On The Money

 Town Manager John Musante, Stephanie O'Keeffe Select Board Chair

Although I still think only God should receive a 100% score when being evaluated by mere mortals, figures released today by Comptroller Sonia Aldrich and Finance Director Sandy Pooler indicate why Town Manager John Musante earned a 100% score from his bosses, the elected Select Board, for all things budgetary.

For the fifth straight year the town has shown, on average, an end of the year budget surplus of just over $1 million; and in this year's case in particular, $1,110,254. On a total FY12 budget of $65.6 million coming within 1.7% of projections (to the good side).

In addition two large chunks of money were appropriated and never used for its intended purpose: $426,026 for storm clean up (October 29 Treemageddon) not needed because the state came through with emergency aid to cover that amount, and another $370,000 appropriated to repair Puffer's Pond but only if additional matching state aid came through, and it did not.

Thus an additional $796,026 reverted to Free Cash, bringing the grand total to almost $2 million.

Give that man a cigar.

Man Down ... Way Down!

 AFD and Amherst College PD attend to fallen worker trapped in a manhole

Late this morning a contractor performing work at Amherst College fell down a manhole bringing a swift coordinated response from Amherst Fire Department, APD, Amherst College Police --including Chief John Carter and Director of Facilities Jim Brassord -- as well as a bevy of concerned fellow workers.

AFD called in their "technical team" (climbers who usually go in an upward direction) and the rescue took less than an hour.  The rescuers were talking to the trapped man the entire time and it appeared at no time was the situation life threatening.

 He's out!

Still, a tremendous effort by first responders.

AFD Press Release 

A Tale of Two Modulars

The hulk of a building that would have dominated this frame is gone

The big ugly modular building that cramped the side approach to Amherst Regional Middle School,  "temporary" classrooms that were plunked down in 1994 to help absorb some of the displaced students due to the $22 million Amherst Regional High School renovation, is now absent (with permission).

After the High School renovation/expansion was completed circa 1996, the classrooms transformed into administrative office space, but they lacked basic amenities -- like bathrooms -- and required expensive overhead: $10,000 annually, mostly for electricity.

Employees have now retreated back into the main building.

Meanwhile our pristine never-actually-used-as-classrooms modular unit near the decommissioned Mark's Meadow Elementary School (now returned to UMass) sits unwanted behind the School of Education.

UMass always owned the Mark's Meadow building, but the town --at the exuberant urging of a pre Catherine Sanderson School Committee --  added the stand alone modular classrooms in 2007 at a cost of $220,000.

Mark's Meadow modular "classrooms" now abandoned but still owned by Amherst

The building consists of two class rooms, two rest rooms, two closets, a data closet and custodial closet and an independent heating and cooling systems allowing it to be a stand alone building. But unfortunately,  as such,  would require a whopping investment to properly move and reassemble it elsewhere: A cost approaching what the town originally paid for it. 

Maybe UMass would allow the building to stay where it is and become a homeless shelter?  The current shelter at the Baptist Church, located at the edge of campus, is too small and needs separate facilities for women.  The cost to renovate the modular where it is would be far cheaper than trying to move it. 

 "Homeless and Hungry" woman Amherst town center

The Amherst Community Development Block Grant committee just happens to have a spare $200,000 leftover from last year's appropriation they need to put to good use. And the CDBG advisory committee unanimously voted to address "Homeless and Sheltering" as their number one priority for this upcoming year.

Left: Nancy Gregg, Housing and Shelter Com Rep, Claude Tellier, Co-Chair CDBG Advisory Com

Plus it could be a good learning experience for UMass students to interact with those less fortunate souls down on their luck, who struggle with substance abuse.  Unlike our weekend party hardy types, who think they have it all under control.

Spruced Up

 Ground level planters now adorn all four corners of downtown Amherst

Remember when you were a kid, and company was coming over, and Mom or Dad suddenly became frantic about tidying up the entire house?

Well, Amherst is in that final phase of preparation for a sudden tsunami of students descending on our fair town to patronize three institutes of higher education.  One in particular will attract over 4,600 new recruits unfamiliar with the culture of Amherst (the town, not the College). 

Large colorful pots of flowers just recently appeared on all four corners of the main intersection of the downtown, courtesy of Mina Lussier, owner of  Zanna.  

And since her iconic business is located on the outskirts of the downtown, out of sight of these artful additions, it's not like she's doing it to spruce up her own front yard.  

Let's hope they survive the onslaught over the next few weeks.

Northampton figured out how to protect plants from meddling

Bad Things come in 3's

 Amherst College Chapel Hill

Our b-i-g flag in town center is in a position of mourning today, as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow to honor three Massachusetts men serving in the armed forces who perished this month, all of them in country.

Yesterday Governor Patrick wished to honor Marine Cpl. Kevin Dabrowski of Webster and tomorrow U.S. Army SPC David A. Mulno of Tewksbury.  Both of whom succumbed in vehicular accidents.

Although U.S. Army MSG Gregory R. Trent, age 38, of Norton, who we honor today, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital a week after being wounded by small arms fire in Afghanistan.

That certainly demonstrates how swiftly the military recovers their wounded and gets them to highly skilled help. Unfortunately, in this case, not in time to preserve life.  So far this year we have lost 308 troops in Afghanistan, 245 of them to hostile action.

On 9/11 we lost 2,997 souls to hostile action, 98% of them civilians.  Or as Mayor Giuliani so eloquently stated, "more than we can bear."

Amherst Calling

Wi-Fi emitters dangle from a streetlight in Amherst town center


Work has commenced replacing the downtown WiFi emitters on our still somewhat rare free public Internet access, a joint project with two UMass professors six years ago who were doing a doomsday project for the Department of Defense.

All 14 or the original emitters will be replaced and another 8 access points will be added, bringing the total to 22. According to Information Technology Director Kris Pacunas the refreshed grid will be "faster, more reliable and will be able to handle many more simultaneous users."

Since the emitters are being replaced one at a time, at no point will the entire system be down and the work, costing $20,000, should be completed by mid-October.

The town also appropriated $85,000 to outfit Town Hall with a generator to allow the seat of government to become an Emergency Operation Center in the event of a major incident like the freak snowstorm last October 29, which knocked out all modes of communication including the public WiFi.

A Glowing Review ... But

Amherst Town Manager John Musante

So it comes as no surprise the Select Board gave Town Manager John Musante high marks (don't get any higher than 100%!) for fiscal management, working with the Select Board itself, and slightly lower but still very good marks at 83% for dealing with our tax exempt institutes of higher education.

What is troubling, however, is the lowest mark (75%) for dealing with staff.

Particularly troubling because this mirrors the low (er) marks his disgraced predecessor Larry Shaffer received a few years ago. Interestingly, yesterday the Michigan newspaper that covers Jackson where Shaffer briefly reigned as city manager published an expose on the "inside story" of Shaffer's sudden departure -- with $64K in tax money -- from that community that mirrored his sudden departure from ours, with $62K in tax money.

Another safe bet is the Select Board will give the town manager a 5% raise based on this performance evaluation.  And not because it brings his salary into line with surrounding communities, but simply because School Superintendent Maria Geryk -- who was also making exactly the same $140K last year -- recently received a 5% raise.

And we must have parity ... at least at the very top rungs of municipal employment.

But when your staff and lower on the totem pole employees only receive a 2 or 3% raise, that legitimately creates, umm, discontent. 

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Grade inflation?  If the Select Board had rewarded the town manager's above average fiscal management and communication with them with an 80% or a B, which most people consider a good solid score, then reducing that by the same 25% they did with his interaction with staff would have resulted in a 60% score ... or a D.