Town Manager Report for December 2, 2024

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: Finance Director joined me for the last Cuppa Joe at The Works Café in downtown Amherst. We discussed finances, the library project, and numerous other topics. It was a great turnout, and I thank all of those who came out to discuss their concerns with us. 
• The next Cuppa’ Joe will be on Friday, December 13th from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. at a location to be determined. If confirmed by the Town Council, our new Fire Chief, 
• will be my guest. I welcome people to stop by to greet Chief Stromgren and we can discuss his plans for the department. 
• The “Cuppa’ Joe with Paul” coffees are a monthly event. Residents and others are welcome to share their concerns, offer suggestions, or just get to know each other. 
• Sanctuary Community Statement: On November 14th, I was joined by Police Chief Gabe Ting, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pamela Nolan Young, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. E. Xiomara Herman in reaffirming the Town’s commitment to our values on sanctuary and being a welcome community for immigrants. The state says: Today, Town of Amherst officials were made aware of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action that resulted in residents being taken into custody in the nearby community of Northampton. 
• We – the Town Manager, Chief of Police, Superintendent of Schools, and the Director of Diversity, Equity – are appointed officials and leaders of the Town entrusted with the responsibility to uphold both its laws and its values. The Town of Amherst is a sanctuary community and as such shall not cooperate with ICE (in accordance with Town of Amherst Bylaw Section 3.9). Bylaw Section 3.9 declares the Town as a sanctuary community. 
• Today, in writing, we affirm that we continue to welcome new immigrants to our great nation and to our community. We encourage immigrants and their families to build lives in our community, as many of our ancestors have done. 
• Section 3.9 of the Town of Amherst General Bylaws, which was revised by the Town Council in April 2024, declares the Town of Amherst as a sanctuary community and states clearly that: ▪ To the extent permissible by law, a Town department, or officer or employee of a Town department shall not perform the functions of an immigration officer, whether pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §1357(g) or any other law, regulation, or policy, whether formal or informal. 
• We, as Community Leaders, stand with our neighbors, whether they be new or old, and, we encourage one another to adhere to the long-standing values of our great Nation, of “liberty and justice for all.” 
• The Amherst Winter Farmers’ Market will run from 10 am to 2 pm in the Large Activity Room of the Bangs Community Center on the following dates: ▪ Saturday, December 7, 2024 
• ▪ Saturday, December 14, 2024 
• ▪ Saturday, December 21, 2024 
• ▪ Saturday, December 28, 2024 
• ▪ Saturday, January 11, 2025 
• ▪ Saturday, January 25, 2025 
• ▪ Saturday, February 8, 2025 
• ▪ Saturday, February 22, 2025 
• ▪ Saturday, March 8, 2025 
• ▪ Saturday, March 22, 2025 
• Key Dates: ▪ 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 

• Winter Farmers’ Market: The Amherst Farmers’ Market will organize a Winter Market at the Bangs Community Center in downtown Amherst. This new venue offers a spacious and familiar environment for local farmers, artisans, and crafters to showcase their goods to the community. 
• Higher Education: 

• Kanegasaki Sister City Visit: Six student and three chaperones, including the Superintendent of Schools, for the Town’s sister city in Japan visited the Town on October 31 – November 2nd. Each student stayed with a host family. Many thanks to the incredible organizing efforts of the School Department and Town Manager’s office for making this successful. And, special thanks to the host families, Amherst College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Council President Lynn Griesemer for their contributions. 

DEPARTMENT UPDATES 

Administration and Finance 

• Town Clerk: Elections: Total registered voters is 14,704. Below are the election results for the November 5th election: 
• The Town Clerk reminds candidates or committees with cash balances or outstanding liabilities that their year-end campaign finance report is due Tuesday, January 21st, 2025. The report must include all campaign finance activity from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. Candidates and candidate committees will receive a remainder email in mid-December. 

• Finance: Financial Indicators: Town staff delivered the annual Financial Indicators presentation to the Town Council, School Committee, Regional School Committee, Board of Library Trustees, and Finance Committee on November 4th. This information serves as the basis for the Finance Committee’s discussion as it develops the Budget Guidelines for the Town, Schools, and Library. The slide deck from the presentation can be found here: FY26 Financial Indicators Presentation 
  
• Tax Classification Hearing: Town staff provided information to the Town Council of its tax classification public hearing which was also held on November 4th. That presentation can be found here: FY25 Tax Classification Public Hearing Presentation 
• Capital Requests: The Town of Amherst is now accepting resident capital requests until December 16th at 4:30 pm. This is an opportunity for residents to submit requests for capital projects they believe the Town should prioritize. Examples of past requests include speed mitigation, facility or infrastructure improvements, and new equipment that would benefit the town. These requests are presented to the Joint Capital Planning Committee to be considered as part of the Capital Improvement Program. 
• CDBG: The Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee has begun its work. ▪ The State awarded the Town a grant of $925,000 for this work. 
• ▪ The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) has designated the Town of Amherst as a Mini-Entitlement Community that is eligible to apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. CDBG funds support housing, community development projects and social service activities benefiting low-and moderate-income citizens. 
• ▪ The CDBG Advisory Committee held a Public Hearing on November 18th to receive comments and suggestions. 

• Human Resources: Fire Chief: I appointed Lindsay Stromgren as the Town’s new Fire Chief. The appointment is subject to review by the Town Council and will be considered at your meeting on Monday, December 2nd. ▪ Chief Stromgren has served in the Amherst Fire Department for 42 years as a student firefighter, a professional firefighter/EMT, captain, and assistant chief. He grew up in Amherst and now lives in Pelham. He began his work with the Amherst Fire Department as a volunteer member of the Student 
• Force during his first year at the University of Massachusetts. Upon graduating from the University, he transitioned to the part-time Call Force, then became a full-time Career Firefighter/EMT in 1991. After being promoted to Captain in 1998, Lindsay spent the last twenty-two years as the Assistant Chief for Operations and Training. Currently, he is serving as the Temporary Fire Chief. 
• ▪ A graduate of Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, Lindsay earned an associate’s degree from Greenfield Community College in Fire Science Technology and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Geography and in Fire Science Administration. He has obtained his Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Certification from the National Fire Academy and is a Massachusetts Credentialed Fire Chief through a program at the Massachusetts Fire Academy. He also recently completed the staff and command leadership program at the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute. 
• ▪ I want to note that we had three extraordinarily strong finalist candidates. Each of the finalists could successfully serve as Fire Chief for the Town, making this decision exceedingly difficult. 
• ▪ I would like to thank the members of the Fire Chief Search Committee for reviewing applications and conducting interviews. The Search Committee was comprised of: (Chair) Jeff Hescock, Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst 
• Raymond Conway, M.D., Medical Director, Urgent and Occupational Health at Cooley Dickinson Hospital 
• Jeanne Horrigan, Amherst Council on Aging chair 
• Ryan Pease, Town of Ludlow Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director 
• Catharine Porter, Amherst Personnel Board member 
• Camille Theriaque, Amherst Director of Community Responders and 
• Melissa Loiodice-Walker, Amherst Director of Human Resources 
• ▪ You will be invited to a swearing-in ceremony that will be scheduled for a later date, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. 
• Planning Director: The search has been initiated for a new Planning Director. I am searching for a leader who is passionate about fostering inclusive, sustainable development and making a lasting impact. You can find the job advertisement here: https://www.amherstma.gov/jobs.aspx 
• Holiday Schedule: The 2025 holiday schedule is attached at the end of this report. 

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department: Municipal Equality Index: ▪ The Town achieved an outstanding score of 99 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), illustrating the Town’s unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. 
• ▪ The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipality Equality Index is a nationwide evaluation of cities and towns on how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. 
• ▪ The full MEI report, Amherst’s scorecard, and a searchable database for other municipalities’ scores are available online at hrc.org/mei. To learn more about what Amherst is doing to support LGBTQ+ equality, please contact the Human Rights Commission at humanrights@amherstma.gov. 
• ▪ Amherst 2024 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard 
• Police Department LGBTQ+ Liaison: Police Chief Ting announced that Detective Marcus Humber had been designated as the LGBTQ+ Police Liaison, serving as an accessible and friendly ear to the town’s LGBTQ+ community and elevating related concerns to the police chief and other Town officials. 
• Workshops: ▪ Implicit Bias: On November 15th, the DEI Department held its monthly staff workshop, the topic was Implicit Bias. 
• ▪ Navigating Differences: The DEI Department held another in its series of community conversations on November 21st regarding Navigating Differences and with the CRESS Dept. held space for a conversation on the recent presidential election. 
  
  
• Committee Support: ▪ DEI staff supported the Human Rights Commission’s annual retreat on Sunday, November 17th. Commission members set their annual goals and established teams to address goals. 
• ▪ DEI staff are staffing the Resident Oversight Board advisory group meetings. The advisory group members are meeting with consultants to develop a charge for the establishment of a Resident Oversight Board. The proposed charge will be presented by the Town Manager for submission to the Town Council for its consideration. 
• RISE Program: DEI staff have been participating in the RISE program which completed is programing for youth and law enforcement on Saturday, November 23rd. In the closing ceremony students reflected on what they had learned and about the positive relationships they had formed. 
• Upcoming Events: ▪ Human Rights Day: On December 10th the HRC will be collaborating with the ACLU and Amnesty International to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the town common at 5:30 p.m. 
• ▪ National Day of Racial Healing: On January 21st, the DEI Department will host a National Day of Racial Healing event, details will be forthcoming. 
• ▪ Amherst Global Village Festival: The DEI Department announced the creation of a Global Village Festival to be held on April 5th, 2025. 
• Reparations: ▪ The Town Council is reviewing the charge for the Amherst Black Reparations Committee. 
• ▪ The Town Council appropriated funds to the Reparations Stabilization Fund in accordance with the Town’s financial policies. 
• Resident Oversight Board: ▪ The Town has contracted with a pair of consultants to help create a proposal for a Resident Oversight Board which will be presented to the Town Council for its consideration. I have assembled an advisory committee with representatives from the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee, Human Rights Commission, Public Safety leaders, police union representatives, and two former members of the Town Council (Shalini Bahl-Milne and Anika Lopes). 
• ▪ The Resident Oversight Board advisory group held its first meeting last week and will meet again in December. 
• ▪ If the proposal to create an Oversight Board is approved by the Town Council, the consultants will develop a training process for the inaugural board members, establish board policies and procedures, and establish a train-the-trainer processes for future board members. This work has begun. 
• Police Protocols: The Police Chief is reviewing departmental policies and standard operating procedures to address the dispatching of CRESS responders and police procedures. 
• Youth Empowerment: The Recreation Director and Assistant DEI Director are leading the work to identify existing resources, existing opportunities, and coordinate work toward developing additional opportunities for the Town’s young people. The Town is inventorying existing out-of-school learning, recreational, and cultural opportunities for children in 6th-9th grades in Amherst and neighboring towns. The Town is also inventorying existing Town-owned buildings to assess their conditions and uses for other purposes including a Youth Empowerment Center. The Town is also exploring other 

Public Safety 

• Fire Department: Brushfires: With the recent rain, the Temporary Fire Chief rescinded the outdoor fire ban prior to Thanksgiving. 
• Staffing: ▪ Two firefighters/paramedics begin their 10-week fire academy program this week and they will graduate in early January 2025. 
• ▪ Due to injuries both on-duty and off-duty and other approved leaves, the Fire Department has been challenged to maintain staffing levels. I thank the firefighters who are able to work for their continued commitment and dedication to meeting the needs of the Department and the Town. 
• ▪ The department currently has three openings for fulltime firefighters and is accepting applications at amherstma.gov/jobs. 
• Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service: Staffing: Two new community responders begin work on December 4th. They will begin a training regimen and will be ready for full deployment by end of February 2025. 
• Sharing Resources: Members of the CRESS team made a site visit to the City of Cambridge’s CARE program, a similar start-up to the CRESS department https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitysafety . They met with Cambridge responders, the Police Commissioner, and the City Manager. They were able to shadow Cambridge’s responders on some of their calls. There are ongoing discussions on ways our two departments can collaborate together. 
• Outreach: ▪ The Department supported the Town election on Tuesday, November 5th by assigning responders and volunteers to work as constables at polling locations. 
• ▪ Collaborated with the Department of Public Health on vaccination clinics at the Bangs Community Center, Ann Whalen House, and Clark House. 
• ▪ The Department continues developing trust and relationships with Town youth. To that end, CRESS staff created and will be working with primarily BIPOC youth ages 6-12, in housing complexes utilizing ARPA funds for Youth Enrichment. CRESS responders will be encouraging reading skills through various books and doing an activity that aligns with these books. 
• ▪ Americorp: CRESS staff will be working with the Americorp member to provide Youth Enrichment utilizing ARPA funds for ages 12-18. These teens will be learning business skills, financial responsibility, and budget through creative activities, books, and mentorship. 
• Grant Funding: The Town received full funding in the amount of $449,949 from the State Department of Public Health for its Equitable Approaches to Public Safety (EAPS) grant. The EAPS grant program provides funds to alternative approaches to emergency response, supplementing traditional police response. 
• Staffing: ▪ The Department has hired wo candidates to fill vacancies for CRESS responders. 
• ▪ The new responders will be trained and ready for full deployment early in 2025. 
• Protocols: Work continues with the Police Department and Dispatch on adopting protocols for dispatching CRESS directly from Dispatch. 

• Police Department: Staffing: ▪ The Department’s newest officer will be attending the Police Academy in Holyoke beginning in December. 
• LGBTQ+ Liaison: The Police Chief appointed a new LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer for the Department. Detective Marcus Humber will take on this role and will be attending specific training. Detective Humber is also the Court Liaison Officer, C4RJ (Restorative Justice) Coordinator, Domestic Violence Liaison, and Civil Rights Liaison within the 

Community Services 

• • Veterans: The annual Salute to Veterans Breakfast took place on November 11th with breakfast in the Bangs Community Center and a ceremony on the new North Common. 

• • Senior Services: o Claus for a Cause: The Center’s Claus for a Cause program is back for its second year. ▪ The program will bring holiday cheer to older adults. The holidays can be a difficult time, that’s why they offer this program for individuals aged 55+ to lift spirits and foster a sense of community. 
• ▪ Starting November 1st and continuing until Friday, December 13th the Senior Center is accepting donations of self-care items like puzzle books, hard candies, low-sugar candies, tea, hot cocoa, lotion, warm clothing, etc. 
• ▪ Donations can be brought to the Senior Center. All donated goods will be packaged into festive bags and delivered to seniors. 
• ▪ Residents may “adopt a senior” and help in delivering bags. 
• ▪ Contact staff member Julia MacFadzen at macfadzenj@amherstma.gov to help organizing bags and delivering them. 
• ▪ Email staff Member Lucas Schildbach at schildbachl@amherstma.gov if you know of a senior aged 55+ who you think would like to receive a bag. 
• o Coffee?: The Senior Center hosts two regular coffee events at the Bangs Community Center: 

•  
• ▪ Memory Café: Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. 
• ▪ Rainbow Café: First Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m. 
• o Senior Center/Amherst College Connections: ▪ Field Trip to the Eric Carle Museum: Thursday, December 12th from 10:00am-12:00pm (lunch included). Join us for an intergenerational field trip to see the new exhibit: Free to Be… You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs. Registration is required to end Tuesday, December 3rd. Call (413) 259-3060 to sign up. If you require transportation, let us know. 

• o Newsletter: The new November/December 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/17488 
• o Respiratory Illness Update: ▪ Nationally and state-wide, influenza and RSV rates are low but starting to tick up slowly. Currently the most prevalent respiratory infection is the common cold so if you’re sick right now or someone shows up sick on Thanksgiving, it’s most likely the common cold. 
• ▪ To help determine what bug is causing the sniffles, the Public Health Department has a good supply of free COVID tests on hand for distribution to the public. Testing for COVID can be particularly valuable for people over 65 or those with underlying health conditions since they may be candidates for Paxlovid or other antiviral treatments specific to COVID. We expect to continue offering free tests for the foreseeable future. 
• ▪ As we head into peak respiratory illness season, the Public Health Department is happy to report that Town departments did its part to boost community immunity this fall by reaching close to 300 people in the community. ▪ There were four targeted COVID and Flu vaccine clinics organized at Craig’s Doors and in low income housing complexes; 
• ▪ There were two larger scale clinics held at the Bangs Community Center; 
• ▪ There was an outdoor vaccine event on the Town Common organized in collaboration with several organizations serving the Native American community. This event was especially lively as it was held in proximity to the Farmer’s market and featured arts and crafts, an Eversource booth with an electricity-generating stationary bike and a joyful stomp dance that drew a lot of attention. We plan to do more outdoor vaccine events like this in the future to reach more people spontaneously and to foster community cohesion. 
• ▪ In addition, the Town’s Human Resources Department held multiple vaccine clinics for Town employees at Town Hall and at the Department of Public Works. 
• ▪ The Town’s Public Health Nurse is providing COVID and flu vaccines to Amherst residents who are homebound. 
• ▪ Test kits: The Department Public Health has free COVID tests available to the community. The Department is distributing them to non-profit organizations and will also have them available at the Bangs Community Center for pick-up. The Department hopes to be able to offer free tests throughout the winter season. 
• ▪ Testing: Due to damage at the Wastewater Treatment Facility, wastewater sampling for COVID surveillance is on hold but is expected to resume in December. Nationally, wastewater levels, which are a good proxy for community transmission—are incredibly low across the entire United States. Given new variants, however, COVID-19 levels will likely start increasing soon. 
• o Board of Health Action: ▪ On October 17th, the Board of Health voted to suspend the food establishment license for Oriental Flavor restaurant due to multiple health code violations identified during numerous health inspections that have been ongoing since May 2024. The Board of Health upheld the Health Inspectors’ recommendations for restaurant closure based on the multiple and repeated failed inspections until the violations were resolved. 
• ▪ Town staff at many levels worked with the restaurant for months to suggest ways to address the numerous identified violations and bring them up to code. For instance, the Town required Oriental Flavor to comply with Massachusetts food code by designating a qualified Person in Charge who can demonstrate basic sanitary practices like effective handwashing, glove use, and proper preparation of sanitizing solution as well as safe food practices when it comes to cooking, cooling, and storing food. Every other establishment in the Town has complied with this basic level of food safety. 
• ▪ Town staff were especially sensitive to potential language barriers and brought in many resources to aid in communication including handheld translation devices, contracted telephonic interpretation services, and a Mandarin speaking consultant who worked with Oriental Flavor staff over many months. Despite these efforts, Oriental Flavor declined to address the identified violations and bring their restaurant practices up to code. 
• ▪ This has been a difficult situation for everyone involved. We all shared the same goal of wanting Oriental Flavor to reopen but must ensure that food code standards are being strictly followed in order to protect the health of the community. 
• o Staff: The Department hired a new part-time Public Health Program Assistant – Maheen Ahmed. Maheen is a Hadley native and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health from UMass Amherst. She comes to us with a strong background in community engagement and outreach as well as excellent communication and social media skills. 

• Recreation: Morning Movement and Mentoring: ▪ The Morning Movement and Mentoring program concluded its second season as part of the Town’s Youth Programming initiative, RISE Together. 
• ▪ For the participating middle schoolers and community partners, this Youth Leadership Program has been a significant part of the Fall season. 
• ▪ The Recreation Department hosted a culminating event to take the opportunity to let the participants speak for themselves about the impact of the program.
  • ▪ Over the past five weeks, local youth and area law enforcement officers have participated in a unique program designed to: Discuss and understand racism and bias. 
  • Improve relations between law enforcement and youth. 
  • Help create a more inclusive and equitable community. 
  • ▪ At the culminating event, attendees were able to: Hear program participants share what they’ve learned about themselves, law enforcement, and leadership. 
  • Witness firsthand the power of conversation in building trust and stronger relationships between law enforcement and the community. 
  • ▪ The Morning Movement and Mentoring Program (MMMP) has proven to be a tremendous success. MMMP provides mentorship through fun and engaging activities such as basketball, volleyball, golf, weight training, and more. 
  • Winter Solstice Celebration: The Recreation Department will be organizing a Winter Solstice Celebration on December 21st in Kendrick Park. Keep an eye out for details. 

Conservation and Development 

• Facilities: ADA Grant: The Town received a $100,000 state grant to continue implementation of the Town’s ADA Transition Plan. These funds will be dedicated to eliminating barriers at the Munson Memorial Library Building. 
• Inspection Services: Rental Registration: Town staff have dedicated significant time and energy to staffing and implementing the new rental registration system. We will be assembling a comprehensive update in the near future. 
• Licensing: ▪ Amherst Market: The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission suspended the license of Amherst Market at 259 Triangle Street for three days for a violation of the store’s alcoholic beverages license for sale or delivery of an alcoholic beverage to a person under twenty-one years of age (2 counts). The suspension is scheduled to be served from Monday, December 2nd through Wednesday, December 4th. 
• Planning: Downtown Design Standards: As you know the Town is updating its Downtown Design Standards that will guide how streetscapes and private properties in the downtown area look and feel in the future. The goal is to ensure these standards reflect the needs and aspirations of those who live, work, and spend time downtown. Our next focus is on crafting standards for a vibrant, welcoming, and comfortable streetscape. We invite you to participate in two ways: ▪ Streetscape Workshop: Monday, December 9th at 6:30 pm in the Town Room. This will be an interactive session where those in attendance can help shape the future streetscape design standards for downtown Amherst. The session will explore design alternatives for public spaces, including sidewalk paving, benches, bike racks, lighting, signage, outdoor dining areas, parklets, and more. This event will be facilitated by the Town’s design and planning consultant for the project, Dodson & Flinker Landscape Architecture & Planning. This is open to the public. 
• ▪ Streetscape Survey: Share your vision for Amherst’s streetscape by completing the second and final Visual Preference Survey. The survey shows examples of streetscapes from other communities and asks you to rate whether they would be appropriate in Downtown Amherst. It will take about 3-5 minutes to complete and is highly visual. The survey is open through Sunday, December 22, 2024. Complete the survey here: www.bit.ly/AmherstStreetscapeSurvey. 
• ▪ Learn more: Learn more about Amherst Downtown Design Standards 
• Open Space and Recreation Plan: The Planning Department is working on an update of the Open Space and Recreation Plan. 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 
• Fleet Vehicle GHG Emissions Inventory Report: The final Amherst Municipal Fleet Greenhouse Gas Emissions Timeline and Transition Report was completed by the Town’s University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute Fellow this past summer. 
• Valley Green Energy: The CCA launched on November 1st. 
• Heat Pump Program: The Director of Sustainability has been meeting with the Center for Ecotechnology which was awarded the contract to manage the Town’s heat pump program campaign. The team is developing a marketing and outreach strategy and materials, a timeline and implementation schedule. They will be seeking 2-3 households willing to serve as pilot households for the program as a soft launch approach within the next few months. 
• Green Communities “Climate Leader Community”: The Town is looking into becoming a Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources ‘Climate Leader Community’. Designation will provide access to significantly greater funding – particularly for building decarbonization projects – then is currently available under the existing Green Communities Program. We are investigating the requirements of the program and seeking support from other municipal departments, especially the school district. 
• Housing Survey: ▪ The Town is updating its Housing Production Plan (HPP) to chart a path toward addressing the affordable housing needs of low- and moderate-income people in Amherst. The HPP, last updated in 2013, will include data about who needs housing and what options currently exist, identify goals for different housing types, and name strategies Amherst might pursue to strengthen affordable housing opportunities. 
• ▪ As part of this process, the Town invites the community to participate in a survey to help shape the future of housing in 
• Amherst. Feedback from this anonymous survey will inform the Town’s Housing Production Plan by helping to understand current housing needs and preferences in order to develop strategies to address them. Responses are welcome from year-round residents, students, and residents of other communities in the region, especially those who work, have lived, or would like to live in Amherst. 

• Sustainability: 
• Housing: 
• ▪ Survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/AmherstHPP The survey will close at 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 30. Paper copies are available at Town Hall (4 Boltwood Ave, Amherst, MA 01002). 

Public Works 

• Service Line Inventory: The Department of Public Works released the results of its Water Service Line Inventory as required by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Revised Lead and Copper Rule. Under this regulation, every water supplier in the country must complete an inventory of each water service line in their system. 
• A water service line is the piping between the main water line in the street and a residential/commercial/academic/etc. building. The piping typically has a section from the main water line in the street to the curb box and a section from the curb box to the building. In Amherst, water service lines are entirely owned and maintained by the property owner from the main water line to the building. 
• The inventory findings indicate that most water service lines in Amherst are non-lead containing and consist of copper, iron, plastic, brass, and galvanized piping. Only 1 water service line was identified as consisting of lead with 300 (3.96%) still being unknown. 
• Properties where the water service line is currently categorized as unknown or suspected of containing lead will be receiving letters from the Town discussing next steps. The Town will continue to work with property owners to identify all water service lines currently categorized as unknown piping material. Property owners can help the Town with this work by filling out the Amherst Service Line Survey. The survey guides residents through finding the water service line and identifying the material type and size. 
• The full inventory is accessible to the public online at www.amherstma.gov/waterSLI. Properties are listed in the inventory by their water account number which residents can find on their water bill or by contacting the Department of Public Works at 413-259-3050 or publicworks@amherstma.gov. If there is an error in the information listed for your property, please contact the Department of Public Works. 
• 25-MPH Speed Limit: By vote of the Town Council, the Town has reduced the statutory townwide speed limit to 25 miles per hour. The current speed limit in these areas is 30 mph. 
• Town staff have installed new signs at the Town’s borders and other key locations advising motorists of the new 25-mph speed restriction. 
• Through the end of 2024, the Town will conduct a public education campaign to ensure awareness of the change before the Police Department begins enforcement of the new speed limit. This campaign includes traditional media, social media, information on the Town’s website, and distribution of informational materials to motorists. Routine enforcement of the new 25-mph speed limits will begin in January 2025. 
• Roads with existing, posted speed regulations are not subject to the reduced speed limit, even if they are in a thickly settled or business district. These streets can be identified by the familiar black and white speed limit signs posted on the street that post the applicable speed limit. View a map of streets with posted speed limits that are not subject to the 25-mph speed limit. 
• The reduced speed limit is a townwide measure. New signs have been placed at the Town’s entry points and other strategic locations. These signs clearly indicate that the speed limit applies townwide. Per state guidelines, the Town will not be installing signs on every street where the reduced speed limit applies. 
• If you see a yellow 30 mph advisory sign associated with a sign reading “Thickly Settled,” it may need to be updated with a 25-mph plaque. Please contact the Department of Public Works by sending an email to publicworks@amherstma.gov 
• Roundabout – Amity Street and University Drive: Governor Maura Healy and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll awarded a $1,940,000 grant to the Town from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program. The grant will support the development of a roundabout at the intersection of University Drive and Amity Street. ▪ This intersection of University Drive and Amity Street serves as the gateway to the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts and downtown Amherst. It is close to retail stores, restaurants, and the University’s McGuirk Stadium and Mullins Center – two of the largest sports and entertainment venues in Western Massachusetts. The proposed plan calls for replacement of the existing four-way signalized intersection with a well-designed, full-size roundabout. 
• ▪ The Town of Amherst and the University of Massachusetts worked collaboratively to plan, design, and engineer these infrastructure improvements. The University provided $75,000 for the engineering and design of the roundabout. The $1.9 million MassWorks Infrastructure grant from the State will be supported by Town investments of staff time, procurement services, engineering oversight, and additional road funds. 
• ▪ A new mixed-use development at 422 Amity Street is currently in the permitting process which includes 111 residential units and close to 20,000 sq ft of commercial space. If approved by the Town’s permitting boards, the development will provide commercial space and housing along this corridor to the University, which will add to the Town’s tax base. 
• Cybersecurity Grant: The Town obtained a $50,000 Cybersecurity Improvement Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Drinking Water Program (DWP). The grant will provide network security monitoring and vulnerability management. 
• Wastewater Pump Station: Work continues on replacing the wastewater pump station and force main across the South Amherst Common. 
• Heatherstone: Signage and line painting should be near completion. We will monitor the site and revisit the success of the traffic calming in the spring. 

• Grants: 
• Construction: 

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): November 30, December 7, December 14, December 21, December 28, 2024: Free Parking for all metered spaces on the streets and in the lots in the Downtown Business Improvement District. Time limits remain in effect 
• December 6, 2024: Merry Maple; Spring Street parking lot, Boltwood Avenue from Main Street to Spring Street 
• Short-Term Public Way Closures (Section 3b of the Town Council Policy): 
• Placement of Road and Temporary Signs (Section 3d of the Town Council Policy): 

MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS 

• Jones Library Renovation and Expansion: 
• Town staff are working to solicit proposals and identify options for space for Library operations during construction. 
• There are still several steps to complete before the project moves forward. The Town is in the process of the Section 106 Historic Preservation Review for this project which includes consultation by relevant organizations to explore measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects that may be identified to the historic property and reach a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to record the resolution measures agreed upon to resolve these adverse effects. The Town has contracted with Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) to consult on the Section 106 historical review for the Jones Library Renovation and Expansion. This is a required step when Federal funds are designated. The Jones Library Capital Campaign will reimburse the Town for the expenses of this community engagement work. 
• Additional information on the project can be found here: https://www.joneslibrary.org/352/Jones-Building-Project 
• The Town Council has been requested to weigh in on locations and financing plans for the two buildings. 
• I am assembling a building committee to support the development of a cohesive plan for building these two new buildings. 
• We are awaiting the opinion of the Town Attorney in resolving post bid protests that have been submitted to the Attorney’s General office. Since all bids for the project came in under budget, the project remains under budget regardless of the outcome. 
• For more information, visit the School Building Project website here: https://www.amherst-school- project.com/ 

• DPW Building/Fire Building: 
• Elementary School Building Committee: 

PROJECTS UPDATE 

• Centennial Water Treatment Facility: Construction continues for this $21 million facility. The project is on schedule for completion next fall. 
• Track and Field: An update will accompany the request for an appropriation of Community Preservation Account funds at the Council’s meeting on Monday. 
• North Common Restoration/Main Street Parking Lot: Punch list items remain. Painting the section of Boltwood Avenue in front of Town Hall is scheduled for nexst week, weather permitting. We anticipate a grand reopening in the Spring. 
• Bangs Community Center: Town staff are working with an architect to scope out a project based on the needs of the building and input from Bangs Center users’ group and that can be completed within the time and budget constraints of ARPA funding. Staff anticipate that the current project will have to focus on upgrading existing building safety and mechanical systems to address known problem areas and to help to bring the facility in line with the Town’s sustainability goals. How much the project will be able to focus on functional and programmatic upgrades to the buildings is still unknown and will be subject to available funding. Our goal is to develop a multi-year plan that can be implemented in several phases over a number of years subject to funding. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS 

December 16th – Town Council meeting 

December 24th – Christmas Eve half-day holiday 

December 25th – Christmas Day holiday 

January 1st – New Years Day holiday