And The Children Shall Lead?

Today's Gazette hyping a Town Meeting advisory warrant article from 8th-graders

So here's yet another good reason to do away with antiquated Amherst Town Meeting as a legislative body overseeing our $75+ million college town: time wasting advisory articles.

According to today's Gazette Amherst Regional Middle school students will collect the (only) ten signatures required to get their rename Columbus Day article on the warrant.

Geeze, maybe Amherst College students will file one calling for the renaming of our town, and by extension Amherst College.

Or maybe ten rowdy UMass kids will file one suggesting we officially recognize the "Blarney Blowout."

Two of the most egregious public relations nightmares that made us the laughing stock of the nation were hatched by 17-year-old high school students: the cancelling of 'West Side Story' and then 5 years later being the only high school in the nation to perform the R rated 'Vagina Monologues'.

Sometimes -- like the medieval Children's Crusade -- it's best not to let the kiddies lead.

Strategic Partnership Backstory

UMass is by far the town's largest employer

The 3.5 year Strategic Partnership agreement hurriedly signed around Christmas is pretty much a status quo deal -- which is to say lousy -- and only provided $120,000 in new monies for "various services the town provides to the university and its faculty, staff and students, including educating K-12 students who live in tax-exempt housing and first responder services."

The combined budget of Amherst Public Safety Departments (Police/Fire/Dispatch) comes to $10 million and about 20% of those resources go towards dealing with UMass students on and off campus, or about $2 million.

In addition School Superintendent Maria Geryk told Town Meeting last year there were 56 children coming into Amherst Public Schools from tax exempt family housing at Umass for a cost to Amherst taxpayers of $1.2 million.

Interestingly in the original 2007 Strategic Agreement UMass clearly stated that if Mark's Meadow Elementary School should close (which it did soon thereafter) they would come back to the bargaining table to discuss the cost of educating children from their tax exempt housing.

Not only did they not come back to reopen the agreement after they took back the School of Education building, but just a few months ago UMass demolished the $200,000 town owned portable classrooms that were located to the rear of the building.

So I wondered how much work went into the new Strategic Partnership that was 3.5 years overdue when finally signed.  My sources told me Nancy Buffone, Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations, was the main point person on the academic side.

And of course Town Manager John Musante and his sudden replacement Dave Ziomek were in charge on the town side.

I'll let you decide ...

Took six weeks and cost $275

   UMass Amherst Strategic Partnership

A Historic Cold Month

February has been a good month for remembering & honoring cultures that help make our little college town what it is today.

We started February with the 2nd annual St. Brigid's Day to remember the Irish in a way as diametrically opposite as possible to the unsanctioned Blarney Blowout, and today it was the 3rd annual flag raising combined with a well attended ceremony at Town Hall to remember Black History Month.

Although it was bitter cold and the ceremony was advertised as an outdoor event, about four dozen citizens crowded into Town Hall to hear Jim Wald read the Select Board proclamation and poet Xinef Afriam perform a passionate piece remembering 150 years of black suffering.

The crowd did brave the weather, marching slowing out of Town Hall and assembling on the front steps while singing the black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice & Sing."

No Ballot For You

Helen Berg collecting signatures last weekend

After a brief conversation with the Town Clerk this afternoon Select Board wanna be candidate Helen Berg was satisfied with most of the names disqualified from her nomination papers, but she remained  adamant about only two of them which she will attempt to appeal to a higher authority.

Berg had handed in her papers on the final day less than an hour before deadline with 64 names.  The Town Clerk's office disqualified 16 of those names for a variety of reasons leaving her just two shy of the 50 needed.

There is no option available to appeal the Town Clerk's decision to the Board of Registrars or any other local authority other than bringing a lawsuit before a Hampshire Superior Court judge.

Last year Vince O'Connor and Mary Wentworth tried to have signatures thrown out from School Committee candidate Phoebe Hazzard because multiple signatures appeared to have been signed by the same person.

The Board of Registrars does get involved with a properly filed challenge/appeal over nomination signatures but does not get involved if it was the Town Clerk who threw them out.

Berg came in a distant third two years ago for Select Board and threatened a lawsuit because the Town Clerk did not put the names on the ballot alphabetically (where her name would have been first).

Turns out the town had been granted special state legislation in 1975 to allow names to appear by drawing from a hat, letting luck be the deciding factor.  That applies only to town wide contests.

The 20 Charter Commission candidates still fall under normal state guidelines, so their names will appear alphabetically on the March 29 ballot.

Taking On Water

Maria Geryk, Sean Mangano, Mike Morris at last night's Finance Committee meeting

Amherst school officials gave the Finance Committee a sneak peak at their fiscal 2017 Elementary and Regional School budgets, both of which are described as "level services," and both of which require sizable cuts simply to attain that treading water status quo:

$428,897 from the elementary schools and  $280,823 from the Region.

 Charter Schools cost as much as employee Step/COLA and projected raises next year on Elementary budget Control Accounts

And in both cases the number one cause of budget strain comes from the competitive drain of students by Charter Schools, mainly Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, which is now a full service grades 1-12 enterprise.

 PVCIC recently added $10 million building addition

For the Region (grades 7-12) this year that includes 90 students and at the elementary level another 86 -- all of them at the high average cost per student, where Amherst is in the top 10% statewide.

 Charter School impact on Amherst elementary schools

If a student leaves Amherst via Choice it only costs us $5,000 but if they go to a Charter School or Vocational School it costs us $18,000.

And to make matters worse the state is considering lifting the cap on Charter Schools while reducing dramatically the reimbursement formula to public schools who lose students to Charters.

All in all a lose/lose proposition for an already ailing public school system once the proud flagship of education in the Happy Valley.

PVCIC recently added a $10 million addition to their nearby facility while Amherst is gambling on a two-for-one mega school that could very well be turned down by the voters because of expense, adding significant costs to Amherst's already sky high property tax burden.

School  Library supporters crashed the FinCom meeting

About a half-dozen disgruntled citizens showed up to the Finance Committee meeting last night to complain about the 3 library paraprofessionals facing the budget ax, but Chair Kay Moran told them the Finance Committee has no line item authority and simply votes the bottom line provided by School Administration.

$40,000 was recently shifted from the elementary schools operating budget to capital (paid by the town) so that alone will cover half the cost of the three library paras if approved by Town Meeting.

And the town did recently renew the lousy 3.5 year "Strategic Partnership" with UMass that provided $60,000 this current year and $120,000 next year in reimbursement money for the 56 students in our expensive public schools coming from tax exempt family housing at UMass.

School Committee candidate Vince O'Connor will be filing a "citizens petition" for Town Meeting calling for greater Payment In Lieu Of Taxes from all three institutes of higher education who dominate day-to-day existence in our little "college town."

 Comparison of local public schools losses to Charter Schools (Amherst second from lowest)

A Night Of Their Own

Town Meeting Coordinating Committee discussed upcoming town election & Town Meeting this afternoon

Since the race for Charter Commission has a large field of 20 candidates vying for only 9 seats and since this process is not exactly routine, the League of Women Voters will host a candidates night in the Middle School auditorium on March 14 at 7:00 pm.

This public forum on the Charter Commission is in addition to their usual candidates night for town wide offices (Select Board, School Committee, and Library Trustees) which will be held March 22 in the Town Room at Town Hall.

In addition the TMCC will sponsor a bus tour on Sunday April 24  for all Town Meeting members to peruse sites around town related to Town Meeting articles.  The 40 seat bus is provided by UMass at a cost of $200 but UMass Community Relations office is picking up half the cost.

Amherst school buses had been used in the past but they are not handicapped accessible and the UMass bus has room for two wheelchairs. 

$40,000 Budget Shift

Joint Capital Planning Committee this morning

The Joint Capital Planning Committee heard today about the high cost of Information Technology with town IT Director Sean Hannon requesting $298,800 in gadgets, wiring, phones and copiers and his schools counterpart Jerry Champagne seeking $247,000 for FY17, which begins July 1st.

The town has roughly 250 computers and part of the upcoming budget request will replace 40 of them.  Interestingly with all the terabytes of vital information that needs safe storage, the town does not currently use "the cloud" but relies on physical servers, like Hillary Clinton.

Currently all data resides at the Police Station with a back up server at Town Hall.  But for additional security Hannon is requesting $20,000 for another "disaster recovery" server located a lot further away in case a calamity should wreak havoc at both the Police Station and nearby Town Hall.

At Tuesday night's controversial School Committee meeting where three library paraprofessional were verbally handed pink slips, much to the dismay of parents and library lovers, Rick Hood wondered why "wireless WiFi upgrades" were coming out of the operating budget and not capital.

At Superintendent Maria Geryk's request Champagne moved the $40,000 item to his joint capital budget request, which if approved by JCPC and Town Meeting would give the elementary school budget an extra $40,000 to apply towards the library paras.

The JCPC was unanimous in affirming the $40,000 can come into the mix as capital, but they did balk at giving the item special treatment by changing their process and taking a vote now on recommending the item to Town Meeting.  Normally the Committee hears all requests from all departments over a two month period before taking a vote.

That vote will take place either March 10 or more likely March 17.  And I'm pretty sure the School Superintendent will benefit from the luck of the Irish.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Once again, thankfully, we had a sub par weekend for drivers taken off the road under police escort and charged with impaired driving.  Only one arrest by APD and one by UMPD. 

So far 2016 has been a lucky year for the rest of us Amherst drivers. 

So far.

Eliza Ann Thornton, age 18

 Click to enlarge/read

 William Os, age 23, stands before Judge Charles Groce

Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday William Os was appointed a public defender (and charged $150) and will appear for pre trial on March 21. 

Ms.Thornton discussed accepting a standard 24D disposition with the prosecutor but first has to find out if her insurance will cover the damages to the town guardrail.

Deadline!

No breathless last second candidates showed up a minute before 5:00 PM

The die is cast, the Rubicon has been crossed and Amherst voters will have enormous choices in the only race that matters this coming election, Charter Commission.

The nine member committee will decide the fate of town government for the next few generations. Well, actually, the voters will decide that. Because no matter what the Charter Commission comes up with after a year of deliberation the voters must approve it at the annual election in 2017.

I asked the Select Board on Monday night to place on the March 29 ballot a non binding advisory question asking the voters if it's time to retire Town Meeting. This was done 15 years ago and the voters said "yes".

Maybe even throw in a question about retaining a Town Manager. If the voters say "yes" it might make the potential candidates for a new permanent Town Manager feel a little more comfortable applying for the $155,000 job.

And for sure these questions should be asked of the 20 Charter Commission candidates who will all do doubt give the stock answer that their mind is open and they have not decided one way or the other.

Which only makes you wonder why they ran for the job in the first place.

The Big H

 

Well if you can't trust your heroin dealer to stand by you in a time of need, who can you trust?

Not only did Jacob Kinney abandon his client who was overdosing courtesy of Mr. Kinney's heroin, but he stole his phone so he could delete contact information that would implicate him.  Which did not do him much good since his client survived the OD and fingered Kinney as the dealer.

Click to enlarge/read

 

Jacob Kinney, age 28

The best laid plans ...

Kinney was held on $1,000 cash bail.  He had a warrant out of Holyoke and another from Texas (although Texas is not interested in coming to pick him up).  He will appear again before a Judge on March 7 in Eastern Hampshire District Court.

Library Lament

Large crowd of parents/guardians/staff/volunteers turned out tonight to protest library cutbacks

The Amherst School Committee didn't need tea leaves to read the consternation caused by the proposed axing of one paraprofessional library assistant at all three elementary schools, leaving each library with only one full time employee, the librarian.

The cost cutting measure will save $75,000 -- yes, full time paras make only $25k per year --and is being instituted as part of a $429,000 overall cut to the elementary school budget to keep level services within Finance Committee guidelines.

During public comment over a dozen speakers implored the school committee not to gut the library programs at all three elementary schools.  Many parents said the library was the favorite part of their child's school day and it provided a "safe space" for learning to take place.

School Committee candidate and long time Town Meeting member Vince O'Connor told the School Committee that a motion would be made on the floor of Town Meeting to increase the budget to cover the three positions.

O'Connor also argued UMass should step up and pay the town significantly more annual revenues to cover all the children (56) coming from their tax exempt housing into our high average cost per student public schools.

The recent "Strategic Partnership" signed with UMass did include $120,000 in new money to help cover  education costs of those children, but the town threw it into one big pot rather then using it in a line item direct sort of way.

Rick Hood suggested the School Committee simply ask the town for an extra $100,000 since the elementary schools did turn back that amount to the town last year and the year before. 

The idea will probably be brought up at the next Budget Coordinating Group meeting at the end of the month.

Downtown Turnover

Insomnia Cookies coming soon to 30 Main Street

When the former prime location of Alden Credit Union, which lasted less than two years, is replaced by a cookie delivery business you know you're in a "college town." 

 11 Amity Street, former First National Bank

Last summer TD Bank abandoned the ornate former First National Bank building in the heart of the downtown and thus far the luxurious location is still unoccupied.  As is All Things Local just down the street and soon to be shuttered The Mercantile next door.

All three locations are owned by Barry Roberts so there's little doubt they will be occupied soon enough.

And since Mr. Roberts understands the value of having the right mix of businesses, chances are none of the three will become a pizza place or bar.

 Just across the street from Insomnia Cookies

Superstar Wanted

Probably the easiest way to choose our new "permanent" Town Manager by this summer is to escort the short list of final candidates out to highly acclaimed Puffer's Pond and see which one of them can walk on water.

The marketing profile issued by our headhunter consultant Bernie Lynch is nothing if not thorough. Who wouldn't want to work/lead such a progressive passionate "college town?"  Especially when you start at $155K and don't even have to live in the costly community.

The Charter Commission that will be elected on March 29 could very well come back a year later with a new form of government, minus a Town Manager.  But obviously whatever they come up with could still use a Finance Director.

John Musante, our most recent beloved Town Manager who died suddenly last September, was the Finance Director for five years prior to becoming Town Manager.

 Former Town Manager John Musante & former Finance Director Sandy Pooler

So all is not necessarily lost spending a bevy of time and money coming up with our new Town Manager even if the position is lost in a governmental reorganization.  They could still be a vital part of the town administration.

And the majestic marketing piece Mr. Lynch came up with is still useful as a template for another critically needed leadership position:  A mayor.

   Amherst Profile For New Town Manager

A $2.2 Million Hearing

 Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner (center) hit the ground running with Cable Advisory Committee

Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner attended this afternoon's meeting of the Cable Advisory Committee, who is starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by the pace of negotiations with current cable franchise holder and all around behemoth, Comcast.

The Town Manager had already spoken to CAC legal consultant Peter Epstein who "strongly recommended" yet another (3rd) public hearing be called by the Select Board to outline and defend the $2.2 million the Committee is requesting of Comcast for one time capital infrastructure improvements.

Ten years ago that amount was only $450,000, so pretty much everybody expects significant push back from Comcast.  Originally the CAC was going to put the capital amount and rational for the request in a memo to the Select Board.

The Town Manager told the Committee his first order of business was to get them two additional new members.  Currently only three members remain as two have recently resigned, so they all have to show up just to have a quorum.

After the Select Board calls the public hearing to defend the $2.2 million in capital, those arguments will be incorporated into the Request For Proposal and sent to Comcast, who will have one month to respond.

The contract also calls for the usual 5% of revenues to go to Amherst Media (around $300,000 last year).  The Select Board recently approved a request from Amherst Media to authorize a two year audit of Comcast to make sure they are getting their fair share.

The 10 year contract with Comcast expires in October, and if push comes to shove the town could simply let it expire and cable television would go dark.  Comcast is said to be not overly responsive to customer complaints, but a wailing of that magnitude will be hard to ignore.

Super Dorms

 Olympia Place: opening this summer

Looks like the four new Amherst College Greenway Dorms holding 300 students and Olympia Place,  first ever private dorm complex near UMass housing 236 students, are both on schedule to open this fall.

Greenway Dorms:  opening this fall

Amherst College has always housed 100% of their students so these new replacement dorms have no impact on the housing crises in town, but the Olympia Place addition of 236 beds do represent an increase in badly needed supply.

And even better, since the dorm complex is privately owned, Olympia Place is on the tax rolls.

By helping to satisfy the high demand for student housing that will also take some of the pressure off single family homes in quiet neighborhoods from being converted into student housing.

Since both these dorm complexes are brand new, chances are those lucky enough to live there will take pride in maintaining them.

After all, even if it's only for four years: there's still  no place like home

The Cost Of Art

 Should $65 million Wildwood Building Project divert $650,000 for art?

If the Amherst Arts Commission gets their way the two new building projects currently in the pipeline would be tapped 1% of their budget with that money redirected for public art.

We already know the cost of the new school -- $65 million -- so that comes to $650,000, and the Jones Library expansion renovation could easily be another $35 million total for another $350,000 to the fledgling art fund, or a cool million for both projects.

 What else could Jones Library buy with $350,000?

Of course you have to wonder what the state, who is reimbursing about half the cost for both projects, is going to think about 1% of their money being used for "art." 

The Select Board will decided Monday night whether to sponsor the 1% for art warrant article and it only requires a simple majority vote.

But anyone can get anything on the warrant with just ten signatures, so even if the Select Board refuses to endorse it safe bet it will still make the warrant for upcoming Town Meeting.

Fire In The Sky!

The Evergreens is owned by Amherst College and is part of the Dickinson Museum Complex

 

While in overly educated Amherst you don’t really have to worry about “some stupid with a flare gun” burning an important building to the ground, fire is by its very nature a devastating creature born of surprise:

A pot left unattended on a stove, a cigarette disposed of in the wrong way or the spark from a plumber’s torch, and before you know it the ravenous beast is in full feeding frenzy. 

 First Congregational Church is located in the Dickinson Historic District

Yes AFD Central Station is less than a mile away from either The Evergreens or the First Congregational Church, but these days chances are the first engine on the scene of a box alarm may not have enough staff aboard to actually start fighting the fire.

So in mere minutes hundreds of years of history could be lost ... forever.

The Community Preservation Act Committee heard both fires suppression proposals last Tuesday night -- a $358,000 request from the First Congregational Church and $200,000 for The Evergreens.  

Amherst College plans to match the CPA grant so that is why their request is comparatively low, although CPA Chair Mary Streeter wondered why the College was not paying more.

Another member pointed out the CPA Committee has less than $2 million to fund all the requests before them while Amherst College has $2 billion in its endowment. 

The First Congregational Church packed the meeting with supporters but the CPA Committee was not overly receptive, wondering why for instance the Amherst Historical Commission ranked their request last in a recent recommendation letter to them even after suggesting the amount be reduced to $200,000 for "parity" with The Evergreens request.

Church supporters point out that in addtion to the "dramatic gothic presense" it provides the building is also used by Not Bread Alone,  Alcoholics Anonymous as well as the presence of a pre-school.  

 More than half the room cleared out after First Congregational Church hearing

And the Church is know for taking public stands on sometimes controversial social issues like gay rights, race issues or taking an anti-war stance.  A cowardly thief stole both their rainbow flag and an anti racism banner last summer demonstrating not everyone in Amherst is a tolerant progressive.

Some on the CPA Committee worry that by giving these two privately owned buildings expensive fire suppression systems it would open up the floodgates for others to apply.  And at the age of 257, Amherst has a bevy of historical buildings.  

 Henry Hills & Son matching mansions would probably love a new fire suppression system

The CPA Committee will make their final report to Town Meeting by the begining of March.  A positive recommendation is not 100% guarantee that an item will be funded,   but a negative recommendation is certain death.

Grace Church in town center.  Not asking for CPA money (yet)

Pot Battle Brewing

55 University Drive formerly The Hanger (who moved across the street)

Even before the Amherst Select Board took up discussion of a letter of support/non opposition for a medical marijuana facility at 85 University Drive, Chair Alisa Brewer mentioned another request had come in that morning for yet another facility.

   Amherst Medical Pot Facility #2

 55 U drive circled, 85 U drive far right

Since they did not disclose the location -- 55 University Drive -- until this morning this request will not be voted on at Monday night's regularly scheduled meeting since Open Meeting Law requres an agenda item must be posted 48 hours in advance.

And yes, the proposed location is only a snowball throw away from 85 University Drive (currently just a concrete slab), the location approved by the Select Board at Monday night's meeting.

Little Library Expansion Looms Large

Jones Library may purchase land behind them from Amherst Historical Society

Last week Jones Library Director Sharon Sharry updated the Finance Committee about plans for the Library expansion/renovation, and this morning added the Joint Capital Planning Committee to the list.

The Library project is maybe just a step behind the $65 million Wildwood School Building Renovation project. Fortunately both the Schools and Jones Library have the advantage of state money covering half the costs.

   Jones Library Expansion Timeline

The ornate bank building next door, owned by Barry Roberts, is off the table as an acquisition for the expansion as is Central Fire Station. The bank building, with an assessed value of $2.3 million, would be cost prohibitive and taking it off the tax rolls would only add to that cost year after year.

And the Fire Station will hopefully be sold to a private developer to help finance the new South Fire Station with an expanded mixed use building springing up in its place.

 Cramped Central Station opened in 1930 when emergency equipment was a tad smaller

Knowing that four major building projects totaling upwards of $100 million in town money are now being talked about, the Library Director assured the JCPC,  "We will renovate as much as possible, expand as little as possible, to keep the price as low as possible."

Sharry said the Library is also seeking Historic State Tax Credits that could result in a few million towards the construction costs.

 CVS lot behind Jones Library could become site for new parking garage, which would solve library parking concerns

High Cost Of Another Possible Temp Position

Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, SB Chair Alisa Brewer

Happy headhunter Bernie Lynch suggested the Select Board set the pay scale for a permanent new Town Manager at $155,000+, a tad higher than the $151,000 or so John Musante was making at the time of his untimely death. 

Peter Hechenbleikner, at his first meeting as Temporary Town Manager, suggested that it was actually kind of low by eastern side of the state standards.  Although certainly high enough to generate interest and bring in resumes.

Bernie Lynch tells SB he's had about a dozen responses of interest thus far

Applicants will need ten years experience in overseeing a municipal operation as a minimum qualifier and there was some discussion about the use of the term "seasoned" vs "tested," which they later went with.   Apparently "seasoned" is a term that favors middle aged white males.

Because the 9 member Charter Commission will form this March 29 and could very well create a government minus a Town Manager, the Select Board thought it wise not to require residency as part of the job requirement.

Buying a house in Amherst is of course more expensive than, say, Hadley; and even renting an apartment in town is a lot higher than our neighboring communities. 

Of course that alone would give the new Town Manager an insight into one of the larger problems facing Amherst:  affordable housing.

And with Amherst being in the top ten statewide for property tax rates, all our residential housing has onerous annual overhead costs.

Timeline to a new Town Manager