Business Leader Wanted

Amherst downtown is small but feisty

Amherst Chamber Want Ad

Click headline in white to better read

Select Board: Just Say No

Jones Library right, Strong House history museum left Kinsey Garden circled in red

Not surprisingly the Amherst Select Board, our current executive branch of government, voted unanimously to recommend dismissal of Town Meeting warrant article #41 that would prevent the Jones Library from touching a single plant in the Kinsey Memorial Garden located immediately behind the Library and prime turf for a potential $30+ million expansion/renovation.

Click to enlarge/read

The "citizens petition" article, unanimously opposed by the Jones Board of Trustees, is only advisory so even if Town Meeting approves it by majority vote there's no legal requirement for the Library to follow the advice.

 Kinsey Memorial Garden

By far the more important land use decision for the Library would already have been made prior to Article #41.

Land immediately adjacent to the Kinsey Memorial Garden, also green space currently occupied by the Strong House History Museum 18th Century Garden, is required for the Jones Library to do the preferred expansion design.

Article #31, which requires a two-thirds vote, would change the zoning on that property to General Business from the current General Residential.   That would allow the cash strapped Amherst Historical Society to sell the property to the Jones Library for their expansion/renovation. 

Charter Commission: Show Us The Money!

Charter Question passed with a 60% majority 2,039 to 1,340

The Amherst Charter Commission overcame ideological differences and voted unanimously in favor of a $30,000 request to Town Meeting for overhead costs over the next year or so, mainly in the form of a professional consultant or two.

Motion states "for engaging consulting services"

Click to enlarge/read

The Commission spent an hour discussing the pros and cons but very early in the process they all agreed by consensus that a consultant or two would definitely be required.

 Amherst Charter Commission (meeting in the Bangs Community Center)

The three skeptical members -- Meg Gage, Gerry Weiss and Diana Stein -- were concerned the Commission was asking for too much too early in the process.

But they were convinced by the other six who favored the $30,000 from the start, but said it would most likely be necessary to go to the Fall Town Meeting to ask that some of that money be reallocated to other Charter related expenses unrelated to consulting.

Andy Churchill, now Commission Chair, had written and submitted the Town Meeting article early in the process in order to make the deadline for this upcoming session, and now it's too late to change the wording to broaden it beyond use of "consultants".

They all agreed to divvy up a list of towns in the state who are engaged in or recently finished the Charter process to ascertain what they spent and for what services.

Article 35 will probably not come up until late May, so they have time do research and come up with data to support their request.

The Charter Commission also voted to set their first state mandated Public Forum for Thursday, May 12th in the Amherst Regional Middle School auditorium from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

Annual Town Meeting starts May 2nd with a 45 article warrant, 13 of them "citizens petitions," which are often time consuming.

Meanwhile, meeting at the same time over in Town Hall the Select Board announced the three finalists for permanent Town Manager:

#amherstma Finalists for town manager are Paul Bokelman of Somerville, Maria Capriola of Willimantic, CT & William Fraser of Montpelier, VT

— scott merzbach (@scottmerzbach) April 11, 2016

Dear Charter Commission

Dear Charter Commission Members,


I am writing to encourage you all to cast a vote of support for asking Town Meeting to fund a consultant to the charter commission process and to bring such a request forward at the Spring Annual Town Meeting, rather than waiting till Fall Special Town Meeting.

I understand that during the lead up to the election, there was considerable controversy in the community about the need for a Charter Commission. The election, though, is now past. The voters of the Town have weighed in, and a Commission has been established.

It is time now to dive into the work in as thorough, above board and comprehensive a way as possible. Procuring a reliable funding stream for expertise to help guide that process seems entirely prudent, as does doing so from the outset of the process rather than somewhere down the road.


I have responded, below, to some of the specific objections I have heard related to those viewpoints.


"It is too early in the process. Postponing the use of a consultant will engender a spirit of trust and good will in the Commission Members themselves."

If it is good practice to hire outside expertise to guide a charter review process, which a quick Google search seems to indicate is the case, then the Commission should be engaging in that good practice from the get go.

That is what will ultimately engender trust—researching, establishing and carrying out the best possible practices for working together on behalf of and in collaboration with the community.

Efficiencies gained through the availability of consultancy support will free Commission members for the important work of purposeful deliberation and outreach. These are the tasks that I think we want most to entrust in you, our elected representatives, not the more menial legwork and clerical aspects of the process.


"The Town employs too many consultants. We should be able to do this work with expertise already on the Commission or in the broader community."

It is true that the Town hires many consultants. But is this the area to begin skimping on that kind of investment? We are not just talking about where we should park our cars or whether to put in a round about or traffic signal. We’re talking about considering fundamental changes to the way in which we choose to govern ourselves. Surely this rises to a level of importance that merits the seeking of outside support.


"It is expensive."

The costs associated with establishing a Charter Commission, including financial costs, were one of the often-touted reasons for suggesting a No vote on the petition article. And yet, the measure passed by a significant margin. The voters knew the ramifications of what they were voting for or against. As did the Charter Commission candidates.

Mr. Weiss, in explaining why he didn’t sign the charter petition, had this to say: “It’s costly in terms of people’s time; staff time (they must attend every meeting; prepare ballots, count signatures, ensure transparency); town money (the town must pay all costs including hiring a consultant as was done for the last Charter Commission)…”

Doesn’t it seem a bit disingenuous to state ahead of time that the town would have to spend money on a charter consultant if a Commission were established and then get voted onto that very same Commission and vote to deny or delay said money?


"Town Meeting might vote down the request."

This is true. But not before having the opportunity to give full consideration to the merits of the proposal as well as to offer amendments from the floor if so desired (including amendments to the amount of the appropriation). Why not trust in that process? And, even if the measure should fail this spring, wouldn’t it be possible to bring it back in the fall, anyway?


"The Charter issue is too divisive and funding a consultant to the process would just add to the divisiveness."

As Charter Commission members you have an opportunity to combat the spirit of divisiveness rather than feeding it. A unanimous vote in favor of funding a consultant to the charter process—to ensure a thorough and efficient vetting of the options available to us as a Town, as well as the range of viewpoints within the Town—would go a long way in setting the stage for a spirit of constructive dialog and deliberation as opposed to division. Lets get off on the right track!


I don’t know, exactly, where I hope the Charter Commission process leads, in terms of specific recommendations for change or modification of our current form of government.

I do know, though, that my hope is for the process to be one that is as open, honest and constructively thorough as possible. Hiring a consultant to help guide and support this complex and vitally important process seems to me to be an idea based not only in common practice, but also in common sense.

I urge your support.


Thank you so much for taking my input into consideration and for your willingness to assume such a far-reaching and important task on behalf of the community.


Sincerely,


Marcy Sala

Sunny Sunday Over Amherst Construction

Crotty Hall, North Pleasant Street, adjacent to Gordon Hall

UMass Design Building

UMass Physical Sciences Building just getting started

 Olympia Place dorms, Olympia Drive near UMass (top right)

Amherst College Greenway Dorms

 

One East Pleasant Street, town center.  Still doing asbestos removal before total demolition

R.W. Kern Center, Hampshire College

Hitchcock Center, Hampshire College

When Balding Is A Good Thing

The Hanger (left) will host St. Baldrick's event on Sunday

Local police, firefighters and compassionate citizens in general will make their way to the Hangar Pub and Grill's new location on University Drive Sunday morning at 11:00 AM for a unique fundraiser that will leave their heads hairless.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation focuses on children with that most devastating of all diagnoses, cancer.  And unlike a lot of charitable organizations all the money raised goes directly into research.

This fun family friendly event for a serious cause is open to the general public and will run until every head is shaved.

 AFD Captain Bill Dunn gets it done

Downtown Construction Commences

Jersey barriers have sprouted on Kendrick Park

The north end of downtown will get a major cosmetic improvement this summer with the undergrounding of ugly utility poles and lines all along the eastern side of Kendrick Park.

Last year the state awarded us a $1.5 million MassWorks grant to cover the costs of the infrastructure improvements.

Click to enlarge/read

 East side of Kendrick Park will be off limits to bikes and pedestrians

The town is also moving ahead next year with a roundabout at the East Pleasant/Triangle Street intersection which is a main gateway to UMass, our number one employer.

One of the provisions of the $1.5 million MassWorks grant was for the town to do something to improve that intersection.

Intersection of Triangle and East Pleasant Streets will go the way of roundabout