Town Manager Report for July 15, 2024

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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 Superintendent of Schools, Dr. E Xiomara Herman, joined me at the last Cuppa Joe on July 12th. 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.

• Higher Education Key Dates:

• Fall classes begin:

▪ Amherst College: September 3rd

▪ Hampshire College: September 4th

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: September 3rd

• Mid-semester break:

▪ Amherst College: October 12th – October 15th

▪ Hampshire College: October 12th – October 15th

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: October 12th – October 15th

• Thanksgiving vacation:

▪ Amherst College: November 25th – December 1st

▪ Hampshire College: November 27th – December 1st

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: November 26th – December 1st

• Spring classes begin:

▪ Amherst College: January 27th

▪ Hampshire College: January 29th

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: January 30th

• April break:

▪ Amherst College: March 17th – 21st

▪ Hampshire College: March 15th – 23rd

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: March 17th – 21st .

• Commencement:

▪ Amherst College: May 25th

▪ Hampshire College: May 17th

▪ University of Massachusetts Amherst: May 16th – 18th

• Ride the PVTA for Free: The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) is celebrating its Golden Anniversary of providing public transportation services for 50 years. To commemorate this milestone, from June 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024, no fares or passes will be needed for PVTA bus and paratransit services.

• Committee Appointments: We are in the appointment/reappointment process for Town committees and boards. I will continue to submit appointments and reappointments in the coming weeks. 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. People interested in serving may fill out a Community Activity Form here: https://www.amherstma.gov/FormCenter/Community-Activity-Form-14-

14/Community-Activity-Form-62-62

DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Administration and Finance

• Town Clerk:

o Elections:

▪ The Town Clerk is seeking election workers to work during early voting and on election day. Please contact the Town Clerk’s office and find more information here: https://www.amherstma.gov/3671/Become-an-Election-Worker

▪ There are two major elections this fall: The State Primary on September 3rd and the General Election on November 5th. Key dates for the elections can be found here: https://www.amherstma.gov/3665/Elections Here are some key dates for the

Primary:

• August 24th: Last day to register to vote.

• August 24th – August 30th: Early voting.

• August 29th: Last day to request a mail-in ballot.

• August 30th: Last day to apply for an in person absentee ballot.

• September 3rd at 8:00 p.m.: Deadline for ballots to be received in the Town

Clerk’s office.

• September 3rd from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.: In person voting at voting locations.

▪ The Town Clerk is recommending that the Town Council relocate a voting precinct from the church in North Amherst to the new Community Room in the North Amherst Library.

• Finance:

o Finance Director: Finance Director Melissa Zawadzki began her duties on July 1st and has already made an impact in addressing projects needing direction.

o Real Estate Taxes: Real estate tax are due August 1st. Online payments can be made here:

www.amherstma.gov/payments or at Town Hall or by mail.

• Human Resources:

o Searches:

▪ Fire Chief: I appointed Lindsay Stromgren to serve as the Temporary Fire Chief while Human Resources conducts the search process for a permanent Fire Chief.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department:

o Staff: Philip Avila, former co-chair of the Human Rights Commission, has been hired as the Assistant DEI Director. He begins his duties on August 5th.

o Workshops:

▪ The “Becoming Beloved” community events continue with a public event on

Allyship on July 25th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the large Activity Room of the Bangs Community Center. We would welcome participation from Town Councilors, staff, and the general public.

▪ Future “Becoming a Beloved Community” events:

• 09/26/2024 | America’s Racial History

• 11/21/2024 | Navigating Differences

o Presentations: The DEI Director and Implementation Manager have been invited to present on the use of Restorative Justice Practices in the workplace at the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Conference in Washington DC later this month.

o Events:

▪ Pride: On June 13th, the Town celebrated Pride month with a very special event commemorating the legalization of marriage for all which included remarks By Justice Roderick Ireland followed by a panel discussion featuring former Town Select Board Member Connie Kruger, Marguerite Sheehan, and current Town Councilor Pat De Angelis. The program was followed by a reception in Alumni House.

▪ Juneteenth: The Town hosted a large number of events to celebrate Juneteenth starting with events organized by Ancestral Bridges, events organized by the Town on the Town Common and events organized by other private organizations.

o Reparations: The legal opinion from the Town Attorney on funding sources for Reparations has been shared with the Town Council and will be discussed in an upcoming GOL Committee meeting.

o Resident Oversight Board: After the first Request for Proposals failed to produce a vendor who could complete the work within the Town’s allotted budget, a second RFP was issued 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. We are in discussion with one of the vendors to clarify aspects of the proposal. I anticipate awarding the bid for the next phase in the coming weeks.

o Police Protocols: The Police Chief met with the Community Safety and Social Justice

Committee on July 10th.

o Youth Empowerment: ARPA funds have been set aside to support this work which will include additional outreach and an assessment of possible sites.

Public Safety

• Community Safety Day: The Town’s Fire, Police, and CRESS Departments have worked with the Department of Senior Services to organize the annual Community Safety Day on August 17th from 10:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m. at the Mill River Recreation Area.

• Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service:

o The CRESS Department continues to develop as it continues to develop protocols and responds to calls for service.

17th in the late afternoon/early evening (actual time TBD). The goal of the open house is to invite community members, Town decision-makers and other stakeholders to visit each of the departments in the Bangs, meet and talk with staff and understand the scope of services provided in the building.

• Police Department:

o 911 System: On June 18, 2024, the 911 call system stopped routing calls state- wide. Below is an explanation of what happened:

▪ The 911 system’s firewall temporarily prevented calls from reaching 911 Public Safety Answer Points (PSAPs). In Amherst, that is our Dispatch Center.

▪ The firewall took this action because it correctly identified anomalies with inbound data management in connection with the way traffic was being routed across the state’s network. The incident was an automated-self- protection response by the firewall to anomalous network traffic behavior. This response deliberately isolated the ability of the network to route data, including calls, between PSAPs and the Next Generation 911 cores, i.e., routers, servers, and switches.

▪ The location of the incident and the triggering event occurred in the Next Generation 911 System, which is not accessible directly from any public network and would require the defeat of multiple security layers first. There was no evidence of this kind of malicious intrusion through those layers.

▪ After the June 18 incident two immediate measures were taken by the State:

• Firewall rules were modified to mediate automated network protections, so that security-interruptions can’t automatically halt critical traffic. Previously, in rare circumstances, the firewall could interrupt communications if it detected anomalous patterns that closely match issues identified within the data and network security industry as possibly suspect. In this event, these patterns, though not malicious, created a false-positive resulting in a too-aggressive security response;

• For the immediate future, all updates will be manually tested before implementation;

• Lastly, Massachusetts State 911 and Comtech are currently conducting a comprehensive review of all policies and procedures.

• In Amherst, I convened the key public safety and communications officials from the Town for an after-action analysis. Police, Dispatch, Fire, and Communications gathered to evaluate our response to the outage, how information was communicated, and identified changes we will make.

• MUCH credit is owed to the Town’s Dispatch Team that managed this crisis with impressive calm and dynamism. The Communications Director had retired and our Interim Communications Director, Jason Rushford deserves special credit for managing this crisis with calm and confidence. Our Communications Manager had also just begun her duties and responded with incredible professionalism.

•Fire Department:

oLeadership: I appointed Assistant Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren to be Temporary Fire Chief as the Town searches for a permanent Fire Chief. oAcademy: Three members of the Department graduated from the 10-week Massachusetts Fire Academy at the end of June. Congratulations to these firefighters for this accomplishment and improving their skills for the Town’s residents.

Community Services

• Veterans:

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 Provided:

▪ There were over 642 check-ins at the Senior Centers, with an average attendance of 32 people per day.

▪ There were 70 rides on the Silver Shuttle, with 51% being for medical transport and 34% for grocery shopping.

▪ 774 people were served across the Department’s various programs (in person and virtual).

▪ Over 165 volunteer hours were logged.

▪ There were 125 social service consultations with Social Service Coordinator.

▪ Over 1,500 pounds of food was distributed to over 400 individuals at the Wednesday Market. As you may recall, Senior Center has partnered with Whole Foods to create a fresh food distribution program. The new Wednesday Market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, sweets, shelf stable groceries, and occasionally items like milk, meat, and cheese. The program is free, requires no registration, and is open to the community. The Market operates on Wednesdays from 10:30am-12:00pm in the Large Activity Room of the Bangs Community Center. Food is distributed on a first come, first served basis and participants are encouraged to bring their own bag(s). We deeply appreciate this generous donation from Whole Foods and all the volunteers who make this program possible! The Senior Center needs volunteers to help distribute food. Volunteers are needed from

9:00am to 12:30pm to help with set up, distribution, and cleanup. Volunteers must be able to lift 20lbs. If you would like to help us fill the food gap, please reach out to Julia MacFadzen at macfadzenj@amherstma.gov to inquire.

o Grants:

▪ The Senior Center received a grant from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging toallow the Senior Services Department to partner with the Town’s Public Health Department to offer a Wellness Learning Community. The program will offer workshops on a range of topics from Living Well with Diabetes, Financial Literacy, Wellness, Health Insurance, Retirement Planning, Cardiac Health, and more. Programs will be held in the evening and be followed by a light supper. The hope is that people will come together and learn about topics that are important to them while socializing with others in the community. See the ‘Senior Spirit’ newsletter for more information.

▪ The Department also received a grant for Senior Center Modernization which will allow the Senior Center to improve wayfinding and accessibility.

▪ And, through a partnership with PVTA, the Senior Center was awarded a grant that will allow the Senior Center to expand Silver Shuttle to five days per week.

o Newsletter: The new July-August 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/17173

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

▪ 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.

o Open House: The Departments housed in the Bangs Center (CRESS, DEI, Public Health, Senior Center, and Veterans Services) are collaborating with the Musante Health Center clinic staff to host an open house for the community on September 17th in the late afternoon/early evening (actual time TBD). The goal of the open house is to invite community members, Town decision-makers and other stakeholders to visit each of the departments in the Bangs, meet and talk with staff and understand the scope of services provided in the building.

• Public Health:

o Cooling Center: The Health Director is working with the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director, Police Chief, CRESS Director, Recreation Director, Director of Senior Services, and Communications Manager to develop a clear decision-making process and plan for opening cooling centers. We anticipate there will be more frequent need for cooling centers in the years ahead. Based on the weather forecast and our existing criteria we will open the cooling center Monday thru Wednesday, July 15-17.

o Opioid Settlement Funds:

▪ The opioid community survey is still open and the Public Health Department is encouraging people to respond to it throughout the summer. A community forum is being planned for September to offer additional opportunities for residents, especially those most affected by the opioid epidemic, to provide input about desired funding priorities. Public Health Department staff are reviewing preliminary results from the survey and meeting with harm reduction partners to discuss expanding access to Narcan and other harm reduction supplies in the Amherst community.

▪ Recent news about the US Supreme Court ruling on the Purdue Pharma case is actually positive and is pro-claimants. Although it does mean that that this particular lawsuit will have to start over, the court ruled that the Sackler family cannot be shielded or released from the debt they owe their victims. The ruling does not affect the allocations of opioid settlement from other suits that have already been allocated to the Town.

o COVID/Respiratory Illness Update:

▪ Levels of COVID in Amherst wastewater have been low but began ticking upward at the end of June. The most recent sample showed levels that are slightly above what is considered substantial infection. Disease severity continues to be mild, however, and hospitalizations for COVID in Hampshire County are low at 1% of all hospital admissions. This is reflective of a national trend.

▪ The Town’s most up-to-date guidance for managing COVID infection can be found here. Public Health staff also recently added a Long COVID page to the website.

▪ Because it can be helpful for people to test for COVID so that they may access treatment if needed and decrease their risk of transmitting infection to people who may be more at risk for severe disease, the Public Health Department has a supply of COVID tests on hand for community members to pick up.

▪ An updated COVID vaccine that is expected to provide coverage for the most recent variants will be released in the fall. It is recommended that anyone who has not had a recent COVID vaccine wait for the new vaccine to be available rather than getting vaccinated now since it is best to separate COVID vaccines by at least three months.

o Tobacco and illegal hemp-derived cannabis products:

▪ Public Health and Inspections staff are visiting retail establishments that are licensed by the Town to educate them about products containing illegal hemp- derived CBD or THC and request that these products be removed from the shelves. Sometimes called “Gas Station Weed,” gummies, energy shot-like drink bottles, and seltzers have proliferated across Massachusetts convenience store checkout counters and social media feeds, looking awfully similar to products you’d find at a regulated cannabis shop and sometimes suggesting they offer the same effects.

▪ This type of hemp-based product has been around for about six years but has become more mainstream recently. They are labeled as things like “Delta-8,” “Delta-10” or “THC In A Bottle,” and often come in bright packaging sometimes meant to mimic the look of legal products, like Skittles.

▪ The 2018 Federal farm bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and gave oversight of hemp production to federal and state departments of agriculture. In Massachusetts, Hemp is primarily under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agricultural Resources, though some hemp products are available for sale at marijuana businesses licensed by the Cannabis Control Commission. But hemp- based products have been popping up at places licensed by the Alcoholic

Beverages Control Commission like liquor stores, bars and restaurants, and retailers overseen by local boards of health like tobacco and vape shops. And the state Department of Public Health has gotten involved since it regulates food and drinks.

▪ The ABCC and DPH issued an advisory on May 29 stating “it is unlawful to manufacture and/or sell food or beverages containing hemp derived CBD and/or THC” and ordering that the “products must be taken off the shelf immediately.

▪ The State is seeing increasing numbers of health impacts, especially youth and adolescents that are experiencing hospital admissions, ICU admission, significant morbidity, because of intoxication from these products.

▪ The Public Health Director has been working with the Board of License Commission to address mutual concerns.

▪ Public Health Department staff will also be educating tobacco retailers about new so-called non-menthol cigarettes that are technically flavored tobacco products and are also banned in Massachusetts. This will be an ongoing project to ensure compliance among local retailers.

o Mosquito Update: The Public Health Department receives weekly surveillance reports from the PVMCD. To date, no mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. PVMCD staff performed an initial treatment of 300 catch basins in North Amherst to help prevent WNV transmission. The targeted zones were chosen based on the discovery of a West Nile positive mosquito in that area at the end of last season.

o Community Safety Day: The Public Health Department will be participating in this year’s Community Safety Day to be held at Mill River on August 17th. The Public Health table will feature the Bite Lab – an interactive exhibit designed to educate the public about tick and mosquito-borne illness.

• Recreation:

o Fireworks:

▪ July 2nd, the Recreation Department organized a spectacular event. So MUCH work went into organizing, planning, and ensuring the largest event the Town hosts – without a glitch. Special thanks are owed to Becky Demling from the Recreation Department for taking the lead in organizing this year’s event.

▪ Thousands of people enjoyed a wonderful evening as we came together to celebrate. CRESS Director Camille Theriaque has been designated M.C. for Life!

▪ Dozens of people contributed to making the evening a success from nearly every Town department including Recreation, Senior Services, Fire, Police, CRESS, DPW, and the Town Manager’s office.

▪ We want to thank, especially, the incredible contributions from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Beyond providing the site, the University dedicates dozens of employees to the event including strong leadership. The University provides public safety services from its Police Department, logistical support, parking organization, sign making, electrical services, and the University’s custodians worked until midnight that night to ensure the rest rooms were ready for the next day.

▪ Many, many thanks to all who supported this great event.

Conservation and Development

• Conservation:

o Puffer’s Pond:

o Planning:

▪ The Town tests Puffers Pond weekly – sometimes more frequently. Results are posted on Wednesdays at www.amherstma.gov/puffers. The most recent results were posted on Wednesday, July 10th and new results will be posted on Wednesday, July 17th. Water samples are collected and tested from both North Beach and South Beach. Even when one of the beaches tests within the normal range, the Town closes the entire pond to swimming out of an abundance of caution.

▪ Recent tests have shown elevated levels of E. coli bacteria. As a result, the Pond will remain closed to swimming until further notice.

▪ 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.

▪ 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

o Sustainability:

▪ Electricity Aggregation: The Town is taking the lead in procuring electricity

for the group which includes Northampton and Pelham, as well. I anticipate awarding the bid in the very near future. We project the program will launch in the Fall.

▪ Valley Bike Share: 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. The reopening of the BikeShare has been delayed with the hope that bikes will be back in place soon.

▪ Hickory Ridge:

• The Town of Amherst was one of 65 communities to be awarded a

2024 MassTrails Grant. The Town will receive $109,584.80 to support the development of a new accessible trail system at Hickory Ridge. The development of the trail system at Hickory Ridge has been an ongoing project that aims to connect nearby neighborhoods with services and restaurants as well as to increase recreation uses.

• This builds on a highly successful grant-writing effort by staff. The Town has been awarded numerous grants to construct a robust trail system at Hickory Ridge including a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for construction of a multi-use pedestrian trail connecting residents of the East Hadley Road neighborhoods to the Pomeroy Village Center, through Hickory Ridge. In February 2023, Amherst received a Parklands Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant for the Hickory Ridge Accessible

o Housing:

Riverwalk Loop Trail. Funding from this 2024

MassTrails Grant will be used for the Hickory Ridge Accessible Trail Connection which will provide a critical trail connectionbetween the two existing trails.

• The development of the trail system at Hickory Ridge has already begun, and the Town anticipates that this project will be completed by October 2024.

• For more information about Hickory Ridge, please contact Conservation & Development at 413-259-3045 or visit: https://www.amherstma.gov/3630/Hickory-Ridge. 

▪ Permanent Shelter:

• The public stakeholder and feedback session for the initial visioning of the new shelter and housing proposed for the VFW site were held on June 10th.

• 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 experience with public projects and working with non-profits. They were the designer of the recently completed Father Bill’s and Mainspring Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy.

• For the Town’s project, Narrow Gate Architecture has analyzed our site, developed potential programming and space needs, and created a conceptual site design with 3D renderings.

• The Town awarded the bid to demolish the existing building on the site.

▪ Affordable Housing:

• 180 Fearing Street: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities has approved the Local Action Unit application for three affordable rental units out of 22 total units at 180 Fearing Street. These units will be added to the Town’s State Housing Inventory.

• 11 East Pleasant Street: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities has approved the Local Action Unit application for 11 affordable rental units out of 90 total units at 11 East Pleasant Street. These units will be added to the Town’s State Housing Inventory.

▪ 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: This project continues to make progress, by obtaining an Order of Conditions, Comprehensive Permit, and permit from the

Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The developer has selected Keiter Corporation to be the General Contractor with cost estimates in the $12.5m – $15.3m range. Design development plans and specifications are being prepared which will be reviewed by MassHousing. Below is the timeline for development.

o Economic Development:

▪ Sweetser Park Concerts: The Amherst Community Band is in the middle of its

summer season in Sweetser Park. Concerts are July 27th with an evening of dance and on August 17th when they will close out their summer series with music that commemorates important anniversaries in 2024. Bring a lawn chair and food to enjoy the great music in Downtown Amherst!

▪ Town Common Concerts: The BID is also producing Friday night concerts through

July from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Upcoming concerts are:

• July 19: Jazz in July

• July 26: The No Nos & LeFever

Public Works

• Grant: Town staff secured a $50,000 grant for cybersecurity in the water system. This grant will allow the Water Department to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities that have been identified during our recent cybersecurity assessment. As cyber criminals have

improved their techniques and water departments across the country have been targeted, we are grateful for this financial support from the state to strengthen our cybersecurity.

• Road Work: Extensive road and sidewalk work is being undertaken in

Town this summer and fall.

o The State Department of Transportation has replaced the sidewalks on Monague Road/State Route 63 from Pulpit Hill Road to Cowls Road. This work will facilitate safe pedestrian travel from the new Ball Lane development into the North Amherst village center.

o Town contractors are paving multiple roads. Most recently they have been working on

Old Farm Road from Wildflower Drive to Stavros.

o Contractors are also working on the reconstruction of North Pleasant Street adjacent to

Kendrick Park (between McClellan Street and Triangle Street). This project will

implement the improvements to North Pleasant Street including parking changes that were approved by the Town Council.

o Crews have completed or will be continuing work on paving the following streets:

▪ Thistle Lane – Stony Hill to the end in preparation for reclaiming.

▪ Oak Knoll Street – Heatherstone Road to the end in preparation for reclaiming.

▪ Market Hill Road- Flat Hills Road to Shutesbury Townline in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Stony Hill Road – (eyebrow) 83 Stony Hill Road to end in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Cottage Street – Chestnut Street to Morrow Lane in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Woodside Avenue – Northampton Road (Route 9) to Hitchcock Road in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Edgehill Place – Logtown Road to end in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Salem Street – Main Street to end in preparation for an overlay.

▪ Farmington Road– West Pomeroy Lane to 2nd Pondview Drive entrance in preparation for an overlay.

▪ North Hadley Road – Lincoln Avenue to Sunset Avenue in preparation for an overlay.

▪ 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.

• Groff Park:

o Spray Park: After significant efforts by DPW staff, especially over the holiday, the Groff Park Spray Pad is back inoperation. Parts and repairs were made the afternoon of July 10th. Several buttons in the splash pad are inoperable and we are awaiting parts for those, as well.

o Restroom: Restroom facilities at Groff Park are closed to facilitate the repair of the water main, and information regarding that will be made public as it comes in.

• Water: The Department has issued its 2023 Water Quality Report which can be found here:

https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/73154/2023-Water-Quality-Reportpdf

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):

• Short-Term Public Way Closures (Section 3b of the Town Council Policy):

o August 25, 2024 – 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. – North Pleasant Street adjacent to Kendrick Park – Amherst Elementary Schools First Day of School celebration

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 The Library Trustees and I signed an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding in which the Trustees agreed to fund the expenses incurred to value engineer the library project in an attempt to bring the project in line with its budget.

o The architects are working on revised plans to value engineer the project which will be reviewed by various Town boards, committees, and commissions.

• 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 which will be reviewed with the Town Council.

• Elementary School Building Committee:

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/

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 continues and we have been receiving many compliments and excitement about it being available for use.

o Additional sidewalk work continues on the east side of the Town Common from Spring Street to College Street and on South Pleasant Street. A grant is funding this work.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS

➢ August 19th – Town Council meeting

➢ September 2nd – Labor Day holiday

➢ September 9th – Town Council meeting

➢ September 23rd – Town Council meeting

➢ September 23rd – Public Forum on the Master Plan

➢ October 7th – Town Council meeting

➢ October 14th – Indigenous Peoples Day holiday

➢ October 21st – Town Council meeting

➢ November 4th – Town Council meeting

➢ November 4th – Financial Indicators presentation

➢ November 11th – Veterans Day holiday

➢ November 18th – Town Council meeting

➢ November 28 – 29 – Thanksgiving Day holiday

➢ December 2nd – Town Council meeting

➢ December 2nd – State of the Town presentation

➢ December 16th – Town Council meeting

➢ December 24th – Christmas Eve half-day holiday

➢ December 25th – Christmas Day holiday

➢ January 1st – New Years Day holiday

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