Those Who Fail To Learn ...

 Ghosts of Christmas yet to come?

"Whereas:  There currently is a severe shortage of rental housing in the Town of Amherst, which shortage has been caused in part by the rapid increase in the population of the Town since 1970 resulting from its desirability as a place to live ...

Where have you heard that preamble before?  The controversial Town Meeting warrant article continues:

"This severe shortage of rental housing has led to a serious public emergency with respect to the rental housing available to a substantial number of citizens of the Town, which emergency is causing a serious threat to the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the Town."

Selected excerpts from Article #29, Rental Registration Bylaw coning up Monday night?  No.  Article #64, Rent Control Act.  Narrowly defeated by only five votes, 116 to 111.  Monday, May 16, 1983.

Yes, THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Today's landlords should consider themselves lucky that Article #29 is so light on the touch, simply ensuring that minimum common sense health and safety codes are routinely enforced for the good of tenants and the neighborhood.

The only landlords being "punished" are the ones who deserve it!

Of course should Article #29 fail tomorrow night -- and I'm confident it will not -- a fallback article comes up on Wednesday (Article #38), a similar version of Rental Registration Permit system with the main difference being owner occupied units -- whether the rental aspect is an "accessory use" or primary use --  will be exempt from the regulations.

Architects of that less restrictive article also plan to amend #29 with that wording.  

Because  most of the problems of rowdy student behavior emanate from (absentee) non owner occupied rentals, it is tempting to support #38 over the more restrictive #29.

Although the Safe & Health Working Group intended for the General Bylaw to cover all rentals, a serendipitous mistake between revisions does exclude room rentals for up to 6 tenants in owner occupied units. 

And those mom-and-pop landlords who are also town meeting members are now far more likely to support Article #29, the original bylaw created by the Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods Working Group, already approved by the Town Manager, and unanimously supported by the Select Board, Planning Board and Finance Committee.

Tune in Monday night as Amherst Town Meeting takes another bite at the 30-year-old apple.  This time the majority will get it right!

Back story told in emails

This One's For You

Edith Wilkinson 1927-2013

Thirty years ago my maiden speech to illustrious Amherst Town Meeting almost didn't happen.  I had taken the easy route to petition my government for grievances by collecting the ten signatures required to file a warrant article for the Annual Spring Town Meeting held in what was then called the "Junior High School."

My article requested town meeting "advise" the recreation department to stop unfairly competing against my karate school, Hampshire Gymnastics and the Amherst Ballet Center, the latter two businesses owned individuals who were also homeowners:  Thus their property tax payments (a burden even back then) were being used against them by competition on an unlevel playing field.

But when I checked in with moderator Bill Field he asked if I was a town meeting member, as only a town meeting member could move a motion.  Uh-oh.

A long-time, well-know Town Meeting member was standing directly behind me waiting to talk to the Moderator so I turned to him and asked if he would simply move my motion.  He shook his head side to side. Vigorously.

I retreated to the front row of the auditorium and asked another Town Meeting member that I recognized and she responded, "Absolutely not."  By now the august body was getting very close to reaching a quorum and opening for business -- err, I mean discussion -- so I started to panic.

Edith Wilkinson was Chair of the Select Board at the time and from her position at the head table had witnessed my two exchanges and the now panicked look on my face.    She came over and said, "What's wrong Mr. Kelley?"   After I briefly explained she said, "I will not support it, but I will move your motion."

Then she smiled and said "That's exactly what Town Meeting is all about."  Or as we say in journo school, "give voice to the voiceless."

I still remember the blank stare from the masses when I used the term "tax exempt entities" for government programs that consume tax money while for-profit business (a dirty word in Amherst 30 years ago) generate tax revenues.  Naturally my article was defeated overwhelmingly. 

Still ... if all Amherst Town Meeting members were as gracious and fair minded as Edie Wilkinson, maybe I would have been a lot less strident in my criticisms of the ancient institution over the past thirty years.  Maybe. 

Getting A Jump On Crime

APD bike patrol practicing stair climbing Friday morning

Formation ride near Amherst Regional High School Thursday night (photo by Tom Porter)

Got Him!

According to now confirmed scanner reports Amherst police bagged a perp, local resident Peter Jeffs, age 51, red handed around 2:30 p.m. on West Bay Road near the Eric Carle Museum driving a van loaded with stolen goods from a series of break-ins over the past week, some of them daring daylight deeds.

The suspect was arrested by Amherst police but turned over to Southwick PD based on probable cause in their jurisdiction.  APD will issue a statement early next week.  Stay tuned.

As many as a half dozen break ins, some where locked doors were kicked in, recently occurred all over Amherst as well as nearby Hadley, and not so nearby Southwick.

WGGB Ch TV reports (with great photos)

 Peter Jeffs, alleged scumbag

There is still much work to do building the case, but still good to know a brash thief has been taken off our streets.

Turning Up The Heat Even More

 

 61 Gray Street yesterday

61 Gray Street today

Yes, if everything always went as smoothly as this most recent action by the Amherst building inspection services the Rental Registration Bylaw would probably not have such broad support. But this landlord acted responsibly, in a timely manner and therefor has nothing to fear -- under either the current or newly proposed system.

The letter I received today from their trade group makes a great point: only 2% of landlords are the problem, but I take issue with the assertion that the other 98% are being "punished."  Certainly 98% of the citizens of Amherst are law abiding with outright criminals a distinct minority.

If the police should install a camera to monitor a high crime area located on public property to catch the problem 2%, why should the other 98% have anything to fear?

Providing they are not doing something they shouldn't be doing.

Click to read

Be Careful What You Wish For

Henry Street, Amherst

Click title below left to read

   Amherst Warrant Article #43

Bring On The Consultants

 

Chancellor Subbaswamy addresses Amherst Town Meeting

If the goal of the $60,000 joint Town/Gown study is to enhance relations between the town of Amherst, founded 1759, and our largest employer UMass/Amherst, founded 1863, then we can save ourselves a lot of money as Chancellor Subbaswamy's nearly ten minute speech before Amherst Town Meeting already accomplished that.

Schmoozing with town officials just prior to town meeting start

But the real goal is to enhance relations between the town citizenry and UMass students, and that's going to take some work.  And you don't build something solid and workable without planning.

The motion to spend $60,000 for the joint study, split evenly between UMass and the town, easily passed  by a recorded tally vote 122-46.

 UMass & Town officials huddle during tally vote count

The overwhelming nature of the vote sends a positive signal about the most controversial and most important article of this entire town meeting -- probably in a generation -- Article #29, Residential Rental Property Bylaw, which brings a permit system to the lucrative rental business.

A market driven by the presence of so very many students.  That article comes up May 20.