Status Quo Before The Storm

Alisa Brewer (left center) Jim Wald (right) at Monday Select Board meeting

With incumbents Alisa Brewer and Jim Wald running for reelection to the highest elected position the town has to offer, one-fifth of a mayor, the 5 member Select Board will maintain its steady if not staid course.

No small feat after the tragic sudden death of Town Manager John Musante.

Because there are two Select Board seats open that means voters get to vote for two candidates.  And since Mr. Wald and SB Chair Brewer have worked side-by-side together over the past six years it's a pretty safe bet who they will each tell their friends to support with that second vote.

If Alisa has 1,500 voters who go to the polls specifically to support her and Mr. Wald also has 1,500 to specifically support him but each supporter casts their second vote properly then both candidates end up with 3,000 votes.

Makes it kind of hard for an independent lone wolf candidate to rack up a victory, even when second place counts as winning.

In fact, as often is the case with Select Board recently, there may not even be a contest other than the two guaranteed winners.  And normally that would translate to an all too typical pathetic local voter turnout, which every now and then barely manages to break 10%.

But not this time -- not by a long shot.  With the Charter change question on the ballot -- bringing with it the glorious opportunity to terminate tedious Town Meeting -- the voter turnout will easily surpass 30%.

The 9 member Charter Commission should be able to produce a new and improved blueprint for better local government (Anything But Town Meeting)  in time for the 2017 election.

And in the meantime, Alisa Brewer and Jim Wald will do a fine job keeping those Select Board seats warm.

DUI Dishonor Roll

In Eastern Hampshire District Court Monday both college aged youth -- one arrested by APD and the other by UMPD -- had their cases continued until next month so they could hire their own private attorney.

 Jackson Schroeder, age 21, stands before Judge Patricia Poehler

Click to enlarge/read

Mr. Schroeder submitted to the Breathalyzer so he should probably save his money and take the standard state offer of a 24D disposition. 

Mr. Fidler probably has a better shot of beating the driving under the influence of drugs charge (but not all the others) simply because there are no standard Breathalyzer tests available for detecting drugs.

 Zachary Fidler, age 20, arraigned by Judge Patricia Pohler

Click to enlarge/read

UMass: A Cable Scofflaw?

UMass is a city unto itself, but they still reside in Amherst

The Cable Advisory Committee voted unanimously on Monday to request Interim Town Manager Dave Ziomek issue UMass a public documents request to ascertain details of a cable contract with Charter Communications that could violate federal law because the Amherst Select Board, who has authority in these matters, never issued them a cable franchise.

   Request Cable Audit of Umass

The CAC is currently working diligently on the renewal of the current ten-year cable contract with Comcast which does require Select Board approval.  Currently Amherst has over 7,000 subscribers who contribute about $6 million total per year to Comcast.

As part of their franchise fee Comcast gives up 5% of their annual cable revenues to Amherst Media, around $300,000, as well as a once every ten year capital sum for new equipment, which amounted to $450,000 in the last contract. 

 Comcast quarterly income report

Since these contract matters are FCC related that kind of makes the Select Board agents of a federal authority. Thus the usual excuse UMass uses for ignoring town ordinances and/or bylaws may not hold up, since a federal entity trumps a state one.

UMass recently told the town to go fly a kite (or drone) regarding the 6% local hotel/motel tax applying to the Campus Center Hotel.

Currently they are holding $200,000 in escrow attempting to strong arm the town into signing a multi-year "Strategic Partnership" for Payment In Lieu Of Taxes to help fund all the services provided to on-campus students by Amherst Fire Department. 

Unintended Consequences

Three years ago: what was once unimaginable, is no longer so

At their 12/10 meeting last week the Amherst Board Of Health spent 45 minutes (out of a one hour scheduled agenda ) tip toeing through a mine field ... while blindfolded.

They were trying to decide if gun violence falls within their perview as a public health issue.  Like, say, tobacco.  Although unlike tobacco, guns can be used safely.  It's the 30,000+ annual deaths (mostly suicides) where guns were used not so safely, that concerns them.

And of course if you're a rational human being you cannot help but be affected by the tiny minority of major tragic events that seem to crop up more and more often these days.

Although it appears using those high profile incidents to promote gun control legislation has backfired, as any talk of added controls only stimulates gun sales in a country where guns now outnumber citizens.

The BOH decided to invite APD Chief Scott Livingstone to appear before them at an upcoming meeting to discuss guns, which are not a big problem in little Amherst. 

Other members will reach out to national organizations working to reduce gun violence in the land of the free and home of the brave.

During the initial discussion, Board Of Health members seemed unclear if they had any jurisdiction or role in dealing with gun violence.  But one outspoken member responded, "If not us, then who?"

Protecting History

The Evergreens on a bright October day

The Evergreens, immediate neighbor and family member of the Emily Dickinson Homestead Museum, will become a lot safer if the Community Preservation Act Committee recommends the $200,000 request for a new high pressure water mist fire suppression system. 

The actual cost of the system is over $400,000 but museum officials have a donor who will match the CPA grant should it be approved by Town Meeting in the spring. 

Both the Dickinson Homestead and the Evergreens are owned by Amherst College, the largest property owner in town.  The Dickinson houses attract thousands of visitors to our little college town from all over the world. 

Splash Park For Groff Park

Groff Park on a drizzly day

The town has submitted a $600,000 request of the Community Preservation Act Committee for a major overhaul of Groff Park that will include the town's first splash park, a new additional pavilion, and badly needed new ADA compliant playground equipment set on a safer surface.

The overall cost is projected to be $1.2 million so the town will also be submitting a PARC grant (Parkland Acquisitions & Renovations for Communities) in July, 2016 to help cover the other half of the costs.

But if the state grant is not approved, like our last one for the historic North Town Common renovations, the amount requested from CPA will still be enough for the splash park since the 60+ year old wading pool is ABD (All But Dead).

If the CPA Committee recommends the funding it will still require Town Meeting approval this spring.  The design work is being done by Berkshire Design Group who also recently designed the $240,000 ADA compliant make over of a preK playground at Crocker Farm School.

Now if we could just do something regarding the sorry state of War Memorial Playground ...

Wading pool was demolished last year at War Memorial Playground

Story Of The Year

The fog will lift for sure next year

I'm a little ahead of my bricks and mortar media friends with that traditional year end list culminating with the top story of the year.  In fact I'm w-a-y ahead since this is my prediction for the biggest story of 2016.

Amherst has not seen a Charter change battle in over ten years, and this upcoming one is shaping up to be even more epic since this time around it stands a better chance of passing.  And the previous one narrowly came up short out of 4,814 votes cast losing by only 14  -- less than 1%.

Amherst For All members gather at Kendrick Park Saturday for final push

In fact the monumental effort to collect a whopping 3,215 signatures has only been aided by the (over) reaction of Town Meeting cheerleaders thus far:

The threat to challenge "every signature" certified by the Town Clerk for instance underscores their unAmerican desperate way of trying to prevent voters from having a say over the way they are governed.

Or the video upload to YouTube suggesting "conflict of interest" with Amherst For All Steering Committee members, while failing to acknowledge Town Meeting members are exempt from state conflict of interest law (unlike a Mayor or Council).

Talk about throwing stones while living in a Tiffany stained glass teepee.

Amherst For All is more than just a name; it represents something hardpressed taxpayers have not seen in too long a time:  hope.

Learning From History

Simeon Strong House built 1744

Strong House (hidden by tree) adjacent to Jones Library on right

Amherst Historical Society outgoing President Jim Wald updated the membership at their annual meeting this afternoon about two exciting projects now underway, including a possible physical joining with the adjacent Jones Library and a high tech archaeological study of the Museum grounds.

The Strong House is one of the oldest properties in Amherst set well back from Amity Street, so the front and side yards are pretty much undisturbed from the way they were over 270 years ago.

Jim Wald on final day as Amherst Historical Society President (replaced by Georgia Barnhill)

Last month UMass Archaeological Services used ground penetrating radar to map the entire grounds looking for signs of buried treasure.  Not so much coins and jewelry but anything that was man made, possible discarded, and now remains hidden below the surface.

Old outhouses are considered the mother lode because household trash was often deposited along with biodegradable wastes.

Ground Penetrating Radar overlay on drone photo

The $20,000 study, paid for with Community Preservation Act historical preservation funds, also included drone shots of the property overlayed with the ground penetrating radar results, as well as infra red photos from above.

Infra red drone shot

Study results should be available before spring.

The Strong House now houses over 7,000 individual artifacts dating back to the founding of Amherst, but the overcrowded facility lacks climate control.

Museum officials have been pursuing an alliance with the Jones Library, especially now since the Library is in the process of expanding with the state covering half the cost.

The Strong House was donated to the Amherst Historical Society with the condition it remain in its original state as a Museum, and should that covenant be broken ownership would revert to the Massachusetts Historical Commission (who does not like to own buildings).

Museum officials have placed a $42,000 proposal before the Community Preservation Act Committee for funding to work out the legal problems associated with a possible merger with the Jones Library, or simply expanding the building.

In addition the money will also pay for repairs to the exterior of the building and a dendrochronology study of the wood to determine more exact dating of various parts of the building.

SantaCon Cancelled

To no great surprise, SantaCon Amherst is not going to happen.

Almost certainly due to the Select Board threat last Monday to hold (both) idiot downtown bar businesses responsible should anything go wrong.

And with 200 college aged youth, on the last day of classes, all dressed up as Santa's, crawling downtown bars, what could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE:  Saturday morning 7:00 AM

And nothing did go wrong.  Overall a rather uneventful overnight.  Well, except:

AFD responding to Townhouse Apartments, North #Amherst for a " trash fire in the quad."

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) December 12, 2015

Who knew Rudolph was a smoker?

Tonight APD and ACPD will be on alert for Crossett Christmas, where UMass kids usually arrive in swarms to take over Amherst College.

UPDATE:  Sunday morning 7: 00 AM

Although there were a bevy of AFD transports for alcohol OD Amherst College PD and extra private security forces managed to keep the chaos under control this year.  And since Amherst College is tearing down the social dorm this spring, the last Crossett Christmas goes out with a whimper.

All Things Digital

Jones Library:  Amherst's living room

The Jones Library is submitting a $35,000 request to Joint Capital Planning Committee, the guardians and first hurdle for FY17 equipment requests, for a new computer server and consulting help to expand the capabilities of Digital Amherst, which is currently at capacity.

This will allow Special Collections to continue adding material for convenient online availability, especially Audio Video materials that are a bit of a data hog.

One such item is the recorded voice of poet Robert Frost speaking at the Jones when a room in his honor was first dedicated.

 The new server is estimated to last at least five years before hitting capacity. Most of the JCPC request ($22,000 of the total) is for one time start up consulting costs but the ongoing annual maintenance duties will be handled in-house by the town Information Technology Department.

Jones Library Board of Trustees meeting this morning

The Jones Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to support the $35,000 request which is separate from the $2,468,186 overall FY17 budget, a 2.34% increase over last year.

This falls within Finance Committee guidelines of no more than a 2.5% increase from last year.

In addition Library Director Sharon Sharry told the Trustees she is setting up a Go Fund Me internet donation campaign with a target goal of $40,000, which represents the amount lost from the operation budget when the draw from the endowment was reduced to 4% from the previous 4.5% mark.

The Jones Library Endowment now stands at $7.25 million.

The Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to support placing the $2.46 million FY17 budget before Town Meeting. Library Director Sharon Sharry said of the annual budget, "We're in a fine place this year."

  Jones Library FY17 Budget

When a "D" Is A Good Thing

North Amherst center today shows recent improvements via paving and new striping 

Click photos to enlarge

Concept D

So after two open public forums and many individual board and committee meetings it looks like Concept D is going to be the choice for significant renovations to North Amherst Village Center.

At Tuesday's second forum sponsored by the Select Board, Planning Board and Public Works Committee, attended by perhaps 45 citizens, Concept D was once again was the clear favorite of the four presented.

Good crowd at Bangs Center for the 2nd public forum on Tuesday night

Now the significant problem is going to be how to fund it?

I'm told just the basic construction aspect is at least $1 million and the combined value of the two properties that would need to be purchased are another $1 million.  So a million here and a million there, pretty soon you're talking real money.

Reverting Sunderland Road back to greenspace ties in Library to School and playing field

The town was shot down for a MassWorks grant recently for this North Amherst intersection, and a couple years ago was also turned down for a $4 million grant to redo Pine Street, which the town just now completed on its own dime (or I should say local taxpayers dimes).

Maybe if we showed a little more support at the ballot box for a Republican Governor, those grants would start rolling in.

Keep Them Doggies Movin'

Hope

Why did the bovine cross the road?  To avoid a major demolition.

Hope the cow will move from her current location at 233 North Pleasant Street, the former Carriage Shops, to Realignment Park directly across the street at 236 North Pleasant Street, in front of a building owned by Barry Roberts.

The cow was fabricated as a combination public art project piggy bank with all the proceeds going to Craig's Doors homeless shelter.

The Design Review Board voted unanimously last night to approve the relocation although point person Jerry Gates said he would come back for approval of any smaller signs placed on Hope (like "Ride at your own risk").

The board also suggested she continue to face west after relocation so folks approaching her from Kendrick Park or town center will have a more inviting view of her sides rather than rear end.

Click to enlarge/read

The Business Improvement District also submitted a letter of support pointing out they have cleaned up the public art space around "Relocation Park" and wish to see the popular cow stay in town center.

The relocation will need the approval of the Public Arts Commission and it is on their 12/17 agenda.  Chair Rene Theberge was also in attendance last night and seemed supportive.

The Amherst Select Board as "keepers of the public way" have final authority over the move and with this being an election year they are probably not going to want to mess with a popular downtown icon -- especially one named "Hope".

Hope (visible top center) would be located a few feet north of this art installation

He's Baaaaack

Mr. Frost has been reinstalled

The DPW used longer bolts to attach Mr. Frost to his solid seat

The silhouette of Robert Frost -- making up half the public art installation known as a "A Poetic Dialogue" -- returned to his perch recently curtesy of the DPW.

Now his dialog with Miss Emily, the Belle of Amherst, can continue.

Meanwhile the First Congregational Church directly across the street replaced their stolen rainbow flag, only this time decided to place it in a spot making it much harder to grab and go.

Seriously?

Lord Jeffery Inn

You could tell Select Board member Jim Wald (who works for a sorta competing higher education entity) was not overly impressed with a request from Amherst College owned Lord Jeffery Inn for a 50% break on parking fees for an event next March.

After Chair Alisa Brewer breathlessly explained that the Lord Jeff had booked the event before realizing the parking rate had doubled from $5 to $10 per bag (thus reserving the space for their use only) and they were requesting a one time rollback to the old rate.

Mr Wald responded incredulously with only word, "Seriously?!"

Probably because the Lord Jeff Inn is valued at over $5 million, although to their great credit they do pay both property taxes and the town's local Hotel/Motel Tax (unlike cheapskate UMass Campus Center Hotel).

Which set the tone for the rest of the brief discussion.  The board unanimously approved setting aside the 40 spaces, but at the current $10 rate.

Last year: bagged parking meters in front of Lord Jeff for a wedding

DUI Dishonor Roll

Police took four alleged drunk drivers off the road over the weekend -- two in Amherst and two in Hadley -- and three of the four consented to a breath test, of which the results clearly shows why they were arrested.

All four were arraigned before Judge Payne in Eastern Hampshire District Court and had their cases continued over the next six weeks.

Venetia Fotopulos 

Keri Quinlan

Kathryn Agalar

Jenna Gagnon

Yeah, I'm The Taxman

Principal Assessor David Burgess

Principal Assessor David Burgess made his scintillating annual appearance before the illustrious Select Board to set the tax rate for the coming year, which is already too high and will only go higher, from $20.54 up to $21.22 per thousand.

Also as usual the SB decided not to "split" the tax rate and charge commercial property more in order to save homeowners a small amount.

For instance if the board had decided for the maximum shift allowed the tax rate for homes would drop to $20.01 (pretty much the same ridiculous rate we pay now) and commercial would skyrocket to $31.83.

Or put in more simple terms the average taxbill for an average home would go from $6,842 down to "only" $6,456 while the average commercial bill would go from $7,627 up to $11,148.  Ouch!

These out of whack numbers clearly underscore a major problem:  Amherst is overly reliant on residential property, a whopping 90% of the tax base.

The good news is recent development has spurred annual "new growth" which Mr. Burgess projects around $750,000 for the upcoming fiscal year mainly due to Olympia Oaks and Kendrick Place coming on line.

And since rents are continuing to rise in Amherst he told the Select Board large apartment complexes will "take a hit" after his next reevaluation.  With dwelling structures of 4 units or greater the assessor uses a formula that considers net operating profits so the higher the profits the higher the valuation the higher the tax burden.

Too bad he could not use that same formula with smaller (less than 4)  housing units as slumlords could then be assessed based on their cash flow rather than the crappy condition of their units -- which leads to lower assessments and maximum profits.

Phillips Street, the slummiest street in Amherst, has only 1 owner occupied home

No Grant For You!

Historic North Common in front of Town Hall 

The town is on roll with state grants lately ... as in rolling off a high cliff.

Last night Interim Town Manager Dave Ziomek informed the Select Board the $400,000 PARC grant  (Parkland Acquisitions & Renovations for Communities) rehabilitation of the historic North Town Common was denied,  for the second time now.    

The town also recently lost out on mega-million MassWorks grants for rebuilding Pine Street and the funky intersection in North Amherst.

Of course the Community Preservation Act Fund is flush with money after the town increased the surcharge rate to 3%, so town officials will probably move to tap those reserves to get the needed job done.

Ho, Ho Humbug

Select Board could suspend permit of a downtown bar causing a public disturbance

The Amherst Select Board, who are also the official state "Liquor Commissioners" for the town, heard a brief report last night from Interim Town Manager Dave Ziomek on the town's preparedness for the downtown pub crawl Santa Con, stumbling into town center on Friday.

He has "Every confidence we are as prepared as we can be.  Staffing will be up in both police and fire departments and Chief Livingstone will be on duty ... we will be prepared."

But Select Board Chair Alisa Brewer let it be known "If things go badly I want their names -- the establishments who participated -- in public.  If they created a problem I want it to be known."  She requested Mr. Ziomek provide a public post mortem at their December 14 meeting.

Connie Kruger also displayed her displeasure with the event asking Mr. Ziomek for ongoing reports the night of the event while she clearly stated, "My message is this event really is unwelcome in this town."

There was also some discussion -- and you could practically see their eyes rolling -- about how UMass Isenberg School of Management is probably not overly proud of their recent graduate turned hospitality entrepreneur.

And how perhaps the Campus & Community Coalition could have done more in response to this event -- especially after they recently opposed a beer/wine permit for a hard working small business owner on the outskirts of town center.

NPR reports