Monday, October 15, 2007

Now the ball is in the Select Board's court...

UPDATE: By noon our efficient Town Clerk's office had certified 88 names (throwing out ten). So we are now officially (with Friday's 33) at 121, or 21 over the top!

This morning at 9:35 Amherst Taxpayers for Responsible Change delivered to the Select Board office an additional 98 signatures in addition to 33 already certified by the Town Clerk on an petition requesting the following article be inserted on the Fall Special Town Meeting warrant that closes this evening at 8:50pm:

“To see if the town will strongly urge the Select Board to rescind their September 17, 2007 3-2 vote as Sewer Commissioners to waive effluent fees to Umass, Amherst over the five years of the “strategic agreement.”

According to the final clause of the "Strategic Agreement":

9. Termination - In the event that if the University of Massachusetts, the Town, Amherst Regional Public Schools (APRS) or Amherst Elementary Schools (AES) experience changes that materially affect the equity of this agreement, or if relevant, new information becomes available, the party so affected may initiate, and the other party must agree to participate in discussion of amended terms and conditions to this agreement so as to preserve the underlying principles of equity and the allocation of the cost of this agreement. Any modification or amendment shall be made by written mutual agreement, and shall become effective only when signed by all parties. Either party may terminate this agreement by giving written notice to the other party 180 days in advance of when the termination is to take effect.

Since the Select board was told the effluent waiver would only cost town taxpayers $38,000 per year, but now "new, relevant information" indicates that usage will double therefor doubling the cost to the taxpayers, that part of the agreement needs serious reconsideration.


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