Electrifying Move

Corner of Pray Street/East Pleasant Street, northern end of town center

Now there's a job that leaves little margin for error:  No doubt why power lineman are in the top ten for deaths per 100,000 workers.  

Probably a combination of working at higher altitudes where the fall can be fatal, and of course dealing with electricity, and often times (think October snowstorm) putting in long hours.  

In discussing the long, l-o-n-g awaited Pine Street renovation in North Amherst, DPW Chief Guilford Mooring told the Amherst Select Board that Western Mass Electric charges a $40,000 per pole relocation fee.   Yikes!

But this relocation work at the corner of Pray Street and East Pleasant is being done at the request of Archipelago Investments the developer of Kendrick Place, a five-story mixed use building that will tower over the Triangle Street/East Pleasant intersection, at the gateway to UMass/Amherst.

On Monday night the Amherst Select Board unanimously approved the DPW/Town Manager request to apply for a $1.5 million MassWorks Grant to pay for those same powerlines to go underground, from Pray Street through the Triangle/E Pleasant intersection up to Chestnut Street.  

Interestingly the Town Manager did admit to the Select Board that this would never happen with town money (not a high enough priority) but since its state money ...

Some anti-development folks are already pretty upset with the town over the development of Kendrick Place -- specifically the Planning Board waiving a traffic study to assess the impact of 102 tenants. 

Since the (student oriented) development is within the "Municipal Parking District," and within easy walking distance of UMass, it's not expected to require much parking.  

School Committee Fires Back OML

Lawrence O'Brien, Rick Hood,  Trevor Baptiste Chair

After a somewhat contentious 45 minute discussion the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee voted 5-2 to support new Chair Trevor Baptiste's response to an Open Meeting Law complaint filed by former School Committee member Tom Flittie, who was not at the meeting.

The contested 7/14 meeting was called by then Vice Chair Trevor Baptiste to put forth a resolution countermanding a memo signed by the Chairs of the Amherst, Pelham, and the Regional School Committees (but done so without any deliberation of their committees).

Lawrence O'Brien and Katherine Appy -- who both signed the original memo as Chairs -- adamantly opposed Mr. Baptiste's letter, which goes to both to Mr. Flittie and the Attorney General.  But five members did support it, so the motion passed 5-2.



The motion was slightly amended (by unanimous vote) to add to Baptiste's letter a memo from the town attorney suggesting the meeting was not legal, and a copy of the Regional School Committee's policy with regards to duties of the Chair and Vice Chair.

Voting in favor:  Trevor Baptiste, Rick Hood, Sarah Dolven, Dan Robb and Stephen Sullivan.

Two Amherst members who attended the renegade 7/14 meeting -- Amilcar Shabazz and Kathleen Traphagen were not in attendance this evening, but presumably would have voted in favor of the motion.

Things That Go Bump ...

Cottage Street near town center

Last night the Select Board gave unanimous approval for the DPW to install three speed bumps along the short length of Cottage Street, which connects Triangle Street with Chestnut Street and is often used as a "cut through" to get to the High School or Middle School.

Although rookie SB member Connie Kruger expressed reservations: "I see them as a last resort" and she feared, "Now everybody is going to want them." But she still went along with the other four members in voting yes.

DPW Chief Guilford Mooring called them "The best option," pointing out that the majority of speeders are not local residents who live on the street so "education" will not work all that well.  

And the road is already undergoing major renovations, so to install the bumps now would be slightly more economical. Total cost of the project is $122,000.

'Twas A Conspiracy!

Helen Berg, former Select Board candidate

Forget who fired the fatal shot on the Presidential motorcade or how much thermite was used to bring down those gorgeous towers of glass and steel, little old Amherst has its very own wacky conspiracy theory:

The Blarney Blowout, the most disruptive public disorder of the decade, was a plot "fabricated and orchestrated" by town officials to increase the (woefully inadequate) public safety department budget.



Umm ... yeah.  Safe bet Ed Davis did not interview Helen Berg for her observation about the Blarney Blowout as part of his $160,000 study, due out any day now.

Culinary E-X-P-A-N-S-I-O-N

Judie's Restaurant, arguably the top sit-down-and-stay-a-while eating establishment in the downtown and icon for most of their 37 years of operation, received unanimous approval from the Amherst Select Board for an expansion into the 650 square foot ground floor of Boltwood Place, formerly occupied by Scandihoovian's.

The function room is a separate stand alone open space attached to the rear of the restaurant with a lift allowing for handicapped access.  Partner Dave Williams told the Select Board, who are the town's Liquor Commissioners, an operation that does group art will be hosting events in the new facility, which is expected to be operational in late September. 

Dave Williams (left) and  Attorney Kristi Bodin (right)

A Question Of Priorities?

 

Leisure Services & Supplemental Education (aka Recreation Department)

In addition to the $212,000 tax dollars lost on one golf course and two outdoor pools last year, the main governmental recreation entity that manages both of those, LSSE, also lost an additional $349,246 on other recreational programs.

Yes, that brings total losses last year on recreation to well over a half million dollars.  Or $561,246 to be exact.  For RECREATION.

Recreation program fell short of budget revenue projections by $141, 984

Hidden costs:  Employee Benefits, capital = $207,262 in additional losses

Expensive Summer Pastimes

 Mill River Pool, North Amherst

So in addition to the $100K the town spent subsidizing the expensive game of golf last year, we also lost another $112K on the outdoor pools.  No big surprise since they, like the golf course, never break even.

But still, $112K is a lot of cash.  

 

$66,600 total revenues, well below projected $90,000

Expenses of $178,969 on revenues of $66,600 = $112,370 in red ink

Main difference between the two recreation items is of course the pools attract far more families -- especially children -- and folks of lesser economic means, since swimming does not require expensive equipment to participate. 

In addition, a few years back when I requested under Public Documents Law (which the town bitterly opposed) the names and hometowns of Cherry Hill season pass holders, it turned out that a majority were not even Amherst residents.