No Decision on Sites for New Fire Station and DPW Building

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, January 13, 2025, Part 2

This meeting was held in hybrid format and was recorded.

Present
Lynn Griesemer (President, District 2), Andy Steinberg, Mandi Jo Hanneke, Ellisha Walker (at large), Cathy Schoen and Freke Ette (District 1), George Ryan and Hala Lord (District 3), Jennifer Taub and Pam Rooney (District 4), Bob Hegner and Ana Devlin Gauthier (District 5). Staff: Paul Bockelman (Town Manager) and Athena O’Keeffe (Council Clerk).

Council Requests More Information Before Choosing a Site for New Fire Station
Town Manager Paul Bockelman asked the council in November to choose sites for a new headquarters for the Department of Public Works (DPW) and a South Amherst Fire/EMS Station by December 16, 2024. After many years of looking for appropriate locations, town staff recommended keeping the DPW at its current location on South Pleasant Street and building a new fire station at Hickory Ridge on West Pomeroy Lane. Bockelman stressed that the locations needed to be chosen in order to design the new buildings. 

At the January 13 meeting, however, several councilors were still not ready to choose a location for the two facilities. Pam Rooney (District 4) stated that the council was never shown a town wide map that shows the sites proposed to be used to house the DPW equipment, since not all can be accommodated at the current site. She also noted that the staff talked about a master plan for the Hickory Ridge property, but none has been presented to the council. She continued, “And yet we have now decided that maybe this is the best place for the fire station. We have never seen any options for what else might be at Hickory Ridge, or how much space something needs or what are the competing needs or uses of that property. We keep talking about something until it just basically gains enough traction to become the decision without having a thorough discussion.” 

Jennifer Taub (District 4) wanted to know if the option of locating both the fire station and DPW at the same site had been explored. Mandi Jo Hanneke (at large), echoing Rooney’s concerns, noted that, although the Town Manager would like the council to decide on the sites of the two facilities, not a lot of information was provided to councilors at the November presentation and there was minimal time for discussion. She stated that the council did not get any additional information at this meeting. She asked if Hickory Ridge might be a better location for the DPW, with the fire station being more centrally located at the existing DPW site.

Cathy Schoen (District 1) wanted to know how much buildable acreage there was at the current DPW site vs. at Hickory Ridge and how much each facility needed. Pat DeAngelis (District 2) said that former Fire Chief Tim Nelson felt the fire station could be located as far south as Hickory Ridge, but Bockelman admitted that he had not consulted with current Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren. He acknowledged that the councilors were asking legitimate questions and clearly did not feel they had enough information to make a decision. He will make a broader presentation at a February council meeting to address some of the questions raised, but he said he would like to proceed on appointing a single building committee for both DPW and fire station. He advised that two town councilors should be on the committee, in case the committee is split into two bodies in the future.

Cuts to Capital Spending Likely
At the November 22 Town Council meeting, Finance Director Melissa Zawadzki presented four models for financing the Jones Library expansion and construction of the new DPW and fire station/EMS buildings. The models varied in the timing of construction and the amount of the budget devoted to the capital projects. Discussion of the four models was referred to the Finance Committee. 

The Finance Committee discussed the four models at its December 17 meeting, and Chair Bob Hegner (District 5) reported that committee members did not see a need to choose a single model until closer to construction dates. They had a preference for the two models that maintained a 10.5% contribution to the capital budget and minimized borrowing and the time to complete the long-delayed buildings. The committee voiced concern about limiting all other capital expenses to $3 million over the next 10 or more years as required by all four models, since that amount will need to cover vehicles, roads, IT systems. and building repairs or HVAC systems, including schools. Although it deemed $3 million as too little, the committee did not recommend a larger amount in its report. It did recommend that, with the projected 50% decrease in capital funds, the Joint Capital Planning Committee do more long-range planning and be aware of urgent projects that will come in future years. 

Bockelman Assures Council He Will Scrutinize Financing of Jones Library Expansion
Bockelman said he was planning to schedule a meeting between the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHC) and the consulting parties to resolve the Section 106 process for the Jones Library expansion by the March 31 deadline for the second extension for the project given by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. He said Capital Projects Manager Bob Peirent was negotiating with the two bidders to hold their bids. The trustees agreed to comply with the MHC’s request to retain the slate roof on the 1928 building, so the roofing part of the contract needs to be rebid. 

Bockelman  said, “I recognize that the financing for the project is something that is a concern to the council, and we’ll be talking about that with you.”

In public comment, Maria Kopicki cautioned the councilors, “There is a possibility, really a probability, that the library will not be able to make up the difference in funding, and you have to understand what the consequences will be in that case. You cannot get blood from a stone. If the library doesn’t have the money, they can’t give the town the money. You need to do a thorough analysis of the fiscal situation, and, failing to do your job will not absolve you of responsibility for the consequences of that inaction.”

Council Approves $1.78 Million in Appropriations Outside of the Budget Cycle
After a brief public forum, the council unanimously approved $800,000 in borrowing for the high school track and field project, as recommended by the Community Preservation Committee. Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek noted that Shutesbury and Pelham have also increased their contributions to the track and field project, and Leverett will most likely put it on its agenda for the spring town meeting.The council also unanimously approved expenditures for sewer expenses and a new sidewalk plow. 

Seniors Plead for Improved Senior Center
In public comment, two members of the Council on Aging, Tricia Montgomery and Dennis Vandal, decried the condition of the Senior Center at the Bangs Center, especially compared to the senior centers in nearby towns. Montgomery stated that the bathroom facilities do not meet the needs of many disabled residents, and Vandal cited water damage from a leaking dishwasher, lack of a functional kitchen, and exercise equipment gathering dust. 

The council adjourned to executive session at 9:05 p.m. to discuss “complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.” The next council meeting is scheduled for January 27.