COUNCIL EXTENDS NO PARKING ZONES AT LINCOLN AVENUE INTERSECTIONS. ANTICIPATES REVENUE SHORTFALL IN FOURTH QUARTER.
SPECIAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING (4/6/20)
This meeting was webcast via Zoom and was also broadcast on Amherst Media’s Channel 17. All councilors were present as were Town Manager, Paul Bockelman and Health Director, Julie Federman. The meeting was called to order at 6:39 PM.
Annoucements
Upcoming Council meetings on April 13 and April 27.
Upcoming Committee meetings:
Finance Committee April 7 (no public comment)
Community Resources Committee (CRC) April 8
Joint Town Council and School Committee meeting to fill School Committee vacancy: Tuesday, April 14 at 6PM with interviews of the four candidates with continuation to Thursday, April 16 at 6PM if necessary (No public comment allowed). See here for links to candidates’ statements of interest.
The Amherst Regional Public Schools Parent Guardian Organization is sponsoring a Go Fund Me project to raise money to supply wifi hot spots for students who have no wifi access. See here for more information or to make a donation..
Public Comment
No one offered a public comment during the allotted time. The chat function of Zoom was disabled for the meeting.
Amherst Survival Center Report
Lev Ben Ezra, Director of the Amherst Survival Center gave a report on the status of the Center. She noted that the Center is now serving about 50 per cent more citizens. The ongoing pandemic has necessitated changes in the way the center operates. The daily hot lunch is now served in take out containers. Only three volunteers prepare the lunches in order to maintain safe social distance. Instead of picking out pantry items and produce, customers receive a box of foodstuffs weekly. Ninety per cent of previous volunteers are no longer available due to age, health or the fact that college students are no longer in town. Staff members work in rotating teams to preserve physical distancing.
The Center has continued to offer lockers and showers for the homeless population, but has closed the central gathering space and the health center. The Community Health Center of Franklin County has agreed to accept the Amherst clients during the emergency. Transportation is available. Kohl Construction and Cowls Building Supply have provided tractor trailers for storage. Farms, restaurants, food service operations and other organizations have been generous with providing food or money to buy takeout food from area restaurants. The Center does not want donations of food at this time, because they don’t have the staff to sort and clean it. They are looking for partnerships with other community relief organizations.
Relevant web sites are:
http://www.amherstsurvival.org/covid19 for policies and procedures http://www.amherstsurvival.org/Donate for donations
Contact lev@amherstsurvival.org for information.
The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11AM to 3 PM.
Amherst’s Pandemic Response
Bockelman reported on the current status of the town in the pandemic. COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in both the state and the town. As of Monday, there were ten confirmed infections in Amherst. The next two weeks will be crucial in controlling the spread of the virus. Playgrounds, basketball courts and Puffer’s Pond are closed. Parks and trails are open, but users must maintain a safe distance. The town is monitoring the use of trails and will close them if they get too crowded. Parking meters are no longer being enforced. Parking enforcement officers are now monitoring no parking zones and doing other jobs around town. The two firefighters who had been quarantined are now off quarantine, so the force is at full strength and has five new members from UMASS.
Citizens who notice groups of more than 10 people congregating should call 911. Police will dispatch a cruiser to educate the group as to the importance of physical separation.
Federman noted that the CDC now recommends homemade cloth masks for everyone going out in public places. These should be double layers of tightly woven cloth, perhaps with a flannel liner. Some people put disposable coffee filters, paper towels or vacuum cleaner bags between the layers. The masks can be washed with warm water and detergent. Surgical masks should be reserved for health care workers. Even with a mask, people should maintain a six foot distance from others.
As for groceries, Federman recommends leaving nonperishable items in the garage or other sheltered outside space for 24 hours. Produce and packages of meats should be wiped with Clorox wipes or with paper towels dipped in a solution of 3 teaspoons of bleach in a cup of water. Produce can also be washed in a dilute solution of soapy water and then rinsed.
Several councilors voiced concerns about Amherst’s homeless population and where they would be able to isolate or quarantine themselves if they contract or are exposed to COVID-19. (Note: Later in the week, the Gazette revealed that a dorm at Hampshire College has been reserved for this purpose).
Town Finances
Bockelman and Interim Finance Director, Sonia Aldrich, summarized what is known about the Town’s finances. The third quarter of the fiscal year ended on March 31 with the expected revenue at the local and state level. However, there are no estimates as to what the fourth quarter will bring. Property, personal property, and excise tax bills do not need to be paid until June 1. Revenue from parking, meals, and hotel taxes, water and sewer should be well below projected. Recognizing this uncertainty, the state has allowed towns to produce a month by month budget for up to three months until more information is known about projected expenses and revenue. The Finance Committee began to discuss the FY 21 budget at its meeting on April 7, but information from the departments will not be available until May, and the Council will not receive the budget until June 1.
Committees
The new Town Services and Outreach Committee met for the first time, the morning of April 6. Darcy DuMont (District 5) was elected Chair and Evan Ross (District 4) was elected Vice Chair.
The Outreach, Communication and Appointments Ad Hoc Committee (OCA) plans to interview candidates for vacant seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 PM. All of the candidates are white men, so it is possible not all four vacancies will be filled to leave room to recruit more diverse candidates. OCA’s report to the Council can be found here.
The Community Resources Committee recommended adoption of an Interim Affordable Housing Policy by a 4-1 vote with Pat DeAngelis (District 2) dissenting. DeAngelis felt the policy did not go far enough. The council passed the resolution unanimously. CRC also recommended extending no parking zones at intersections on Lincoln Avenue, 60 feet from minor roads and 120 feet from major intersections and 200 feet from Amity Street. Currently the no parking areas are 30 and 60 feet. The Council passed these changes unanimously and will study further parking changes on Lincoln and surrounding streets.
Town Manager Report
Bockelman submitted a lengthy report in the Council packet. He reported that 48.4 per cent of residents have submitted their 2020 census forms. The town is working with the university and colleges to track student residents. The proposed supportive housing project at 132 Northampton has received its Project Eligibility letter from the Department of Housing and Community Development and will be presented to the ZBA by the end of April. The town is working with the Farmer’s Market to restructure the market in order to provide adequate social distancing. The town has developed a new website for the proposed Kendrick Park playground. Bockelman thanked those who volunteered to help during the ongoing emergency, especially with the Senior Center, though still more volunteers are needed.
The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM.