You Talk Too Much ...

Springfield Sunday Republican

Today's Springfield Sunday Republican lead editorial was already getting lots of shares five days ago when it first hit the Internet, but it's even better that it made the print edition on the highest read day of the week for any newspaper.

Besides, the folks who exclusively get their news via print newspaper these days are an older crowd, so chances are a fair number of Amherst Town Meeting members will see the editorial. 

Too bad the editorial writers did not hold off a couple days to incorporate Wednesday's session of Town Meeting into the mix as it perfectly illustrates one of the major problems with Amherst Town Meeting:  The entire two hour twenty minute session dealt only with  "citizens petitions" and all four of them were from one citizen:  Vince O'Connor.

 Petition A

Since it only takes ten signatures to get on the warrant for the Annual Spring Town Meeting there's little barrier to entry.  And as you can see from Vince's petitions the very same people can sign all four requests to get on the ballot.  So all you need do is host a tofu dinner party for ten.

Petition B

Town Meeting also has little barrier to entry for being elected as it only takes one signature to get on the ballot, and yes that one signature can be your own.  Nobody seems to care about the local elections demonstrated by Amherst's usual turnout of well under 30% on average vs Presidential elections every four years where turnout is always in the 65-to-70% range.

Petition C

This lowering of the bar (from ten signatures to one) was passed by Town Meeting in 1997 and gave the Select Board permission to petition the state legislature for the change as a means of stimulating interest in bringing in fresh blood.  Unfortunately all it did was make it easier for the same old activists to recruit birds of a feather.

Petition D

As the editorial points out most neighboring towns finish their Town Meetings in one night or two, while Amherst Town Meeting seems to drone on forever.  The current 256th Annual Town Meeting has already met for 8 sessions and will require at least two more for a final box score of 10.

Over the past ten years Amherst Annual Town Meeting has required an average of 8.8 meetings with a high of 12 sessions in 2006 and 2007 to a low of "only" five in 2010.

One ironic solution would be to file a petition next spring (requiring only 10 signatures) increasing the minimum number of signatures from 10 to 100 -- or better yet 200 -- to get an issue on the annual warrant.

And just to illustrate the point, file another one (using the same ten people) saying something totally ridiculous like changing the name of Amherst to "La-La Land." 

Or officially changing the spelling of Amherst to take out the H, thus ruining their favorite tag line "where only the H is silent."

Another vital change would be to cut in half the number of Town Meeting members thereby increasing competition for the honor of serving, and increasing accountability since there would be fewer members to keep track of.

Over the past ten years attendance has averaged 66.7%, so one-third of the body fails to show up anyway.  

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Attendance for the current Town Meeting (note 22 members are 0-8 and another 12 are 1-8 and only 68 members out of 251, or just 27%,  have a perfect attendance record)

Vince Strikes Again

 Vince O'Connor in the spotlight

It looks like even the Town Manager may support my "Motion To Dismiss"  Vince O'Connor's Articles 6 & 7 coming up at the June 2 Special Town Meeting.

You would think a guy who spends most of his free time on the arcane minutia of zoning and other local government ordinances would have checked state law for procedural ground rules.

Makes you wonder what other major mistakes he made in putting together the wording of those articles, which require a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting.

Fairness For All

ARHS

click to enlarge/read

The frustrating back story

Blarney Blowout: A Defining Event

March 8, 2014 a date which will live in ... memory

If you asked the average citizen in Amherst (or nationwide for that matter) how this past spring party season compared to previous years in our little "college town," safe bet most people would respond that this one was the worst.

Of course that attitude would be indelibly due to the March 8 Blarney Blowout, where thousands of students went on a rampage resulting in 58 arrests, thousand of tax dollars spent on first responder overtime and vandalism repairs, and a $160,000 study commissioned by UMass Amherst.

My gut feeling -- as someone with his boots firmly on the ground these past few years -- is  this past spring was, overall, a lot quieter than last year.  Turns out I was correct.

According to APD Captain Jennifer Gundersen noise related calls for service decreased almost 30% this year versus last year, and arrests and/or $300 tickets issued for noise were down a whopping 40%.

Yes "nuisance house" arrests and/or tickets were about the same -- but that only reinforces the notion that it's a hard core tiny minority of students who cause the major problems and give all students a bad name. 

Meanwhile, in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Wednesday the Blarney Blowout arrests continue to meander their way through the system:

 Richard Leahy, age 20

Edward Estey and Richard Leahy both took plea deals offered by the prosecution.  Six months probation, $200 "restitution fee" to the Amherst Police Department (although the money will go into the town's General Fund) and a letter of apology to APD of no less than 150 words.

The public defender tried to talk Judge Mary Hurley out of the six months probation for Richard Leahy because he lives in New Jersey.

The Judge shook her head side-to-side saying rather sternly, "I saw video of the Blarney Blowout.  These kids puts their lives, the lives of police officers and others in jeopardy disrupting the community.  I think six months probation is more than a fair disposition."

The lawyer quickly agreed. 

 Edward Estey, age 23

Mighty Vince Strikes Out

Vince O'Connor

Maybe Vince O'Connor should have led off his first of four presentations with a "thank you" to Town Meeting for even allowing his first -- and by far most controversial article -- to be moved to tonight, since it came up on Monday and he was not present to present it.  

And attending a basketball game in Springfield is not exactly a great excuse not to be present. 

After about an hour of discussion O'Connor's motion to authorize the Select Board to forcefully take by eminent domain a building recently purchased by Amherst College failed in a most telling way:  Town Meeting, by a 81-72 Tally vote, supported a "Motion to Dismiss."

Even more telling, that definitive motion was made by one of the least liked members of the august body.

Next up O'Connor's resolution to support a House Bill that would allow Section 8 vouchers to count as affordable housing units to artificially keep Amherst above the 10% Subsidized Housing Inventory failed on a voice vote.

His last two articles -- tax credits for landlords with Section 8 low-income tenants and reconfiguring the Rental Bylaw Implementation Group -- would have failed outright if voted on as originally presented, but each article was saved by being "referred back to a committee." 

A nice way to send them off to die quietly (with at least a little dignity).  

Tonight's Town Meeting wrap up:   Four citizen petition articles disposed of -- all of them from Vince O'Connor. 

DUI's Coming and Going

 Evan Pollard

In Eastern Hampshire District Court this morning Evan Pollard, age 24, took a standard 24D disposition for his drunk driving arrest on an early Sunday morning (1:30 AM) April 6th.

As he was turning from Kellogg Avenue onto North Pleasant Street in the heart of the downtown police observed his vehicle cross wide over the yellow lines. And it went downhill from there:

Upon stopping him the officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol, and noted Mr. Pollard had glassy eyes, slurred speech. When performing the Field Sobriety Test he took the wrong number of steps, and used his arms to help balance while trying to stand on one foot.

Pollard also admitted to the officer he had, "a couple beers at McMurphy's." He also blew a .13 on the breathalizer back at the station.

The Public Defender told the Judge Mr. Pollard had no prior record and he has just graduated from UMass. The Judge imposed $600 in fines, 45 day loss of license, and $65/month per month probation fee for the next 12 months.

When the Judge asked where he had his last drink, Pollard replied, "McMurphy's Uptown Tavern."

Meanwhile, on Monday morning, Amherst police arrested Katherine Roberts for DUI.  

Inside Town Meeting

 

Town Manager and most of Select Board vote "No" to moving Vince O'Connor's land grab article to tonight

A couple of non binding "resolutions" passed Town Meeting Monday night -- the drone ban and let's buy a $3 million apartment complex -- but both of them were so watered down via revisions that they will have no impact whatsoever on the real world.  Not that Amherst lives in the real world.

Just as academics in our enlightened community decry the public schools "teaching to the tests," it seems Town Meeting activists are tailoring their petitions simply to pass Town Meeting.  Not a very high hurdle to clear.

The original drone article stated that "No agency of the town will operate drones capable of violating the constitutional rights of residents ..."  Since any drone is "capable" of that, the wording pretty much amounted to a ban.

But what passed Town Meeting was reworded to say nobody can operate drones, "In a manner that violates the constitutional rights of residents."  Which is kind of like saying no baseball bats will be used in a manner to purposely break the heads of residents.

Gerry Weiss significantly watered down his article from telling the Select Board to take Echo Village Apartments by eminent domain to, "It is the sense of Town Meeting" that town officials should continue to negotiate with Jamie Cherewatti for purchase of the apartment complex.

Maybe he should have just said, "Pretty please."