Letter: 2024 Climate and Social Justice Priorities for Amherst

The following letter was sent to the Amherst Town Council on January 14, 2024.

We are Sunrise Amherst, a local, youth-led climate organization fighting to achieve climate and racial justice. Sunrise Amherst is the local hub of a national organization, The Sunrise Movement. We are requesting that the new Town Council stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people by prioritizing our community’s ideals and basic needs. Sunrise Amherst acts on an intersectional platform, recognizing that all issues are interconnected. Therefore, we expect advanced racial equity measures, government transparency and accessibility, full school funding, increased taxation of and/or PILOT payments from wealthy institutional partners, affordable housing, and environmental justice initiatives.

Our hub made a significant impact on the November 2023 Town Election. We organized seven canvassing events, four tabling events, attended 14 election events, endorsed six candidates, and collaborated with The Progressive Coalition of Amherst to advocate for the progressive slate. We moved hearts, shared voices, and opened minds. 

Sunrise Amherst acknowledges the intersectionality of climate justice. In order to achieve full climate justice, we must ensure racial equity. The Town of Amherst must prioritize this work, and place BIPOC communities at the forefront of crucial policy decisions. 

Sunrise Amherst requests: 

1. Financing and implementing the Community Safety & Social Justice Committee (CSSJ) proposals. 
2. Fully funding the Community Responders for Equity, Safety, & Service (CRESS) program to its fruition. 
3. Financially supporting and increasing public transportation in the community.
4. Reducing funding of the Amherst Police Department (APD) and conducting an in-depth review of the APD budget to find where savings can be realized. 
5. Prioritizing and supporting new low-income housing facilities in Amherst as well as regulating the town’s real estate market to increase affordability for educators, town staff, and other middle income residents who are being priced out of Amherst more than ever before. 
6. Increase the availability of mental health services available to both residents, and the Amherst Regional Public Schools. 

We are living in a climate emergency, where action needed to be taken yesterday. Amherst can play a crucial role in advancing clean energy solutions and achieving environmental justice. Our requests surrounding these issues include: 

1. The full implementation of the Zero Energy Bylaw on all town building projects.
2. ARPA funding for solar above the Amherst Regional High School (ARHS) parking lot. 
3. Supporting solar solutions that continue to preserve the environment and forests. 
4. Funding electric school buses and electric town vehicles whenever possible. Sunrise Amherst hopes to see immediate capital budget changes to electrify the town’s fleet of school buses, light duty Fire and Public Works vehicles, and police cruisers. Options such as Ford’s F-150 Lighting, or Nissan’s Leaf would prove to be cost saving alternatives. 
5. Supporting the repair and strengthening of bike lanes across Amherst.
6. Increasing green infrastructure and adding further Sustainability Department staffing for grant writing and implementation. 

While Sunrise Amherst prioritizes crucial matters of racial and environmental justice, we acknowledge the additional steps necessary to make Amherst a more welcoming, inclusive town. These include: 

1. The prioritization of school funding, ensuring protection of the arts department, special education, student-facing educator positions, and mental health resources.
2. Emphasizing educational racial equity, including fair employment and severance practices, BIPOC student opportunities equivalent to those of white students, and supporting students of color throughout their educational experiences.
3. Actively supporting the net-zero renovation or replacement of our Public Works Headquarters, and Central Fire Station to protect the workers who provide these essential and lifesaving services. 
4. Rehabilitate the CRESS Program as a department separate from the Amherst Police Department.
5. Increase town government transparency, scheduling accessible meetings, welcoming public comments, and including translation services.  
6. Increase town government accessibility, ensuring votes and meeting links are widely accessible, providing resources to the community on proposed legislation, and transparency when discussing issues with departments and town management.

We emphasize the utmost importance of these requests in creating an equitable, inclusive Amherst for all. As the next generation, we implore you to take action for the future of Amherst. 

For Sunrise Amherst,
Marisol Pierce Bonifaz Jesse Warren, Haydn Riley Hogan, Julian Hynes
Email: sunrisemovementamherst@gmail.com 
Instagram: @sunrisemvmt_amherst