Not A Bad Nest Egg

Select Board August 29 New Town Manager Paul Bockelman's 1st SB meeting

Comptroller Sonia Aldrich updated the Select Board and new Town Manager Paul Bockelman on Monday night about the current financial shape of the town and it was a good to great report.

The town closed out FY16 with a surplus of $1.7 million from a total budget of $72.5 million, which included a $295,000 payment from UMass on the Hotel/Motel tax representing 21 months or almost two years worth.

UMass played hardball and bullied the town into signing a lousy 3.5 year "Strategic Agreement" with the caveat they would pay the Campus Center Hotel tax retroactively after they had ceased paying it due to a legal loophole.

The town now has $6.9 million in Stabilization, a savings account that requires a two thirds vote of Town Meeting to appropriate. 

And Free Cash, which only requires a majority vote to spend, once all the grants come in will be anywhere from $4.4 to  $4.9 million so total reserves could end up close to $12 million. 

Which sounds like a lot.  But not so much when you consider the four major building projects coming up that will require over $100 million in local tax dollars. 

The first of which, the new $65 million Mega School Override, comes up on the November 8th ballot.

DUI Dishonor Roll

MADD:  2014 drivers between ages 21-24 had highest percentage fatal crashes (30%)

Unfortunately it's a safe bet this coming weekend will have many times over the number of impaired drivers on the road, not only because our beloved students are back but also because it's a major holiday with one extra night to party hardy.

Jake Nolan, age 24, arrested by APD

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Alec Grater Cafiero, age 22, arrested by UMPD

Changing Of The Guard

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek does the honors

Even before sitting down to his first official Select Board meeting as Town Manager Paul Bockelman posed with his bosses for a photo that will hang in Town Hall and be used on the town website.

But former Town Manager John Musante is far from forgotten.

Water Worries

Atkins Reservoir (8/28/16):  Currently down 7'10" with 87 million gallons remaining of 200 million

Pelham Reservoir currently unusable until Oct/Nov

In a presentation to the Select Board last night Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek gave a somewhat optimistic update about the slowly worsening water supply situation, citing the impact of mandatory water restrictions that went into effect August 19th.

 Town website main page

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 Last year peak was 4.1 mgd on September 6th but this year's target is 3.5 mgd

Of course the BIG test has yet to come.  Last year September 6th, with a consumption of 4.1 million gallons, was peak day due to the return of our bread and butter college aged youth.

And suddenly everyone seems to remember the chaotic 1980 incident where the water system failed and UMass students had to be sent home.

The BIG difference this time around is Well 4 with a an output of 1.74 million gallons per day is online.  Back in 1980 the treatment plant known as "Baby Carriage" adjoining Well 4 -- which has high levels of iron and manganese -- was still under construction.

Scenic Baby Carriage Treatment Plant, South East Street

Atkins Reservoir is dropping about an inch a day so by this time next month -- unless we get significant rainfall -- it will need to be shut down.  

Without use of Reservoirs the Wells alone can pump out 4.72 million gallons

Town water quality report 2016

The key question is will this vital public water system, operating under stressful conditions and with our population about to almost double, hold?

Probably.

Atkins Reservoir expanding sandbar:

August 21st

August 28th

Get The Lead Out!

Crocker Farm School, built 1974 but renovated 2002 to a total of 90,800 square feet

As if our public schools were not already in enough chaos with classes scheduled to start only days from now, Crocker Farm, our South Amherst neighborhood elementary school, tested positive for lead in the water.

When it rains it pours.

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Raw Date Test Results

Note worst result came from a drinking water bubbler

A BOLD Evening Indeed

President Obama, Katherine Appy, Laura Kent

Well at least Amherst School Committee Chair Katherine Appy will be able to write off the wine as a campaign contribution (cheese as well).  And considering the current chaos the public schools find themselves in, it's gonna take a LOT of wine to sell this $67 million dollar Mega School.

As a private individual Ms. Appy has every right to advocate for the November 8th Override question, but if a quorum of School Committee members (only two more) or three Select Board members attend the party, then it is a violation of Open Meeting Law since it has not been publicly posted.  And no, this article does not count.

And you also have to wonder if tax dollars are being expended to bring in lead architect Jim LaPosta to "give us updates and answer questions." 

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UPDATE:  As mentioned by Ms. Appy in comments this is a private gathering for like minded individuals, which rules out the vast majority of my readers.  Especially the beer guzzling or wine-from-a-box crowd.

Cable Contract Comeuppance

Paul Bockelman (left) attending Cable Advisory Committee meeting yesterday

New Town Manager Paul Bockelman parachuted into a hot LZ with two critical concerns coming up at the routine Monday night Select Board meeting:  The impasse with Comcast over their ten year franchise renewal and the steadily worsening water situation.

At their Thursday morning meeting Bockelman asked the Cable Advisory Committee for a "little leeway" in getting up to speed.  The CAC convinced the Select Board to reject the current offer which includes a one time payment of $950,000 for new equipment and the standard 5% cut of cable revenues (around $300K per year).

The Select Board has until September 26 to formally accept or reject the offer but Comcast would then appeal the decision and would continue to operate under the old contract.

If Comcast agrees to return to the bargaining table the CAC, in addition to their two members, demand a member of Amherst Media also be present to "increase the efficiency and accuracy of the discussion."

Amherst Media also funded a 5-year audit of Comcast and although the official report is not yet concluded enough irregularities have been found to warrant a conference call with the entire Cable Advisory Committee, Amherst Media and the town hired consultant/attorney Peter Epstein.

All things combines -- Internet, Telephone, TV and Advertising sales -- the ten year contract is estimated to generate $80 million in total revenues to Comcast.