The next year, I want to do it again.  This time, people start talking about the 2007 Red Sox, and how they won a championship too, so a celebration of that team should be included.  So I say, “No, no, I love the 2007 team too, but my parade isn’t about various championships – it’s just about the 2004 team.” 

Then other people start talking about the 1986 Red Sox, and how they almost won, and it shouldn’t just be about winning anyway, so they want that to be included too.  So I say, “No, no – my parade isn’t about great Red Sox seasons or the team in general, it’s just about the 2004 team.” 

Then the Yankees fans start talking about how many transplanted New Yorkers there are in town, and what would the Red Sox be without the Yankees anyway, so they want to include a celebration of the Yankees in the parade too, and this time they want A-Rod to be Grand Marshal.  So I say, “WHAT?!? Are you kidding me?  This is a 2004 Red Sox parade!  I don’t want to celebrate the Yankees and I sure as heck won’t have A-Rod as Grand Marshal.  This is ridiculous.” 

Then Milwaukee Brewers fans start talking about how the parade is a celebration of baseball and they want to be included too, along with special tributes to all the other teams.  So I say, “No – you don’t understand, this parade isn’t about celebrating baseball in general, this is just about celebrating the 2004 Red Sox.” 

The Town Manager tells me he is getting a lot of pressure from all these other fans.  They are putting the squeeze on him – especially those Yankees fans.  He is insisting that I include them, but I don’t want to – it would turn my parade into a different parade all together.  He says that I am attempting to stifle free speech and that I can’t have a parade about baseball without including all baseball perspectives.  So I say, “Can’t these folks have their own parades?  Why can’t we have different parades with different kinds of baseball themes?” 

He says that part of the problem is that my parade is held on the anniversary of Babe Ruth’s birth, and that that is a special day for baseball fans, so they all should get to participate.  “Come on now,” I say, “if it’s so special to them, why hadn’t they had a parade on that day before?  And there are lots of other special baseball anniversary days they could commemorate.”

Nope, he says.  These folks are very persistent.  Either they get to be in your parade, or the Town will take the parade over and turn it into a celebration of all things baseball.  And maybe soccer.  And bowling.  And probably any other competitive endeavor that wishes to participate.

And this is different from the Fourth of July Parade controversy how?

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

www.StephanieOKeeffe.com

I hope to be able to write about other topics on inAmherst.com.  I will be completing the unfinished recaps here as soon as I can.

Thanks so much for your loyal readership of this site!  I hope the new site proves at least as valuable to you, and I appreciate your patience as I try to find the right focus and voice for both.

-- Stephanie O'Keeffe  

•    Warrant for the 4/28/08 Annual Town Meeting

•    Scheduled Town Meeting dates are: Monday, April 28; Wednesday, April 30; Monday, May 5; Monday, May 12; Wednesday, May 14; Monday, May 19; Wednesday, May 21; and Wednesday, May 28.

•    The Finance Committee’s Report for Spring 2008 Town Meeting

•    The Joint Capital Planning Committee’s Report for Spring 2008 Town Meeting.

•    The Town Manager’s FY2009 Budget.

•    The Amherst Elementary Schools’ FY2009 Budget.

•    The Regional School System’s FY2009 Budget.

•    The Library’s FY2009 Budget.

•    Town Meeting section of the Town web site, with additional information related to selected articles, lists of current Town Meeting members, past Town Meeting information and more.

•    Stephanie O’Keeffe’s Town Meeting blog.

•    ACTV Town Meeting rebroadcast schedule.

•    Town Meeting Tally Vote Database, with five years of voting history for all Town Meeting members.

•    Full results from the Spring 2007 Annual Town Meeting and the Fall 2007 Special Town Meeting.

Below is a summary of the recommendation process and current status of each article on the warrant for the Spring 2008 Annual Town Meeting. For each article on the warrant, the Select Board and the Finance Committee vote on what to recommend to Town Meeting with respect to the article; the Planning Board and School Committee do the same for zoning-related and school-related articles, respectively. The results of each board's decision with respect to each article is shown in the table below. 

Mouse over the votes for more info; Finance Committee votes link to the Finance Committee report to Town Meeting.

The trophy tour is made possible by a partnership between the Boston Red Sox and the Massachusetts State Lottery. 

Public Comment

David Keenan expressed appreciation for the Select Board office providing Select Board meeting packets to the Select Board candidates.  He said the practice of having the packets delivered to the homes of Select Board members by the Police Department is a “gross misuse” of Town resources, and said that was something he had spoken against when he was on the Select Board in the past.  He noted that most of the packet material was generated on computer and could probably be distributed electronically, and he suggested posting those materials on the Town web site so that the public could access them as well.  He said that he had requested that the packet that gets mailed to him as a candidate instead be held at Town Hall for him to pick up.  He suggested that changing the practice of the Police delivering packets could result in cost savings, and asked the Select Board to consider that and inform him about a decision on the issue.

Ted Jarowski of Hazel Avenue talked about concerns related to parking, emergency vehicle access, snow removal access and protection of the new landscaping work that Amherst College has done on that street, which he said is a dead end with access to the bike path.  He had brought his concerns to the Select Board in October after having sent a letter on the same subject.  He was seeking “No Parking” signs for certain areas of the street, which required coordination with other property owners.  Mr. Shaffer said that he and Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent Guilford Mooring would meet with Mr. Jarowski to determine the best way to address the concerns with the new information provided regarding lack of agreement among the property owners on the street for making one side a “No Parking” zone.  Ms. Greeney expressed appreciation for Mr. Jarowski’s patience, and concern that the issue wasn’t being addressed promptly, which she said highlighted the need for a complaint tracking system.

Farmers Market – Closing Spring Street Parking Lot  (6:45)

The Select Board approved the request to close the Spring Street parking lot for the Farmers Market on Saturdays from May 3rd to November 15th, for 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The vote to approve the request was 3 in favor, 2 absent.

Taxi License  (6:50)

The Select Board approved a taxi driver and chauffeur license for Bob Thun.  The vote to approve the license was 3 in favor, 2 absent.

Special Liquor Licenses

The Select Board approved special liquor licenses for four events at Hampshire College, seven events at UMass, and one event at Amherst College.  The single vote to approve all the licenses was 3 in favor, 2 absent.

Complaint Management System  (6:57)

Information Technology Director Kris Pacunas talked about the “request tracker” system that would be part of the Town’s new web site.  He said that the request tracker would include complaints as well as other questions and issues, and said it would allow those submitting requests to be able to track them, see who was assigned responsibility for handling them, and receive status updates.  He said the Select Board would be invited to give feedback on the system, and said he hoped it would debut June 20th.

Mr. Pacunas explained, as he had at the December 10th Select Board meeting, that those using the system would choose from a list of categories and check boxes that would route their issue to the appropriate person and department, and that all parties would receive e-mail status updates, and would also be able to access the status on-line using the number assigned to the request.  He spoke again of the ability for Town staff to enter requests received by letter or phone into the system, and how that was not expected to represent an increase in workload over the current system of processing such requests. 

Mr. Shaffer praised the system and the work of Mr. Pacunas and the I.T. Department.  He said that work still needed to be done, and that a complicating factor is routing and coordination of issues that involve multiple departments, such as public right-of-way issues which he said can involve the Police Department, the DPW, the Select Board and the Town Manager’s office and others.  He said consideration of how to handle such issues in the new system is still underway.

Mr. Pacunas said that the request tracker is part of a comprehensive make-over of the Town web site, which he said was necessary to address accessibility compliance issues. 

There was discussion about various meetings for the new system that Select Board members might opt to participate in, and that the system would debut at a Select Board meeting before its official public launch.

Public Works Update – Atkins Corner  (7:12)

Mr. Mooring presented visuals to illustrate the status of the Atkins Corner redesign project.  He had made the full presentation on the project to the Select Board on January 14th, but technical difficulties precluded access to the visuals that night.   

Mr. Mooring sought a letter from the Select Board to Mass Highway, expressing support for the project, the desire for it to be done promptly and to come in within budget.  There was discussion about how communities involved in State-funded projects such as this one need to agree to cover cost overruns, and how working closely with the State can help prevent the delays that lead to such overruns. 

The vote to authorize the Select Board Chair to notify Mass Highway of the Select Board’s support for the project and plan was 3 in favor, 2 absent.

Public Works Update – University Drive  (7:22)

Mr. Mooring repeated his explanations from the January 14th meeting regarding University Drive work, and how it is divided in to three sections – the Big Y entrance, the Amity Street intersection, and the middle span between the two.  He said that final design plans are complete for the Big Y part, redesigning that to a “T” intersection with a traffic light.  He said that conceptual plans for adding left turn lanes at the Amity Street intersection rather than creating a roundabout there were complete, but that there were still issues to finalize there.  He said that there was not agreement yet on a recommendation for the middle section, which he thought would ultimately be a hybrid of the “boulevard” concept with a treed center island, and the center turn lane concept, but that consideration of those options was ongoing.  He said that going forward with the Big Y and Amity Street plans would not impact or limit the options for the middle section.

There was discussion about the goal of the Amity Street intersection redesign being to address issues of severe back-ups caused by vehicles making left-turns from University Drive as traffic leaves UMass in the afternoons.  Mr. Mooring said the new configuration would help that, but would not affect morning traffic en route to UMass going through neighborhoods, because he said that is a result of people seeking alternate routes to bypass Route 9 back-ups of cars turning left on to University Drive. 

The Select Board voted to approve going forward with the plans to redesign the intersection of Big Y plaza and University Drive, and to support continued development of the plans for left-turn lanes at the intersection of Amity Street and University Drive, in a vote of 3 in favor, 2 absent.

Public Works Update – Middle Street Stop Signs 

Ms. Awad said that consideration of Middle Street stop signs would be deferred until Mr. Weiss could be present.

Public Works Update – Downtown Sidewalks and Trees  (7:49)

Ms. Awad said there had been concern about downtown trees, and that one in front of the Post Office had died.  She spoke about structural soil and larger root areas, and said she was concerned that the Select Board had authorized a design with flawed tree wells. 

Mr. Shaffer noted that Tree Warden Alan Snow was present, and would be addressing the Select Board.  Mr. Shaffer said that Town administration, including the DPW Director, was “in 100% agreement” with the Tree Warden’s recommendations.  He said that all involved are committed to strong, healthy trees to beautify downtown, and he said that he looked to the Tree Warden to determine what was needed to ensure that.  He said that Town administration is committed to carrying out the Tree Warden’s recommended course of action, and said “I think it’s important for the Select Board to hear that message.”

Mr. Snow said the he and the Public Shade Tree Committee had worked with Mr. Mooring and Town Engineer Jason Skeels on sidewalk reconstruction plans, and he said that all the elements they discussed were incorporated into those plans.  He talked about structural soil and continuous soil volume extending beneath the sidewalk to allow tree roots to grow laterally.  It was noted that the surface opening of the tree well is approximately the same size as in the past, but that the soils extend to a larger area underground.

Ms. Awad asked about the trees in front of the Post Office.  Mr. Snow said one showed some decline and that a small gas leak had been identified nearby, which he said is “very detrimental to trees.”  He said that one tree was dead and would be replaced in the spring, and talked about the importance of follow-up care for the first three years of a replanted tree’s life, in terms of extra watering and mulching.  He said that current DPW staffing would only allow for adequate follow-up care for ten new trees, and said that as more trees are planted, community volunteers will be recruited and trained in how to water, mulch and prune new trees.  He said that the Public Shade Tree Committee will be kicking off this “Neighborhood Tree Steward Program” on Arbor Day, Saturday, April 26th.

Ms. Awad asked if Mr. Snow felt that the design plan was adequate to address the stresses on trees in a downtown environment.  Mr. Snow said that it is a “great plan for street trees,” and said that Mr. Mooring had been very cooperative in these efforts.

Ms. Awad asked if the previously-planted trees could be dug up to have structural soils added, and Mr. Mooring said that that would not work. 

Mr. Snow said that there is no money available yet to purchase new trees for this section of North Pleasant Street.  He talked about pursuing fundraising and other capital options, and said that a campaign seeking 250 trees for the town’s 250th anniversary would also be launched on Arbor Day.  Ms. Awad noted that Nancy Gordon had established a small tree fund to assist with tree purchases for the west side of North Pleasant Street.

Mr. Mooring said that plans are underway for the west side.  He noted that there is not much opportunity to plant trees from the Amity Street corner down to Amherst Brewing  Company, and that three trees are planned in front of the former D’Angelo’s/Via-Via building.  He said that discussions are still underway with property owners to the north, for the CVS and Roberts buildings. 

Ms. Greeney asked about the planters in front of CVS, which she said were an “eyesore.” Mr. Mooring said that they were slated for removal in spring of 2009, and Ms. Greeney recommended that the Select Board consider accelerating that removal plan.  Mr. Shaffer said that he would like to discuss the matter with the DPW and bring back a recommendation, noting that there were related issues such as patching the pavement for pedestrian safety that needed to be considered. 

Town Manager’s Report – Budget Update  (8:11)

Mr. Shaffer said that the Budget Coordinating Group (BCG) is working on a process for fact-finding and gathering public input to create a long-term financial plan covering three to five years.  He said that the BCG would make a presentation at the next Select Board meeting and would be seeking the Select Board’s input and endorsement before moving forward. 

Review of Town Meeting Article List  (8:12)

Ms. Greeney asked about the status of the social host nuisance bylaw proposal being reviewed by Town Counsel, noting that it was not included on the list of Town Meeting articles.  Mr. Shaffer said he would check on that.  Ms. Greeney and Ms. Awad both emphasized that the UMass Campus Community Coalition had intended that the article be on the spring warrant.

Ms. Brewer asked when the Select Board would start hearing from different departments regarding the budget.  Ms. Awad said that would begin in the next week or two, and that Mr. Weiss was working on it.  Ms. Awad noted that the Fire Chief and Firefighters Union were scheduled for the next meeting, and thought that the fire budget might be handled then.  Ms. Brewer said that that would be March 24th, and that there would be no meeting on March 17th.  [Note:  this is now in question, and the expectation is that there will be a meeting on March 17th.]

Liquor License Renewal – Cherry Hill  (8:17)

The Select Board voted 3 in favor, 2 absent, to renew the seasonal wine and malt license for Cherry Hill Golf Course.

Committee Appointments (8:18)

Ms. Brewer recommended the appointment of Tony Maroulis to the Town Commercial Relations Committee. The vote to approve the appointment was 3 in favor, 2 absent.

The meeting adjourned at 8:19 p.m.  The next meeting of the Select Board is expected to be Monday, March 17th at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

Public Comment

Mr. Weiss announced that construction would begin in mid-March on a bridge on East Leverett Road, and would last 15-21 months, and he said that the bridge would not be open for travel during construction.  He said that this is a State project, and that updates from the State were expected.

David Clooney, President of the Amherst Firefighters local 1764, said that many union members had been troubled by discussion at last week’s meeting about emergency services revenue from other towns.  He said that he would like to be recognized at a future meeting along with Fire Chief Keith Hoyle to present alternate models of ambulance call costs.  He said that it is important for the Select Board, the Town Manager and the public to understand that any decrease in minimum staffing levels compromises the department’s ability to provide firefighting service to Amherst.

Mr. Weiss said that this would be made a scheduled agenda item, probably for the March 17th meeting. 

John Root asked that the Select Board consider supporting and promoting “Earth Hour,” at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 29th, when cities and towns across the world will voluntarily turn off lights, to highlight the need for reducing energy use and to think creatively about how to do that.  Assured that participation was not mandatory, that street lights could stay on, and that it was up to individual residents and businesses to determine how many if any lights to turn off, the Select Board voted 4 in favor, 1 absent to support the event. 

Special Liquor Licenses  (6:39)

The Select Board voted 4 in favor, 1 absent to approve special liquor licenses for a Hitchcock Center event in March to be held at Amherst College, and a UMass event in April.

Committee Appointments

Ms. Brewer recommended the appointment of Michaela DeAngelis to the Committee on Homelessness.  Her appointment was approved in a vote of 4 in favor, 1 absent.

Select Board Representation at Zoning Sub Committee Meetings (6:41)

There was discussion about the possibility of other Select Board members attending the next couple of Zoning Subcommittee meetings, due to Mr. Kusner being away in March and Ms. Awad not being available for the next couple of weeks.  No one volunteered, and Ms. Awad requested that she receive a packet of the subcommittee’s work, as has occurred in the past when she has not been able to be present.  Mr. Musante said he would follow up on her request.

Taxi License  (6:45)

The Select Board approved a taxi driver and chauffeur license for John Howard Rae, who will drive for Celebrity Cab Company.  The vote approving the license was 4 in favor, 1 absent.

Approval of Meeting Minutes  (6:46)

With some corrections and amendments, the Select Board approved the minutes of the December 10th, 2007 meeting, in a vote of 3 in favor, 1 absent and 1 abstention, with Ms. Brewer choosing to abstain.

Police Fees for Common Use  (6:50)

Mr. Weiss explained that there had been concern about a new policy to charge groups for police details for events on the Town Common that are determined to warrant that protection.  He said that the policy and the concerns had been relayed to Town Counsel, who had determined that such fees may be considered unconstitutional, and restraining free speech.  Town Counsel indicated that more information was needed before a formal decision could be reached, and Mr. Weiss said that the Town Manager expects to instead just end the policy.  There was brief discussion as to whether or not the policy needs to be removed from the books or whether it was not to be in effect unless and until it was found to have legal backing anyway. 

Town Manager’s Report – Pelham Road Mail Boxes  (6:52)

Mr. Musante said that Mr. Shaffer had been in touch with the Post Master regarding the issue of people on Pelham Road needing to cross the street to get to their mail boxes, and the Post Master said that a petition was needed from residents seeking a change in mail box location.  Mr. Musante said that staff is gathering information and will survey the neighborhood to determine if residents desire such a change, before forwarding the request to the Post Master. 

Town Manager’s Report – Budget Update  (6:53)

Mr. Musante said that there is consensus among the members of the Budget Coordinating Group (BCG,) made up of representatives from the Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee and Library Trustees, to develop a multi-year financial plan and to engage the community to determine desired service levels and how those would be funded.  He said that the focus is two-part: on FY09 in the short term, and on FY10 and beyond in the longer term. 

He said that elements of the long-term plan include:  establishing financial policies; finding efficiencies across the Town, School and Library budgets; pursuing economic development; strengthening partnerships with UMass and the colleges; being aggressive with legislative strategy in pursuit of revenue-sharing and local option taxes; staying current with the capital plan; developing a strategy regarding use of reserves; aidentifying desired services level and determining how to fund any gap that might exist.   

For FY09, he said that once all the local taxes and receipts, new revenues from UMass and Amherst College for emergency services, and State aid projections are considered and compared to the current draft budgets from the Town, Schools and Libraries, the initial gap is $1.45 million.  He said that the Schools would be presenting a budget on March 4th with revised projections, lowering their rate of spending increase for FY09 from 8.4% to less than 5%.  He said that with the Town and Library budgets coming in “at or near” the Finance Committee’s 2% guideline, and with capital plan investment remaining at the FY08 level of 7% of the tax levy, that would reduce the gap to less than half a million dollars. 

He said that amount might decrease further.  He said that recent trends related to the Health Insurance Trust Fund showed decreased claim levels, and that he expected to soon recommend that the projected expense increase be reduced from 12% to 6% or 8%. 

Mr. Musante said that a consideration could be to use a small amount of reserves to fund the gap, while still allowing overall growth in reserve levels.  He said that the Finance Committee is evaluating that possibility, and might reluctantly consider it, if it were to be a bridge to a longer-term financial plan. 

Mr. Musante said that next steps for looking at FY10 and beyond include more assessing of community priorities and community preferences for different options such as: maintaining or reducing service levels, or seeking new services and restorations for the future.

 Regarding the long-term plan, he noted:

• That much progress had been made in developing a comprehensive set of financial policies with input from the Select Board and other bodies, and that the community now needs to be educated about them and what they mean.
• That an area he would be looking at for increasing revenues and decreasing costs would be user fees, and where they can be implemented and at what levels.
• That a “blue ribbon panel” was analyzing where efficiencies might be found and consolidations might occur among the Town, School and Library management structure, and that benchmarking Amherst’s performance to that of peer communities would be sought.
• That appropriate economic development opportunities are being pursued in the near-term for the North Amherst Professional Research Park parcels; on University Drive; with the Lord Jeff renovation and the expansion of the downtown business district on Spring Street; with the Veridian Village project at Hampshire College; with the Atkins Corner redevelopment project; and through other opportunities that might be brought forward.  He said that it makes sense to establish specific targets and goals for these efforts, and said that Mr. Shaffer has talked about aiming to increase the tax base by 10% or $200 million over the next ten years.
• That progress was made through the Strategic Partnership Agreement with UMass and emergency services discussions with Amherst College, and its gift of $120,000; that discussions are on-going regarding partnering with UMass on economic development, and with engaging all the schools about opportunities to collaborate via college-owned lands.
• That legislative opportunities include pursuit of establishing a local-option meals tax and increasing the lodging tax; acquiring the ability to charge property taxes to utility companies for their utility poles; expanding the senior “circuit breaker” tax credit; and assessing how Amherst is working with legislative colleagues to increase State educational and non-educational aid.

Regarding the capital plan, he said there is a long list of capital needs relating to infrastructure, facilities, equipment and technology.  He said that capital investment as a percentage of the levy had been reduced in the last few years, and that that category had the biggest reduction when the override was defeated last year, and that more than $400,000 was taken from capital to balance the budget.

Regarding reserves, he said the total is just under $4 million, and is 7% of operating revenue.  He said that the Finance Committee recommends increasing that to 8% for FY10.  He said that reserves are needed to create a buffer against significant reductions in State and local revenue during an economic downturn; to provide emergency funds, and to protect a strong bond rating which affects the cost of borrowing. 

Mr. Musante said that the process of community engagement was beginning in order to help determine priorities and desired service levels over the next few years.  He said a plan would not presume an override was necessary to fund those service levels, and that a multi-year plan would be developed with a number of funding options, depending whether desires were for maintaining the status quo, enhancing or reducing services.  He said that citizen input would help to create models representing different options, from which recommendations would be developed.

Mr. Musante said there were several areas to focus on to address the FY09 budget, and that in the meantime, a longer-term process would begin for creating a multi-year plan.

Ms. Greeney asked how the schools would be lowering their budget gap in their new proposal and where that money would come from.  Mr. Musante said he expected that reducing the rate of the health insurance increase would help the Schools as well as the Town and Libraries, but that otherwise, he did not know because the new School budget proposal hadn’t been presented yet.  Mr. Weiss said that the School Committee Chair had indicated that the Schools were reducing the health insurance increase from 12% to 8%.

Mr. Musante said that with many budget factors still in flux, it was hard to be more specific with figures, but that the different concepts were what were important to understand now.

Ms. Greeney referenced a document she had provided to the Select Board outlining her proposal to close the half-million dollar Elementary School budget gap by reducing the Town budget increase from 3.1% to 2% and using that savings, along with the $140,000 from the Strategic Partnership Agreement with UMass and the $120,000 of the Amherst College gift, for that purpose.  She said she was concerned about using one-time funds from reducing capital spending and use of reserves to pay for on-going Elementary School costs.  She reiterated her frequent points about reducing LSSE tax support, and the Town subsidizing belly dancing at the expense of school funding. 

Per the extra revenues that the Town Manager has calculated to justify increasing the Town budget by 3.1%, she said those revenues should be made equally available to the Libraries and Schools, and not set aside for Town use.  In addition to recommending LSSE cuts, she suggested cuts be made in the Planning and Information Technology departments, and said that the specifics of those could be at the Town Manager’s discretion.  She spoke to the importance of not deferring capital spending and not using reserves.

Ms. Brewer said that she wanted to clarify that the belly dancing and tango classes often cited in such discussions are not subsidized by taxpayers, and rather that the full-fees paid for those classes provide the subsidies for children’s art classes and the like.  She said that that needs to be made clear in the LSSE budget so that people understand that better.  Ms. Brewer said that she was also not happy about the 3.1% Town budget increase, but cautioned against separating the new revenues from the emergency services for which reimbursement had been sought. 

Ms. Awad said that while Ms. Greeney had offered some good ideas, Ms. Awad didn’t want to deal with such specific recommendations when so much of the budget process remained fluid, and discussions would be ongoing among the Town, Schools and Libraries regarding “ways to share.”   She said she didn’t believe the emergency services money from UMass and Amherst College was ever explicitly intended to support those services, and noted that no reductions to public safety are being sought. 

Mr. Weiss said he had spoken with LSSE Director Linda Chalfant about LSSE programs, and categorized the adult enrichment classes as “esoteric.”  He had asked about the effect of eliminating all of them, and said it could result in the reduction of one Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff position, because that much labor is needed to arrange those programs.  He said that there would be a corresponding loss of revenue from those classes, resulting in some savings, but he said it would not be a large amount.  He said more information was needed about the funding of the different LSSE programs and how they impact each other.    

Ms. Greeney said that her specific example may have distracted the Select Board from her larger point, which she said was that the “supplemental education” of LSSE was being funded at the expense of the “obligatory” education through the schools.

Mr. Musante said that the discussion had not referenced restoration of funds to the two programs the Select Board had previously identified as its priority:  funding the human service agencies and the War Memorial Pool.  He also noted that LSSE had made significant changes resulting in elimination of one full-time position, and had increased fees, such that tax support was reduced by 17% for FY09, and he said that tax support to the department was reduced by about 25% over the last couple of years.  He said that there needs to be consideration of a broader goal, and whether that really is to eliminate all tax support, and said that considering the low-income subsidies and special needs programs, that might not be wise.  He said that the LSSE department and commission were asked to provide more information about the philosophy of each program to help inform a larger discussion about what the town should offer through LSSE and how to pay for that. 

Mr. Weiss said the War Memorial Pool costs were commonly referred to as $55,000, but said that once its revenues are considered, the net costs are closer to $24,000.  He said that uses last year’s figures, which he said had lower revenue due to the late opening of the pool, so the net costs in a full season could be less. 

Diana Stein said that she had spoken with Ms. Chalfant and learned that the pool fees had not been increased in a long time, and could be, further reducing the net cost. 

Ms. Brewer reiterated her past request for better information about the LSSE fee increases so Town Meeting and the public will understand what programs are affected.  Mr. Weiss said that the LSSE budget is “mysterious” to people and requires more explanation. 

There was more discussion about LSSE:  Mr. Musante said the department was analyzing all its programs and considering if subsidies are appropriate.  Ms. Greeney suggested cutting LSSE staffing in half and concentrating on “basics” like baseball, soccer and basketball.  Mr. Musante said he thought that was the wrong approach and said the first question is to determine what the community wants and is willing to pay to have. Ms. Greeney said she didn’t believe there was currently public input on the LSSE offerings. 

Draft Article – Rights of Non-U.S. Citizens (7:41)   

Mr. Weiss spoke of a draft article in the Select Board packets that he had created regarding a bylaw change proposing that Amherst Police not participate with enforcement of Federal immigration law.  He talked about a recent deportation of a mother who was in this country illegally, and how that occurred shortly after her daughter had recently been smuggled into the country to join her here.  He said there are many local undocumented workers and said that it creates a dangerous situation if they need to be afraid of cooperating and complying with local laws.  Mr. Weiss and Ms. Awad talked about the dangers and difficulties of such lives.  Mr. Weiss said they would discuss whether the Select Board would support or sponsor the article at another time, but that he wanted them to have the draft now.

Committees and Liaison Assignments  (7:50)

Ms. Greeney said that she was trying to complete the work she and Mr. Kusner had begun regarding the removal of dormant committees from the Town web site and the Citizen Activity Form.  A lengthy discussion about this resulted in deletion from the list of:  the Emergency Homelessness task force, because its charge had expired; the Community Dialogue Task Force, also for an expired charge; the Community Problem Solving Partnership, whose charge has been incorporated into the Campus Community Coalition; and the Town Committee Evaluation Task Force, because its charge had expired.  Others were determined to need additional information, were worth maintaining even in a dormant state, or couldn’t be deleted because they were the creation of Town Meeting, and hence need Town Meeting approval to disband them. 

There was brief discussion about whether the listed liaison assignments were correct and who might cover Mr. Kusner’s assignments in March.

Reaffirmation of Election Calendar  (8:14)

There was some confusion as to whether or not the Select Board had approved the full election calendar at a previous meeting, including the deadline for citizen petition articles.  It was determined that all dates had been approved, and that the calendar stands.

Reminder about Town Meeting Family Care Stipend  (8:17)

Mr. Weiss read the press release that was sent out regarding last week’s action to provide a family care stipend to Town Meeting members who need it in order to attend Town Meeting, up to $20 per session.

Draft Letter Supporting Atkins Corner Project  (8:19)

The Select Board had a draft letter in its packet to be sent to Mass Highway expressing support for the Atkins Corner project.  Once the Select Board reviews the letter and makes and revisions, a new draft will be prepared for members to sign.

Approval of Meeting Minutes  (8:20)

With discussion, revision and amendments, the Select Board approved the minutes of the following meetings:  December 17, January 7, January 14, February 4 and February 11.  All were approved with votes of 3 in favor, 1 absent, and 1 abstention, with Ms. Brewer opting to abstain. 

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.  The next Select Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 10th at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe 

Announcements

Mr. Weiss announced that this would be Mr. Kusner’s last meeting, because he will be away on sabbatical in March.  Mr. Weiss thanked Mr. Kusner for his service and hard work, and said he would be missed.  Mr. Kusner thanked the Select Board and former member Robie Hubley, from whom he said he had learned a lot.

Public Comment

Nancy Gordon talked about the history of the Gallup Poll and her experience working with that organization.  She said she learned that it was important to not let one’s survey respondents be self-selecting, and that how questions are phrased is important, though she said she didn’t know how to address that.  She said that she controlled for the self-selection by systematically choosing without bias recipient names from a voter list.   She said her survey this year had three questions, was sent to 330 people, and that she had received 55 responses thus far.  She said the effort cost her $300.  She gave the survey questions and current results to the Select Board.

Rob Crowner spoke about the Public Works Committee having received many complaints about the condition of Pelham Road.  He requested that the Select Board consider the recommendations that committee had made a year ago on this matter.  Mr. Weiss asked that Mr. Crowner send those recommendations to the Select Board again, and said that the topic would be addressed in the next couple of weeks.

Vince O’Connor said that the DPW Superintendent had been unresponsive to his requests for information about surveying and paving plans.  Mr. O’Connor said that the DPW was prioritizing its paving and drainage projects inappropriately and said that the Public Works Committee needs relevant information in order to do its job.  He said that if the current process doesn’t work, the alternative was that a Board of Public Works could be created by statute which he said would take such matters out of the Select Board’s hands.

Promotion of Police Officer Scott Livingstone  (6:45)

Police Chief Charles Scherpa said that Scott Livingstone had been on the police force for more than 25 years, and that he was recommending his promotion from Lieutenant to Captain.  Mr. Shaffer praised the officer and concurred with the recommendation.   The Town Clerk was not available for the swearing-in, so that would not occur at the meeting.  The Select Board congratulated and shook hands with Captain Livingstone. 

Global Climate Change  (6:48)

Ms. Greeney spoke of the high attendance and good discussion at the January 30th climate change forum.  She said the webcast that had been scheduled for that night was oversubscribed, and could not be viewed, so there was only discussion with officials from UMass and the Town about progress both entities had made in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.  Ms. Greeney proposed that a second such forum be held March 12th to focus on the progress made by the Amherst public schools and by Amherst and Hampshire Colleges.  She proposed that a third forum be held April 22nd to focus on efforts by citizens and businesses. 

The sense of the Select Board was that the March forum date was too soon, and would occur during a busy time for all concerned.  It was suggested that an April date, and perhaps a fall date, be pursued instead.  Ms. Greeney agreed and moved that the Select Board support holding a forum on April 16th to showcase carbon dioxide emission reduction efforts at Hampshire College, Amherst College, the Amherst Elementary Schools and the Amherst Regional Schools, and to do a fall event focusing on residents and businesses.  The vote in support was unanimous.

Taxi Licenses  (7:07)

The Select Board approved taxi driver licenses for two men to drive for Gotta Go taxi service.  The vote to approve the license was unanimous.

Tamara Rutland-Mills asked if the men were U.S. citizens, and they said yes.  The Select Board said that citizenship was not relevant to such licenses.

Special Municipal Employee Status – Water Supply Protection Committee

Lyons Witten appeared before the Board to seek Special Municipal Employee (SME) status for the Water Supply Protection Committee.  A letter had been submitted seeking the status, which Mr. Weiss and Ms. Awad both noted agreement with, and the vote to grant SME to the committee was unanimous.

Special Liquor License  (7:10)

The Select Board unanimously approved a special liquor license for a UMass event at Memorial Hall. 

Parking at St. Brigid’s  (7:12)

Mr. Kusner spoke about a letter the Select Board had received regarding concerns about selective enforcement of parking and traffic laws, citing cars parked on Cowls Lane during Sunday Mass at St. Brigid’s church.  Mr. Shaffer said it concerned cars being parked in the wrong direction, and said it is apparently a long-term practice.  Mr. Shaffer said he would ask the Police Chief to have notices put under the windshield wipers of the offending vehicles, letting the owners know that such a parking practice puts them at risk for a ticket.  He said he would also seek to have the priest make an announcement at Mass.  Mr. Kusner said he didn’t intend to get into the specifics of this case, but hoped the Town Manager and the Select Board would be vigilant in general with such issues to ensure fairness, and not be vulnerable to concerns about selective enforcement practices.  Ms. Greeney said that it was important to track such complaints and actions so that the concerns were not being neglected.

Chapter 61A Release – 1011 Bay Road  (7:15)

Attorney John Edwards was present to represent the sellers of the property at 1011 Bay Road.  Mr. Weiss said that the Select Board had questions about the dates of the purchase and sale agreement, and had asked Town Counsel for advice.  Mr. Edwards said that was a waste of expensive Town Counsel service.  He said that there were three lots involved, and two under State protection had been released, and the assumption had been that the one under town protection had been released as well, but that that was not the case.  He said it had been a long process to get this addressed.

Mr. Weiss said that all such documents are run by Town Counsel to ensure that they are proper and legal.  Mr. Kusner said that the Chapter 61A law allows the town 120 day notice for exercising right of first refusal.  He said that 61A is a privilege to the owners who get a substantial tax break, and he expressed concern about the necessary back taxes having been dated and paid for the appropriate time.  Mr. Edwards said that the Town Assessor ensures that the taxes are paid at the closing date. 

Ms. Greeney moved to not exercise the Town’s right of first refusal on the property and Mr. Weiss seconded, and said that the Planning Board and Conservation Commission had recommended not exercising the right.

Ms. Brewer asked if ways might be found to streamline this process, such as creating a check list.  Mr. Shaffer said he would like to streamline the process if possible. 

The vote to support not exercising the right of first refusal was 3 in favor, 2 abstaining, with Mr. Kusner and Ms. Awad choosing to abstain.  Mr. Kusner said that he has noted before that more time and information is needed to deal with such cases, because the first-refusal right is valuable to the Town.

Town Manager’s Report – Ambulance Service Update  (7:27)

Mr. Shaffer gave a presentation about the history and status of his pursuit of higher ambulance fee reimbursements from the neighboring towns.  He said it began with efforts at improving reimbursement from UMass and the colleges, which led to the 5-year Strategic Partnership Agreement with UMass and the recent unrestricted gift from Amherst College. He said that the subsidy to the other towns by Amherst taxpayers became apparent while doing the cost analysis for UMass.  He said that the revenues realized through ambulance services need to increase, and that increased and predictable revenues were necessary if a new fire station is to be pursued. 

He provided the following numbers:

In FY07, there were 5131 fire and ambulance calls combined.  It cost about $4.8 million to support those calls.  Ambulance calls made up 3780 calls, or 75% of the total.  There were 1351 fire calls. He said that he is using the premise that every call is equal, and said that is a debatable point, but with it, that averages out to $937 per call. 

There were 972 calls outside of Amherst, nearly 15% of the total calls and 20% of the total ambulance calls.  He said that if you accept the $937 figure, that equals $910,000 in cost. 

Revenues from insurance proceeds totaled $385,000 for those calls, and $112,000 from the towns.  He said that the $496,000 reimbursement against the $910,000 expense implies a $413,000 deficit.

He said he began negotiations with Sunderland, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury and Hadley.  He said he has agreements-in-principal with Pelham, Shutesbury and Leverett, and is still in talks with Hadley.  He said that Sunderland has dropped out of the talks, because their model of service received from Amherst was very different than the others, and that this was not worth their while. 

Mr. Shaffer said he seeks an increased reimbursement rate and a five-year agreement from each town, so that the revenue can be predicted. 

He talked about the $937 cost-per-call premise.  He said that with these FY07 figures, the first call costs $4.8 million, and each subsequent one is cheaper as the expenses are divided among a larger pool of calls.   He said that to end the service to the other towns would result in a larger loss of incremental revenue than the savings of the incremental costs.  He said that if $500,000 in revenues were lost, that amount of cost could not be cut, and that current levels of fire and ambulance protection could not be provided to Amherst with the layoffs such a loss of revenue would require.  He said that the force has 45 people, and they work in four shifts of ten.  He said that minimum staffing requires 7 people per shift, so the number beyond that is needed to absorb those who are sick, on vacation, or in training.  He said that a $500,000 revenue loss would mean laying off 7 or 8 people and would reduce shifts to 8, and with the sick/vacation/training absences figured in, it would mean 5 people per shift, which he said was insufficient. 

Ms. Awad said that the Fire Chief has said that Amherst is thinly-covered due to out-of-town calls, and said that was a little contradictory but that she understood Mr. Shaffer’s example.  She suggested pursuing regionalization of the system so that all would pay their fair share. 

Mr. Kusner asked what private providers charge as a per-call rate for ambulance service and if their costs are lower because they provide less service.  He talked about emergency personnel not being available because they were at a hospital, as opposed to being in a neighboring town.

Mr. Shaffer talked about the different average call times depending on the town being served, but said he felt the $937 figure was fair.  He said his goal is to bring revenue from its current levels of 42% to 43% of expenses to 65% in 2010, and said it is moving in the right direction.

Mr. Weiss requested that there be a flow chart demonstrating how many personnel were needed for fire coverage in Amherst, the effect of having the personnel also be EMTs to do ambulance calls in non-fire times, and how the equation gets disrupted if there are too many or not enough ambulance calls.  

Ms. Greeney asked that the gap in Amherst’s subsidy to the other towns be closed by FY13, at which time the towns would pay the full cost of the services received.  She also asked about the increase in calls from FY04 to FY07. 

Mr. Shaffer said he is trying to increase the revenues as rapidly as he can, and said that if he thought even a single dollar could be saved through ending service to another town, he would do that. 

Mr. Weiss suggested that Mr. Shaffer run a scenario based on not providing service or receiving revenue from Hadley, to see what that would look like for Amherst taxpayers.  Mr. Shaffer said that that analysis had been done, and that he could present it at another time. 

Mr. Kusner reiterated is desire to know the per-call cost of private ambulance companies in order to provide context.  Ms. Awad praised Mr. Shaffer for identifying and pursuing this problem, and reiterated her point about the necessity of regionalizing the force. 

Mr. Shaffer said he did not know what private services charge.  He said that the question of whether it is still best to have all firefighters be EMTs needs to be looked at.  He said such issues should not be pursued rashly, and said that Amherst has high-quality fire and ambulance service and is prudent to be seeking higher reimbursement for that.

Ms. Greeney reiterated her call for setting a deadline for ending any subsidy, and suggested that that would help to motivate Mr. Shaffer to think creatively.  She moved that the Select Board endorse FY13 as an end-date for less-than-full reimbursement for emergency costs from towns and UMass and the colleges.  Mr. Kusner said that the motion might preclude her goal of regionalizing the force, and she amended it to include exploration of regionalizing ambulance service.  There was no second.

Mr. Shaffer said he would return at a future meeting to make a presentation with the Fire Chief regarding what the budget and coverage scenario would look like if it did not include calls to Hadley. 

Town Manager’s Report – Recent Budget Developments  (8:19)

Mr. Shaffer said that he was still in negotiations for all the collective bargaining agreements, and that the budget line item representing that eventual amount was still unresolved.  He said the Health Insurance Trust Fund trends were being tracked, and that the estimated 12% increase was high, and would not amount to that much, and that there could be good news there. 

Ms. Greeney said that if the 12% figure were reduced to 6%, that would save $100,000, which she suggested be combined with the revenues from the UMass Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Amherst College gift, and given to the elementary schools to address their budget shortfall.  She said she hoped that could be discussed at the March 3rd meeting, and sought to make that a motion, but was convinced not to for various reasons, including that sufficient school budget info would not be available by then.

Mr. Kusner reiterated his request from previous meetings that funding for the human service agencies and the War Memorial Pool be restored in the budget. 

Ms. Brewer said that every meeting agenda should include discussion of the budget.  She noted that the gift from Amherst College was to address reimbursement costs for emergency services, even though it was technically given as “unrestricted.”  She asked if there could be an update on the analysis of merging Town and School departments and other findings of the “blue ribbon” panel.

Mr. Shaffer said that his budget proposal contains a bottom-line figure and a restore list.  He said he isn’t willing to change the bottom line, but said that if expenses were reduced in one area, those funds could be applied somewhere else.  He cautioned that there would more changes as new information becomes available going forward.

Mr. Kusner moved that funding for the human service agencies and the pool be put at the top of the restoration list.  Carol Gray and Ellie Manire-Gatti spoke to the importance of having this funding in the budget.  Ms. Greeney said she could not support the motion, but would recuse herself from the vote.  Mr. Weiss said he would support it.  Mr. Kusner said that although other information might become available, this was a responsible motion for him to make at this meeting, with the facts currently available. 

The vote on the motion to move this funding to the top of the list was 4 in favor, 1 abstention.  [Note:  Ms. Greeney said she was recusing herself, but remained at the table, so I am not certain if this vote is considered an abstention or a recusal.]

There was a five minute recess in the meeting.

Report on the Community Development Block Grant Application  (8:52)

Mr. Shaffer said that the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application had been submitted for February 15th and requested $480,000 for repairs to the North Amherst School; $85,000 for an outreach worker for the homeless through Center for Human Development; $75,000 for childcare tuition reimbursement, and the balance for administration. 

Ms. Greeney talked about Select Board votes taken and public support expressed in favor of funding a feasibility study for a Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) housing facility.  She asked why that wasn’t included in the application and said she questioned the handling of the issue by the Town Manager.

Mr. Shaffer said that he was sorry if he hadn’t been clear on this point before and would try again.  He said that salaries in the Community Services office were being transitioned to primarily being funded through CDBG.  He said that two feasibility studies were discussed – one for assessing the adequacy of the Survival Center’s space, and the other for the SRO.  He said that the SRO study doesn’t have to be funded by the CDBG mini-entitlement grant, and that the funding could be made available now, but that it required more consideration of what the study would entail and what its purpose would be.  He said that the various committees dealing with homelessness and housing should get together to determine goals for the study.

Community Services Director Roy Rosenblatt said the SRO proposal was rejected by the Community Development Committee because it felt that a larger policy study was needed on different elements of low-income housing.  He said he expects extra money to be available from the North Amherst School project, because he expects the project to receive a variance for the accessible ramp requirement, but that the money needed to be applied for in case the variance isn’t granted. 

There was discussion about whether the Committee on Homelessness should be in charge of this issue, or whether it should work together with the Community Development Committee and the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee.  Ms. Greeney and Ms. Awad both expressed their strong desire for the Committee on Homelessness to have the primary role.

Audience members spoke about the necessity of affordable housing and the difficulty in identifying people who are homeless, how many there are currently, and the long-term need for an SRO. 

CPA Surcharge Increase on Annual Town Meeting Warrant  (9:19)

Mr. Kusner moved that the Select Board place an article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant to increase the Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge to 3%.  He said there would still be several steps before the voters might vote on this issue, and that he was proposing this now because Monday is the deadline for petition articles. 

Ms. Greeney expressed concern about not knowing how the money would be used.  Mr. Weiss said there was still much to discuss and consider, but that the first step would be to have an article on the warrant.  Mr. Kusner said he wasn’t seeking the Board’s support for the proposal, but rather, asked the Board to “do its duty” to let Town Meeting consider the issue.  Ms. Greeney said that was not the same standard the Board used when considering whether to put the override question on the ballot. 

Ms. Brewer said that if the Select Bard puts it on the warrant, then it is identified as the sponsor.  She said that the ten signature threshold was low enough to ask that the petitioners go that route instead.  Mr. Kusner said that he agreed, and suggested that both the Select Board and the petitioners submit the articles, and then let one be dismissed at Town Meeting.  He said this was one of his last actions as a Select Board member, and said that it was part of that body’s leadership role to put issues to Town Meeting for consideration. 

The vote on the motion to have the Select Board put a CPA surcharge increase article on the Town Meeting warrant was 3 in favor, 2 opposed, with Ms. Brewer and Ms. Greeney voting to oppose.  Mr. Weiss said that the Select Board might end up opposing its own article.

Town Meeting Childcare Funding  (9:28)

Frank Gatti spoke about a past Town Meeting resolution to fund childcare for Town Meeting members who need it in order to participate.  He said that two or three people ask about it each year.  He said that among the reasons people opposed the Town Meeting form of government during charter debates was because it was seen as not representative of Amherst’s population, skewing older, more well-off, and without children.  He said a childcare stipend was intended to address that. 

Mr. Shaffer said that his understanding was that the original intent was to fund child care to be provided at the Middle School during the meetings, but that that was not practical, and reimbursement for private care was sought instead. He said he thought the amount would total hundreds of dollars, rather than thousands, and said he thought that was logical and said he was happy to do it. 

Mr. Gatti noted that it could cover elder care or care for a sick relative, as well as covering childcare. 

Mr. Shaffer said he could write up the policy and notify Town Meeting members.  Ms. Brewer suggested a press release. 

Mr. Gatti said the stipend was intended to be $20 per session, and for the total Town expenditure to be capped at $4,000 per year.  Some felt this might not be enough money, particularly for elder care.

Mr. Shaffer said that departments had been very frugal with their budgets, and mentioned saving $7,500 by not renting garage space for the creation of sets for plays.  He said such funds could be used for this purpose.

Parking Policy Proposal  (9:39)

While Mr. Weiss was seeking to prioritize the remaining unaddressed agenda items, Mr. Kusner moved that a parking fee policy be approved that would adjust the rates and enforcement periods, to ensure additional revenues and be equitable to all and mindful of the environment. 

Ms. Brewer asked if this would be a Select Board policy, to help guide the actions of other more relevant bodies.  Mr. Kusner said it addressed the fact that the Transportation Fund was typically viewed as parking-oriented, while this incorporated the public transportation aspect.  Ms. Greeney said it might discourage people coming downtown to shop, and said that encouraging more public transportation could be done in other ways.  Mr. Weiss said he wouldn’t want to discourage downtown shoppers, but said that this shows that the Select Board is serious about public transportation as a key element of the Transportation Enterprise Fund. 

Mr. Kusner talked about parking theories and costs.  The vote on the motion was 4 in favor and 1 opposed, with Ms. Greeney voting to oppose. 

Signing the Town Election Warrant  (9:51)

The Select Board approved a motion to sign the Town Election Warrant. 

Ms. Brewer sought clarification about the status of the Market Hill Road property for which the Town’s right of first refusal had been considered at the February 11th meeting.  There was confusion as to whether or not a vote had been taken on that issue. 

The Select Board then adjourned to Executive Session, not to return to open session, for the purpose of discussing land acquisition and pending litigation. 

The meeting’s open session ended at 9:54.  The next Select Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 3rd at Town Hall.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

Public Comment  (6:03)

There was no public comment.

Public Hearing – WMECO Pole  (6:04)

This was a continuation of the February 4th public hearing regarding the installation of a new electricity pole on North East Street to service the new house being built behind the historic Kimball House.  No one from WMECO had been in attendance at the previous meeting to answer questions.  Several WMECO representatives attended this meeting, but did not identify themselves.

Mr. Weiss said that the Select Board had wanted to know how far the pole would be from the edge of the road, with concerns that the location not impact future repaving or creation of bike lanes.  The WMECO representatives said that the pole would be in line with the tree belt and other poles, about seven and a half feet from the road edge, and he explained that much wiring will be moved underground, and some existing poles would be removed. 

The vote to approve the new pole location was unanimous. 

Announcement – Power Plant Noise

Mr. Kusner said that the loud noise from the new UMass power plant was caused by steam being released from boilers.  He said that he had spoken with the plant’s engineer and been assured that the noise is a temporary issue.

Select Board Meeting Schedule  (6:10)

The Select Board unanimously approved the following meeting dates:  March 3, 10, 17, 24; and April 7 and 14.  March 31st had originally been considered, but it was decided to keep with tradition, and not hold a meeting the night before the Town Election.   

Special Liquor License  (6:13)

The Select Board voted unanimously to approve a special wine and malt license for an Amherst Montessori School fundraiser at the Jewish Community of Amherst.

Approval of Minutes  (6:14)

The Select Board voted 4 in favor, 1 abstention to approve the minutes of the January 24th meeting.  Mr. Kusner abstained because he had not been present for that meeting.

With the insertion of meeting start and end times, the Select Board unanimously approved the minutes of the February 4th meeting.

Suggestions for the Future  (6:17)

Mr. Kusner talked about the importance of transit-oriented development.  He said he had concerns about using money from the Transportation Enterprise Fund surplus for general government uses, and said that a focus on transit-oriented development could justify an amount larger than the current 10% going toward general government.   He said he would also like to see the funding from that surplus “rationalized.”  He said that to draw from there for capital needs was acceptable and was its purpose, and said he hoped that parking enforcement would be extended to peak demand times.  He also suggested making the price for parking uniform at 50 cents per hour, and perhaps doubling the cost of parking permits.  He said his suggestions were consistent with those discussed in the past by the Parking Task Force.

Mr. Weiss said that the Parking Task Force had not met in a while, and should probably meet again.  He said that he had a disability access issue to discuss with them as well. 

Mr. Kusner talked about a complaint he had received about the lack of a bus shelter by the Rolling Green Apartments, and said he was concerned that the enterprise fund surplus was being spent when transportation infrastructure was not getting enough investment. 

Chapter 61A Release– Bay Road  (6:24)

Mr. Shaffer explained that this property at 1011 Bay Road was owned by David and Phyllis Smith, and that because the land had been granted Chapter 61A status with reduced taxation to encourage farming, the Town was entitled to right of first refusal on purchasing the property.  He said that both the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board had recommended against the Town’s purchase of the property.

There was much discussion about the dates the notification was received and whether or not the property had yet changed hands, and how neither Conservation Director David Ziomek nor the attorney for the sellers was present to answer any questions. 

Select Board members expressed concern that property owners might be taking the change in tax status and the option for the Town to not purchase for granted, and that depending on the timing involved, the Town might be entitled to more taxes on the property. 

Mr. Shaffer said that it was not his position to petition for the property owner, and said that he always encourages the relevant parties in such matters to attend the Select Board meeting about it.   

It was determined that the matter would be brought back at the February 25th meeting, with the goal of having the petitioner’s attorney and Mr. Ziomek available to answer questions.

Revolving Fund for Library Fines

Mr. Kusner and Mr. Weiss both spoke to their recollections of last year’s discussions about setting up a revolving fund that would allow the Library to keep the money it collects in overdue fines, and that both had the expectation that necessary arrangements would be pursued for this year. 

Mr. Shaffer said that he had spoken recently with Mr. Musante about this issue, and he said that the Library’s Board of Trustees had decided not to request that this year.  Mr. Shaffer said that without the Library’s advocacy for the revolving fund, he said that it did not make sense to pursue it. 

Gift from Amherst College  (6:45)

Ms. Greeney referred to the press release Mr. Shaffer had distributed regarding a gift of $120,000 received from Amherst College, and asked about the cost of providing fire and ambulance services to the school. 

Mr. Shaffer said that in FY06, those services totaled approximately $76,000; in FY07 it was approximately $105,000; and in FY08 it was expected to be about $85,000 to $90,000.  He said it was important to note that the transmittal letter from Amherst College said the gift was unrestricted.  He said that the money is an acknowledgment of the conversations he has been having with the school regarding emergency services, but that it was unrestricted nonetheless.  He said that it is different from the contractual relationship that the Town has with UMass through its five-year Strategic Partnership Agreement, with the Town instead being a beneficiary of Amherst College’s donation. 

Ms. Greeney said that she is grateful for the generous donation, but that she would prefer the predictability of a contract.

Mr. Shaffer said that the letter references future gifts, and that he expects Amherst College to consider making annual gifts to the Town. 

Re-release of Market Hill Road Property

Ms. Brewer suggested voting to again not exercise the Town’s right of first refusal on a property on Market Hill Road near the Atkins Reservoir, for which the Town had given extensive consideration last summer and determined not to purchase.  Because there is a new purchase and sale agreement for the property, action by the Select Board is required again, and the process has dates pending.  While the Select Board members were amenable to doing this, crafting the motion became too complicated to be done quickly and to the satisfaction of all, so it was decided to postpone the issue to the next meeting.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:55 p.m.  The next meeting of the Select Board is scheduled for Monday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.  There is no meeting Monday, February 18th due to the Presidents’ Day holiday.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

Announcements

Announcements were made about the February 11th Budget Forum, the February 9th Winterfest event, the February 9th Not Bread Alone fundraising event, and a February 14th kick-off event for the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM) at 1:00 p.m. at the Grand Staircase of the Massachusetts State House.

Public Comment  (6:36)

Nancy Gordon talked about a budget priority survey she had conducted last year at her own expense, sent to 293 people chosen systematically and without bias from a list of residents who had voted in the 2006 Annual Town Election.  She said she received more than 150 responses, and she said the results were contained in the Select Board packets.  She talked about the changes in the economic climate since that survey was conducted, and said she hoped to do another this year.

Ms. Greeney talked about a survey conducted by the Select Board last October, and asked to have a few minutes to discuss that later in the evening. 

Mr. Weiss said that an agreement had been reached between PVTA and the Town regarding snow clearing at bus stops.  He said that the Town would clear the downtown stops, and that UMass would handle Amity Street to University Drive and outward from town.  He said that Al Byam, General Manager of UMass Transit, would send to PVTA a prioritized list of locations needing bus shelters.

Public Hearing – New WMECO Electrical Pole  (6:45)

No one from WMECO was present, but the public hearing was opened on the proposed new pole to provide service to the new house at 575 North East Street, behind the historic Kimball House. 

Mr. Kusner and Ms. Awad both expressed concerns about the precise location of the pole and its potential negative consequences for bicycle safety and general aesthetics. 

It was determined that the public hearing would be continued to the following meeting when a WMECO representative might be present, and that in the meantime, the company would be asked to put a flag at the location so that people would know the exact placement.

Untimed Item:  Budget Survey Results  (6:53)

Ms. Greeney talked about the budget priority survey conducted by the Select Board last fall.  She said that the results from the more than 90 responses had been compiled by Town Staff, and said that she had personally typed up 13 pages of comments.  She made a motion requesting that both sets of results be distributed to staff department heads and to members of the Budget Coordinating Group, and that they be made available to the public on the Town web site.  The vote to approve the motion was unanimous.

Campus Community Coalition Update  (6:57)

Sally Linowski from the UMass Campus Community Coalition provided an update on its activities.  She talked about collaborating with the Town to reduce underage and high-risk drinking.  She talked about UMass having a binge drinking rate higher than the State or National averages, and said that rate has been slowly decreasing since 1997.  She said that there has been an increase in large party environments, which she said led to destructive patterns.  She said that data was collected and efforts were made to address areas with potential for maximum impact, and she said that meant a review of UMass and Town alcohol policies and code violations, and she thanked Amherst Police Chief Charles Scherpa, Officer Mike Kent and the Select Board for their assistance. 

Ms. Linowski talked about how UMass’ BASICS program (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) had helped to reduce problem drinking and to identify and assist high-risk drinkers, whom she said in the past may have gone unnoticed and unhelped.  She said a review of Town bylaws dealing with alcohol policies has prompted the Coalition to propose updates and additions that she said will soon be brought to the Select Board and Town Meeting for consideration.  She said there is a new committee looking at best practices among bars and liquor stores to address fake ID issues.  She said the Coalition’s efforts have led to quality of life improvements on campus, and she said she thinks there have been improvements for Amherst community as well. 

Mr. Kusner expressed concern about some innocent students being unfairly caught up in the criminal justice system, and said that so much sharing of information between the University and the police could infringe on students’ civil rights.

Ms. Linowski said that efforts are made to inform families when they come to campus for tours and orientations that because of the nature of the community and its potential for high-risk drinking, that stricter policies exist to hold individuals accountable.  She gave the example of open container violations, which she said many are not used to in their home communities.  She said the strict policies and the sharing of information are intended to help protect the health and safety of all.

There was discussion about student perceptions and misperceptions about the drinking habits and attitudes of their peers, and about the need to educate a new large freshman class each year about rules, dangers and expectations.

Ms. Greeney is on the Coalition’s bylaw committee and talked about the keg and open container violation changes to be proposed for Town Meeting, and a new proposed bylaw regarding “nuisance houses.”  Mr. Kusner requested that the Select Board get to see drafts of those articles soon. 

Continuation of CDBG Discussion from Previous Meeting  (7:22)

This was a continuation of a discussion about what was proposed to be funded in the new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application. 

Paulette Brooks of the Community Development Committee (CDC) gave an update of that committee’s recommendations for the application.  She said that the committee decided not to recommend the suggested feasibility study for a single-room occupancy (SRO) facility to house the homeless, due to concerns about such a dwelling stigmatizing residents and not addressing affordable housing in the broader community.  She said that $85,000 for supportive services to the homeless to be conducted by the Center for Human Development was chosen instead.  She said that through the services, feedback would be collected regarding the numbers served, and the types of housing needs they have.  She said that with that information, larger solutions beyond just SROs could be considered. 

Mr. Kusner mentioned concerns about the CDC’s choice raised in a letter sent to the Select Board by Bob Ackermann.  Mr. Kusner said the concerns were about the money not being applied directly to help people and address issues within Amherst. 

Community Services Director Roy Rosenblatt said that most small local agencies operate under the umbrella of a larger agency, and said that among those operated by Center for Human Development are Not Bread Alone, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Jessie’s House.  He said that the outreach worker funded by the money would have an office at Jessie’s House. 

Ms. Greeney noted that she is an employee of Center for Human Development through her work at Not Bread Alone.  She praised the services to be offered to the homeless, but said that “housing first” is the model being endorsed by the State and in the region as the key step in addressing homelessness.  She said that once people have a one-room apartment and a safe environment, then “wrap-around services” could be provided to address issues like alcohol abuse and mental illness.  She said that she is “really appalled” that the CDC was “not willing” to offer housing. 

Vernon Francisco, who said he is homeless and a member of the Committee on Homelessness, talked about the need for an SRO or small apartments for families, and the need to have a safe, warm place to be.  

Reikka Simula, Chair of the Committee on Homelessness, said that many shelter and housing programs are aimed at women with children, but said that the large majority of the homeless population is single men, and said that was a reason an SRO feasibility is needed.

Jonathan Nelms said that he understands that the overall budget situation is bad, and said that Amherst is not doing its “fair share” to address homelessness, in relation he said to the size and scale of the local homelessness problem.  He said he hoped the “housing-first” model would be pursued locally.

Discussion turned to specifics of the Center for Human Development’s proposal, and Ms. Greeney recused herself and left the room.  Ms. Brooks said the funding would provide for comprehensive outreach services to the homeless and those at risk for homelessness, and connect them with other services and programs.  She reiterated the CDC’s concerns about wanting to look at the SRO option as part of a larger housing model context, and the concern about stigmatizing residents by putting them all together in one building.  She said the funding would address immediate needs.

There was more discussion about how the CDC came to its recommendation, and the trade-offs of it versus the SRO feasibility study option, and the need to bring the CDC together the other Town committees dealing with homelessness and affordable housing.  Ms. Awad suggested that the outreach worker could aggressively collect information about the attractiveness of an SRO option among those being served. 

Ms. Greeney returned to the discussion and provided data from the Regional Plan to End Homelessness.  She said that 520 individuals and 100 families in the region are chronically homeless, which she defined as being homeless for more than a year, or three times in four years.  She said that Springfield has committed to providing 50 units for families and 250 units for individuals who are chronically homeless, and said that they are looking to the rest of the region to provide the balance with an equal number of units.  She expressed frustration that the SRO study was not being pursued.

Stan Gawle said his background was in human services, and he suggested getting the Amherst Housing Authority involved, because they would have valuable information on current housing stock.  He also suggested using Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds as a possible source of funding for an SRO. 

Mr. Shaffer said the issue had been discussed with housing advocates and Town Council, and that an SRO was not considered an eligible use of CPA funds.

Ms. Greeney talked about the supply of SROs in Amherst and surrounding towns, how much those numbers have decreased in recent years, and the expense of rental apartments.  Mr. Weiss emphasized a desire to address homelessness by providing housing.

Mr. Rosenblatt talked about having analyzed the available land in town and identified areas on bus routes near Village Centers, and found few options.  He said there is a trade-off between the expense of renovating an existing building, and the fact that CDBG does not favor new construction.  He said that he hopes the State will fund the vouchers necessary to support the housing-first model, and said that a comprehensive regional solution is needed.

Taxi License  (8:12)

The Select Board granted a taxi business license and two taxi drivers’ licenses to a pair of college students operating Chip’s Whip Taxi from an apartment in Puffton Village.  The votes to approve the three licenses were unanimous.

Proposed Bylaw Change Regarding False Alarms  (8:19)

Mr. Gawle spoke to his proposal to change the Town’s bylaws to levy a fine for the second and subsequent false alarm calls to the same address.  He said that he requested information about alarm calls from the Police Department and found:  in FY07 there were 404 commercial alarm calls, and all were false alarms; 160 residential alarm calls, and 159 were false alarms; that police responded to 224 different addresses for alarm calls, and that 71 of those addresses had three or more alarm calls.  He talked about the dangers associated with such calls:  that they represent potentially violent situations, stress the police force and may leave the town with inadequate police coverage while officers respond.  He suggested that fines that take into account the cost of the police response be levied for the second and subsequent false alarms, and said that the $25 fine levied by neighboring communities is too low.  He said that an adequate fine could reduce the quantity of such calls. 

Mr. Kusner talked about a book he read recently that he said relates to the subject, called Free Lunch, by David Cay Johnston.

Police Chief Charles Scherpa said that his concern was not revenue, but safety.  He said the safety issues was not so much the officers confronting a violent situation, but rather, traveling through the community to the alarm sites in an emergency fashion.  He said that he prefers a system of verbal warning, followed by written warning followed by a fine, and said that sometimes false alarms are legitimate.  He said that no one wants the nuisance or embarrassment of being in that situation, but he said that when the issue is one of laziness, that is the time to take further action. 

Chief Scherpa said that the average false alarm call takes 15 to 20 minutes, and involves securing the site, notifying the alarm company and waiting for a key holder.  He said that at night it can be longer to wait for the key holder. 

Ms. Greeney asked Fire Chief Keith Hoyle about false fire alarms.  He said those represent similar safety issues as far as moving through traffic, but said they are much less frequent.  He said that after The Station night club fire, State laws were created to allow for writing citations to those with problem alarms.  He said most of those he has written have been to the UMass Greek system. 

Ms. Greeney offered some figures related to her determination of approximate costs for false alarms, which she put at about $60,000 for FY07.  She said that that amount combined with the safety danger supported the levying of fines. 

Chief Scherpa said he didn’t want to discourage people from using their alarms, and said that fines often end up taking much-needed money away from families.  He suggested warnings be given first, followed by reasonable fines. 

Ms. Awad commended Mr. Gawle for proposing the idea.  She suggested that Mr. Shaffer work with Chief Scherpa too create a warrant article for the spring, and suggested that if the Chief recommends warnings first, that his recommendation be followed.

With a little more discussion, the Select Board agreed to let the Town Manager and Police Chief address the issue. 

Implementing and Retaining Speeding Fines  (8:44)

Mr. Gawle proposed that Amherst propose a bylaw change at the spring Town Meeting to allow the Town to keep fines collected from speeding violations, and said a similar bylaw exists in Northampton.  Using proposed budget figures relating to court costs, he said that could bring in around $135,000 in new revenue and suggested that could pay for reinstating two police officer positions. 

Chief Scherpa talked about the current fine structure for speeding and how quickly a ticket can become very expensive.  He said that because of the concern about taking that money away from families, many warnings are given.  He said that a $50 municipal fine might get speeder’s attention and would often be considered more reasonable by police officers, who have discretion in such matters, than inflicting a much larger financial penalty.  He said that such a fine would be a fair tool for deterring speeding, and would bring the Town some revenue. 

With some questions about implementation and discussion about traffic calming, the Select Board expressed support for the proposal.  No vote or action was taken. 

Special Liquor License – Winterfest  (9:00)

Barbara Bilz of LSSE and Patty Brandts of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce requested a change in the hours of the special liquor license that had been approved the previous week for the February 9th Winterfest event.  The Select Board had reduced the hours from those that had been listed on the application, amid concerns that having wine and beer available all day would detract from the event being “family friendly.”  Ms. Bilz and Ms. Brandts assured the Select Board that that was not the case, and Ms. Bilz spoke to the training and certification she and her employees obtained to prevent potential overindulgence.  Chief Scherpa said he had required the training, and would be assigning a police officer to the event to ensure public safety. 

With some discussion about current Town policy for police details – that they are at the Chief’s discretion and event organizers are not charged for them – the Select Board voted unanimously to increase the license hours to noon to 8:00 p.m.

There was a five minute break in the meeting.

Agenda Review  (9:15)

There was discussion about which remaining agenda items needed to be addressed and which could be postponed. 

Ms. Greeney wanted to discuss the ambulance service agreements with neighboring towns, but said she was willing to put that discussion off if signing of the agreements was not imminent.

Mr. Shaffer said that he was not waiting for or seeking the Select Board’s input on the agreements, and said that he would sign the contracts when he feels the terms are in the Town’s best interest.  He said he was happy to have the Select Board’s input but that he had not sought it and he said that the Select Board had no official role in issue.

Ms. Greeney said she recognizes the that the Town Government Act authorizes the Town Manager too sign contracts, and asked that he seek Select Board input before signing so that the effort would be collaborative and she could feel comfortable supporting it. 

Mr. Shaffer talked about the origins of the cost analysis for providing emergency services and how that has informed his discussions with the neighboring towns.  He said he would be happy to schedule a full discussion about all of those details, but warned against the Select Board trying to isolate any one contract because he said they are all tied together.  He said it would be problematic if other towns got the sense that the Select Board might compel him to walk away from a contract or negotiations, and said that the revenue from these contracts is counted in this year’s budget and beyond, and that he needs that predictability and stability.  He said that he needs to adhere to discipline in the process and asked the Select Board to do the same. 

Ms. Brewer suggested that there be a detailed update on the subject scheduled for an upcoming agenda.

In response to questions, Mr. Shaffer said that he has obtained “agreements in principle” with three of the four towns, but that they have not yet been formalized and signed.  He said he is currently in conversations with Hadley that represent $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue.  He said that that revenue is important, and said “anyone who tells you that there is more money to be had out there really hasn’t spent the kind of time on this that I have,” and recommended that the Select Board “not shake the tree too much on this.”

Mr. Gawle cited numbers that had been in the newspaper regarding the agreements and said that the totals left taxpayers subsidizing emergency service to the other towns. 

Ms. Awad praised Mr. Shaffer for aggressively pursuing and improving revenue areas that she said had been regarded with “a great deal of passivity for several decades,” citing Cherry Hill Golf Course and the emergency services to neighboring towns. 

Mr. Shaffer said that his and Mr. Gawle’s outlooks on the issue are closer than Mr. Gawle might expect.  Mr. Shaffer said that if eliminating service to the neighboring communities would eliminate the full expense, he said that would be an easy decision, but said the situation is not that simple.  He said that expenses can’t be cut in the same amount as the decrease in revenues, and said that it would require cutting six or seven out of 44 firefighters to make up for the loss of $440,000 in revenue, and said that would leave Amherst inadequately protected.  He said the best option is to increase the amount of revenue coming in. 

Mr. Weiss asked if it affordable to continue to have all of our firefighter also be EMTs.  Mr. Shaffer said that that is an important discussion to have, and that he would want the Fire Chief participating and to have all the numbers available.  

Mr. Kusner said that the situation with the other Towns involves marginal costs and explained it as being analogous to driving across the country and seeking to get other riders to share the costs.  He said to charge each one half the cost would not be reasonable, but that to collect some amount from each one would be mutually beneficial because it would off-set the driver’s costs and would be cheaper for the riders than driving themselves individually. 

Licenses  (9:41)

The Select Board voted unanimously to approve the corporate name change for Amherst Coffee.  Its business name remains the same.

The Select Board voted unanimously to approve two special wine and malt licenses for UMass events.

Political Signs  (9:43)

There was discussion about the placement of political signs and what is allowed by custom and what the Town bylaw says, and how they may differ.  It was determined that the bylaw should probably be looked at by Town Counsel, and that traditional practices would prevail in the meantime.  Mr. Kusner suggested the Town Counsel consult with ACLU on the bylaw.

Committee Appointments  (9:50)

Ms. Brewer said that the previous week’s meeting had gone very late, and that she was sorry she had not limited herself to her original comment that concerns about one of the ZBA’s associate members prevented her from recommending that member for full status, and said she regretted not tabling the appointment discussion when that had first been suggested.  She then recommended that Jane Ashby be appointed as a full ZBA member, to complete the term vacated by Russ Frank.

Ms. Awad said that she felt badly about her role in the previous week’s discussion which she said led to the public criticism of Hilda Greenebaum, whom Ms. Awad said she greatly respects, and whom she praised for her long public service to the community.  Ms. Awad said that Ms. Greenebaum does not wish to pursue becoming a full member, which Ms. Awad said that precedent would have allowed Ms. Greenebaum to do.  Ms. Awad said she supports the recommendation to appoint Ms. Ashby.

The vote to approve Ms. Ashby’s appointment as a full member of the ZBA was unanimous.

Ms. Brewer recommended the appointment of Walter Wolnik to the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee.   The vote to approve his appointment was unanimous.

Ms. Brewer recommended the appointment of Craig Holmes to the Committee on Homelessness.  The vote to approve his recommendation was unanimous.

Ms. Brewer recommended the appointment of Paul and Carol Baker to the La Paz Centro Sister City Committee.  The vote to approve their appointments was unanimous.

The meeting adjourned at 9:59 p.m.  The next Select Board meeting was scheduled for Monday, February 11th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Middle School music room, preceding the Community Budget Forum.

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

Gerry said that they would be calling each other by first names for this meeting.

Human Service Agency Funding

Hwei-Ling said that she typically recuses herself from discussions of the human services budget to avoid conflict of interest issues, but asked that discussions about her agency, Not Bread Alone, be separated so that she could recuse herself from those, but still be able to comment on the other agencies, with which she said she has no financial ties.

Anne said that might still be a problem, because all the agencies share from the same “pot” of funds.

Gerry said talking about funding at the agency level was unnecessarily specific, and that under the Town Manger’s current budget proposal, no agencies are slated to receive funds.  He said that Hwei-Ling should be involved in the more general discussion about human services funding.

Gerry read from written remarks:  commending Larry on his work, his reduction of the Town’s projected shortfall to date, and in increasing revenues; expressing disappointment that the budget was partly balanced “on the backs of the most disadvantaged citizens; criticizing the Federal government for its spending policies since the Reagan administration; and noting the increases in poverty and its effects on society locally and nationally.  He said that he thinks it is the Town’s role to “pick up the slack,” mentioned other human services covered by the Town budget, including LSSE, the Senior Center, and the education of children, and said that he considers the money allocated to the human service agencies to be of equal priority.  He said that the Town Manager’s budget proposal should reflect the priorities of the Select Board and expressed confidence that a mutually satisfactory solution would be worked out before Town Meeting.

Rob said he appreciated Gerry’s statements and said that he knows that Larry’s proposal to fund the agencies starting in FY10 with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money was meant to insulate the agencies from Town funding uncertainties, but said that the community makes a philosophical statement by supporting these agencies through taxation. 

Hwei-Ling talked about the “human side” of the funding, describing increases in the number of guests served at Not Bread Alone, and how conversations there often focus on the question “eat or heat?” regarding having to choose which area to spend money.  She talked about how Not Bread Alone helps people to stretch their meager budgets by supplying free grocery items.  She said the $5,000 her program receives from the Town as part of its $50,000 budget is an investment with a return of ten times that amount.  

Larry said he appreciated the Select Board’s expression of the community’s concerns and said he had not taken the matter lightly.  He said that the Town’s structural deficit isn’t going away any time soon and that he is looking for any opportunities to move expenditures from the general fund to other funding mechanisms.  He said that the $66,000 could probably be found in this year’s budget but that his concern was for next year and subsequent years.  He said that with that in mind, he recommended earmarking $160,000 of CDBG funds for next year to these agencies.  He said that new efforts were also under way to assist the Amherst Survival Center in moving to a site that would better serve its needs. He said that changing the paradigm for funding these agencies and “weaning” them off of taxation support was necessary, and he said that helping the Survival Center was consistent with that goal.  He said he was mindful of the Select Board’s policy directive and didn’t mean to be defiant.  He said the conversation will continue regarding the different issues and options. 

Anne said she likes the idea of an alternative funding source but was concerned about the instability and unpredictability of CDBG money and Amherst’s status in the program.  She said that if that money were to not be available, it would be difficult to ask Town Meeting for it, and said it would be easier to keep it in the budget each year.  Gerry agreed with those concerns.

Rob asked if municipal financing laws would allow for something analogous to an enterprise fund or an endowment, whereby the human services money could be protected from the general budget issues.   

John said that such a fund would require a funding source, and that that is why the idea isn’t really analogous to something like the water fund, which takes in its money through user fees.  He said that Town is already able to protect gifts and contributions that people make for a specific purpose, so no further structure would be needed if funds were received by the Town for the agencies. 

Larry said a similar concept already exists in the form of Town reserves, which he said Town Meeting always has the ability to appropriate from as it sees fit. 

Employee Pay and Benefits

Hwei-Ling reiterated her ongoing concerns about the expense of employee pay and benefits.  She said she didn’t see much effect from reorganizing the Planning, Conservation and Inspections departments, and was concerned that regionalizing emergency dispatch services with UMass still was not being pursued.  She called the proposed budget the “same old, same old,” and said that the Select Board’s values seem to be different than the Town Manager’s, and that the Select Board’s values need to be reflected in the budget he creates.  She said she understands that employees must be fairly compensated, but that there needs to be a way to “share the pain.”  She suggested that reducing the step increases would allow enough savings to fund the pool and human services.

Gerry said that all union employees did “share the pain” last year by accepting a 1% increase, and Hwei-Ling said she appreciated that.  Gerry said the subject is difficult to talk about without violating the need to negotiate in good faith. 

Anne said that Hwei-Ling was expressing a concern many residents have about public employees who get paid a lot and work a little.  She suggested that more could be done to present the work of Town employees so that people can better appreciate the reality of the situation.  She said it is important to be realistic about wage scales and to be sure the Town’s are in line with those of comparable cities and towns.

Gerry said that the relationship between COLAs and personnel cuts has to be part of the conversation, with cuts required if COLAs are too high.  He said that might not be taken seriously because few cuts have occurred in recent years, but he said that eventually significant cuts will happen. 

Larry said that he understands the frustration about benefits, but said that Town staff are not the cause of the structural deficit problem, and will help to find and create its solutions.  He said that reorganization of Planning, Conservation and Inspections has resulted in a 2.3% budget reduction, and he said he is happy to look at efficiencies to be found through reorganization, and has done so.  He said that analysis of regionalizing dispatch services is ongoing to see if such a change “makes sense.”  He said that consideration of similar changes cannot be undertaken frivolously or quickly, and require planning and resources. 

Regionalization/Reorganization

There was discussion about the oft-mentioned possibility of combining Veterans’ Services with other towns.  John said that is being considered and discussed, and that there are legal mandates affecting that situation. 

Per Hwei-Ling’s suggestion that the proposed budget represents different values than those held by the Select Board, John said that he didn’t want to be characterized as having different values, and said that the budget proposal is based on a recommendation of the best way to meet the needs with the money that is available from Federal, State and local sources.    

Hwei-Ling said that she would like to have consideration of Hadley’s model of contracting out planning services rather than maintaining a Planning Department.

At this point, a woman from the audience interrupted and complained loudly that the town was not adequately assisting the homeless.  Gerry said that her concerns were noted.

Larry responded to Hwei-Ling’s suggestion saying that he is not a fan of privatizing municipal services, but that some opportunities exist in some areas, depending on the position.  He said that it will be necessary to “be very creative as we go forward,” but not in ways that diminish services or assets.  He said he has seen many communities be unsuccessful in their privatization efforts, but that he is happy to consider all opportunities.

Economic Development Director

Gerry brought up the topic of an Economic Development Director, noting that the position is on Larry’s list of funding priorities if money becomes available.  Gerry said there is mixed support for the idea on the Select Board.

Larry said that he and department heads are currently pursuing economic development work, and said it is difficult to propose a new initiative when the budget proposes cuts to existing ones.  He said that having him and staff lead those efforts now is in the Town’s best interest, and that it would be good to bring in an Economic Development Director once there is a project with real goals and deadlines.  He said he wants to be able to set clear performance benchmarks for such a position, and to provide every opportunity for it to be successful.  He said that economic development is a key component to fixing the structural deficit over the long term. 

Anne said that there are grants available to help support such a position.

Hwei-Ling said that the town has done all it can do in terms of planning and open space, and said that it should now be in a maintenance mode, and shouldn’t continue to require more resources.  She suggested that a current Planning or Conservation staff person could take on the economic development work, rather than adding a new staff person.  She said that she hoped that the Town Manager’s loyalty was not to preserving current staff, but to what works best for the Town.  She suggested asking UMass or Amherst College to help fund an Economic Development Director’s position for a few years.  She said she was concerned if the Town Manager spends time on economic development at the expense of addressing issues like traffic calming or graffiti. 

Rob expressed concern about asking UMass and Amherst College to fund a position that might benefit them directly.  He talked about infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, such as roads bridges and public transportation being part of economic development, and cited a New York Times column on that subject.  He talked about Amherst’s industrial past and the residual impacts left by that, and said he hoped that environmental clean-up and restoration would be included in economic development plans.

Other Budget Areas

Switching topics, Rob asked if a hiring freeze might be necessary, and if the Select Board should recommend that to the Town Manager. 

Larry said that he does not prefer formal hiring freezes because some positions are more critical than others, and must be filled.  He said he prefers to use his judgment, and that a “soft freeze” is and has been in effect.  He said that he hopes to find more opportunities to take funds that are unspent because of a vacancy or other reasons and use them to pay down future obligations and remove them from future budgets. 

Gerry said he expects to find agreement on budget issues between now and Town Meeting, to prevent a lot of fighting about a little bit of money.  He asked if Larry could provide budget updates as time goes on, suggesting mid-March.  Larry agreed and said that more would be known at that time.

Hwei-Ling said that any potential conflict of interest issues raised by Amherst College or UMass funding an economic development position could be avoided by the school making an unrestricted gift to the Town.  She said that LSSE funding has been her “pet peeve” for three years, and said that its reduction in tax support from $405,000 in FY08 to less than $300,000 in FY09 could still be better.  She talked about that representing a 30% subsidy by the Town for people’s tango lessons. 

Larry said that the LSSE reorganization was a “splendid example” of Town employees being part of the budget solution rather than part of the budget problem.  He praised Linda Chalfant, Barbara Bilz and Bob Brandts for their analysis of the organization and funding of all the LSSE programs, and the “dramatic changes” they were able to make in the organization to achieve an “incredible reduction” in the tax subsidy.  He said that they did so with some program reductions, but that they were not drastic.  He said that LSSE was moving in the right direction, and that he was very happy with what had been accomplished this year, and he congratulated that department on its work. 

Anne talked about people and the press referring to negotiations with the colleges as seeking to get them to “giv(e) money to the Town.”  She said that she supports Larry’s framing of the negotiations as seeking reimbursement, and she broadened it beyond the scope of emergency services, to include the benefit they get from having a good elementary school system a beautiful Town common, and so forth.  She said that such factors assist Amherst College, for example, in its recruitment and retention of faculty. 

Gerry said he appreciated LSSE’s programs and the efficiencies the department was able to find for this budget.  He said that its staff of ten was still large and accounted for $286,000 in salaries not including benefits, and said that benefits raised the expense to more than $400,000, which he said was still reduction from last year.  He said that a conversation still needed to occur regarding the possibility of paring down the LSSE programs to those with the “highest social value.”

Rob said he urged the Town Manager and others to not use Transportation Enterprise Fund surplus money for the general budget, and suggested that the fee structures for parking meters and permits be reconsidered.  He also suggested that the School Superintendent consider fees for student and staff parking.  He said that to move to a more effective and efficient 21st century transportation system, cars need to pay more of their “fair share.”  He said that “higher quality” bus stops were needed, among other public transit infrastructure needs.

Hwei-Ling said she wanted to make sure the audience has a chance to speak.

Alisa said she disagreed, because much time had been spent of few issues, they had not heard updated projections from John, had not heard much from Anne and hadn’t yet heard from Alisa.  She said she hoped to not repeat the same conversations at subsequent meetings about why different priorities are so important, and said that those priorities had been well-expressed at this meeting.  Per human services and LSSE, she said that the LSSE subsidies are a form of human services funding, similar to funding the outside agencies.  Per the colleges and University, she said that while they need for Amherst to be a nice community, she said it would probably not be responsible for their trustees to give the Town a “blank check.”  Per charging for school parking, she said it would result in money that could only be used for school parking lot expenses. 

On the subject of the municipal budget, Alisa said that there had been no discussion of cuts beyond the human service agency funding.  She said that while the municipal cuts are difficult for Town staff to have to manage, the cuts aren’t comparable to those facing the Elementary Schools, and said that no type of fee increases could come close to raising the more than $1 million necessary to cover their shortfall.  She also said that the issue of the Town budget coming in at a 3.1% increase, higher than the Finance Committee’s  recommendation of 2%, had not been addressed.  She said that she had been seeking a discussion about how to divide up the Finance Committee’s recommended increase – to continue to distribute it in equal percentages to the Town, the Elementary Schools and the Libraries, or to perhaps give more to the schools – and the Town was now giving itself an even larger share.  She said there was talk of spreading the pain, but said that the Town faced little in this budget.  She said she hopes there would be a way to talk about those issues.  She said she hoped that might be part of the conversation at the Community Budget Forum on February 11th.

Anne said that she agreed with Alisa’s proposal to not have public input at this meeting, and to have that at regular Monday meetings instead.  She said that there was little opportunity for Select Board members to have focused conversation on this topic at regular meetings because there is always so much other business needing attention.  She said she would like to hear updated projections from John, and for that to be the end of the meeting.

Updated Projections

John passed out a document with updated projections.  He said that the bottom line difference between his September revenue projections and these was that these were “slightly worse.” He said that local revenues were higher, thanks to the Strategic Partnership Agreement with UMass and being close on completing agreements with the surrounding towns for providing emergency medical service.  He said these help to preserve the level service funding for public safety.  He said that State Aid figures were “sobering,” with Chapter 70 aid for schools increasing only 1.8%, or $107,000 rather than the 3% projected.  He said that lottery revenues are flat, and that the current lottery aid allocation is not sufficient to meet the distribution.  He said that the legislature has filled in this gap in the past, and there is lobbying for them to do so again. He said that the Governor’s budget seeks to use casino revenues to fill the gap.  He said that even if the lottery aid is level funded, that will be less than the 3% increase estimated, reducing projections by $140,000 from the September numbers.

He said the news was better on the expense side.  He said that September’s projections anticipated a $1.9 million shortfall, and said that three of the four budget makers had submitted their proposed budgets now, at or near the Finance Committee’s 2% guideline.  He said the Town’s 3.1% increase used new revenue to prevent further cuts.  He said the Regional Schools believe they are able to meet their budget with a 3% assessment.  He said that the Library budget wasn’t formally submitted yet, but was expected to be a 2.6% overall increase with 2% coming from taxation.  He said the Elementary Schools budget wasn’t submitted yet, but had a preliminary increase of 8.4% or $1.65 million.  He said the capital budget projections were unchanged, and looking to use 8% of the levy, and said that capital spending two years ago was higher than that amount.  He said the difference between 7% and 8% of the levy is about $340,000.  He said that projections for assessments were “slightly more positive,” and that level funding of the retirement assessment helped that.  He said the overall budget gap was projected at $1.4 million if the capital assessment stays at 8%, or $1.1 million, if capital is reduced to 7%.   He said those figures include the preliminary 8.4% Elementary Schools increase, which he said the School Superintendent and School Committee were still working on, and might be decreased.  John said that if the gap ended up being at half current projection levels, totaling $500,000 to $700,000, the question would be what the options are for addressing that.  He said that those options would include making cuts, using reserves, or having an override.  He said that there is both the need to resolve FY09 issues and to be thinking in terms of multi-year planning.

Options for Dealing with Shortfall

John explained different documents he had distributed, which he said showed different scenarios for dealing with the shortfall, one of which did so with all cuts, and another allocated 3% to the Elementary Schools, and less to the other budgets; another dealt with using reserves.

He said that FY08 began with $4 million in reserves, which he said sounds like a lot of money, but he said that the appropriate amount needs to be considered in the context of what amount would be necessary to sustain vital programs and services during a severe economic downturn, and said that an amount equal to 5% of the operating budget is the minimum needed in case of emergency.  He said that $4 million is equal to 6% of operating revenue.  He talked about the $600,000 appropriated at the Special Town Meeting in November to cover Amherst’s assessment for the regional lock-up facility ($30,000) and the balance going toward an advance to cover the required balance in the Health Care Trust Fund, which will be paid back to the reserves.  He said that by July, reserve totals are expected to equal $4.3 million, or 7% of the operating budget.  He said that if $500,000 of reserves were to be used, that would still have the balance at over 6%.  He called that an option, and not a recommendation.  He said that that should only be considered if there is a specific strategy for the out years of restoring reserves and getting the operating budget to be funded 100% with recurring revenues. 

John said that the final page of his handout detailed the effects an override would have on average property tax bills.  He said that every $100,000 added to the levy would add 5 cents to the tax rate.  He said that for the average house valued at $332,500, it would equal $16 for every $100,000 of the override amount.  He said that an override amount of $500,000 would mean an increase of $80 on the average tax bill ($16 x 5 = $80,) and less for houses with values lower than the average, and more for those with higher values. 

Per Alisa’s question about the Town budget increasing 3.1% instead of 2%, John said that EMS payments had increased from the University and were anticipated from surrounding towns, and that the EMS rates were being increased over FY08.  He said that LSSE had eliminated one staff position and had increased fees, such that tax support was able to be replaced by fees for about $37,000.  He said that Cherry Hill had had an excellent year with revenues up more than 20% over the previous year, and that while the golf season is weather-dependent, he said that he was comfortable with the revenue projections for next year.

Alisa asked how the LSSE fee increases are applied.  John and Larry both spoke to the new fee structure and how the increases vary according to the program.

The meeting adjourned at 4:17 p.m. 

-- Stephanie O’Keeffe

Polling places for each precinct are shown below. Note that the former University of Massachusetts sub-precincts (3A, 4A, 9A, and 10A) have been removed; UMass students must now vote at the primary polling place listed below.

Precinct 1 Ballot
North Congregational Church

Precinct 2 Ballot
North Fire Station

Precinct 3 Ballot
Immanuel Lutheran Church

Precinct 4 Ballot
Bangs Center

Precinct 5 Ballot
Bangs Center

Precinct 6 Ballot
Fort River School

Precinct 7 Ballot
Crocker Farm School

Precinct 8 Ballot
Munson Memorial Library

Precinct 9 Ballot
Wildwood School

Precinct 10 Ballot
Bangs Center

Current Amherst precinct maps

Still unsure where to vote?  Check here.

CANDIDATES FOR TOWN-WIDE OFFICE

Select Board (Two three-year seats)

Hwei-Ling Greeney

David Keenan

Stephanie O'Keeffe

Irv Rhodes

Diana Stein

School Committee (One three-year seat)

Chrystel Romero

Catherine Sanderson

Moderator (One one-year seat)

Nancy Gordon

Harrison Gregg

Jones Library Trustee (Two three-year seats)

Christopher Hoffman

Patricia Holland

Jones Library Trustee (One two-year seat)

Louis Greenbaum

Elector, Oliver Smith Will (One one-year seat)

John Coull

Kevin Joy

Amherst Redevelopment Authority (One five-year seat)

Carol Gray

Margaret Roberts

Amherst Redevelopment Authority (One three-year seat)

Aaron Hayden

James Oldham

CANDIDATE WEB SITES

Select Board

Hwei-Ling Greeney

Stephanie O'Keeffe

Irv Rhodes

Diana Stein

School Committee

Chrystel Romero

Catherine Sanderson

Redevelopment Authority

Carol Gray

Aaron Hayden

Jim Oldham

Peggy Roberts

 
OTHER ELECTION INFO RESOURCES

Amherst Bulletin

League of Women Voters Election Guide, part 1

League of Women Voters Election Guide, part 2

Sustainable Amherst

ACE:  School Commitee Candidate Statements

ACE: Select Board Candidate Staements

Amherst Taxpayers for Responsible Change Questionnaires

    Hwei-Ling Greeney

    David Keenan

    Stephanie O'Keeffe

    Irv Rhodes
    Diana Stein
Jim Oldham & Carol Gray's ARA info site

Jim Chumbley's Election Links

ELECTION CALENDAR

2/12/08 - Last day to file nomination papers for town office and town meeting.

2/26/08 - Last day for Town Clerk to place questions on town election ballot.

2/28/08 - Last day to withdraw nomination papers for town office and town meeting.

3/12/08 - Last day to register to vote for the town election.

4/1/08 - Annual town election (polls open 7:00am - 8:00pm).

Full election and town meeting calendar here.

TALLY VOTE INFORMATION

Town Meeting Tally Vote Database