Town Manager Report For December 5, 2022
Photo:amherstma.gov
Source: amherstma.gov
Editor’s note: Town Manager Paul Bockelman submits a comprehensive report to the Town Council at each of its regular meetings. The reports, usually 9 to 12 pages in length, provide up-to-date information on what is happening within and across town departments. The Manager’s Report is usually one of the last items on the agenda and is often taken up late at night, leaving little time for Bockelman to do more than mention a few highlights and this is usually all that gets entered into the Council minutes. What follows is a complete, unedited version of the Town Manager’s Report. All Town Manager Reports are available here on the Town’s website
Town Manager ·
Outreach:
o Cuppa Joe with Paul: The next Cuppa Joe will be held December 9th at 8:00 a.m. at the Bangs Community Center with special guests Finance Director Sean Mangano and Comptroller Sonia Aldrich.
o MMMA (Massachusetts Municipal Management Association): The MMMA held its Fall conference at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst on November 17-18. Town staff and members of the community were featured, specifically, Dr. Stephen Roof (Professor of Earth and Environmental Science at Hampshire College and member of the Town’s Energy and Climate Action Committee) and Stephanie Ciccarello, the Town’s Sustainability Director spoke on climate change. The Town’s Director of Communications and Civic Innovation Brianna Sunryd co-led a session on digital engagement. The third major topic was diversity, equity, and inclusion and DEI Director Pamela Nolan Young was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
o Communications: Communications Director Brianna Sunryd was selected to be an inaugural member of the National Research Center Advisory Board (NAB). The NAB is a peer network of public sector leaders driven to provide an excellent quality of life in their communities and local governments across the country. The board will participate in a collaborative strategic forum of industry experts to offer insights into the public sector’s community engagement and performance management needs. The board’s input will inform research efforts, product development, and best practices to be shared with the industry at large.
o Community Participation Officers: CPOs have been me meeting with me to discuss plans for 2023 and reevaluating the role of the CPOs, based on their experience in he first four years of the new Charter.
o Air Monitoring: The Town will be participating in monitoring air quality as part of the Pioneer Valley Healthy Air Network. We are working with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Yale University School of Public Health to collect data at several sites in Town. Project Website
▪ Here is some background:
· The Greater Springfield area has been reported to be the #1 Asthma Capital in the US to live with asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The Springfield Healthy Homes Asthma program and other community health worker asthma interventions in the region are helping to improve asthma outcomes is having an impact. There are still questions to be answered about the causes of asthma onset and asthma flare-ups.
· The data on air quality is limited because it draws on two monitors – one in Springfield and one in Chicopee. To better understand air quality, they are expanding the local monitoring network, collecting information at 55 additional locations. This new network will help identify hot spots for poor air quality.
· Each of these sites will measure concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ozone.
· They will be using air sensors to measure PM2.5 and ozone concentrations. The air sensors will be able to point out where local pollutant concentrations are high and may identify source of pollution.
· The data will be openly shared on the Pioneer Valley Air Monitoring Network website. Anyone, including but not limited to schools and hospitals, may access air quality data for local neighborhoods. One of the goals is to empower and educate residents of the region.
COVID-19
· Update:
o As we head into our third winter of the pandemic, Federal officials are indicating optimism that the U.S. is better prepared to face a COVID this winter, and that there is enough community protection that we will not see a repeat of what we saw last year with Omicron. However, others caution the pandemic is not over, as demonstrated by dramatic trouble in China and Japan, and worry of the global impact.
o One recent study suggests that the updated boosters increase individuals’ protection significantly against symptomatic infection from COVID.
o Everyone should stay up to date with recommended COVID vaccines including the booster; it is the best protection against severe illness.
o The bivalent booster provides broader protection, it contains variants from the original version of coronavirus and the Omicron subvariants of BA.4 and BA.5. Yet, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker, the U.S. percent of the population 5 years and older who have received the bivalent booster is only 12.1%, in Massachusetts the number is closer to 25%. According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, younger, Hispanic, and Black individuals are more likely to have been infected with COVID-19 without being vaccinated.
o Additionally, we have our ‘normal’ viruses including influenza and RSV. Pediatric cases of enterovirus, rhinovirus, and RSV have been on the rise, and an intense, early influenza season make for a worrisome start to the winter season for both individual health and burden on the medical system. Transmission modes for respiratory viruses occur along a continuum which has direct contact with respiratory secretions on one end, and airborne/aerosol transmission on the other end.
o It is often difficult to tell the difference between the respiratory disease, that is why it is so important to consult with a trusted provider when there are any questions regarding your health, especially when respiratory symptoms that can get progressively severe.
Contagious periods vary with the three respiratory diseases. For the flu, a person is contagious for 5-7 days after start of symptoms. For RSV, a person is contagious for 3-8 days after start of symptoms. Some infants and people with weakened immune systems can spread the virus even after they stop showing symptoms, for as long as 4 weeks. For COVID, we see strong evidence that an Omicron infection lasts, on average, 8-10 days. In general, public health measures that help combat them all are: get vaccinated against the COVID and the flu, stay home when sick, avoid others who are sick, pay attention to hand hygiene, cover your mouth and nose on coughs and sneezes, ventilation, wear a mask when needed, and calling your practitioner
o Case numbers down, but raw data doesn’t capture true covid burden, incidence rate better, wastewater, hospitalization and bed capacity. COVID wastewater in Amherst continues to be at a steady low.
Testing:
o Antigen Tests are being distributed to high risk and social service partners. We hope to have them all out by holidays. Tests are still available for free at the Health Department.
o DPH reports that there is no current plan to distribute more COVID test kits to municipalities from DPH.
Vaccines:
o Vaccine Equity Clinic: ▪ The Health
Department, working with the State Department of Public Health, is offering a Vaccine Equity Clinic on Monday, December 5th at the Bangs Community Cente
▪ We are offering a $75 gift card as an incentive, while supplies last. Outreach will focus on the areas of greatest need and lowest incomes. The clinic will run from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Bangs Community Center (70 Boltwood Avenue in the center of Amherst).
▪ We will be offering vaccines to anyone ages 6 months and up -Pfizer or Moderna, including the new bivalent booster. No flu vaccine.
▪ We anticipate upwards of 500 people to seek vaccines!
▪ Credit to the Health Department in coordinating with our Community Responders who will support crowd management, Facilities who are setting up the space, Police and Fire who are providing additional support.
o A second clinic will be held on Friday, December 16th at the Amherst Survival Center. This clinic will be held from 12:00 noon to 2:30 p.m.
Colleges and University
· Amherst College:
o Covid-19: The College continues to report its status on its dashboard which can be found here: https://www.amherst.edu/news/covid-19/dashboard
o Schedule: Commencement is May 28th. · Hampshire College:
o Schedule: Commencement is May 20th. · University of Massachusetts at Amherst:
o COVID-19:
▪ The latest COVID-19 data for the University is being shared with the campus community weekly and will be updated every Wednesday on the university’s COVID-19 dashboard. The dashboard includes positive test results and wastewater testing results.
o Schedule: Commencement is May 26-28.
Department Updates
· DEI Department:
o Human Rights Day: The Human Rights Commission will observe Human Rights Day on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 4:30 pm on the North Common. There will be the annual community reading of the Declaration of Human Rights and the 2022 Human Rights proclamation read by Town Council. The event will be followed by community and hot cocoa.
o Self-Assessment Tool:
▪ The Department has developed self-assessment tools that departments will complete to establish a baseline and benchmark departments in a number of areas through a DEI lens. Departments are being asked to review staffing, thinking about their operations, and suggesting professional development needs.
▪ There are two self-assessment tools, the first asks departments to review the current EEO Data for their department. The second asks a series of questions related to diversity, equity and inclusion issues as they might appear in the work of municipal departments.
o Flag Raising Policy: The Department is developing a policy on flag raising in light of the recent court ruling against the City of Boston. This policy is being review by the Town Attorney and will be submitted to the Town Council for its review and adoption. Boston Flag Policy Court Decision Article
o Police Resident Oversight Board: The Director has developed a draft timeline that would have a Resident Oversight Board begin in FY24. The development and implementation of such a Board would have budgetary implications that would be included in the FY24 Town budget, if approved by the Town Council.
· Town Clerk/Elections:
o Elections: Election Day was November 8th. A summary of election activities prepared by the Town Clerk is attached to the end of this report. Voting results are also attached.
· Conservation and Development: o Planning:
▪ FEMA Flood Maps: The Town Council is moving forward with adopting the new flood maps and the zoning that accompanies the new maps. The Town is making steady progress on this complex process.
· Town Council is holding 1st & 2nd readings and vote on:
o Zoning amendments related to FEMA Flood Maps – Article 16, FEMA Floodplain Overlay District and Official Zoning Map changes
o FEMA Flood Maps and Flood Insurance Study
· The deadline for completing this process is February 9, 2023. o Sheltering:
▪ Craig’s Doors: On November 1st, Craig’s Doors transitioned individuals from Knights Inn in Hadley to the Immanuel Lutheran Church congregate shelter at 867 North Pleasant Street. The shelter is now open for the shelter season. The organization will continue to utilize the University Motor Lodge for additional shelter space. This year-round shelter aims to help people transition to mor e permanent homes. The site will have 23 beds and will be open around the clock. Each guest will be ensured a cot as long as needed, so long as the individual returns each night.
▪ Permanent Shelter: We will be announcing the signing of a purchase-and-sale agreement to secure a site for a permanent shelter for a shelter for the unhoused,
o Housing:
▪ East Street/Belchertown Road: The Town is working with the chosen developer on a land development agreement.
▪ Other Sites: Town staff are exploring other Town-owned property to determine its suitability for additional affordable housing.
o Sustainability:
▪ Solar on the Landfill (above):
· On November 14th, Town Councilors, Town staff, and community members gathered to cut the ribbon on the solar installation on the Town’s north landfill.
· This project that began many years ago – there was a vote in 2011 by Town Meeting – that was designed to make use of a capped landfill that had few, if any, other possible uses.
· It is now open and generating electricity. The Town does not own the project outright, but receives significant benefits:
o The project will generate close to 4 megawatts of electricity for the Town’s use, representing 50% of our electricity needs.
o It will also generate over $100,000 annually to the Town for the next 20 years, which equals over $2 million dollars.
· Many people were involved in this project, which began under former Town Manager John Musante, but the Sustainability Director, Assistant Town Manager, Finance Director, and Superintendent of Public Works and staff at the transfer station deserve special acknowledgement.
▪ Electric Vehicle Charging Station: The Town received a $43,000 grant to install a new DC Fast Charging station. This new Level 3 Charging Station will be located in the downtown area to be determined based on the infrastructure for electricity.
▪ Sustainability Statement in Purchasing Documents:
· The Town will be including a statement in purchasing requests for municipal buildings. The intention is to include language such as this DRAFT statement:
o The Amherst Town Council has committed the Town to a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Town’s 2021 Climate Action, Adaptation and Resilience Plan offers guidance on meeting this goal in the sectors of Buildings, Renewable Energy, Land Use and Natural Systems, Transportation and Infrastructure. Projects that replace end of life equipment must adhere to meeting the stated goal of carbon neutrality by replacing fossil fuel systems and technology with applicable and available renewable alternative technologies.
▪ Residential Heat Pump Program: The Sustainability Director is working with the Energy and Climate Action Committee (ECAC) to develop a residential heat pump program utilizing the ARPA funding I set aside for members of the community.
▪ Solar Bylaw:
· The Town has contracted with GZA Environmental to develop a town-wide solar assessment for work being done by the Solar Bylaw Working Group (SBWG). The consultants have had introductory meetings with both the ECAC and the Solar Bylaw Working Group.
· The consultant has met with department heads to hear their ideas and concerns.
· The SBWG has drafted an outline and begun to develop the solar bylaw. ▪ Hickory Ridge Solar:
· The company installing solar on Hickory Ridge – AMP Energy – is completing all pre-construction requirements of their Zoning Board of Appeals Special Permit and their Conservation Commission Notice of Intent.
· They hope to break ground in January. Town staff including those from Planning, Inspection Services, Fire, and Conservation are working to review final plans in preparation of the issuance of a Building Permit.
· The solar array will include 6.44 mw of electricity and 3,500 kw of battery storage.
▪ Solar Assessment: The School Committee reviewed the “Amherst Solar and Energy Storage Assessment” prepared by the Cadmus Group of Waltham. Roofs, parking lots and grounds at the Amherst Regional middle and high schools were identified in the report as the best town- and school-owned sites in Amherst for solar arrays and battery storage. The report notes that models are based on 20 years of operation, and it provides an analysis of estimated lifetime net present value savings, or NPV savings, over that timeframe compared to what is termed “business as usual.” Other sites examined included the Bangs Community Center, the police station, the North fire station, Crocker Farm Elementary School, the Spring Street and Pray Street parking lots, the Boltwood parking garage and the Cherry Hill golf course.
▪ Community Choice Aggregation (CCA): Amherst, Northampton and Pelham have hired Mass Power Choice to develop the CCA. They have provided the working group with an initial draft for review. Formulation of the Joint Powers Agreement is anticipated to happen prior to submission of the CCA application to the Department of Public Utilities (targeted for mid-December)
▪ BikeShare: ValleyBike will be removing bike stations for the winter. · Health:
o Flu Vaccine: The flu vaccine is also now available. You can receive the flu vaccine and COVID vaccine at the same time. You can combine most procedures, screenings, and vaccinations at the same appointment when you get your COVID-19 vaccination. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.
· Human Resources:
o Human Resources Director: The new Human Resources Director will begin her duties on December 19th.
o Holiday: Town offices will close at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 9th so employees can join in a holiday celebration that is funded by employee donations.
· Finance:
o Comptroller:
▪ Comptroller Sonia Aldrich announced that she would be retiring in the first half of 2023.
▪ Assistant Comptroller Holly Drake has been selected as the new Comptroller after a public posting and competitive interview process.
o Finance Director: Finance Director Sean Mangano has been selected to serve on the Hampshire County Retirement Board for a term that begins on January 1, 2023 and continues until December 31, 2025. This is a significant accomplishment an important position for the Town’s Finance Director to occupy.
o Treasurer/Collector: Treasurer/Collector Jennifer LaFountain was elected to be Chair of the Hampshire County Retirement Board’s Advisory Council for a term beginning January 1, 2023 and continues until December 31, 2025.
o Resident Capital Requests:
▪ The Town is now accepting resident capital requests until December 31, 2022. Projects are eligible if they:
· Benefit the public
· Are one-time expenditures that cost $50,000 or less
· Are capital projects (facility or infrastructure improvements, equipment, related studies, etc…)
· Located within the Town of Amherst
▪ All submitted applications will receive a preliminary review by appropriate department heads.
▪ After this review, the Joint Capital Planning Committee (an advisory body comprised of representatives of the Town Council, School Committee, and Library Trustees) will schedule a time for each applicant to publicly present their capital request and respond to questions. The Joint Capital Planning Committee will then decide (with input from relevant department heads) whether to recommend the resident capital request for inclusion in the Town Manager’s Capital Improvement Program.
▪ If the Town Manager accepts the Joint Capital Planning Committee’s recommendation, the resident capital request will be included in the Capital Improvement Program that is presented to the Town Council in May and voted on in June. If approved, the funds become available on July 1st. The Town Manager will assign the project to an appropriate department head for implementation.
▪ Click Here to Access the Request Form
o ARPA:
▪ The Town prepares quarterly reports on ARPA funding which are posted online here: https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/63921/Quarterly-Expenditure-Report—Period-Ending-93022 This is the report for the period ending September 30, 2022.
· Public Safety:
o Fire:
▪ The Fire Department swore in a new member of the department. Firefighter Audrey Bulger was sworn in on October 28th.
o Police:
▪ Police Department trainers conducted an ALICE training for Town staff, including members of the Town Council, on November 10th. This training educated the participants to the dangers of active shooter scenarios and how best to respond to potential incidents. Genesis Saenz, Joshua Santos, and Dylan Tucci were sworn in and started their 14 week field training program with the Department.
o Community Responders Department:
▪ The Department continues to develop its protocols, policies, and to respond to certain requests. we are still in training mode and learning from interactions that the responders encounter.
▪ We continue to hold regular team meetings – a captains team to review data on a weekly basis and a leadership team that reviews policies, protocols, and procedures, equipment needs, dispatch decisions, etc.
▪ Two vehicles have been purchased for the community responders. It took a long time to locate vehicles that met the need of the department and, thanks to the Police Department, we were able to secure two plug-in hybrid vehicles.
▪ The Town and School District have a Memorandum of Agreement for how Community Responders will be utilized in the public schools.
▪ The Community Responders Department received a Crisis Systems Learning Grant.
· The Town is one of eight teams selected from across the United States and Canada by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in collaboration with the Center for Policing Equity (CPE), to participate in a virtual learning community focused on enhancing crisis system alternatives through public health and community-centered approaches. As leaders of innovative crisis systems and emergency dispatch alternatives, the Town’s Community Responders, Police, Fire, and Public Health Departments will collaborate to develop best practices to further enhance the already innovative Community Responders Department. This is an incredible opportunity for all four departments to continue to provide cutting-edge services to Town of Amherst residents.
· The CSG Justice Center is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that combines the power of a membership association representing state officials in all branches of government with policy and research expertise to develop strategies that increase public safety and strengthen communities. The Center for Policing Equity’s (CPE’s) North Star is protecting, empowering, and supporting vulnerable communities—particularly Black and Brown communities—to redesign their public safety systems. CPE provides decision-makers with data, stories, and relationships to facilitate change that is bold, innovative, and lasting.
· Public Works:
o Clogging Sewer Lines:
▪ The Town’s sewer lines are being clogged by “flushable” wipes being flushed down the toilet.
▪ They are also being clogged by grease that is poured down drains, by residents and more significantly by restaurants and institutions. It is liquid when it goes down the drain and then congeals as it makes its way through the pipes.
▪ The photo shows a hunk of congealed grease that was pulled from the sewer line, that would have created a blockage.
▪ The impacts include sewer backups, sometimes into residences.
▪ It requires a substantial commitment of staff, equipment, and time to continuously clean out the sewer lines.
▪ The Town is developing a program that will include education and enforcement of existing rules and regulations.
▪ The Business Improvement District and Chamber of Commerce have both offered to work with the Town on this important public health problem
o Solid Waste: The Town was Awarded Two Funds & Technical Assistance grants for Enhancing Recycling & Waste Reduction Efforts.
▪ First:
· The Town was selected to receive assistance and funding from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) through several of their programs, including the Technical Assistance program and the Recycling Dividends program.
· The Town was selected to receive assistance through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Technical Assistance program for up to 80 hours of hands-on assistance to develop a project for contracting solid waste and recycling services in Amherst.
· The MassDEP Technical Assistance projects are designed to help municipalities with researching options or implementing changes that will help the municipality reduce waste or enhance recycling. Applicants propose a project that represents a high priority for their community. The program will provide up to 80 hours of technical assistance.
· The Town’s project seeks to explore a Town-wide contract for waste and recycling hauling services, to provide efficient collection of materials and reduce the direct cost of collection for community members. Currently, residents are required to contract directly with approved haulers.
· The Town is committing staff and resources from various departments to work on the project. The team will include the Solid Waste Division Supervisor, Procurement Officer, Superintendent of Public Works, Town Manager, and Finance Director.
· At the end of this process, the Town hopes to develop a request for proposal document and collect all pertinent information required to issue a contract to provide the current waste hauling services Town wide. Also, we anticipate this project will gather the information needed to implement access to additional services such as compost, bulky waste, and yard waste collection.
▪ Second:
· Amherst Also Awarded Recycling Dividends Program Funds Through MassDEP
· The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has also awarded the Town Recycling Dividends Program funds under the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP). The Town of Amherst has earned 17 points and will receive $10,200.
· The Recycling Dividends Program provides payments to municipalities that have implemented specific programs and policies proven to maximize reuse, recycling, and waste reduction. Municipalities receive payments according to the number of criteria points their program earns and the number of residents that are served by programming. RDP provides an incentive for municipalities to improve their recycling programs by implementing best practices and rewards communities with model recycling and waste reduction programs.
o Pomeroy Village Intersection Improvements: Caracas Construction will begin stormwater drainage installation work on West Street near the intersection of Pomeroy Lane starting on Monday, December 5th. The drainage installations are the first step of the Town’s intersection reconstruction project awarded to Caracas Construction Corp. Work is expected to continue through the week of December 19th.
o Merry Maple:
▪ The Town removed the Merry Maple from the North Common on November 16th. There was a lovely ceremony of appreciation and remembrance the evening before sponsored by the Public Shade Tree Committee.
▪ A tremendous celebration of the Merry Maple festivities was held on December 2nd with the largest crowd the event has drawn, according to those who have been regular attendees.
o Solar and Water Supply: The Water Supply Protection Committee has a draft White Paper on Large-Scale Solar Array Installations and Potential Impact to Amherst’s Drinking Water. This document, once finalized, will be shared with the public and the Solar Bylaw Working Group.
o Roads:
▪ Sidewalks:
· Work on Kellogg Street sidewalks has been delayed due to supply chain issues with granite. Work continues on sidewalks on Taylor and Gray Streets. Roadway reconstruction on Mill Lane, between Groff Park and West Street is complete.
· The Town’s contractor, Taylor Davis, has completed sidewalk replacement work on McClellan Street and other streets near the high school.
▪ Road Paving: Road paving is ramping down as the weather starts to change. · Northampton Road: Caracas Construction continues to work on road
construction along Northampton Road. Extended hours of construction have been approved by the State to expedite the project so it can be “buttoned-up” for the winter. This project is part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation roadway reconstruction project that extends between University Drive and South Pleasant Street.
· West Pomeroy Lane: We anticipate this road will be paved in the first half of 2023.
▪ West Street Bridge: The rails on the east side of the West Street Bridge at Mill Lane are scheduled to be replaced. Town funds will be utilized. The project is set to be bid with an expected cost of about $100,000. Bids are expected to go out shortly.
▪ West Street Sidewalk: The collapsed sidewalk was replaced with a small bridge. The bridge was installed and then, within a day, was damaged by a motorist who hit it by accident. The Jersey barriers are now back as DPW workers work to repair the damage.
· Economic Development:
o As in years past, I have approved free parking at all meters and metered spaces in Downtown Amherst on Saturdays starting after Thanksgiving and running through Christmas, in celebration of Small Business Saturdays during the Holiday Season.
· Parking at all Town lots and meters in Downtown Amherst will be free on the following Saturdays:
· November 26th · December 3rd · December 10th
· December 17th & · December 24th
· View the parking map that can be found here. View Downtown Amherst info and event details at www.amherstdowntown.com
o Events: Upcoming events include
· Gift Card Day on December 3rd and 4th
· Holiday Stroll and Sip on December 15th · Luminaria on February 4th
· Ice Sculpture Festival on February 11th
· Community Services: o Senior Center:
· The Senior Center has received a donation of a transport van from the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA).
· The Town thanks the PVTA for its generous donation of the retired paratransit van.
· With an accessible van in place through this donation, Amherst Senior Services will have a
way to transport those using walkers and wheelchairs, and the means with which to resume our medical ride transportation program.
· The Town has dedicated ARPA funds to support the operations and drivers of the new van.
· Senior Spirit: The latest edition of the Senior Center’s newsletter can be found here: https://www.amherstma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/15205 If you haven’t reviewed the newsletter in a while, click the link to see the new look with easy to read text and a million activities.
· CR Café: The Senior Center is starting a weekly CR Café, that stands for “Can’t Remember” café! Every Wednesday from 10am – 12noon, Town residents are invited to the Senior Center to enjoy company, entertainment, and some good treats!
o Recreation Department: · Fields:
· Volunteers from Amherst Baseball provided another excellent day of work. It was a productive day of volunteer labor and materials at the Mill River fields. The little leaguers will have a nice new mound to throw from come April.
· Amherst Baseball thanked Public Works employees, specifically, for the big helping hand all morning. This work would not have been possible without their expertise and equipment.
· Halloween: A spook-tacular day of celebration transformed the Bangs Community Center into three levels of tricks and treats for
local families. This was paired with trick-or-treating at participating businesses. · Theater: New ticketing software has been implemented to support the Amherst
Theater shows in January. This year the show will be The Little Mermaid. Sets are being built at the Department of Public Works and performers are rehearsing.
o Veterans Department: The Veterans Services Department sponsored a special breakfast for veterans on November 11th (Veterans Day) at the Bangs Community Center followed by the traditional ceremony on the Town Common. A special thanks to the student athletes from the softball and swimming teams and the ROTC students from the University of Massachusetts who provided support and conviviality for the event. The breakfast was provided by the Junior Chefs Club at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.
Delegated Authority:
· Short-Term Event Uses of Town Commons (Section 1a of the Town Council Policy): o Sustainability Festival by Town Staff (South Common): April 22, 2023
· Short-Term Parking Requests (Section 2a of the Town Council Policy):
· Short-Term Public Way Closures (Section 3b of the Town Council Policy):
o December 2, 2022 – 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Very Merry Maple Tree Lighting. Main Street and Spring Street parking lots. Boltwood Avenue between Spring Street and Main Street and Spring Street between Churchill Street and South Pleasant Street.
· Placement of Road and Temporary Signs (Section 3d of the Town Council Policy):
· Jones Library: Up-to-the-minute updates can be found here: https://www.joneslibrary.org/buildingproject
· DPW Building/Fire Building:
o Staff continue to explore multiple options for a new site for the Department of Public Works.
o Graduate students from the University of Massachusetts architecture department (and former Town Councilor Steve Schreiber) presented schematic plans for a new fire station to Town staff and the Council President. These will be entered into a competition sponsored by the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (think “Butler building”), thus the assumption is that the proposed designs will be metal buildings.
· Elementary School Building Committee:
o The Committee is very excited to share the initial (draft) video rendering of the entryway for the Elementary Building Project. Find it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HdVclXmr6O2o8pFoCGwVkcpUtVXMRvHZ/view
o The Committee is meeting in December and then, in January, will review cost estimates. There will be a possible vote by the Building Committee on the submission of drawings, specifications, and overall budget to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
o The Committee is targeting January 23rd for a presentation to the Town Council, including cost estimates.
o The Town Council will be asked to select a date for the debt exclusion override election in early February.
Projects Update:
· North Common Restoration/Main Street Parking Lot: The Town is putting the final touches on the plans for the North Common with the goal of putting a package out to bid in the coming weeks.
· North Amherst Library: Work continues and is close to being on schedule. · Hickory Ridge:
o As reported above, the company installing solar on Hickory Ridge – AMP Energy – is completing all pre-construction requirements of their Zoning Board of Appeals Special Permit and their Conservation Commission Notice of Intent. They hope to break ground in January. Town staff including those from Planning, Inspection Services, Fire, and Conservation are working to review final plans in preparation of the issuance of a Building Permit.
o Town staff are working towards the development of a land-use and management plan for Hickory Ridge which will outline various options for the types of activities and uses which can take place at Hickory Ridge and how the site can be maintained and managed to best serve the community and the sensitive habitat on the site.
o Town staff are preparing an assessment of the existing structures to determine which are usable and which are not.
· Pomeroy Village MassWorks Grant: As reported above, Caracas Construction will begin stormwater drainage installation work on West Street near the intersection of Pomeroy Lane starting on Monday, December 5th. The drainage installations are the first step of the Town’s intersection reconstruction project awarded to Caracas Construction Corp. Work is expected to continue through the week of December 19th.
ØDecember 19th – Town Council Meeting
ØDecember 23rd – Christmas Eve observed (half-day holiday) ØDecember 26th – Christmas Day observed
Ø January 2nd – New Year’s Day observed
____________________________________________________________________________________ Town Manager Report – December 5, 2022 – Page 16 of 19
WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN AN ELECTION
The planning started approximately two months before election day when the Clerk’s office began preparations. Voting locations were reserved, warrants were created, signed and posted, all pertinent dates and deadlines were posted online, tabulators were tested, and election supplies were replenished. Town staff were also involved in the process (DPW, Facilities, Schools, etc.) and willingly contributed their time in making sure the many pieces came together on election day. Outreach was done to the 3 area universities, as well as the high school to disseminate pertinent voter and precinct information, but also to solicit participation in the election process. I was a guest speaker at a voter education event coordinated by the UMass Legal Studies Program in the Department of Political Science, and the Women of Color Leadership Network at UMass which also provided information about voting.
Of the many tasks there are, the two largest are scheduling and training of the hundreds of poll workers, and processing the vote-by-mail applications and ballots. These two items will take up about 90% of our time.
We are very fortunate in Amherst to have a dedicated group of poll workers that say yes when asked to work, many times going above and beyond, such as working a double shift because someone called out sick, or helping out in other capacities. The scheduling of these poll workers is worked on daily, starting 1-2 months before election day. Training is also offered in 2 or 3 sessions per election, day and evening.
The 2022 VOTES Act made a few changes to existing law, one of which was permanent vote-by-mail balloting. As a result, roughly 4,300 ballots for the November 2022 State Election were mailed out. For comparison purposes, before vote-by-mail the number of absentee ballot requests on average for each election was about 500. This task could be handled by one person. Vote-by-mail has caused a shift in how voters cast their ballots, as we had more voters cast a mail-in ballot than vote in person during this last State election. In order to manage the increased workload, we rely on temporary poll workers to help in the weeks preceding the election to meet this need.
Early voting was also made permanent under the new Act. For the State Election, it was offered for 2 weeks, including one day on two weekends. Opening an early voting site required arriving a half hour earlier than normally scheduled for set-up, and staying a half hour later at closing to finish tasks. The total extra hours for the two weeks of early voting, per worker, for this past election was 24 hours.
The last day to register to vote was changed as well from a deadline of 20 days before the election, to 10 days, giving voters more time to register. Thus, when an election falls on a Tuesday, the last day will always fall on a Saturday. The Clerk’s office was open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on October 29th to allow for voter registration. Not only did these new laws affect the Clerk’s office, but they also affected our maintenance department. A staff employee was scheduled to open Town Hall on the weekends, and stayed for the full shift to ensure that the elevator was working to comply with accessibility requirements.
The weekend before election day, voter lists must be printed. The voter list cannot be printed until early voting is over, and takes roughly 4-6 hours. Town Clerk staff will come in either Saturday or Sunday to complete this task.
Election day itself starts at 5:00 am in Town Hall when the Constables arrive to pick up the election materials that they bring to the precincts. It ends when all the work at the precinct level is done and materials are returned to Town Hall, usually between 10:00 pm and midnight. The “in-between” time is
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spent on the phone answering the numerous calls by the poll workers, voters, and anything else that may come up.
For this past State Election, a new provision of the law allowed ballots that arrived too late to go to the polls on election day to be counted during a second tabulation session, as long as they met certain qualifications. They had to be postmarked on or before election day, and received by Saturday, November 12th. This required a pre-arranged visit to the post office on Saturday, and then back to the Clerk’s office to log the ballots into the state voter system and secure in the vault. This post-election tabulation took place on November 14th.
Lastly, any overseas ballots that did not arrive by election day but were postmarked on or before election day could be counted as long as they were received by 5:00 pm on November 18th. The Board of Registrars met on November 21st to count the 2 ballots that were received that met those guidelines.
Post-election duties include resolving any provisional ballots and write-in candidates, certification of the election through the State voter registration system by the Town Clerk, scanning the voter lists to update voter histories, and processing payroll.
As can be seen, the work in preparing and facilitating an election does not fit neatly into the 8:00 am to 4:30 pm normal business day time slot. Many people worked many hours beyond their normal work schedule, including multiple weekends in a row. It truly takes a village to ensure that voters have the ability to cast their ballots either by mail, in-person during early voting, or in-person on election day at their precincts.
