Town Manager Report for May 6, 2024
Photo:amherstma.gov
Source: amherstma.gov
Editor’s note: Town Manager Paul Bockelman submits a comprehensive report to the Town Council, usually at the first Town Council meeting of each month. The reports, usually 9 to 16 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 on the Town’s website here: Town Manager Reports
TOWN MANAGER
• Cuppa Joe with Paul: New Director of Community Responders Camille Theriaque will join me Friday, May 10th from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. in the Large Activity Room in the Bangs Community Center. We will have coffee to share! The “Cuppa’ Joe with Paul” coffees are a monthly event. Each time, Paul is joined by a different Town department head or official. Residents and others are welcome to share their concerns, offer suggestions, or just get to know each other.
North Amherst Library Ribbon Cutting: A large crowd was on hand on a beautiful day to formally “cut the ribbon” on the newly refurbished North Amherst Library and it stunning new community room addition. The work was funded by a geeous donation from Hilda Greenbaum. The addition was designed by Kuhn Riddle Architects, the construction was done by Wright Builders, and the work was overseen by Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring. Members of the Greenbaum family were on hand to cut the ribbon.
•Celebrating Success! It is time to celebrate some of the amazing accomplishments of your Clerk of the Council, Athena O’Keeffe!
o MMA: Athena was asked to present on parliamentary procedures at a webinar organized by the Massachusetts Municipal Association. It is great to see our staff recognized for their professional expertise by the MMA and that they are willing to share their knowledge with over 100 people who participated in the webinar! Please click here to access the recording of the webinar.
o Academic Accomplishments:
▪ On May 15th, Athena will attend a graduation celebration with the Suffolk Centerfor Diversity & Inclusion, as both a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a first-generation college student.
▪ On May 16th, Athena will be inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Administration, in recognition for her academic achievement at Suffolk University. You are invited based on academic excellence. Athena maintained a 4.0 throughout the program.
▪ On May 19th, Athena will graduate with a Master’s in Public Administration from Suffolk University. This has been a major commitment of time and effort to achieve this degree while working full time and raising a family.
• Community Clean–up: Dozens of residents – and Town Councilors – joined in the annual Community Clean-up at three locations on Saturday, April 27th. The Kindness Campaign culminated with a Community Clean-up in three locations on Saturday April 27th. Many bags of garbage and recycling were collected, along with some other interesting items, including an old rusty mountain bike and car seat. It was a beautiful day and a fun time was had by all. Many thanks to those who organized the event.
• Committee Appointments: We are in the appointment/reappointment process for Town committees and boards. This is a large undertaking organized expertly by the Executive Assistant to the Town Manager. The Town has over 30 boards and committees that support and advise the work of Town government and each has multiple residents who are members. Terms of service are typically three years; some may be short. Members typically serve for two terms. Members with terms expiring who have served one term may be seeking reappointment. More information here: https://www.amherstma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3519
DEPARTMENT UPDATES Administration and Finance
• Finance:
o Assessors: The Town is conducting the cyclical inspection review required by the State.
Inspectors will have identification. The inspection is designed to provide accurate
information on the condition of the property to assist in establishing fair, equitable, and uniform values throughout the town. Inspections should take about fifteen minutes.
o Budget: Town staff have finalized the budget and I have submitted the budget to the Town
Council for its review. All budget information may be found here: FY25 Budget
• Human Resources:
Searches:
▪ CRESS Director: Director of Community Responders
Camille Theriaque began her duties on April 8th. A reception welcoming Ms. Theriaque to the community was held on April 25th.
▪ Police Chief: Police Chief Gabriel Ting began his duties on April 30th after confirmation by the Town Council. A ceremonial swearing in ceremony and reception will be scheduled in the near future.
▪ Finance Director: The search committee is reviewing applications and we have been interviewing and continuing to recruit candidates.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department:
o A Major Loss: Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jennifer Moyston has moved on to a significant new position in the non-profit world. Jennifer started work for the Town over a decade ago and has worked in the Town Manager’s office, Human Resources Department, was part of the first Community Participation Officer Team, and – most recently – served as the Assistant DEI Director. Jennifer brough much more to the job than those titles imply. We all wish Jen well in her next venture.
o Events: The Department of Equity and Inclusion and Human Rights Commission have a number of events coming up including. We hope that you can join us for a full day of activities and fun on June 9th at the Mill River Recreational Area.
▪ Basketball Tournament: The Human Rights Commission in collaboration with Citizens for Race Amity Now and the Mill River Basketball Tournament Committee invite you to the 3rd Annual Mill River Basketball Tournament on Sunday, June 9th at the Mill River Recreation Area
▪ Youth Hero Awards and Race Amity Day: The annual Youth Hero Awards and Race Amity Day Celebration will also happen on June 9th. This event is sponsored by the Town of Amherst, Citizens for Race Amity Now!, The Human Rights
Commission, Mill River Basketball Tournament Committee, Amherst Ba’hai Community, The Jewish Community of Amherst, Amherst League of Women Voters, Interfaith Opportunities Network and The Julius Ford/Harriet Tubman Healthy Living Community.▪ Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration: In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month the Human Rights Commission will
host a family friendly day of live entertainment, food and activities on Sunday, May 19th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on the Town Common. This is a free event sponsored by the Human Rights Commission, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Amherst Recreation Department.
▪ Pride: A special Pride Month event with Justice Roderick Ireland will be held on June 13th. Justice Ireland, was a member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s four- justice majority in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health. The 2003 case established Massachusetts as the first state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage and set in motion a domino-effect of other states that passed similar laws in the years that followed.
▪ Juneteenth: Events are being organized on June 15th.
▪ Becoming Beloved Community:
• The DEI Department continues to host events, most recently,
“Microaggressions: What are they and how do you respond” on April 4th.
• Future “Becoming a Beloved Community” events:
o 07/25/2024 | Allyship
o 09/26/2024 | America’s Racial History
o 11/21/2024 | Navigating Differences
▪ Reparations: I anticipate receiving the legal opinion from the Town Attorney this
week.
▪ Resident Oversight Board: On January 10th, 18th, and 21st, the DEI Department hosted listening sessions to hear Amherst residents’ experiences with the Amherst Police Department. The first consultant has completed their work which will support the next phase of development. The second Request for Proposals has been published and invites sealed proposals for a consultant to assist the Town in the creation, establishment, and implementation of a Civilian Law Enforcement
Oversight Board. Bids were opened and have been reviewed. I anticipate awarding the bid for the next phase in the coming week.
▪ Police Protocols: Work on police protocols will be a priority for the new Police
Chief.
▪ CRESS: See the update on the CRESS Department elsewhere.
▪ Youth Empowerment: ARPA funds have been set aside to support this work which will include additional outreach and an assessment of possible sites.
o Information Technology (I.T.): I.T. staff have developed an online scheduling module to permit committees, staff, and residents to schedule certain rooms, such as the North Amherst Library Community Room, online. We hope to roll this out during May and, after testing, expand its use to other Town buildings.
Public Safety
• Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service:
o Staffing: Ms. Theriaque assumed the duties of Director of Community Responders on April 8th.
o Harvard Government Performance Lab (GPL): The Director and Advisor from the GPL were in Amherst for two days last week. They met with multiple staff including the CRESS staff, director, other department heads, Town Manager, Police Chief and staff, Fire Chief and staff, Interim Leadership Team, and Dispatch leadership. They spent significant time in Dispatch evaluating the progress being made. This team has expansive knowledge of other similar initiatives and bring real insight to our efforts. They identified two main area for the next phase of development: (a) data driven performance management and (b) integrating calls for CRESS into the Dispatch operations. They are able to share the metrics utilized by other communities, tools to ensure quality assurance, and standard operating procedures. They indicated Amherst had been ambitious in its staffing model with 8 active responders – most communities start with 4. The said building trust among the other public safety divisions, especially Dispatch, and the broader community were important goals. They offered suggestions for ways to make progress in these areas.
• Police Department:
o Staffing:
▪ New Police Chief began his duties on April 30th.
▪ Like police departments across the state, staffing has been a challenge. We continue to work to maintain staffing with ongoing staff turnover, training, etc. Three officers recently submitted their resignations to join the State Police. Four officers graduated from the Police Academy. They are currently in Field Training. It takes over a year of training (academy training and in-town field training) after the hire for a new police officer to be able to begin patrolling independently. Three additional offers of employment are in process.
o RISE: The Police Department has partnered with the CRESS and Recreation Departments to participate in RISE, a national nonprofit that collaborates with Under Armor and the NBA to educate the youth in Amherst through sports to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice, and improve race relations. This is a 10 week program, 2 hours per week, which currently has ten members and is growing. The program began on March 23rd.
• Fire Department:
o Academy: Three new members of the Department will begin their Academy training in April.
Community Services
• Public Health:
o COVID/Respiratory Illness Update: Levels of COVID in the Amherst wastewater are down and staying low. Both COVID hospital admissions and influenza severity levels are low in the county and across the state. The Public Health Department has put together a one-page summary of the current guidance regarding COVID and other respiratory illnesses. It can be found here. One key message in the guidance is that vaccination is still the best protection against severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and long COVID. People who received their last COVID booster before September 2023 are eligible for the most current vaccine. A newly updated vaccine will likely be released in the fall. We recommend that everyone stay up to date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccines and make them part of their annual vaccine schedule.
o Kindness Campaign:
▪ The Kindness Campaign sponsored by the Departments of Recreation and Public Health officially wrapped up at the end of April.
▪ Attendance at the mental wellness workshops was mixed but we did receive a good deal of positive feedback about the concept of the campaign from community members and leaders. The spirit of the Kindness Campaign continues in May with two mental wellness sessions designed to reach high- school aged youth with information and activities to support emotional wellbeing. The sessions are “Mental Health 101” and “I Said What I Said, I Wrote What I Meant” – a poetry and spoken word workshop. Both workshops are free and refreshments will be provided. Registration is required. To sign up for either workshop, please visit the Amherst Recreation Registration Page
▪ The Amherst community donated 89 pounds of food as part of the Kindness Campaign Food and Diaper Drive. The items were delivered to the Survival Center.
o Opioid Settlement:
▪ In 2023, Hampshire County received almost $1 million from the settlement payments of pharmaceutical companies and drug distributors involved in the opioid crisis. While Amherst received upward of $162,000 in fiscal year 2023, the town has yet to spend any of it. No Hampshire County municipality has spent its share of the settlement money yet, many struggling with restrictive financial regulations and opting to first collect residents’ ideas for the funds.
▪ The Opioid Settlement Fund survey is still open! Analysis of the results will begin in mid-May. We want to hear from more Amherst residents about how they have been affected by the opioid crisis and how they think the funds should be spent so we can develop a strategic plan this summer for the use of the funds. The survey can be accessed at this link. Hard copies are also available and can be picked up at the Public Health Department or the Jones Library. Call Public Health for more information: (413) 259-3077.
▪ The funds, set to be distributed annually until 2038, are a result of 2021 settlements between state attorney generals and drugmakers and opioid distributors who had been sued for actively perpetuating the opioid crisis. Massachusetts will receive $525 million, 60% of which will be directed to the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, while 40% will be directly provided to municipalities.
▪ The funds were originally deposited in municipalities’ general revenue fund, which requires money to be appropriated in order to be spent and which risks unspent funds becoming free cash at the end of the year. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has since made adjustments that allow municipalities to place the money in a special revenue account. The Town’s Finance Team created a special revenue fund from the start for the Town’s allotment and was spared these complications.
o Hepatitis: The Department held a successful Hepatitis A vaccine clinic at Craig’s Doors at the end of March. The impetus for this effort was an announcement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health about a small but growing outbreak of Hepatitis A cases among people who were insecurely housed. The clinic was organized in collaboration with the Musante Health Center and was very well-received. We vaccinated 11 guests and 3 staff. There are currently no reported cases in Hampshire County.
o Public Health and the Musante clinic staffed a joint table at the Sustainability Fair on the Common on April 20th. We enjoyed meeting members of the community and educating them about the impact of climate change on community health.
• Recreation:
o Sensory Inclusion Initiative:
▪ The Department announced the launch of a comprehensive Sensory Inclusion Initiative aimed at reducing sensory barriers that may make it difficult for community members to participate in community events or recreational programming. The goal is to become more inclusive and accessible.
▪ The Recreation Department is implementing department-wide educational training as well as acquiring tools and materials designed to help individuals cope withpotential overstimulation better, ensuring an accepting and inclusive experience for all.
▪ The Department has contract with the national non-profit KultureCity. The KultureCity training is expected to create a standard of awareness and understanding among Recreation staff to engage more thoughtfully and helpfully with those who experience sensory challenges. Additionally, they provide an application for Apple and Android devices listing sensory-friendly venues to assist those with sensory processing disorders. Through their app, they direct users to sensory-friendly accommodations at more than 900 different venues in the United States.
▪ Training of public facing staff is set to begin in late April 2024 with 80% of staff completing the training by May 2024.
▪ Look for the new Sensory Aware Logo at events later this Spring and Summer.
o War Memorial Recreation Area:
▪ Earlier this year, Amherst began a feasibility study for revitalization of the enhanced War Memorial Recreation Area. The long term goals of this project are to reinvigorate the area surrounding the War Memorial Pool with updated play equipment and features and to replace the bath house. The Town is currently in the schematic design phase and seeking public input.
▪ The Town will be hosting a listening session on May 6, 2024 at 7pm via Zoom, where the current schematic design will be presented. A public comment session will be held after the presentation and input on the project is encouraged. Please click the link join the webinar: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/87305388381
• Veterans Services:
o Veterans Community Breakfast for All. Please make an effort to stop by for a cup of coffee. Sponsored by the CRESS Department and organized by its Veterans Outreach Worker Gene Herman. The breakfasts are held on the first and third Fridays of the month from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. in the Bangs Community Center. Veterans, Spouses, Caregivers, Amherst Community Members. (There are 387 veterans living in Town!)
• Senior Services:
o Services: In March and April there were over 132 check-ins at the Senior Centers, with an average attendance of 32 people per day. There were 122 rides on the Silver Shuttle, with
52% being for medical transport and 42% for grocery shopping. 1,583 people across various programs (in person and virtual) were served. Over 380 volunteer hours were logged. 284 social service consultations were held with our Social Service Coordinator.
191 AARP tax appointments were scheduled.
o Partnerships: In March, the Department launched drop-in nursing hours, in partnership with the Town’s Department of Public Health. Blood pressure checks, support with managing chronic health conditions, and self-management of medications are some of the services offered on the second Wednesday of each month from 10am-12pm.
o Events: The Senior Center is also offering a six-week Mindfulness Mediation for Seniors workshop, musical performances by Creeque Alley and Ben & Ed, a Shakespearean performance, and a presentation by Karen Romanowski RN, from the Pioneer Valley Memory Care Initiative. Full details are listed in the Senior Spirit newsletter, available on our website or for pick up at the Bangs Center.
o Welcome! The Senior Center would also like to announce a new member of the Senior Center team: a brand-new Ping Pong table located in our Game Room! On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the table is available on a first-come-first-served basis. It can be reserved in 30 minute increments on Tuesdays and Thursday. We thank our generous donor for this new acquisition and share his hopes that it brings joy to the Senior Center.
o Newsletter: The new May-June newsletter from the Department of Senior Services – which includes a listing of all of the dozens of workshops and meetings being offered by the Department – Amherst Senior Spirit, is now available: https://www.amherstma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/16998
o Dental Clinic:
▪ The Senior Center is offering a Mobile Dental Clinic to provide access quality dental care at a reasonable price. Regular dental care prevents tooth decay that could lead to more serious illnesses like pneumonia and heart disease.
▪ Services will be available on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 9:00am to 2:00pm starting May 22nd
▪ Appointments include teeth cleaning, clinical assessment, screenings for oral cancer and blood pressure, referrals if needed, and a free goodie bag!
▪ Appointments are free for MassHealth recipients and $75 for patients with other insurance. Denture care is $30. Older adults welcome.
▪ Call the Senior Center at (413) 250-3060 to schedule an appointment. Walk-in services not available.
Conservation and Development
o Planning:
▪ Staffing: Jacinta Williams will be joining the Planning Department on May 6th. She has worked at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the City of Pittsfield as a Planner, along with previous experience in film industry on the west coast.
▪ Downtown Design Standards: Planning staff are in the process of scheduling stakeholder meetings to provide input to the consultants, Dodson & Flinker, on what people would like to see (or not see) downtown. Stakeholder engagement meetings started earlier in the month.
▪ CDBG: The CDBG grant application was submitted to the state on March
25th. The capital project that has been included in the application is a multi-use path and roadway improvements along North Pleasant Street, from the University up to Pine Street. The grant application also includes money for social services. This work is being reviewed by the Town Council.
▪ Open Space and Recreation Plan: The Planning Department is working on an update of the Open Space and Recreation Plan (mentioned above). Everyone is invited to take a survey, giving us input on what they think about Amherst’s open space and recreation lands. https://www.amherstma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3506
▪ Sustainability:
• Electricity Aggregation:
o The State Department of Public Utilities issued an order approving Valley Green Energy’s municipal aggregation plan. DPU directs us to make a few changes to the aggregation plan and opt- out documents and submit them as a compliance filing.
o With the approval in place, we can begin the supply procurement and program launch. Procurement will likely happen in the summer, to coincide with the next announcement of the Basic Service price period which will cover August through
January. If this schedule is followed, the program will launch in the Fall.
• ValleyBike Share:
o The regional ValleyBike Share program, through the City of Northampton, as the lead community, announced that it had selected Drop Mobility as the new vendor and will roll out the program by the end of May.
o The members of the regional bike share program are Amherst, Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Easthampton, Northampton, South Hadley, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
o A year ago, the previous operator for ValleyBike Share, Bewegen, notified Northampton that it was initiating bankruptcy proceedings in its home country, Canada, to dissolve existing contract with its bike-share communities around the world. As a result, the ValleyBike Share system, the system had to shut down. In the intervening months, representatives of these communities came together to establish an understanding of costs and to develop a plan to getting ValleyBike Share back up and running.
o Following this commitment, Northampton issued a Request for Proposals for a new services contract to operate the system. Drop Mobility was selected by the communities for its deep understanding of micro-mobility as an important component of our transportation system and its experience in rescuing and operating e-assist bike shares around the country.
• Dashboard: The Town announced the release of its community dashboard focused on sustainability. The dashboard is a one-stop opportunity to access information on what has been done, what is being done, and what we plan to do in regard to sustainability and climate action. It also features
recommendations on what residents can do and how to become involved in addressing climate change. The website is located at: https://sustainabilitydashboard.amherstma.gov
o Housing:
▪ Permanent Shelter:
• The Town has contracted with Narrow Gate Architecture of Boston to perform conceptual design services for the potential shelter services and supportive housing at 457 Main Street. The team at Narrow Gate Architecture has extensive experience with public projects and working with non-profits. They were the designer of the recently completed the Father Bill’s and Mainspring Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy.
• A small group from the Town toured the Quincy facility to view one of the first examples in the area of a resource center of its kind including 118 beds, indoor and outdoor community spaces, commercial kitchen and dining area, administrative and support space, a licensed medical clinic and 30 units of permanent supportive housing.
• For the Town’s project, Narrow Gate Architecture will analyze our site, develop potential programming and space needs, and create a conceptual site design with 3D renderings. There will be two public meetings and multiple stakeholder and staff working sessions over the next 90 days.
• The Town awarded the bid to demolish the exisging building on the site.
▪ Belchertown Road/East Street: Wayfinders has submitted its Project Eligibility Letter for the Comprehensive Permit on Belchertown Road and at the East Street School. There will now be a presentation, discussion, and opportunity to offer comments regarding the Project Eligibility Application submitted to the
Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for preliminary review of their proposed development including approximately 78 mixed income apartments at 31 South East Street and 70 Belchertown Road. Application documents available by clicking the link below: https://www.amherstma.gov/3773/WayFinders-East-St-School-Belchertown-Rd
▪ Housing Trust Strategic Planning Effort: A consultant from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership outlined the plan for the Trust in setting goals and strategies for next few years and went over the timeline for that process. One goal is to figure out what the Trust should focus on as a priority. The consultant and Town staff will review former Trust efforts and will share with the Trust as part of the planning process.
▪ Ball Lane aka Amherst Community Homes: The Comprehensive Permit for the Amherst Community Homes project (Valley CDC) for 30 units of affordable homeowner housing was approved by the ZBA. The written Comprehensive Permit decision was filed with the Town Clerk last week. There is a 20 day appeal period which expires at the end of the day on May 9, 2024.
• Economic Development:
o Parklets: Outdoor dining parklets were reinstalled at the following locations: 28 Amity Street (Amherst Coffee); 39 South Pleasant Street (Fresh Side); 63 South Pleasant Street (Veracruzana).
Public Works
• Water Main Flushing:
o The Water Division began its annual systematic water main flushing programs to clean the distribution system on April30th. Water Division personnel will be flushing daily from 4:00 – 9:00 pm. The flushing will begin on all streets in Pelham, the northern portion of Echo Hill, Allen Mill Road, Jenks Street, Ward Street, Thayer Street, South East Street near the Fort River School, Main Street and all streets northerly of College Street and bordered by Strong Street. The center of Town, North and South Prospect Streets and all streets westerly of North Pleasant and South Pleasant Streets, including University Drive and all streets adjacent to the University of Massachusetts Campus will be done during this phase.
o The second section will be all streets northerly of Strong Street and the University of Massachusetts Campus including all apartment complexes, the Cushman area, East Pleasant Street, North Pleasant Street and North Amherst area.
o The third section will include all streets northerly of Shays Street to Northampton Road and College Street including South Pleasant Street, South East Street, Valley View, Mill Lane, Colonial Village, Belchertown Road, Stanley Street, Amherst Fields, the entire southern portion of Echo Hill and all apartment complexes.
o The fourth and final section will be in the South Amherst area and proceed northerly on all streets and will also include all apartment units involved in this area. It will include all streets southerly of the Crocker Farm School, Shays Street, the area bordering the South Amherst common, Station Road and also the water distribution system on Warren Wright Road, North Street and Route #9 in Belchertown.
o Residents may experience water discoloration and low pressure during this period. Running your water will clear up any discoloration.
o Further information may be obtained by calling the Public Works Department at (413)259-3050 X-0.
town. If all goes well this will start on April 1st.
• Roadway Crack Ceiling:
o The Town’s asphalt crack sealing contractor Indus Inc. began work on local streets on April 16th. The streets to be done this year include South Pleasant St, West St, Bay Rd, South East St, North Pleasant St, Strong St, Stony Hill Rd, Pine St, and roadways around the South Amherst Common.
• Street Sweeping: The Department continues the sweeping the main routes and hills that receive the most material during the winter months. After completing these areas, the DPW will begin sweeping the various sections of
o Below are the areas that will be swept and the order they will be done in.
▪ Central – West includes: Amity Street, Lincoln Ave., and all streets in between the boundary of Massachusetts Ave and Northampton Rd. (Allen, Beston, Blue Hills Rd., Cosby, Cowls Lane, Dana Pl., Dana St., Elm, Fearing, Gaylord, Hallock, Kendrick, McClellan, McClure, Nutting Ave, Paige, Phillips, North & South Prospect, and Sunset.), Butterfield Terrace, Greenleaves
▪ East includes: Chestnut, High, Canton Ave., Churchill, Clifton Ave., Cottage, Dickinson, Eames Ave., East St. Common, Gray, Grove, Harvard Ave., North Whitney, Hills Rd., Red Gate Lane, Kellogg Ave., Lessey, South Whitney, Spring, Taylor, Mt. Pleasant, Pleasant Court, Pokeberry Ridge, Salem, Seelye, Shumway, Smith, Strong St, Maplewood development, Triangle, Windridge Terrace, North East St from Main to Strong, Hedgerow, Arbor Way and Wildwood Lane, all of Echo Hill, all of Amherst Woods, Route 9 from Amherst Center to Belchertown town line, Logtown Rd., Hall Dr., Pelham Rd. and all side streets (Jenks, Ward, Thayer, Bayberry Lane), Old Belchertown Rd., Old Farms Rd., Station Rd., Cortland Dr., Iduna Lane, Stanley Street & Misty Meadows, Valley View Circle, and South East Street Rte 9 to South Amherst Common.
▪ South includes: All streets proceeding from Northampton Rd. (south), Bay Rd, Baker, Blakefield, Canterbury Lane, Carriage Rd., Columbia Dr., Country Corners Rd, East Hadley Rd., Elf Hill, Farmington Rd., Glendale Rd., Harris Mt., Hillcrest, Hitchcock, Hulst Rd., Jeffery Lane, Longmeadow Dr., Memorial Drive, Middle St., Mill Lane, Mount Holyoke Dr., Orchard Dr., Pomeroy Lane and developments off Pomeroy Lane, Pondview Dr., Potwine Lane, Rambling Road, Shays St., South East Street from Common to Bay Road, South Pleasant St. to Snell Street, Stagecoach Road, West Bay Rd., West Pomeroy Lane, Woodside, Walnut and Rte 116 (Snell to Glendale).
▪ North includes: All streets proceeding from North Pleasant Street (north of the UMass Campus), East Pleasant St. (north of Strong St.), Berkshire Terrace, Blackberry Lane, Bridge St., Cherry Lane, Cowls Rd., East Leverett Rd., Fairfield St., Farview Way, Fisher, Flat Hills Rd., Grantwood Dr., Harlow Dr., Harris, Henry St., Hitching Post, Hobart Lane, Leverett Rd., Lilac Lane, Market Hill Rd., Meadow St., Moorland, Old Montague Rd., Old Town Road, North East St. (north from Strong St.), Pine St., Plumtree, Puffer Circle, Pulpit Hill Rd., Rolling Ridge, Rosemary, Russellville Road, Sand Hill Rd., Sheerman Lane, State St., Summer Street, Sunderland Rd., Shutesbury Rd., Valley Lane and Van Meter.
▪ Please do not leave large windrows or piles of sand along edge of road. Sweeper cannot pick up these piles. This material may be brought to the landfill on Route 9 – Belchertown Road and deposited at no charge.
▪ Sweeping operation will continue until the mid- to end of June. For additional information, please call the Amherst Department of Public Works at (413)259-3050 X-0.
o Roadwork:
▪ The State is looking to resurface approximately 3.2 miles of Route 116 in Amherst, beginning at the intersection of Route 116 and Route 9 in Hadley, extending to the intersection of Route 116 and Meadow Street. Work includes milling and resurfacing, rebuilding, and cleaning of drainage structures, upgrades to guardrail and shoulder repairs.
▪ The $2.75 million worth of paving for the following roads should start up in the coming weeks once the asphalt plants reopen for the season. We anticipate the roads will be paved this summer.
o Bellview Circle – Rolling Ridge Road to end (may be delayed due to work on water lines that needs to be done)
o Cottage Street – Chestnut Street to Morrow Lane
o Edgehill Place – Logtown Road to End
o Farmington Road– Applewood Lane to Pondview Drive
o Heatherstone Road – Pelham Road to Aubinwood Road
o Market Hill Road – Flat Hills Road to Shutesbury Townline
o North Hadley Road – Lincoln Avene to Sunset Avenue
o North Pleasant Street – McClellan Street to Triangle Street
o Oak Knoll Street– Heatherstone Road to End
o Old Farm Road – Pinegrove to Crossbrook Avenue
o Salem Street – Main Street to end
o Stony Hill Road –(eyebrow) 83 Stony Hill Road to End
o Thistle Lane – Stony Hill Road to End
o Woodside Avenue – Northampton Road (Route 9) to Hitchcock Road
DELEGATED AUTHORITY
• Short-Term Event Uses of Town Commons (Section 1a of the Town Council Policy): None
• Short-Term Parking Requests (Section 2a of the Town Council Policy):
o Garden Club of Amherst – May 17, 2024 – 7:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – 4 spaces in the Spring
Street parking lot and 12 spaces on Boltwood Avenue
• Short-Term Public Way Closures (Section 3b of the Town Council Policy):
o Cushman Scott Children’s Center – May 4, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Temporary closing of Henry Street between Market Hill Road and Pine Street
o Western Mass 10 Road Race – November 3, 2024 – 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. – Temporary closings of North Pleasant, South Pleasant, Main, and Dickinson Streets
• Placement of Road and Temporary Signs (Section 3d of the Town Council Policy):
MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS
• Jones Library Renovation and Expansion:
o Bids for the Jones Library project were due at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26th. The Town received one bid to be General Contractor. The bid amount was $42.742 million, exceeding the amount estimated by independent estimating consultants by about 20%.
o Library and Town staff are working with the Town’s Owner’s Project Manager and Architect to analyze the bid to understand why there is such a disparity from the two estimates received in December. This will take some time.
o The Town Manager has until June 10th to accept or reject the bid.
o Staff are busy reviewing the submission, analyzing the results, and will review the status with the Jones Library Building Committee beginning on May 7th.
o Options will be developed through the Building Committee. Discussions on the future of this project will likely occur with the Jones Library Board of Trustees and Town Council.
• DPW Building/Fire Building:
o The Town appropriated $100,000 to make emergency repairs to the existing DPW building to address some of the numerous issues that plague that structure. Facilities staff have examined the building and determined the highest priorities for utilizing these funds to make repairs. We will continue to assess the condition of the structure and the work conditions for the employees. Work on the roof identified last year will be done in the coming months.
o Staff continue to explore multiple options for a new site for the DPW.
• Elementary School Building Committee:
o Ground Breaking: Ground breaking occurred on the new school which will replace two schools – Wildwood and Fort River Elementary Schools – with one new elementary school on the Fort River site. The new school will be kindergarten through fifth grade. The three- story school will have a capacity of 575 students, with five classrooms per grade. It will be a Net Zero energy building using ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels to supply 100% of the energy for the building. The new school will be built to the south of the existing Fort River Elementary School on adjacent open land currently used as fields.
o Next Steps: A second bid package for the construction of the building itself will be issued in June. The schedule is to complete the new elementary school building prior to the beginning of the September 2026 school year. The final stage of the project will be the demolition of the existing Fort River Elementary School and final site work which is scheduled to be completed later in 2026.
o For more information, visit the School Building Project website here: https://www.amherst-school- project.com/
o Traffic: With the mobilization of Gagliarducci to work on the site, there were significant changes to the circulation of vehicles entering and exiting the site. The entrance closest to Belchertown Road is now the construction entrance/exit and is closed to school traffic. All school traffic is utilizing the northern entrance to the school closest to Main Street as the entrance/exit. Many thanks to the Police Department, Department of Public Works, and School Department Facilities and Fort River Elementary School staff for making this change successfully.
PROJECTS UPDATE
• Centennial Water Treatment Facility: For more information, visit the website here: https://www.amherstma.gov/1491/Centennial-Water-Treatment-Plant
• North Common Restoration/Main Street Parking Lot:
o Work on the project has resumed.
o Caracas Construction will be extending the construction zone and fencing out onto Main Street. The sidewalk on the south side of Main Street will be closed and the bus stop will be relocated to 69 Main Street, east of Town Hall. Caracas will also begin removing sidewalk and installing conduit on Boltwood Avenue in front of Grace Church. Working hours will be from 7am to 5pm.
o The project is projected to be completed by June 30, 2024.
o Additional sidewalk work will begin shortly to install a new sidewalk on the east side of the Town Common from Spring Street to College Street. This work is being funded by a grant.
• Hickory Ridge: The Assistant Town Manager provided an update on the site and plans at the
April 8th Town Council meeting.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
➢ May 20th – Town Council meeting
➢ May 27th – Memorial Day holiday
➢ June 3rd – Public Forum on the Capital Improvement Program
➢ June 3rd – Town Council meeting
➢ June 17th – Town Council meeting
➢ June 24th – Town Council meeting
➢ July 2nd – Independence Day fireworks (rain date July 8th)
➢ July 4th – Independence Day holiday
➢ July 7th – Town Council meeting
➢ August 5th – Town Council meeting
➢ August 19th – Town Council meeting
➢ September 2nd – Labor Day holiday