What They Make

Amherst Town Hall shrouded in fog

Unlike the website of our little All American Sister City to the west, Amherst's award winning municipal website -- you know, the one that trumpets "Open Government To The Max" -- does not provide a data base of all town employes and their current salaries.

Neither of course does Amherst Regional Public Schools website.

   Amherst Town Employees 2012 Salaries by Larry Kelley

I guess when you're the town's chief administrator, making $62,100 more than the Mayor of Northampton, maybe you don't want to remind people of that $142,100 salary or, like the Mayor of Hamp, that you are not the highest paid municipal employee.

Only in Northampton, however,  a bevy of people make more than the Mayor.  In Amherst only the Superintendent of Schools, Maria Geryk @ $147,000, costs taxpayers more than the Town Manager.

Although if you compare the other higher paying department head positions in Amherst town government they are further apart as a percentage from the Town Manager's top dog salary.

That is also the case, even more so, in the Amherst school budget.  Far more glaring is the total number of school employees in the $85K and up club.

   Amherst Schools Staff Salaries 2012

And yes, basic ARPS teachers make a tad more than average:  $66,484 vs state average $63,000.  And our one teacher to ten student ratio is lower than state average of 13-1.  But these two factors alone do not add up to our exceedingly high $17,116 average cost per child to educate vs state average of $13,361, or Northampton's $12,596. 

According to the Mass Department Of Education website, Amherst "administration" costs are at $735 vs state average of $447, or 60% higher than state average.  And pesky critics have been pointing that out for years.

Amherst Town Salaries Redacted

Masslive reports on Northampton's transparency

Stone Cold Ovens

 

Alpha Pizza Pi, 356 College St, Amherst RIP

We don't call Amherst a "college town" for nothing.  Obviously our #1 industry is education and along with that all the accessory commercial activity:  rental housing, food and alcohol being at the top of the short list.

And of course "food" usually means pizza or Chinese.

While proven pizza veterans Antonio's, Sibies, and Bruno's continue to thrive, and downtown newbie Arise Farm to Table Pub & Pizzeria seems to be packing them in, this location at 356 College Street has now had the second failure in four years as a pizza storefront. 

But that will not stop a young entrepreneur with more passion than sense from opening up a business here in the near future.  Pizza anyone?

Joys Of Ownership

The owner of this house on McClellan Street, just outside the heart of downtown Amherst, will be receiving a $10 ticket in the mail today courtesy of Amherst Parking Enforcement (pulling double duty) for not shoveling the sidewalk.

Fortunately the new Safe & Health Neighborhoods initiative will pack a little more sting when it comes to enforcement as Building Commissioner Rob Morra or his agents will have the authority to issue $100 per day fines  for non compliance. 

 

Amherst Building Commissioner Rob Morra (left)

Reminder of Tragedy

Dumpster fire Rolling Green 10:30 AM 

Unlike two months ago, AFD made short work of the contained fire this morning at Rolling Green Apartments, scene of a tragic death the last time AFD responded here for an actual fire.




And before they even had time to roll up the hose they were called to a (false) fire alarm at Morrill Science Bulding, UMass.

 Engine 1 packing up

 

Less than 100 yards away ...

Goin' In Style For The Kids

 Rafter's Sports Bar, University Drive, Amherst

Unlike the "Blarney Blowout" one Amherst bar promotion we all can proud of is Rafter's Sports Bar "St. Baldrick's Foundation" shave-a-thon scheduled for April 7.  The event has already raised $26,146 with 181 signed up to participate.

I can't think of anything worse than a child afflicted with cancer.  Well ... maybe I can, but at least this is one horror we can do something about.  Lend a hand folks; or lend your head.

UMass Comes Around

UMass/Amherst

All that bitching, errr, complaining about the abusive "Blarney Blowout" paid off as our giant neighbor to the north has agreed to most of the demands of Amherst Town Manager John Musante to help our quaint little college town deal with rowdy students from now through graduation.

Which sure beats handing out oatmeal cookies.  

Unfortunately it looks as though the expanded hours on weekends for UMass Health Services to deal with all the drunks probably is not going to happen.

And yes, it's great UMass has agreed to fund two AFD ambulances.  But the problem is not who pays for the ambulances, it's that we can only put five on the road at one time.  And there have been times when five was not enough.

Can we maybe get UMass to fund two more additional permanent professional firefighters?

 AFD call volumes since 1975

UMass Office of News & Media Relations reports

Vegetables to Offices

 0 University Drive abuts Newmarket Center

Amherst could get more office space, not that it seems there's pressing demand, if this large 5.8 acre tract of land near UMass on University Drive should sell.  Since it is zoned "office park" that kind of narrows down the options for development.

The Planning Board tried to change the zoning a few years back to a more diversified commercial designation but naturally the NIMBYs shot it down at Town Meeting, where a two-thirds vote is hard to muster.

The land is owned by Mohammad Idrees who purchased it for the bargain price of $22,000 back in 2003 at the Lincoln Pulp and Paper Company auction, with the original idea of building a Mosque.  Since Amherst is not overly flush with Muslims that plan went by the wayside and he briefly tried selling fresh vegetables.

 Mohammad Idrees and his vegetable stand  in 2008 (photo by Mary Carey)

The property has been in Ch61A for the past ten years, and much of it is wetlands, so it doesn't pay much of anything in taxes to Amherst ($94.00).   But the assessor estimates a $40,000 windfall to the town if it should sell for the $890,000 asking price and put to commercial use. 

But these days it seems anytime "open space" goes on the market neighbors simply petition the town to buy it using Other People's Money.