Racial Profiling?

Victor Nunez Ortiz appears before Amherst School Committee 3/17/15

If Amherst police had paid me a visit because a Crocker Farm School (where my daughter does attend) employee had given them a description of an gray-haired chubby Irish guy, I would probably be a little unhappy with the reality check, but would not argue that I don't fit the profile.

In fact Victor Nunez Ortiz seems to argue that he did fit the profile and as a result was being profiled.

   Victor Nunez Ortiz MCAD Complaint

Which becomes a chicken and egg scenario. If police stop you simply because you're not white and they had no lead whatsoever on the race of the Perp, then that strikes me as profiling.

But if police stop Kareem Abdul-Jabbar because they have a description of a very tall black man, that strikes me as being good police work (as long as they let him go after finding out who he is).

 Last nights League of Women Voters Candidates night

A League Of Their Own

Amherst League of Women Voters Candidates Night

If last night's turnout for the annual League of Women Voters Candidates Night is any indication the voter turnout for Amherst's 256th annual spring election March 31st will be pretty darn good.

But by usual standards -- 13.6% last year and a pathetic 6.6% in 2012 -- it really doesn't take much to deem a local election turnout as "good." In fact my threshold for a "good turnout" is a pretty modest 15%. Even the recent UMass Student Government Election managed to muster that.

 Standing room only crowd last night almost none "college aged"

Although to be fair (and balanced), I suppose UMass SGA was a "presidential" election, and when it comes to the once-every-four-years presidential election Amherst falls all over itself to vote:  turning out 69% in 2012 and a whopping 89% in 1992 when Slick Willy was at his peak.

With no controversial ballot questions (aka Charter vote to dump Town Meeting or Proposition 2.5 Override) and no contests for Select Board -- the top executive position in town -- the turnout will be low. Very low. As in maybe not ever double-digit.

While the School Committee technically does not have a race according to the official ballot, the write in candidate, Victor Nunez-Ortiz, certainly has a chance to ride a wave of discontent over racial issues which have roiled school operations over the past few years.

The League of Women Voters Candidates night still has that old fashioned meet and greet, press the flesh campaign feel to it.  Something that's starting to get lost in the digital age of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and of course in the national Big Leagues of campaigns, radio and television ads.

Perhaps the clearest loser last night was Emilie Hamilton, who failed to show up to state her case for being elected to the Amherst Housing Authority, thus leaving candidate Tracylee Boutilier even more time to speak directly to the voters.

And if I had to guess, of the 75 people in the room last night almost 100% of them will show up at the polls March 31st.

Pothole Relief

When filled with water, potholes act as landmines for unsuspecting drivers

Governor Charlie Baker announced yet more good news for drivers across the state:  A $30 million reimbursement program to fill those pernicious potholes.  And since the road repair work has to be completed by June 15th to qualify, municipal officials can't afford to procrastinate.

The money is being apportioned using the same Chapter 90 distribution formula, so Amherst will be getting $126,035.  That's in addition to the extra $400,000 announced in Chapter 90 money a couple months ago.

DPW Chief Guilford Mooring reports that at $74 ton he should be able to purchase around 1,500 tons of asphalt.   A pothole 6" deep, one square yard around requires about a quarter-ton to fill,  so that's enough for 6,000 potholes.

Although there's other expenses for asphalt tack coat, prep tools, equipment rental and the hiring of a some part-time help. 

All in all, a good start for spring.

Just one of the many benefits of a Republican Governor.   Not that it will win him many votes in the People's Republic of Amherst.

A Million Here & A Million There

Crocker Farm Elementary Pre-school playground will get $25K to meet ADA requirements

The Joint Capital Planning Committee voted unanimously this morning to support the $3,070,457 FY16 spending plan shepherded to them by Finance Director Sandy Pooler, representing 7.5% of the total town tax levy.

 Sources of funds:  taxation, ambulance revenues, Chapter 90 state aid, CPA, borrowing

Although the committee still pines for the day when the capital spending rises to 10% of the tax levy.

The only changes from last week were a result of push back by the JCPC on Mr. Pooler delaying $25,000 in to make playground equipment at Crocker Farm Elementary School ADA compliant and $10,000 (out of original $35K proposed) for studies and improvements to a resurging North Amherst Village center.  Both items are now back in for FY16, which starts July 1st.

North Amherst Village Center

Saying that this has "emptied the coffers" to cover all the requests from department heads, Mr. Pooler did point out that he reserved $25,000 for Fall Town Meeting to cover the cost of electronic voting devices for 256-year-old Amherst Town Meeting.

Looking down the road Mr. Pooler unveiled a graphic data base that depicts the impact of four major capital projects (South Fire Station, DPW, Wildwood Elementary and Jones Library expansion/renovation) on annual spending if all $57 million were to be covered by borrowing, although some of the projects will probably be financed via a "Debt Exclusion Override".

Since Amherst Fire Department has to protect all this future development it would make sense for the forever talked about new South Fire Station to go first.

Unfortunately, Town Meeting and making sense do not always go hand in hand.

Click to enlarge/read.  Red is new fire station

 Annual debt payments would triple, but decline over time

Current debt with a couple of small projects included (Fort River School roof, Kendrick Park renovation)

 Numbers for four major construction projects

Amherst Schools Reorganization?

Amherst School Committee (from rt): Lawrence O'Brien, Kathleen Traphagen, Rick Hood

Last night the Amherst School Committee voted unanimously (with two absent) to approve a  $21,869,835 elementary school budget, which is $100,000 below Finance Committee guidelines for the second year in a row.

With a projected population of 1,176 (including 64 preschoolers) that works out to a total cost per student of $18,597, a tad over the state per student average of about $14,000.

The "level services budget" calls for the elimination of 16.5 para educator positions (saving $343,500) but is offset by the addition of six "professional staff for co-teaching" positions (adding $360,000). 

Another $63,000 had to be added to the budget to make up for the loss of grant funding to the kindergarten program  Partial cuts to three positions in Central Office personnel also brought savings of $117,000.

During a discussion about the Owner's Project Manager for the upcoming Wildwood School renovation project Superintendent Maria Geryk floated possible reorganization scenarios if a new school should be built:  Crocker Farm Elementary School (currently 422 students pre kindergarten through 6th grade) would become a pre-K through 1st grade only, and the new building would hold 2nd grade through 6th grade.

At previous meetings school administrators also floated the idea of closing down the Middle School and moving all the 7th and 8th grade students into the High School.

As if there were not enough expensive scenarios floating around the School Committee also voted unanimously to "Authorize the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form for the Fort River Elementary School, located at 70 South East Street."

Yes this is in addition to the seemingly-on-the-fast-track endeavor to renovate/expand/or build a new school to replace Wildwood Elementary School on Strong Street.

Last year Town Meeting voted $1 million to study the proposal with a projected state reimbursement of 60%.  Last night school officials confirmed the reimbursement came in higher at 68% so the town's share of funding falls from $400,000 to $320,000.

The Wildwood School Building Committee interviewed ten OPM candidates for the ambitious project.  They will go before the Mass School Building Authority in Boston on April 6th seeking final approval for their unanimously chosen candidate, Joslin Lesser, the last woman standing.

 Sparsely attended meeting.  Sean Mangano, Finance Director, in front

Superintendent Maria Geryk and Finance Director Sean Mangano outlined a timeline that would have Amherst Town Meeting voting final funding in the Fall of 2016.

School administrators did take note, however, that the Wildwood School project shares a short list of expensive new building projects on the horizon including a South Fire Station,  DPW building and Jones Library expansion.

Although they forgot to include the much talked about new downtown parking garage. 

A Cry For Help

Police were involved in a frantic one-hour search late last night for an Amherst College student who had called an ex-girlfriend in Pittsfield, sounding drunk and making suicidal statements. Amherst College police confirmed he left behind a "goodbye note" in his room.

APD and Amherst College PD looking for suicidal student.  Possibly intoxicated.  On open phone line with x-girlfriend, but not talking.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) March 18, 2015

After "pinging" his phone it was determined he was located within a mile of Stanley Street, so Amherst police sent cruisers to strategic locations within the perimeter with their sirens blaring so see if his open phone line picked up the noise, thus giving better indication of his location.

The reporting party said she could hear running water and then, ominously, about an hour into the drama said she could hear "moaning and vomiting."

 Temperatures last night

He was located semi-conscious on the bike path about a half mile east of the Amherst College tennis courts, with no shirt on, suffering from possible hypothermia and with superficial wounds from a broken bottle.

Amherst Fire Department, with an extra firefighter on board, transported him to Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Just another example of outstanding co-operation between Amherst College PD, Amherst and State police. 

And the urgent need for the state to upgrade the emergency 911 system for GPS location, which would have instantly provided authorities with his whereabouts within ten feet rather than a mile.

Amherst College student found on rail trial intoxicated, without shirt, possibly hypothermic. PD on scene. AFD enroute.
— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) March 18, 2015

Vital Communications

One of four Dispatch workstations

If all goes as expected this Thursday morning the Joint Capital Planning Committee will approve about $3 million in spending for equipment replacement and building repairs that will still require Town Meeting approval, but is usually 100% ratified.

With it's annual budget of $650,000 a capital request of $110,000 for equipment replacement may sound like a lot but without the Communication Center working properly our $9 million Police and Fire departments would be flying blind.

Currently Station Officer can't interact as well with officers in the field or trace their location

The four dispatch workstations and a 5th new fully functional station for the downstairs "Station Officer" will replace an outdated system using Windows XP installed in 2006. The town purchased the system from Motorola for $200,000.

 HP computers are left on 24/7 now for fear of not rebooting

Radio console system being replaced at 5 workstations

The current system has internal clocks that do not always sync properly to the actual time, does not always record incoming calls for instant playback (although a redundant back up system does) and is not compatible for two-way conversation with UMass dispatch. 

In addition to fixing those problems the new system will have digital capabilities and allow for additional channels should the need arise.  

 911 system:  screen on left gives name and address of caller, screen on right maps location

Communication Center Director Mike Curtin tells me at some point over the past three years every one of the five stations targeted for replacement has failed.  And sometimes it can take up to two weeks to get a station properly repaired.  

 Separate station monitors town buildings via automated alarms

The Dispatch center is nothing if not busy, handling 80,000 phone calls on the business line and 7,000 on the 911 emergency line last year with a total staff of only 12.

Left screen CAD narratives/records, middle screen keeps track of on duty first responders, right screen shows license plate info, wants and warrants

The two new dispatchers hired recently had to undergo 60 hours of training, but overall 70% of staff are at the top step for pay scale, meaning they are well experienced.  Typically the center has two dispatchers on duty, one for police and the other for fire.

This much needed overhaul would also be beneficial should Amherst ever regionalize dispatch operations, although that is not looking as promising as it once did.

At a recent Finance Committee meeting Chief Livingstone said, "I don't see it happening soon.  It's not dead yet, but we have to convince Hadley."

3rd floor, APD headquarters, 111 Main Street.  The eyes and ears of first reponders