville.

WAVE reporter Eric Flack took an undercover camera to Monterosso’s office. He found and filmed an office where the line stretched out behind the office building. People had to wait in subfreezing weather for hours. Security guards under Monterosso’s direction harassed one person in line.

Flack went to Monterosso and showed him his video report. Did Monterosso take ownership of the problems or show leadership? Not according to the reporter. The executive director rationalized them away. From Flack’s report:

“‘Well it’s not surprising,’ Monterosso said of what he saw. ‘But the bottom line is you can do a montage of saying how horrible and ridiculous things are or I could have done a montage on the other aspect of people actually getting through efficiently.’ Later, Monterosso told Flack, ‘We’re human, and sometimes, I think unfortunately, staff are getting a little overwhelmed.’

Glad to know that Pittsfield hired a “human.”

Flack then reported: “But we didn’t see things running very efficiently at the unemployment office on Preston Highway. We got there at 7:30AM, right as the office was about to open, and found people had been lined up in below freezing temperatures for hours to try and avoid the back up.”

A year ago, on April 26, 2013, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Kevin Shurn to the Kentucky Office for the Blind to replace Monterosso, who resigned with two months remaining on his term. The governor’s communications office gave no reason for the resignation, which appeared to be sudden.

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Berkshire Works is another of those dreaded “quasi-public” agencies. It derives its charter from the Berkshire Regional Employment Board (BREB). This couldn’t be another example of bureaucratic duplication and duplicity, could it? And the executive director of Berkshire Works isn’t another of those well-paid political patronage job, is it?

Meanwhile, THE PLANET received this message from one of our media colleagues:

Your “starter” article is ALL TRUE! Still following up on this, but it appears that there was never a background investigation conducted or a checking of references [on Monterosso]. The spin from the Mayor’s office is that the [Berkshire Works] staff are making these charges because they want Barrett back. The [corner office is] hoping that will throw out a smokescreen.

Long live der Wunderbarrett!

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