TABLE OF CONTENTS Amherst Facts...... 3 Appointed Municipal Employees ...... 5 Aquifer Protection Committee...... 25 Assessor's Office ...... 27 Cable Advisory Committee...... 31 Committees and Boards ...... 8 Committee Recognition ...... 14 Office of the Collector...... 33 Community Preservation Act Committee...... 35 Community Services/Human Services ...... 39 Comprehensive Planning Committee ...... 43 Conservation Commission & Conservation Department...... 47 Cultural Council ...... 49 Departmental E-mail Addresses ...... 2 Departments and Services...... 1 Disability Access Advisory Committee...... 52 Finance Committee...... 53 Finance Director/Treasurer ...... 57 Fire Department...... 60 Fire Station Study Committee...... 71 Health Department & Board of Health...... 73 Historical Commission...... 80 Housing Authority...... 84 Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee ...... 91 Human Rights Commission ...... 92 Information Technology...... 95 Inspection Services...... 97 Interim Town Manager ...... 23 Kanegasaki Sister City Committee ...... 105 La Paz Centro/Amherst Sister City Committee...... 107 Leisure Services and Supplemental Education...... 109 Libraries...... 112 Munson Memorial Library...... 118 Organization Chart ...... 4 Planning Board & Planning Department ...... 119 Police Department ...... 126 Public Art Commission ...... 135 Public Shade Tree Committee ...... 136 Public Works Department...... 138 Amherst Elementary Schools...... 153 Amherst-Pelham Regional School District...... 160 Select Board...... 15 Senior Center/Council on Aging...... 169 Town Accountant ...... 177 Office of the Town Clerk/Board of Registrars ...... 193 Town Manager ...... 19 Town Meetings and Elections...... 195 Town Meeting Coordinating Committee...... 172 Veterans' Services...... 174 Zoning Board of Appeals...... 175

At Your Service

TOWN OF AMHERST DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES

In Case of Emergency CALL 911 for Fire, Police, or Ambulance

Accounting 259-3026 Parks, Playgrounds, Swimming Pools 259-3065 Aging Services 259-3060 Planning Department, Planning Board 259-3040 Ambulance-Emergencies Only 911 Police Department: 259-3014 Animal Welfare Officer 478-7084 Chief of Police 259-3016 Assessments 259-3024 Detective Bureau 259-3015 Building Permits, Inspections 259-3030 Records Bureau 259-3016 Cherry Hill Golf Course 256-4071 Rape Hotline 259-3011 Community Services Department 259-3074 Public Works Department 259-3050 Conservation Services 259-3045 Recreation Department 259-3065 Council on Aging, Senior Center 259-3060 Recycling 259-3050 Design Review Board 259-3040 Redevelopment Authority 259-3040 Engineering 259-3050 Refuse Collection 259-3050 Finance Director 259-3022 Schools: Fire Department--To Report a Fire 911 Administration 362-1810 For Other Business 259-3082 Crocker Farm 362-1600 General Information 259-3002 Fort River 253-9731 Health Board, Health Department 259-3077 Mark's Meadow 549-1507 Highways, Water, Sewer, Trees 259-3050 Wildwood 362-1400 Housing Authority 256-0206 Regional High School 362-1700 Housing Planner 259-3040 Regional Middle School 362-1850 Human Resources 259-3009 Select Board 259-3001 Human Rights 259-3079 Town Clerk 259-3035 Information Technology 259-3098 Town Manager 259-3002 Leisure Services 259-3065 Treasurer/Collector 259-3020 Libraries: Hours and events 259-3090 Veterans’ Services 259-3028 Jones Library 259-3090 Vital Statistics and Records 259-3035 Munson Library 259-3095 Voting, Registration 259-3035 North Amherst Library 259-3099 Wastewater Treatment Plant 259-3050 English as a Second 259-3093 Weights and Measures 259-3030 Language Wiring Permits 259-3030 Licenses 259-3035 Zoning Permits 259-3030 Maintenance 259-3039

1

DEPARTMENTAL E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Name E-mail Addresses

Accounting [email protected] Assessor’s Office [email protected] Community Services [email protected] Collector/Treasurer [email protected] Council on Aging/Senior Center [email protected] Conservation [email protected] Fire Department [email protected] Health Department [email protected] Human Resources [email protected] Human Rights [email protected] Information Technology [email protected] Inspection Services [email protected] Leisure Services [email protected] Maintenance [email protected] Parking [email protected] Planning [email protected] Police [email protected] Public Works [email protected] Select Board [email protected] Town Clerk [email protected] Town Manager [email protected] Veterans’ Services [email protected]

2 AMHERST FACTS

U.S. SENATOR U.S. SENATOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE Edward M. Kennedy John Kerry John W. Olver (1st District) 362 Russell Building 315 Russell Building 2300 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510

STATE SENATOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE Stanley C. Rosenberg Ellen Story (Hampshire and Franklin District) (3rd Hampshire District) Room 320, State House Room 167, State House Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133

TAX RATE Area $15.06/$1,000.00 27.79 square miles

ELEVATION – 313 feet above sea level at Town Hall

LOCATION ROAD MILEAGE Geodetic position of Town Hall: (not including state highways) Latitude – 42 degrees 22'00" 105.56 Miles Longitude – 72 degrees 30'30"

POPULATION – 34,874 (source: 2000 Federal Census)

3 TOWN OF AMHERST ELECTED AND APPOINTED BOARDS, ORGANIZATION CHART (1/05) Staff COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

VOTERS

elect

MODERATOR TOWN HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT SELECT BOARD SCHOOL TRUSTEES OF THE ELECTOR FOR THE MEETING AUTHORITY AUTHORITY COMMITTEE TOWN LIBRARY OLIVER SMITH WILL appoints appoints appoints appoints appoints

FINANCE Executive Director Town Manager Superintendent of Library Director COMMITTEE and Staff Schools and Staff and Staff

appoints HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSING TOWN/COMMERCIAL REGISTRARS ZONING BOARD OF DESIGN REVIEW COMMUNITY PRES. ACT PERSONNEL COMMISSION PARTNERSHIP RELATIONS COMM. OF VOTERS APPEALS BOARD COMM. BOARD

BOARD OF CONSERVATION HISTORICAL PLANNING PUB. TRANSP. BOARD OF SOLID WASTE COUNCIL ON LSSE DISABLED ACCESS ASSESSORS COMMISSION COMMISSION BOARD COMMITTEE HEALTH COMMITTEE AGING COMM. ADVISORY COMM.

Finance Director /Treasurer

Town Clerk Human Public Health Sr. Center LSSE Director Community Veterans’ Principal Collector and Comptroller and Staff Resources Dir. Dir. and Dept. Dir.and staff and Dept. Services Director Agent Assessor and and Collections Dept. and Staff. Assessing Dept. Account. Dept.

Fire Chief and Police Chief and Superintendent and Conservation and Planning Fire Department Police Department Dept. of Public Works Director

Conservation Department Planning Director Building Commissioner and and Department Inspections Services Dept. Director of Facilities Director Human Rights Director/ Information and Staff Disabilities Access Coord. Technology and Staff 4

KEY: + Retired *** Leave of Absence ++ Laid Off @ Transferred * Resigned @@ Position Eliminated ** Terminated APPOINTED MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE PUBLIC SAFETY

SELECT BOARD FIRE DEPARTMENT Weston, Gail Administrative Assistant Keith E. Hoyle Chief West-Davis, Vera Management Assistant II

TOWN MANAGER Assistant Chiefs +Barry L. Del Castilho Town Manager Stromgren, Lindsay E. Zlogar, Michael V. Karpinski, Joyce Assistant to the Town Manager Lass, Elizabeth Administrative Assistant Captains Briere, Roland D. Childs, Gary A. Johnson, James B. Masloski, Timothy S. FINANCE DEPARTMENT McKay, Donald R. Miner, David P John A. Musante Finance Director/Treasurer Olmstead, Jeffrey D. Sterling, Brian C. Boucher, Cheryl A. Asst. Treasurer Firefighters Adair, Robert W. Jr. Bascomb, Christopher ACCOUNTING *Bemis, Bradford W. Bennett, David Sonia R. Aldrich Town Accountant Burgess, Nathanael R. Chandler, Steven A., Jr. Bowser, Holly Asst. to the Accountant Clooney, David Cooney, John T. Fleurent, Theresa M. Payroll & Benefits Coordinator +Cowles, Robert B. *Cox, Wardwell Littmann, Kim Customer Service Assistant II Dion, David J. Doherty, Charles Dunn, William T. Flynn, Gary M. Gaughan, Stephen P. Gianetti, Lee P COLLECTOR Gillispie, George Gwyther, Ryan R. Claire E. McGinnis Collector Ingram, John S. Kennedy, John P. Loven, Jennifer Asst. Collector Klaus, William B. Jr. Martell, David Masloski, Christopher Moriarty, Monica E. Customer Service Assistants Olmstead, Heidi Parr, Jeffrey F Cary, Cynthia ++Hanecak, Patricia J. Roe, Sarah M. Roy, Michael Masloski, Susan Pollard, Kathleen M. Ryczek, Ronald E. Sell, Jennifer Ricker, Melissa Shanley, Joshua Singh, Jayant D. Snowden, James Szewczynski, Michael Tebo, Lawrence Theilman, Paul ASSESSORS Valle, Thomas L. David Burgess Principal Assessor CALL FORCE Administrative Assistants Mientka, Edward Deputy Chief Bouthilette, Theresa Turati, Lori Captains Gladu, Kevin *Mears, Richard INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES Kristopher Pacunas, Sr. Director Lieutenants Soucie, David Asst. Dir./Network Administrator Hawkins, Michael Lindberg, Kristen A. **Hsu, Chien-Yin Network Administrator Olkin, Michael GIS Administrator Firefighters Racca, Maria C. Financial Analyst *Antik, Hadley Arbour, Bruce T. Dudkiewicz, Richard Network Systems Specialist Broder, Samuel Burgess, Andrew Choquette, Michelle *Coates, Joshua C. Hart, John Kelly, Katherine E. HUMAN RESOURCES Kinchla, John W. Lane, Amy Kay Zlogar Director Liberatore, Marc Maguire, Steven McGovern, Meghan McLinden, Matthew *Morgan, Brett V. *Oppenheimer, Trudy C. HUMAN RIGHTS *Patteson, David Pollack, David Eunice Torres Director Prather, Christopher Rogue, Jacabo Venman, Peter Wayne, Jacob Webster, William B. Welch, Andrew TOWN CLERK Willey, Ryan *Maciaszek, Anna M. Town Clerk *Costello, Kristina J. Assistant Town Clerk Olanyk, Patricia J. Customer Service Assistant *Daniell, Emily J. Customer Service Assistant

5 POLICE DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT Charles L. Scherpa Chief Rocha, Maryann Administrative Assistant CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Glover, William P. Records/Systems Analyst M. David Ziomek Conservation Services Director Jolie, Joy Records Clerk Ciccarello, Stephanie Wetlands Technician Hutcheson, Douglas S. Land Management Assistant Captains McKinnon, David C. Asst. Land Manager Kent, Michael R. Sullivan, Timothy M. Jr. *Davis, Bridget Secretary II

Lieutenants Gundersen, Jennifer A. Livingstone, Scott P. INSPECTION SERVICES O'Connor, Robert J. Young, Ronald A. Bonita Weeks Building Commissioner Snow, Mark Asst. Building Commissioner Sergeants Lynch, Lorraine Administrative Assistant Daly, Brian C. Knightly, David R. Waskiewicz, David Building Inspector Menard, William N. Millar, Jerry French, Andrew K. Plumbing Inspector Nelson, Charles H. Pronovost, Christopher G. Staples, George W. Jr. Gas Inspector Sullivan, Michael D. Wiring Inspectors Patrol Officers Choiniere, Paul E. Hartwell, Frederic P. Arocho, Jesus Attesi, Megan L. Batchelor, Frank W. Bonnayer, Jeannine PLANNING DEPARTMENT Chudzik, John M. Corsetti, Dominick Tucker, Jonathan Planning Director Damouras, James A. *Donah, Matthew la Cour, Niels Senior Planner *Dulcine, Emile Epiceno, Sabino S. Brestrup, Christine M. Associate Planner Feliciano, Felipe Forcum, Michael Krzanowski, Susan T. Management Assistant I Foster, David W. Gallagher, Scott Geary, Douglas J. Guzik, Gary W. Humber, Marcus Jackson, Glenn M. HUMAN SERVICES Johnson, Brian Johnson, Michael A. Knightly, Christina Lamoureux, Derick B. COUNCIL ON AGING Lang, Todd S. Laramee, William R. Pagano, Nancy Senior Center Director Lopez, Janet MacLean, Richard Erman, Karen Management Assistant II Matusko, Brian T. *McNeal, Adam R. Plante, Maura E. Program Director Molin, Yvonne Newcomb, Linda Barnett, Marlene Program Coordinator Reardon, Jamie P. Rhoades, David A. Seymour, Brandon M. Tellier, Ryan HEALTH DEPARTMENT Thurston, Scott C. Ting, Gabriel Epi Bodhi Health Director Tivnan, Jared R. *Walsh, Stephen C. Federman, Julie Nurse Wise, Gregory D. Srey, Lauren Outreach Worker Zarozinski, David Sanitarian Dion, Thomas H. Health Inspector ANIMAL WELFARE Drake, Kathryn Management Assistant Carol Hepburn Animal Welfare Officer Taylor, Ruth Secretary II

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER COMMUNITY SERVICES Rita K. Burke Director Roy Rosenblatt Community Services Director

Emergency Dispatchers Alvaro, Jessica Brunelle, Christine VETERANS' SERVICES Cicia, Joshua @Cooney, John Roderick Raubeson Veterans' Agent & Graves Officer Curtin, Michael Del Pozzo, Scott *Dzialo, Mary A. Dodge, Elizabeth Guzik, Jennifer Kinnas, Carly LEISURE SERVICES & SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION Misiazek, Ann L Rushford, Jason Linda L. Chalfant Director Sharp, Janet M. Worthley, William B. Kushi, Laurel Administrative Assistant

Program Directors PARKING ENFORCEMENT Bilz, Barbara J. Brandts, John R. Enforcement Officers Ezzell, Celinda +Stoia, Stephen J. Hrasna, Malissa MacMahon, Thomas Wheeler, Willie J. Program Assistants Lecuivre, Anastasia Johnston, Kristen B.

MAINTENANCE/CUSTODIAL STAFF Management Assistants Raymond Lemek Interim Maintenance Director Cumps, Erika Dumpson, Michael

Building Supervisors Customer Service Assistants Fuller, Richard A. Mosakewicz, James K. Desmarais, Patrice Roy, Donna

Building Assistants Chalmers, Thomas P. Cormier, Debra R. Decker, Mary G. Thun, Robert 6 CHERRY HILL GOLF COURSE Equipment Operators Daniel Engstrom Golf Course Manager Boucher, John Drake, Charles III Longto, Keith Stacy, Gary L. Woynar, Mark JONES LIBRARY Skilled Laborer/Truck Drivers Bardwell, Erik Carlson, Peter Bonnie Isman Library Director Gormely, Patrick M. Gray, Robert Radosh, Sondra Asst. Director Jarvis, Jeffrey Sampson, Kevin Kimball, Tevis Curator: Special Collections Girshman, Beth Adult Services Librarian Anaya, Amy Circulation Librarian LANDFILL AND RECYCLING Spiegel, Marjorie N. North Amherst Librarian Telega, Steven Facilities Supervisor Hugus, Susan Munson Memorial Librarian O'Brien, Timothy Equipment Operator Platt, Carolyn B. Cataloger Bardwell, Erik Skilled Laborer/Truck Driver Allan, Henry Computer Technician Swift, Tina Management Assistant II Weintraub, Lynne ESL Coordinator PARKS AND COMMONS Rothberg, Seth Circulation Supervisor Orrell, David Division Supervisor Verts, Catherine Audiovisual Specialist Zakaitis, Robert Jr. Maintenance Worker Boyle, Cathy Special Collections Specialist Kosloski, Todd Equipment Operator Imbimbo, John E. Building Maint. Supervisor Bardwell, Jason Skilled Laborer/Truck Driver Grabigel, Bryan R. Clerk/Receptionist *Doubleday, Robert Laborer

Reference Librarians TREE CARE AND PEST CONTROL Loomis, Rosemary Ryan, Janet L. LaFountain, Daniel Crew Supervisor II Haber, Barry Tree Maintenance Worker Library Assistants Mitchell, Stanley Skilled Laborer/Truck Driver Atteridge, Theresa I. Borezo, Patrick Brinkerhoff, Sylvia Eve, Tomi *Herzig, Tara N. Hurwitz, Ralph WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT & PUMPING STATION Lincoln, Judith Pyfrom, Joan Laford, James Division Supervisor Stokes, Lace White, Christine H. Felton, Frederick C. Mechanic/Supervisor Dunbar, Linda Lab Technician Building Maint. Assistants Knightly, Brian Maintenance Worker Faith, Colin Otero, Miguel A. *Power, John Crew Supervisor II Jordan, James Klimczyk, Duane

PUBLIC WORKS Mechanics Coombs, Russell Crowley, John L. ADMINISTRATION Guilford B. Mooring, II Superintendent of Public Works Plant Operators Pariseau, Robert Water Resources Director Burrows, Glenn Miraglia, Joseph J. Skeels, Jason Town Engineer *Parrish, Michael A. Ritter, Harry Dethier, Paul G. Jr. Civil Engineer Ehle, Eric J. Engineering Technician WATER DIVISION Marshall, Elizabeth L. Utilities Technician Osborne, Jeffrey C. Division Director Moore, Michael K. Electrician Feltovic, Stephen Division Supervisor McNamee, Cheryl A. Assistant to the Superintendent Luippold, Thomas Treatment Operator II Murphy, Nancy M. Management Assistant II Hagar, Darryl Mechanic *Clark, Henry D. Meter Reader Joyce, Greggory Skilled Laborer/Truck Driver EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE Raskevitz, Paul D. Division Supervisor Maintenance Workers MacDonald, Robert Mechanic Bartus, Kenneth Bowser, Jeffrey Willis, Rodney W. Maintenance Worker Treatment Operators HIGHWAY DIVISION Call, Stephen Orrell, Robert J. Field, John Division Director Szwed, Michael Banks, Timothy Roadway Sign & Paint Technician Waterman, Thomas R. Maintenance Worker Denotes recognition of 10 years of service. Crew Supervisor III Denotes recognition of 15 years of service. Denotes recognition of 20 years of service. Isabelle, Kenneth Loven, Matthias Denotes recognition of 25 years of service. Denotes recognition of 30 years of service. Denotes recognition of 35 years of service.

7 TOWN OF AMHERST COMMITTEES AND BOARDS Fiscal Year 2006

KEY: SB = Select Board Appointment G-A = Governor Appointee TM = Town Manager Appointment LE = Left Employment M = Moderator Appointment LOA = Leave of Absence CC = Conservation Commission Appointment R = Resigned ALT = Alternate Ret = Retired C = Chair TC = Term Completion D = Deceased V-C = Vice- Chair

ELECTED OFFICIALS Elected Expires Elected Expires Select Board Amherst School Committee Anne Awad (C) 2000 2009 Alisa Brewer 2002 2008 Hwei-Ling Greeney 2005 2008 Elaine Brighty (C) 1999 2009 Robie Hubley (V-C) 2003 2007 Andrew Churchill 2004 2007 Rob Kusner 2005 2008 Sonia Correa Pope 2005 2009 Gerry Weiss 2004 2007 Thomas Flittie 2004 2007 Vladimir Morales 1996 2006 Town Meeting Coordinating Committee Harry O. Brooks 2004 Elector, Oliver Smith Will Philip Jackson 2006 David Farnham 1994 2007 Hilda Greenbaum 2005 Stephanie O’Keeffe 2006 Housing Authority Nancy Gordon (TC) 2004 Judith Brooks 1994 2010 Irving Rothberg (C) 2004 Judy Collins 2001 2006 Marcie Sclove 2004 Jean Haggerty 2006 2007 Otto Stein 2004 Peter Jessop 1999 2009 Joan Ross Logan (C) 1981 2007 Stephan Rogers (G-A) 2002 2007 APPOINTED POSITIONS Appointed Jones Library Trustees Amherst Cultural Council (SB) Willis Bridegam 2004 2007 Staff Liaison: S. Radosh Ann Grose 2003 2006 Anne Burton 2002 Patricia Holland 2005 2008 Edith Byron 2004 Anita Page (V P) 2002 2008 Kathleen Fisher 2005 Merrylees Turner 2003 2006 Ekaterina Ites 2005 Kathleen Wang (Pres) 2004 2007 Howard Sonoda 2001 Jean Stone 2004 Moderator Masha Rudman 2005 Harrison Gregg 1994 2007 Amherst Farm Committee (SB) Redevelopment Authority Staff Liaison: D. Ziomek Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Leslie Cox 2002 Nancy Gordon 2005 2008 Ruth Hazzard (C) 2004 Nathan Salwen 1997 2007 Linda Hess 2003 Carl Seppala (R) 1997 2008 John Ingram 2001 John (Curt) Shumway 1996 2006 Dan Kaplan 2001 Frances VanTreese 1994 2009 David Kastor (R) 2004 Mark Power (Actg. C) (TC) 2000

8

Appointed Appointed Comprehensive Planning Commission (SB) Bob Saul 2003 Staff Liaison: J. Tucker, N. la Cour Patricia Wagner 2000 Alisa Brewer (C) 2000 Christopher Boyd 2006 Marilyn Blaustein 2005 Cyrus Cox 2005 Amherst/La Paz Centro, Nicaragua Sister William Gillen 2005 City Committee (SB) Bruce Griffin 2005 Cynthia Asebrook 2001 Robert Grose 1997 Page Bancroft 1987 Jean Haggerty 2005 Jeannie Jones 1999 Aaron Hayden 2004 Charles Milch 2004 Teru Jellerette 2005 Nancy Milch 2004 Douglas Kohl 2002 Mary Rives 2002 Joanne Levenson 2001 Mary Santiago 2000 Matthieu Massengill (TC) 2005 Lyle Seger 2003 James Oldham 2005 Anne Stanek (C) 2004 Anita Page 2005 Edward Stanek 2004 Nicki Robb (TC) 2004 Faythe Turner 1987 Alan Root 2002 Kathleen Mullin 2006 Mary Scipioni 2004 Merrylees Turner (R) 2002 Aquifer Protection Committee (TM) James Wald 2004 Staff Liaison: B. Pariseau,G. Mooring Walter Wolnik 2005 Chadwick Johnson 1995 Stan Ziomek 2004 Stephen Mabee (C) 1993 Michelle Matteo 2002 Community Preservation Act Committee (SB) W. Jesse Schwalbaum 1997 Staff Liaison: J. Musante Lyons Witten 1999 Elisa Campbell 2001 Audrey Child 2001 Assessors, Board of (TM) Kathleen Ford 2001 Staff Liaison: D. Burgess Peter Jessop 2001 Kelly Erwin (C) 2002 Peter MacConnell 2001 Jane Kaufman-Balis 2004 Caroline Olson 2003 Connie Kruger 2004 Nicki Robb 2003 Christopher Ryan 2001 Cable Advisory Committee (TM) Staff Liaison: R. Rosenblatt/ Conservation Commission (TM) K. Pacunas/J. Comenitz Staff Liaison: D. Ziomek Dennis Bromery 2001 John Gerber (C) 2002 Carlton Brose 2003 Bruce Griffin (TC) 2003 Mary Jane Laus 2004 Francesca Maltese (C) (TC) 2001 Paul Lind 2004 Eleanor Manire-Gatti 2002 Irving Rothberg 2000 Barbara Mitchell (TC) 2000 Bill Venman (C) 2003 Nicki Robb 2003 Walter Wolnik 2003 Otto Stein 2002

Cherry Hill Advisory Committee (TM) Council on Aging (TM) Staff Liaison: B. Del Castilho Staff Liaison: N. Pagano Youssef Fadel 2002 Allan Byam (TC) 2003 Jon Hite 2003 Elsie Fetterman 2002 Nancy Huntley 2003 Jean Haggerty (Co-C) (TC) 2002 Cinda Jones 2003 Doris Holden 2004

9

Appointed Appointed Field Driver (TM) Joan Keochakian (R) 2004 Carol Hepburn 2003 Rosemary Koefler 2005 Frank Lattuca 2003 Finance Committee (M) Thomas McAuley 2005 Staff Liaison: J. Musante Henry Peirce (D) 2002 Marilyn Blaustein 2003 Barbara Sutherland 2004 Alice Carlozzi (C) 1993 Susan Whitbourne 2004 Michael Mascis 2000 Matthieu Massengill (T) 2002 Council on Youth (SB) Kay Moran 2004 Staff Liaison: R. Rosenblatt Brian Morton 1996 Chris Collins (TC) 2004 Irv Rhodes 2005 Frank Gatti (TC) 2004 Andrew Steinberg 2005 Erica Germain (TC) 2004 Spring Greeney (TC) 2004 Fire Station Study Committee (TM) Adam Horowitz (TC) 2004 Staff Liaison: K. Hoyle Michael Katz 2004 Larry Archey 2004 Janet Klausner-Wise (TC) 2004 John Coull 2004 Daniella LaPerle (TC) 2004 Lynn Griesemer (C) 2004 Anna Lugosch-Ecker 2004 Legrand Hines 2004 Elaine Puleo 2004 Edward Mone (V-C) 2004 Dormant Kay Moran 2004 Victor Zumbruski 2004 Design Review Board (SB) Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Hampshire Co. Local Emerg. Plng. David Henion (TC) 2000 Committee (SB) Anita Licis 2005 Michael Kent 2000 Ludmila Pavlova-Gillham 2001 Joshua Shanley 2004

Disability Access Advisory Committee (TM) Health, Board of (TM) Staff Liaison: E. Torres Staff Liaison : E. Bodhi Zachary Barnard 2005 Nancy DiMattio 2004 Eli Cooper (TC) 2003 Sarina Ergas 2002 Becky Hurwitz 2001 Ellen Leahy-Pile (C) 2003 Pamela Ledoux (TC) 2003 Sandra Sulsky 2004 Madeline Peters 2004 Alan Weiner 2005 Jean Smyser 2001 Deb Waldron (C) (TC) 2001 Historical Commission (TM) Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Eastern Hampshire Regional Refuse District Gai Carpenter 2005 Board of Supervisors (SB) Lyle Denit 2005 Paul Rothery 1994 Edith Nye MacMullen (C) 2001 Stanley Ziomek 1995 Paul Norton 2003 Dormant Caroline Olson 2003 Jean Thompson (TC) 2003 Economic Development and Industrial James Wald 2002 Corporation Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Dormant Committee (SB) Staff Liaison: R. Rosenblatt Fence Viewer (TM) Nancy Gregg (C) 2003 Robert Romer 1984 Jean Haggerty 2005 Christopher Hoffmann 2005 Carol Moskowitz (R) 2004

10

Appointed Appointed Munson Memorial Building Trustees (TM) Claude Tellier 2004 Staff Liaison: B. Del Castilho Franklin Wells 2002 Johannes Brongers 2003 Human Rights Commission (SB) Aaron Hayden 2005 Staff Liaison: E. Torres Claudia O’Brien 2001 Magda Ahmed (V-C) 2003 Parking Commission (SB) Kathleen Anderson 2006 Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Elizabeth Bragg 2005 Dormant Samia Elshallali 2003 Frank Gatti 2002 Personnel Board (SB) Rafael Lopez-Sanchez (R) 2003 Staff Liaison: K. Zlogar Rachel Machta (TC) 2004 Arnold Alper 2004 Dorothy Merriam 2004 Jeffrey Knopf (TC) 2004 Lois Raj 2006 Flo Stern 2004 Elena Rossen 2006 Jo-Anne Vanin (TC) 2000 Joseph Wronka 2002 Kathleen Wang 2004 Victor Zumbruski 1999 Human Services Funding Committee (SB) Staff Liaison: R. Rosenblatt Planning Board (TM) Hilda BenEzra (TC) 2004 Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Carol Berry (TC) 2003 Paul Bobrowski (C) (R) 2001 Paulette Brooks (TC) 2004 Christopher Boyd (TC) 2003 Mary Jane Laus (TC) 1998 Adrian Fabos (TC) 2000 Roderick Francis 2005 Kanegasaki Sister City Committee (SB) Aaron Hayden 2003 Staff Liaison: B. Del Castilho David Kastor (TC) 2002 Edward Alford (TC) 2000 Carl Mailler 2004 Nancy Bess 2004 Leandro Rivera 2005 Denise Boyd 2004 Mary Scipioni 2004 Florence Boynton (TC) 2000 Abbie Jenks (TC) 1999 Public Art Commission (SB) Alex Kent 2001 Carl Erikson 2005 Byron Koh (C) 1999 Gretchen Fox 2002 Helen MacMellon 2006 Harriet Goodwin 2005 Eric Nakajima 2005 Mary Klaes (TC) 2004 Nancy Pagano (TC) 2000 Carol Lee (TC) 2000 Carolyn Platt 2002 Terry Rooney (C) 2004 Lawrence Siddall 2005 LSSE Commission (TM) Staff Liaison: L. Chalfant Public Transportation (SB) Peter Blier 2004 Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Judy Brooks 2005 Richard Alcorn (C) 2004 R.T. Brown 2005 Jane Ashby 2006 Kathleen Ford (C) (TC) 2000 Calvin Brower 2005 James Patulak 2005 Eli Cooper 2000 Karen Stevens (R) 2000 Van Kaynor (TC) 2000 Shobana Venkataraman (TC) 2000 Franklin Wells 2004 Victor Zumbruski 2000 Ted White 2004 Walter Wolnik (TC) 2001 Measurer of Wood (TM) Staff Liaison: B. Weeks

11

Appointed Appointed Public Works Committee (SB) Pioneer Valley Joint Transportation Committee Staff Liaison: G. Mooring Guilford Mooring 2002 Michael Cann 1998 Robert Crowner 2004 Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Doug Lowing (C) 2004 Aaron Hayden 2003 Vince O’Connor 2004 Caroline Olson (TC) 2001 Steve Puffer 1989 Public Shade Tree Committee (CC) Registrar of Voters (SB) James Ellis (C) 1999 Staff Liaison: A. Maciaszek Robert Erwin 2004 Barbara Fenton 2005 June George (D) 2001 Doris Holden (TC) 1998 William Hutchinson 1997 Gladys Rodriguez 1995 Alan Snow 199

Solid Waste Committee (TM) Summit Land Use Task Force (SB) Staff Liaison: G. Mooring Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Harvey Allen 2001 Elisa Campbell (Alt) 2003 Clare Bertrand 2004 Robert Erwin 2004 Janet Brown 2006 Robert Grose 2003 Pat Church (V-C) 1997 Karen Searcy 2003 Joan Logan (R) 2001 Marianne Lorenzelli 2001 Constables (TM) Margaret Vickery 2003 Clarence Babb 1987 Charles Bray 1991 Town/Commercial Relations Committee (SB) James A. Broussard 2002 Staff Liaison: J. Tucker Ray Budde 2001 Leslie Arriola 2006 Mary Commager 1991 Ira Bryck 2006 Samuel Dean 2004 Cloria Chang-Wade 2005 Michael J. Dubuc 2000 Leigh Dunlap 2006 Mitchell Dzwonkoski 1998 Peter Grandonico Jr. 2002 Frederick C. Felton 2000 Gerald Jolly 2001 Martha Felton 2002 Mark Parent 2002 Betty J. Gagnon 1198 Barry Roberts 1999 John P. Gedmin 1987 Nick Seamon 2002 Jennifer A. Gunderson 2001 Carol Hepburn 2000 Zoning Board of Appeals (SB) James Keedy 1995 Staff Liaison: C. Brestrup Winthrop Kellogg 2002 Jane Ashby (Assoc) 2005 Michael Kent 1990 Barbara Ford (ALT) 2003 David Knightly, Jr. 2000 Russell Frank (Assoc) 2005 William J. Koski 2002 Hilda Greenbaum (Assoc) 2005 Brien LaPorte 2003 Joan Golowich (ALT) 2003 Eddie W. Leverett 2002 Edward Rising 2002 Scott Livingstone 1989 Thomas Simpson 2000 Matthew Malo 2002 Zina Tillona (C) (R) 1998 James E. McCarthy 2002 Willliam N. Menard 2004 OTHER APPOINTMENTS Joseph F. Mieczkowski 2002 Jerry Millar 1997 Eastern Valley Water Protection Committee Charles H. Nelson, III 2000 Guilford Mooring 2002 Robert O'Connor 1989 Thomas J. O’Connor 2002 Mount Holyoke Range Advisory Committee Kelly P. Olanyk 2002 (State Appointment) Gregory Oravec 2002 Elisa Campbell 1997 Mark Perez 1999 12

Appointed

Janice Peterman 1999 Christopher Pronovost 1994 Thomas W. Robert 2002 James E. Roberts, III 2202 Donald S. Robinson, Jr. 2002 Joseph Rocasah 2002 Appointed Michael S. Ross 2002 Charles Scherpa 1987 Wayne Sedlak 2002 Wilbur Shumway 1987 Frederick C. D. Smead 2000 Theodore Smigiel 2002 Mark A. Snow 2003 Michael D. Sullivan 1993 Timothy M. Sullivan 1991 Donald Thayer 1987 Martha Townsend 1999 John B. Walsh 2000 Bonita J. Weeks 2003 Mark Wesoloski 2004 Willie J. Wheeler 1999 Walter J. Wysocki 1995 Ronald A. Young 1997 Victor J. Zumbruski 2000

13

Town of Amherst Committee Recognition

The Town of Amherst relies on the energy and commitment of those citizens who participate each year on the many boards and committees that are an integral part of our form of government. These citizens volunteer their time and expertise to help improve the quality of life in our community. The Town is indeed fortunate to be able to depend on the hard work and dedication of its committee members. The following citizens have completed their service of at least two full, three-year terms

SELECT BOARD, TOWN MANAGER AND MODERATOR APPOINTEES:

Amherst Farm Committee Leisure Services & Supplemental Mark Power 2000 – 2006 Education Commission Kathleen Ford 2000 – 2006 Comprehensive Planning Committee Robert Grose 1997 - 2006 Planning Board Adrian Fabos 2000 – 2006 Conservation Commission Barbara Mitchell 2000 - 2006 Public Art Commission Carol Lee 2000 – 2006 Design Review Board David Henion 2000 – 2006 Public Transportation Committee Van Kaynor 2000 – 2006 Finance Committee Michael Mascis 2000 – 2006 Public Shade Tree Committee Jim Ellis 1999 – 2006 Human Services Funding Committee Mary Jane Laus 1998 - 2006 Registrar of Voters Doris Holden 1998 – 2006 Kanegasaki Sister City Committee Florence Boynton 2000 – 2006 Zoning Board of Appeals Nancy Pagano 2000 – 2006 Zina Tillona 1998 – 2006

La Paz Centro, Nicaragua Sister City Committee Mary Santiago 2000 – 2006

14

SELECT BOARD Fiscal Year 2006

Every year the Select Board report begins with a comment that the year was one of challenges, hard work, and progress. Fiscal Year 2006 was no exception, and it was marked with some major transitions that will affect the Town for many years.

The most important accomplishment this year was hiring a new Town Manager to replace Barry Del Castilho, who had served for 23 years in the role. The Select Board formed a Citizen Advisory Committee representing a wide range of viewpoints within the Town. The Select Board reviewed 37 applications before reducing the candidate pool to 10. Then both the Select Board and Citizen Advisory Committee held interviews to reduce that pool to three finalists. Both the Board and the Committee held final interviews over a two-day period, including Town tours and meetings with the candidates for residents, Town staff, and the Chamber of Commerce. There was overwhelming support for candidate Laurence Shaffer, and the Select Board voted unanimously to offer him the job. He accepted the position and the Select Board prepared to ease the transition for him to assume this crucial leadership position in July 2006. The Select Board appreciates the work of John Musante, Finance Director, who served as Interim Town Manager for several months.

All members of the new Select Board have been elected within the past five years: Ms. Awad and Mr. Hubley in 2003, Mr. Weiss in 2004, and Mr. Kusner and Ms. Greeney in 2005. All members now support the Select Board/Town Meeting form of government. This new Board has conducted its meetings with a more open format. The participating public has helped identify major priorities for Town action. This year the Select Board has worked hard to strengthen existing Town Government, developing new policies and procedures for Select Board operations, and reviewing policies for Town government administration to ensure transparency and compliance with existing local, state, and federal law. The Select Board worked to support Town Meeting by improving Town Meeting warrants and information-sharing between elected officials, Town departments, and other elected and appointed bodies, so that decisions made by Town Meeting can be more efficiently implemented.

Anne Awad was re-elected as Chair of the Select Board. The Board agreed to keep a full-time Chair, while the Vice Chair position rotates monthly. This model has worked well, engaging all members in the agenda development and issue review that make the Board effective.

Specific policy initiatives undertaken:

• Committees The Select Board is in the process of reviewing the entire Board and Committee structure. Amherst has more than 59 boards and committees, with almost 400 residents volunteering their time to do the work that makes Amherst the community it is. The Annual Town Meeting adopted a petition for the Select Board to establish a working group to review the Town's current committee structure. The Select Board has developed the charge for the work, and begun to appoint people to carry out the charge. We welcome their partnership as we begin this task in the upcoming year.

The Select Board has been addressing the problems created by the effect of Special Municipal Employee (SME) status on the workings of some boards and committees. The SME law was 15

passed by the state to assist small towns (below 10,000 population) that had difficulty, under Conflict of Interest laws, finding enough people to fill necessary boards and committees. Whether, or in what form, the SME statute is applicable or beneficial to Amherst with its much larger population and plentiful technical and professional abilities, is a question to be resolved. In the fall of 2005 we considered ending the practice. However, some chairs and members of affected boards and committees convinced the Board to maintain SME status while we reviewed its application in Amherst. The temporary continuance of SME status expires in September 2006. Meanwhile the Select Board is arranging for training, so that concerned people can understand the law and discuss it with representatives from the Attorney General's office and the State Ethics Commission. We expect boards and committees that wish to retain the SME status to present their arguments in early fall 2006.

More than 9 years ago, Town Meeting initiated a process to develop a Master Plan. The Comprehensive Planning Committee has been working since then and has commenced the final push to complete a Master Plan within 18 months. Amherst needs a master plan to gain access to significant state funding, but, more importantly, to provide local dialogue among the different interests around development issues. It is fundamental that the Town succeed in creating a plan that will represent the interests of the townspeople, gain the approval of Town Meeting and win adoption by the Planning Board. Recognizing the importance and difficulty of this work, the Select Board has intensified its commitment to the process. We plan to work closely with the Comprehensive Planning Committee to broaden participation in the process and to support implementation following adoption.

• Zoning Development Two members of the Select Board began to meet regularly with two members of the Planning Board to develop a plan to protect riverfront and flood prone areas of town. Floodprone area protection has been a matter of contention in recent years as a parcel rezoned to wetlands conservancy by Town Meeting has been the subject of a lawsuit, and pressure remains to consider other parcels in town for this designation. The collaboration of the Select Board and the Planning Board has helped communication and built a partnership that will send recommended wetlands protection zoning to Town meeting for approval.

The Select Board and the Planning Board are seeking ways to improve communication, as re- zoning pressures affect both boards. Frequently the Select Board has received materials on key rezoning proposals immediately prior to a Town Meeting session scheduled to consider that subject. We need to work in ways to engage earlier in the process to resolve problems and make better recommendations to Town Meeting.

• Public Safety A Fire Station Study Committee has recommended a fire station in South Amherst, while retaining the downtown station. The Fire Station Study Committee and the Select Board are working closely to support and strengthen the Fire Department, now struggling with under- staffing and aging facilities.

This year, the Town and UMass negotiated a new Mutual Aid Agreement to improve cooperation between University and Town police. The Select Board signed this Agreement, and is eager to find added ways to increase the level of collaboration between the two forces.

16

• Projects and Process Soccer fields The Plum Brook soccer fields on Potwine Lane remained controversial throughout the year. With votes both by Town Meeting and a referendum to support the project, construction began, but was soon halted as the state charged the Town with violations of the wetlands law. Later, compliance with the contract awarded was challenged over materials specifications. We negotiated remedies with the state Department of Environmental Protection. Concerns about whether some of the construction materials met the standards in the contract were noted.

Downtown The Select Board plan for downtown improvements continued with construction of new sidewalks from Kellogg Street southward on North Pleasant Street to Main Street. Select Board members expressed concerns about the appropriateness of the sidewalk designs for tree plantings in this new section. Some members expressed interest in having native species in the downtown, and also concern that the sidewalk design would challenge the potential survival of the trees. Other members of the Select Board were not as concerned about the selection of tree species, but want assurance that trees would be planted as the project progressed. The Select Board noted that hundreds of Norway Maples, considered an aggressive alien tree species, have been planted over the past several decades on the Common and on streets around town.

• Budget Audit Committee The Select Board reactivated the Town Audit Committee to evaluate Town spending, and seek budget improvements and opportunities for saving. This group consists of representatives from the School Committee, the Select Board, the Library trustees, and the Town financial staff. Copies of the audit are reviewed and meetings are held with the auditors to clarify findings and concerns. This provides opportunities to identify concerns, such as occurred with the Insurance Trust Fund, before they reach crisis magnitude.

Joint Financial Planning Group (JFPG) The Select Board took the initiative, considering the difficult budget process in 2005, to enlist the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Library Trustees to join in analyzing the existing process, and consider how boards and committees could develop better communication to improve the budget planning process prior to submission of budgets to Town Meeting. The result was a new group, the Joint Financial Planning Group (JFPG). JFPG began to meet last fall, has been through one budget cycle, and will reconvene for the 07 fiscal year planning.

Health Insurance Trust Fund In 2005 the Town discovered a deficit of more than $1.5 million (a total of more than $2.7 million over several years) in the Trust Fund for the Town's self-insurance program. This fund pays for claims for medical care by town, school, and library employees. The deficit greatly complicated the FY 05 budget, as all groups had to make cuts to cover the deficit. A consultant was hired to study the "self-insurance" arrangement of the Town. Only one quarter of Massachusetts cities and towns choose to self-insure. For a number of years, self-insurance proved to be a benefit to the Town, over the traditional approach of contracting with insurers and paying premiums directly to them. The state has increased its oversight of these plans as more cities and towns have suffered fiscal difficulty and mismanagement. The consultant found that 17

the premiums had been held artificially low for a number of years, causing the deficit. To remedy this, a temporary surcharge premium has been added to all employees' premiums, and premium increases were implemented. We also began assessing Canadian drugs as an option for employees for mutual cost savings.

User Fees The Select Board identified a number of user fees that could add revenue income to balance the recommended budget. These included increased fees for Leisure Services and Supplemental Education, and increased parking fees. The Select Board is reviewing parking fees, working with the Chamber of Commerce, residents, and businesses.

Human Services and Public Transportation At Town Meeting the Select Board advocated for and won support for strong Human Services and Public Transportation budgets, citing both as important measures for quality of life and the values of the community.

• Resident concerns This Select Board is sensitive to programmatic and neighborhood concerns of citizens. The Board helped solve problems such as formulating a planned intervention to save the Survival Center, providing support for the Farmers' Market, and assisting with various neighborhood traffic issues.

Looking forward to 2007 At year’s end, we anticipate working together to pull through an even more difficult budget than last year, making Select Board meetings more concise and effective, engaging with the full government and residents in the development of our Master Plan, creating stronger and more cooperative relations with the growing University of Massachusetts, restoring a workable and usable public transportation system. We are always eager for the adventure of encountering and dealing with problems that no one can yet anticipate.

Anne Awad Robie Hubley Gerald Weiss Hwei Ling Greeney Robert Kusner

18

19

Reprinted by permission of the Massachusetts Municipal Association

20

TOWN MANAGER Fiscal Year 2006

“Rotating” Select Board chairs and vice-chairs and a town manager selection process were only two of the things that made FY 06 unlike any year in recent memory. What was generally considered and referred to as the “new” Select Board embarked on a whole series of changes and initiatives.

The summer was consumed by a Select Board-supported effort to overturn by referendum Town Meeting’s continuing support of improved athletic fields at Plum Brook, the Select Board- initiated consideration of possible municipal uses for the Hope Church land, an effort by two Select Board members to accelerate changes in Flood Prone Conservancy zoning, and Town Manager-initiated union negotiations to address serious employee health insurance funding shortfalls. Only the latter succeeded, and that after many difficult months.

The financial difficulties of the previous year threatened to continue, at least for FY 07, prompting an informal strategy session of Town, School and Library officials in the summer and the establishment of a semi-official Joint Financial Planning Group in the fall, something which the Town Manager had been urging for years. It was patterned after the highly successful Joint Capital Planning Committee, initiated by former Select Board Chair Bryan Harvey in 1992, and its success would depend on the development of the same collaborative spirit that had characterized the JCPC for many years.

The town manager recruitment and selection process also began in the summer, with guidance from the retiring town manager. It was designed to include significant citizen input and to conclude in time for the new town manager to succeed the retiring town manager before the conclusion of the budget process and before the beginning of the Annual Town Meeting.

While the FY 07 budget process promised to be extremely difficult, the final budget recommendations of the retiring town manager contained several messages. The following is an excerpt from the letter of transmittal:

“Section 5.1 of the Amherst Town Government Act requires the town manager to submit a budget ‘showing specifically the amount recommended to be provided for each fund and department.’ Especially in my final budget proposal, it is tempting to show the amount that I really recommend to be provided for each fund and department. The comments under ‘Unfunded Recommendations’ on many of the budget pages allow me to articulate other needs which cannot realistically be recommend[ed] for funding in FY 07 due to financial constraints. On the other hand, at this stage of the budget process, I will not fail to submit a budget showing amounts recommended to be provided for each fund and department that will allow departments to continue to provide the current level of services to Amherst citizens through the continued extraordinary efforts of dedicated Town employees, until needs for additional resources can be met.”

While virtually all departments could better serve the citizens of Amherst with additional resources, critical needs for public safety services were highlighted:

21

“The Amherst Fire Department’s critically high workload on many occasions and, therefore, potentially serious threats to public health and safety are being addressed through a federal grant and fee increases. The Amherst Police Department’s critically high workload on many occasions and, therefore, potentially serious threats to public safety can only be addressed through the budget. I recommend five additional police officer positions and two additional emergency dispatcher positions in the level services budget. The eighth recommended position is a custodian for the police facility.”

The budget proposals were then clearly in the hands of the Select Board, Finance Committee, Joint Financial Planning Group, Finance Director and other department heads; and the fate of Town services rested on local aid and competing demands for school funding. Town Meeting, of course, would make the final decisions.

The delay in starting construction of the Plum Brook athletic fields, caused by the referendum, combined with a particularly rainy fall to cause further delays and problems and consume more time and energy. Another complicated and time-consuming issue, but something that virtually everyone could get behind, was the preservation of the Kimball House on North East Street. Like the athletic fields, progress was made but completion was elusive.

The Personnel Board Chair, the Human Resources Director and the Town Manager labored mightily to conduct an in-house reclassification study, but the Select Board was not ready to approve the Personnel Board’s recommendations. Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring, serving in Iraq for almost half of the year, was greatly missed and was in our thoughts; Water Resources Director Bob Pariseau was the very capable acting superintendent. Town Clerk Anna Maciaszek will be greatly missed; she resigned to take a position in another state, but she loyally remained in her position through the Annual Election and then assisted her office through and after Town Meeting, long after she began her new job.

As I approached the end of my 23 years, 3 months and 12 days as Amherst Town Manager, my primary message was that of high praise for the talents and efforts of a professional staff with whom I have been extremely fortunate to work and of whom I have been extremely proud. Their work, and the support of their work by volunteer elected and appointed citizens, have made Amherst’s municipal services models for other communities in the Commonwealth and beyond. Town employees deserve the strong support of Amherst’s elected officials.

The “new” Select Board chose Laurence R. Shaffer of Vernon, Connecticut, to be the new town manager. The process was delayed to the point that he would not arrive until July 1. When I left my office on March 31, 2006, I was confident that the staff and the Town would be in good hands, those of Finance Director and Interim Town Manager John Musante.

I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of Amherst as their town manager.

Respectfully submitted,

Barry L. Del Castilho

22

INTERIM TOWN MANAGER Fiscal Year 2006 April 1 – June 30, 2006

At the request of the Select Board, I served as Interim Town Manager for the last three months of FY 06, in addition to my duties as finance director, prior to the arrival, in July, of newly hired Town Manager Larry Shaffer. Added to the day-to-day administrative duties as Town Manager, this was also an especially busy and intense time spent coordinating recommendations to Town Meeting on operating and capital budgets, zoning and other issues, and attempting to narrow differing recommendations from the Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee.

A new Joint Financial Planning Group, comprised of representatives from the Select Board, Finance Committee, Jones Library Trustees, Amherst School Committee and the Regional School Committee, as well as the Town Manager and Finance Director/Treasurer, School Superintendent and Business Manager, and Library Director, met several times with the charge “to serve as a clearinghouse for budget information; to refine a master town/school/library budget development calendar; to review a long-range financial projection that includes prior years’ results, current year approved budget, revenues/expenditures for the current and next three fiscal years, and reserves, and to develop a common understanding of issues related to budget priorities and of methods of sharing resources ultimately leading to a recommended course of action.” While the group suffered from some growing pains in its first year and consensus was not reached on every issue, participants agreed that communication was much improved.

As Annual Town Meeting approached, a substantial shortfall remained between proposed “level services” FY 07 budgets from the Town, schools, and library compared to projected revenues, exacerbated by spiraling health care and utilities costs and the need to reduce reliance on reserves from $1.7 million to balance the approved FY 06 budget to $1 million for FY 07, as recommended by the Finance Committee. In April, the House budget was released, followed in mid-May by the Senate version, both of which contained higher than anticipated state aid. This development led to consensus by budget makers to recommend budgets restoring funding to prevent the most egregious proposed cuts to the elementary schools, Region, and library budgets. Cuts in the municipal budget were moderated somewhat by fee increases for ambulance service, DPW permits, health permits, aquatics and other Leisure Services programs. The municipal budget contained painful cuts, however, to staffing in the Finance, Town Clerk, and Health departments, a reduction in firefighter overtime, and a host of smaller reductions. Despite helping to successfully forge agreements for recommended school (Elementary and Regional) and library budgets and most of the municipal budget, a few key differences remained between Finance Committee and Select Board recommendations for the municipal services budget as Town Meeting commenced.

Town Meeting ultimately adopted a FY 07 budget, after sometimes contentious debate that was balanced with a combination of service cuts, higher fees, substantial election-year state aid increases, and $1 million from reserves. Town Meeting endorsed the Finance Committee’s recommendation to add two emergency dispatchers and maintain (not reduce) police officer staffing levels, while agreeing with the Select Board to preserve property tax support for local human service agencies. To fund the latter, Town Meeting reduced the Reserve Fund appropriation by $50,000 (50%) and reduced the General Government appropriation by $20,000 without identifying specific areas to be cut. Town Meeting also voted to support the Select

23

Board’s recommendation not to cut $91,000 of funding for outreach route bus service despite persistently low ridership, to be funded by to-be-determined increases in parking revenues. The Select Board charged the Public Transportation and Bicycling Committee to recommend improvements to the system.

By a decisive margin, Town Meeting also endorsed a capital plan that included the remaining funding required to undertake a $200,000 Master Plan over a 16-month period. This will address goals and policies on land use, housing, transportation, economic development, community facilities, parks and open space, natural and cultural resources, Town services and facilities, plus an implementation plan. The collective challenge now to townspeople, elected and appointed Town officials, and Town staff is to engage constructively in the oftentimes uncomfortable and hard work of developing a “blueprint” for the future of the Town. Are we up to the challenge?

The spring saw a number of positive developments in the downtown. At an open house on April 7, Town officials and business leaders hailed the opening of the relocated Chamber of Commerce office at developer Barry Roberts’ renovated and expanded Amherst Cinema Building, joining other retail and professional office tenants and, later in 2006, a new three- screen cinema complex. An open-air Boltwood Marketplace offering fresh produce and crafts began operating on weekends, bringing more life to Boltwood Walk. The downtown sidewalk and streetscape improvement project was in full swing, with material progress made on North Pleasant Street from Kellogg Avenue to Main Street.

With the energetic assistance of the Electricity Deregulation Study Committee, in particular Craig Meadows and Jim Brassord, the Town negotiated an agreement with the Hampshire Council of Governments to purchase electricity under a profit-sharing arrangement which, it was estimated, would save the Town as much as 10% over the next year. On a related note, Superintendent Hochman and I hired our first shared Town/Schools Facilities Director, Ron Bohonowicz, who came to us with extensive private sector experience in energy management, operations, and facilities capital planning.

Throughout my three-month tenure, I was reminded anew of the dedication and integrity that Town employees at all levels of the organization bring to their daily work in serving the people of Amherst. Thank you to all.

Submitted by

John P. Musante Interim Town Manager (April 1 – June 30, 2006)

24

AQUIFER PROTECTION COMMITTEE Fiscal Year2006

This committee typically meets once a year, and more frequently when required. This year we met once, on March 7th. Members of the Committee present included: Lyons Witten (chair and hydrogeologist), Jesse Schwalbaum (hydrogeologist), Steve Mabee (hydrogeologist and state Geologist), and Chad Johnson. Absent were Ward Motts (ex-officio, hydrogeologist) and Michelle Matteo. Also in attendance were Jason Skeels, Town Engineer; and Bob Pariseau, Water Department and Acting Superintendent of DPW.

Current Issues Discussed:

1. Re-appointments. All members present agreed to be re-appointed if the Select Board so wished.

2. Old Landfill Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA). The Town hired Tighe & Bond (T&B) to do this work, and the final CSA Report has been submitted to the DEP. T&B recommended two additional monitoring wells (MWs) downgradient of the Old Landfill (OL), and additional sampling. Stakes on a grid that were observed on the OL were for the installation of gas wells. We expect DEP to take six more months to complete review of the CSA.

3. Monitoring Well Sampling Results. In general, water quality is excellent. Several volatile organic compounds (VOC) hits were noted last year, but were not repeated in this year’s sampling. The Town is not required to re-sample in the same year for these low-level hits. We discussed specific results of various analytes (compounds being tested for by the laboratory) and trace chemical detections and the likely reasons for them for a number of monitoring as well as production wells. Production Well 5 has an air issue. The well driller, Chapman Pump, T&B, and Town officials are looking into it and do not yet know the source of the air. The water contains air when it is subjected to system pressures, but does not when it is released through the hydrant near the well (off-line). At Wells 1 & 2, the Water Department has rebuilt the chemical feed house to eliminate a dangerous situation. These wells produce 600-700 gpm combined. Specific capacity of Well 1 is slowly decreasing over time, and this situation is being monitored.

4. Sewer Master Plan. Following approval by Town Meeting of a petition article, sewer service was extended to Middle Street, Chapel Road, and Mechanic Street. The Sewer Master Plan (prepared by Camp Dresser & McGee) indicated no areas in Amherst that are rated as a high priority; there are a few areas that have a moderate need for sewering. These include Hulst Road, Wildflower Drive, Harkness Road and Highpoint Drive. These areas will be considered in the future. The report also indicated up to 14 feet of gravel observed during installation of sewers, and the perc rates were good. GIS data indicates that all these septic systems were 30-40 years old, in need of replacement due to reaching the end of their normal life expectancy.

5. Property in Sunderland. Ken Bergstrom approached the Town of Amherst nearly 10 years ago about a property in Sunderland that might be suitable for a possible future water supply for the Town. We briefly discussed this parcel of land, again, as a potential water well field.

25

This parcel has been discussed many times in the past, and based on some initial investigation by the Committee and the Water Department, it does not seem likely that Amherst will be interested in this parcel. This is likely the last time this property will be discussed by the Committee.

6. Water Conservation and Overall Demand. UMass has installed water-conserving showerheads and toilets, and signs to promote conservation. This has reduced their water demand by 20% and has eased Amherst’s overall water demand. The Town is hoping to get UMass to look into more efficient AC units. The Water Department has plotted projected water uses under full development build-out and feels that Amherst should not need additional water sources.

7. GIS Database. Water system information is in the GIS database system, and the Town is working on adding the sewer system information.

26

ASSESSOR’S OFFICE AND BOARD OF ASSESSORS Fiscal Year 2006

Donald Wise joined the Board of Assessors on May 31, 2006 to replace Kelly Erwin, who resigned from the Board. Jane Balis was elected as Chair to replace Ms. Erwin.

The escalating residential values reflecting the Town’s continued strong real estate market continued, with average increases similar to the previous year. The FY 06 average increase in single-family home assessments was 15% over the previous year’s assessments. The Principal Assessor held 3 meetings to help the public understand the assessment process and factors impacting changes in valuation.

The Board supported the two Annual Town Meeting articles 3 and 6, which increased the Town’s ability, under state law, to maximize tax exemptions and deferments for income-eligible residents. Amherst should be commended for locally adopting the maximum allowed tax exemptions for qualified property owners.

In FY 05, 61 abatement requests were filed for single-family, condo and duplex units, 32% of which were granted. The number of abatement requests for these categories increased dramatically for FY 06: this past year there were 328 requests, of which 254 were granted. This represents a 186% increase in abatement requests filed. The narrative information provided by many of those on fixed or limited incomes describe the financial problems they are having with increases in real estate tax. While many individual circumstances were compelling, not all those requesting abatements met the criteria to qualify.

The Board met on December 15, 2006 with the Select Board to discuss and consider a split residential commercial rate and the possible adoption of the Residential Exemption. The Select Board must make a determination for each of these options each year. The Principal Assessor and the Board of Assessors provide information and recommendations regarding the annual determination. In FY 06, the Board recommended against the split rate because its adoption could further dampen the vitality of Amherst’s business sector. The Board took no position on the Residential Exemption, but will be reviewing the issue in depth again in FY 07.

27

FY 06 TAX RATE RECAPITULATION

(E) Tax Rate (A) Class (B) Levy (C) Levy by (D) Valuation (C)-(D) Percentage Class Class X1000(A) Residential 90.3769% 27,597,475.49 1,832,502,365 15.06 Open Space Commercial 7.2884% 2,225,584.64 147,780,235 15.06 Industrial 0.2417% 73,805.47 4,900,800 15.06 Personal Prop. 2.0930% 639,118.14 42,438,362 15.06

TOTAL 100.00% 2,027,621,762 *****

28

AMHERST BOARD OF ASSESSORS Fiscal Year 2006

The Amherst Board of Assessors held 12 public meetings during FY 06. Board activities associated with these meetings are summarized in the following report. Details on the information in this report can be found in the minutes of the Board of Assessors meetings. The Board also held joint meetings with the Select Board to discuss a potential residential exemption and the classification hearing.

REAL/PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX Commitments/Warrants The Board signed summary FY 06 property tax commitments and water/sewer warrants for the following: Real Estate Tax $29,922,157.97 CPA $ 212,002.27 Personal Property $ 639,885.39 Water Liens Interest $ 5,075.11 Water Liens $ 50,669.35 Sewer Liens $ 36,853.64 Sewer Liens Interest $ 4,079.70 Rollback Tax $ 8,406.92

Abatements Of 474 applications for abatement in FY 06 real/personal property tax, 345 were approved for some reduction in tax and 129 were denied any abatement.

Personal Exemptions and Deferrals The Board signed a form that was submitted to the Department of Revenue for partial reimbursement of FY 05 personal exemptions. For FY 06 there were a total of 131 personal exemptions and deferrals, totaling $93,134.81, as follows: # Value # Value Clause 17D 11 $ 3,594.03 Clause 37A 9 $ 7,663.91 Clause 18 0 0.00 Clause 41C 42 57,277.53 Clause 22 63 34,958.26 Clause 41A 3 5,851.90 Clause 50 3 1,500.00

29

MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE TAX Abatements The following total amounts of motor vehicle excise tax abatements for July 2005 through June 2006 were signed by the Board:

1999 53.54 2000 70.00 2001 70.00 2002 38.75 2003 493.59 2004 5,303.82 2005 35,155.17 2006 123,406.24

Commitments/Warrants Motor Vehicle excise tax commitments and warrants for the following yearly totals were signed by the Board:

2004 7,823.25 2005 295,277.94 2006 1,262,457.49

SPECIAL MEETINGS The Select Board is responsible for allocation of the tax rate (Minimum Residential Factor): whether or not to have a Residential Exemption, and other distributions of the tax burden within classes as allowed by the law. The required public hearing to discuss these issues was held on December 19, 2005 in the Town Hall. Board of Assessors recommendations included not to have a split rate and not to exercise the Residential Exemption. The Select Board approved a single tax rate for all classes and no shifts of the tax burden within classes.

TAX RATE/ETC. Board members signed the Tax Rate Recapitulation form for FY 06 on December 19, 2005, showing a tax rate of $15.06. The rate was reviewed and approved by the Department of Revenue (DOR) on December 21, 2005.

Prepared from the Board meeting minutes.

For: Constance Kruger Donald Wise

Amherst Board of Assessors

30

CABLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

Committee Members Dennis Bromery, Carlton C. Brose, Mary Jane Laus, Irving Rothberg, W. C. Venman (chairperson), Walter Wolnik (clerk)

Staff Jeff Comenitz, Kris Pacunas, Roy Rosenblatt

Select Board Liaison Anne Awad

The Cable Advisory Committee is charged by the Town with overseeing the license granted by the Town to Comcast, the cable access provider; with negotiating a renewal license with Comcast; and with overseeing all aspects of Public, Educational and Governmental access cablecasting.

During FY 06, the Committee met twenty-seven times, including negotiating sessions.

This year, the Committee has worked almost exclusively on preparing for negotiations with Comcast on a renewal license, given that the existing ten-year license was to expire on June 30, 2006. The negotiations are ongoing at this writing.

At the beginning of FY 06, we completed an initial draft of the license that was submitted to Comcast at the end of the summer of 2005. We fully expected that we would continue as we had started in the informal negotiating process the law provides. In November 2005, however, Comcast invoked its legal right to pursue the more time-constrained formal process.

The Committee then had to scramble to complete a formal ascertainment document, an effort in which it was assisted by the Town’s Special Cable Counsel, William Solomon of Stoneham. We submitted a formal Request for Proposal to Comcast at the end of January 2006, giving Comcast four weeks to respond. Toward the end of February, Comcast requested a four-week extension, which produced an unsatisfactory response on March 29, 2006 and which forced the Committee to ask for more information. Thus the negotiation process did not start until mid to late April.

It was clear from the beginning of negotiations that there were gross differences between what the Committee felt Amherst wanted and needed and what Comcast was prepared to deliver. One major problem is that Comcast’s representative at the negotiating sessions is not authorized to negotiate. Everything has to be taken back to headquarters for the decision of company officials. The time-consuming, back-and-forth nature of this process resulted in Comcast’s having to ask for an extension when we reached June 30, the expiration date of the license and the deadline for its possible renewal. This is our situation as we write this report. It is unclear when we will complete our work.

In addition to working on the renewal license, we have dealt with housekeeping matters and have considered the issues and concerns involved in negotiating a new contract with ACTV, currently

31 the Town’s PEG Access provider. We will be unable to develop a Request for Proposal for PEG until the Comcast renewal license is signed and is operative.

Minutes of our meetings are on file with the Town.

Finally, we continue to receive wonderful support from the three appointed staff members. Messrs. Pacunas and Rosenblatt represent the Town administration. Mr. Comenitz, who represents the schools, missed some of our meetings in 2006 due to illness. Messrs. Pacunas and Comenitz provide much needed technical expertise, and Mr. Rosenblatt guides us through the intricacies of Town policies and procedures. We also stay in contact with the Select Board through their liaison with the Committee, Ms. Awad.

For the Committee William C. Venman, Chairperson

32

OFFICE OF THE COLLECTOR Fiscal Year 2006

The Collector’s Office maintains the Central Service Counter in addition to the ongoing work of billing and collecting real estate and personal property taxes, water and sewer bills, ambulance bills, refuse bills and motor vehicle excise bills. This office also handles parking permits and parking tickets. The Central Services concept is quite unique in municipal government, consolidating some Town Clerk, Treasurer, Accounting and Assessing functions in a single point of service for the public and internal departments. Our Collections staff, which successfully accomplishes the resulting workload, is a valuable Town asset.

FY 06 collections continue to be strong against the levy in taxes and utilities. At year’s end, over 98% of the real estate and personal property commitments for FY 06 had been collected, net of abatements. This is an important number for the fiscal health of the Town, supporting our cash flow, our ability to borrow and our bond rating. Collection in all receivable types is detailed on the following page.

In FY 06, we accomplished several process improvements. Online bill payment by ACH (automated clearing house) and credit card was implemented as a payment option through work with one of our banking partners. This convenience had been a frequent request at our counter. Although volume remains small, it has grown since implementation in December 2005. I am hopeful that future usage rates continue to grow, possibly realizing productivity gains for the staff.

We are not able to implement credit card payments at our counter due to restrictions in the Massachusetts Generals Laws for municipal collections. To date, the options for debit card payments at our counter have not been cost-effective to implement. This option remains out of our reach at this time.

Also in FY 06, the Amherst Fire Department ambulance crews moved to electronic data entry with laptops in the field. Billing staff is now fortunate to receive this information needed to bill and collect with less manual data entry. The Information Technology Department played a critical support role in this project, which went live in February 2006. My staff is able to review and adjust the data from the ambulance crews, sending the bills off in a more timely way.

My special appreciation goes to those residents frequenting Town Hall. It is one of the many ways this Town feels unique and very human.

Respectfully submitted,

Claire McGinnis Town Collector

33

COLLECTOR'S FISCAL YEAR 2006 TOWN REPORT

UNCOLLECTED LESS TRANSFERS UNCOLLECTED TAX BALANCE ABATEMENTS TO TAX TITLE- LESS BALANCE RATE July 1 2005 COMMITMENTS & TRANSFERS DEFERRED TAX COLLECTIONS JUNE 30,2006 REAL ESTATE FY 02 19.00 $0 0 FY 03 17.11 $3,044 3,043 0 FY 04 17.40 $17,335 17,335 (0) FY 05 16.69 $366,299 8,279 86,307 251,259 20,455 FY 06 15.06 0 29,921,042 331,593 6,596 29,233,494 349,359 $386,678 $29,921,042 $339,872 $92,902 $29,505,131 $369,815 OTHER REAL ESTATE TAX TYPES Supplemental Taxes $0 $29,441 $26,641 $2,800 Rollback Taxes $0 8,407 8,407 0 ProForma/ProRata $3,167 1,180 4,347 0 $3,167 $39,028 $0 $0 $39,395 $2,800

PERSONAL PROPERTY FY 01 19.66 $0 0 FY 02 19.00 $349 349 FY 03 17.11 $997 997 FY 04 17.40 $3,188 87 3,101 FY 05 16.69 $1,600 79 548 973 FY 06 15.06 0 647,010 13,515 627,122 6,374 $6,134 $647,010 $13,594 $0 $627,757 $11,794

MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE FY 98 25.00 20,821 101 20,720 FY 99 25.00 20,722 54 171 20,498 FY 00 25.00 23,136 70 551 22,515 FY 01 25.00 22,346 70 831 21,445 FY 02 25.00 20,194 39 1,868 18,288 FY 03 25.00 21,895 494 3,317 18,085 FY 04 25.00 41,642 7,823 5,304 16,120 28,041 FY 05 25.00 109,756 223,919 35,155 259,523 38,996 FY 06 25.00 0 1,437,427 123,615 1,232,926 80,886 PRIOR YEARS 0 1,215 0 $280,511 $1,669,168 $164,800 $0 $1,516,622 $269,473

WATER RATES $378,174 $3,123,226 $545,180 $2,638,678 $317,541 LIENS $11,610 50,669 255 54,147 7,878 $389,784 $3,173,895 $545,436 $0 $2,692,824 $325,419

SEWER RATES $331,079 $3,318,457 $548,184 $2,732,002 $369,351 LIENS $10,279 36,854 242 38,274 8,617 $341,358 $3,355,311 $548,425 $0 $2,770,276 $377,968

AMBULANCE $319,989 $2,197,204 $612,005 $1,295,472 $609,716 Collected after abate 0 12,677 0 $319,989 $2,197,204 $612,005 $0 $1,308,149 $609,716

COMM. LANDFILL $6,245 $119,887 $950 $118,742 $6,440 REFUSE LIENS $0 845 845 $6,245 $120,732 $950 $0 $118,742 $7,285

PARKING FINES $225,911 $299,341 $17,811 $233,603 $273,838 Collected after abate $0 3,132 0 $225,911 $299,341 $17,811 $0 $236,735 $273,838

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FY 04 79 79 0 FY 05 1,998 88 83 489 1,461 52 FY 06 212,326 3,055 207,285 1,985 $2,077 $212,414 $3,138 $489 $208,826 $2,037

Levies with zero balances will no longer be displayed in subsequent years. 34

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT COMMITTEE (CPAC) Fiscal Year 2006

Rationale In allocating the Community Preservation Act 1% surcharge (approved by Amherst voters in 2001) and matching state funds, the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) committed to: a) advancing projects currently underway b) projects broadly supported across committees and Town departments, and c) meeting ongoing legal obligations

Under the Community Preservation Act, cities and towns are required to spend or reserve a minimum of 10% of collected funds for each of the three following categories every year: • Affordable Housing creation and support • Historic Building and Landscape acquisition and preservation • Open Space acquisition and preservation

The remaining 70% may be directed toward any of the above three categories or for land used as Recreation Space.

For FY 2007, CPAC recommended, and Annual Town Meeting approved, an appropriation of $380,000, as follows:

Category Article # $ request % total appropriation1 Affordable Housing 32 81,500 21.4 Historical Preservation 33 92,500 24.3 Open Space 34 141,000 37.1 Recreation 35, 262 65,000 17.1 Total 380,000 99.9 Table 1 1components are rounded 2 Article 26 refers to debt service as part of FY 07 operating budget

This allocation of funds preserves $50,000 in reserves against such contingencies as unexpected project cost overruns, emergencies (such as properties coming on the market on short notice etc.) or other unforeseen events.

Details of the projects follow:

Article 32: Affordable Housing

Pioneer Valley Habitat For Humanity Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity (PVH) has entered into a partnership with Amherst College to build four homes on-site at the corner of South East Street and Stanley Street. The site has water and sewer at the street. PVH requested $60,000 in CPA funding to cover the cost of materials and professional services necessary to install the water, sewer, and electrical utilities and to clear the site for construction. PVH will place an Affordable Housing Restriction

35

(acceptable to Town Counsel) on the deed for each house, consistent with their policy for other Habitat homeowners. These units will be owner-occupied, and sold typically to families earning 30-50% of HUD median income. Habitat for Humanity has a distinguished record across the country for providing simple, decent and affordable homes to families in need, and here in the Valley, PVH has provided housing for 17 families. $30,000

Main Street Affordable Housing Project This eleven-unit project has received a Special Permit from the ZBA, and the Amherst Housing Authority has purchased the land. The AHA is currently negotiating with Valley Community Development Corporation to develop and construct the eleven units under a long-term land lease in which the Housing Authority would maintain ownership of the land. This project has previously received CPA funds, but the current pro-forma requires an additional $45,000 to offset anticipated increases in construction costs due to material price increases following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The project has also applied for CDBG monies, as well as funding from Massachusetts Housing Partnership, HOME funds, and from the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This additional money will allow the project to stay on schedule, with an anticipated construction start of late 2006. $45,000

Keet House This project is part of the eight-unit affordable housing project that includes 4 units at Tamarack Drive and four units in the Keet House on Bridge Street in North Amherst. Construction of the two duplexes on Tamarack Drive is anticipated to start this summer, pending final negotiations with the successful low bidder. The Keet House was, until three years ago, part of a low-income housing tax-credit project, and when the tax-credits expired, the owner elected to sell the 4 units. In order to prevent the units from becoming market-rate rentals, the Amherst Housing Authority (AHA) managed to purchase the properties, with a combination of funds including a CPA allocation two years ago. This additional allocation would be used for further improvements to the property outside of the scope of the development pro-forma for the Tamarack-Keets project. Specifically, these funds are for (i) the correction of design flaws in the original construction, (ii) installation of chimney caps and (iii) miscellaneous upgrades to the individual units (some required due to damage sustained in last October's heavy rains). $6,500 $81,500

Article 33: Historical Preservation

Capital Projects

North/South Cemetery Survey North and South Amherst Cemeteries, established in 1818, are as deserving of community preservation resources as the West Cemetery. With this appropriation, the groundwork will be laid, through: • physical boundary survey using both traditional and GIS methods • inventory of existing burial info • documentation of site conditions through photography and other means. $10,000

36

North Pleasant Cemetery Entrance Survey and Design Planning will soon begin for streetscape improvements along the east of North Pleasant Street between Kellogg Avenue and the southern driveway of the Carriage Shops. The original entrance to the cemetery is located here. This appropriation will fund survey and design work on the entrance, which provides pedestrian access to a historic Amherst cemetery. $5,000

East Village Common historical research East Village was the first settlement of Amherst and its political and economic center until the mid-nineteenth century. Like the South Amherst common, the East Village common is the centerpiece of a National Historic Register district and currently is the focus of other improvement efforts – it has been proposed as the principal target area for Amherst’s Mini- Entitlement CDBG (block grant) projects. These efforts should be informed by appropriate historical information: funding will begin the process of assessing, protecting, and restoring the core of this historic village center. $20,000

Archives Restoration Special Collections of Jones Library & Town Clerk This is the second installment of a 5-year collaborative project between the Special Collections of Jones Library and the Town Clerk’s Office, to protect the unique records and documents of Amherst history. $20,000

Interpretation and Outreach Interpretive Signs - Dickinson House & West Cemetery Historical interpretative signs are a critically important way to provide directions to and information about Amherst’s historical people, places, and landscapes. $10,000

Interpretive Publications - CBD District This fall, the first CPA- funded Historical Commission publication was published: Paul Norton’s Guide to the Dickinson Historic District. Two further publications during this fiscal year will be an interpretative brochure for West Cemetery and the Amherst Community History Manual. For FY 07, the Commission plans to publish a guidebook to the Central Business District (CBD) National Historic Register District in downtown Amherst. $7,500

Research Planning and Design NHR Nominations - East Village & outlying area The original East Village NHR district was limited to the area immediately around the common. These funds are intended for the research and nomination necessary to expand this district, as well as for individual NHR nominations of outlying or isolated historic buildings. $10,000

HPRs, Appraisals and Surveys This appropriation is needed to underwrite the preparation for purchase of historic preservation restrictions or easements on properties where demolition or damaging alterations are threatened,

37 or where the owner is willing to offer the Town the purchase of a restriction or easement on their property. Allocated funds will pay for items such as surveying, property appraisals, technical and environmental site assessments, historical research, and purchase options. $10,000 $92,500

Article 34: Open Space

Preserving the Holyoke Range Preservation of the Mount Holyoke Range continues to be a major focus for Amherst and the towns of Granby, Belchertown, Hadley and South Hadley. This figure represents an estimate of the cost of a parcel of land on the Range available to the Town of Amherst. $125,000

Appraisals & Surveys Funding for required appraisals, surveys, and due diligence is not included in the Conservation Department budget. This appropriation is critical for the establishment of projects that can be undertaken with CPA funds. $16,000 $141,000

Article 35: Recreation

Coordinated Sign Project For several years LSSE, DPW, Conservation, the Amherst Schools and the Planning Department have recognized the need for appropriate, informative, and way-finding signs. There is a demonstrated need for a coordinated Signs Program. $20,000

Article 26 (part) Plum Brook Athletic Fields – Debt Service Legal obligation $45,000 $65,000

Respectfully submitted

Peter Jessop (Chair) Housing Authority Elisa Campbell at-large Audrey Child Housing Partnership Kathleen Ford LSSE Rod Francis Planning Board

Edith MacMullen Historical Commission

Vincent O’Connor at-large Nicki Robb Conservation Commission Chris Ryan at-large

38

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

The Amherst Community Services Department provides a variety of services to Amherst families and the Amherst community. During FY 05, the Community Service Department’s responsibilities had increased significantly; during August 2005, the Director of Community Services was appointed staff liaison to the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee, and when the Town was notified it had been designated a Mini-Entitlement community by the state Department of Housing and Community Development, the Director of Community Services also became responsible for submitting the Town’s application to the state for Community Development Block Grant funds. During FY 06, the Director became responsible for managing the Town’s FY 05 Community Development Block Grant.

The Director of Community Services continues to 1. provide the community with childcare/early education information, especially regarding the availability of tuition assistance for low-income families, 2. administer Town appropriations to human service agencies, 3. provide emergency assistance to low-income individuals and families, using interest from the Alfred Field Charitable Trust Fund, 4. edit the Annual Town Report, 5. assess community needs with respect to childcare and human services, 6. develop new programs that respond to community priorities, 7. work collaboratively with numerous committees and groups that provide important services to the Amherst community and 8. provide staff assistance to the Cable Advisory Committee, the Council on Youth and the Human Services Funding Committee.

HOUSING The Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee’s major responsibility is to increase the availability of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Amherst individuals and families. In 1989, the Town acquired a parcel of land, referred to as “Olympia Drive,” mainly for open space preservation. Approximately six acres of this parcel, however, were reserved for the development of affordable housing. A joint development plan with the University of Massachusetts had been under discussion. When the University made it known that they did not wish to proceed at this time, the Housing Partnership and Director of the Community Services Department began planning for the construction of affordable housing. During FY 06, The Berkshire Design Group Inc. completed a pre-development study of the site by determining its physical characteristics and zoning limitations. Based on consideration of all development options, and in order to provide a livable community while achieving maximum density, it became apparent that the Open Space Community Development (OSCD) zoning option would be the best choice. The final plan consisted of 36 townhouse-style units in 9 clusters of 4 units each. Austin Miller was chosen to provide a financial analysis to determine how many affordable units could be constructed. Three financial plans were presented, each with different proportions of affordable units. The Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee has yet to review these options.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT During the summer of FY 06, the Town was notified by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that its FY 05 request of $573,401.90 was approved for funding. The activities and amounts are as follows:

39

First -Time Homebuyer Counseling $ 86,275 Pomeroy Lane Drainage Project $187,000 Design to improve Kitchens at Chestnut Ct. $ 35,000 Update of the Town’s disability access plan $ 35,000 Social Services $108,490 Administration $100,039

The Community Services Department began program implementation during the fall of FY 06 by responding to a series of special conditions and completing an environmental review of each activity. The Pomeroy Lane Drainage Project was the only activity that required a review of the environment surrounding the housing complex. The Conservation Commission did require a hearing and specified “orders of conditions” that must be complied with. Due to the time it took for the Environmental Review Clearance and for responding to the special conditions, contracts for program implementation with sub-grantees were not signed until late winter of 2006.

In addition to beginning program implementation, the grant application for FY 06 CDBG funds was due in April 2006. The Amherst Select Board held several public hearings to determine priorities for funding both social service and non-social service activities. The Select Board voted to request funding for the following:

Amherst Housing Authority to construct 11 units of new rental housing - $350,000 The Amherst Housing Authority will lease the land to a private non-profit developer for the construction of 11 units of affordable rental housing on Main Street in the East Amherst Village Center. This project has been consistently supported by the Amherst Select Board, The Community Preservation Act Committee, the Planning Department, and Amherst Town Meeting.

Family Outreach of Amherst to provide a Family Service Director of Community Services - $66,912.00 This program will help families obtain resources, develop supportive connections and reduce social isolation and improve access to services that will promote the healthy psycho-social and emotional development of Amherst youth. Support will be provided to families with children attending grades 6 – 12.

CHILDCARE During FY 06, due to the demise of the Hampshire Community Action Commission (HCAC), Franklin County Action Commission, which changed its name to Community Action, took over the operation of the Amherst Community Childcare Center on Strong Street in Amherst; Community Development Institute continued to operate the Head Start program at the North Amherst School. Both the state and the federal government will request proposals for permanent providers in the coming year.

SCHOOL AGE CHILDCARE The Annual Town Meeting held in the spring of 2005 allocated $16,295.00 to provide tuition assistance for low- and moderate-income families with children attending school-based after- school childcare programs. During FY 06, twelve families received support for sixteen children attending these programs. These funds helped parents pay for childcare services while they continued to work or attend educational institutions.

40

HUMAN SERVICES: The Human Services Funding Committee reviews proposals for funding from human service agencies and makes funding recommendations to the Select Board, Finance Committee and Town Meeting.

The Human Services Funding Committee continues to face difficult decisions, as human service agencies continue to increase their requests for funds. The Committee's priorities for funding continue to follow the guidelines established by the Select Board, namely: 1. emergency services: survival or critical, 2. preventive services and 3. information and referral. Town Meeting approved the following allocations, totaling $125,321, for FY 06, in accordance with recommendations presented by the Human Services Funding Committee. As a result of the current fiscal crisis, the Committee recommended level funding for each agency. The following were the Committee’s recommendations:

Amherst Survival Center $33,450.00 Family Outreach of Amherst $22,000.00 Not Bread Alone $ 5,930.00 Children's Aid and Family Services $ 7,840.00 Commuter Resources/Homesharing $ 1,146.00 Everywoman's Center $ 2,965.00 Safe Passage $ 6,875.00 Men's Resource Center $ 4,975.00 Big Brother/Big Sister of Hampshire County $24,000.00 Amherst Family Center $ 1,990.00 Service Net/Interfaith Cot Program $ 4,975.00 Center for New Americans $ 4,200.00 Casa Latina Outreach $ 4,975.00

The Community Services Director of Community Services continued to participate in monthly meetings of the Amherst Human Service Network, a group of human service personnel concerned with the social service problems facing the Amherst community: the Early Childhood Community Partnership, the Hampshire Council of Social Agencies and the Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth.

YOUTH SERVICES The Department again applied to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety for funding to support the Big Brother/Big Sister Program. During FY 06, the Community Services Department was notified that it would receive a little over $20,000 to increase services for Amherst youth.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES The Cable Advisory Committee (CAC) spent the majority of its time in FY 06 negotiating the Town’s renewal license with Comcast. The CAC’s FY 06 annual report provides a more detailed account of these negotiations.

Requests for charitable funds continue to increase each year. The increased cost of rent, utilities, etc. makes it more difficult to serve all those in need.

The FY 05 Town Report was completed and copies distributed to the Select Board, the Finance Committee, the Town Manager, department heads, the School Department and the Jones Library.

41

The editors of the Town Report thank members of the Information Technology Department for their help in printing the FY 05 Annual Town Report.

Roy Rosenblatt Director of Community Services

42

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

Major Accomplishments & Activities:

CPC began FY 06 by preparing for the second of two Planning Amherst Together/Planning to Plan Public Forums. One of the vehicles used was a very colorful mailing to each Town Meeting member and all Town board/committee members. The postal mailing included a Planning Amherst Together cover sheet, a 5-item questionnaire, and copy of Alan Root's article from the Amherst Bulletin of July 8, 2005. The questionnaires were also available at the three libraries, the first-floor service desk at Town Hall, and the Town website, and asked: What’s the most important thing an Amherst Master Plan should accomplish? What questions would you ask Amherst residents, to help plan for the future? What brought you to Amherst? Why did you choose to stay here? What 3 changes would make daily life here more enjoyable or successful? A Portuguese translation was provided by a community volunteer. CPC members volunteered to speak to people informally at events on the Town Common, including the First Annual First Day of School Celebration.

These efforts were rewarded with standing room only at the Bangs Center on Thursday, September 29, with attendance estimated at 150 (122 participants actually signed in), despite a well-supported conflicting community event (the unfortunately rescheduled Amherst Area Education Alliance Annual Trivia Bee). ACTV volunteers taped the event, and it was broadcast several times over the following weeks. An interactive planning exercise was thought-provoking and well received, and contributed much to the RFP (Request for Proposals) created with our consultant, Jeanne Armstrong of LandUse Inc., of Hadley, Massachusetts.

English and Spanish versions were provided at school Latino Parent nights; the Spanish version was provided by a very helpful teacher with less than 24 hours notice! CPC members continued to visit small gatherings in the community and events on the Town Common. CPC members presented information about the process and the necessary funds at every pre-Town Meeting warrant review meeting in locations throughout town.

As noted in the CPC FY 05 report, capital funds in the five-year capital plan presented to Annual Town Meeting in spring 2005 were “bookmarked” at $65,000 for FY 06, and $85, 000 for FY 07. As outlined during the presentation of Article 11 of Special Town Meeting, November 7, 2005, CPC had fulfilled the purpose of Article 28 of Special Town Meeting, November 15, 2004, on time by completing the following prior to Special Town Meeting of Fall 2005: outline of a substantive public participation process, a comprehensive Scope of Services, a Request for Proposals, and cost estimates for the completion of a Master Plan as required under Massachusetts General Laws 41, Section 81D. Article 11 endorsements had been received from the Select Board, Joint Capital Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Public Transportation and Bicycle Committee, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, LSSE Commission, Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee, Design Review Board, and Planning Board, and even the Amherst League of Women Voters, which does not enter into recommending articles lightly. Article 11 for $65,000 in capital funds passed on a voice vote, following defeat of a motion for referral and of a motion for a reduction to $20,000.

CPC mailed invitations to every Town Meeting member and every Town board and committee member to observe the CPC interviews of two consultant firms in public session on March 17,

43

2006. Members of the public were also able to ask the firms questions at the end of each session, and also provided written feedback to the CPC before they left.

Under Article 31, Motion B of Annual Town Meeting, June 12, 2006, following defeat of a motion for referral and of a motion for reduction to $85,000, capital funds of $135,000 were appropriated by a tally vote of 113 Yes to 41 No. The CPC made a strong case, supported by the Joint Capital Planning Committee, Finance Committee, and Select Board, for the view that our outreach had established: that the people of Amherst insist that only a master plan with extensive public process would be truly representative of our community. As our consultant LandUse Inc. had estimated the cost of such a master plan would be slightly over $300,000, it became clear that substantial commitment on the part of Town staff and volunteers was needed to keep the price at $200,000 ($65,000 Article 11 + $135,000 Article 31, Motion B).

As FY 06 drew to a close, the CPC began working on all the details of the work plan as outlined in the contract with the chosen consultant firm, ACP Visioning and Planning, knowing that more frequent meetings (at least two a month) and more homework (e.g., person-to-person outreach, creation and editing of documents) was going to be required of CPC members for the next eighteen months we had outlined for the completion of the Master Plan.

Membership Changes FY 06:

Although the reason is lost to undocumented history, members of the Comprehensive Planning Committee have traditionally been appointed to one-year terms, rather than the relatively standard three-year term. Most CPC members ask to be reappointed from year to year, as ingesting and understanding the history of comprehensive planning efforts in Amherst is a substantial challenge.

The Comprehensive Planning Committee continues to actively seek candidates of wider racial and language diversity. In FY 06, three CPC members identified as being persons of color, and one white member each, was fluent in German, Italian, or Spanish.

At the end of FY 06, as most CPC members indicated their eagerness to be reappointed to another one-year term, our appointing authority, the Select Board, stated that they believed it was time for them to change the composition of the Comprehensive Planning Committee. This action was not based on any advisory from the Comprehensive Planning Committee, the Town Manager, or Town Meeting, which had overwhelmingly supported the currently configured CPC’s proposal to appropriate a total of $200,000 to create Amherst’s Master Plan.

Resignations:

Robert (Bob) Grose, at-large, appointed August 12, 1997, chose not to seek reappointment for personal health reasons. Teru Jellerette, at-large , appointed February 14, 2005, found that working full time while raising two young children was not compatible with regularly scheduled service on a Town committee, and therefore did not ask to be reappointed. We especially appreciated Teru’s insight and assistance during outreach discussions and while organizing events.

Matthieu Massengill, appointed January 18, 2005 as representative of the Finance Committee,

44

found that he needed to limit his time spent on committee work. He resigned from the Finance Committee in the fall. Merrylees (Molly) Turner, Library Trustee, previously Public Transportation and Bicycle Committee and at-large, originally appointed October 15, 2002, resigned October 5, 2005.

New members added: Marilyn Blaustein, Finance Committee, appointed October 11, 2005 Jean Haggerty, Council on Aging (COA), appointed August 22, 2005 Jim Oldham , at-large, appointed December 5, 2005 Anita Page, Jones Library Trustee, appointed October 24, 2005

All Committee officers continued to serve since their election January 27, 2004: Alisa Brewer, Chair; Bob Grose, Vice-Chair; Aaron Hayden, Secretary. However, as Aaron Hayden became Chair of the Planning Board during FY 06, Bruce Griffin of the Conservation Commission deftly (and voluntarily!) stepped into the breach and took excellent minutes, which he continued to provide promptly after each meeting.

The Comprehensive Planning Committee deeply appreciates the ongoing support provided by Niels la Cour, Planning Department. We are fortunate to have this level of institutional memory, as volunteers come and go. Our vice-chair, Bob Grose, has been part of the Comprehensive Planning Committee since its inception, back when he was serving on the Planning Board. We will deeply miss Bob’s gentle humor and charm through his many years of service and background in so many different Amherst projects, as well as his focus on the assets of the Five Colleges. We have also been very fortunate to have the committed service of our Hampshire College liaison, Larry Archey, since the beginning of this committee’s work. Larry’s knowledge of local cooperative planning efforts, including the exemplary Atkins Corner process, has provided valuable insight to working effectively with our educational institutions. Larry also cheerfully arranged for the donation of space and refreshments for committee work, especially important for a committee with no budget! We note that while Eva Schiffer retired from the Select Board in FY 05, she continues to make connections between our outreach and planning efforts and her other community work, and tirelessly supports the continued work of the Comprehensive Planning Committee in Town Meeting and elsewhere. Finally, the Comprehensive Planning Committee and the Planning Amherst Together process could not have gained any success in developing a Master Plan by the community and for the community without the steadfast and vocal support of our recently retired Town Manager, Barry Del Castilho. Beyond the years of his own and staff support devoted to this process, when things began to look truly bleak financially and politically, it was Barry who helped identify available funds for the "Planning the Plan" phase of Planning Together. We have been moving together as a community since the passage of that appropriation, and that is in large part due to Barry’s support.

45

Current membership, end of FY 06 (name, affiliation, original appointment date):

Alisa Brewer, School Committee, 2000 Marilyn Blaustein, Finance Committee, 2005

Cyrus Cox, at-large, 2005 Bill Gillen, Chamber of Commerce, 2005 Bruce Griffin, Conservation Commission, 2005 Robert (Bob) Grose, at-large, 1997 Jean Haggerty, Council on Aging (COA), 2005 Aaron Hayden, Planning Board, 2003 Doug Kohl, at-large, 2002 Joanne Levenson, Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee, 2001 Jim Oldham , at-large, 2005 Anita Page, Jones Library Trustee, 2005 Alan Root, at-large, 2002 Mary Scipioni, at-large, then Planning Board, 2004 James Wald, Historical Commission, 2004 Walter Wolnik, Public Transportation, 2004 Stan Ziomek, LSSE Commission, 2004 Larry Archey, non-voting liaison, Hampshire College Peter Shea, non-voting liaison, Amherst College Martha Nelson, non-voting liaison, UMass Hwei-Ling Greeney, Select Board liaison

Alisa V. Brewer

46

CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION Fiscal Year 2006

This was another very busy year for both the Commission and Department, as the strong housing market and stable local economy fueled increased land development in town.

Commission

In FY 06, the Conservation Commission met twice per month to discuss conservation issues and hold public hearings regulated by the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Amherst Wetlands Protection Bylaw. In this capacity, they reviewed 80 plans from developers, individual homeowners, businesses, and public bodies for construction or other activities in the immediate vicinity of protected resource areas. Each new project required hours of review, at least one site visit, and follow-up monitoring by staff and/or Commission members.

State and local wetlands laws regulated continued development of land for homes and businesses in Amherst while protecting critical natural resources such as wetlands, ponds, and waterways. There has been a steady increase in the complexity of these hearings as Amherst becomes denser and building is proposed closer to vulnerable resource areas. Some activities in the proximity of protected resources result in violations and require immediate investigation, action, and, often, mitigation or restoration.

The Conservation Commission experienced a marked change in membership this year with the addition of three new commissioners and the loss of several experienced members. Of special significance was the departure of long-time Commission Member and former chairperson, Francesca Maltese. Francesca served tirelessly for many years, providing the Commission with solid leadership and direction. As Chair, she mentored new members, supported staff and facilitated fair and efficient hearings and meetings. The Commission and Town are grateful for Francesca’s dedication to the protection of natural resources in Amherst. Barbara Mitchell and Bruce Griffin also left the Commission, having provided the Town with their expertise on agricultural issues and wetlands delineation/protection, respectively. Their dedication and hard work on behalf of wetlands and land conservation is greatly appreciated.

During FY 06, the new Chair of the Commission, John Gerber, again expressed concern with the over-reliance on staff for key services and the increasing expectation for commissioners to serve as liaisons to other Town committees. Changes in Commission membership, decreasing staff support within the Department, and an increase in the number and complexity of wetland hearings has created significant stress on both the Commission and Department.

Commission members for FY 06 were John Gerber, Chair; Francesca Maltese, Otto Stein, Nicki Robb, Ellie Manire-Gatti, Barbara Mitchell, and Bruce Griffin.

Department

Despite vacancies in key positions for much of the fiscal year, the Conservation Department completed another cycle of active resource management, aggressive wetlands protection, and

47

successful land preservation. The hiring of Doug Hutcheson as the new Land Manager late in the fiscal year was certainly a highlight and provided momentum for the Department to move into FY 07.

Land management staff continued to work through a long list of deferred maintenance projects on the more than 2,000 acres of Amherst conservation land, including trail improvements, bridge upgrades, and new signs. Of particular note was the addition of a larger culvert at Amethyst Brook Conservation Area and new bridges in Lawrence Swamp and the Katherine Cole Sanctuary in North Amherst. Federal funding through WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program) provided the Department with money to manage acres of open field habitat for grassland birds and other uncommon wildlife.

During the year, staff responded to hundreds of calls regarding downed trees, trail issues, wildlife problems and wetlands. Puffer’s Pond and the community gardens also required significant support and time. Conservation personnel worked collaboratively with many other departments in town, including Health, Planning, Zoning, LSSE, and DPW. Demand for the services provided by the Conservation Department continues to increase despite reduced overall funding by the Town.

Land preservation efforts in FY 06 included two significant donations and a complex APR project in North Amherst. A donated parcel along Rt. 116 may provide trail access in the future, while gifts along South East Street will add to protected watershed land and provide much needed street parking.

The collaboration between the Town, state and the North Amherst Community Farm (NACF) to purchase the development rights on 34 acres of prime farmland was a high point for the year. This complex project would not have been possible without a significant private fundraising effort and funds ($108,500) provided through the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee, and the enthusiastic support of Town Meeting. The farmhouse and associated APR land will become part of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, which will provide fresh organic produce to members and the general public for many years to come.

The Department is staffed by Stephanie Ciccarello, Wetland Administrator; Doug Hutcheson, Land Manager; David McKinnon, Assistant Land Manager; and David Ziomek, Director of Conservation and Planning.

48

AMHERST CULTURAL COUNCIL Fiscal Year 2006

The Amherst Cultural Council, whose members are appointed by the Amherst Select Board, is funded by and governed by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Massachusetts Cultural Council, provides funds through the local cultural councils of each city and town of the Commonwealth to support the arts. These funds are intended to support the arts, humanities and the interpretive sciences. The Amherst Cultural Council distributes our share of these state funds each year to local artists and performers based upon written proposals. We are committed to funding a diversity of projects, both traditional and experimental, which address the interests and needs of children and adults within the unique cultural milieu of Amherst.

The 2005/2006 Grant Cycle Chairman: Anne Burton Treasurer: Howard Sonoda Secretary: Jean Stone Council Members: Edith Byron, Ekaterina Ites, Kathleen Fisher, Masha Rudman; and Sondra Radosh (staff liaison)

All Council members have completed the MCC online course, thereby qualifying the Amherst Culture Council for “Streamline Status”.

Eight business meetings were held at the Jones Library. All meeting times and places were posted. Minutes were taken and submitted to MCC along with statistical and financial reports.

In compliance with the state conflict-of-interest law,2 disclosure forms were filed. Both individuals filing forms appeared before the Select Board and received their approval. Anne Burton, Chairman, took the opportunity to update the Select Board on the Council’s activities and methods.

Grant Money Available for the 2006 Cycle: $17,110 MCC allocation $ 2,351 in unencumbered funds carried over

$19,461 available for grants

GRANT APPLICATION SUMMARY Applications Received $Requested Approved $Granted

LCC 46 $35,177 28 $13,335 PASS grants 35 $20,884 16 $ 6,126 TOTAL 81 $56,061 44 $19,461

Of the 81 applications received, 44 were approved and 37 denied; one was reconsidered in open meeting, but denied.

49

The above information is available from the Mass Culture Council, in detailed form.

The Council is mandated to have six members. Due to a resignation and an expiration of term, we are trying to recruit another member for this cycle.

Submitted by Anne Burton, Chairman 2006

50

2006 ACC Grant Recipients

African Cultural Council/African Cultural Day Multidisciplinary $300 Amandia Chorus/Cultural Music Concerts $400 Amherst Ballet Theatre Company/Dances of the Earth $1000 Amherst Community Arts Center, Inc./Art for All Visual Arts $835 Amherst Public Arts Commission/Amherst Architectural Mural $1000 Amherst Regional High School/"House of Desire" UM FAC $700 Amherst Regional High School/Massachusetts Wind Orchestra $425 Arcadia Players, Inc./Music of the Dutch Baroque $400 Arena Civic 2006/All My Sons $450 Claveloux, Eileen/“Marked for Life” Visual Arts $400 Conant, Faith/Dining Room Players - “Ruddigore” Theater $400 Crocker Farm Elementary School/Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance $265 Crocker Farm Elementary School/New Shanghai Circus @FAC $225 Crocker Farm Elementary School/Bing! Bang/Asian Arts $230 Crocker Farm Elementary School/Children of Uganda @FAC $250 Donohue, Therese Brady/”A House for Hermit Crab” Theater $500 East Street Youth Ballet/ “Coppelia” Dance $600 Fort River Elementary School/Children of Uganda @FAC $420 Fort River Elementary School/Bill T. Jones Dance Co@FAC $120 Fort River Elementary School/New Shanghai Circus $550 Fort River Elementary School/Walk Two Moons Theater $120 Fort River Elementary School/“E=FAC @FAC Theater $120 Foundation for Fiber Art/Hands on Fiber Art for Families Crafts $400 Friends of the Jones Library/ Childrens Music & Dance Series $300 HACU, Hampshire College/ Homecoming Project Multidisciplinary $200 Hampshire Choral Society/Bach's "Passion of St. John Music $450 Hampshire Shakespeare Company/Shakespeare Under the Stars $500 Ites, Ekatrina/ Once Upon...In Russia (Show, Storytelling, cultural) $500 jubilat/Jones Reading Series & Book Group $750 Marks Meadow Laboratory School/Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance $260 Marks Meadow Laboratory School/New Shanghai Circus@FAC $750 Marks Meadow Laboratory School/Children of Uganda,@FAC $625 McInerney, Linda/“Sword Against the Sea” Theater $500 Moore, Maureen/“the Equinox” Literature $100 Multi-arts,inc./Art exhibition and Multi-media Performance $400 Multi-arts,inc./playwriting competition Theater $300 Music in Deerfield/“Music in Deerfield” Music Concert $500 Nataraj Performing Arts of India/”Festival of Lights celebration” $500 Pilgrim theater research and performance collaborative/"N" (Bonaparte) Theater $500 Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival/Humanities $500 Root, John Gaslight Era Musical Program Music $150 Springfield Symphony Orchestra/Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra Music $500 Wildwood Elementary School/Children of Uganda @FAC $830 Wildwood Elementary School/Walk Two Moons @FAC Theater $236

51

DISABILITY ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

The Disability Access Advisory Committee advises, educates and advocates on issues of accessibility to Town facilities and programs in consultation with Amherst Town government.

Committee members include: Deb Waldron, Chairperson, Zachary Barnard, Pamela Ledoux, Rebecca Hurwitz, Madeline Peters, and Jean Smyser, Gerald Weiss, Select Board liaison; and Eunice Torres, DAAC Coordinator, Human Rights Director and the Town staff liaison.

The Committee advised on sidewalks, crosswalks and applications for variances. Deb Waldron did on-site ADA consultations of a new radio station and the Jones library. With the approval of the CDBG Grant, Eunice Torres is conducting a self-evaluation survey and a transition plan to bring Amherst into compliance with the ADA. All department heads will cooperate in the transition plan’s development by completing self-evaluations, addressing modifications needed to bring their department into compliance for full accessibility. We provided input to the Comprehensive Planning Committee about the state-mandated master plan that the Town is preparing to develop. The Fire Department is developing a Disability Emergency Preparedness Initiative program to address the needs of people with disabilities in case of a natural disaster.

Educational opportunities attended by various members this year included the National ADA Conference.

The Committee would like to increase its visibility in the community by holding public forums on subjects such as able-ism, universal design, etc. The subcommittee which was formed to create a booklet entitled “Accessible Amherst” will wait for the outcome of findings from the transition plan before proceeding. The Committee looks forward to working with the Chamber of Commerce to offer trainings about equal rights.

The Disability Access Advisory Committee will continue to work with Town departments to explore ways to provide better access to any new building additions and other projects or programs planned for Amherst in the future.

Respectfully submitted by Deb Waldron, Chair

52

FINANCE COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

The Finance Committee advises the Town on matters affecting Town finances and makes transfers from the Reserve Fund to cover extraordinary or unforeseen expenses. The largest part of the Committee’s work consists of adopting guidelines for managing the Town’s money and recommending a comprehensive budget to Annual Town Meeting. The Committee also make recommendations on any articles of Annual and Special Town Meetings that have significant financial implications. We attempt to understand the interactions among the various elements that make up and influence the Town’s financial situation in order to recommend spending and money management plans that adequately fund Town services while preserving the fiscal health of the Town.

Financial guidelines are presented in the fall so that they can influence the budget-making process in preparation for spending decisions to be made by Town Meeting at the next spring’s Annual Town Meeting. The guidelines are based on multi-year projections prepared by the Finance Director and developed in consultation with the elected boards and administrators that oversee the major components of the Town’s operations: municipal services, schools and libraries. Revisions to the guidelines are made as needed in response to new information, often in response to evolving expectations of anticipated state aid.

Beginning in January, we review in detail the municipal, library and school budget proposals developed by the Town Manager, Library Director and School Superintendent. At weekly meetings, we consult with administrators, staff, members of other boards and committees and members of the public as we gather information on existing and proposed programs and services. We review the Town’s spending priorities and identify and quantify the resources projected to be available to meet the Town’s needs. We give particular attention to the recommendations of the Select Board, School Committee and Jones Library Trustees when their recommendations become available. Capital spending proposals are evaluated with respect to immediate cost, future debt obligations, impacts on operating budgets and the recommendations of the Joint Capital Planning Committee.

This year, a new Joint Financial Planning Group began meeting to try to improve coordination and the flow of information and ideas about Town finances among the various departments of the Town. The Group is made up of representatives of the elected boards and the Finance Committee as well as administrators and finance officials.

The Structural Deficit Problem. The Town has struggled for several years with a structural deficit: recurring expenses increase faster than recurring revenues, creating a chronic need to trim staff and services. Ordinary inflation, including contracted salary increases and price increases throughout the range of goods and services the Town buys, means that Town spending has to increase by roughly 4 percent each year just to keep on doing what we already do. In contrast, state law limits our largest single revenue source – the property tax – to an annual increase of only 2 1/2 percent plus new growth unless citizens vote a larger increase. Some other local revenues, such as fees for various services, can be increased within reasonable limits. Local aid from the state is the remaining large source of funds; it is also a resource over which the Town has no control. The total amount of state aid Amherst received declined in fiscal years 2002 through 2004 in response to difficulties the state had in funding its own budget. Since then, there have been annual increases, including a significant increase in FY 07. However, FY 07 is

53

the first year that aid to Amherst exceeded FY 02 levels. Recent sharp increases in energy and insurance costs have exacerbated the problem. In response, the Finance Committee advised, and Town Meeting approved, a planned drawdown of Town savings to ameliorate the effects on Town services of serious budget problems.

Use of Reserves. The Town has several accounts where money is set aside for future use. The Town purposely builds up its savings in prosperous times in order to help out in less fortunate times. The two largest “savings” accounts in the General Fund are Free Cash and the Stabilization Fund. Money in these two accounts is available for spending on any municipal purpose; it is commonly referred to as “reserves.” (Because of the similarity of names, these accounts are often confused with the Reserve Fund controlled by the Finance Committee.) The Town began using its reserves to support budgets in FY 02. This use peaked in FY 04, when $3.4 million was spent, and has declined since then to the $1 million appropriated for FY 07. In FY 08, the Committee plans to recommend no use of reserves. There are important reasons for this recommendation: prudent management of the Town’s assets, protecting the Town’s credit rating in order to limit the cost of borrowing for future capital projects, and replenishment of reserves in preparation for the next period of economic difficulty.

Fiscal Year 2007 operating budget recommendations. The Finance Committee’s December budget guideline requested very low spending increases – just 2.7 percent over the current year. We were able to increase the guideline amount and eventually recommend substantially higher increases to Town Meeting as the outlook for state aid continued to improve.

There were several reasons why spending for FY 07 had to be strictly controlled. Foremost was the continuing structural deficit problem: recurring expenses growing faster than revenues. Also, the amount of reserves recommended for use to support budgets was $700,000 less than in FY 06, a difference that had to be covered by other revenue or decreased spending. The Health Claims Trust, from which staff and retiree health insurance claims are paid, was in deficit as of June 2005. The Town had to appropriate $705,000 from the General Fund to cover the deficit, and the state subtracted an equal amount from Free Cash. Both of these negative impacts on Free Cash are temporary. The Town’s general fund is being “paid back” via a temporary rate surcharge to employers and employees over eighteen months from January 2006 through June 2007, when the June 2005 Trust Fund deficit will have been retired.

Town Meeting appropriated funds for Municipal Services resulting in a 5.2 percent increase. Town Meeting made two changes from the Committee’s recommendations for this part of the budget. The changes were an unspecified decrease to the amount for General Government of $20,000, and an increase of $50,000 to the Community Services budget to fully fund the Human Services Agency Committee’s recommendations. Another change Town Meeting made from the Committee recommendations was to add $91,000 to the Transportation Fund appropriation to pay for Town bus routes. Increases in parking fees and/or fines are to provide the necessary funds.

Tax support for Library Services increased by 5.5 percent; the total budget increased by 4.5 percent.

The Amherst Schools budget increased by 4.4 percent. Town Meeting ended before the state budget was completed. As a result, the exact amount of state Chapter 70 aid for schools was not known. The Finance Committee agreed to support a budget increase at the fall Special Town

54

Meeting if the amount of aid exceeded the estimate at the time of Annual Town Meeting. (In the end, there was no increase in Chapter 70 aid; therefore, no recommended increased appropriation for schools in the fall.)

The Amherst assessment in support of the Regional Schools presented a particularly difficult problem. The Regional Schools had to manage some one-time revenue decreases for FY 07, long-term debt payments for the Middle School renovation project begin in FY 07 at greater cost than the short-term debt of FY 06, and a change in the method of distributing assessment amounts among the four towns resulted in an increase for Amherst of $125,000. The change in assessment is being phased in over two years, so the FY 08 assessment will also be higher by a similar amount. In the end, the Amherst assessment increased by 13.3 percent over the current year, although the Schools’ budget went up by a more modest 5.3%.

The Reserve Fund appropriation for FY 07 is $50,000, just half the amount appropriated by Annual Town Meeting in the past several years. The Finance Committee recommended the reduced amount to balance the budget without having to use more of the Town’s savings as a result of the increase in the Community Services budget. This will mean less flexibility in managing budgets in all departments.

The FY 06 Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund of FY 06 consisted of $100,000 appropriated by the April 27, 2005 Annual Town Meeting. The Committee voted the following transfers:

$35,000 General Government: $19,450 for legal expenses for cable license negotiation, $13,450 for a special election for the Plum Brook Recreation Area project, and $2,100 for net shortfalls in utilities accounts and in severance payments for the retiring Town Manager and additional compensation for the interim town manager and acting treasurer from April through June.

13,419 Cherry Hill Golf Course: Mostly seasonal help and utilities. A projected revenue deficit of $10,745 is to be funded by the Golf Course Fund balance at the Fall Special Town Meeting.

4,200 Inspections: Cost of emergency copier purchase ($6,893) combined with over- estimated May 6 transfer of $15,000.

44,613 Snow and Ice: Total shortfall of $85,660 reduced by savings elsewhere in the Department of Public Works budget. ______$97,232 Total

The remaining $2,768 of the Reserve Fund returns to the General Fund.

Meetings. The Committee held 41 meetings during the year. Of these, 11 were held in conjunction with Town Meeting sessions; one was a combined meeting with the Select Board, School Committee and Jones Library Trustees; and one was a combined meeting with the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee. Various members attended meetings of the four towns of the Regional Schools, financial forums for Town Meeting members and the public and budget related meetings of the elected boards. Ms. Moran and Ms. Carlozzi represented the Finance

55

Committee on the Joint Capital Planning Committee; Mr. Morton and Ms. Carlozzi, on the Joint Financial Planning Group; and Ms. Blaustein, on the Comprehensive Planning Committee.

Thanks. The Committee members are particularly grateful to John Musante, Finance Director/Treasurer and our staff liaison, for his efforts on our behalf this year. He was also interim town manager for a few months, filling two full-time positions, right at the busiest time of year for budget and Town Meeting activities.

Members of the Committee: Vice-Chair Brian Morton, Marilyn Blaustein, Kay Moran and Irvin Rhodes were members for the full year. After serving three years, Matthieu Massengill resigned last fall, with regret. Michael Mascis completed his second three-year term with the Committee at the end of this fiscal year. We enjoyed and benefited from the thoughtful participation of both. We welcomed new member Andrew Steinberg in November.

Alice Carlozzi, Chair

56

FINANCE DIRECTOR/TREASURER’S OFFICE Fiscal Year 2006

As Finance Director/Treasurer, I am responsible for the coordination of all financial activities of the Town, managing and coordinating the activities of the Finance Department (Accounting, Assessing, Collections, Treasury), development of operating and capital budgets and appropriate budgetary controls, the disbursement, investment, and management of all funds belonging to the Town, and for effective financial planning and management of debt and debt policies. I also serve as the primary staff liaison to the Finance Committee, Joint Capital Planning Committee, Community Preservation Act Committee, and, in FY 06, a new Joint Financial Planning Group composed of representatives from the Select Board, Finance Committee, Jones Library Trustees, Amherst School Committee, and the Regional School Committee, the Town Manager, School Superintendent and Business Manager, and Library Director.

In FY 06, the Finance Department continued efforts to embrace technology to deliver better and more efficient service to the public. The Collector’s Office introduced on-line banking services and partnered with the IT and Fire Departments to streamline ambulance patient medical reporting and billing through deployment of laptop computers in ambulances. Automated handheld parking ticket technology was evaluated and acquired and is scheduled for deployment to parking enforcement officers later in 2006. The Assessors increased on-line access to property information and successfully completed a total revaluation of personal property and the triennial revaluation of real estate.

Budget development for FY 07, as in FY 06, was again dominated by two issues: spiraling health care costs and debate regarding the Town’s multi-year financial planning strategy and the need/challenge over the next 2-3 years to eliminate the remaining structural deficit, from a high of $3.4 million in reserves used in FY 04, to $1.7 million to balance the approved FY 06 budget, to $1.0 million for FY 07 (as recommended by the Finance Committee), to $0 by FY 08; and to the replenishment of reserves for the inevitable next economic downturn. After bargaining the impact of proposed health plan changes recommended by the Town’s benefits consultant, the Town and schools in January 2006 eliminated the costly and antiquated indemnity plan and introduced two new HMO plans for employees. Premium rates and budgets were adjusted to retire a June 30, 2005 deficit of $705,442 in the Health Claims Trust Fund and begin to rebuild an adequate reserve over the next three years. Town Meeting ultimately adopted a FY 07 budget, after sometimes contentious debate, that was balanced with a combination of service cuts, higher fees, substantial election-year state aid increases, and $1 million from reserves.

The Town’s earnings on investments increased markedly as interest rates continued to rise in FY 06 from FY 04’s 40-year lows, ranging from an average of 3.25% in July 2005 to 5.05% in June 2006. Certificate of Deposit rates rose from 3.75% early in the year to 5.10% by May 2006. Per Massachusetts general laws, municipalities are not allowed to invest funds for a period greater than one year. A total of $635,771 was earned from investment interest, stock and mutual funds in FY 06, an increase of $209,800 from the prior fiscal year. The General Fund received $330,747, the Enterprise Funds received $195,986, the Community Preservation Fund received $1,694, the Stabilization Fund received $72,073, the Health Insurance Fund received $10,501, the Worker’s Compensation Fund received $14,233, and the Trust Funds received $10,537.

There were two borrowings during FY 06. On July 8, 2005, the remaining portion of Crocker Farm School Project temporary debt, in the amount of $1,683,043, was renewed to July 7, 2006.

57

The Town received a net interest rate of 2.949% via competitive bid. Under the Act which created the Massachusetts School Building Authority (Chapter 208 of the Acts of 2004), projects that were substantially complete, like the Crocker Farm project, receive lump-sum funding of the Commonwealth’s share of project costs instead of payments spread over twenty years. The Commonwealth’s share is approximately 67% of allowed project costs, including interest on temporary financing. The Town received 75% ($3,821,957) of the Commonwealth's estimated share before $5,500,000 in temporary notes matured on July 8, 2005. As FY 06 ended, the MSBA was completing its review of the project audit and scheduling payment of the remainder of the Commonwealth's share prior to the notes maturing in July 2006. The total bond authorization for this project was $8,508,603. The Town issued $3,000,000 general obligation bonds to permanently finance a portion of this authorization on October 1, 2003.

On June 20, 2006, the Town issued temporary debt in the amount of $500,000, at an interest rate of 3.68%, for construction of athletic fields at the Plum Brook Recreation Area. Community Preservation Act funds are to finance two-thirds of the cost, with the remainder financed by taxation over the next ten years.

The Treasurer’s Office manages the tax titles for the Town. When a taxpayer becomes delinquent in paying real estate taxes or other local charges that constitute liens on real estate, the Town has statutory authority to take title to the taxpayer's property and, subsequently, to undertake proceedings to foreclose on the property by petition to the land court. The property owner can redeem the property by paying the unpaid taxes, with interest and other charges. In June, the Land Court granted the Town’s motions to foreclose on two properties, both vacant lots. A handful of other cases were being aggressively pursued in Land Court as FY 06 came to a close. Twenty-three new properties were placed in tax title accounts during FY 06, totaling $40,606. There were 25 properties removed from tax title accounts during the year. Payments totaled $110,530. Additional interest collected totaled $20,569. As of June 30, 2006, there were 49 parcels with a balance of $272,918 outstanding. This compares favorably to the June 30, 2005 balance of $284,051 and the June 30, 2004 balance of $403,732.

During FY 06, three taxpayers took advantage of Clause 41A, which allows income-eligible elderly homeowners to defer payment of their real estate taxes until the owner or his/her estate sells the home. This option is intended to help make it financially possible for qualifying citizens to continue living in their homes. The maximum allowed deferral of taxes equals one- half of the assessed value of the property. As of June 30, 2006, there were six properties with deferred taxes, amounting to $96,964. The interest rate on deferred tax is 8% until the property is sold or the eligible taxpayer is deceased. The interest rate then increases to 16% until payment is received. On the recommendation of staff, Town Meeting voted to accept a new provision in state law that allows the Town to reduce the rate of interest that accrues on property taxes deferred by eligible seniors under G.L. c. 59 §5, Clause 41A from 8% to 4%, with such reduced rate to apply to taxes assessed for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006. It is hoped that reducing the interest rate will encourage others to take advantage of the program.

At the request of the Select Board, I served as interim town manager for the last three months of FY 06, in addition to my duties as finance director. Added to the day-to-day administrative duties as town manager, this was also an especially busy and intense time spent coordinating recommendations to Town Meeting on operating and capital budgets, zoning and other issues and attempting to narrow differing recommendations from the Select Board, Finance Committee,

58 and School Committee. During this period, my assistant treasurer, Cheri Boucher, served ably as acting treasurer.

Submitted by,

John P. Musante Finance Director/Treasurer

59

FIRE DEPARTMENT Fiscal Year 2006

Once again, in FY 06, emergency responses increased over the previous year’s totals (after a one-year drop in FY 05). EMS emergencies increased by 6.5% to 3556, and fire calls fell by 7.5% to 1254. There were no fire fatalities during the year, but 1 civilian and 45 firefighters were injured during these incidents. Fire Prevention activity increased by 17%, mainly due to all the construction projects on the three college campuses.

We continue to have three major concerns: first, the number of simultaneous emergency incidents we encounter strip our on-duty forces to zero almost daily; this is the chief detriment to public safety. In these circumstances, we need to rely upon call and student volunteer firefighters to report to the fire station to provide coverage for incidents. Such situations occurred over 300 times in FY 06 and can only be solved by increasing the number of career firefighters on duty by a minimum of two per shift. We continue to have the smallest career force in the state for our population range. Second, the high injury rate to our firefighters is the highest in the state. This also relates to the call volume per firefighter ratio, also the highest in the state. Third, it takes too long to respond with ambulances and fire apparatus to emergency calls in South Amherst – a situation that can only be rectified by adding a fire station in South Amherst.

We received a $500,000 federal grant (SAFER) in November 2005, to add five (5) new firefighter/paramedic positions to our department. This was a nationwide competitive grant program which saw only one other Massachusetts community named a recipient. The federal government reimburses Amherst, for four years, on a decreasing-scale, for the salaries of the five new positions, until Year 5, when we must accept full responsibility for the salaries.

Firefighter Robert Cowles retired after over 34 years of service to the Town (with the Fire Department and DPW). Firefighter/paramedics Burt Cox and Brad Bemis changed careers and were replaced by paramedics Steve Gaughan, Tom Valle and Gary Flynn. The new SAFER positions were staffed by paramedics Monica Moriarity, Ryan Gwyther, Steve Chandler, John Cooney and Nate Burgess. We now have 31 paramedics on staff to provide the premier Advanced Life Support service in Western Massachusetts.

Our SAFE (Student Awareness of Fire Education) program in the schools completed another successful year under the tutelage of Captain Masloski and firefighter John Ingram. The Department’s SAFE trailer was improved upon by the SAFE instructors and used extensively in the schools in Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury. The state Fire Marshal’s Office reported that our SAFE program and the resulting graduation exercise for 4th graders are among the best in the state.

Captain McKay and firefighter/paramedic Shanley continued to coordinate the tactical paramedic team, which interfaces with Amherst, state and UMass police at civil disobedience events where medical assistance may be needed under less than ideal situations.

The Department’s Technical Rescue Team, led by Captain Sterling and comprised of six career and two call firefighters, improved their capabilities to handle confined space, high angle, collapse and other technical rescues upon receipt of the Department’s new Heavy Rescue truck.

60

Assistant Chief Zlogar and firefighter/paramedic Shanley led the Department’s wilderness search and rescue team.

Captains Childs and Olmstead and firefighter/paramedic Roe continue to assist our EMS program in terms of training, continuing education, and a quality assurance program for our paramedics and EMTs, to ensure that we continue to render excellence in medical care.

Firefighter/paramedic Sell continues as a member of the County’s child fire-setter invention group. Captain Johnson and firefighter Tebo comprise the Fire Department component of the Town’s Fire Investigation Unit, along with a state police sergeant and two Amherst police officers.

Captain Childs and firefighter/paramedic Martell continue their work with TRIAD members to install signs for the ”What’s Your Number” project. Over 1400 homes now have street number signs posted in front yards to allow police and fire personnel to find them more quickly in an emergency.

Assistant Chief Zlogar is the Town’s Emergency Manager (formerly Civil Defense Director), and along with firefighter/paramedic Shanley, who is the Town’s representative to the Regional LEPC, coordinate Homeland Security issues for the Town.

Firefighter Adair and firefighter/paramedics Theilman, Dion and Szewczynski continue in their capacity as our mechanics, saving the Town thousands of dollars as they repairour vehicle fleet, which numbers 23 vehicles and 4 specialty trailers.

Assistant Chief Zlogar and firefighter/paramedics Roy, Sell and Martell are members of the state Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team, quartered in Chicopee. This team responds to all hazardous materials emergencies in Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties with equipment provided by the Commonwealth.

Our call and student volunteer firefighters are a vital element of our Fire Department. We could not provide the level of emergency services for the Town without them, especially when all of our career on-duty members are committed to emergencies.

The citizen-based Fire Station Study Committee continued meeting this year. At the fall Town Meeting, $20,000 was approved to hire Caolo & Bieniek Associates from Chicopee – architects to verify the work of this Committee since 2004. The Select Board, Finance Committee and Joint Capital Planning Committee will hear the Committee’s final recommendations before moving back to Town Meeting in FY 07 for a proposal to solve long-term fire/EMS emergency response deficiencies.

The Hadley Route 9 re-construction project began and once again, we expect minor delays in our ambulances traversing to and returning from the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

Firefighter/paramedic Bill Klaus continued to be assigned solely to fire prevention duties. At any given time, approximately 50 construction projects are ongoing which require Fire Department oversight for Fire and Building Code compliance. Even with his assistance, we continue to be overwhelmed in this area.

61

As a result of the tragic nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2004, the Massachusetts legislature enacted broad-ranging laws requiring sprinklers in nightclubs, bars, dance halls and similar entertainment venues, along with training for staff. The Fire Department must enforce these laws, adding more work for our staff and requiring a handful of Amherst businesses to fully sprinkler their buildings.

Again in FY 06, we won a federal FIRE grant that will allow us to replace our protective breathing apparatus – a $206,000 expense to exchange our 10-year-old equipment for new state- of-the-art safety units.

Amherst continues to have the smallest career firefighter contingent in the state for our population range and is one of the busiest departments in terms of emergency responses and fire prevention activities. Each year, the workload increases, as does the physical and mental stress that wears on the men and women who provide emergency services. Statewide and national statistics reveal that we should have a minimum of 19 staff on duty around the clock, yet we have 7. The increasing number of simultaneous emergency calls is presenting a public safety crisis, when we have few if any resources remaining to answer the next call. The long-term solution is to add several firefighters per shift so that we can place three ambulances on the road and still have one fire pumper staffed to answer the next call. We hope that the new town manager can negotiate solutions with the three educational institutions and the Commonwealth to provide the additional public safety required for the citizens of Amherst and its firefighters.

Amherst’s citizens again need to be recognized for their continued practice of fire-safe principles and the cooperation we encounter daily during emergencies and inspections. And Amherst firefighters are to be congratulated for continuing to practice quality across the broad spectrum of public safety services we provide to our community and to those of Hadley, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury, where we also deliver emergency medical services.

Reports on fire and inspection statistics, emergency medical services, Department training, and the Call and Student Forces follow. This material was authored by Assistant Chiefs Mike Zlogar and Lindsay Stromgren, Captain Tim Masloski, and Call Deputy Chief Edward Mientka, Jr.

Respectfully submitted, Keith E. Hoyle, Fire Chief

6 YEAR STATISTICAL RECORD

FY 06 FY 05 FY 04 FY 03 FY 02 FY 01 EMS RESPONSES 3556 3340 3339 3300 3161 3067 FIRE RESPONSES 1254 1358 1367 1292 1333 1426 TOTAL: 4810 4698 4706 4592 4494 4493 FIRE PREVENTION xxxx 2570 2320 2005 1911 1503 FIRE LOSS IN $ 467771 519225 473460 895000 438350 342285

62

FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES

Engine 1: 2001 Emergency One 1500 gpm pumper Engine 2: 2003 Emergency One 1500 gpm pumper Engine 3: 1995 Central States 1500 gpm pumper Engine 4: 1999 KME 1500 gpm pumper Engine 5: 1990 Emergency One 1500 gpm pumper Engine 6: 1976 Maxim 1000 gpm pumper Ladder 1: 1988 LTI 105 foot aerial platform with 1250 gpm pump Rescue 1: 2006 Emergency One Spartan heavy rescue Tanker 1: 1972 Military 6wd 1300 gallon capacity A-11: 1995 Horton Ford ambulance A-12: 2003 Horton Navistar ambulance A-13: 1997 Horton Ford ambulance A-14: 2004 Horton Navistar ambulance A-15: 2001 Horton Navistar ambulance R-2: 2000 Ford F-350 4wd pickup R-4: 1985 Chevrolet Military 4wd brush truck R-5: 1997 Dodge van R-7: 1995 Ford Crown Victoria R-8: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria X-1: 2004 Mercury Marquis X-2: 2005 Mercury Sable wagon X-3: 2000 Ford Crown Victoria X-6: 1998 Ford Explorer 4wd Utility: 2001 John Deere ATV 4wd 2003 Arctic Cat snowmobile (shares trailer with above) Trailer: 1992 FEMA COMMANDPOST Trailer: 1997 Aerolite (SAFE program) Trailer: 2003 state Mass Decontamination Unit Trailer: 2004 state Mass Casualty Incident supply unit Boat: 2004 Avon zodiac with trailer

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

EMS continues as the component that generates most of our emergency traffic In FY 06, we again increased our responses, by 6.5% to 3556 responses. With our new SAFER grant hires, we now have 31 career firefighter/paramedics.

We continue to provide EMS to Hadley, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury, and these communities (along with UMass) pay a per-resident fee to us for this service. Over 30% of our total EMS activity goes to non-Amherst communities, and we increased our stipend charges to non-Amherst EMS responses in FY 06 to increase revenue collection in this regard.

Normally we can staff only 3 ambulances simultaneously. Only a quarter of the time or less can we staff 4 ambulances with on-duty personnel. There were 55 times when 4 of our ambulances were committed simultaneously and 31 times when our 5th, or spare, ambulance was engaged as

63

well (the 5th ambulance usually is staffed by call or student firefighters). Nearly 40% of our total EMS calls required some sort of advanced life support (ALS) intervention. This is consistent with our experience since we expanded to ALS care over a decade ago.

Department EMTs, Intermediates and Paramedics train continuously during the year to maintain state certifications for the EMT level to which they are certified. Personnel take advantage of coursework sponsored within the Fire Department and from outside sources depending upon available funds.

In FY 05, we were selected by the Commonwealth to receive a ”Mass Casualty” trailer for deployment anywhere in Western Massachusetts and beyond, if a mass casualty incident occurs that requires an immediate source of medical equipment on an incident scene. The other trailer in Western Massachusetts is in Pittsfield. There are 10 such trailers located throughout the state.

FY O6 EMS RESPONSES

Amherst: 1,743 Belchertown: 29 Hadley: 788 Leverett: 52 Pelham: 68 Shutesbury: 64 Sunderland: 68 Amherst College: 62 Hampshire College: 73 UMass: 605 Other: 4 Total Responses: 3,556

FIRE PREVENTION STATISTICS

Building Inspections Home Inspections (Chapter 148, s26F and new construction) 506 Multi-family dwellings (Chapter 148, s26C) 240 Construction Plan Reviews 1 and 2 family residential 41 Commercial and multi-family 158 Amherst College 27 Hampshire College 11 University of Massachusetts 66 Fire Protection System installations and alterations 242 Site Plan Reviews (Planning Board) 96

64

Life Safety Inspections Restaurants 69 Nursing and Rest Homes 4 Health care facilities 24 Inns and Theaters 32 Fraternity and Sorority 42 Public Schools 32 Private Schools 16 Childcare 40 Public Buildings 16 Other buildings 25

Inspections and Permits Oil burner installations 138 LPG installations 62 UST removals 11 UST installations 0 AST installations 0 Tank truck inspections 0 Fireworks and pyrotechnic displays 10 Dumpster Permits 45 Total Open Burning Permits 948

Public Education Programs Open House 1 SAFE 63 Community Programs 8 CPR and defibrillators 23

STUDENT VOLUNTEER FORCE

Thirty UMass student volunteer firefighters continued to augment our career and call firefighters. During FY 06, 8 students lived at the North Fire Station, and the students had their pumper in- service at the station 113 hours a week (Monday-Friday: 6pm to 7am; Fridays from 6pm continuously until Mondays at 7am). The remainder of the week, they are on-call like our call and off-duty career firefighters.

The students responded to 178 fire runs and 7 ambulances trips during FY 06, 17% less than last year. Their training is similar to that of our call firefighters. On daily shifts, training occurs for 90 minutes, with the entire student contingent training every Thursday night for 3 hours. We do not expect that they will function at the same level as our career professionals, but they perform a critical ancillary service and sometimes arrive first at calls, as occurred a handful of times during the year. In these instances, it is important that they carry out their duties and control the incident until other help can arrive. They have consistently performed well for us.

Student firefighters staff one pumper. During actual fires, they also respond with a pickup truck and extra self-contained breathing apparatus, spare air cylinders and firefighter rehabilitation

65

supplies. They maintain our Command Board (accounts for locations of firefighters inside buildings) and usually bring an ambulance and a squad to the scene with extra personnel as well.

Student firefighters also attended other training facilities besides the instruction received here. Some of those sites were the State Firefighting Academy in Stow, the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and the Springfield Fire Department Training Center.

In April, 22 new student firefighters began training for FY 07 to replace graduating seniors. We should start FY 07 with about 38 students, but will certainly lose some to attrition, as we always do. Whatever prompts some students to elect to try to do this job often is tempered during the 72-hour “Wonder Week” training that occurs one week before the college semester begins in September. Usually 4-6 new students decide not to continue in the program and drop out during “Wonder Week” or choose not to return at all.

Most remain with us, and some do go on to choose the fire service as their profession, as evidenced by the 13 former graduates alone who now are career firefighters in Amherst. Current Massachusetts fire chiefs in Athol, Westborough and Amherst also are student firefighter graduates. In fact, all three career chief officers in Amherst are student force graduates.

The annual “Randy Silveira Memorial Scholarship“ was awarded to Captain Ryan Edwards. The $1,000 award is made by the family of Randy Silveira, a 1981 graduate of the Student Force who exemplified character, caring and commitment to the student firefighters and the Town. Randy died in 2003 from cancer and the memorial was established in his honor to reward the student firefighter who best emulated Randy’s dedication to the student firefighters.

We look forward to another successful year with our student volunteer firefighters as they have provided to the Town every year since the program’s inception in 1953.

66

FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES* JULY 1, 2005 – JUNE 30, 2006

* Statistics include fire apparatus responses only. Ambulance calls are listed under the EMS section of the Fire Department report.

RESPONSES by CATEGORY

FIRES: Structure:...... 50 Vehicle:...... 5 Rubbish: ...... 42 Brush:...... 12 Other: ...... 25

Subtotal – Fires ...... 134

RESCUE: (includes vehicle accidents)...... 181 HAZARDOUS CONDITION:...... 105

FALSE ALARMS: Malicious alarm: ...... 43 System Malfunction:...... 253 Unintentional: 354 Good Intent Call:...... 44 Bomb Scare:...... 0 Other False alarms: ...... 10

Subtotal – False Alarms...... 704

SERVICE CALL: ...... 63 OTHER CALLS: ...... 67 ______

TOTAL FY 06 FIRE RESPONSES:...... 1,254

TYPES of ALARMS

RESCUE/VEHICLE ACCIDENT:...... 124 Mutual Aid TO other communities:...... 10 STILL ALARMS:...... 1,009 Mutual Aid FROM other communities:...... 3 BOX ALARMS: ...... 51 RECALLS:...... 3

67

FIRE LOSSES & CASUALTIES

FIRE DOLLAR LOSSES: Buildings & other structures ...... $445,971 Vehicles & other equipment ...... $15,000 Other ...... $6,800 TOTAL ...... $467,771

CIVILIAN FIRE INJURIES...... 1 FIREFIGHTER INJURIES...... 0

68

FIRE TRAINING Fiscal Year 2006

FY 06 mirrored past years in terms of the type and amount of training that we were able to conduct with each of the three forces making up the Fire Department (Permanent Force, Call Force, and Student Force). The Call and Student Forces have regularly scheduled weekly drills, enabling them to conduct a reasonable amount of training throughout the year. Unfortunately, given the limited amount of time available between emergency calls and inspections, the Permanent Force is not left with much time to accomplish on-duty fire training. Reductions in the training budget have all but eliminated our ability to bring the full-time firefighters in on overtime for this type of training. Consequently, most of the training for the Permanent Force is focused on special topics (such as the specialized Technical Rescue team, as well as state mandated EMS training (see EMS section).

As in past years, our members were able to take advantage of a wide range of course offerings outside of the Department, from both the Massachusetts and National Fire Academies. Eighteen Department members traveled to the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland in September for a weekend of training on a variety of subjects.

Ten new student firefighters completed the annual week of basic training in August, along with the twenty-one returning members of that group. The week included two trips to the Springfield Fire Academy for live fire training. Both the Student and Call Forces made an additional trip to the Springfield Academy in the fall for more live fire training.

Four of our new Permanent Force firefighters graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s twelve-week recruit training program for full time firefighters. Two new members of the Call Force, and one new member of the Student Force, attended and graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s recruit training program for call and volunteer firefighters.

Throughout the year, a few special classes were scheduled with all Department members to train on new equipment and procedures. Most members of the Department trained on the operation of the inflatable rescue boat purchased through a federal grant. All Department members trained on the operation of the new heavy rescue truck that was placed in service in February.

As mentioned earlier, the various specialized teams within the Department (e.g. Confined Space/High-Angle Rescue, Search & Rescue, Tactical Paramedics) continued to train during off- duty hours within their groups. Other in-house training included pump operator and ladder truck training for newer members to become qualified to drive and operate the fire engines and ladder truck.

During FY 07, as time allows, we will continue to review basic firefighting and rescue skills, in addition to the special training noted above. A goal for future years will be to find ways to increase the amount of training time that each full-time firefighter is able to complete each year.

69

CALL FORCE Fiscal Year 2006

The Call Force is a branch of Amherst Fire Department that serves to augment the Department’s Career Force. The Call Force may be called in to respond to an immediate fire emergency or into the station when full-time career resources are committed to fire or emergency medical calls. During FY 06, the Call Force responded to 70 box alarms and 58 other calls, which included fire alarm activations, motor vehicle accidents, and emergency medical incidents. In addition, the Call Force was called into the station 125 times to provide fire suppression coverage for the Town. While in service, Call Force members responded to 18 ambulance calls and 40 fire calls.

Fire apparatus primarily assigned to the Call Force is a 1988 LTI 105’ aerial platform (Ladder 1), and a 1999 KME pumper (Engine 4). At the close of the fiscal year, 14 of our members were Massachusetts Registered Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), 16 were qualified pump operators, and 8 were qualified to operate our aerial platform.

Weekly training exercises continued to be paramount in maintaining firefighting proficiency. A number of our members were active in other fire service and emergency medical programs. Firefighters Gary Flynn, Hadley Antik and Josh Coates were granted a leave of absence in order to enter the GCC Paramedic Program. Captain Richard Mears continued to serve on the Hampshire County Fire Defense Training Committee, and teaching a number of Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) classes as well as our First Responder/CPR courses. Three Call members received specialized training as part of the Department’s technical rescue team, and four Call Force members completed an intensive Fire Officer Supervisory course offered by the MFA. Our members also participated in National Firefighting Academy courses, Hazardous Materials training, and live burn exercises conducted at the Springfield Fire Training Center.

Call Force members were proud to again assist with the Department’s annual National Fire Prevention Week Open House, the annual Student Awareness for Fire Safety Education (SAFE) graduation and fire protection during the 4th of July fireworks display. Other services included staffing for snow emergencies, open burning inspections and data management, and emergency preparedness staffing during Red Sox Championship games. Dedicated Call Firefighters appreciate their opportunity to serve the Town of Amherst.

Respectfully submitted,

Edward J. Mientka Jr, Deputy Chief Amherst Fire Dept. Call Force

70

FIRE STATION STUDY COMMITTEE (FSSC) Fiscal Year 2006

ACTIONS OF THE FIRE STATION STUDY COMMITTEE

The Fire Station Study Committee was charged early in 2004 with determining whether, using national standards for fire and ambulance response, the Town needs two or three staffed stations. We were also charged with reporting possible locations.

After making a preliminary presentation to the Select Board, seeking the advice of the Joint Capital Planning Committee and the Finance Committee, and holding an open meeting, at the fall 2005 Town Meeting the FSSC presented a preliminary report, with our recommendation that the Town needed three stations: the existing North Station and Central Station, and a new South Station. At that time we requested and received an appropriation of “$20,000 for preliminary site evaluation and conceptual design and preliminary cost estimates for a new fire station, and conceptual design and preliminary cost estimates for renovation to Central Fire Station.”

At the conclusion of a Request for Proposal process, the FSSC selected Caolo & Bienick Associates, Inc., to conduct the work described above. Their final report was to be provided to the Committee by the end of August 2006.

FINDINGS OF THE FIRE STATION STUDY COMMITTEE

Inadequate Space Central Station opened in 1930, when Amherst had 5,888 residents, and the Fire Department answered only about 150 calls annually. By 1974, when the number of stations doubled with the opening of North Station and the population was climbing past 25,000, AFD made about 2,500 fire and ambulance runs a year. Now the population is about 35,000, and the total number of yearly emergency runs tops 5,000, more than two-thirds of them for ambulances.

Central Station is ideally located for quick responses to local nursing homes, Amherst College, the historic downtown, and the University of Massachusetts. But the station is much too small to deal with all calls to the south half of town. Today’s fire trucks and ambulances are big, to carry all the equipment and people needed at the scenes of emergencies; Central Station’s bay doorways are only 4 inches wider than the engines and ambulances that park inside, and there is not enough room between the parked vehicles to open doors fully. Offices for the fire chief and the Department’s fire safety officers and inspection records are crammed into small corners. There is no storage or training space, and no room for expansion on the 0.15-acre lot.

North Station’s garage space is also overcrowded, with three ambulances, the ladder truck, and three pumpers, as well as cramped areas for repairing, maintaining and storing equipment. Other fire department vehicles are parked outdoors, including pickup trucks, a decontamination unit and the trailer used for school fire-safety classes. The station also contains housing for eight student firefighters, a bunk room for the on-duty permanent crew, and the firefighters’ day room, which does triple duty as the department’s only training area and a Town meeting and polling space.

71

Inadequate Geographic Coverage According to national standards and the reality of putting out fires and saving lives, a fire truck should reach a fire scene within 6 minutes, and an ambulance should reach a patient in cardiac arrest or anaphylactic shock within 4-6 minutes. Also, two fire trucks should be stationed within 1.5 miles of the central business district.

Our highly trained firefighter-EMTs are expert at saving lives with emergency medicine and at suppressing fires – if they get there in time. But they are stationed 7-12 minutes away from most of South Amherst, including population concentrations at Hampshire College, Applewood, and much of the Amherst Woods housing development.

Recommendation of the Fire Station Study Committee Unanimous recommendation (Option 1): Keep North Station, build a new South Station more than 1.5 miles south of downtown, renovate/replace Central Station as a fire station and headquarters. In addition to the capital costs, there will be annual increased costs for operations, and for adding new firefighters.

Other options, in order of the FSSC preference:

Option 2: Keep North Station, build South Station as headquarters, and renovate/replace Central Station. In addition to the capital costs, there will be annual increased costs for operations, and for adding new firefighters.

Option 3: (formerly Option 4). Keep North Station, build South Station as headquarters within 1.5 miles of downtown, sell or change use of Central. There will be a capital cost involved in this option but no substantial increased costs for operations or new firefighters. (While there may be revenue gains from selling Central Fire Station, this option does not substantially increase the coverage for fire and EMS protection in Amherst.)

Doing nothing is unacceptable. The Department will have to add 4-8 permanent firefighters anyway, due to the steadily increasing number of ambulance calls, and the Town needs to spend a substantial amount of money for necessary renovations to Central Station.

Note: At press time, the Site and Building Assessment Study conducted by Caolo and Bienick had been submitted; thus no cost estimates of the FSSC are included above. The report confirmed the Committee's findings and recommendations and provided the following cost estimates: option 1: $11.1 million, option 2: $11.7 million, option 3: $8.96 million.

FIRE STATION STUDY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Lynn Griesemer, chair; Larry Archey; John Coull; Lee Hines; Ted Mone; Kay Moran; Victor Zumbruski

72

HEALTH DEPARTMENT & BOARD OF HEALTH Fiscal Year 2006

The mission of the Amherst Board of Health, working through the Health Department, is to promote the health and wellbeing of our community, with special emphasis on eliminating health disparities. We fulfill this mission through our core functions: assessment, assurance, promotion, and policy development.

Assurance: ensuring that all Amherst residents have the services necessary to maintain or restore good health either by coordinating the delivery of services by other agencies, by policy or regulation development, or by providing services directly

Assessment: systematically collecting, assembling, analyzing, and making available information regarding the health of the community, including statistics on health status, community health needs, and epidemiological studies of health problems

Promotion: providing services and educational opportunities that encourage healthy environments and healthy lifestyles

Policy Development: development and implementation of comprehensive public health policies, regulations and legislation.

The work of the Amherst Health Department is organized into six major areas: Access to Health Care, Infectious Disease Control, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Environmental Health, Health Policy, and Planning and Emergency Preparedness.

I. Access to Health Care Ensuring access to health care for all Amherst residents continues to be a priority for the Department. Some of the departmental programs to address these concerns are:

HampshireHealth Connect, “Peace in the Family: a Khmer Community Project,” the Nursing Center, and the Convalescent Equipment Loan Program. Due to budget cuts, the Health Department was not able to provide significant services to the newcomer Latino community during this year. We hope to find a way to reinstate these services.

Hampshire Health Connect Hampshire Health Connect (HHC) is a nonprofit organization created by a group of citizens, providers, and representatives of local government, businesses, and the insurers. Its aim is to link families and individuals who are underinsured or who have no health insurance with insurance programs that they may be eligible for or to medical providers willing to see HHC patients at no charge or on a sliding-fee scale. HHC is housed in Cooley Dickinson Hospital. The Health Director, Epi Bodhi, is currently secretary of the Board of Directors of HHC.

Thanks to several grants, HHC was able to engage the services of a Latina caseworker, who has been working out of the Amherst Health Department to enroll all Amherst residents, but especially those whose first language is Spanish, in the program. As a result, Amherst residents’ participation in HHC, as well as the number of Latino clients served by HHC continues to rise.

In the past year, 418 Amherst residents were served.

73

Cambodian Health The Cambodian outreach worker position was fully funded this past fiscal year. The outreach worker continues to provide services and advocate for the Cambodian community.

The Outreach Worker, Lauren Srey, continues to work with Khmer Health Advocates to provide medical and mental health services for Cambodians. She has also worked with many of the elders to help them become United States citizens.

Lauren Srey provides residents with a wide range of assistance; for example:

• 27 immigration issues • 105 medical assistance • 10 home visits • 5 domestic violence cases • 60 housing issues • 30 court issues • 18 mediation assistance cases in local schools.

Nursing Center Services The Nursing Center continues to provide free preventive healthcare for Amherst’s senior citizens. The office operates 8 hours per week. Cheryl Smith, a certified Nurse Practitioner, provided service to 233 individuals this past year. In fulfilling its mission of “Helping Seniors Help Themselves Stay Healthy,” the Nursing Center delivers quality, preventive healthcare that is often not covered by Medicare or other insurers. Its purpose is to provide individualized health assessments, education, and counseling that incorporate prescribed treatment goals. An increasing number of individuals have been referred to the Nursing Center by physicians. Each individual served is viewed as an active participant in the health care process, and focus is on his/her potential. Services include: monitoring the effects of medications and treatments, simple first aid procedures, appropriate health care referrals, and individual and group education for various conditions such as: hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and other conditions experienced by older adults.

Convalescent Equipment Lending Program Kathryn Drake, Health Department Office Administrator, receives convalescent equipment such as walkers, commodes, shower benches, transfer benches, tub safety rails, canes, crutches, and a limited number of wheelchairs through equipment donations and maintains a loan closet for citizens in need. During FY 06, seventy Amherst residents borrowed eighty-four pieces of convalescent equipment. The need for lending equipment has increased significantly. Requests for equipment exceed the availability of equipment.

II. Infectious Disease Control Controlling the spread of communicable diseases and food-borne illnesses is an importantfunction of the Health Department.

74

Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control during FY 06 included the following:

• one case of active Tuberculosis • two cases of Tb prevention and control • 12,127 doses of vaccine distributed to eleven Amherst providers • Annual flu clinics, in conjunction with the Council on Aging, provided vaccines for flu pneumonia and tetanus to 314 residents. • Monthly immunization clinics provided 162 immunizations to adults and children. • 5 cases of Salmonella, 3 cases of Giardia, 12 cases of Campylobacter, 3 cases of Chickenpox, 8 cases of Pertussis, 1case of Hepatitis A, 3 cases of Hepatitis B, 3 cases of Hepatitis C, 24 cases of Lyme Disease, 1 cases of Malaria, 1 case of Haemophilis Influenzae, 1 case of Legoinellosis, 2 cases of Viral Meningitis.

III. Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Programs aimed at promoting health and preventing disease are another important aspect of the Health Department’s work. Programs and interventions are either intended for the general public or are targeted to certain groups that are at increased health risk because they are members of a particular demographic group, or as consequences of their own behavior or the behavior of others.

High risk groups • The Public Health Nurse and Inspectors work together in a team approach to address the multi- faceted problem of hoarding, via joint inspections that include mental health assessments and referrals to social services. • The Health Director and Public Health Nurse work with the Council on Aging to ensure that seniors are offered high-quality nursing services. • Town of Amherst Handicapped Permits are available to residents of Amherst who have a temporary or chronic condition that substantially limits their mobility. This permit allows residents to park in handicapped spaces within the Town of Amherst. This permit WILL NOT extend any privileges beyond Town limits, or to the area colleges. A permit may be obtained from the Amherst Health Department. A doctor’s certificate stating the condition and the expected duration of the disability is required.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education The Health Director continues to be active in several Town, University, and School efforts to examine alcohol abuse, underage drinking, and substance abuse. Results of a Amherst High School survey of students' abuse of alcohol and drugs revealed a serious situation. The Amherst Board of Health received a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 1999 to help address this problem of substance abuse in the High School. This grant is in its fifth year of funding. Work to develop and maintain a secure organizational structure and build stronger relationships among the key players continues. The Partnership continues to support existing local youth programs, pilot new programs, and develop messages that discourage alcohol and other drug use among youth in Amherst.

Programs targeting youth that the Partnership funded included, for the fourth year in a row, the Challenge Day Program, for 200 youth and 40 adults in FY 06. This program is designed to engage youth in an interactive process, where youth challenge themselves to understand different forms of oppression that are often the basis of behavior affecting the social climate (such as

75

violence, drug and alcohol use, truancy, bullying, etc.). This program is an integral part of the school district's effort to improve the climate of the school. The Partnership was also involved with two of the Challenge Day follow-up events, a lunch and social where students were "challenged" to mix and sit with students according to their birth month. The program and the follow-up events were considered a huge success by the students, the school administration, parents, and other community participants. The Partnership also supported a peer social- marketing campaign targeting risk-taking youth. Parents are another target audience in the effort to reduce substance and alcohol use. This year, the Partnership was actively involved in working with the High School and the High School Parent Center to involve parents in sharing strong non-use messages with their teens. Using data from the parent survey, social-norms media marketing campaign posters and brochures were created and launched through local and school events. Social-norms marketing is a cutting-edge public health strategy that challenges misperceptions about behavior and replaces it with actual data, so that healthy behavior ultimately becomes the uncontested norm.

IV. Environmental Issues The Board of Health is required by state statute to perform many duties relating to the protection of public health, disease control and assurance of sanitary living conditions.

The Board of Health’s Environmental Health Division conducted 1,224 inspections and issued 349 permits.

In FY 06, the Amherst Health Department issued fourteen Wood Burning Operator’s Licenses, which are granted in conformity with the Wood Burning Regulations.

Food Safety The Environmental Health Division inspects and issues permits for all food handlers in restaurants, recreational camps, bed and breakfasts operations, college institutions, hotels, motels, retail food stores, schools, mobile food units, temporary events, caterers, bakeries, and frozen food establishments.

Routine inspections and the do-diligence of this division is crucial to protecting the public health’s interest. The division enforces Chapter X of the State Sanitary Code: Minimum Standard for 66 Food Establishments, 105 CMR 590.000. This is one of many codes that allow the Town of Amherst to conduct inspections, issue orders and suspend or revoke permits where necessary. The Environmental Health Division inspected 204 food handlers during FY 06. We’ve received several food-borne illness-related complaints. All the complaints were resolved.

Since the state’s adoption of the 1999 Federal Food Code, the Environmental Health Division has assisted local restaurants to comply with new regulations. The code requires that all restaurants have a person in charge (PIC) who has knowledge of food-borne disease prevention and application of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This year will include continued monitoring of food managers to ensure that they obtain Food Manager Certification and developing a food protection program in several languages.

Body Art Establishments The Board of Health and staff researched the Body Art regulations, which initiated collaboration with other state and town agencies, as well as businesses, to fine tune the Town’s adopted codes.

76

Inspections are conducted routinely. The Town currently inspects three Body Arts establishments.

Recreational Camps This fiscal year, the number of our recreational camps increased to 27. We continue to conduct extensive monitoring and inspections to maintain quality and compliance in the operation of these camps.

New regulations pertaining to Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) requests have been implemented, and certified agencies are expected to incorporate the requirements of these regulations. These became effective as of June 30, 2005. A memo regarding this matter was sent out to all camp operators and administrating offices early this year.

Housing The Health Department is working to ensure that all the residents are provided with safe, high- quality housing. In FY 06, 116 inspections were conducted.There is currently a committee reviewing the Housing Code Regulations under the guidance of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Precautionary Principle The Health Director continues to be actively involved in a statewide coalition to apply the Precautionary Principle, which states:

“When an activity raises the threat of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not established scientifically.”

West Nile Virus The Department continues to educate residents about measures to prevent becoming infected with West Nile Virus (WNV). In FY 06, 5 dead birds were reported for monitoring purposes to the Health Department; none of the birds was submitted for testing.

V. Emergency Preparedness Fire Fighter Josh Shanley, Amherst’s Disaster Resource Coordinator, is an active member of the Hampshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee (REPC). This group represents the 21 communities of Hampshire County and the Fire, Police, Community Services, and Public Health Departments; as well as media, Emergency Services, chief elected officials, Public Works, and businesses and industry within those towns.

The Health Department continues to develop a volunteer medical-provider pool through the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program. There are currently 30 health-care providers on the Amherst MRC roster. The Amherst MRC has held monthly training sessions since the fall of 2004. The group is trained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) operations, Shelter Operations, and other public health emergency and disaster preparedness-related topics. The group is planning a variety of public health outreach and education projects, including a health fair for senior citizens. Health Department staff are involved in several local preparedness organizations such as the Hampshire Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition, the Metropolitan Medical Response System, and Five College Public Safety Emergency Preparedness. Kate Kelly, former MRC Coordinator, served

77

on a national MRC Core Competencies working group. Josh Shanley is currently assisting the University of Massachusetts in developing another MRC, made up of faculty, staff, and students. The UM-MRC will work closely with the Amherst MRC to provide additional resources to the whole community.

The Health Department’s MRC was a key partner in planning a regional Emergency Dispensing Site drill that took place on November 19, 2005. Simultaneous dispensing sites in Northampton and Amherst were staffed by personnel from multiple emergency response agencies. Amherst Health Department staff and MRC volunteers staffed the dispensing clinic at the Amherst dispensing site (the Amherst Regional Middle School) and staging area (Amherst High School). Both of these groups also participated in a regional emergency simulation exercise on April 20, 2006.

Amherst was chosen to a be a pilot site for a national program entitled Project Public Health Ready and is working towards recognition as a public health department that has the capacity to function effectively in an emergency.

VI. Health Policy and Planning The Board of Health is responsible for setting policies and creating regulations to protect the health of Amherst residents. Board of Health members are: Ellen Pile (Chair), Nancy DiMattio, Sarina Ergas, Sandra Sulsky, and Alan Weiner. During this year, Steve Hickman left the Board after serving two terms. Under Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), state and local regulations, Boards of Health have a broad range of responsibilities for making and enforcing policies that promote and protect the health of citizens. Board members participated in a retreat in September 2005 and identified emergency planning, youth nutrition and wellness, and management of public health threats posed by beaver activity as issues for special attention during FY 06.

Emergency planning: The Board periodically sought information from the Health Director and staff in order to clarify regulations that apply to its role in emergencies. It began to examine the status of the Town’s emergency planning and the integration of public health issues into emergency planning.

Youth nutrition and wellness: Two members of the Board and the Health Director identified a citizen group that had formed in response to federal requirements to develop a wellness policy for the schools. The Board provided input into the schools’ Wellness Policy and examined model public policies on nutrition issues that could promote parts of the Wellness Policy in community settings.

Beaver activity management: The Board has responsibility under M.G.L for receiving and acting on complaints of threats to public health and safety from beaver activity. During FY 06 it revised its standard operating procedures for doing so. Recognizing the recurrent nature of beaver activity and the complex ecological issues involved, the Board began to work with other Town committees on sustainable management of beaver activity.

The Board of Health also examined several local and state regulations and codes and worked to improve and update them. These included: Refuse Collection and Mandatory Recycling Regulations, Food-Handling Fees and Inspections, and Tobacco-Control Regulations. It reviewed compliance reports on the Town’s regulations concerning sales of tobacco to minors

78 and found no retailers subject to suspension of their license to sell tobacco products. The Board held hearings on one dwelling condemnation and several requests for variances to the state’s sanitary code.

Several of the Board’s standard procedures were examined and revised during FY 06, including those for: • scheduling meetings and drafting and posting agendas • providing relevant materials to the Board in advance of meetings • receiving and responding to correspondence from residents.

The Health Director is an active member of the Board of Directors of NACCHO (National Association of County and City Health Officials). She is a member of the Social Justice Committee as well as the task force to develop an operational definition of Local Public Health.

The Health Department works with agencies in public health as well as human services throughout the County to ensure that all residents have access to needed services and as such is an active member of Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth (SPIFFY).

The Health Director was asked to represent the Massachusetts Public Health Association as a participant in the Coalition for Local Public Health, a statewide coalition made up of representatives of the five statewide organizations that advocate for local public health. The Coalition works with state officials to ensure that Massachusetts residents receive the best public health services available.

FY 06 Board of Health Nancy DiMattio Sarina Ergas Ellen Leahy-Pile Sandy Sulsky Alan Weiner, MD Epi Bodhi, Health Director

79

HISTORICAL COMMISSION Fiscal Year 2006

Charge and Membership

The Amherst Historical Commission is one of the standing committees of the Town of Amherst; it was created by Town Meeting in October 1972. The seven Commission members are citizens appointed by the Select Board for three year terms which are renewable once. Under M.G.L., Ch.40, sec. 8D, a historical commission is responsible “for the preservation, protection, and development of the historical or archeological assets of the town or city.” Members of the Commission in 2006 were:

Gai Carpenter term expires 2008 Lyle Denit term expires 2009 Edith Nye MacMullen , chair second term expires 2007 Paul F. Norton term expires 2006 Caroline Olson term expires 2006 Jean Thompson, clerk term expires 2006 James Wald, vice-chair second term expires 2008

Mrs. Thompson continued her supervision of the Commission activities in the West Cemetery, chairing the Cemetery Improvement Subcommittee. Ms. Carpenter continued to serve as the chair of the Publications Committee. Mr. Wald remained the Commission’s representative on the Town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee. Mrs. Olson was unable to continue serving on the Community Preservation Act Committee. Ms. MacMullen took over that responsibility after Mr. Denit joined the Commission, and he became the Commission’s representative on the 250th Anniversary Committee. There was no liaison with the Design Review Board, although the Commission actively sought someone to assume that responsibility.

Jonathan Tucker, the Planning Director for the Town, continued to serve as the staff liaison to the Commission; his commitment and his historical knowledge continue to prove invaluable.

Over the course of the fiscal year 2006, the Historical Commission held a total of fifteen meetings and one Demolition Delay public hearing. What follows is a summary of the Commission’s activities over the course of the year.

Plans and Projects Undertaken

West Cemetery

The preservation and restoration of this, the Town’s oldest, burying ground, continues to be the focus of the Commission’s activity. Final completion of the mural in late September was celebrated by a party for the muralist, David Fichter.

Community Preservation Act funds for the restoration of the headstones in the oldest (1730- 1830) section were voted by Town Meeting, and requests for proposals have now been issued. Although funds were also voted for improving the lighting in the cemetery ($13,165) and for the installation of signs – both welcome and interpretive – ($5,900) and the Commission tentatively

80

approved locations for both, progress has been slow. The DPW has plans for the installation of the lighting, and requests for bids have now been issued for the restoration of the stones.

A brochure describing the newly installed mural was completed by the Publications Committee and placed in boxes adjacent to the mural; sadly the container has been consistently vandalized, almost as fast as it was replaced. On several occasions the mural itself was defaced and subsequently repaired by the muralist.

Such vandalism, and the continuing destruction of headstones, among them some of the oldest, convinced the Commission of the necessity of securing the services of a caretaker, in addition to the need for lighting. As yet no one has assumed the responsibility of daily supervision, a lack that continues to concern the Commission.

The Commission also discussed but took no formal action on a policy concerning private donations and actions designed to restore particular grave sites in the cemetery; such a policy, if enacted, would apply to all the Town’s burying places.

North Cemetery

The condition of the North Cemetery, especially the fence, has concerned citizens and the Commission. Preliminary work for the restoration and painting of the fence was undertaken by a teacher and students from the Smith Vocational High School, but poor weather prevented the start of the actual work.

South Commons

The Commission has requested funds for commons preservation purposes for some time; the Public Works Committee recently expressed a concern for the South Commons and proposed Town action in the matter. After consultation with that group, the Historical Commission’s request was supported by the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) and Town Meeting and received a CPA grant of $5,000 for historical research and surveying of the South Common. The Commission approved a plan for the study which included provision for public involvement. A study was conducted during the spring by a consultant from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and discussions with the Public Works Committee are planned for the coming year. . Publications

The Guide to the Dickinson National Historic District, by Paul Norton, was published in October, marked by a celebration hosted by the Women’s Club, for which the Commission was very grateful. The book is on sale ($7.50) at various locations throughout the Town. Revenues from the sale will be used for future publications. As noted above, the Commission also published a brochure identifying and describing the individuals in the mural.

Preservation Awards

No preservation awards were made.

81

Community Preservation Act

The Commission grouped its requests to the Community Preservation Act Committee under four categories, as it had in previous years:

Capital projects Interpretation and Outreach Research, Planning, and Design Historic Preservation Restrictions – Surveys and Appraisals

A total of $92,500, divided among the categories, was recommended by the CPAC and voted by Town Meeting.

Because of budget pressures and the continuing needs for funding to support essential community projects, there have been repeated suggestions that CPA funds reserved for historic preservation be utilized for other community purposes. The Commission discussed the issue on several occasions and reiterated its position that, when faced with requests from public and quasi-public bodies, Historic Preservation funds should be reserved for planning purposes and not for capital improvements

The Historical Commission cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of the Community Preservation Act and the funds made available through it to the Town; without such funds, vital historical preservation work would be impossible, and the Town would suffer.

Demolition Delay Review

Under Article 13 of the Amherst Zoning Bylaw, the Commission reviews the proposed demolition of any historical structure and must hold a public hearing if a majority of the members sees a possible historical impact of the proposal. If the Commission finds that the structure is of significance, according to criteria established by the Bylaw, it may impose a delay of six months.

A total number of fifteen demolition requests were received by the Commission. One public hearing was held, several were emergency demolitions, and the remainder were allowed to proceed without hearings. Because of the increase in the number of demolition applications and the staff time demanded in the processing of the applications, the Commission voted to increase the fee charged to $50.

Sometimes it necessitates more than six months to allow the parties in a demolition dispute to find satisfactory alternatives. It was the commitment of the Commission, as well as many in the community, to the preservation of the pre-1815 brick house at 575 North East Street, and the complicated negotiations to ensure that end, that prompted the Commission to request that Town Meeting amend the Demolition Delay Bylaw by extending the waiting period to twelve months (a matter which had been under consideration for some time); the Meeting so voted in the November Special Town Meeting. The Town also voted to appropriate $50,000 for the purchase of an Historic Preservation Restriction on the house, utilizing funds from the CPA fund balance.

Negotiations on the final resolution of the future of the house, which involve the Town, the state, and the owners of the property, are on-going.

82

The Annual (spring) Town Meeting approved certain amendments to the relevant zoning bylaws suggested by the Commission. The amendments were purely of a housekeeping nature, designed to make certain sections consistent with other sections.

Lecture Series

Once again, in collaboration with the Amherst Historical Society, the Commission presented a series of lectures, “History at Lunch,” monthly; the lectures were well received and consistently drew groups of 30-50 attendees. Among the speakers were:

Stephen Puffer, “The Dirty Hands District” Jonathan Tucker, “Arms in Amherst” Ruth Skillings Pratt, “The Hills Hat Factories” Else Hambleton, “Simeon Strong, Tory” Hill Boss, “Amherst Tradesmen and Their Cards”

Miscellaneous Activities

The Commission began the process of applying for National Historic Register nominations for several isolated historic homes and began consideration of applying for extension of the East Village Historic District. It met with the IT department to discuss the possibility of transferring the historic resource inventory to digital form. Although it has no formal role in the permit process,it received and reviewed a number of advisory presentations – from the Amherst Housing Authority on several occasions, from the owners of the former bank building on Main Street, from the developers of the former funeral home on Amity Street, from the owners of the Cushman Market for support in their application for historic preservation tax credit, from the state concerning several minor roads projects, among others.

Complete financial records of expenditures and of requests for and actions taken by the Commission are available in the Planning Department at Town Hall.

Conclusion

In preparing this report, I am reminded that the Historical Commission has indeed been busy this year. Thanks to our vigilant staff member, Jonathan Tucker, and to the public for its increased concern for historic preservation, and especially to the commitment and energy of the Commission members, we have accomplished a great deal. Much more remains to be done. We will continue to be guided by the goals outlined in our Preservation Plan and to review it in light of developing needs and dreams of the Amherst community. It has been, and continues to be, a privilege to work with my colleagues in this important endeavor.

Respectfully submitted,

Edith Nye MacMullen, chair

83

ANNUAL REPORT MARCH 31, 2006

AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY 33 KELLOGG AVENUE AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

Joan Ross Logan, Chair Peter Jessop, Vice-Chair Judy Collins, Treasurer Judy Brooks, Assistant Treasurer Steve Rogers, Member

Donna Crabtree, Executive Director

84

AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY 33 KELLOGG AVENUE AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS 01002

ANNUAL REPORT AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY

The Amherst Housing Authority respectfully submits its Annual Report to the citizens of the Town of Amherst, Ms. Jane Gumble, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Secretary's Representative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and State Auditor Joseph DeNucci for the year ending March 31, 2006.

The members and staff of the Amherst Housing Authority reaffirm their continued desire to serve all the citizens of Amherst, including those who reside in the several buildings that the Authority owns and also AHA tenants who reside in privately owned buildings in the Town of Amherst.

Sincerely,

Joan Ross Logan Chair

85

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

The voters of the Town of Amherst elect four members of the Board at large and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts appoints one member. All members serve five-year terms. The members establish policies regulating the operation of the Amherst Housing Authority. Regular Board meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month in the community room at Ann Whalen Apartments.

Members of the Amherst Housing Authority Board of Commissioners are:

Commissioner Term Expiration Judy Brooks April 2010 Steve Rogers April 2007 Joan Ross Logan April 2007 Peter Jessop April 2009 Judy Collins April 2006

At their annual meeting in April, Joan Logan was elected Chair, Peter Jessop Vice-Chair, Judy Collins Treasurer, and Judy Brooks as Assistant-Treasurer.

The Board reappointed Peter Jessop as its representative on the Community Preservation Act Committee. Joan Logan is the Authority's legislative liaison. Judy Brooks and Steve Rogers serve as the Authority’s members on the non-profit corporation board, Amherst Housing Associates, Inc. In her capacity as a board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities, Donna Crabtree is Chair of the Scholarship Committee.

AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY HIGHLIGHTS

As part of its efforts to expand affordable housing opportunities in town, the AHA purchased a 4.2 acre site on Main Street. The Authority used funds from the Community Preservation Act program for part of the purchase price. A special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals allows the AHA to construct 11 units of affordable rental housing. The Authority issued a Request for Proposal for a non -profit developer for the site and has preliminarily accepted the proposal from Valley Community Development Corporation and Amherst Affordable Housing Associates.

The Authority also issued a Request for Proposals for the construction of two duplexes on Tamarack Drive and has awarded a construction contract to the modular division of Triumph Leasing Corporation. Funds from the Town’s Community Preservation Act program, the state Affordable Housing Trust fund, and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership will be used to finance the construction. The program also includes repair work at 99 Bridge Street, a property purchased in October of 2003 with the help of CPA funds.

The AHA received a capital grant award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the amount of $26,925.00 for improvements at Watson Farms Apartments.

Contracts for two ventilation projects at Ann Whalen Apartments, funded by the state capital improvement programs, were awarded. These include replacing the roof top ventilators and dryer ventilation system.

86

The Housing Authority completed its Annual Agency Plan for 2006 with the assistance of a Resident Advisory Committee. The plan includes a mission statement, goals and objectives, and numerous policies and budgets. It is available for public review in the Authority offices, in the Planning Department at Town Hall, and in the Jones Library. The Agency Plan was submitted to the U. S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval.

AHA staff moved into new offices on the first floor of Ann Whalen Apartments in October of 2005. One office suite contains a conference room that is used for meetings.

In December 2005, a new volunteer reception program started. The program volunteers provide information and referral to members of the public, applicants for housing, and AHA tenants.

The AHA continues to improve its existing management, maintenance, and rental assistance programs and to emphasize preventative maintenance.

AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY STAFF

In addition to the actual day-to-day management, maintenance, and administration of the Authority's programs, the AHA staff provides information to the general public and to local and state agencies and boards.

Administrative Personnel

Executive Director Donna Crabtree Housing Manager Nancy Schroeder Director of Housing Programs Paula Sayword Office Manager Pam Predmore Section 8 Program Coordinator Debbie Turgeon Bookkeeper Lowell LaPorte Program Assistant Dianne Chamberlain

Maintenance Personnel

Maintenance Supervisor/Mechanic Jerry Aldrich Maintenance Laborer John Summers Groundskeeper/Custodian Dana Glazier

Contract or Grant-Funded Staff

Support Service Coordinator Juana Trujillo Fee Accountant Gary DePace Counsel-State Programs Patricia LaFore, Esq.

87

AMHERST HOUSING AUTHORITY HOUSING

NAME OF # OF UNITS FUNDING BUILDING DATE OF BUILDING TYPE NUMBER OCCUPANCY ELDERLY/ HANDICAPPED Chestnut 30 State 667-1 1962 Court Apts. Ann Whalen 80 State 667-2 1975 Apts. Jean Elder 23 State- 667-3 1980 House Private FAMILY Watson Farms 15 Federal 085-1 1982 Apts. Stanley St. 2 State 705-2 1988 Jenks St. 4 State 705-3 1989 Olympia Drive 4 State 705-1 1992 Fairfield St. 6 State 705-1 1992 Bridge St./ 6 State 705-1 1992 Market Hill 99 Bridge Street 4 Public Section 8 2003 vouchers HANDICAPPED John C. Nutting 5 State 689-1 1981 Moreau House 8 State 698-2 1990

RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UNDER CONTRACT

NAME OF PROGRAM UNITS TYPE Section 8 Rental 413 Federal Mass. Voucher Program 10 units State

Maintenance/Capital Improvements

The maintenance staff prepared 22 vacancies for occupancy and completed 778 work orders. The staff also maintains the grounds and buildings at the Authority’s twelve properties.

The Authority received funding from the Town of Amherst Community Development Block Grant program for the services of an engineer and an architect to develop plans for the renovation of the kitchens at Chestnut Court Apartments. This project will also include electrical and fire protection system upgrades. The Authority completed the following capital improvement projects: carpet replacement in the community room of Ann Whalen Apartments and exterior painting at Watson Farms Apartments.

88

Management

The Authority processed 538 new applications during the year and maintained combined waiting list totals of 790 applicants.

AHA staff processed 233 income recertifications and signed leases with 22 new households residing in AHA owned property.

In an attempt to control energy costs, the Authority signed a contract with Power Options, a non- profit energy purchasing consortium for non-profit and public organizations. Gas and electricity are now purchased through this program. The Authority also procured the services for an energy audit for Watson Farms Apartments as a joint effort with Northampton Housing Authority.

The Authority renewed its contract for Executive Director services with the Hampshire County Regional Housing Authority.

Rental Assistance Programs

The AHA administers three rental assistance programs: the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), both funded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. Both state funded programs permit eligible households to occupy privately owned units. The Authority pays part of the monthly rent directly to the owner. Over 90 local owners participate in the programs.

AHA staff issued 41 Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers, completed 611 income recertifications and leased 46 new families on the program. The Authority also completed 10 MRVP and AHVP income recertifications.

589 housing inspections were completed during the year. These inspections included annual, move-in, and special inspections of units leased through the Section 8 and conventional housing programs.

Resident Services

The Support Service Program, through its Coordinator, arranges for counseling, individual assessments, support, and crisis intervention to elderly/handicapped residents. The program also provides a number of educational forums for residents.

Ann Whalen Tenant Organization expanded its Wellness Clinic to residents of other AHA properties. This program is administered in collaboration with the Nursing School at the University of Massachusetts.

Two Ann Whalen residents, Jean Haggerty and Pat Thompkins, are now involved with the Experience Works program. They have organized a number of programs for residents, including the Wellness Clinic, Morning Breadbasket program, smoking cessation classes, grant writing,

89 and resident handbook revisions.

A number of tenants at Chestnut Court and Ann Whalen Apartments are very active in gardening. They have provided many hours of labor, enhancing the landscape with flowers and shrubs at both developments.

90

HOUSING PARTNERSHIP/ FAIR HOUSING COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

The Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee has moved forward with our important mission by working cooperatively with many groups and individuals. We have undertaken projects to increase the community’s awareness of our committee’s goals and commitment. We have also focused on widening our own awareness of the challenges of creating and supporting affordable housing.

Throughout the year we have met with developers who presented us with plans that they were proposing which included affordable housing. The Habitat for Humanity project will begin this fall while the Amherst Housing Authority rental project on Tamarack Drive has been completed. Both organizations met with us. We look forward to the Tamarack opening, when four new households will be part of our town. The Committee has continued to work on the Olympia Drive project, having met with Austin Miller, financial consultant, and Jeff Squires from Berkshire Design, who presented three options regarding that location. The Committee voted to support home ownership units after discussion and analysis of the Town’s needs. The process will continue for some time before any actual homes materialize.

Our committee’s purpose includes being committed to fair housing. Along with the Amherst Housing Authority and the Human Rights Commission, we sponsored two events for Fair Housing Month. A representative of HAP presented a film and led a discussion, followed by the Ann Whalen House’s excellent hospitality. The second event was a bus tour of the Holyoke Housing properties, which allowed us to see an award-winning project. Erica Johnson of the Housing Discrimination Project spoke to our committee about their efforts in ensuring parity in the housing market

We have also completed a brochure for all Town Meeting members that outlines our committee's activities and mission. We continue to update the Affordable Housing Plan, which will become part of the Comprehensive Plan for the Town of Amherst. Two of our members are serving on the Comprehensive Plan Committee.

In an effort to become more informed, members attended a conference on inclusive zoning, as well as a conference sponsored by the Architecture Department at the University of Massachusetts that related to building affordable housing and new directions in that field. We also spent meeting time hearing from Joanne Campbell, Executive Director of Valley CDC, about single- room occupancy (SRO) and their experiences in developing and maintaining such projects.

In early July, the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing, along with the Amherst Housing Authority, welcomed our new Town Manager at a reception.

Nancy Gregg, Chair

91

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Fiscal Year 2006

The Amherst Human Rights Commission (HRC) once again became fully staffed to nine Commissioners, as the two student Commissioners who graduated were replaced. Both had completed their two-year cycles as members of the Human Rights Commission.

The Human Rights Commission has been as active this year as in previous years, probably more so. The HRC continues to advocate for the rights of Amherst citizens as well as community groups. Our challenge is to become more visible to the community, since many citizens expressed surprise to learn of our existence; thus we have made a concerted effort to provide more information about the HRC to the community through individual group presentations and events.

The HRC has been more active in expressing global concerns regarding homelessness and genocide in places such as Darfur, with our co-chair spearheading the Amherst initiative. We have also expressed our concerns regarding the immigration issue in America.

The HRC took an active role in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Committee and was instrumental in having a Sister-City relationship established between Amherst and the devastated community of Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.

The Town’s Martin Luther King celebration was an opportunity to have Amherst citizens who traveled to Mississippi and Louisiana to share and discuss their experiences, and the need for public and private support for human rights. The Town celebration will be another re-awakening event which the Commission will endeavor to make more visible than in the recent past.

In an effort to improve our skills and team efficiency, to better serve the educational interest of the citizens of Amherst, we participated in two excellent HRC Retreats.

Being true to the nature of the HRC, we shall continue with our efforts to advance the “No Place for Hate” campaign for the Town of Amherst.

The third annual event, entitled “Amherst Gathering,” was held at Mill River Recreation Area in June 2006. This annual event, which recognizes area youth through the Amherst Human Rights “Young Heroes Award” and gives public credit to deserving individuals, aims to help emphasize the fact that acts of social justice are recognized by the HRC without age restriction.

The Commission also collaborated with the Amherst Housing Authority to celebrate Fair Housing Month, by presenting the film “The Letter,” a documentary about racism, housing and immigration in a community in Maine.

A final example of the HRC’s commitment to human rights is the annual International Declaration of Human Rights reading on the Common, December 10th. This year, the banner over the street will help draw attention to the occasion; it is our hope that it will encourage increased participation.

92

During the coming year, the HRC will focus on several areas: One area will be the avian flu threat and the promotion of anti-poverty awareness, because of the growing number of Amherst citizens requiring assistance in various forms. We will continue our support of affordable housing in Amherst, advocate for non-citizen eligibility, and for people of color to participate on boards and committees. We will also advocate for a strong commitment from the Town of Amherst regarding affirmative action in Town employment.

We plan to make a special effort to continue with this year’s success in attaining a quorum 98% of the time, accepting the challenge to be a stimulating catalyst for the entire community to become active stakeholders in human rights acts and the commitment to improving our community.

Monthly meetings will continue to be scheduled at the Bangs Community Center on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. We encourage all members of the community to attend and to consider becoming an ad hoc member to assist us with short-term projects.

Human Rights Director

The Human Rights Director has been unusually busy this year. I addressed seven (7) major complaints, all of which required a full investigation, a formal analysis/report, and recommendations to the Town manager and the Community Development Committee. In addition, over 45 requests/complaints from citizens and Town of Amherst employees were addressed, and required an average of 25-40 calls per week regarding alleged civil rights violations, inquiries, consultations and other administrative issues.

The investigations required spending a great deal of time meeting with individuals and representatives from various programs and arranging many meetings during both day and evening hours.

In addition, I am responsible for conducting a Self-Evaluation/Transition Plan for the Town of Amherst. This is to bring the Town into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1995 and is one of the application requirements for CDBG funds. I organized training for department heads for the Town of Amherst; I also conducted a Town-wide department survey of all Town-owned buildings; and, in collaboration with the DAAC, created an ADA Mission statement, in conjunction with policies and procedures for ADA compliance. I created an ADA public notice, to be posted in all departments, as a statement of our commitment to ADA. An ADA compliance team was also appointed to assist with the implementation process.

For my own and staff development, I attended and participated in the Black Leaders Community Development Conference and I also attended the National ADA Symposium in Saint Louis, Missouri. Another attempt toward self-development was in my organizing a retreat for myself and members of the Amherst Human Rights Commission, facilitated by the Amherst psychologist Patricia Romney.

Using my own time and funds, I traveled to Mississippi to participate in the clean-up efforts after hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and visited Bay St. Louis, which subsequently became a ‘Sister City” of Amherst.

93

In addition to all these activities and responsibilities, I attended all the Human Rights Commission meetings, where we maintained a quorum 98% of the time.

I would like to conclude this report by acknowledging the hard work, dedication and support of the Human Rights Commission, and the support of Town government.

Respectfully submitted,

Eunice Torres, Human Rights Director Reynolds Winslow, Human Rights Commission Chair

94

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT Fiscal Year 2006

This year the Information Technology (IT) Department again made measurable progress in the area of technology consolidation and standardization. The technology revolution did not show any sign of slowing, and the result was another significant increase in Department service levels, and additional devices and software systems needing to connect and communicate over the Town’s technology infrastructure. The IT Department has identified consolidation and standardization as a critical element in ensuring that Department responsibilities can continue to increase at a slower rate than annual operating expenses and staffing levels.

The most significant consolidation initiative undertaken by the Department this year was the migration to a single, Town-wide Internet Protocol- (IP) based telephone system. After careful analysis and planning, the IT Department determined that the monthly carrier savings alone would fund a complete Town-wide system over a five-year period. Traditionally, telephone calls between departments required two telephone lines per call, one for the caller and one for the receiver. The new IP Telephony system utilizes the Town’s already existing technology infrastructure for transporting interoffice and intradepartmental calls; resulting in a significant decrease in the number of telephone lines needed by the Town.

In early January, the new IP Telephony system was successfully activated, and departments began using Voice Over IP technology to make and receive all telephone calls. The IT Department was proud to be the first in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to deploy an IP telephony system Town-wide which included the Public Safety Communications Center. The system improved interdepartmental and inter-community voice communications while allowing the IT Department the ability to centrally monitor and manage phones and systems. The Town will realize a $30,000 annual communications savings at lease end.

Another successful consolidation effort completed this year was the deployment of an end-to- end software system for ambulance patient care and billing. In the past, many paper forms were handwritten by ambulance personnel prior to billing personnel transcribing the information into an electronic billing software system. Using rugged wireless tablet computers, ambulance personnel now enter patient care information directly into the same software database system that billing personnel electronically bill from. The result is more efficient staff, reduction in errors, and a decrease in unpaid ambulance bills.

The IT Department manages over fifty software database systems, which are housed on over thirty network servers. As part of the ongoing consolidation and standardization efforts over the past few years, the IT Department has strategically migrated many of these software database systems to a Windows and SQL Server environment. This year, the IT Department made the most significant software database migration to date. The MUNIS software database system is responsible for all payroll and personnel, utility, tax and excise billing and collection, accounts receivable and payable, procurement, and much more. In July of 2006, the IT Department plans to work closely with the software vendor to migrate the previously Unix-based system to a Windows and SQL server environment. The result will be a reduction in annual maintenance contract costs, ability to interconnect this software system with others in Town, and one less type of operating system and database system for IT staff to be trained on, and manage.

95

This year, the IT Department developed and deployed one of the most sophisticated interactive web-based Public GIS Viewers in Massachusetts. This system provides users the ability to easily view, print, email and even sketch on GIS maps, as well as view property information, list comparable properties, measure distances, and much more, online. The result will be more informed citizens, board and committee members, increased taxpayer confidence in tax assessments, an improved permitting process, and a common Town database-driven map set, with a common interface, to be used by decision makers at every level.

As more and more technology systems have been added, the IT Department has been mindful of the increase in energy consumption required. To deal with this, the Department took several steps towards minimizing energy consumption, including configuring Windows XP desktops and laptops to automatically power off monitors and initiate low-power consumption mode during inactivity, purchasing flat panel monitors, and purchasing only EPA Energy Star-compliant devices. The Department attempts to set an example in making choices and implementing technologies which are environmentally sensitive.

In addition to the many projects completed this year, the IT Department worked diligently behind the scenes, maintaining, repairing, and updating current systems. With the ever- increasing amount of “junk” e-mail and the constant threat of viruses and hackers, software upgrades to servers, PCs and other technology systems become a daily necessity. The IT Department maintains several layers and types of specialized security hardware and software, lowering the risk of unauthorized network intrusion and viruses. The Department also maintains a variety of backup systems, both onsite and offsite, ensuring that in a disaster the Town’s information and systems would be safe.

The citizen expectation of a more open and digitally accessible government continues to increase. In the coming year, the IT Department will continue to maintain software and infrastructure standards, extend more information and tools to constituents via the Town’s websites, provide departments, boards and committees with the necessary technologies to perform primary functions that operate efficiently, and leverage new technologies in ways which will serve Amherst residents for years to come.

Kristopher J. Pacunas Director

96

INSPECTION SERVICES Fiscal Year 2006

Inspection Services had another busy year in FY 06. The total number of permits issued by Inspection Services in FY 06 was once again over 3,000. The number of Building Permits issued reached a record high of 1,154, which was 186 more than last year.

Major projects at Amherst College issued in FY 06 included the Morrow dorm renovations, the Morris Pratt dorm renovations, and both the planning phase and the start of construction for the Charles Pratt dorm conversion and addition. The construction of the New Earth Science Building, which includes classrooms, labs and the new museum, continued through FY 06, with a partial occupancy permit for all spaces but the museum issued in February 2006. Finishing touches on the museum space were expected to continue into FY 07. In addition to these projects, we worked with Amherst College on the plan phases for the alterations and upgrades to the Hamilton and Porter houses.

Hampshire College upgrades included: continued renovations of the Enfield Student Housing, as well as upgrades and repairs to Dakin House, Merrill House and the Prescott dorms. The alterations to the Robert Crown Center food court area also started in FY 06.

There were a number of commercial additions, alterations and conversions this fiscal year. The most notable of these include the Amherst Cinema Complex, the Amherst Shopping Center at 181 and 229 University Drive, the two complexes located at 101 University Drive, and 100 University Drive. Two commercial buildings that have been empty were altered and reoccupied this year: one at 210 Old Farms Road, now occupied by Stavros, and the Cushman Store and Café at 491 Pine Street. In addition to these larger projects, there were a number of smaller commercial upgrades and alterations, including several kitchen hood systems and restaurant remodels.

The number of new dwelling units in multi-family buildings permitted in FY 06 increased by six over those permitted in FY 05, increasing from 51 new units to 57 new units. The number of permits issued for new single-family houses remained the same.

The increase in new construction and upgrades on the UMass campus, in addition to the other work in town, has kept the Electrical Inspections branch of this office extremely busy.

We thank all those who have been working with us for your patience and cooperation during another busy year for this department.

Bonnie Weeks Building Commissioner

97

INCOME FOR INSPECTION SERVICES FISCAL YEAR 2006

Building Permits Income Permits Gas Permits Income Permits

July 26,568.45 163 July 435.00 11 August 168,879.45 102 August 1,140.00 23 September 9,906.65 68 September 735.00 19 October 21,063.65 104 October 1,655.00 26 November 21,135.35 74 November 1,080.00 21 December 28,005.30 44 December 1,105.00 17 January 9,907.45 37 January 770.00 13 February 8,531.60 43 February 585.00 9 March 46,383.95 100 March 820.00 13 April 14,258.25 75 April 505.00 7 May 126,456.65 122 May 780.00 12 June 38,447.40 122 June 1,510.00 21

Total 519,544.15 1054 Total 11,120.00 192

Weights & Measures Electrical Permits

July 480.00 2 July 3,595.00 64 August 0.00 0 August 4,385.00 77 September 20.00 1 September 5,050.00 70 October 590.00 3 October 5,760.00 84 November 3,390.00 9 November 26,790.00 105 December 895.00 12 December 39,835.00 75 January 1,009.00 9 January 33,445.00 115 February 40.00 1 February 5,325.00 49 March 50.00 1 March 6,625.00 78 April 25.00 1 April 8,579.00 82 May 0.00 0 May 15,973.00 76 June 450.00 2 June 8,804.50 73

Total 6,949.00 41 Total 164,166.50 948

Plumbing Permits Certificates of Inspection

July 3,865.00 30 July 1,867.00 24 August 2,185.00 37 August 1,362.50 12 September 825.00 20 September 4,265.00 36 October 2,315.00 25 October 10,376.00 64 November 9,570.00 69 November 610.00 5 December 2,400.00 24 December 12,771.00 111 January 3,270.00 26 January 745.00 6 February 2,915.00 27 February 1,243.00 12 March 4,090.00 32 March 2,507.00 20 April 3,190.00 28 April 1,000.00 10 May 5,075.00 30 May 690.00 18 June 2,715.00 23 June 1,963.00 17

Total 42,415.00 371 Total 39,399.50 335

Income Permits

SUB TOTALS 783,594.15 2,941

Demolition Permits 1,035.00 15 Re-Inspection Fees - COI'S 300.00 X Certificate of Occupancy X 104

TOTAL 784,929.15 3,060

98

INSPECTION SERVICES PERMITS ISSUED

FY 96 - FY 06

FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

BUILDING PERMITS 645 795 704 836 733 709 768 798 827 868 1,054

DEMOLITION PERMITS 5 8 8 17 12 13 9 23 8 13 15

PLUMBING PERMITS 304 325 329 363 320 317 402 475 396 342 371

GAS PERMITS 204 236 196 254 214 198 235 230 286 240 192

ELECTRICAL PERMITS 908 842 977 1,007 892 848 848 704 884 1,275 948

CERTIFICATES OF INSPECTION 261 255 344 368 330 362 316 345 351 346 335

WEIGHTS & MEASURES 44 50 9 57 51 42 42 41 41

CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY 65 81 70 81 66 80 74 71 97 80 104

TOTAL PERMITS ISSUED 2,392 2,542 2,672 2,976 2,576 2,584 2,703 2,688 2,891 3,205 3,060

AMHERST INSPECTION SERVICES Income FY 02 - FY 06

FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06

JULY 58,286.96 44,497.40 40,676.50 20,354.95 36,960.45

AUGUST 39,888.25 49,163.65 94,251.17 27,917.40 178,126.95

SEPTEMBER 49,150.80 43,495.25 43,302.40 35,923.90 20,901.65

OCTOBER 20,841.70 66,121.74 39,269.70 36,714.80 41,759.65

NOVEMBER 52,659.90 18,365.14 19,394.85 49,740.90 62,675.35

DECEMBER 21,907.55 22,666.60 47,712.23 58,297.15 85,011.30

JANUARY 20,085.20 24,699.50 12,893.00 55,824.85 49,221.45

FEBRUARY 33,003.05 33,054.65 24,608.35 12,051.00 18,864.60

MARCH 29,440.15 42,840.95 39,026.89 29,146.30 60,550.95

APRIL 51,510.34 24,885.10 18,362.00 30,990.65 27,632.25

MAY 59,137.20 80,903.72 29,767.85 60,145.10 149,184.65

JUNE 42,974.65 53,075.12 117,048.48 53,616.97 54,039.90

TOTAL 478,885.75 503,768.82 526,313.42 470,723.97 784,929.15

BUDGET ACTUAL 319,887.00 307,147.00 303,471.00 326,336.00 335,081.00

FEES INCREASED - MARCH 1992 FEES INCREASED - APRIL 2000

FEES WAIVED

FY 01 - 45 Permits $ 4,419.00 FY 02 - 99 Permits $ 7,360.00 FY 03 - 86 Permits $ 7,792.00 FY 04 - 58 Permits $ 7,300.00 FY 05 - 40 Permits $ 4,805.00 FY 06 - 54 Permits $ 5,625.00

99

PERMITS ISSUED AND INCOME FY 02 - FY 06

FY02 FY02 FY03 FY 03 FY 04 FY 04 FY 05 FY 05 FY 06 FY 06 PERMITS INCOME PERMITS INCOME PERMITS INCOME PERMITS INCOME PERMITS INCOME

BUILDING 768 327,263.75 798 346,283.32 827 360,834.50 868 264,845.10 1054 519,544.15

ELECTRICAL 848 74,181.50 704 68,750.00 884 79,382.00 1275 121,498.87 948 164,166.50

PLUMBING 402 23,209.00 475 28,104.00 396 23,274.00 342 19,710.00 371 42,415.00

GAS 235 10,010.00 230 9,100.00 286 11,290.00 240 11,300.00 192 11,120.00

CERT. OF INSPECTION 316 38,057.00 345 43,722.50 351 46,112.17 346 46,078.00 335 39,399.50

WTS & MEAS. 51 4,497.00 42 5,544.00 42 4,847.00 41 5,862.00 41 6,949.00

DEMOLITION 9 675.00 23 1,665.00 8 480.00 13 930.00 15 1,035.00

RE-INSPECTION X 992.50 X 600.00 X 400.00 X 500.00 X 300.00

CERT. OF OCC. 74 X 71 X 97 X 80 X 105 X

TOTALS 2703 478,885.75 2688 503,768.82 2891 526,619.67 3205 470,723.97 3061 784,929.15

100

MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS $400,000.00 AND UP FY 06

APPLICANT LOCATION NATURE OF WORK EST. COST FEES

Trustees of Amherst College Morrow Dorm Renovate Existing Dorm $ 5,585,000.00 $ 55,880.00

Trustees of Amherst College Pratt Dorm Renovate Existing Dorm $ 8,849,000.00 $ 88,520.00

Trustees of Amherst College Charles Pratt Dorm Addition and Renovation $ 15,710,270.00 $ 100,000.00

Amherst Cinema LLC 28 Amity St. *Renovate Existing Building - Phase I $ 968,000.00 $ 9,750.00 Amherst Cinema Project & 1 Build out

Slobody Development Corp. 101 University Drive *Interior Build Out and Alterations $ 795,508.00 $ 8,130.00

Elysium LLC 100 University Drive *Interior Build Out and Alterations $ 442,250.00 $ 4,590.00

Amherst Shopping Center Assoc. 181 University Drive *Interior Build Out and Alterations $ 419,800.00 $ 4,220.00

Amherst Shopping Center Assoc. 229 University Drive Dunkin' Donuts $ 440,000.00 $ 1,365.00

Amir Mikhchi 118 South East St. New Repair Garage $ 500,000.00 $ 2,900.30

Sunwood Development Corp. 208 Pine St. Bld. 2 New 2 Story Condominium Building - $ 504,500.00 $ 3,343.70 4 Units

Ahmad Development Corp. 25 Greenleaves Dr. New Condominium Building - 39 Units $ 2,400,000.00 $ 18,722.75

Henry Whitlock 16 Hawthorn Rd. New Single Family Dwelling $ 518,000.00 $ 2,993.20

Robert Pollin 1290 South East St. New Single Family Dwelling $ 500,000.00 $ 3,113.45

TOTAL $ 37,632,328.00 $ 303,528.40

* includes more than 1 permit in the same building

101

CONTINUED & NEW PROJECTS 2006-2007

Location Description Status Amherst College Morrow Dorm Renovation Completion August 2006 Amherst College M.Pratt Dorm Renovation Completion August 2006 Amherst College C. Pratt Museum Conversion Start May 2006 Amherst College Porter Dorm Start July 2007 Amherst College Hamilton Dorm Addition Start July 2007

Hampshire College Enfield Summer 2006 Merrill A & B Sprinklers Summer 2006 Robert Crown Center Completion fall 2006 Lemelson Completion fall 2006 U-Mass 20 Major projects Start 2006 or 2007 through March 2009 U-Mass 2 Major Projects Planning phase 2006-2006 (start 2008)

Developments

Amherst Hills Ongoing Palley Village Completion 2006 Greenleaves Building 26 Completion 2006 Greenleaves Building 28 Start spring 2006 Butternut Farm On hold Pine Street Multi-Family Housing Start spring 2006 Main Street Multi-Family Housing In planning phase Emerson Cout Multi-Family rebuild In planning phase

Other

Amherst Cinema Renovations & addition Completion fall of 2006 210 Universtity Drive Dunkin' Donuts Completion fall of 2006 170 University Drive Alterations Start fall 2006 100 University Drive Alterations In planning for additional alterations 75 Triangle Rebuild In planning phase Grace Church Renovations & addition Start fall 2006 Boltwood Walk Knights of Columbus-New Building 2006-2007 37-41 Boltwood Walk Restaurant(s) Start fall 2006 North Pleasant St. Judie's - alterations and addition In planning phase

102

INSPECTION SERVICES TOWN OF AMHERST BUILDING PERMITS ESTIMATED COST FISCAL YEAR 2006

Commercial New New New New Private & Institutional Single Two Commercial, Condominiums Multi Family Religious Family Family Institutional, & Multi Fam. Alterations/ Alterations/ Accessory Month Dwellings # Dwellings # Conversion # Religious, Farm, # Dwellings # Additions # Additions # Structures # Total #

July 266,700 1 0 0 137,500 1 0 0 0 0 1,066,370 ### 1,090,501 19 43,815 14 2,604,886 163 August 759,840 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 726,081 55 14,967,451 19 163,621 24 ######### 102 September 271,000 1 500 1 494,941 40 39,474 6 65,696 20 871,611 68

Quarterly Total 1,297,540 6 0 0 138,000 2 0 0 0 0 2,287,392 ### 16,097,426 44 273,132 58 ######### 333

October 928,861 3 0 0 14,500 2 53,984 1 0 0 931,737 70 344,355 12 51,050 16 2,324,487 104 November 679,649 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 541,753 47 697,337 19 74,283 5 1,993,022 74 Decembe r 1,177,600 4 0 0 85,000 1 23,700 1 0 0 391,093 26 1,308,498 10 1,100 2 2,986,991 44

Quarterly Total 2,786,110 10 0 0 99,500 3 77,684 2 0 0 1,864,583 ### 2,350,190 41 126,433 23 7,304,500 222

6 Month Total 4,083,650 16 0 0 237,500 5 77,684 2 0 0 4,151,975 ### 18,447,616 85 399,565 81 ######### 555

Januar y 500,000 1 0 0 14,200 1 0 0 0 0 292,590 25 241,800 6 56,960 4 1,105,550 37 Februar y 242,000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 276,775 31 188,500 9 7,834 2 715,109 43 March 480,763 3 97,000 2 0 0 2,400,000 1 1,250,571 66 536,305 19 77,065 9 4,841,704 100

Quarterly Total 1,222,763 5 0 0 111,200 3 0 0 2,400,000 1 1,819,936 ### 966,605 34 141,859 15 6,662,363 180

April 446,299 2 0 0 65,000 1 0 0 0 0 700,960 44 38,000 6 5,800 22 1,256,059 75 May 262,000 1 0 0 ######### 4 0 0 0 0 1,031,971 63 856,934 14 80,603 39 ######### 121 June 1,068,800 4 242,000 1 940,000 2 504,500 1 1,083,992 73 385,755 19 114,465 23 4,339,512 123

Quarterly Total 1,777,099 7 0 0 ######### 6 940,000 2 504,500 1 2,816,923 ### 1,280,689 39 200,868 84 ######### 319

Grand Total 7,083,512 28 0 0 ######### 14 1,017,684 4 2,904,500 2 8,788,834 ### 20,694,910 ### 742,292 ### ######### ####

Total New Dwelling Units 28 14 43 85 New Dorms 1 1

103

TOWN OF AMHERST NEW SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS

CALENDAR YEAR # OF PEMITS

1981 40 1982 25 1983 59 1984 73 1985 112 1986 118 1987 Jan - June 56 (6 Months)

FISCAL YEAR (July - June) # OF PERMITS

FY 88 43 FY 89 69 FY 90 30 FY 91 29 FY 92 22 FY 93 45 FY 94 51 FY 95 41 FY 96 36 FY 97 39 FY 98 30 FY 99 27 FY 00 32 FY 01 33 FY 02 38 FY 03 35 FY 04 28 FY 05 28 FY 06 28

104

KANEGASAKI SISTER CITY COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

Members: Byron Koh, Nancy Bess, Denise Boyd, Florence Boynton, Alex Kent, Carolyn Platt, Nancy Pagano, Eric Nakajma, Stephanie Joyce, Helen MacMellon Staff Liaison: Barry DelCastilho

Reflection/Evaluation of March Visit of Kanegasaki Middle School Students This year Amherst welcomed fifteen Kanegasaki Middle School students and three chaperones March 22-26th. Middle School teacher Denise Boyd coordinated all aspects of this visit and did an excellent job. Everyone involved came away saying the experience was very positive and there was good energy.

The students especially enjoyed their time at Yankee Candle and Old Deerfield. Other features of the itinerary were a walking tour of UMass, bowling and shopping. Unfortunately, because of the holiday timing this year, it couldn’t be worked out to visit the UMass classroom where students were studying Japanese, which had been a highlight during the campus tour in 2005. The chaperones loved the Jones Library visit coordinated by Carolyn. The farewell dinner was held at the Amherst Regional High School for the first time, rather than the Middle School, and this turned out to be a better site, as it seemed more intimate bright and cheerful. The potluck smorgasbord was huge, thanks to the generosity of the host families and Kanegasaki Sister City Committee members and friends. In evaluating this year’s visit, it was clear that when translators are present during outings, it adds a great deal to the pleasure of the experience. Perhaps UMass students studying Japanese could help with this during future exchanges.

Japanese Culture Club at Middle School According to Laura, the person in charge of Savuka, the after-school offerings at the Middle School, the Asian Club continues to hold student interest. This Club is delving into Japanese cooking. No college students were able to assist with the Japanese Language Club, which was disappointing. There was more Middle School interest when Amherst students were anticipating a trip to Japan in April. Nancy Bess knows another town with a sister city, and kids there are required to give a year to a culture club if they want to go to visit the sister city.

Jones/Kanegasaki Library Sister City News Our KSCC display at the Jones Library was taken down at the end of January and Carolyn was asked if we would mind setting it up at the Taste of Japan at the University of Massachusetts. The KSCC agreed to this and Carolyn made the arrangements. The event itself, held in the Oak Room of the Worcester Dining Commons, was held February 15th and featured food stations, such as sushi and tempura, and drew hundreds of people. Our display and handouts attracted attention and were a great way to get the word out about our committee.

The Jones Library received a shipment of new books for children from the Kanegasaki Library. Kanegasaki has been so generous with sending illustrated children’s books that the Jones Library actually now has so many that some have been added to the public schools’ circulating lending library. Carolyn was planning to write a letter to Kanegasaki, broaching the idea of the need for some adult books and for the possibility that good used books would also be appreciated, when she received word of the impending new shipment. Reciprocating equally is more of a problem now due to budget restrictions, and Carolyn has been slowly collecting good used books to add to a small number of new books, children’s plus some

105

adult, but there aren’t nearly enough yet to ship. After some discussion about the dilemma, Nancy Bess sought donations from local bookstores. Retirements Two huge supporters of the Kanegasaki Sister City agreement retired this spring – Amherst Town Manager Barry Del Castilho, and Kanegasaki Mayor Norio Takahashi. The friendly relationship and admiration between these two community leaders greatly helped to foster the growth of the Sister City exchanges.

Joyce and Gail, from Barry’s staff, prepared a lovely framed certificate of appreciation for Mayor Takahashi to thank him for all his work on behalf of our Sister City relationship. It was signed by Anne Awad, Barry and Byron. Myuki Chida, assistant to the Mayor, wrote to say that he was “very pleased and impressed with this wonderful gift.”

Looking Ahead In FY 07, the KSCC will continue to focus on assisting school and parental groups with fundraising activities, so that student exchanges with Kanegasaki can continue in spite of fiscal constraints. We remain committed to supporting the important work of promoting peace and understanding between different cultures.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Hirsh Pagano, Secretary

106

LA PAZ CENTRO/AMHERST SISTER CITY COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

ACTIVE MEMBERS: Alice Allen Cindy Asebrook Mark and Nancy Haffey Jeannie Jones Chuck and Nancy Milch Kathy and Walter Mullin Mary Santiago Lyle Seger Anne and Ed Stanek

Our committee has continued to be very active this year. We have added three new members: Alice Allen and Kathy and Walter Mullin. This makes for thirteen active members, and more who help out periodically with such events as our annual tag sale. We meet regularly once a month, at which time we receive a report from Julio Carrasco, chair of the coordinating committee in La Paz, through Mary Santiago, who communicates with Julio. We have lively discussions about projects and relationships.

This year we had two major fundraising events: our annual tag sale and a fundraising letter that we mail out once a year, with the generous support of the Town. We continue to sell coffee and pastries (donated by Henion’s Bakery) at the Town Meeting as an ongoing fundraiser.

There will be another delegation from Amherst going to La Paz Centro in February 2007. The members of the delegation raise their own funds for these trips through such activities as wreath making and burrito dinners. The Committee’s most important contribution to the trips is in the form of ideas for projects and creating closer connections between Amherst and La Paz Centro.

Five of our members attended a Nicaragua Sister City Conference held in New Haven, Connecticut in March of this year. There were about ten sister cities represented at the conference. It was an energizing event, from which we came away with new ideas to pursue in our own situation.

We are now supporting 26 scholarship students in La Paz Centro. We were able to add more than expected, as another school has been built in La Paz Centro. Julio and the La Paz Centro coordinating committee continue to provide oversight and tutoring support for the scholarship students, as well as computer classes for both students and other community members. We have also added support of a Habitat for Humanity housing project that is expected to supply housing for at least 30 La Paz Centro families. We are funding two coordinators for this project for 6 months, who are working with the families involved in the building.

Three of our members (two of whom are funded by the Committee) will be visiting La Paz Centro in July, bringing with them more computers and lots of questions. We send one or two members of our group over every year in order to keep the communication flowing and provide personal oversight of the projects in La Paz Centro.

107

Amherst’s Sister City relationship with La Paz Centro makes a difference in the life of the community in La Paz Centro, the average annual salary there being $370. We continue to appreciate immensely the support that the Town of Amherst gives to this committee.

Respectfully submitted,

Anne Z. Stanek

Chairperson Amherst/La Paz Centro Sister City Committee

108

LEISURE SERVICES AND SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (LSSE) Fiscal Year 2006

LSSE Commission The LSSE Commission reached a full capacity of seven members with the addition in FY 06 of RT Brown, James Patulak and Afranio Torres Neto as new LSSE Commissioners. Kathy Ford continued as chair during this year and Stanley Ziomek resumed his clerk position. The Commission also included members Peter Blier and Judy Brooks.

Prime endeavors for the LSSE Commission in FY 06 included advocacy for the Department’s annual budget and construction of the Plum Brook athletic fields. The Plum Brook athletic fields project has been a multi-year effort and the Department’s largest capital project to date. Both of these ventures were heavily burdened by the reality of a difficult budgetary year.

Operating Budget The FY 07 budget process resulted in a severe reduction of tax support amounting to a loss of $117,000. The Town Manager’s budget proposed $286,427 in reductions that included: the elimination of the Education and Performing Arts Program Director position, the elimination of the Special Needs Program Director position and other special needs expenses, reducing program subsidies and closing one pool. By the end of the process, however, the majority of LSSE’s community programs were preserved, as well as the corresponding staff positions. To make up the budget deficit, the Commission adopted an assortment of Department changes which included restructuring staff positions, incorporating new revenue-generating services and programs, reducing expenses, raising fees and eliminating $17,000 in tax support for the indoor pool.

Plum Brook Athletic Fields In July of 2005, citizens opposing the building of the Plum Brook Recreation Area gathered signatures to place a ballot question on a Town-wide referendum. This action came in spite of Town Meeting’s five votes over three years, all of which were in support of building the fields. The most recent favorable vote included a Town Meeting vote “not to reconsider,” in June of 2005. That tally vote was officially recorded at 112 to 67.

The citizen-initiated ballot question came before voters on September 27, 2005, asking for a yes vote to rescind the project funding. Citizens in favor of supporting the project mounted a campaign which asked voters to “Build the Fields, Keep the Promise” and vote no. When all election results were in, the outcome was clearly in favor of moving the project forward, as all Town precincts voted down the ballot question. On the financial side, the project was given the green light as well. Contractor Jack Gonclaves and Sons had waited six months for a contract award while Town Meeting votes, a Special Town Meeting vote, and a Town referendum vote were enacted and considered. At the conclusion of these six months, the firm agreed to keep their original bid price.

Project Construction An official “Ground Breaking Ceremony” marked the beginning of construction on October 14th, 2005. As the project moved forward, however, difficulties immediately surfaced and foretold the hazards of working a challenging site outside of more predictable warm weather months. Tropical hurricanes brought damaging rainstorms to Amherst in October and continued through November. State rainfall accumulation records of 50 years prior were broken. These weather

109

conditions adversely affected the start of construction and dampened plans to make significant headway prior to the winter.

During the previous spring, the Department of Environment Protection (DEP) had attached a Superseding Order of Conditions to the project permit, and difficulties mounted when misunderstandings and differences in interpretation of this document occurred. Two notices of non-compliance were issued to the Town and Contractor early on in the project, but were immediately remedied upon receipt.

December brought snow, and January featured an early spring thaw, with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s. These undesirable weather conditions delivered rain on top of melting snow, which resulted in water leaving the northeast corner of the site on January 18th. Upon investigation of this unacceptable situation, the Town and our compliance monitor notified DEP of the problem and took action to correct the situation. After conferencing with DEP, an administrative penalty of $1,000 was levied and the Town invoked additional stringent controls to forestall further issues. All parties agreed to suspend work pending favorable weather conditions. Reinforced sedimentation and erosion -control measures were implemented, regularly checked and repairs made throughout the voluntary inactive period leading into the spring. Dramatic rainstorms arrived in April and May, but the Town’s new controls held. Construction-sequencing plans were reviewed and approved. The site grew drier in June and the contractor anticipated a start- up date of July 5th while preparing a crew to return to the site.

Program Statistics FY 06 FY 05

Aquatics Outdoor Pools – Lessons 550 563 Outdoor Pool – Memberships 180 149 Indoor Pool – Lessons 628 605 Indoor Pool – Memberships 138 159 Total 1,496 1,476

Sports Youth Sports Camps 841 785 Youth Basketball 652 660 Youth Football 77 79 Adult Softball 33 teams 33 teams Adult Volleyball 4 teams 11 teams Skiing/Snowboarding 184 176 Ultimate 584 650 Girls Softball 120 150 New Sports 48 Total 2,543 2,544

Vacation and Day Camps Outdoor Challenge 172 168 Early Adventures 226 173 Adventure Playground 443 354 Vacation Camps 90 90 Prime Time 66 97 Total 997 882

110

Performing Arts Community Theater Tickets 4253 4017 Valley Light Opera Tickets 1824 1794 Total 6,077 5,811

Youth Classes Instructional 166 192 Visual Arts 132 172 Total 298 364

Adult Education Hobbies 73 140 Health 217 199 Sports 23 40 Performing Arts 261 309 Personal Development 106 96 Visual Arts 171 176 Total 851 960

Special Events Halloween 78 96 July 4th 20,000 20,000 Total 20,078 20,096

Special Needs Registrants 206 197

Fee Subsidies- Households 186 203

Linda Chalfant, Director

111 LIBRARIES Fiscal Year 2006 Supporting the Civic and Cultural Life of Amherst The Jones Library, Munson Memorial Library, North Amherst Library

A Center for the Community Pioneer Valley history. Three book During FY 06, use of the Town Libraries discussions explored Irish immigration and continued to grow at a steady rate. Library capital punishment, concluding with a borrowing made a comeback from 528,116 fascinating talk by author Michael White. in FY 04 to 561,677 in FY 06. This 6% increase results from three factors: higher Immigrants found essential community usage at Jones Library despite reduced hours resources. The English as a Second of service, restoration of open hours at the Language (ESL) Center sponsored branch libraries, and a 20% rise in materials Intermediate Level English conversation sent to other libraries for checkout. Demand classes and trained forty-three new volunteer for professional reference and research ESL Tutors who then were matched with service was slightly ahead of FY 05, and students from the waiting list. A “New meeting room use for library programs and Citizens Party” congratulated ESL students community events increased from 797 to on achieving United States citizenship. 828 events in FY 06. “Library Services to Immigrants: a report on best practices” by the US Office of One of the most popular events of the year Citizenship featured the Jones Library ESL was the installation of a temporary Center. crosswalk linking the Jones Library to the parking lot across Amity Street. Library Local artists displayed creative works in staff and Trustees wish to thank the Select many media. The Burnett Gallery offered Board and the Department of Public Works paintings, drawings, flower portraits, for making this long desired crosswalk a photography, fractal geometry, traditional reality. Korean pottery, sculpture, and quilts in monthly exhibits. Courtyard exhibits Ideas and Learning included the Amherst `Energy Conservation Nationally known authors connected with Task Force “Climate Action Plan”, holiday their readers at Jones Library. Vermont magazine covers from the New Yorker, mystery author Archer Mayor entertained Merry Musical posters designed by Bob his fans and donated the rights to name a McClung, and the vibrant artwork of character in his next book as part of the Amherst Regional Middle and High School Friends annual basket auction. Charles students Mann, author of 1491, gave an illustrated talk on pre-Columbian indigenous Readers and researchers used new online civilizations. The “Mystery Desserts” services via the library website. Factory program brought together four authors from drawings and step by step photographs from Sisters in Crime with mystery fans. The the Auto Repair Reference Center became jubilat/Jones Poetry Series presented twelve available for use online in addition to notable poets in six Sunday readings. As newspapers, magazine articles, and business part of the Hampshire County “On the Same information. Town Libraries continued to Page” community reading program, Town experiment with online access to eBooks. Libraries distributed sixty copies of The Readers began downloading audio books Garden of Martyrs, a novel based on and eBooks in September 2005, through 112

“Overdrive” from the C/W MARS network. Series, funded by the Amherst Cultural Munson Memorial Library added Council and the Friends of the Library, “Playaway” unabridged audio books presented Klezamir, fiddle music, African recorded in MP3 format and stored on a very rhythms, and pre-school songs and games. small portable player. Computer beginners The “City Dancin” program taught learned basic skills at classes taught by expressive movement and exercises to Reference staff. “Introduction to enrich learning. “Quilt Buddies” introduced Computers” and “Introduction to the children and adults to patchwork quilting. A Internet” classes were joined by more musical theater and drama workshop for advanced sessions on Word Processing, ages 7-9 performed “Odon, the Giant” based Using eBay, and Online Forums. on a Philippine folktale. Weekly offerings include: pre-school story time, Book Chats, Amherst Kids Love to Read craft programs, a book club for teens, Head The amazing popularity of Harry Potter kept Start program visits to North Amherst kids reading all summer. Town Libraries Library, “Sing with your baby” pre-school purchased 15 print and audio copies of music programs, Chess Clubs for kids, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by Animal Tales featuring animal related J.K. Rowling, in response to over 100 stories with shelter animals from the Dakin reserve requests. A Harry Potter Summer Animal Shelter. Camp for Young Wizards provided an opportunity to conjure up science and arts All second grade classes in the Amherst activities. 275 kids joined three Summer public schools visited the Jones Library as Reading Clubs, sharing their enthusiasm for part of the Friends ‘Every Child a Reader’ the books that they read while winning program. During their visits, children prizes and collecting incentive coupons. signed up for library cards, explored the library, received free books as gifts and Hundreds of kids and their families enjoyed made friends with the library staff. Thanks meeting author John Scieszka at “Amherst to our volunteer Friends and the Amherst Reads John Scieszka” in October. The day public schools for promoting reading at the combined storytelling, puppet shows, a Library. costume parade, arts and crafts activities, and book signings by this clever award- Special Collections and Local History winning children’s author. The amazing Literary researchers gained new research Angela DiTerlizzi coordinated events and tools during FY 06. In preparation for the made this special day happen for kids with annual meeting of the International Emily support from the Children’s Library staff, Dickinson Society in Amherst, Special Barnes and Noble Bookstore, and a coalition Collections staff compiled a thorough of energetic volunteers. research index of all Dickinson manuscripts and Dickinson family correspondence at the Families brought youngsters to the libraries Library. In addition, the Massachusetts throughout the year. “Stories for the Whole Board of Library Commissioners awarded Family” presented four entrancing New the Library a federal LSTA grant of $10,660 England storytellers: Tim Van Egmond, for professional consultants to create in - John Porcino, Mary Jo Maichack, and Davis depth online research tools for the Robert Bates. “Let’s Explore Science” sessions for Frost and Emily Dickinson manuscript children in grades K-3 and “Building Big” collections. Archival processing of artwork, workshops for grades 4 and up explored photographs, manuscripts, diaries and science themes. The Children’s Music publications in the Clifton Johnson 113

Collection began, thanks to the financial Collections and Children’s support of the Johnson family. Twenty Literature. Pioneer Valley photographs taken by Clifton The Friends of the Jones Library Johnson at the turn of the century were System donated $23,800 for scanned and mounted online as part of the programs, equipment and materials. C/W MARS Digital Treasures project This year’s “Basket, Books and www.dlib.cwmars.org. Community Chocolate” Silent Auction offered Preservation Act funding made it possible to 106 gorgeous gift baskets and raised obtain microfilm copies of historical records over $7,000. from the Town Clerk’s office. The Wang Family Fund was established in memory of well Special Collections staff welcomed known local artists Anna Look Wang thousands of tourists and student visitors to and Hui-Ming Wang. learn about the lives of Amherst poets from The Friends’ Beds for Books the exhibits. Talks included “The stuff of hospitality program generated close dreams,” a program by Jane Wald from the to $5,000 for the library book funds Emily Dickinson History Museum, and through the generosity of local seminars on Dickinson poetry co-sponsored families who hosted guests during with the Museum. Family Weekend and Commencements. The Harp Irish Pub donated funds to Private Fund Raising Made a Big support the North Amherst Library Contribution and its summer reading club Many of the special features of the Town activities. Libraries, including many of the programs Expanded hours at the North listed above, depend on the generosity of Amherst Library and the Munson private donors. Their contributions make it Memorial Library were made possible to improve library collections and possible by generous gifts from services, expanding educational Patricia Holland, an anonymous opportunities for all ages – all of which donor, Steve and Carol Gross, and makes Amherst a better place to live. the Friends of the Jones Library System. The Annual Fund Drive raised Individual Memorial Funds honored $41,400 for new library materials local residents Donald Hastings, from 625 donors. Donations ranged June George, Dr. Ralph Timberlake, from $1,350 in stock shares to the and Harold Smith. pennies spun around the “vortex” in The Emily Dickinson International the Children’s Library Society and the Garden Club of The Clifton Johnson Fund was Amherst made generous donations. created by the Johnson family to Printing services were donated by support preservation and online Collective Copies, and bookmarks research access to the literary and by the Jones Real Estate Group artistic works of Clifton Johnson. The Library also participated in The Ray and Pat Budde Fund was Hurricane Relief by collecting established by Scott Budde and donations in October. A poster sale Charlotte Cole in honor of his organized by local author Norton parents to support Special Juster generated over $3,000 to help rebuild damaged libraries. 114

Town Libraries continued the Amherst Residents with C/W MARS tradition of collecting food in lieu of cards June 30, 2006 overdue fines to support the open pantry at the Amherst Survival Adults 16,431 Center during the end of year Children, 4 to 13 yrs. 2,085 holidays. New borrowers registered in 2,087 FY 06 Endowment Balances. Vanguard Group Asset Management Services reports the investment value of the Jones Library Events and Public Meetings FY 06 Incorporated Endowment Fund at $8,226,078 as of June 30, 2006. TOTAL 828 All library events for adults 125 All library events for kids 246 Library Checkouts Public meetings and events 457 July 2005-June 2006

TOTAL 561,677 Jones Library 446,600 Munson Memorial 39,468 North Amherst 41,067 Sent to other libraries 34,542 for checkout

Reference and Research Assistance FY 06 In person, by telephone and email TOTAL 39,095 Jones – Adults 21,580 Jones – Kids 5,889 Special Collections 3,423 Branch Libraries 7,670 ESL Center 533

Cataloged Collections Available June 30, 2006

Books 209,089 Audio & Visual Items 23,273 Electronic & Other 1,956 Materials Purchased in FY 06 9,439 Donations added 1,181 Withdrawn in FY 06 8,138

115

Library Trustees Provide Leadership Lynne Weintraub, ESL Coordinator Kathleen Wang, President Henry Allan, Computer Technician Anita Page, Vice President Tina Swift, Administrative Assistant Willis Bridegam, Treasurer Chris White, Cataloging Technician Ann Grose, Clerk John Imbimbo, Building Supervisor Merrylees (Molly) Turner, Asst. Treasurer Kate Boyle, Special Collections Assistant Patricia Holland, Trustee Silvia Brinkerhoff, Children’s Library Assistant Library Staff Dedicated to Service Miguel Otero, Assistant Custodian Bonnie Isman, Library Director Colin Faith, Assistant Custodian Sondra Radosh, Asst. Director & Seth Rothberg, Assistant Circulation Children’s Librarian Supervisor Amy Anaya, Circulation Librarian Lace Stokes, Sunday Supervisor Beth Girshman, Adult Services Librarian Cathy Verts, Audiovisual Technician Susan Hugus, Munson Memorial Librarian Theresa Atteridge, Library Assistant Rosemary Loomis, Head of Reference Patrick Borezo, Library Assistant Tevis Kimball, Curator of Special Bryan Grabigel, Office Clerk/Receptionist Collections Ralph Hurwitz, AV Assistant Carolyn Platt, Head of Technical Services Judy Lincoln, Library Assistant Janet Ryan, Reference Librarian Joan Pyfrom, Cataloging Assistant Maggie Spiegel, North Amherst Librarian Library Assistant (vacant)

PART-TIME STAFF: Cynthia Backlund, Roxanne Brown-Boyd, Nonny Burack, Margaret Burrows, Nathan Cartel, Laura Castano-Longey, Lucy Chen, Wendy Christern, Erin Daly, Jennifer Ditkoff, Janice Doyama, David Eddy, Tomi Eve, Melissa Flynn, Julie Gilfeather, Tara Herzig, Jean Holden, Emily Houk, Alexander Kaiser, Nicholas Kaiser, Karen Kowles, Jessica Lamson, Robin Levine, Sheila McCormick, Susan McCoy, Barbara McGlynn, Wanda Meck, Jill Palmer, Jose Paredes, Danya Rubin, Lisa Slocum, Valerie Steinberg, Joshua Tetenbaum, Mary Weidensaul, plus college work/study student assistants.

FRIENDS OF THE JONES LIBRARY SYSTEM make it special!

Officers Directors: Ellen Goodwin, President Caroline Bentley Bonnie Vigeland, Vice President Sterling Bush Edith Byron, Membership Mike Giles JoAnne Hall, Secretary June George* Conrad Wogrin, Treasurer George Goodwin Doris Holden, Assistant Treasurer Christopher Hoffmann Katie George, Programs Lewis Mainzer Joan Milam Dorothy Morse Nancy Wise

Beds for Books Program Sandra Mullin * Deceased during FY 06 116

A full copy of the library’s annual information survey is available online at http://mblc.state.ma.us/advisory/statistics

NEW TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Jones Library 413-259-3090 Children’s Desk 413-259-3091 Munson Memorial 413-259-3095 North Amherst 413-259-3099

Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst, MA 01002 Visit the Library online: www.joneslibrary.org

117

MUNSON MEMORIAL BUILDING Fiscal Year 2006

Munson Memorial Building, located on the South Amherst Common, continues as a center of activity for the Town of Amherst. The handsome white building was built in 1925 with money donated to the Town by Mrs. Parnell Munson. Mrs. Munson wished the building to be named in memory of her husband and stipulated that a library would always be included in the building. This stipulation has always been fulfilled by the Munson Branch of the Jones Library. Munson also serves as the Precinct 8 polling place for the Town. Many groups rent the beautiful upstairs auditorium, whose windows look out on an old apple orchard. The elegant wood floor regularly sees use by a variety of dancers. A spacious downstairs room, furnished with a large meeting table and bordered by three small offices, is also available for rental and for community meetings. The building is used seven days a week, year round, and is a wonderful resource for the Town.

Oversight of the maintenance and use of the building is in the hands of three trustees appointed by the Town Manager. The 2006 trustees are Claudia O'Brien, Chair; Johan Brongers, and Aaron Hayden. Rentals of the building are scheduled by Town employees. Rental fees, including rent paid by the Jones Library, have consistently more than equaled the yearly budget. However, these funds are not set aside for the upkeep of the Munson but rather go into the Town’s General Fund.

The Munson is a relatively old building and is always in need of careful attention to maintenance. The last major renovation of Munson dates back to 1989. In the last year the downstairs room, hall, and bathrooms have had new floors installed. The library and entrance hall had new carpeting installed. Two volunteers, Sandra Clark and Chris Hern, have donated their time and expertise to improving the Munson grounds. Sandra has continued her splendid renovation of the walled garden and Chris Hern has revamped the south garden. Patrons of Munson thoroughly enjoy the gardens and express their pleasure at having such beautiful spaces to reflect. The Amherst Orchid Society donated money for the Munson Building as well, although this went into the General Fund and therefore could not be used for the building itself.

Achieving completion of long-standing projects has been very difficult. Parking, heating systems updates and a shed for a lawnmower are all on hold, even though most of these items were included in the FY 03 capital expenditures budget passed by Town Meeting. The Trustees are pleased with the positive maintenance that took place this year; they look forward to seeing the remaining needs taken care of during this coming year.

Parking and public safety are of great concern to the Trustees, as the volume and speed of traffic have substantially increased over the years, causing safety hazards for visitors to the Munson. Several excellent options were presented by the Town engineers at public meetings with abutters and other townspeople. The Trustees are very grateful for the expert and excellent work done by the Public Works Department. We look forward to solving these safety issues.

Munson is a warm and inviting space. Please come visit this outstanding jewel on the South Amherst Common.

Submitted by Claudia O'Brien, Chair, Munson Memorial Building Trustees

118

PLANNING BOARD & PLANNING DEPARTMENT Fiscal Year 2006

INTRODUCTION

This report provides a summary of the numerous land use, planning, and zoning activities with which the Planning Board and Department were involved during fiscal year 2006.

CURRENT PLANNING

Development issues, permit applications, and preparation for the Master Plan occupied much of the time of the Board and Department during FY 06.

Table 1 provides a statistical review of the Department’s activities, including the various permits it oversees, and zoning and other regulatory changes.

Table 1 Planning Board Land Use & Zoning Activity

A. Review & Action # of Applications

1. Planning Board Special Permits 1 2. Form A (Approval Not Required) Subdivisions 23 3. Cluster Subdivision 1 4. Standard Subdivision 3 5. Subdivision Lot Releases 10 6. Subdivision/Site Plan Escrow Releases 6 7. Street Name Changes 2 8. Development Authorization Requests 1 9. Site Plan Review Requests 8 10. Sign Plans Approved 2 11. Lighting Plans Approved 2 12. Scenic Road Requests 0 13. Ch. 61A Removal Requests 3

B. Review & Recommendation

1. Zoning Amendments 20 2. Rules & Regulations Amendments 0 3. Special Permits/Variances 56 4. Street Acceptances 1 5. Street Discontinuances 0

What follows is a summary of the more significant development proposals and issues of FY 06:

119

Commercial/Institutional

* construction of a new comfort station at the Groff Park recreation area

* amendments to plans to expand the Amherst Shopping Center to total 18,580 sq. ft., along with proposed improvements to interior circulation and the University Drive entrance

* renovations and handicapped accessibility improvements to Amherst College’s Porter House

* new outdoor dining and façade renovations for Fresh Side, a restaurant at 39 South Pleasant Street

* construction of a new hot tub spa at 321 Main Street (later withdrawn)

* construction of a new one-story meeting hall on the rear of 37 North Pleasant Street

* a new parking lot and circulation improvements for the Common School at 521 South Pleasant Street.

Residential

* Site Plan Review (SPR) and definitive subdivision approval for the 8 -unit Simmons cluster subdivision as an extension of Middle Street

* preliminary approval for Haskins View, a 26-lot subdivision off East Leverett Road

* definitive approval for Lawrence Circle, a 6-lot single family subdivision off Owen Drive

* preliminary approval for a mixed business and residential subdivision at 136 Meadow Street

* preliminary approvals for three subdivision layouts at Amherst Enterprise Park on Meadow Street

* preliminary approval for two subdivision layouts (one 4 -lot, one 5- lot) for Strawberry Fields at 652 South East Street

* lot releases for home building in Amherst Hills (Concord Road), Palley Village, and Moody Fields.

Zoning Issues

* a technical correction recognizing previous changes in cluster development permitting. Adopted by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

120

* technical corrections (three warrant articles) to bring the appointment procedure for Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Design Review Board members into conformance with the provisions of the Amherst Town Government Act. All adopted by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

* Worked with the Amherst Historical Commission on amendments (in two warrant articles) to the demolition delay process: 1) clarifying review and notification requirements, 2) extending the potential demolition delay from 6 to 12 months, and 3) increasing penalties and enforcement. Adopted by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

* amendments to the way in which fences are regulated in the General Business (B-G) and abutting Limited Business (B-L) districts, as well as the Village Center Business (B-VC) District. Adopted by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

* Responded to proposals (two warrant articles) to amend the zoning regulations and Official Zoning Map boundaries for the Flood-Prone Conservancy (FPC) District. Referred back to the Select Board and Planning Board by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

* Decreased the additional lot area/dwelling unit requirement for multi-family developments in the General Residences (R-G) and Village Center Residence (R-VC) districts. Adopted by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Responded to a citizen petition to rezone parcels under Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) to a new Agricultural (AG) District. Referred back to the Farm Committee by the Fall 2005 Special Town Meeting.

* technical corrections to Section 6.0, Dimensions. Adopted by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Developed new regulations for drive-through facilities as accessory or freestanding uses. Adopted by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Amended the additional lot area/dwelling unit and height requirement for buildings in the General Business (B-G) and Village Center Business (B-VC) districts. Adopted by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Responded to a property owner request to create new business and residential zoning on properties on South East Street near College Street. Defeated (Yes 97, No 67 – 2/3rds majority not obtained) by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Responded to a citizen petition to rezone the property at 652 South East Street from R- O/PURD to R-LD. Defeated (Yes 78, No 115 2/3rds majority not obtained) by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

* Proposed (for the third time) to expand the range of office uses and alter their regulation. Defeated (Yes 99, No 52 – 2/3rds majority not obtained) by the 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

121

The Board also began work on zoning issues that were not brought to Town Meeting in FY 06, including amendments to the lot coverage requirements, to allow for more precipitation recharge on-site, and new regulations governing development on steep slopes.

MASTER/COMMUNITY PLANNING

Efforts continued on a number of long-range planning issues, while new issues and projects also involved the time and attention of the Board and Department.

Mt. Tom/Mt. Holyoke

Together with other cities and towns whose areas include parts of the Mt. Holyoke Range, the Planning Board and Department continued to participate in a regional effort to protect the Range, including development of coordinated land use regulations governing development on the Range.

Bob Grose continued to serve as the Planning Board representative to the Summit Land Use Task Force. Planning Director Jonathan Tucker was the Town’s staff liaison to the Task Force.

Master Plan

See annual report of the Comprehensive Planning Committee.

Planning Department staff assisted the Comprehensive Planning Committee with the selection of a consultant (ACP, Inc.) and assisted with organizing and carrying out the initial phases of the master planning process, associated public outreach, and numerous related tasks.

Executive Order 418

The Planning Department continued to work with other Town departments, boards and committees to update and implement a number of studies developed for the E.O. 418 Community Development Plan requirements, and to carry out recommended actions under those plans:

* 2003 Affordable Housing Plan * Open Space & Recreation Plan update * University Drive Corridor Traffic Study.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

During FY 06, the Planning Department worked with the Community Services Department and other Town departments, boards, and committees to develop and submit project proposals, and to prepare and review related potential projects.

The Planning Department also continued to manage CDBG housing rehabilitation loans from past CDBG projects, responding to several requests to close out, subordinate, or amend such loans.

122

Commonwealth Capital Program

The Planning Department successfully prepared Amherst’s second application for the newly created Commonwealth Capital program, a program which helps to determine eligibility for and access to state grant funds based on the Town’s score in meeting a list of sustainable development criteria. Amherst’s application tied with Holyoke for the second highest score in the state.

Downtown

In FY 06, the Planning Department remained deeply involved in numerous aspects of downtown revitalization, including parking, public open space, historical issues, and public projects.

Ludmilla Pavlova-Gilham continued to serve as the Planning Board’s representative to the Design Review Board, which reviews most exterior changes in downtown buildings and sites.

The multi-year redesign and reconstruction of downtown sidewalks continued. The Planning Department assisted the Department of Public Works with development of designs for new sidewalk improvements on the east side of North Pleasant Street between Main Street and Kellogg Avenue. The Department worked extensively with the Tree Warden, Public Shade Tree Committee and others on downtown street tree issues and the development of designs for streetscape improvements in other areas.

Housing

The Planning Department worked with the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee (HP/FHC), Amherst Housing Authority (AHA), and the Community Preservation Act Committee to develop and pursue a number of projects to protect existing affordable housing units and provide for the creation of new affordable units. Pre-development analyses for the Olympia Drive development began in earnest in FY 06. Planning staff and the Planning Board’s Zoning Subcommittee developed amendments to the Zoning Bylaw to encourage affordability in new residential development. Several amendments (cluster regulations, R-G/R-VC lot area requirements, B-G/B-VC lot area and height requirements) were adopted by the 2005 Fall Special Town Meeting and 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

Historic Preservation

Using the Amherst Preservation Plan completed in May 2005, the Historical Commission worked with Planning staff to develop proposals for several major historic preservation projects, using CPA funds. The 2006 Annual Town Meeting appropriated a total of $92,500 in CPA funds for these projects.

Following the successful community fundraising effort in FY 05 by the Historical Commission, mural artist David Fichter and volunteers completed installation of the Amherst Community History Mural on the east (rear) wall of the Carriage Shops in September 2005. The Commission developed and published a new brochure interpreting West Cemetery and the mural, as well as a new guidebook for the Dickinson National Historic Register District.

123

The Commission also completed an historic study of the South Amherst Common, using the services of local historic planner Bonnie Parsons.

The Planning Department and Historical Commission were involved throughout FY 06 in community efforts to preserve the 1815 brick Federal Kimball House at 575 North East Street.

See also the Historical Commission’s annual report.

Atkins Corner

During FY 06, the Planning Department worked with DPW on selection of engineering consultants for the redesign of the intersection and road system in this proposed new village center.

STAFF ASSISTANCE

Planning Department staff provide professional support and technical assistance to numerous Town boards and committees, local and regional boards, as well as Amherst citizens, community groups, other communities, and others. The Town boards and committees directly served by the Planning Department in FY 06 included:

Planning Board Zoning Subcommittee Atkins Corner Working Group Design Review Board Zoning Board of Appeals Town/Commercial Relations Committee (reactivated at the end of the year) Historical Commission Comprehensive Planning Committee Redevelopment Authority (inactive) Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee GIS Committee UMass Campus Planning Committee

Other committees for whom the Planning staff provides occasional assistance as needed include:

Public Transportation Committee & Bicycle Subcommittee Disabilities Access Advisory Committee Public Art Commission Community Preservation Act Committee Public Shade Tree Committee Greater Franklin County Economic Development Strategy Committee Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Massachusetts Geographic Information Council Summit Land Use Task Force

124

PLANNING BOARD

During FY 06, new member Leandro Rivera was appointed to the Board. Long-time members Paul Bobrowski and David Kastor resigned during the year. Members Christopher Boyd and Adrian Fabos completed their full six (6) year terms. Maintaining a full complement of nine Planning Board members was a challenge throughout FY 06.

Planning Board members took advantage of training opportunities sponsored by the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative and training from Town Counsel Alan Seewald.

At the end of the year, the Planning Board membership consisted of: Aaron Hayden (Chair), Carl Mailler (Vice-Chair), Chris Boyd, Adrian Fabos, Rod Francis, Mary Scipioni, and Leandro Rivera.

PLANNING STAFF

During FY 06, the Planning Department Intern was Cana McCoy, a graduate student at the UMass Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. Ms. McCoy was involved in numerous planning projects, most notably the development and conduct of a citizen survey and 3-D computer renderings of potential streetscape improvements in Pomeroy Village.

During FY 06, Planning Department personnel were involved in a wide variety of public outreach, including presentations to a number of community groups, and publication of Planning Briefs, the Department quarterly newsletter highlighting community planning projects, personnel, and issues of interest to the community.

Jonathan Tucker became Planning Director during FY 06 after having served as Interim Director for two years. Other Planning Department staff included Senior Planner Niels la Cour, Associate Planner Christine Brestrup, Zoning Assistant Carolyn Holstein, and Management Assistant Sue Krzanowski. A vacant Associate Planner’s position will be filled in FY 07.

Aaron Hayden Jonathan Tucker Chair Planning Director

125

POLICE DEPARTMENT Fiscal Year 2006

Message from the Chief

SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

The Amherst Police Department is always willing to work with any group to enhance the quality of life in the community. Within this cooperative spirit, however, our mission to serve and protect remains the same, and protecting the civil rights and safety of all citizens is our first priority.

However, due to budget constraints, some community policing initiatives that worked so well in the past had to be curtailed to ensure the efficient day-to-day priority of safety and service the citizens of Amherst deserve and expect. These deleted pro-active programs regrettably have yet to be reinstated, since staffing continues to be an issue.

Given the growing needs of our population and the effect the large student segment has on the Department’s tireless efforts and limited budget, the Select Board has expressed strong interest in pursuing the cooperation of the University in requesting that its campus police force reinforce our numbers for the security of our community. The Department welcomes any and all assistance and cooperation this force can offer. Expanding beyond security issues, it is the hope of this Department that a partnership could be instituted with Amherst College, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts Police to initiate programs that will assist the many needs of Human Services in this community.

In conclusion, acknowledging the growing budget crisis the Town faces, the Department encourages the spirit of cooperation that the Town leaders see as essential. The abundant resources of the University would help to build bridges to the Town that so often and so selflessly serves it.

Charles L. Scherpa Chief of Police

126

POLICE PERSONNEL CHANGES

Fiscal Year 2006

RESIGNATIONS: Sworn Police Officers Stephen C. Walsh April 4, 2006

Civilian Personnel None

RETIRED: None

*NEW HIREES: Sworn Police Officers Dominick A. Corsetti September 12, 2005 Marcus A. Humber September 12, 2005 Scott E. Gallagher September 12, 2005 Ryan N. Tellier September 12, 2005

Civilian Personnel None

PROMOTION: None

TERMINATION: Emile Dulcine October 4, 2005

* Replacements for officers who went to the Massachusetts State Police.

127

Amherst Police Department Detective Bureau Fiscal Year 2006

The detective bureau is under the command of Lieutenant Ronald A. Young. It is staffed by Sergeant Christopher P. Pronovost, Detective Christina Knightly, Detective David W. Foster, Detective James Damouras, Detective Brian T. Johnson, Detective Gabriel Ting, and Detective Janet M. Lopez.

Personnel within the detective bureau are responsible for quality follow-up investigations, self- initiated crime prevention, and support for the patrol force. The detective bureau is also responsible for sexual assault investigations, child abuse investigations, and narcotics investigations. School-related issues are also handled by the detective bureau, with Detective Foster as a point of contact.

The detective bureau is responsible for court-related functions, including case preparation, interaction with both the District Attorney’s office and the Probation Department, and case tracking. Detectives routinely perform the necessary background investigations for employee candidates and certain municipal licenses.

Members of the detective bureau have become involved in various task forces and multi- jurisdictional investigative units. The Northwest District Attorney’s Office has launched a Crimes Against Children task force aimed at curbing child abuse as well as accurate and professional investigation of child-related crimes, including computer-related crimes. Amherst Police detectives have become an integral part of that team and have acted as staff for the Child Abuse Academy held at the Massachusetts State Police academy for the last two years. Sergeant Pronovost continues to be active in the Northwest District Attorney-sponsored task force aimed at combating domestic violence.

Investigators remained busy this last fiscal year. There were a number of cases of burglary, child abuse, assaults, narcotics violations, and weapons violations. A series of armed robberies in the spring resulted in six arrests and are currently pending in the courts. A large portion of investigative resources were expended on case preparation for a successful murder prosecution in April. Through this office, a total 162 people were charged, through arrest, summons, or indictment, with 231 separate crimes.

Ronald A. Young Lieutenant

128

AMHERST POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL POLICE STATISTICS Fiscal Year 2006

POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY FY 06 TOTAL CALLS FOR SERVICE AND OFFICERS DISPATCHED AS RECORDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATION CENTER TOTAL CALLS 17,707 TOTAL OFFICERS DISPATCHED 26,319

Call Reason Number of Number of Calls Officers 209 A 268 308 911 Hang Up 209 358 Abandoned M V 1 1 Admin Duty 113 147 Animal Complaint 398 498 Annoying Call(s) 60 62 Assault 57 135 Assist A F D 475 875 Assist Citizen 804 1,047 Assist Motorist 51 56 Assist Other Agency 593 651 Assist Other P D 261 395 B & E 83 158 B & E M V 62 74 Bank / A T M Alarm 38 77 Citizen Transport 236 253 Commercial Alarm 518 1,077 Community Policing 299 389 Disabled Motor 346 395 Vehicle Disturbance 398 1,047 Domestic 243 672 Drug Law Violation 41 94 Escort 316 435 Fight 118 431 Follow Up 714 801 Forgery / Counterfeit 3 3 Fraud 12 12 House Check 100 101 Larceny 294 329 Liquor I D Check 84 140 Liquor Law Violation 226 380 Located Person 16 18 Lock Up Incident 3 3 M V Complaint 32 34 M V Crash P D 779 1,083 M V Crash P I 102 280

129

M V Pursuit 6 25 M V Stop 1,209 1,520 Medical / Mental 83 203 Medical Assist 57 86 Missing Person 35 57 Missing Property 153 152 Noise Complaint 1,125 2,460 O U I 51 131 Open Door/Window 644 698 Parking Ban 81 81 PD Mutual Aid Into 11 Amherst PERMITS 62 64 Police Tow 7 8 Prisoner 69 75 Monitor/Booking Prisoner Transport 191 228 Private / Trespass Tow 6 5 Prop/Evid Admin 156 199 Protective Custody 8 19 Rape 13 36 Recovered M V 36 46 Recovered Property 430 437 Residential Alarm 218 444 Robbery 7 33 Security Check 841 883 Sex Offense 18 39 Shoplifting 35 58 Stolen M V 40 66 Summons Service 561 547 Suspicious 1,060 1,904 Suspicious Motor 463 574 Vehicle T B L Violation 85 104 Traffic 791 1,017 Traffic Monitor 11 11 Trespass 24 28 Unattended Death 6 26 Vandalism 361 423 Warrant Service 225 503 Well Being Check 185 309 Total 17,707 26,319

FY 05 FY 06 Difference % Increase Summonses 299 299 0 0.00% On View Custodies 756 932 176 23.28% Calls For Service 14,657 17,707 3,050 20.84% Dispatched Units 22,820 26,319 3,499 16.04%

130

PERSONS DETAINED BY THE AMHERST POLICE DEPARTMENT

Adults Arrested Offenders 932 Summonses 299 Protective Custody 23

Juveniles Arrested Juveniles 26 Summonsed Juvenile 36 Protective Custody 2

PRIMARY OFFENSE CHARGED AT TIME OF ARREST

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 38 SIMPLE ASSAULT 71 INTIMIDATION 4 BURGLARY / BREAKING AND ENTERING 17 SHOPLIFTING 9 THEFT FROM BUILDING 2 ALL OTHER LARCENY 27 MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT 6 COUNTERFEITING / FORGERY 4 FALSE PRETENSES / SWINDLE / CO 7 STOLEN PROPERTY OFFENSES 9 DESTRUCTION / DAMAGE / VANDALISM 22 DRUG / NARCOTIC VIOLATIONS 76 WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS 2 BAD CHECKS 3 DISORDERLY CONDUCT 92 DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE 105 DRUNKENNESS 25 LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS 236 TRESPASS OF REAL PROPERTY 3 ALL OTHER OFFENSES 156 TRAFFIC, TOWN BYLAW OFFENSES 307 ____ _ TOTALS 1,221

131

MOTOR VEHICLE CITATIONS FY 06

A7S4 FAILURE TO USE CARE IN STARTING 2 ACCIDENT REPORT, FAIL FILE 1 ALCOHOL IN MV, POSSESS OPEN CONTAINER OF 12 ARRESTED ON WARRANT INITIATED BY OTHER 2 AGENCY BRAKES VIOLATION, MV 3 CHILD 5-12 WITHOUT SEAT BELT 2 CHILD UNDER 5 WITHOUT CAR SEAT 5 CROSSWALK VIOLATION 9 DRUG, DISTRIBUTE CLASS D 1 DRUG, DISTRIBUTE CLASS D, SUBSQ.OFF. 1 DRUG, POSSESS CLASS B 2 DRUG, POSSESS CLASS D 23 DRUG, POSSESS CLASS D, SUBSQ.OFF. 2 DRUG, POSSESS CLASS E 1 EMERGENCY VEHICLE, OBSTRUCT 4 EQUIPMENT VIOLATION, MISCELLANEOUS MV 21 HARSH/OBJECTIONAL NOISE 2 HEADLIGHTS, FAIL DIM 2 IDENTIFY SELF, MV OPERATOR REFUSE 3 INSPECTION/STICKER, NO 98 JUNIOR OPERATOR OP 12-5 AM W/O PARENT 3 JUNIOR OPERATOR WITH PASSENGER UNDER 18 6 KEEP RIGHT ON HILL/OBSTRUCTED VIEW, FL 1 LEARNERS PERMIT VIOLATION 2 LEAVE SCENE OF PERSONAL INJURY 2 LEAVE SCENE OF PROPERTY DAMAGE 20 LICENSE NOT IN POSSESSION 38 LICENSE REVOKED, OPERATE MV WITH 14 LICENSE SUSPENDED, OP MV WITH 50 LICENSE SUSPENDED, OP MV WITH, SUBSQ.OFF 9 LICENSE, EXHIBIT ANOTHER'S 1 LIGHTS VIOLATION, MV 64 LIQUOR, PERSON UNDER 21 POSSESS 4 LIQUOR, TRANSPORT UNLAWFULLY 1 MARIHUANA, POSSESS 1 MARKED LANES VIOLATION 74 NAME/ADDRESS CHANGE, FL NOTIFY RMV OF 5 NEGLIGENT OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE 5 NUMBER PLATE VIOLATION 36 NUMBER PLATE VIOLATION TO CONCEAL ID 6 OPERATING AFTER REVOCATION OF 28 REGISTRATION OUI DRUGS 5 OUI LIQUOR 95

132

MOTOR VEHICLE CITATIONS FY 06 (continued)

OUI LIQUOR & SERIOUS INJURY 2 OUI LIQUOR & SERIOUS INJURY & NEGLIGENT 1 OUI LIQUOR, 2ND OFFENSE 10 OUI LIQUOR, 3RD OFFENSE 2 OUI LIQUOR, 4TH OFFENSE 2 PASSING OVER RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS 4 PASSING VIOLATION 2 RAILROAD CROSSING VIOLATION 1 RECKLESS OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE 1 REGISTRATION NOT IN POSSESSION 8 REGISTRATION SUSPENDED, OP MV WITH 8 RIGHT LANE, FAIL DRIVE IN 2 RIGHT TURN ON RED WHERE PROHIBITED 9 RMV DOCUMENT, FORGE/MISUSE 1 SAFETY STANDARDS, MV NOT MEETING RMV 10 SEAT BELT, FAIL WEAR 68 SIGNAL, FAIL TO 4 SPEEDING 169 SPEEDING IN VIOL SPECIAL REGULATION 215 STATE HWAY TRAFFIC VIOLATION 2 STOP FOR POLICE, FAIL 5 STOP/YIELD, FAIL TO 88 TBL A2 S4: OPERATE MV ON SIDEWALK 1 TBL A5 S1: ONE WAY STREET VIOLATION 11 TBL A7 S4: FAIL TO USE CARE/BACKING 7 TBL A7 S4: FAIL TO USE CARE/STARTING 13 TBL A7 S4: FAIL TO USE CARE/STOPPING 37 TBL A7 S4: FAIL TO USE CARE/TURNING 20 TBL A7 S5: FAIL TO STOP/FLASHING RED LIGHT 1 TBL A7 S5: FAIL TO STOP/STOP SIGN 1 TBL A7 S6: RED LIGHT VIOLATION 2 TRASH, LITTER FROM MV 1 TURN, IMPROPER 4 UNINSURED MOTOR VEHICLE 18 UNLICENSED OPERATION OF MV 44 UNREGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLE 58 UNSAFE OPERATION OF MV 1 YIELD AT INTERSECTION, FAIL 17 WARNINGS 5,366 TOTAL 6,882

133

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Dispatchers in the Amherst Public Safety Communications Center are to be applauded for consistently providing quality service, despite the extraordinary demands placed upon them by the nature of their work and the time commitment it has required.

The staffing formula for an emergency service department must include a relief factor. Ours did not and therefore, the absence of anyone for any reason impacted us all. It is important to note that the critical issue with reduced staffing in our department is not more work for each person, but more hours. Every absence represents time that must be covered by someone already scheduled for forty hours. Overtime begets overtime as employees grow weary of the demanding schedule and leave our department. The amount of overtime resulting from vacancies added to those required by the predictable components (e.g. sick, vacation, personal, bereavement leave) and were again staggering to our budget and our bodies and, potentially, our ability to safely manage the emergencies.

Though we re-hired Jennifer Guzik to a full-time position in September, Mary Dzialo resigned in October to take a position with another Center. John Cooney left to become a career fire fighter and the cycle continued.

With the successful recruitment and training of Scott DelPozzo, Carly Kinnas and Jason Rushford and the approval of two additional full-time positions for FY 07, we have managed to stave off any additional departures of personnel. Bolstered by Town Meeting’s recognition of the grave need for appropriate staffing, employees have determined to work through some of the most demanding scheduling challenges seen in Town employment.

In addition to Jen Guzik, Scott DelPozzo, Carly Kinnas and Jay Rushford, our full -time staff includes Ann Misiaszek, Mike Curtin, Brad Worthley, Beth Dodge, Jess Alvaro, Josh Cicia and Janet Sharp.

We all look forward to the new fiscal year and full staffing for the first time in our 16- year history.

Rita K. Burke, Director

PERSONNEL CHANGES Hired Jennifer Guzik permanent full-time 09-05-05 Scott DelPozzo permanent full-time 09-12-05 Carly Kinnas permanent full-time 02-06-06 Jason Rushford permanent full-time 03-06-06

Resigned Mary Dzialo permanent full-time 10-28-05 John Cooney per-diem 12-01-05

134

AMHERST PUBLIC ART COMMISSION Fiscal Year 2006

Commission members: Gretchen Fox and Terry Rooney (Co-Chairs) and Larry Siddall were joined by new members Mary Mc Carthy, Carl Erickson, and Harriet Goodwin, Mary Klaes having resigned from the Commission for health reasons in the fall of 2005. Carol Lee’s second term expired at the end of FY 06. One vacancy on the Commission therefore exists as we enter FY 07.

Based on the successful reception of the “mini-murals” painted on the columns of Boltwood Garage, a proposal was submitted to the Amherst Cultural Council for painting both walls of the Boltwood Garage entrance ramp, Commission members believing that it would call greater attention to the garage and also to APAC’s purpose in bringing art to public space in Amherst. In January 2006, $1000.was awarded for this purpose.

A competition was announced in the fall of 2005 for artists to exhibit in Town Hall, and entries were juried in January 2006. The winners of this year’s (FY 06) Visiting Art competition were: Andy Vernon Jones, Thomas Morton, Danielle Carniveau, and Deborah Barboza, each awarded $100, their work to be exhibited for three months each (two in FY 06 and two in FY 07), with a 20% commission resulting from any sales to be remitted to APAC. This remittance would partially fund the continuance of that popular program. No sales resulted from the first two artists to exhibit, but the art enlivening the Town Hall walls seems to be greatly appreciated by employees and the public alike.

Again, excellent publicity in the Daily Hampshire Gazette was given to the four artists exhibiting in FY 06: Marcie Lenke, Seymour Friedman (awardees from FY 05), Andy Vernon Jones and Tom Morton.

A competition with the theme “Architectural Heritage of Amherst” was announced in February for the garage-ramp murals; however the resulting four submissions were considered inadequate. The Commission decided that the $1000 award was insufficient to generate the quality of entry it had hoped to support. Accordingly, a decision was made to have only one of the walls painted, and with the support of the awarding body, the Amherst Cultural Council, a direct commission was given to one of the entrants, Brianna Taylor, with the design enhanced and greatly amended by consultation between the artist and the Commission. A summer 2006 starting date was the goal of this commission, but the wet weather deterred inception of the project during FY 06. The hope is for a fall 2006 completion of the large mural. Posting of the winning design at the Henion Bakery generated community interest.

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Fox and Terry Rooney, Co-chairs.

135

PUBLIC SHADE TREE COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

Members: Jim Ellis (Chair), Robert Erwin (Secretary), Bill Hutchinson, Alan Snow. Tree Warden: Stan Ziomek Staff Liaisons: Dave Ziomek (Conservation Director), Jonathan Tucker (Planning Director)

Organizational and administrative matters. We are wonderfully served by our Tree Warden and Planning Director, without whom our very existence would be pointless. Stan makes sure the quotidian work of tree maintenance, replacement, and removal gets done, and Jonathan guides us in considering what the future streetscape of Amherst might be. We have been handicapped this year not only by our perennial lack of funds but also by positions that have not been filled. We are short one member on the Committee (one who should be drawn from our parent body, the Conservation Commission) and the liaison representative from the Select Board, the position so ably performed by Eva Schiffer. We urge replacements for these two positions at the earliest possible opportunity. The Committee will also need a new chairman, as Mr. Ellis is resigning as of September, citing ill health and apologizing for any lack of perseverance on his part.

Death of June George. We are greatly saddened to record the death of our colleague June George on September 8, 2005. A tribute to her has been recorded in the minutes, and a tree was planted in her honor on the South Amherst Common on May 24, 2006.

Trees removed and planted in fiscal 2006. One hundred street trees were removed; only 8 were planted, aside from some at the Department of Public Works.

Phase I of tree plantings on North Pleasant Street. Throughout the year, our principal item of business has been the determination of what trees in the first block (east side) of North Pleasant Street to remove and what trees to plant, in conjunction with the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the sidewalks. The Committee authorized the removal of five unhealthy trees: one Litteleaf Linden and four crabapples. All the other lindens are healthy. We held two public hearings on the issue, and heard from members of the Select Board and others about their concerns and suggestions. Our final unanimously voted recommendations were as follows: Location Existing Proposed Replacement Species Ben & Jerry’s Linden to remain Linden to remain Antonio’s Pizza Linden removed Red Maple ‘Autumn Blaze’ None Red Maple ‘Autumn Blaze’ McMurphy’s empty tree well Red Maple ‘Autumn Blaze’ Barselotti’s Linden to remain Judie’s Linden to remain Delano’s Linden to remain Monkey Bar/ Crabapple removed no replacement Starbuck’s Crabapple removed Elm ‘New Harmony’ Crabapple removed no replacement Douglass Funeral Home empty tree well Black Tupelo (in lawn?) Linden to remain

136

Hair East empty tree well Red Oak (new location) Bart’s Crabapple removed Ginkgo (new location) Unitarian Meetinghouse none Ginkgo (new location) none Red Oak Totals: 6 species: 6 linden, 3 red maple, 1 elm, 1 tupelo, 2 oak, 2 ginkgo

Amherst Tree Initiative. The ATI, established by Lois Barber as President of the Amherst Club in 2005, has not been active. The group has a handsome logo, stationery, and mailing labels, as well as a post office box, but I know of no further activities. I do hope that the “Adopt an Elm” project (consult Elisa Campbell), help for Dennis Ryan with the tree inventory (consult Alan Snow), and whatever help is needed on the completion of the latest edition of The Trees of Amherst (consult Georgene Bramlage, Dan and Emily Ziomek) will not be neglected.

Signs on trees. We have publicized, and will have to do so repeatedly, that it is a finable offense to nail, staple, etc. signs of any sort to trees in the public way.

Tree City USA. Once again Amherst was named a “Tree City” by the Arbor Day Foundation, on the basis of our expenditures on trees and the existence of a Tree Warden. The Tree Warden has been getting money from the Rotary Club; we need to pressure the Select Board and Town Meeting to support trees with Town funds.

Jim Ellis, Chair

137 Town of

AMHERST Massachusetts OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS 586 SOUTH PLEASANT STREET AMHERST, MA 01002 TEL. 413-256-4050 FAX 413-256-4054

Department of Public Works Fiscal Year 2006

The DPW had a very busy year in 2006. Our Superintendent was called up to serve in Iraq with his Navy reserve unit in January. In his absence, many staff pitched in to fill the gap and assumed extra duties for the balance of the fiscal year.

The Highway Department completed the usual duties, such as street sweeping, line painting of crosswalks and parking spaces, drainage maintenance, roadside mowing, pothole repair and snow removal. In addition, an access road was built to maintain a cross country sewer on East Hadley Road, and work continued on Phase III of the downtown streetscape project. This phase included complete design and replacement of all sidewalks, street lights and curbing on North Pleasant Street from Kellogg Avenue northerly to Main Street.

The Parks Department moved into a new facility alongside War Memorial Pool, and many skilled employees of the DPW pitched in to finish the interior of the building.

The Electrical Division constructed new traffic lights at the intersections of Rte 116 and Pomeroy Lane, Pine Street and North Pleasant Street, and Kellogg Avenue and North Pleasant Street. They maintained all the Town’s existing streetlights and installed new street lights in the downtown area. They were also involved in a significant number of upgrades to water and wastewater facilities.

The Water Department continues to maintain all facilities in prime condition. Following the FY 06 improvements to update equipment controls at DPW, Atkins Water Treatment Plant and Centennial Water Treatment Plant, as well as the painting at the Village Park Storage tank, all facilities will be in excellent condition. Tighter federal regulations in the next 5-10 years on biological disease- causing agents as well as on by-products of disinfection may require updates to our surface-water treatment facilities. Water conservation efforts Town-wide and especially at the University have made the search for new water resources unnecessary at this time.

The Wastewater Department continues to update the 1976 vintage treatment plant to present-day technology. It is a credit to the employees that the plant and its 20 associated pumping stations are so well maintained that the Town faces no major capital expenses in the future. Current emphasis is on improving the existing sewer system by preventive maintenance, routine flushing, tree root control, video camera inspection and localized repair.

The Solid Waste and Recycling programs are going well, and revenue and markets for recyclables have improved over the last year. Hazardous waste collections are held twice annually for Amherst and surrounding communities. Tighe & Bond Engineering has completed a “Comprehensive Site Assessment” of the Old Landfill and submitted it to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for review. This document outlines past and present environmental monitoring, as well as

138

future monitoring proposed at the site. The Recycling Coordinator and Solid Waste Committee are putting a lot of time and energy into making the food composting program at the Amherst schools a success.

The Engineering Department has been very busy assisting DPW and many other Town departments. Traffic-calming procedures and roadway redesign are being studied for University Drive, Atkins Corner, downtown and Henry Street. A lot of focus has been on improving the Town’s GIS system as well as on updates to the water and sewer plans. Paving, sidewalk improvement, water and sewer improvements, as well as review and inspection of construction projects continue and are very time- consuming.

I would like to thank all staff members who helped fill the gaps during Guilford Mooring’s absence; we look forward to his safe return.

Robert E. Pariseau Acting Superintendent of Public Works

139

CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

The personnel of the Highway Division, in addition to their normal maintenance work, completed the following projects during FY 06:

HIGHWAY RESURFACING: The following streets and roads were resurfaced, shimmed or reclaimed this year between July 2005 and November 2005, for a total of 3.5 miles. In addition to using Chapter 90 funds, the shaded streets were paved as part of the Mechanic Street area sewer extension project and other miscellaneous sewer work. The DPW also reclaimed and resurfaced the driveway to Wells #1 and #2 and the basketball courts at Wildwood Elementary School. In addition to the resurfacing work, DPW crews also installed approximately 500 tons of bituminous asphalt pavement patches.

Reclamation 3" Length Width (ft) (ft) Colonial South Amherst South East St Village Common 9565 25 Main St Pelham Rd South East St 1400 25 South Pleasant St College St Snell St 1900 30 Applewood Ln Entire 638 26 Kamins Cir Entire 415 25 Summer St House #81 Mill Ln 1431 24 Chapel Rd Bay Rd. Mechanic St. 2265 30 Mechanic St Bay Rd Southeast St 185 20

SIDEWALK AND STORM DRAINAGE PROJECTS College Street The College Street drainage and sidewalk project continued. The following work was completed: New granite curbs 650 ft New concrete sidewalk 440 ft Drain pipe 650 ft Drain structures 2 ea

Downtown Streetscape Improvements (Phase III) North Pleasant St. The downtown sidewalk improvements continued this year, with the following work completed: New granite curbs 400 ft New concrete sidewalk (8’wide) 800 ft Sanitary Sewer pipe 20 ft Stormwater Drain structures 4 ea New Street Lights & conduit 8 ea

140

OTHER PROJECTS: 1. replacement of street lights and signal poles at the intersection of Kellogg Ave and North Pleasant St. 2. landscape plantings for Main St and Pleasant Way 3. re-built cross country sewer access road off East Hadley Road 4. installed crosswalk at the Jones Library 5. roadway detail painting at intersections and parking lots. 6. completed the interior carpentry in the new Parks and Recreation Building 7. Ruxton gravel yard site reclamation work.

TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (T.I.P.) The following TIP projects are underway this year: 1. design of the Atkins Corner intersection improvements 2. University Drive Corridor improvements 3. Henry Street drainage and resurfacing project 4. precinct 10 traffic calming project 5. Route 116 from Country Corners to the Granby town line (Mass Highway) 6. design of Meadow Street bridge replacement (Mass Highway) 7. design of East Leverett road bridge replacement (Mass Highway) 8. design of Main Street bridge replacement (Mass Highway)

SANITARY SEWER DIVISION

SEWER MAINTENANCE Investigated 78 sanitary sewer complaints and corrected 11 stoppages in the collection system. Problematic sewer locations are flushed and cleaned on a quarterly basis. The DPW, in conjunction with Dukes Inc, chemically treated 5,189 feet of sewer line for root intrusion.

John Field Highway Division Supervisor

141

SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL

Annual Expenditure

$300,000 FY 05

FY 03 $250,000 FY 06

$200,000

FY 04 $150,000 FY 02

$100,000

There were 20 snow and ice storms, with a total of 36.85 inches of snow. 4598 tons of sand was used. 1717.8 tons of salt was used. 19301 gallons of Ice Band Magic were used on the roadways and sidewalks.

Inches of Snow

80 FY 03 FY 05 70 60 50 FY 04 FY 06 40 FY 02 30 20 10 0

Year Cost Snow (inches) No. of Storms FY 02 $124,952 28.0 17** FY 03 $243,986 72.7 39*** FY 04 $160,181 45.7 27 FY 05 $282,334 71.5 26 FY 06 $231,120 36.9 20 **3 storms with no accumulation ***7 Additional snow/ice events of less than 1” occurred, which required sanding operations only.

142

TREE AND CEMETERY DIVISION

The Tree Division removed a total of 100 street trees during the past year. Trees removed were: 13 red maple, 26 sugar maple, 3 Norway maple, 17 American elm, 4 pin oak, 1 white oak, 7 white pine, 2 white ash, 1 red oak, 1 Norway spruce, 1 English yew, 1 green ash, 1 apple, 3 cherry, 5 crab apple, 1 ash, 2 linden, 8 silverbell, 1 poplar, 1 mountain ash and 1 birch.

During FY 06, 31 trees were planted.

52 tree stumps were removed in FY 06.

In addition to tree-care responsibilities, this department, consisting of three full-time employees and one part-time summer employee, is also responsible for the care and maintenance, including burials, at the West, North and South Cemeteries.

In FY 06, the decorative fence at North Cemetery was replaced by students and staff of Smith Vocational School.

Burials in FY 06 West Cemetery 1 North Cemetery 11 South Cemetery 9

PARKS DIVISION The Parks Division of five full-time employees and two part-time summer staff continue the day-to- day maintenance of our parks and commons, together with the maintenance of twenty-three softball, baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer fields and many multi-purpose areas

Special Projects:

1. The Plum Brook athletic fields project progressed slowly in FY 06. The contractor, Goncalves Construction of Ludlow, Massachusetts, trucked in and graded the gravel base for the fields. The loam will be spread and seeded in the fall of FY 07. 2. The new Parks Division garage was finished and occupied in FY 06. Most of the inside finish work was done by Town staff. The location of this facility will better serve the Town in the future.

WATER TREATMENT & DISTRIBUTION

Water Consumption: The average daily water consumption for FY 06 was 3.48 million gallons; the peak day, September 15, 2005, was 5.128 million gallons. The total FY 06 rainfall was 57.02 inches, significantly above the 42-inch annual average. In spite of growth, water consumption continues to show a decrease over the last 10 years, as shown in the graph below. FY 05 and FY 06 were wet years and caused a reduction in the amount of water used for irrigation in the summer months. A 35% reduction in water consumption since FY 04 at the University has also had a significant impact on total water use. Several years ago, the University contracted with a private

143

company to evaluate and make the necessary changes to reduce water consumption of campus. The figures below summarize the amount of water pumped, the revenue generated and the chemicals used to treat the water. Chlorine, ozone and ammonia are used for disinfection. Potassium permanganate is used for iron and manganese removal at Well #4. Polymer is used for water treatment at the Atkins and Centennial water treatment plants. Fluoride is added at a level of 1 part per million to reduce tooth decay, and sodium hydroxide is used to elevate the pH of the water for corrosion control.

DAILY WATER CONSUMPTION IN MILLION GALLONS

4 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2 FY 95 FY 96 FY97 FY 98 FY 99 FY 00 FY 01 FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06

Water Services FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 New services installed 42 38 31 Total water services 6,301 6,338 6,369 # Meters Replaced 285 298 294

Chemical Usage - All Sites Chlorine (lbs.) 16,439 16,998 15,976 Sodium Hydroxide (gals.) 16,990 16,253 14,225 Polymer (gals.) 2,425 2,528 2,289 Potassium Permanganate (lbs.) 503 694 1,924 Ammonia (lbs.) 3,748 3,537 3,079 Sodium Fluoride (lbs.) 22,395 21,900 17,275 Ozone 959 1,242 1,289

144

Monthly Pumping in Million Gallons Month FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 July 122.854 111.982 110.502 August 109.941 110.368 108.653 September 120.953 120.672 124.302 October 118.100 112.629 116.420 November 107.239 108.949 109.324 December 102.492 107.013 103.222 January 96.615 99.592 88.281 February 112.699 107.711 93.958 March 110.154 107.519 99.386 April 114.466 109.123 105.614 May 117.530 109.859 112.694 June 102.725 106.067 97.848 Total 1335.77 1,311.48 1,270.20 Daily Average 3.66 3.59 3.48 Maximum Daily 4.773 (5/15/04) 4.533 (9/10/04) 5.128 (9/15/05) Minimum Daily 2.007 (12/26/03) 2.532 (1/09/05) 2.043 (12/27/05)

FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Wells #1 & #2 152 142 103 Well #3 394 395 364 Well #4 55 78 191 Well #5 10 10 2 Pelham Reservoirs 305 283 231 Atkins Reservoir 416 404 379 Total Water Pumped 1,335 1,311 1,270 Average Daily (millions) 3.66 3.59 3.48

Water Consumed – Cubic Feet FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 UMass 59,227,600 50,948,600 44,879,500 Amherst College 5,298,200 5,998,300 6,912,600 Hampshire College 2,642,000 3,028,400 3,071,000 Town 68,919,900 91,725,500 75,862,600 Municipal 1,160,300 1,293,000 1,037,500 Special Water Readings 272,200 476,900 326,700 Other 290,800 156,900 134,900 Un-metered Use 5,000,000 5,000,000 5,000,000 Adjustments (339,200) (1,184,700) (356,500) Total Metered (ft3) 143,150,200 157,544,900 131,680,200 Total Metered (million gals.) 1,071 1,168 987 % Unaccounted 19.8% 12.2% 22%

145

Total Revenue – Dollars FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 UMass Water $1,300,790 $1,112,074 $806,313 Sewer $1,026,973 $900,600 $874,444 Amherst College Water $114,786 $129,515 $147,441 Sewer $103,391 $117,016 $165,965 Hampshire College Water $57,835 $66,303 $65,588 Sewer $51,539 $59,065 $73,730 Town Water $1,427,760 $1,598,297 $2,068,281 Sewer $1,236,499 $1,375,642 $2,168,192 Municipal Water $27,599 $30,326 $24,904 Sewer $22,450 $25,139 $24,802 Special Reading Water & Sewer $19,725 $23,490 $15,607 Adjustments Water & Sewer ($12,877) ($83,506) Other Water & Sewer $11,443 $6,001 $6,492 Total Revenue $5,387,913 $5,359,961 $5,436,147

WATER QUALITY DATA:

Bacterial Samples: Bimonthly samples were analyzed from 27 sites around town; all samples were negative for coliform bacteria.

Fluoride: Fluoride was added to all sources at a level of 1.0 ppm to prevent tooth decay.

Treatment Plant Performance: Both the Atkins (Shutesbury) and Centennial (Pelham) Water Treatment plants produced water that met the requirements set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The average turbidity from Atkins was 0.10 N.T.U. and from Centennial 0.08 N.T.U. The EPA requires that these readings be less than 0.3 N.T.U. in 95% of the samples. Total Trihalomethanes, a byproduct of chlorine disinfection, averaged 23.5 ppb from quarterly sampling at eight different sights around town. The EPA limit is 80 ppb. Haloacetic acids, another by-product of chlorine disinfection, were also analyzed quarterly at 8 different locations; the average value was 29.5 ppm, well below the EPA limit of 60 ppm.

Water Rate: The water rate for FY 06 is listed below:

0 – 10,000 Cu. Ft. $2.00 10,001 – 100,000 Cu. Ft $2.10 100,001 Cu. Ft. $2.20

The average cost to an Amherst resident, based on an annual usage of 120 HCF, is about $244/year.

Cross Connection Program: The cross connection program was established in 1989 under Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulation 310 CMR 22.22 to prevent cross contamination of the water supply with hazardous substances. Water Department staff tests these devices twice annually.

146

Total Backflow Devices FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Town 55 55 59 UMass 361 378 385 Amherst College 94 96 100 Hampshire College 25 25 28 Commercial 109 112 110 Residential Irrigation 18

Total 644 666 700

Chemical Analysis: The following water tests were recently analyzed; all levels of substances in the water were below the Maximum Contaminant Level set by the Safe Drinking Water Act. More information is available online at www.amherstma.gov

-volatile organic compounds – solvents, petroleum products - inorganic compounds – tested annually at all sources - fluoride – daily at all sources - synthetic organic compounds – herbicides and pesticides - 3/4/03 at all sources - arsenic - perchlorate - radioactive substances - lead and copper

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

A. Water Distribution: The complete distribution system was flushed in the spring of 2006 to remove any sediment and improve water quality. All major water meters were calibrated and tested in September. B. Centennial Water Treatment Plant: All treatment unit controls at this facility were replaced with a new computer-controlled system. This computerized system replaces the original control panel supplied in 1981 and reports all data back to the main control panel at the Water Department office. C. Atkins Water Treatment Plant: Tighe & Bond Engineers, of Westfield, Massachusetts, were contracted to provide hardware and write software to replace the out-dated computer equipment at this facility. The new computerized controls will be installed in FY 07. D. DPW Control Panel: The Town electrician has designed a new computerized touch screen panel to monitor all water supply facilities. This panel was installed in FY 06, and currently all five (5) groundwater wells have been connected. All facilities are expected to be connected in FY 07. E. Village Park Water Storage Tank: Rockwood Company, of Syracuse, New York, was awarded a $398,550 contract to sandblast and paint the complete exterior and interior of the water storage tank. The tank was built in 1976 and holds 1.68 million gallons of water. The work will be done in August and September of 2006 and should protect the tank from corrosion for the next 20 years.

147

F. GIS Mapping: Town DPW, Engineering and the GIS Coordinator have spent significant time improving the water-distribution mapping and records system. A new 200 scale (220 ft/inch) set of distribution-system maps has been developed. A lot of time was spent investigating and locating water utility features to ensure the accuracy of these plans.

More than 8,000 house service and valve location cards were scanned and now are available to Water Department staff. This data is available on hand-held computers and eliminates routine trips back to the office to access records.

G. Watershed Land Acquisition: About 30 acres of critical land (Bray property) in Pelham were purchased for $215,000 by the Water Fund. This property contained 2 feeder streams to Hawley Reservoir and was purchased to prevent residential development.

Robert E. Pariseau Director of Water Resources

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

Flow Data The Wastewater Treatment Plant treated 1.61 billion gallons of wastewater in FY 06. The highest daily flow rate recorded was 15.2 million gallons per day on 1/18/06. FY 04 FY 05 FY 06

Inches of Rainfall 51.45 47.84 56.98 Average Daily Flow 4.44 4.21 4.42 in million gallons Highest Day in 15.1 9.19 11.05 million gallons (9/23/03) (1/14/05) (10/15/05) Chemicals Used Chlorine (lbs.) 11,840 11,575 9,480 Polymer (lbs.) 2,687 2,837 2,680 Potassium Permanganate (lbs.) 2,475 2,640 3,080

Chlorine is used to disinfect the wastewater prior to discharge into the Connecticut River. Polymer is used to thicken sludge as part of the disposal process. Potassium permanganate is used for odor control.

Treatment Efficiency The water that is discharged into the Connecticut River is tested in our treatment plant laboratory. Many process control tests are performed to optimize treatment and produce the best quality effluent possible. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) monitor our activities and measure our effectiveness by the parameters listed below (annual averages). No violations of our EPA discharge permit occurred in FY 06.

148

Parameter EPA Limit FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (mg/L) 30 13.1 13.0 4.4 Total Suspended Solids (mg/L) 30 3.7 3.2 3.1 Chlorination (mg/L) 1.0 0.47 0.44 0.44

Septage Received The treatment plant receives septage from residential septic tanks pumped from the towns of Amherst, Pelham and Shutesbury. Below is a summary of the number of septic tanks (usually 1000 gallons) that were pumped.

Town FY 04 FY 05 FY 06

Amherst 132 121 78 Pelham 58 44 40 Shutesbury 85 86 69 Total 275 251 187

Sludge Data Sludge is the residual organic material left after the wastewater is treated. We currently thicken these solids on-site, and Casella Waste Management is under contract to deliver the liquid sludge to an EPA-approved sludge incinerator. Sludge in FY 06 was transported to three incineration facilities: Fitchburg, MA; Millbury, MA; and Naugatuck, CT.

Sludge Data FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Total Gallons (transported) 3,711,200 3,537,600 3,677,100 Total Dry Tons 1,080 1,030 1,011 % Solids 7.0% 7.0% 6.6

Month Total Ave. % Total Dry Tons Gallons Solids Dry Tons Per Day July 206,000 6.9 59.2 1.9 August 197,000 6.9 56.7 1.8 September 293,500 6.3 84.6 2.8 October 375,000 6.8 105.9 3.4 November 372,700 6.2 96.2 3.2 December 372,700 5.4 83.3 2.7 January 249,600 6.3 65.5 2.1

149

February 317,800 6.9 92.0 3.3 March 335,700 6.8 95.8 3.1 April 321,700 6.8 91.1 3.0 May 393,100 6.8 110.7 3.6 June 242,300 6.9 69.9 2.3 Total 3,677,100 1,010.90 Average 306,425 6.6 84.2 2.8

Power Consumption FY 04 FY05 FY06 Avg. kWh/month 96,577 104,300 115,563 Avg. kW Demand 230 354

Special Activities:

A. Sewer Master Plan: The Select Board decided to not approve any new sewer extensions until further evaluation was done on unsewered areas of town. B. Amherst Hills Project: A new wastewater pumping station was accepted by the Town which will service about 73 homes. C. Water Reuse Project: The University of Massachusetts completed one full year of utilizing treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant as process water in their existing heating plant. The program has been very successful and continued uses of the effluent are anticipated. D. Treatment Plant Improvements: 1. Heat Pump - Three heat pumps were installed at the treatment plant to recover heat from treated wastewater. The units were installed from an energy conservation grant from Northeast Utilities and provide building heat for three areas of the facility. 2. Pumping Station Controls - Six Smith and Loveless pump stations were updated with new controls installed by treatment plant staff. 3. Plant Water System – Plant employees completely refurbished the plant water system to serve the treatment plant and provide treated effluent to the University of Massachusetts power plant. E. Miscellaneous Sewer Projects: Bid documents were prepared by Camp, Dresser and McKee, the Town’s wastewater consultant, for rehabilitation of sewer lines on the following streets: • Sunset Court • Orchard Street • McClure Street • Gaylord Street • Red Gate Lane • Hills Road

The work will be completed in the summer of 2006.

Robert E. Pariseau Director of Water Resources

150

SOLID WASTE/RECYCLING Fiscal Year 2006

Solid waste and recycling program enhancements continued in FY 06, as Amherst’s Transfer Station and Recycling Center, curbside pick-up and Pay-As-You-Throw programs reached maturity.

In January, the Town received a $1600 grant from the Municipal Recycling Facility (MRF) Advisory Board for new resident outreach. In addition to the creation and publication of the Amherst Recyclopedia, and the distribution of a solid waste flyer to new property owners, the grant enabled additional publicity geared toward hard-to-reach student residents, including public service announcements on WMUA, the UMass student radio station, and spring advertisements about the Transfer Station and bulky waste disposal in the UMass Daily Collegian.

The food composting program at Amherst Regional Schools proved challenging in FY 06, when the farmer who processes our compost expressed serious concern over its high amount of plastic and styrofoam contamination. During the summer, an improvement plan will be devised for implementation in September 2006.

The revolving fund created with a DEP grant in FY 05 proved valuable to residents, who are now able to purchase “sharps” containers (for medical needles, etc.) and return them filled for proper disposal by a licensed medical waste hauler. In FY 06, 87 pounds of sharps were collected by the Health Department and Transfer Station.

Curbside pickup of trash and recyclables continues to be provided by private trash haulers. This fiscal year, approximately 365 households received variances to Pay as You Throw (PAYT), which allow them to bring their recycling and trash directly to the Transfer Station in pre-paid bags, eliminating the need for a private hauler. Earth Machine composting units, kitchen counter compost pails and recycling bins continue to be available for purchase at the Transfer Station. Rain barrel purchases and MA DEP-sponsored rain barrel discounts were offered to Amherst residents in early spring and distributed at the Earth Day celebration on the Town common.

The Recycling Center and Transfer Station supports many programs to divert materials from landfill disposal. The following items are accepted at no charge from residents with current vehicle stickers: Clothing (goes to Salvation Army) Automotive and rechargeable batteries Waste automotive oil Leaves & grass clippings Christmas trees Printer cartridges Mixed containers Mixed paper Mercury-bearing items such as thermometers & thermostats

The Take-It-or-Leave-It and Book Sheds, which allow vehicle sticker owners to swap household items, continue to be very popular.

151

This year the Transfer Station installed a special mixed-containers toter for returnable bottles and cans. Proceeds go to the local food bank. Fluorescent bulbs, brush, electronics, household solid waste (bulky items), construction/demolition waste, scrap metal, asphalt, bricks, concrete, wood, paint, tires, appliances and propane tanks are all accepted for recycling/disposal after payment of fees.

Two household hazardous waste (HHW) collection days were held in the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006, and free agricultural hazardous waste opportunities in the Pioneer Valley were publicized to area farmers.

Types and quantities of materials recycled via the Transfer Station over a four-year period are shown in the table below. The increase in paint collected is credited to a FY 05 change (up to 10 gallons* per household is now accepted any time the Transfer Station is open during the summer months).

FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Chipped Brush/Leaves (tons) 310 397 62 34 Electronics (tons) 12 17 22 31 Scrap Metal (tons) 176 194 209 242 HHW in household equivalents 216 210 183 116 Paint (gallons) 1301 996 1,079 2119 Tires (count) 410 636 678 559 Appliances 557 543 705 870 Propane Tanks 190 220 247 106

* Oil-based paint and paint products known to contain lead are only accepted during HHW collection days.

Marlene Barnett, who served as Recycling Coordinator for two and a half years, resigned in January, 2006 to work exclusively at the Senior Center. Before she left, Marlene spent several days training the new Coordinator, Susan Waite, who started work on January 23.

152

AMHERST SCHOOLS Fiscal Year 2006

Dear Amherst Residents:

Our children are remarkable! As you read a few of the highlights in this report, read articles in the newspapers, view activities on local television, and talk with parents and others in town, you will find out quickly what we observe daily: the students in Amherst make us proud.

Our faculty and staff are as remarkable! As you read a few of the highlights in this report, read articles in the newspapers, view activities on local television, and talk with parents and others in town, you find out quickly what we observe daily: the faculty and staff in Amherst are as dedicated as any can be.

No doubt, there are those who will have a dissenting view. Perhaps you have read a story of a student discipline issue or some other concern. Perhaps you’ve heard a story that didn’t sit well. You or others may have disagreed with a position or decision I have made as Superintendent or questioned one that the School Committee made. Maybe you or others have questions about our staffing, our budget, or how we organize our work.

I will be the first to tell you we have room to improve! I can identify areas of my work and the work of others that necessitate growth and improvement. I can identify areas of student progress that need improvement. We accept these challenges and proceed. With that, I must say that on any given day in any given classroom and school, you find these remarkable children and young adults learning from outstanding teachers. You will find teachers coordinating efforts with administrators, counselors, intervention teachers, specialists, librarians and other staff members working tirelessly. And you will find all these folks supported and served by central office staff members who choose to bring their areas of expertise to children and schools.

We have an ambitious mission. We aspire to the achievement and success of every student – not some, every student. We aspire to student achievement of high status knowledge and skills with a curriculum that maintains high academic standards balanced with a hands-on, experiential, progressive method of learning. We aspire to high levels of professionalism balanced with acceptance, albeit reluctant at times, of federal and state regulations that consume our efforts. We aspire to comply with logical and necessary standards of safety, management, and fiscal responsibility.

We are regulated by law, policy, and district guidelines. We rely on independent audits, external program reviews, and routine checks and balances. We comply with all of these while we focus on the success and achievement of every student. Our list of goals, committees, and projects are necessarily lengthy while appropriately connected.

At the end of the day, considering our responsibility as a department of the Town and as a regional school district for four towns, our ultimate goal, to use the vernacular of the day, is to be a successful learning organization characterized by learning, efficiency, and development.

*********

153

Over the past three years, we have examined every department of the school districts. We have examined policy and procedures in human resources, the business office, facilities, technology, professional development, curriculum, student services, and all areas of administration and accountability.

The district central office has been reorganized and there have been changes in personnel. The schools have examined their organization, schedules, and planning, as well.

Simultaneously, we have experienced considerable change in both federal and state regulations. While well intended and useful to some degree, the one-size-fits all solution to America’s and the Commonwealth’s educational challenges have had a negative impact on districts like Amherst and the Regional schools. Again, these government intentions have some merit and we have identified our own areas needing attention and will respond to both.

Organizationally, we envision our districts with children and the schools surrounded by three entities of the organization: curriculum, student services, and operations. Each of these areas is guided by a set of assumptions and beliefs and, more directly, by standards and expectations. Like every teacher knowing his or her children, what to teach, and how to ensure a safe, nurturing climate, our schools and district are organized similarly.

Our district operations include facilities, the business office, human resources, and information systems and technology. The facilities department coordinates transportation, maintenance, and general facilities operations. For the past two years, Peter Gervickas has coordinated this effort upon the retirement of Paul Lawler. With Mr. Gervickas’s retirement, Ron Bohonowicz began his work as Director of Facilities on July 1, 2006. Unique to this position is that Mr. Bohonowicz works for both the schools and towns, 75% and 25% respectively. Rob Detweiller is beginning his first full year as Director of Finance and Operations after walking directly into the 2006 budget development process last fall with the retirement of Paul Carlson. Kathryn Mazur, formerly assistant to the superintendent, has taken on the full time responsibility of coordinating and directing Human Resources. Jeff Comenitz continues his work directing information systems.

All of these departments have been reviewing respective policies and procedures, working toward increased service orientation, and implementing numerous systems and procedures. The latter includes implementation of new technology, including upgraded software systems in our business operation (MUNIS), student information systems (Power School), a data warehouse (Cognos), and a comprehensive personnel management system (Kronos).

Our work in curriculum development and supervision has been in transition as we reconcile efforts with the federal and state expectations, balanced with the autonomy that has been Amherst for decades. Dr. Wendy Kohler now assumes responsibility in this area. Dr. Kohler coordinates work with all grants, entitlement and competitive; development and supervision of many district-wide programs in relation to Town agencies and the colleges and universities; and work in all curriculum areas, specifically focusing on mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, and social justice this year.

A major development in coordinating efforts and fostering efficiency has been in the area of Student Services. Maria Geryk begins her third full year as Director of Student Services.

154

Student Services provides guidance and coordination in two major areas: 1) student information and compliance with regulations and 2) services and programs for students. The latter includes special education, English language education for students whose first language is not English, guidance and counseling, health services, early childhood, outreach, Title I (reading and mathematics intervention), out-of-district programs for students, and others.

Each of these district departments guides their respective efforts by job description, routine responsibilities, and an ambitious list of goals and tasks for research and development, design, implementation, and/or assessment. As the school year proceeds, we review these programs and report to the School Committees. These reports and other data are compiled in our annual Data and Direction Report and Budget Assumptions, both of which are used for budget development.

Complimenting all of these efforts is our work with Town departments, Town businesses and agencies, the colleges and university, and others. The response and dedication for our students and organization have been wonderful. Efforts in safety and security in conjunction with the Amherst Police and the Amherst Fire Department are noteworthy. Our school/Town “Fields Committee” meets monthly to coordinate efforts in facility use, fields use, activities, recreation, and athletics. The colleges and university have all provided support in terms of student interns, volunteers, work on service projects, curriculum coordination, and other targeted efforts. The list of partnerships and coordinated efforts is quite lengthy and productive.

********* While we have worked to become more efficient in our organization and operation as well as to address our ambitious goals, we find ourselves doing so with a budget that comes nowhere close to supporting the needs. Our intentional efforts in energy management, freezing department resources, limiting hiring and programs, and other measures of cost containment are still not sufficient in addressing the restrictions on our budget.

Funding for federal programs has been reduced again this year. State funding, while increased from previous years, has still not returned us to levels applied to the schools five years previously. Town funding has been constrained for reasons no doubt addressed elsewhere in this report.

Furthermore, the budget process has added stress and constraint to our work. In January 2006, the governor delivered his budget address. This established a baseline for the budget process to be entered into our revenue assumptions. What followed was a roller coaster of events as the first round of the House budget, the final House budget, the Senate budget, and finally, the Conference Committee budget were each released. With each iteration, one budget increased and another decreased.

As the 2006-2007 school year began, we found ourselves opening school with increased class sizes, reduced staffing, and decreases in numerous budget supply and program lines. Simultaneously, we opened school with continued determination to ensure efficiency and compliance with regulations, increased organizational capacity, and professional growth and development. Our ultimate goal is unwavering: the achievement and success of every student.

As the year proceeds, we will produce updates and reports on many areas of our work, all of which should guide the development of our budget. We hope you will subscribe to our periodic

155

update of district events at [email protected] Just send an email to that address and we will add you to the list. We post all information about our budget efforts as they proceed and other district information on our website www.arps.org. You can also access all individual school websites through that site.

An overview of our district goals and initiatives this year, many of which have implications for the FY 08 budget, are posted on our district website.

Thank you for your support and interest in our children and our schools.

Respectfully,

Jere Hochman Superintendent

Amherst School Committee Elaine Brighty, Chair Alisa Brewer, Vice-Chair Andy Churchill, Secretary Tom Flittie Sonia Correa-Pope

The Amherst School Committee is an elected body responsible for the public education of all children in kindergarten through grade six and of pre-school children with substantial special needs in our community. The Committee meets regularly on the third Tuesday of each month and welcomes citizen participation at each meeting. The members of this committee also serve as Amherst’s members of the Regional School Committee, which has responsibility for the educational programs for children in grades seven through twelve.

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

Student enrollment as of October 1, 2005 was:

GRADE STUDENTS

Pre K 70 K 195 1 192 2 200 3 203 4 203 5 204 6 211 TOTAL 1,478

While grade-level configurations changed, enrollments for 2005-2006 were the same as the previous year. Seventeen children from Amherst attended other school districts under the School Choice program.

156

Primary goals for the Amherst Schools are as follows:

1. developing and maintaining an up-to-date, innovative, multicultural, academically challenging curriculum that promotes high standards and success for all students 2. providing creative, multi-faceted instruction that maintains high standards, engages all students, and enables all students to be successful learners 3. making all students feel fully welcome and a part of our schools, regardless of race, class, gender, language, religion, sexual orientation, culture, academic success, or physical abilities 4. eliminating the achievement gap among students from different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds 5. addressing the demands and opportunities facing our schools as a result of the rapid growth in the use of technology throughout our society 6. increasing communication and collaboration among the district’s stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and the larger community – and using parents and the community more effectively as educational resources 7. hiring and retaining a high quality teaching and administrative staff 8. equipping and maintaining school buildings to provide healthy, accessible, modern learning environments that support the achievement of our mission 9. sustaining a physically and emotionally safe environment in our schools for students and staff.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

Principal activities and events during the 2005-2006 school year included the following:

Curriculum and Faculty Professional Development • A committee comprised of School Committee members, parents, and staff is working on a Wellness policy in order to comply with new federal regulations and ensure inclusion of community expectations in district policy and guidelines. • A committee comprised of School Committee members, faculty, and administrators has begun its work to develop a comprehensive, systemic model for ongoing professional development. The model will address the developmental stages of teachers throughout their career, the increased demands for specialization and differentiation of instruction, and updates in curriculum and pedagogy. • A committee comprised of teachers and administrators started work last summer on the district "Social Justice Commitment." The committee is identifying social justice concepts to be incorporated in each grade-level of social studies, literature, and other curriculum areas. • Curriculum work in 2006 focused on language arts and finalizing the K-12 mathematics curriculum guide. A template for curriculum guides has been developed and will be used for all future documents. • A committee comprised of administrators and School Committee members explored the concepts of "benchmarking" progress and establishment of a few district "benchmarks" or "leverage points" for student achievement.

ELL • Revised ELL program description & assessment booklets have been disseminated to ELL staff about the assessment process, relationship building with parents, and strategies for classroom teachers and support staff to use when teaching ELLs.

157

• State-wide testing of the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of all public school ELLs was implemented in 2004-05 [MELA-0 and MEPA R/W]. District students’ performance increased by two or more steps from Fall 2004 to Spring 2005 on the assessments that were administered. • Three days of school-based professional development trainings on sheltered English immersion is being provided on an annual basis for grade-level, subject matter, and support staff in compliance with the regulations for educating public school ELLs. • Research and design of more effective programming for ELLs from low -incidence language groups is currently being researched, designed, and implemented by ELL staff. • Research, design, and implementation of coordinated plans for students who are learning English and are struggling to learn are currently underway. • The Massachusetts Department of Education will be conducting a review of the ELL Program next fall. Preparations are underway for this review.

Facilities • The facilities department completed or supervised safety and fire inspections in all facilities. • A committee of teachers, administrators, and staff has been formed to develop comprehensive procedures for prevention of and response to air quality issues.

Human Resources/Personnel • During 2005-2006, a health insurance settlement was negotiated through 2007 with all employee groups. Once negotiations were final, an open enrollment was held for newly negotiated insurance plans. • A new on-line employment application process, “School Spring,” was implemented this year. It has streamlined the process for both applicants and district personnel. • A number of materials were created this year, including new employee and substitute handbooks and new promotional materials for recruitment purposes. • The Human Resources department is currently implementing a new employee software program, “Kronos.” • Negotiation of labor contract has begun with AFSCME cafeteria workers. • A committee comprised of School Committee members, faculty, and administrators has begun its work to revise and enhance the district plan for teacher evaluation. This work is being completed in coordination with the work of the professional development committee and will be mindful of the stages of development and increased expertise and skill of teachers.

Information Systems • The network backbone speed was increased in FY 06 by a factor of 1,000. • Consolidated network servers were moved to a centralized location. • Information Systems installed a Storage Area Network (SAN) for centralized storage of digital files and software, as well as "Clustered Servers," which allows for automatic "fail- over" in the case of a server failure. Downtime has been greatly reduced as a result. • Conversion of the Student Information System to PowerSchool was completed. This provides centralized management of student data and reporting. In addition, new Special Education software has been installed to manage student IEPs. • In addition to the above, there are currently three other major initiatives underway: o working with other area districts and the Department of Education to provide a data

158

warehouse for longitudinal analysis of student information and test scores o establishing centralized development of district-wide reports, and o developing online parent and student access to assignments and grades.

Program Development and Community Connections • A substantive collaborative partnership was formed with Amherst College to promote equity and achievement for all our students. Efforts included forming formal tutoring partnerships, helping secure Big Brothers/Big Sisters grant funding for Amherst College “bigs,” planning and participating in a faculty lecture series with Amherst College “colleagues,” and collaborating with Amherst College faculty and administrative staff for new joint initiatives. • A K-12 mentor program for new teachers was designed and implemented in FY 06. • In collaboration with the Superintendent, a Pipeline Project was designed. Initial planning included engaging a variety of stakeholders in the discussion of project goals and desired outcomes, brainstorming possible mechanisms to reach goals, and exploring a variety of partnership as well as funding options. • Wendy Kohler, Executive Director of Program Development, oversaw the redesign of the district web site, which has greatly improved appearance and functionality.

Student Services • A district Safety and Crisis manual has been completed, and school "Crisis Response Teams" have been formed for all schools. • A district discipline manual was developed to ensure consistency of philosophy and practice in preventing poor student choices and in faculty/staff response, intervention, student support, and monitoring of progress. • Corrective action that was outlined as a result of the mid-cycle review conducted by the Department of Education was completed in FY 06. • Monthly, in-depth professional development for paraprofessionals has been implemented, along with a training manual for their use. In addition, a substantial number of training sessions have been provided for professional staff. Training sessions have included a review of guidelines for physical restraint, including training, process, documentation, and notification system. • A model of support/service has been created for students diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In addition, vocational programming has been implemented for students with intensive special needs.

159

AMHERST-PELHAM REGIONAL SCHOOLS Fiscal Year 2006

Dear Amherst Residents:

Our children are remarkable! As you read a few of the highlights in this report, read articles in the newspapers, view activities on local television, and talk with parents and others in town, you will find out quickly what we observe daily: the students in Amherst make us proud.

Our faculty and staff are as remarkable! As you read a few of the highlights in this report, read articles in the newspapers, view activities on local television, and talk with parents and others in town, you find out quickly what we observe daily: the faculty and staff in Amherst are as dedicated as any can be.

No doubt, there are those who will have a dissenting view. Perhaps you have read a story of a student discipline issue or some other concern. Perhaps you’ve heard a story that didn’t sit well. You or others may have disagreed with a position or decision I have made as Superintendent or questioned one that the School Committee made. Maybe you or others have questions about our staffing, our budget, or how we organize our work.

I will be the first to tell you we have room to improve! I can identify areas of my work and the work of others that necessitate growth and improvement. I can identify areas of student progress that need improvement. We accept these challenges and proceed. With that, I must say that on any given day in any given classroom and school, you find these remarkable children and young adults learning from outstanding teachers. You will find teachers coordinating efforts with administrators, counselors, intervention teachers, specialists, librarians and other staff members working tirelessly. And you will find all these folks supported and served by central office staff members who choose to bring their areas of expertise to children and schools.

We have an ambitious mission. We aspire to the achievement and success of every student – not some, every student. We aspire to student achievement of high status knowledge and skills with a curriculum that maintains high academic standards balanced with a hands-on, experiential, progressive method of learning. We aspire to high levels of professionalism balanced with acceptance, albeit reluctant at times, of federal and state regulations that consume our efforts. We aspire to comply with logical and necessary standards of safety, management, and fiscal responsibility.

We are regulated by law, policy, and district guidelines. We rely on independent audits, external program reviews, and routine checks and balances. We comply with all of these while we focus on the success and achievement of every student. Our list of goals, committees, and projects are necessarily lengthy while appropriately connected.

At the end of the day, considering our responsibility as a department of the Town and as a regional school district for four towns, our ultimate goal, to use the vernacular of the day, is to be a successful learning organization characterized by learning, efficiency, and development.

160

Over the past three years, we have examined every department of the school districts. We have examined policy and procedures in human resources, the business office, facilities, technology, professional development, curriculum, student services, and all areas of administration and accountability.

The district central office has been reorganized and there have been changes in personnel. The schools have examined their organization, schedules, and planning, as well.

Simultaneously, we have experienced considerable change in both federal and state regulations. While well intended and useful to some degree, the one-size-fits all solution to America’s and the Commonwealth’s educational challenges have had a negative impact on districts like Amherst and the Regional schools. Again, these government intentions have some merit and we have identified our own areas needing attention and will respond to both.

Organizationally, we envision our districts with children and the schools surrounded by three entities of the organization: curriculum, student services, and operations. Each of these areas is guided by a set of assumptions and beliefs and, more directly, by standards and expectations. Like every teacher knowing his or her children, what to teach, and how to ensure a safe, nurturing climate, our schools and district are organized similarly.

Our district operations include facilities, the business office, human resources, and information systems and technology. The facilities department coordinates transportation, maintenance, and general facilities operations. For the past two years, Peter Gervickas has coordinated this effort upon the retirement of Paul Lawler. With Mr. Gervickas’s retirement, Ron Bohonowicz began his work as Director of Facilities on July 1, 2006. Unique to this position is that Mr. Bohonowicz works for both the schools and towns, 75% and 25% respectively. Rob Detweiller is beginning his first full year as Director of Finance and Operations after walking directly into the 2006 budget development process last fall with the retirement of Paul Carlson. Kathryn Mazur, formerly assistant to the superintendent, has taken on the full time responsibility of coordinating and directing Human Resources. Jeff Comenitz continues his work directing information systems.

All of these departments have been reviewing respective policies and procedures, working toward increased service orientation, and implementing numerous systems and procedures. The latter includes implementation of new technology, including upgraded software systems in our business operation (MUNIS), student information systems (Power School), a data warehouse (Cognos), and a comprehensive personnel management system (Kronos).

Our work in curriculum development and supervision has been in transition as we reconcile efforts with the federal and state expectations, balanced with the autonomy that has been Amherst for decades. Dr. Wendy Kohler now assumes responsibility in this area. Dr. Kohler coordinates work with all grants, entitlement and competitive; development and supervision of many district-wide programs in relation to Town agencies and the colleges and universities; and work in all curriculum areas, specifically focusing on mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, and social justice this year.

A major development in coordinating efforts and fostering efficiency has been in the area of Student Services. Maria Geryk begins her third full year as Director of Student Services.

161

Student Services provides guidance and coordination in two major areas: 1) student information and compliance with regulations and 2) services and programs for students. The latter includes special education, English language education for students whose first language is not English, guidance and counseling, health services, early childhood, outreach, Title I (reading and mathematics intervention), out-of-district programs for students, and others.

Each of these district departments guides their respective efforts by job description, routine responsibilities, and an ambitious list of goals and tasks for research and development, design, implementation, and/or assessment. As the school year proceeds, we review these programs and report to the School Committees. These reports and other data are compiled in our annual Data and Direction Report and Budget Assumptions, both of which are used for budget development.

Complimenting all of these efforts is our work with Town departments, Town businesses and agencies, the colleges and university, and others. The response and dedication for our students and organization have been wonderful. Efforts in safety and security in conjunction with the Amherst Police and the Amherst Fire Department are noteworthy. Our school/Town “Fields Committee” meets monthly to coordinate efforts in facility use, fields use, activities, recreation, and athletics. The colleges and university have all provided support in terms of student interns, volunteers, work on service projects, curriculum coordination, and other targeted efforts. The list of partnerships and coordinated efforts is quite lengthy and productive.

While we have worked to become more efficient in our organization and operation as well as to address our ambitious goals, we find ourselves doing so with a budget that comes nowhere close to supporting the needs. Our intentional efforts in energy management, freezing department resources, limiting hiring and programs, and other measures of cost containment are still not sufficient in addressing the restrictions on our budget.

Funding for federal programs has been reduced again this year. State funding, while increased from previous years, has still not returned us to levels applied to the schools five years previously. Town funding has been constrained for reasons no doubt addressed elsewhere in this report.

Furthermore, the budget process has added stress and constraint to our work. In January 2006, the governor delivered his budget address. This established a baseline for the budget process to be entered into our revenue assumptions. What followed was a roller coaster of events as the first round of the House budget, the final House budget, the Senate budget, and finally, the Conference Committee budget were each released. With each iteration, one budget increased and another decreased.

As the 2006-2007 school year began, we found ourselves opening school with increased class sizes, reduced staffing, and decreases in numerous budget supply and program lines. Simultaneously, we opened school with continued determination to ensure efficiency and compliance with regulations, increased organizational capacity, and professional growth and development. Our ultimate goal is unwavering: the achievement and success of every student.

As the year proceeds, we will produce updates and reports on many areas of our work, all of which should guide the development of our budget. We hope you will subscribe to our periodic update of district events at [email protected]. Just send an email to that address and we will add

162

you to the list. We post all information about our budget efforts as they proceed and other district information on our website www.arps.org. You can also access all individual school websites through that site.

An overview of our district goals and initiatives this year, many of which have implications for the FY 08 budget, are posted on our district website.

Thank you for your support and interest in our children and our schools.

Respectfully,

Jere Hochman Superintendent

163

Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee

Marianne Jorgensen, Chairperson (Shutesbury) Sonia Correa-Pope (Amherst) Elaine Brighty, Vice-Chairperson (Amherst) Maureen Ecclestone (Pelham) Alisa Brewer, Secretary (Amherst) Michael Hussin (Pelham) Tom Flittie (Amherst) Michael Katz (Leverett) Andy Churchill (Amherst)

The Regional School Committee represents the four communities that comprise the Amherst- Pelham Regional School District: Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury. It is responsible for the direction and support of the educational programs for students in Grades 7 through 12 from each of these towns. Committee meetings are open to the public, except for executive sessions as prescribed by law, and are held regularly on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month. Opportunity is available at every meeting for public participation.

STUDENTS

Enrollment in the Regional Middle and Senior High Schools increased by only 3 students in 2005-2006. Enrollments on October 1 over the last ten years were as follows:

1995-1996—1769 2000-2001—2044 1996-1997—1907 2001-2002—2068 1997-1998—1937 2002-2003—2032 1998-1999—2007 2003-2004—2043 1999-2000—2017 2004-2005—1921

2005-2006 Grade Amhers Pelham Leverett Shutesbury Wards Tuition Total t 7 223 14 19 14 - 13 283 8 225 16 17 26 - 11 295 9 246 17 21 28 - 18 330 10 239 22 27 30 - 24 342 11 265 20 21 32 - 15 353 12 215 26 26 32 - 22 321 TOTALS 1413 115 131 162 - 103 1924

In addition, 46 Regional students were enrolled in Vocational Schools as of October 1, 2005. Nineteen students attended other school districts under the state's School Choice Program, and 57 students were enrolled at charter schools. Tuition for district students to attend these schools is paid by the Regional School District.

There were 199 students from Amherst who graduated with the class of 2006.

164

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The instructional program, developed by teachers in all areas of the curriculum, reflects the overall philosophy and goals of education established by the School Committee. An appropriate range of support services remains in place to help students achieve their highest possible potential. Included among these programs are Guidance, Health Services, Special Education, and English Language Learners Program.

Amherst-Pelham Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive school and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The student body of the High School and Middle School is culturally diverse, with a population that includes 72% Caucasian, 9% African-American, 11% Asian, 7% Hispanic and 1% Native American; it includes native speakers of 24 languages. Masters or doctoral degrees are held by 89% of the faculty.

The students in the Regional schools work hard and excel. For the 2005-2006 school year, the high school had 18 National Merit Commendations and 5 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists who received Certificates of Merit, in a class of 249 students. Ninety-two percent of our students will pursue higher education at colleges and universities across the nation after graduation from the Amherst Regional High School. Nationally normed standardized testing results reflect that, overall, our students score significantly above grade level in all areas tested. Students consistently enroll in courses beyond the standard graduation requirements.

Primary goals for the Regional Schools are as follows:

9. developing and maintaining an up-to-date, innovative, multicultural, academically challenging curriculum that promotes high standards and success for all students 10. providing creative, multi-faceted instruction that maintains high standards, engages all students, and enables all students to be successful learners 11. making all students feel fully welcome and a part of our schools, regardless of race, class, gender, language, religion, sexuality, culture, academic success, or physical abilities 12. eliminating the achievement gap among students from different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds 13. addressing the demands and opportunities facing our schools as a result of the rapid growth in the use of technology throughout our society 14. increasing communication and collaboration among the district’s stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and the larger community – and using parents and the community more effectively as educational resources 15. hiring and retaining a high quality teaching and administrative staff 16. equipping and maintaining school buildings to provide healthy, accessible, modern learning environments that support the achievement of our mission 17. sustaining a physically and emotionally safe environment in our schools for students and staff.

There were several matters to which the Regional School Committee and the Superintendent gave considerable attention:

165

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

Principal activities and events during the 2005-2006 school year included the following:

Curriculum and Faculty Professional Development • A committee comprised of School Committee members, parents, and staff is working on a Wellness policy in order to comply with new federal regulations and ensure inclusion of community expectations in district policy and guidelines. • A committee comprised of School Committee members, faculty, and administrators has begun its work to develop a comprehensive, systemic model for ongoing professional development. The model will address the developmental stages of teachers throughout their career, the increased demands for specialization and differentiation of instruction, and updates in curriculum and pedagogy. • A committee comprised of teachers and administrators started work last summer on the district "Social Justice Commitment." The committee is identifying social justice concepts to be incorporated in each grade-level of social studies, literature, and other curriculum areas. • Curriculum work in FY 06 focused on language arts and finalizing the K-12 mathematics curriculum guide. A template for curriculum guides has been developed and will be used for all future documents. • A committee comprised of administrators and School Committee members explored the concepts of "benchmarking" progress and establishment of a few district "benchmarks" or "leverage points" for student achievement. • ELL • Revised ELL program description & assessment booklets have been disseminated to ELL staff about the assessment process, relationship building with parents, and strategies for classroom teachers and support staff to use when teaching ELLs. • State-wide testing of the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of all public school ELLs was implemented in 2004-05 [MELA-0 and MEPA R/W]. District students’ performance increased by two or more steps from Fall 2004 to Spring 2005 on the assessments that were administered. • Three days of school-based professional development training on sheltered English immersion is being provided on an annual basis for grade-level, subject matter, and support staff in compliance with the regulations for educating public school ELLs. • Research and design of more effective programming for ELLs from low incidence language groups is currently being researched, designed, and implemented by ELL staff. • Research, design, and implementation of coordinated plans for students who are learning English and are struggling to learn are currently underway. • The Massachusetts Department of Education will be conducting a review of the ELL Program next fall. Preparations are underway for this review.

Facilities • The facilities department completed or supervised the following projects at the Regional level: o High School roof renovation o boiler repairs at ARHS and South Amherst campus o major kitchen repairs at AHRS and ARMS o safety and fire inspections in all facilities. 166

• A committee of teachers, administrators, and staff has been formed to develop comprehensive procedures for prevention of and response to air quality issues.

Human Resources/Personnel • During 2005-2006, a health insurance settlement was negotiated through 2007 with all employee groups. Once negotiations were final, an open enrollment was held for newly negotiated insurance plans. • A new on-line employment application process, “School Spring,” was implemented this year. It has streamlined the process for both applicants and district personnel. • A number of materials were created this year, including new employee and substitute handbooks and new promotional materials for recruitment purposes. • The Human Resources department is currently implementing a new employee software program, “Kronos.” • Negotiation of a labor contract has begun with AFSCME cafeteria workers. • A committee comprised of School Committee members, faculty, and administrators has begun its work to revise and enhance the district plan for teacher evaluation. This work is being completed in coordination with the work of the professional development committee and will be mindful of the stages of development and increased expertise and skill of teachers.

Information Systems • The network backbone speed was increased in FY 06 by a factor of 1,000. • Consolidated network servers were moved to a centralized location. • Information Systems installed a Storage Area Network (SAN) for centralized storage of digital files and software, as well as "Clustered Servers," which allows for automatic "fail- over" in the case of a server failure. Down -time has been greatly reduced as a result. • Conversion of the Student Information System to PowerSchool was completed. This provides centralized management of student data and reporting. In addition, new Special Education software has been installed to manage student IEPs • In addition to the above, there are currently three other major initiatives underway: o working with other area districts and the Department of Education to provide a data warehouse for longitudinal analysis of student information and test scores o establishing centralized development of district-wide reports, and o developing online parent and student access to assignments and grades.

Program Development and Community Connections • The Amherst Regional Alumni Association was established. The office of Program Development designed and launched the ARAA website, convened alumni planning meetings, and secured AAEA funding. • A substantive collaborative partnership was formed with Amherst College to promote equity and achievement for all our students. Efforts included forming formal tutoring partnerships, helping secure Big Brothers/Big Sisters grant funding for Amherst College “bigs,” planning and participating in a faculty lecture series with Amherst College “colleagues,” and collaborating with Amherst College faculty and administrative staff for new joint initiatives. • A K-12 mentor program for new teachers was designed and implemented in FY 06. • In collaboration with the Superintendent, a Pipeline Project was designed. Initial planning included engaging a variety of stakeholders in the discussion of project goals and desired

167

outcomes, brainstorming possible mechanisms to reach goals, and exploring a variety of partnership as well as funding options. • Wendy Kohler, Executive Director of Program Development, oversaw the redesign of the district web site, which has greatly improved appearance and functionality.

Student Services • A district Safety and Crisis manual has been completed, and school "Crisis Response Teams" have been formed for all schools. • A district discipline manual was developed to ensure consistency of philosophy and practice in preventing poor student choices and in faculty/staff response, intervention, student support, and monitoring of progress. • Corrective action that was outlined as a result of the mid-cycle review conducted by the Department of Education was completed in FY 06. • Monthly, in-depth professional development for paraprofessionals has been implemented, along with a training manual for their use. In addition, a substantial number of training sessions have been provided for professional staff. Training has included a review of guidelines for physical restraint, including training, process, documentation, and notification system. • A model of support/service has been created for students diagnosed on the autism spectrum. In addition, vocational programming has been implemented for students with intensive special needs.

168

SENIOR CENTER/COUNCIL ON AGING (COA) Fiscal Year 2006

PRINCIPAL GOAL: To run a multi-purpose Senior Center which serves as the community’s focal point for the provision of services to the elderly. The SC works to initiate, facilitate, coordinate, and/or provide those services which in the broadest sense enhance dignity, support independence, maintain health, and promote the involvement of Amherst’s elderly in the general community.

THE SENIOR CENTER: A VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE Whether it’s simply reading our 16-page bi-monthly newsletter, THE SENIOR SPIRIT, or coming in daily for the hot lunch program, Amherst’s older residents have come to rely on the Senior Center.

Here are examples of some of our program and service offerings in FY 06: CLINICS: foot care, ear irrigation, acupuncture, massage, blood pressure, flu/health fair, hearing aid repair; and free consultations two days a week with an R.N. CLASSES: MS Word/beginning computer, defensive driving, literature, knitting, sewing, watercolor/oil painting, strength conditioning, gentle fitness, aerobics, Tai Chi, cooking, financial management, memoir writing, folkdance, Qigong; mah-jongg games, yoga for arthritis sufferers, short story readings, walking club, the Alexander Technique, focusing DISCUSSION/SUPPORT GROUPS: current events, New Options, Kindred Spirits (Grandparents as Parents), the Peace of Mind, “talking books” discussion, caregivers SOCIAL RECREATION: Musical Showcases, bus/van/air trips, Public Safety picnic, holiday parties and socials, fall bazaar, Thanksgiving Dinner, bridge, scrabble, American, national and Chinese mah-jongg games, grocery bingo, sing-a-longs, travelogues EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS: memory loss and Alzheimer’s, glaucoma, how to take control of your bladder, palliative hospice care, long-term care, clear RX, preventing falls, “The Open Road,” chaos control, Medicare Part D, Alzheimer’s legal and financial issues, hearing loss, iris scan identification, new rules for long-term care, health improvement approaches, coping with stress, understanding Islam, nature slide show, Tree House Retirement Community, hoarding, how to get the most out of Medicare, health plan options for seniors, health plan options for seniors, “Walking With Ghosts” literary seminar/reading, how to use ebay, sunglasses and cataracts, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, and SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS: congregate hot lunch program, Meals on Wheels (evening hot supper through UMass), home delivered hot lunch through HVES (Highland Valley Elder Services), tax assistance, leaf raking, personal care/homemaking referral, friendly visitor program, social worker counseling/I+R, brown bag, food box, free weekly bread/produce giveaway, food pantry, volunteer driving, SHINE health insurance counseling, tax assistance, Tax Work-Off intake, subsidized van ticket sales, farmers’ market coupon distribution.

169

PARTICIPATION IN FREE/LOW COST FOOD PROGRAMS GROWING DRAMATICALLY The number of people taking advantage of our food programs has increased, indicating that larger numbers of retirees are struggling to meet basic needs. Here are our figures:

FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 Congregate Meals 5,933 6,467 6,973 Meals on Wheels 3,796 3,843 4,250 Home Delivered 12,889 13,639 14,435 Brown Bag 696 735 1,032 Food Box 298 453 450 Free Bread and Produce Giveaway 2,080 2,543 5,282 Grocery Walk-ins (Senior Center food pantry) 29 82 102

These programs have become essential to the budgets of elders trying to cope with tightening finances. We have a committee of staff and participants who developed and enforce rules to control distribution of the food so as to do this fairly and maintain civility.

COA BYLAWS UPDATED Our COA Bylaws were established in the 1960s, before there were any staff members at the Senior Center. Much has changed in Amherst, including the passage of the Town Government Act and the development of our multi-purpose drop-in Senior Center. Staff and COA members worked with Town Counsel to bring our bylaws up to date, and the changes were approved by Town Meeting.

TRADITIONS REINSTITUTED Many staffing losses and other challenges over the last several years had caused some traditions to be dropped. Now that our “house” is regaining order, we are getting back to normal. We bestowed the Boston Post Cane to our oldest resident, Kenneth Padelford, and we held a Volunteer Awards Social at which we gave out the Eveline Sears Senior Activist Award to two dedicated home- delivered meals drivers, John Foster and Dorothea Kissam.

CAREGIVERS AND KINDRED SPIRITS SUPPORT GROUPS The Caregivers Support Group ran three ten-week sessions, which were very successful in reaching 14 caregivers from the Amherst, Northampton, and Hadley area. The facilitator provided a multitude of guest speakers on topics identified by participants and balanced those with time for the traditional support group. Evaluations were very positive on the structure of the group, the respite it provided, the information concerning available services, and the facilitator. This group was funded by the local ASAP Highland Valley Elder Services’ Title III funds. We have applied for Title III funds to continue this group in FY 07.

The Kindred Spirits Support Group is a monthly group for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings who are raising the children of relatives. This group struggled with membership throughout the fiscal year. It became apparent to the social worker that an outreach worker is needed to provide

170

individual contact with group members and kin who are not group members, between support group meetings, as the social worker does not have the time available to provide this service. Funding for the outreach worker position is not in hand and it does not appear that funding will be available for this position through the HVES.

STAFFING OVERVIEW Our Interim Director was appointed Director in January; she is also serving as Program Director. Our full time Social Worker is assisted by our Program Coordinator, whose hours have varied from three days a week (for nine months) to five days a week (for three months) but will be reduced to four days a week in FY 07 due to a large Town- wide budget deficit. Her primarily Town-supported salary is partially funded by our $17,504 formula grant and by monies from savings. Our fourth and final Town-funded position is that of our Administrative Assistant, who still unfortunately has to also handle the scheduling of three Town buildings in addition to her Senior Center workload. This is expected to change in 2007, when responsibility for scheduling rooms in some buildings will be shifted to others.

On a positive note, we continue to have good luck (thanks to Experience Works funding) to have a 20-hour-a-week Program Assistant who helps with our computer work, in particular details related to Meals on Wheels and publicity. We have one occasional Van Driver to drive our 20- passenger van for special trips. Her salary is funded by monies raised by donations from the community. Because she is so underutilized, she squeezes our trips in around a variety of other jobs.

Finally, we have an AAA-funded Nutrition Site Director, who finds volunteer drivers and student/senior kitchen aides to help cope with a burgeoning clientele.

COMPUTER LAB UPDATE The Town’s Information Technology Department (IT) adopted our Senior Center computer lab this year and keeps it virus-free and the equipment in good working order. Since our computer is now linked to the main frame, many problems can be solved remotely. In FY 07, IT plans to update and increase the number of computers available and add new software. There is a plan to have occasional computer training for Town employees, and some LSSE classes will be scheduled in the late afternoon or early evening. The Bangs Community Center and the nearby Town Hall and Town Commons now are set up also for wireless access. We do not charge for our computer instruction or use. A few months ago, we started tracking the duplicated and unduplicated computer lab usage. We have a duplicated count of over 80 registered monthly, and this is growing; some people also aren’t signing in, so the number is really higher. Several Senior Center newcomers have started coming in daily to check their e-mails and the internet.

We are fine-tuning our computer-use policies as issues arise. For example, we had to have the IT Department tighten up the restrictions on access to certain internet sites. Paper and printer cartridge costs are significant; we have had to post limitations on copies as some people use the printer like a copier. We had to remove the color printer and substitute a black-and-white laser. We also have had to restrict diskette use, as at least one person brought in a disk with a virus. We’re learning the ins and outs of this popular new offering as time goes by. Our biggest challenge now is a happy one: we have a hard time getting people to go home at the end of the day so we can shut computers down and lock up.

171

TOWN MEETING COORDINATING COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2006

The Town Meeting Coordinating Committee (TMCC), a committee of seven Town Meeting members elected by Town Meeting, has just completed its second year. The primary charge of the TMCC is to provide leadership and organization to Town Meeting so that it functions effectively as the legislative body for the Town of Amherst. The focus of most of TMCC work this past year has been making sure the procedures and physical arrangements for Town Meeting support its work, informing Town Meeting members about issues coming before Town Meeting, providing orientation to new members, and providing forums for discussion and outreach to the community. Activities and accomplishments included the following:

TMCC in Town Bylaws By the action of the 2005 Fall Town Meeting, an amendment to the Town Bylaws was made, providing for the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee as a permanent committee of Town Meeting. The TMCC was added to the organization chart of Town government.

Guidelines for Petitioners of Warrant Articles Early in the fall, TMCC prepared a handout sheet, to be given to people requesting petition forms for warrant articles. It was hoped that this list of suggestions for addressing issues by Town Meeting action would help to reduce the number of unnecessary or poorly prepared articles.

Warrant Review Meetings and Precinct Forums Meetings to review the articles of the warrant were held before the special fall Town Meeting and the annual Town Meeting. These were sponsored jointly with the League of Women Voters of Amherst. Precinct forums were held in the days between the warrant meeting and the opening of Town Meeting. This year, a special effort was made to notify the Select Board and committees that they would be expected to have completed work on articles in time to be able to present material at these informational meetings. The TMCC has requested that the warrant meeting be included in the official Town calendar.

Bus Tour for Town Meeting Members prior to Annual Town Meeting After several years, the TMCC revived the offering of a bus tour for Town Meeting members, to visit sites related to articles on the warrant. The tour was very successful and helped many Town Meeting members to better understand issues pertaining to a number of articles. Since no Town funding was available, the tour was financed by contributions from those who took the tour. It is hoped that bus tours will be funded in the future.

Consent Calendar TMCC successfully sponsored an article for the 2006 Annual Town Meeting to increase, from one to five, the number of Town Meeting members required to remove an article from the consent calendar. The grouping of non-controversial articles by the Moderator into a consent calendar requiring a single vote without debate is considered a useful time-saver. Allowing one member to remove an article in order to debate it was felt too easy, whereas requiring five was considered to be an adequate safe-guard for responsible action by Town Meeting.

Technical Improvements for Town Meeting A timing device to alert a speaker and the Moderator of time limits is now in use.

172

The TMCC has worked, with the very generous help of the Town and Middle School technical staff as well as ACTV, to create better conditions for the Moderator, Town Meeting members and TV coverage of Town Meeting. A plan has been proposed to rewire the Middle School auditorium to reduce both the clutter and the effort involved in the wiring setup for each session. It is hoped that this will be funded by ACTV as part of the Town’s new contract with Comcast. Some lighting improvements have been made and more are being discussed.

Select Board Meetings in the Middle School Music Room prior to Town Meeting TMCC felt strongly that these important meetings needed to be made available to the public on ACTV, just as other Select Board meetings are cablecast. As a result of our recommendations, this new service was instituted.

TMCC Subscription List The number of Town Meeting members subscribing to the TMCC e-mail service increased and efforts continue to be made to reach more members with helpful information. This voluntary, one-way service was designed to distribute important information to Town Meeting members. It is hoped that more documents to be placed on the back table at Town Meeting will be available earlier by e-mail, so that they can be read before sessions begin.

Accountable Voting Exploration continues into options for equipment for electronically recording votes in Town Meeting. The cost of equipment has been declining, making electronic voting remain an interesting, more possible addition to Town Meeting in the future. Recorded votes would result in greater accountability of the representative meeting, and it would greatly reduce the time required to tally votes.

Suggestions for Improving Town Meeting In an effort to improve the functioning of Town Meeting, the TMCC has actively solicited suggestions. A suggestion box has been placed on the back table at Town Meeting. Meetings were held with the Moderator, Town Manager, Finance Director, and members of the Finance Committee to discuss their concerns and ideas. TMCC has also collected suggestions from e- mails and discussions with Town Meeting members and citizens. The long list of suggestions is now being reviewed, and the Committee will be focusing on action to help Town Meeting serve Amherst well.

TMCC Members Irving P. Rothberg, Chair - to 12/31/05, member to 6/06 Marcie A. Sclove, Vice- Chair and Chair - 1/06 Margaret R. Roberts, Vice- Chair - 1/06 H. Oldham Brooks, Stacker Hilda B. Greenbaum - to 6/06 Otto L. Stein Merrylees Turner

Elected by 2006 Annual Town Meeting Stephanie J. O’Keeffe Philip S. Jackson

Hwei-Ling Greeney, Select Board Liaison

173

VETERANS’ SERVICES Fiscal Year 2006

VETERANS’ BENEFITS

The Department of Veterans’ Services continues to offer assistance to veterans and their families through a number of federal and state programs. The state veterans’ benefits program provides temporary assistance to veterans and their families who qualify to receive benefits and can show need. These benefits provide for medical care and cash for living expenses.

The Department of Veterans’ Services will also aid veterans and their families in the filing of federal forms that are necessary for them to receive a wide range of benefits provided by the Veterans Administration. The Department now has access to many veteran-related internet sites and government agencies.

FISCAL YEAR 2006

This year the Welcome Home Bill was enacted on the 11th of November. The bill includes bonuses for those service members who were activated during the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars. Those who served “in country” will receive $1,000, and those who did not serve in the war zone will receive $500.

The veteran is required to apply for the bonus. Applications are available at your local veterans’ services office or they can be obtained online.

The bill also increases the annual annuity payments to $2,000 for Gold Star Mothers and provides an annuity for the Gold Star Spouses.

Veterans, or friends or relatives who have served in the armed forces are asked to register with our office so that we can better serve their needs and are able to give them the latest and best information available.

Rod Raubeson Director of Veterans’ Services

174

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Fiscal Year 2006

The Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) processed fifty-two (52) applications during FY 06. All but two of the applications were for Special Permits. There were two Appeals from a Decision of the Building Commissioner. Many of the cases were complex in nature, resulting in repeated continuation of public hearings over periods of months. The Board met fifty-six (56) times during FY 06, more than twice the number of meetings in previous years.

Thirty-nine (39) of the Special Permit applications were granted with conditions, two (2) were denied and six (6) were withdrawn without prejudice.

Three Special Permit applications were still pending at the end of the fiscal year. One is Strawberry Fields, a 24-unit condominium development on South East Street. This application was seriously affected by the resignation of the Board Chair in March and by opposition from neighbors. Another is the Chabad House Special Permit application, which seeks recognition of current multiple uses and the addition of a new daycare center. The other pending application seeks to modify the parking plan and add a bedroom to a non-conforming property with three existing dwelling units and ten existing bedrooms.

One (1) Appeal of a Decision of the Building Commissioner involving a fraternity was denied by the ZBA, and one appeal of parking violations of an approved site plan was pending at the end of the fiscal year.

In FY 06, nine (9) Special Permits were granted for new housing construction or for an increase in the number of dwelling units within an existing dwelling (conversion or a supplemental apartment). These permits resulted in a total of nineteen (19) new dwelling units.

Fifteen (15) of these dwelling units are located close to the center of town or close to the University, supporting the longstanding Town objective of increasing residential density near the Town center while preserving outlying open space.

Other residential activity included the approval of six (6) new flag lots and the renewal or modification of five (5) previously permitted flag lots. The flag lots and the newly-approved dwelling units all received development authorization dates under Section 14 of the Zoning Bylaw.

In FY 06, two Special Permits were denied. One was a proposal to convert an office building on a non-conforming lot in a residential zone to three dwelling units. Another Special Permit was denied that sought to convert a former sorority house into a fraternity house.

Five applications for restaurants were filed this fiscal year. Three were for changes of ownership of existing restaurants or modifications to existing Special Permits. Two Special Permits were granted for new restaurants, both of which are located in the renovated Amherst Cinema Building: • Amherst Coffee • Tabella Restaurant

175

Special Permits of general interest included: • Amherst Housing Authority – to build 11 affordable townhouses and apartments for rental, on Main Street • Town of Amherst – renewal of Special Permit for the Transfer Station on Belchertown Road • Verizon Wireless – Special Permit to add wireless telecommunication devices to the existing steam tower at Amherst College • Verizon Wireless – Special Permit to build a 180-foot tall telecommunications tower at the Ruxton site in North Amherst • Town of Amherst – Special Permit to continue operations, to add storage and to add wireless telecommunications equipment for the Town at the Ruxton site.

ZBA Chair Zina Tillona resigned from the Zoning Board as of March 30, 2006, and Tom Simpson, Vice-Chair, assumed her duties as Acting Chair. Ted Rising continued to serve as Clerk of the Board. Associate member Barbara Ford was appointed a permanent member in May. New associate members appointed to serve in FY 06 were Hilda Greenbaum, Russ Frank, and Jane Ashby.

As a result of having only six members for much of the year, it was frequently difficult to schedule regular Zoning Board of Appeals hearing dates.

Planning Department staff members Christine Brestrup, Associate Planner and Carolyn Holstein, Zoning Assistant, provide staff support to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Zoning Board of Appeals: Members Associate Members Tom Simpson Russ Frank (Acting Chair) Jane Ashby Ted Rising, Clerk Hilda Greenbaum Barbara Ford

176

Town of

AMHERST Massachusetts

TOWN HALL OFFICE OF THE TOWN ACCOUNTANT 4 Boltwood Avenue PH: (413) 256-4026 Amherst, MA 01002-2302 FX: (413) 256-4007 [email protected]

Town Accountant Fiscal Year 2006

The accompanying pages include the Town of Amherst’s unaudited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006

Respectfully submitted,

Sonia Aldrich Town Accountant

177

Table of Contents

Combined Balance Sheet – All Fund Types and Account Groups

Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity – All Governmental Fund Types and Expendable Trust Funds

Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity – All Proprietary Fund Types and Similar Trust Funds

Statement of Revenues and Other Sources and Expenditures and Other Uses – Budget and Actual – General Fund

Statement of Revenues and Other Sources and Expenditures and Other Uses - Budget and Actual – Sewer Fund, Water Fund, Solid Waste Fund, Golf Course Fund and Transportation

Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity –Internal Service, includes Health Claims Trust Fund and Workers Compensation Fund.

Health Claims Trust Fund – Detailed Income Statement.

Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity – Stabilization Fund and Property and Casualty Insurance Claims.

Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity –Expendable and Non-Expendable Trust Funds

Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity –Expendable and Non-Expendable Trust Funds- Detail Income Statement

FY 06 Approved Budget – General Fund

178

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combined Balance Sheet - All Fund Types and Account Groups On June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Fiduciary Account Governmental Fund Types Proprietary Fund Types Fund Types Groups Totals Special Capital Internal Trust and Long-term (Memorandum ASSETS General Revenue Projects Enterprise Services Agency Debt Only) Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,629,457.83 $ 3,420,440.45 $ 2,749,436.16 $ 5,602,334.45 $ 180,277.95 $ 2,452,457.23 $ 19,034,404.07 Investments ------Receivables: Property taxes 16,296,866.61 - - 18,803.42 - - 16,315,670.03 Special assessments - 123,654.76 - - - - 123,654.76 Tax liens and foreclosures 286,730.34 529.78 - 9,361.61 - - 296,621.73 Excises 269,471.89 - - - - - 269,471.89 Utility Charges - - - 693,332.42 - - 693,332.42 Departmental - 612,163.30 - 273,837.55 - 35,488.82 921,489.67 Deposits receivable ------Other receivables 155,369.17 52,190.80 - - - - 207,559.97 Due from other governments 80,563.54 158,298.01 - - - - 238,861.55 Prepaid Expenses 41,698.82 41,698.82 Inventory ------Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation 17,809,678.31 - - 23,668,401.87 - - 41,478,080.18 Amounts to be provided - payment of bonds - 73,655.00 - 6,674,555.26 - - $ 6,025,444.44 12,773,654.70 Amounts to be provided - vacation and sick leave ------Total Assets $ 39,528,137.69 $ 4,482,630.92 2,749,436.16$ 36,940,626.58$ $ 180,277.95 $ 2,487,946.05 $6,025,444.44 $ 92,394,499.79

LIABILITIES AND FUND EQUITY Liabilities: Deferred revenue $ 17,059,481.54 $ 786,788.89 $ - $ 851,295.89 $ - $ 35,488.82 $ 18,733,055.14 Provision for abatements and exemptions 36,386.51 - - - - - 36,386.51 Accounts payable 974,136.93 447.38 - - - - 974,584.31 Accrued payroll and withholdings 641,195.76 803.41 - - - - 641,999.17 Other liabilities 73,616.08 385,030.87 - 2,573.33 - 218,952.33 680,172.61 Bonds payable - 73,655.00 - 6,674,555.26 - - $ 6,025,444.44 12,773,654.70 Notes payable - - 2,183,043.00 - - - 2,183,043.00 Vacation and sick leave liability ------Total Liabilities 18,784,816.82 1,246,725.55 2,183,043.00 7,528,424.48 - 254,441.15 6,025,444.44 36,022,895.44

Fund Equity: Reserved for encumbrances 596,909.96 19,129.76 613,936.96 976,611.81 - - 2,206,588.49 Reserved for expenditures - 2,234,590.00 - 658,147.00 - 1,000,000.00 3,892,737.00 Reserved for continuing appropriations 99,563.61 - 1,832,616.52 1,110,649.87 - - 3,042,830.00 Reserved for Revenue deficit (96,596.00) (96,596.00) Reserved for appropriation deficit ------Reserved for endowments - - - - - 309,092.70 309,092.70 Unreserved, designated (282,556.00) 50,000.00 - 94,008.90 1,092,442.00 - 953,894.90 Unreserved, undesignated 2,544,858.93 932,185.61 (1,880,160.32) - (912,164.05) 924,412.20 1,609,132.37 Unreserved retained earnings - - - 3,000,978.65 - - 3,000,978.65 Investment in capital assets 17,809,678.31 - - 23,668,401.87 - - 41,478,080.18 Reserved for overlay deficits (25,133.94) - - - - - (25,133.94) Reserved for over/under assessments ------Total Fund Equity 20,743,320.87 3,235,905.37 566,393.16 29,412,202.10 180,277.95 2,233,504.90 - 56,371,604.35

Total Liabilities and Fund Equit y $ 39,528,137.69 $ 4,482,630.92 2,749,436.16$ 36,940,626.58$ $ 180,277.95 $ 2,487,946.05 $6,025,444.44 $ 92,394,499.79

179

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity All Governmental Fund Types and Expendable Trust Funds For the Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Fiduciary Governmental Fund Types Fund Types Totals Special Capital Expendable (Memorandum General Revenue Projects Trust Only) Revenues: Property taxes 30,242,246.91 394,744.40 - - 30,636,991.31 Excise 1,622,104.45 - - - 1,622,104.45 Interest, penalties and other taxes 1,085,967.96 - - - 1,085,967.96 Charges for services - 2,887,755.23 - - 2,887,755.23 Licenses and permits 1,042,981.96 - - - 1,042,981.96 Intergovernmental 14,764,151.42 2,858,245.96 3,821,957.00 - 21,444,354.38 Fines and forfeits 167,568.23 - - - 167,568.23 Interest earnings 330,494.45 4,180.24 - 73,569.94 408,244.63 Miscellaneous 1,078,510.94 225,766.27 - 39,123.46 1,343,400.67 Audit Adjustment - Contributions - 78,202.17 - - 78,202.17 Total Revenues 50,334,026.32 6,448,894.27 3,821,957.00 112,693.40 60,717,570.99

Expenditures: General Government 7,477,194.30 33,626.05 464,211.31 50,927.30 8,025,958.96 Public Safety 7,617,740.50 454,010.78 436,613.71 - 8,508,364.99 Public Works 1,790,740.59 907,737.95 282,521.53 - 2,981,000.07 Planning, Conservation and Inspections 810,060.83 68,349.02 418,631.91 - 1,297,041.76 Community Services 1,674,289.06 1,423,202.30 105,365.20 - 3,202,856.56 Library Services 1,461,526.25 60,827.02 6,378.23 - 1,528,731.50 Education 29,361,484.05 1,277,033.92 308,554.26 - 30,947,072.23 Debt Service 1,502,549.29 5,270.00 - - 1,507,819.29 Intergovernmental 810,186.10 - - - 810,186.10 Total Expenditures 52,505,770.97 4,230,057.04 2,022,276.15 50,927.30 58,809,031.46

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures (2,171,744.65) 2,218,837.23 1,799,680.85 61,766.10 1,908,539.53

Other Financing Sources (Uses): Bond Proceeds - - - - - Operating transfers in 3,240,342.00 - 2,261,200.00 - 5,501,542.00 Operating transfers (out) (1,857,511.00) (2,488,770.00) (421,400.00) (850,000.00) (5,617,681.00) Total Other Financing Sources (Uses) 1,382,831.00 (2,488,770.00) 1,839,800.00 (850,000.00) (116,139.00)

Excess (deficiency) of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses (788,913.65) (269,932.77) 3,639,480.85 (788,233.90) 1,792,400.53

Fund Equity, July 1, 2005 3,722,556.21 3,505,838.14 (3,073,087.69) 2,631,997.35 6,787,304.01 - - Fund Equity, June 30, 2006 $ 2,933,642.56 $ 3,235,905.37 $ 566,393.16 $ 1,843,763.45 $ 8,579,704.54

180

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity All Proprietary Fund and Similar Trust Funds For the Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Fiduciary Fund Types Totals Internal Non-expendable (Memorandum Enterprise Service Trust Funds Only) Revenues: Property taxes $ - $ - $ - $ - Excise - - - - Interest, penalties and other taxes - - - - Charges for services 7,057,383.45 9,036,562.88 - 16,093,946.33 Licenses and permits - - - - Intergovernmental 273,876.66 - - 273,876.66 Fines and forfeits - - - - Interest earnings 209,451.27 24,734.67 10,532.01 244,717.95 Miscellaneous 64,110.40 716.96 2,837.50 67,664.86 Contributions - - - - Total Revenues 7,604,821.78 9,062,014.51 13,369.51 16,680,205.80

Expenditures: General Government - 9,184,584.26 - 9,184,584.26 Public Safety - - - - Public Works 5,899,529.41 - - 5,899,529.41 Planning, Conservation and Inspections - - - - Community Services 241,764.97 - 5,767.62 247,532.59 Library Services - - - - Education - - - - Debt Service 983,236.00 - - 983,236.00 Intergovernmental - - - - Total Expenditures 7,124,530.38 9,184,584.26 5,767.62 16,314,882.26

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures 480,291.40 (122,569.75) 7,601.89 365,323.54

Other Financing Sources (Uses): Bond Proceeds - - - - Operating transfers in 1,126,964.06 705,443.00 - 1,832,407.06 Operating transfers (out) (1,716,268.06) - - (1,716,268.06) Total Other Financing Sources (Uses) (589,304.00) 705,443.00 - 116,139.00

Excess (deficiency) of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses (109,012.60) 582,873.25 7,601.89 481,462.54

Fund Equity, July 1, 2005 5,858,850.81 (402,595.30) 382,139.56 5,838,395.07 Audit Adjustment (inventory) (6,037.98) (6,037.98) Fund Equity, June 30, 2006 $ 5,743,800.23 $ 180,277.95 $ 389,741.45 $ 6,313,819.63

181

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources and Expenditures and Other Uses Budget and Actual - General Fund For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Property taxes 30,238,782.00 30,242,246.91 3,464.91 Excise 1,513,202.00 1,622,104.45 108,902.45 Penalties, interest and other taxes 1,087,970.00 1,085,967.96 (2,002.04) Licenses and permits 751,510.00 1,042,981.96 291,471.96 Intergovernmental 14,792,010.00 14,764,151.42 (27,858.58) Fines and forfeits 139,000.00 167,568.23 28,568.23 Interest earnings 210,000.00 330,494.45 120,494.45 Miscellaneous 918,234.00 1,078,437.03 160,203.03 Contributions 47,309.00 (47,309.00) Transfers in 3,050,907.00 3,240,342.00 189,435.00 Other Sources (free cash and overlay) 1,555,443.00 1,555,443.00 0.00 Total Revenues and Other Sources 54,304,367.00 55,129,737.41 825,370.41

Expenditures and Other Uses: General Government 4,954,244.00 4,951,047.26 3,196.74 Special Appropriations 2,499,714.00 2,496,946.00 2,768.00 Public Safety 7,661,693.00 7,661,321.63 371.37 Public Works 1,767,454.00 1,767,116.29 337.71 Planning, Conservation and Inspections 771,827.00 770,354.84 1,472.16 Community Services 1,625,681.00 1,619,051.62 6,629.38 Library Services 1,451,641.00 1,451,614.06 26.94 Education 28,965,111.00 28,951,247.52 13,863.48 Debt Service 1,591,000.00 1,572,749.29 18,250.71 Region and Deferred Teachers Pay 302,373.00 282,460.84 19,912.16 Intergovernmental-Assessments 856,118.00 845,858.10 10,259.90 Transfers Out 1,857,511.00 1,857,511.00 0.00 Total Expenditures and Other Uses 54,304,367.00 54,227,278.45 77,088.55

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses 0.00 902,458.96 902,458.96

182

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources, and Expenses and Other Uses Budget and Actual - Sewer Fund For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Charges for services $ 3,024,536 $ 2,887,457 $ (137,079) Interest earnings 25,000 67,626 42,626 Other sources 36,171 36,171 - Total Revenues and Other Sources 3,085,707 2,991,254 (94,453)

Expenses and Other Uses: Personnel 1,061,335 1,019,619 41,716 Purchase of services 719,200 789,562 (70,362) Supplies 38,450 32,707 5,743 Other charges and expenses 301,971 287,301 14,670 Transfers 234,142 234,142 - Capital outlay 365,000 349,918 15,082 Debt service 365,609 363,859 1,751 Other uses - Total Expenses and Other Uses 3,085,707 3,077,107 8,600

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenses and other uses $ - $ (85,853) $ (85,853)

183

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources, and Expenses and Other Uses Budget and Actual - Water Fund For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Charges for services $ 2,821,600 $ 2,782,243 $ (39,357) Interest earnings 16,094 90,942 74,848 Other sources 508,498 536,605 28,107 Total Revenues and Other Sources 3,346,192 3,409,790 63,598

Expenses and Other Uses: Personnel 874,428 860,944 13,484 Purchase of services 415,400 393,545 21,855 Supplies 84,100 105,373 (21,273) Other charges and expenses 624,829 634,889 (10,060) Transfers 318,641 318,641 - Capital outlay 530,000 530,000 - Debt service 498,794 498,793 1 Other uses - Total Expenses and Other Uses 3,346,192 3,342,184 4,008

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenses and other uses $ - $ 67,605 $ 67,605

184

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources, and Expenses and Other Uses Budget and Actual - Solid Waste Fund For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Charges for services $ 355,000 $ 344,097 $ (10,903) Intergovernmental 37,021 37,021 $ - Interest earnings 10,000 37,356 $ 27,356 Other sources (sale of fixed assets) 45,000 43,901 $ (1,099) Total Revenues and Other Sources 447,021 462,375 15,354

Expenses and Other Uses: Personnel 191,434 193,355 (1,921) Purchase of services 203,807 210,231 (6,424) Supplies 5,800 4,042 1,758 Other charges and expenses 25,980 36,881 (10,901) Transfers - Capital outlay 20,000 - 20,000 Debt service - Other uses - Total Expenses and Other Uses 447,021 444,509 2,512

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenses and other uses $ - $ 17,866 $ 17,866

185

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources, and Expenses and Other Uses Budget and Actual - Golf Fund For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Charges for services $ 206,903 $ 196,096 $ (10,807) Intergovernmental 49,068 49,068 - Interest earnings - 62 62 Other sources - Total Revenues and Other Sources 255,971 245,226 (10,745)

Expenses and Other Uses: Personnel 135234 138,157 (2,923) Purchase of services 60,554 53,169 7,385 Supplies 18,725 25,490 (6,765) Other charges and expenses 27,254 24,949 2,305 Transfers 14,204 14,204 - Capital outlay - - Debt service - Other uses - Total Expenses and Other Uses 255,971 255,969 2

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenses and other uses $ - $ (10,743) $ (10,743)

186

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Statement of Revenues and Other Sources, and Expenses and Other Uses Budget and Actual -Transportation Fund For the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Variance Favorable Budget Actual (Unfavorable) Revenues and Other Sources: Charges for services $ 816,690 $ 839,593 $ 22,903 Intergovernmental - Interest earnings 2,000 13,465 11,465 Other sources - Total Revenues and Other Sources 818,690 853,058 34,368

Expenses and Other Uses: Personnel 184,714 171,386 13,328 Purchase of services 55,595 69,403 (13,808) Supplies 6,000 10,156 (4,156) Other charges and expenses 338,411 333,683 4,728 Transfers 113,385 113,385 - Capital outlay - Debt service 120,585 120,584 1 Other uses - Total Expenses and Other Uses 818,690 818,598 92

Excess of revenues and other sources over expenses and other uses $ - $ 34,460 $ 34,460

187

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity All Internal Service Funds For the Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

7401 7402 Health Workers' Insurance Compensation Total Revenues: Property taxes - Excise - Interest, penalties and other taxes - Charges for services 8,966,040.67 70,522.21 9,036,562.88 Licenses and permits - Intergovernmental - Fines and forfeits - Interest earnings 10,501.67 14,233.00 24,734.67 Miscellaneous 716.96 716.96 Contributions - Total Revenues 8,977,259.30 84,755.21 9,062,014.51

Expenditures: General Government 9,143,347.46 41,236.80 9,184,584.26 Public Safety - Public Works - Planning, Conservation and Inspections - Community Services - Library Services - Education - Debt Service - Intergovernmental - Total Expenditures 9,143,347.46 41,236.80 9,184,584.26

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures (166,088.16) 43,518.41 (122,569.75)

Other Financing Sources (Uses): Bond Proceeds - Operating transfers in 705,443.00 705,443.00 Operating transfers (out) - Total Other Financing Sources (Uses) 705,443.00 - 705,443.00

Excess (deficiency) of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses 539,354.84 43,518.41 582,873.25

Fund Equity, July 1, 2005 (705,441.82) 302,846.52 (402,595.30)

Fund Equity, June 30, 2006 $ (166,086.98) $ 346,364.93 $ 180,277.95

188

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combined Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity All Non-Expendable Trust Funds For the Year Ended June 30, 2006 (unaudited)

8401 8402 Trust Trust Principal Income Total Revenues: Property taxes - Excise - Interest, penalties and other taxes - Charges for services - Licenses and permits - Intergovernmental - Fines and forfeits - Interest earnings 358.90 10,173.11 10,532.01 Miscellaneous 2,837.50 2,837.50 Contributions - Total Revenues 3,196.40 10,173.11 13,369.51

Expenditures: General Government - Public Safety - Public Works - Planning, Conservation and Inspections - Community Services 5,767.62 5,767.62 Library Services - Education - Debt Service - Intergovernmental - Total Expenditures - 5,767.62 5,767.62

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures 3,196.40 4,405.49 7,601.89

Other Financing Sources (Uses): Bond Proceeds - Operating transfers in - Operating transfers (out) - Total Other Financing Sources (Uses) - - -

Excess (deficiency) of revenues and other sources over expenditures and other uses 3,196.40 4,405.49 7,601.89

Fund Equity, July 1, 2005 305,896.30 76,243.26 382,139.56

Fund Equity, June 30, 2006 $ 309,092.70 $ 80,648.75 $ 389,741.45

189

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS Combining Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Equity Expendable and Non-Expendable Trust Funds For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Unaudited)

Net Fund Fund Change in Balance Balance Other Total Operating Excess Transfers Transfers Fund June 30, June 30, Interest Revenues Resources Expenditures (Deficiency) In Out Balance 2004 2005 Martha D. Bianchi Fund - - $ - 1,025.00 1,025.00 Alice C. Burnham Fund - - - 15,020.66 15,020.66 Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund 2,837.50 2,837.50 2,837.50 2,837.50 90,502.64 93,340.14 Ephraim Y. Cosby Fund - - - 500.00 500.00 Florence B. Cutler Fund - - - 2,000.00 2,000.00 S. W hite Dickinson Fund - - - 5,000.00 5,000.00 Kendrick Fund - - - 1,899.15 1,899.15 George S. rbert B. Adams Fund - - - 2,814.31 2,814.31 He J. D. Westcott Fund - - - 3,000.00 3,000.00 R. red F. Field Jr. Fund - - - 82,442.15 82,442.15 Alfilliam E. Smith Fund - - - 1,899.15 1,899.15 Whiting Street Fund - - - 9,040.61 9,040.61 W ok Fountain Fund - - - 2,346.54 2,346.54 E. F.rbara Co Smith Hospital Fund 358.90 358.90 358.90 358.90 9,901.92 10,260.82 Batty Jane Donley Fund - - - 78,504.17 78,504.17 Betal Non-expendable income 3,196.40 - 3,196.40 $ - 3,196.40 -$ $ - 3,196.40 305,896.30 309,092.70 To rtha Dickinson Bianchi Memorial 67.36 67.36 67.36 67.36 833.39 900.75 Mace C. Burnham-West Cemetery Gate 1,150.17 1,150.17 1,150.17 1,150.17 16,713.73 17,863.90 metery Perpetual Care 1,504.89 1,504.89 1,504.89 1,504.89 41,521.74 43,026.63 Ali hraim Y. Cosby-West Cemetery 36.68 36.68 36.68 36.68 512.12 548.80 Ce e B. Cutler-West Cemetery 140.01 140.01 140.01 140.01 1,863.34 2,003.35 Ep hite Dickinson Cemetery Fund 348.88 348.88 348.88 348.88 4,625.59 4,974.47 Florenc S. Kendrick-West Cemetery 131.51 131.51 131.51 131.51 1,729.58 1,861.09 S. Wred E. Field, Jr. 2,997.43 2,997.43 3,146.68 (149.25) (149.25) 912.30 763.05 Georgeilliam E. Smith 70.76 70.76 102.65 (31.89) (31.89) 53.62 21.73 Alfhiting Street Fund 334.49 334.49 518.29 (183.80) (183.80) 284.10 100.30 W rbert B. Adams 110.43 110.43 110.43 110.43 232.79 343.22 WJ.D. Westcott 113.70 113.70 113.70 113.70 137.29 250.99 He ok Fountain $ 144.45 144.45 144.45 144.45 1,639.06 1,783.51 R. tty Jane Donley Fund 3,022.35 3,022.35 2,000.00 1,022.35 1,022.35 5,184.61 6,206.96 E.F.tal Co Expendable income 10,173.11 - 10,173.11 5,767.62 4,405.49 - - 4,405.49 76,243.26 80,648.75 Be Total Expendable and $ 13,369.51 $ - $ 13,369.51 $ 5,767.62 $ 7,601.89 $ - $ - $ 7,601.89 $ 382,139.56 $389,741.45 n-expendable Trust Funds To No 190

TOWN OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS FY 2006 Approved Budget General Fund

FY 2006 FY 2006 FY 2006 FY 2006 Final ATM STM ATM Fin Com Approved April-May 05 Nov-05 April-June 06 Jul-06 Budget OPERATING BUDGETS General Government: Select Board $ 47,463.00 1,630.00 $ 49,093.00 Town Manager 166,864.00 1,630.00 2,000.00 170,494.00 Finance Committee 560.00 560.00 Finance Department 754,303.00 37,537.00 791,840.00 Elections and Registration 26,650.00 3,000.00 29,650.00 Town Clerk's Office 146,253.00 5,882.00 152,135.00 Legal Services 99,150.00 20,000.00 119,150.00 Human Resources/Affirmative Action 2,244,093.00 101,423.00 2,345,516.00 Information systems 417,371.00 13,765.00 431,136.00 Facilities Maintenance 426,484.00 18,133.00 10,000.00 454,617.00 General Services 410,053.00 410,053.00 Total General Government 4,739,244.00 - 180,000.00 35,000.00 4,954,244.00

Public Safety: Police 3,718,958.00 3,718,958.00 Police Facility 135,691.00 5,350.00 141,041.00 Fire/Emergency Medical Services 3,160,092.00 33,650.00 83,800.00 3,277,542.00 Communications Center 475,426.00 5,850.00 481,276.00 Animal Control 42,876.00 42,876.00 Total Public Safety 7,533,043.00 33,650.00 95,000.00 - 7,661,693.00

Public Works: Public Works Administration 221,024.00 221,024.00 Construction and Maintenance 562,954.00 30,700.00 593,654.00 Snow and Ice Removal 145,460.00 44,613.00 190,073.00 Street and Traffic Lights 103,107.00 103,107.00 Equipment Maintenance 224,469.00 37,300.00 261,769.00 Sanitary Landfill Operations - Tree Care and Pest Control 117,432.00 5,500.00 122,932.00 Town Cemeteries 21,904.00 1,500.00 23,404.00 Parks and Commons 236,491.00 15,000.00 251,491.00 Total Public Works 1,632,841.00 - 90,000.00 44,613.00 1,767,454.00

Planning, Conservation and Inspections: Inspection Services 335,081.00 (15,000.00) 4,200.00 324,281.00 Design Review Board - Planning Board - Conservation Commission and Department 193,643.00 193,643.00 Planning Department 253,903.00 253,903.00 Historical Commission - Total Planning, Conservation and Inspections 782,627.00 - (15,000.00) 4,200.00 771,827.00

Community Services: Public Health 264,006.00 30,500.00 294,506.00 Children's Services 62,798.00 2,225.00 65,023.00 Public Assistance ( Human Services) 140,983.00 140,983.00 Council On Aging 183,728.00 10,100.00 193,828.00 Veterans' Services and Benefits 116,032.00 48,875.00 164,907.00 Town Commemorations 875.00 875.00 Housing Partnership/Fair Housing - Leisure Services and Supplemental Education 587,791.00 5,800.00 593,591.00 Municipal Pools 169,468.00 2,500.00 171,968.00 Total Community Services 1,525,681.00 - 100,000.00 - 1,625,681.00

Library Services: Jones Library 1,451,641.00 1,451,641.00 Total Library Services 1,451,641.00 - - - 1,451,641.00

Public Education: Elementary Schools 18,455,714.00 18,455,714.00 Regional School District 10,508,489.00 10,508,489.00 Total Public Education 28,964,203.00 - - - 28,964,203.00

191

ATM STM ATM Fin Com Approved April-May 05 Nov-05 April-June 06 Jul-06 Budget OPERATING BUDGETS

Debt Service: Debt Principal General 902,033.00 902,033.00 Elementary Schools 265,000.00 265,000.00 Regional Schools 197,539.00 197,539.00 Debt Interest General 179,894.00 179,894.00 Elementary Schools 100,210.00 100,210.00 Regional Schools 104,834.00 104,834.00 Temporary Debt/Borrowing Costs 143,863.00 143,863.00 Total Debt Service 1,893,373.00 - - - 1,893,373.00

Transfers:

Art 34 Capital Program -Equipment 615,400.00 615,400.00 Art 35 Capital Program- Facilities 422,600.00 422,600.00 Art 30 Cherry Hill Tax Support 35,649.00 35,649.00 STM Art 5A Health Insurance 705,443.00 705,443.00 STM Art 11 Master Plan 65,000.00 65,000.00 Reserve Fund Tranfer to Cherry Hill 13,419.00 13,419.00 - - - - Total Transfers 1,073,649.00 770,443.00 - 13,419.00 1,857,511.00

Unpaid Bills: Art 2 unpaid bills ATM 202.00 202.00 Art 2 unpaid bills STM 706.00 706.00 Total Unpaid Bills 202.00 706.00 - - 908.00

Assessments: State Motor Vehicle Parking Surcharge 18,781.00 18,781.00 Retired Teachers Health Insurance 109,268.00 109,268.00 Air Pollution Control Districts 6,301.00 6,301.00 Other Regional Transit Authorities 681,240.00 681,240.00 School Choice Sending Tuition (36,681.00) (36,681.00) Charter School Assessment (8,852.00) (8,852.00) Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 5,231.00 5,231.00 Total Assessments 775,288.00 - - - 775,288.00

Deficits: Revenue Deficit - Appropriation Deficit 80,830.00 80,830.00 Overlay Deficit - Total Deficits 80,830.00 - - - 80,830.00

SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS General Government: ATM COLA and Transfers 450,000.00 (450,000.00) - Retirement Assessment 2,492,946.00 2,492,946.00 Reserve Fund 100,000.00 (97,232.00) 2,768.00 ACTV STM Art 6 4,000.00 4,000.00 Total Gen Gov Special Appropriations 3,042,946.00 4,000.00 (450,000.00) (97,232.00) 2,499,714.00

Community Services: - - - Finance Committee Vote Senior van subsidies - Total Community Services Special Appropriation - - - - -

GRAND TOTAL GENERAL FUND $ 53,495,568.00 $ 808,799.00 $ - $ - $ 54,304,367.00

RECONCILIATION OF BUDGET TO GENERAL LEDGER: Final approved budget 54,304,367.00 Fund 1000 (54,304,367.00) Total General Fund budget per General Ledger 192 -

OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK Fiscal Year 2006

The Town Clerk supervised two elections in FY 06: the referendum vote held on September 27, 2005, at which voters were asked to vote on whether or not to rescind the Town Meeting action taken on October 28, 2002 appropriating and authorizing borrowing for athletic fields at the Plum Brook Recreation Area; and the Annual Town Election held on April 4, 2006, at which voters cast their votes for candidates for Town offices. At the Annual Town Election, voters were also asked to vote on three non-binding questions in order to gauge their preference as to whether or not the Town budget should be balanced through cuts in municipal, school, and library services; whether or not present services should be maintained through increased tax support by a Proposition 2 ½ override; and on whether or not the voters preferred a combination of cuts and tax or fee increases in order to maintain the most important Town services. 15.8 % of the 16,165 registered voters voted in the Annual Town Election. On September 27, 2005, 21.2% of the 16,003 voters registered turned out to vote. Of these, 1,405 voters voted to rescind the Town Meeting action and 2,025 voters voted No.

In addition to Annual Town Meeting, which began on May 1 and met for twelve sessions, there were five Special Town Meetings held during the course of the fiscal year.

Complete results of the elections and town meetings are included in this report.

* * *

In March of 2006, the Town of Amherst and the University of Massachusetts entered into an agreement establishing four sub-precincts for the purpose of operating on-campus polling sites to facilitate student voting in Amherst. The Student Government Association reimburses the Town for specific costs related to operating the sub-precincts, including costs such as staffing, programming of election equipment, and printing of ballots.

Anna Maciaszek resigned her position as Town Clerk effective April 7, 2006. However, Anna continued to work part-time for the Town of Amherst until early August. A gathering held in the Town Room gave many people who had worked with Anna an opportunity to say good-bye, tell her how much she would be missed, and wish her luck in her new position.

Doris Holden’s term on the Board of Registrars expired on June 30 of 2006. Doris had served as a member of the Board of Registrars since her original appointment on July 27, 1998, when she was appointed to replace Robert White. We will miss Doris at Voter Registration sessions and on election days, when her quiet demeanor had a calming effect on us all and her dry sense of humor resulted in many double takes. The Town Clerk staff joins me in wishing Doris the very best in all her future endeavors.

* * *

193

BOARD OF REGISTRARS

The Board of Registrars held voter registration sessions on September 7, 2005, being the deadline for the Special Referendum Election held on September 27, 2005, and on March 15, 2006, being the deadline for the April 4, 2006 Annual Town Election.

Voter totals as of April 4, 2006 were as follows:

Pct. AI D GP G- Int L NL RC Ref REP S U TOTAL R P 1 634 1 31 17 1 87 734 1,505 2 833 13 5 1 95 517 1,464 3 349 9 1 60 238 657 3A 1 131 3 3 1 14 243 396 4 1 344 4 3 49 179 280 4A 191 1 10 33 233 468 5 1 727 25 7 108 1 654 1,523 6 1,069 28 1 11 3 161 807 2,080 7 939 21 1 17 1 124 1 796 1,900 8 1,302 36 10 1 1 190 1 893 2,434 9 682 25 5 72 1 486 1,271 9A 263 21 14 39 461 798 10 397 7 2 28 249 683 10A 151 3 3 28 1 210 396 TOTAL 3 8,012 1 227 2 108 1 5 3 1,088 5 6,700 16,155

AI = AMERICAN D = DEMOCRAT GP = GREEN PARTY INDEPENDENT USA G-R = GREEN RAINBOW INT = INTER. 3RD PARTY L = LIBERTARIAN NLP – NATURAL LAW PARTY RC = RAINBOW COALITION REF = REFORM REP = REPUBLICAN S = SOCIALIST U = UNENROLLED

892 voters were registered between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006. Within the same time period, 1,288 voters were deleted.

Respectfully submitted,

Sandra J. Burgess Clerk of the Board of Registrars

194

2006 Vitals (The Town Clerk is required to report to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistic on a calendar- year basis)

Births 162

Deaths 126

Marriages 163

* * * REFERENDUM ELECTION SEPTEMBER 27, 2005

In accordance with the warrant, the polls were opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 8:00 p.m. The voters cast their ballots in their respective precincts. The results were as follows:

TOTAL PRECINCT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9A 10 S Referendum Question 18 13 15 17 36 12 YES 81 2 76 54 3 0 5 1 2 0 71 1405 27 12 10 15 32 23 39 22 NO 96 7 7 3 1 9 0 2 7 0 93 2025 Blanks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 17 45 20 15 28 47 40 75 35 16 Total 7 9 3 7 4 9 5 3 20 4 3433

Precinct Ballots Cast Number Registered PM Return Time % Turnout 1 177 1,495 8:46 PM 11.8% 2 459 1,435 8:51 PM 32.0% 3 203 1,045 9:19 PM 19.4% 4 157 1,064 8:56 PM 14.8% 5 405 1,506 8:56 PM 18.9% 6 479 2,063 9:00 PM 23.2% 7 405 1,868 9:01 PM 21.7% 8 753 2,406 8:51 PM 31.3% 9 352 1,236 8:30 PM 28.5% 9A 0 808 8:29 PM 0% 10 164 1,077 8:36 PM 15.2% TOTALS 3,433 16,003 - - - 21.2%

195

The public announcement was made at 9:25 p.m. on September 27, 2005. 3,433 ballots were cast, representing 21.2% of the 16,003 voters registered.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

*** PRECINCT 4

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on September 2, 2005 in the Town Clerk’s Office, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill three vacancies in town meeting membership in Precinct 4. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Stacey Brock 12 Michael A. Giles 11 Cheryl C. Zoll 11

Stacey D. Brock of 48 Dana Street, Michael A. Giles of 57 Blue Hills Road and Cheryl C. Zoll of 104 Northampton Road were elected to fill three vacancies in Precinct 4 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

*** PRECINCT 8

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on September 2, 2005 in the Town Clerk’s Office, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill one vacancy in town meeting membership in Precinct 8. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Fred Moseley 11 Clare Bertrand 7

Fred Moseley of 70 Larkspur Drive was elected to fill one vacancy in Precinct 8 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

196

*** PRECINCT 8

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on November 2, 2005 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill two vacancies in town meeting membership in Precinct 8. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Andrew Mason 12 Charles E. Clifton 12 Clare Bertrand 4

Andrew Mason of 78 Larkspur Drive and Charles E. Clifton of 74 Potwine Lane were elected to fill two vacancies in Precinct 8 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

*** PRECINCT 7

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on November 2, 2005 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill one vacancy in town meeting membership in Precinct 7. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Christopher J. Hoffman 13

Christopher J. Hoffman of 170 East Hadley Road, # 16 was elected to fill one vacancy in Precinct 7 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

197

* * * Special Town Meeting November 2, 3, 7, 9 and 16, 2005

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The Special Town Meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Harrison Gregg at 7:40 p.m. There were 246 town meeting members. 124 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek. The Select Board Chair, Robert Kusner, recognized the dedicated service of several town committee members, who served the Town for six or more years. New town meeting members were sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. James Scott, H. Oldham Brooks, Nonny Burack, James Pistrang, Nancy Gordon and Hilda Greenbaum were sworn as tellers. Consideration of Articles 3 and 4 were scheduled for Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. respectively. Consideration of Article 10 was scheduled for Thursday, November 3, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. Consideration of Article 11 was schedule for Monday, November 7, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. Consideration of Articles 27 and 28 were scheduled to be considered before Article 1. The meeting took action on Articles 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 27 and 28.

ARTICLE 1. Reports of Boards and Committees (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town hear only those reports of Town officers, the Finance Committee, and any other Town boards or committees which were not available in written form. Action taken on 11/2/2005.

ARTICLE 2. Transfer of Funds – Unpaid Bills (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town raise and appropriate $706 to pay unpaid bills of the previous year. Action taken on 11/2/2005.

ARTICLE 3 Street Acceptance –Section of Tanglewood Road (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town accept as Town way a section of Tanglewood Road as laid out by the Select Board and shown on plans of land filed with the Town Clerk, and authorize the Select Board to take by eminent domain, purchase or otherwise any fee appurtenant rights, easements or other interest in land therefore, no appropriation being required. Action taken on 11/9/2005.

ARTICLE 4. Easement – Main Street Bridge (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town authorize the Select Board to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise, temporary or permanent easements, as to be set forth by the Massachusetts Highway Department for roadway construction, roadway safety improvements and for the replacement of the Main Street Bridge over the Fort River. Action taken on 11/9/2005.

198

ARTICLE 5. FY 06 Operating Budget Amendments (Finance Committee) MOTION A: VOTED to amend the action taken under Article 30 of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting, Fiscal Year 2006 Operating Budget, by appropriating to the Health Claims Trust Fund $705,443 for employee health insurance and to meet such appropriation transfer $705,443 from Free Cash in the Undesignated Fund Balance of the General Fund, said appropriation to be reimbursed to the General Fund monthly via a temporary health insurance premium surcharge to employers and employees until such time the total appropriation has been reimbursed. Action taken on 11/2/2005.

MOTION B: VOTED to amend the action taken under Article 30 of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting, Fiscal Year 2006 Operating Budget, by increasing the appropriation for Public Safety by $33,650 for Fire/EMS and to meet such increased appropriation transfer $33,650 from Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation. Action taken on 11/2/2005.

ARTICLE 6. Special Services - Amherst Community Television/Cable Advisory Committee (Select Board, Cable Advisory Committee) VOTED unanimously that the Town raise and appropriate $4,000 for the enforcement of the provisions of the 1996 License Agreement between the Town and Comcast and, under the terms of the 1996 contract between the Town and Amherst Community Television, for Amherst Community Television and related purposes if unused or uncommitted by the Cable Advisory Committee for enforcement purposes by March 1, 2007. Action taken 11/2/2005.

ARTICLE 7. Transfer Control of Wentworth Farm (Conservation Commission) DEFEATED YES 96, NO 60 (2/3rds majority not obtained) [I move that the Town transfer 25 acres, more or less, of land now informally managed for the town by the Conservation Commission and composed of Parcel 46 of Map 18A and portions of Parcels 17 and 18 of Map 18A of the Town Cadastre and bounded by Belchertown Road, Old Farm Road, and land of the Conservation Commission abutting the Fort River from the care and custody of the Select Board to the formal management and control of the Conservation Commission under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 8C.] Action taken on 11/2/2005.

10:07 p.m., November 2, 2005 – The meeting voted to adjourn to Thursday, November 3, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 185 town meeting members were checked in.

The Thursday, November 3, 2005 session, adjourned from Wednesday, November 2, 2005, was called to order by the moderator at 7:44 p.m. 124 town meeting members checked in and a quorum was declared. The Moderator recognized those Town Meeting Members that passed away this year and requested a moment of silence in their honor. The meeting took action on Articles 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

199

ARTICLE 8. Special Act and Transfer of Control – Olympia Drive (Select Board) MOTION A: VOTED UNANIMOUSLY that the Town authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for a Special Act to remove from the provisions of Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution and to allow to be used for affordable housing or general municipal purposes a certain parcel of land located on Olympia Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts, which parcel is the northwestern portion of the land taken pursuant to an Order of Taking dated July 13, 1987, and recorded in the Hampshire Registry of Deeds in Book 3018, Page 309, also being a portion of Assessors Map 8D, Parcel 20, and containing 11.9 acres, more or less. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

Motion B: VOTED UNANIMOUSLY that the Town transfer from the care and custody of the Select Board to the formal management and control of the Conservation Commission under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 8C a portion of a certain parcel of land located on Olympia Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts, which parcel is the southern and eastern portion of the land taken pursuant to an Order of Taking dated July 13, 1987, and recorded in the Hampshire Registry of Deeds in Book 3018, Page 309, also being a portion of Assessors Map 8D, Parcel 20, and containing 16 acres, more or less. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

ARTICLE 9. Capital Program - Site Selection and Preliminary Design for Fire Station(s) in Amherst (Fire Station Committee) VOTED that the Town appropriate $20,000 for preliminary site evaluation and conceptual design and preliminary cost estimate for a new fire station, and conceptual design and preliminary cost estimate for renovation to Central Fire Station, and to meet that appropriation transfer $20,000 from Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

ARTICLE 10. Capital Program – Amherst Area Transportation Plan (Public Transportation Committee) DEFEATED YES 76, NO 88 [To see if the Town will appropriate $20,000 for preparation of the transportation component of the town’s Comprehensive Plan under the guidance of the Public Transportation & Bicycle Committee in cooperation with the Comprehensive Planning Committee and other committees, as appropriate, and to meet such appropriation transfer $20,000 from the Transportation Fund.] Action taken 11/3/2005.

ARTICLE 11. Capital Program – Master Plan (Comprehensive Planning Committee, Joint Capital Planning Committee) VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $65, 000 for development of a comprehensive Master Plan as required under Massachusetts General Laws 41, Section 81D and in implementation of Article 27 of the November 8, 2004 Special Town Meeting. Action taken on 11/7/05.

200

ARTICLE 12. Capital Program – Preliminary Survey of Town Commons (Public Works Committee) VOTED unanimously to DISMISS [To see if the Town will appropriate $2,000 to survey and define the various Town commons for the purpose of producing recordable instruments and determine whether such appropriation shall be met by taxation, by the transfer of available funds, or otherwise and further to authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants.] Action taken on 11/3/2005.

ARTICLE 13. Building Committee for Fort River and Wildwood School Renovations (School Committee) VOTED unanimously that the Town approve the establishment of a Fort River and Wildwood School Building Committee for development of the schematic design phase of the renovation of Wildwood and Fort River schools and authorize the Moderator to appoint its members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the School Committee. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

ARTICLE 14. Amend Town Bylaw – Council on Aging Bylaw (Council on Aging)

VOTED that the Town amend the Town Bylaws, Article 5, by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows: COUNCIL ON AGING There shall be a council on aging consisting of nine members, some members of which shall represent those age 60 and over, appointed by the town manager for three year terms except that at the outset three shall be appointed for a one-year term, three for a two-year term and three for a three-year term, all such terms to end at the opening of the annual council meeting for the appropriate year unless they are completing an unexpired term. Any vacancy shall be filled by the town manager, who will take into consideration the recommendation of the Nominating Committee of the Council on Aging. The members shall serve without compensation. The council shall elect its own chairman and its secretary, each for a one-year term. The A secretary shall keep minutes of its record all the proceedings of the meetings and attend to its correspondence. A Senior Center staff member may serve as secretary instead, if needed. The council shall meet at least four times a year, a meeting in the spring to be its annual meeting. Regular meetings of the Council may be held monthly, the date, time and place to be designated by the chair. It shall have the authority granted to it by Section 8B, as now or hereafter amended, of Chapter 40 of the General Laws, and shall coordinate or carry out programs designed to meet the problems of the aging in coordination with programs of the Commonwealth's Commission on Aging established under Section 73 of Chapter 6 of the General Laws. programs of the Department of Elder Affairs. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

201

ARTICLE 15. Amend Town Bylaw – Handicapped Parking (Select Board)

VOTED that the Town amend the Town Bylaws, Article II, Handicapped Parking, by increasing the penalty in Section 2 from $100 to $200. Action taken on 11/3/2005.

9:51 p.m., November 3, 2005 – The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, November 7, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 170 town meeting members were checked in.

The Monday, November 7, 2005 session, adjourned from Thursday, November 3, 2005, was called to order by the moderator at 7:34 p.m. 123 town meeting members checked in and a quorum was declared. The meeting took action on Articles 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

ARTICLE 16. Amend Town Bylaw – Article 1 (Town Meeting Coordinating Committee) VOTED that the Town incorporate into Article 1 of the Town Bylaws, immediately following the section headed "Finance Committee," the following By-Law:

(a) The Town Meeting Coordinating Committee. Duties of the Committee

There shall be a Town Meeting Coordinating Committee consisting of seven members who shall be elected, as required by Section (b) “Committee Elections,” by the members of Town Meeting at the Annual Town Meeting.

Duties of the Committee .The first duty of this Committee shall be to provide continuing leadership and organization to Town Meeting and to extend outreach to the community on behalf of Town Meeting. The duties the Committee shall undertake shall include, but not be limited to the following: (1) organizing warrant forums prior to Town Meeting open to the public, (2) communicating to the public about Town Meeting through various means, (3) taking responsibility for the education and orientation for new Members. The Committee shall perform such other duties as Town Meeting shall determine from time to time.

(b) Committee Elections; Term of Office; Termination of Membership; Committee Vacancies

Committee Elections. The members shall hold office for two years. Four members shall be elected in even-numbered years and three in odd-numbered years. Nominations to the Committee shall be made in writing and delivered to the Town Clerk, with the consent of the nominee recorded on the nomination paper. Nominations shall be accepted at a session of each Annual Town Meeting to be determined by the Moderator after consultation with the Town Clerk or at the Town Clerk’s Office prior to that session. The Town Clerk shall prepare a ballot of those nominated, which ballot shall be presented to each Town Meeting Member at a subsequent session of the Annual Town Meeting to be determined by the Moderator after consultation with the Town Clerk. Each Town Meeting Member shall cast a number of votes less than or equal to the number of seats available.

202

Term of Office. Committee members’ terms shall begin upon the dissolution of the Town Meeting at which they were elected and expire upon the dissolution of the Annual Town Meeting of the second year following their election. Members shall be sworn in by the Town Clerk.

Termination of Membership. Membership on the Committee shall terminate when the member submits a letter of resignation to the Town Clerk or ceases to be a Town Meeting member.

Committee Vacancies. When a position on the Committee becomes vacant for any reason other than expiration of a term, the Moderator shall appoint, from among those unelected candidates of the most recent Committee election who are still Town Meeting members and still willing to serve, the candidate who received the highest number of votes in said election, ties to be resolved by a coin toss. If no unsuccessful candidate from the most recent election meets these qualifications, the Moderator shall appoint a Committee member from among the current Town Meeting members. Appointed Committee members shall serve the remainder of the uncompleted term.

(c) Committee Internal Organization and Procedures: Officers, Subcommittees, Minutes

Officers. Upon dissolution of each Annual Town Meeting, the Committee shall elect from their membership a chairperson, vice-chairperson, a clerk, and a stacker, to serve until the dissolution of the next Annual Town Meeting.

Subcommittees. The Committee may, from time to time, constitute subcommittees as it deems appropriate. Subcommittees may include Town Meeting members who are not members of the Coordinating Committee. Each subcommittee shall be chaired by a member of the Coordinating Committee and appointed by the Chair of the Coordinating Committee.

Minutes. The Committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings and shall file these minutes with the Town Clerk. The proceedings of the subcommittees shall be rendered as reports to be included in the Committee's minutes. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 17. Zoning Bylaw – Planning Board Appointments (Planning Board) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that Town amend Section 10.02 of the Zoning Bylaw by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

10.02 The Planning Board shall consist of nine regular members. In addition, two associate members may be appointed. All members shall be appointed by the Town Manager, with approval of the Select Board, under Section 11c 4.54 of the Town Manager Amherst Town Government Act and shall be appointed for a term of three years, except for appointments to fill an unexpired term. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

203

ARTICLE 18. Zoning Bylaw – Zoning Board of Appeals Appointments (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Section 10.01 of the Zoning Bylaw by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

10.01 The Zoning Board of Appeals shall consist of three members and four associate members, all residents of the Town of Amherst, the three members appointed and serving for three year terms and as otherwise set forth in Chapter 40A of the General Laws, as amended. Each year the term of one of the regular members shall expire. The term of each member and associate member shall conclude at the later of the expiration of such term or the qualification of a successor. end at the date of the annual Town election of the year in which the term expires, or whenever a successor qualifies, whichever occurs last. Said Board shall have all of the powers and duties of Boards of Appeals under said Chapter, and, in addition, all the powers and duties herein prescribed. Copies of rules promulgated by the Board of Appeals may be obtained from the Town Clerk's Office. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 19. Zoning Bylaw – Design Review Board Appointments (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Section 3.2 of the Zoning Bylaw by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

3.201 Design Review Board

In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General Laws, a Design Review Board is hereby established. The Design Review Board shall review applications for all actions that are subject to the provisions of this section and shall make recommendations to the appropriate permit-granting authority concerning the conformance of the proposed action to the design review standards contained herein.

The Design Review Board shall consist of five members, two of whom are registered architects, landscape architects or persons with equivalent professional training, and one of whom operates a business or owns commercial property in the affected area. Appointments to the Design Review Board shall be made, as follows by the Select Board. Of the five Design Review Board members, one member shall represent the Planning Board and one member shall represent the Historical Commission. The Planning Board and Historical Commission shall vote to recommend their representatives to the Select Board and forward those recommendations to the Select Board prior to appointment. These two representative members need not be members of the Planning Board or Historical Commission.

1) One member shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Planning Board, with the concurrence of a majority of said Board;

2) One member shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Historical Commission, with the concurrence of a majority of said Commission; and

204

3) Three members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Select Board. , with the concurrence of a majority of said Board.

The terms of all members of the Design Review Board shall be three years, except that when the Board is originally established, the Select Board shall make two of their appointments for a two year term and the remaining appointment shall be for a one year term. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 20. Zoning Bylaw – Cluster Dimensions (Planning Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Table 3 of the Zoning Bylaw – Dimension Regulations, Footnotes, by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

k. Requirements may be modified under a Special Permit Site Plan Review approval granted for a cluster subdivision. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 21. Zoning Bylaw – Fences (Planning Board) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that the Town amend the following subsections of Section 6.2 of the Zoning Bylaw, Fences, to delete the lined-out language and add the language in bold italics, as follows:

6.20 Fences – Fences, or walls, or any similar type structure, shall be considered accessory structures and shall be permitted within the required front, side and rear yards subject to the conditions and requirements of Sections 6.22 through 6.29, except that fences in the B-G and abutting B-L Districts and in the B-VC District shall require a Special Permit approval of the Permit Granting Board or Special Permit Granting Authority with jurisdiction over the proposed or existing Principal or accessory use(s) for which the fence serves as an accessory structure.

6.29 Under the provisions of Section 10.38 or 11.24, as applicable, Ffence, wall, and planting requirements as found in Sections 6.23 through 6.28 may for compelling reasons of safety, aesthetics, or site design be modified by the Zoning Board of Appeals by the issuance of a Special Permit, based upon a finding that such modification is not detrimental to the neighborhood nor that such modification will jeopardize vehicular traffic and/or pedestrian traffic Permit Granting Board or Special Permit Granting Authority with jurisdiction over the proposed or existing Principal or accessory use(s) for which the fence serves as an accessory structure. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 22. Zoning Bylaw – R-G Dimensions (Footnote m.) (Planning Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Table 3 of the Zoning Bylaw, Dimensional Regulations, footnote m., by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

205

m. For new town houses (Section 3.322), apartments (Section 3.323), and subdividable dwellings (Section 3.3240), these areas shall apply iIn addition to the areas required by this table for any existing dwelling units on the lot. In addition, the density for new town houses, (Section 3.322) or apartments (Section 3.323) , and subdividable dwellings shall not exceed one dwelling unit per 6,000 4,000 sq. ft. of the remaining lot area, or, the entire area in the case where there are no existing dwelling units, 4,000 sq. ft. for each new dwelling unit beyond the first unit. Action taken on 11/7/2005.

ARTICLE 23. Zoning Bylaw – Flood Prone Conservancy (FPC) District Bylaw (Select Board) VOTED to refer to the Select Board and the Planning Board [To see if the Town will amend Sections 3.226, 3.3, 6.5, 12.22, and 12.35 of the Zoning Bylaw, as follows:

A. Amend Section 3.226 by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

3.226 If any portion of a lot falls within the FPC District, then 40 percent of that portion which may be used to meet the lot area and all of any side or rear yard setback requirements for the district in which the remainder of the lot is situated. The Special Permit Granting Authority may grant a Special Permit allowing the use of more than 40 percent of FPC District area on a given property to meet minimum lot area requirements of that property, if the Authority determines that such a modification will serve compelling purposes of safety, site design, aesthetics or the general welfare, as defined under Sections 10.38 or 11.24, as applicable, and where no construction, pavement, or other site alterations associated with the application will occur within that portion of the FPC District so used.] Action taken on 11/7/2005.

10:00 p.m., November 7, 2005 – The meeting voted to adjourn to Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 189 town meeting members were checked in.

The Wednesday, November 9, 2005 session, adjourned from Monday, November 7, 2005, was called to order by the moderator at 7:34 p.m. 123 town meeting members checked in and a quorum was declared. The meeting took action on Articles 3, 4, 24, 25, and 26.

ARTICLE 24. Zoning Map – Flood Prone Conservancy (FPC) District Boundaries (Select Board) VOTED unanimously to refer to the Select Board and Planning Board [To see if the Town will amend the Official Zoning Map and Section 3.223 of the Zoning Bylaw, as follows:

A. Amend the boundaries of the FPC District as shown on Exhibit A.

B. Amend Section 3.223 by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

206

3.223 The FPC District shall consist of those geographical areas hereinafter delineated which by virtue of their relationship to components of the natural hydrology of the Town of Amherst, have substantial importance to the protection of life and property against the hazards of floods, erosion, and pollution, and in general are essential to the public health, safety, and welfare. Those geographical areas include flood prone areas, natural water storage areas adjacent to ponds, rivers, streams and, wetlands as well as and reservoirs.

The FPC District is considered to be:

3.2230 All areas designated as the FPC District on the Official Zoning Map on file in the Town Clerk's Office. The FPC District is determined by the following information: Department of Interior Map of Flood Prone Areas 1969; Soils Survey, 1965; Wetlands Map, 1973; Town of Amherst bBase mMap, 1972, or other current town base mapping, as revised; historical flood information; hydrologic surveys; U.S.G.S. topographic maps; and other topographic surveys; the 100-year-flood zone (Zone A) on the 1981 and 1983 Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), as amended; observed and projected flooding from any storm event of a statistical frequency equal to or exceeding once in 100 years.

3.2231 Except where otherwise shown on the Official Zoning Map, Aall land within a minimum of 75 feet horizontally of the crest of the bank of the Mill or Fort Rivers.

3.2232 Except where otherwise shown on the Official Zoning Map, Aall land within a minimum of 50 feet horizontally of the crest of the bank of Cushman Brook, Amethyst Brook, Adams Brook, Hearthstone Brook, Eastman Brook, Swamp Brook, Hop Brook, Plum Brook, Muddy Brook, Hawley Brook downstream from North East Street.

3.2233 All land within a minimum of 25 feet horizontally of the crest of the bank of flowing perennial and or intermittent streams not otherwise specified in Section 3.2230, 3.2231, 3.2232, but designated on the Town Base Map, 1972 or other current Town base mapping, as revised.] Action taken on 11/9/2005.

ARTICLE 25. Zoning Bylaw & Map – Agricultural District (AG) (Select Board) VOTED to refer to the Farm Committee [To see if the town will vote to amend the Zoning Bylaw by adding sections 3.29 and footnote “o” to Dimensional Regulation Footnotes for Table 3, to amend Section 2.05 and Section 5.090 of the Zoning Bylaw, and to amend the official zoning map, all as follows:

Motion A. Add the following new definition to Section 2.05, Resource Protection Districts

AG Agricultural District

207

The Agricultural District shall only consist of those parcels or portions of parcels of agricultural land whose development rights have been purchased by or donated to the Commonwealth’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, the Town of Amherst, or a private non-profit organization. The District shall not include land and buildings excluded by contract.

Amend the official zoning map to re-zone portions of the following parcels of land whose development rights have been purchased or donated as described in the Section 2.05 Agricultural District definition from the RLD-FC (Low-Density Residential-Farmland Conservation) Zoning District and other districts listed in parenthesis following each individual parcel to the Agricultural (AG) Zoning District:

Map 4B, Parcel 5 (RO); Map 4D, Parcels 5 (RO), 6 (RO), 7 (RO), 13 (RO), 14 (RO) and 17 (RO); Map 5A, Parcel 2 (VC-R); Map 5C, Parcels 22 (RN) and 48; Map 7B, Parcels 1 (RO) and 2 (RO); Map 9A, Parcel 17 (RO); Map 9C, Parcels 20 (RO), 21, 22, 25 (RO), 28 (RO) and 43 (RO); Map 9D, Parcel 29; Map 12A, Parcels 8 (RO), 12 (RN and RO), 13 (RN), 15 (RN), 53 (RN), 54 (RN) and 61 (RN); Map 12C, Parcels 9 (RN) and 17 (RN); Map 15A, Parcels 29 (RN) and 56 (RN); Map 15C, Parcel 23 (RN); Map 16D, Parcels 1 (RO), 7 (RO), 8 (RO), and 241 (RO); Map 17C, Parcel 178 (RN); Map 17D, Parcels 1 (RN) and 14; Map 18A, Parcels 4 (RN) and 88 (RN); Map 19A, Parcel 4 (RO); Map 20B, Parcels 55, 64 and 70 (RN); Map 20C, Parcel 151 (RN and VC-R); Map 23D, Parcel 106 (RO); Map 26A, Parcels 41 (RO) and 43 (RO).

And, amend the official zoning map to re-zone portions of the following parcels of land in the ARP (Aquifer Recharge Protection) Overlay Zoning District whose development rights have been purchased or donated as described in the Section 2.05 Agricultural District definition from the RLD (Low-Density Residential) Zoning District and other districts listed in parenthesis following each individual parcel to the AG (Agricultural) Zoning District: Map 26B, Parcels 2 (RO) and 157 (RO); Map 27C, Parcels 41 (RO) and 57 (RO); and Map 27D, Parcel 1.

Add the following new Section 3.29 to Article 3:

Section 3.29 Agricultural District

3.290 General It is intended that the Agricultural District shall only consist of those parcels or portions of parcels of agricultural land whose development rights have been purchased by or donated to the Commonwealth’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, the Town of Amherst, or a private non-profit organization, and shall not include land and buildings on such parcels or portions of parcels excluded by contract.

3.291 Use Regulations 3.2910 Except for uses separately authorized by this section, uses protected under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, section 3 or permitted under Sections 3.310, 3.311, 3.314 of this Zoning Bylaw shall be by right in the AG District.

208

3.2911 Residences constructed for owners of APR land or their immediate family shall meet all dimensional requirements of this Zoning Bylaw. Flaglots shall meet the requirements of the RLD-FC Zoning District and this Zoning Bylaw.

3.2912 Residences constructed to house agricultural workers, seasonal or otherwise shall require a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the use determined in writing by the town’s Zoning Enforcement Officer, after review of the permit application, to most closely approximate a use allowed by this Zoning Bylaw.

3.2913 Surface water impoundments, flood retention ponds, or other surface water storage uses shall require a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

3.2914 Commercial greenhouses and the removal and processing of earth products shall require Site Plan Review approval by the Planning Board.

3.2915 Class I farmstands described in Section 3.3120 shall require Site Plan Review approval by the Planning Board, and Class II farmstands described in Section 3.3121 a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

3.2916 For wireless communication uses, the provisions of Section 3.340.2 shall apply and prevail.

3.292 Dimensional Regulations

3.2920 All setbacks and heights, side and rear yards, frontage and lot areas, building and lot coverage shall conform to the dimensional regulations applicable to the nearest residential zoning district, except that all farm buildings in use on parcels initially or subsequent zoned into the AG Zoning District shall be deemed to be conforming as to height, setback, side and rear yard for the purpose of repairing, renovating or replacing said buildings.

Amend the opening paragraph of Section 5.090 as follows:

Section 5.090 Farm Conference Center

The Board of Appeals may authorize by issue of Special Permit the use of a portion of a property as a Farm Conference Center in the R-LD, R-O, and R-N and AG Districts only, provided that:

Motion B. Add the following to the Dimensional Regulation Footnotes as footnote “o” to the Basic Minimum Rear and Side Yard line of Table 3 – Dimensional Regulations: o. No permanent residential or recreational structures or uses, or non-farm commercial or industrial structures or uses shall be constructed within 50 feet of the boundary of

209

the AG Zoning District. Existing commercial, industrial, residential or recreational structures within 50 feet of land in the AG Zoning District shall be considered conforming uses for the purposes of repair, renovation or replacement. Existing lots and lots excluded from future APR parcels with wetland, floodplain or other physical constraints shall be exempted from the requirement of this footnote to the extent necessary to allow a single residential unit to be located on such a lot if said lot otherwise meets the requirements of this Zoning Bylaw and all other applicable laws and regulations.] Action taken on 11/9/2005.

ARTICLE 26. Zoning Bylaw – Demolition Delay (Historical Commission) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Sections 13.3 and 13.7 of the Zoning Bylaw by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

A. Amend Section 13.3 as follows:

SECTION 13.3 PROCEDURE

13.30 No permit for demolition of a significant structure shall be issued except as provided in this bylaw.

13.31 Every application for a demolition permit shall be made upon a form provided by the Building Commissioner, and shall be signed by the owner or the owner's agent under the power of attorney. Every application shall include such locational information, plans and narrative description and justification of the proposed demolition as shall be required under Historical Commission rules and regulations for such applications. Notice to abutters and parties in interest shall be done in accordance with the procedures required for Special Permits, as found on M.G.L. Chapter 40A.

13.32 Upon receipt of any application for a demolition permit, the Building Commissioner shall within five (5) days transmit a copy thereof to the Amherst Historical Commission.

13.33 Within thirty-five (30 35) days of the Commission's receipt of a copy of the application for a demolition permit, the Commission shall hold a public hearing on such application, and shall make a determination as to whether the structure is a significant structure under one or more of the criteria set forth in Sections 13.40 and 13.41. The Commission shall give written notice of the time and place of the hearing, not less than seven (7) days prior to the hearing, to the owner by certified mail, to abutters and parties in interest by mail, and by posting and by publication once in a local newspaper. The Commission may conduct a site visit prior to the hearing.

13.34 If, within thirty-five (30 35) days of the Commission's receipt of a copy of an application for a demolition permit, no public hearing has been held, or if within

210

fourteen (14) days following the close of the public hearing no finding by the Commission has been filed with the Building Commissioner, the Building Commissioner may, subject to the requirements of the State Building Code and any other applicable laws, bylaws, rules and regulations, issue the demolition permit.

13.35 If after holding a public hearing the Commission shall determine that the structure is not a significant structure because it fails to meet one or more of the criteria set forth in Section 13.4, or if the Commission shall determine that the structure is a significant structure meeting one or more of the criteria set forth in Section 13.4, but that the proposed demolition would not be detrimental to the historical or architectural heritage or resources of the Town, then the Commission shall notify the Building Commissioner in writing of its findings within fourteen (14) days of said determination. Upon receipt of such notification, or upon expiration of said fourteen (14) days without such notice, the Building Commissioner may issue a demolition permit, subject to the requirements of the State Building Code and any other applicable laws, bylaws, rules and regulations.

13.36 If, after such hearing, the Commission determines that the structure is a significant structure and that the proposed demolition would be detrimental to the historical or architectural heritage or resources of the Town, then it shall file written notice with findings, of its determination to the applicant and the Building Commissioner, and no demolition permit shall be issued until six (6) twelve (12) months after the date of such determination by the Commission.

B. Amend Section 13.7 as follows:

SECTION 13.7 ENFORCEMENT AND REMEDIES

The following enforcement and remedies shall apply under this bylaw:

13.70 The Historical Commission is authorized to adopt rules and regulations to carry out its duties and functions under this bylaw.

13.71 The Commission and the Building Commissioner are each authorized to institute any and all proceedings in law or equity they shall deem necessary and appropriate to obtain compliance with the requirements of this bylaw, or to prevent a violation thereof.

13.710 Any owner of a building and/or structure subject to this Bylaw who knowingly acts to demolish said building and/or structure, or damage a portion of a building or structure in a way which increases its likelihood of total failure, without first obtaining a building permit for demolition in accordance with the provisions of this Bylaw, or who likewise by some causative action contributes to the deterioration of said building or structure during the demolition review period, shall be in violation of

211

this Bylaw and subject to enforcement by a non-criminal complaint pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section 21D, as amended.

13.711 Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11.45, the fine for any such violation shall be three hundred dollars ($300.00) for each offense. Each day the violation exists shall constitute a separate offense until the demolished building is rebuilt or re-created as directed by the Historical Commission, or unless otherwise agreed to by the Commission.

13.712 Notwithstanding the above, this section does not create an affirmative obligation to maintain a property.

13.72 No building permit shall be issued with respect to any premises upon which a significant structure has been demolished in violation of this bylaw for a period of two (2) years from the date of the completion of such demolition. Action taken on 11/9/2005.

ARTICLE 27. Capital Program - Historical Preservation Restriction – 575 North East Street (Select Board) VOTED unanimously to DISMISS [A. To see if the Town will appropriate $50,000 for acquisition of an Historic Preservation Restriction on the pre-1815 brick Federal house known as the Benjamin Kimball House and associated property at 575 North East Street (Map 9C-1/Parcel 28); determine whether such appropriation shall be met by borrowing, taxation, the transfer of available funds, or otherwise, and authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants; and authorize the Select Board to acquire said restriction, which shall include the following area and serve the following purposes:

The area of the Historic Preservation Restriction shall include the original brick portions of the Benjamin Kimball House and all immediately abutting land area in an exclusion from an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) encumbering surrounding property, said Restriction beginning at the eastward edge of the North East Street public way, proceeding east to a line parallel to and twenty (20) feet from the rear (east) wall of the house, and bounded on the north and south by APR encumbered lands.

B. To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to acquire by purchase or gift and appropriate $1,300,000 for the acquisition of the property at 575 North East Street (Map 9C- 1, Parcel 28) surrounding and including the Benjamin Kimball House; determine whether such appropriation shall be met by borrowing, taxation, the transfer of available funds, or otherwise and authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants; and authorize the Select Board to thereafter sell or dispose of, upon such terms and conditions as the Select Board may deem reasonable and appropriate, any and all property interests except for an Historic Preservation Restriction to be retained by the Town.] Action taken on 11/2/2005.

212

ARTICLE 28. Capital Program - Agricultural Preservation Restriction – West Street (Select Board) VOTED unanimously to DISMISS [A. To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise, the easement rights held by Alvah G. Eldridge, Nettie M. Eldridge, Miriam D. Richards, Ethelyn E. Richards and/or any other persons claiming any rights in such easement, which easement permits drainage and sewage to be emptied onto certain land located on West Street, being Map 20C, Parcel 151 of the Town Cadastre, as more particularly described in the deed of Anna Elizabeth Nanartonis to the Nanartonis Family Trust dated January 2, 1991, and recorded at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds in Book 3673, Page 117.

B. To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to purchase, jointly with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, an Agricultural Preservation Restriction from the Nanartonis Family Trust on land located on West Street, being Map 20C, Parcels 149, 150 and 151 of the Town Cadastre, appropriate $30,000 for said purchase, and determine whether such appropriation shall be met by borrowing, taxation, the transfer of available funds, or otherwise and authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants.] Action taken on 11/2/2005.

9:52 p.m., November 9, 2005 – Due to a severe thunderstorm the fire alarms were set off at the Middle School, which caused most members to leave the building. There was an obvious absence of a quorum and the remaining town meeting members voted to adjourn to Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at7:35 in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 151 town meeting members were checked in.

The Wednesday, November 16, 2005 session, adjourned from Wednesday, November 9, 2005, was called to order by the moderator at 7:33 p.m. 123 town meeting members checked in and a quorum was declared. The meeting took action on Article 29.

ARTICLE 29. Community Preservation Act – Housing Project on Main Street (Select Board) VOTED that the Town authorize the Select Board to permit the Amherst Housing Authority to convey to a non-profit corporation the land acquired by the Housing Authority using funds appropriated under Article 11 of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting so as to allow such non-profit corporation to develop the community housing project as provided in Article 11. Action taken on 11/16/2005.

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 8:22 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2005. 171 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * *

213

Special Town Meeting November 16, 2005

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The Special Town Meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Harrison Gregg at 7:33 p.m. There were 245 town meeting members. 123 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek A procedural motion was made to adjourn town meeting at 7:52 p.m. to finish the business of the November 2, 2005 Special Town Meeting. The meeting was called to order again at 8:23 p.m. The meeting took action on Articles 1, 2, and 3.

ARTICLE 1. Capital Program – Historical Preservation/Affordable Housing Restriction – 26 Spring Street (Select Board) MOTION A: VOTED unanimously that the Town request the Select Board, working with the Historical Commission, the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee, and other relevant entities, public and private, to assess the advisability and potential costs of acquiring an Historic Preservation Restriction and/or Affordable Housing Restriction on the property at 26 Spring Street (Map 14A, Parcel 265). Action taken on 11/16/2005.

MOTION B: VOTED to refer to the Housing Partnerhsip/Fair Housing Committee and Historical Commission [To see if the Town will appropriate $50,000 for acquisition of an Historic Preservation Restriction and/or Affordable Housing Restriction on the property at 26 Spring Street (Map 14A, Parcel 265); determine whether such appropriation shall be met by borrowing, taxation, the transfer of available funds, or otherwise, and authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants; and authorize the Select Board to acquire said restriction(s).] Action taken on 11/16/2005.

ARTICLE 2. Capital Program - Historical Preservation Restriction – 575 North East Street (Select Board) VOTED unanimously to appropriate $50,000 for acquisition of an Historic Preservation Restriction on the pre-1815 brick Federal house known as the Benjamin Kimball House and associated property at 575 North East Street (Map 9C-1/Parcel 28); to meet such appropriation transfer $50,000 from the Community Preservation Act Fund Balance; and authorize the Select Board to acquire said restriction, which shall include the following area:

The area of the Historic Preservation Restriction shall include the original brick portions of the Benjamin Kimball House and all immediately abutting land area in an exclusion from an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) encumbering surrounding property, said Historical Preservation Restriction beginning at the eastward edge of the North East Street public way,

214

proceeding east to a line parallel to and twenty (20) feet from the rear (east) wall of the house, and bounded on the north and south by APR encumbered lands. Action taken on 11/16/2005.

ARTICLE 3. Capital Program - Agricultural Preservation Restriction – West Street (Select Board) MOTION A: VOTED unanimously that the Town authorize the Select Board 1) to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise, the easement rights held by Alvah G. Eldridge, Nettie M. Eldridge, Miriam D. Richards, Ethelyn E. Richards and/or any other persons claiming any rights in such easement, which easement permits drainage and sewage to be emptied onto certain land located on West Street, being Map 20C, Parcel 151 of the Town Cadastre, as more particularly described in the deed of Anna Elizabeth Nanartonis to the Nanartonis Family Trust dated January 2, 1991, and recorded at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds in Book 3673, Page 117, and 2) to release, terminate or extinguish such easement rights. Action taken on 11/16/2005.

MOTION B: VOTED that the Town authorize the Select Board to purchase, jointly with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, an Agricultural Preservation Restriction from the Nanartonis Family Trust on land located on West Street, being Map 20C, Parcel 151 of the Town Cadastre, appropriate $20,000 for said purchase, and to meet such appropriation transfer $20,000 from the Community Preservation Act Fund Balance. Action taken on 11/16/2005.

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 9:27 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2005. 171 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna Maciaszek Town Clerk

*** Special Town Meeting January 11, 2006

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The Special Town Meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Harrison Gregg at 7:38 p.m. There were 243 town meeting members. 122 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek. The meeting took action on Articles 1 and 2.

215

ARTICLE 1. Special Act – 575 North East Street (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for a Special Act to remove from the provisions of Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution a portion, consisting of 1.7 acres more or less, of a certain parcel of land located on North East Street, Amherst, Massachusetts, which parcel is on Assessors Map 9C, Parcel 28, and shown on a map entitled 575 North East Street Proposed Changes, Amherst GIS, January 9, 2006. Action taken on 1/11/2006

ARTICLE 2. Community Preservation Act Funds – Agricultural Preservation Restriction (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town a) rescind the appropriation of Community Preservation Act funds approved under Article 2 of the Special Town Meeting held on November 16, 2005; b) appropriate $50,000 from the Community Preservation Act fund balance to be set aside for future acquisition of an agricultural preservation restriction, as recommended by the Community Preservation Act Committee; and c) authorize the application for and acceptance of any gifts, bequests, or grants. Action taken on 1/11/2006.

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 8:29 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2006. 137 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION April 4, 2006

In accordance with the Warrant, the polls were opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at 8:00 p.m. The voters cast their ballots in their respective precincts. The results were as follows:

3 4 9 10 Tot 1 2 3 A 4 A 56789 A 10 A al MODERATOR – one year (1) HARRISON L 10 23 13 13 26 22 34 22 188 GREGG 4 5 2 5 89 3 9 7 4 9 3 8 105 3 6 10 13 Blanks 35 81 19 1 32 0 54 386 7 59 4 36 2 649 Write-in votes 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 5 2 2 2 0 0 0 17 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 255 Total 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

216

SELECT BOARD – three years (1) 17 12 20 18 29 17 151 ANNE S AWAD 95 2 89 5 58 3 4 9 1 1 5 8 99 3 2 DAVID T KEENAN 24 85 36 0 32 0 36 92 77 94 43 2 12 2 535 Blanks 17 52 25 1 26 0 28 62 46 95 53 2 25 0 432 Write-in votes 4 9 2 0 6 0 6 12 8 8 13 0 5 0 73 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 255 Total 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEE – three years (2) ELAINE L 21 10 12 24 19 31 18 162 BRIGHTY 66 1 3 3 95 3 2 0 3 9 7 2 84 0 8 SONIA CORREA 16 21 14 23 14 126 POPE 64 8 76 3 64 1 67 1 9 0 9 8 67 3 0 STEPHANIE 11 14 13 19 12 106 GELFAN 81 7 53 4 39 0 95 9 0 1 2 2 78 4 5 14 10 14 15 23 10 114 Blanks 68 0 72 2 45 1 4 9 2 5 9 12 53 3 5 Write-in votes 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 6 28 63 30 24 38 75 62 97 56 510 Total 0 6 4 12 46 8 0 4 6 8 24 282 10 4

ELECTOR-OLIVER SMITH – one year (1) DAVID 20 12 23 18 29 19 159 FARNHAM 83 3 98 5 79 2 1 3 7 2 5 9 88 4 9 11 14 12 19 Blanks 56 5 54 1 43 0 73 2 5 4 89 3 53 1 949 Write-in votes 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 255 Total 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

JONES LIBRARY TRUSTEE – three years (2) 20 10 12 24 21 31 19 170 ANN H GROSE 91 8 1 5 92 2 4 8 2 6 6 7 99 3 4 MERRYLEES 18 11 21 16 26 16 146 TURNER 83 1 90 5 73 1 0 4 2 9 6 8 96 3 1 10 24 11 15 28 24 39 20 193 Blanks 5 7 3 1 78 3 4 7 8 0 5 9 87 4 1 Write-in votes 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 8 28 63 30 24 38 75 62 97 56 510 Total 0 6 4 12 46 8 0 4 6 8 24 282 10 4

HOUSING AUTHORITY – five years (1) JEAN B 14 11 17 13 17 14 114 HAGGERTY 62 6 74 2 49 2 0 2 2 8 4 3 75 0 9

217

TERRY S FORREST 16 33 21 2 13 1 15 57 68 88 28 2 8 3 355 13 14 11 22 11 104 Blanks 61 8 57 2 60 0 69 6 2 1 1 7 57 2 3 Write-in votes 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 255 Total 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY – five years (1) JEAN B HAGGERTY 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 RICHARD N BENTLEY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 13 31 15 11 18 37 30 47 28 249 Blanks 7 5 1 6 93 5 0 4 4 1 10 137 5 7 Write-in votes 3 3 1 0 3 0 5 5 8 14 3 2 0 0 47 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 255 Total 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2 ** Failure to elect in accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 50, § 2. No write-in candidates won.

QUESTION # 1 12 11 10 18 YES 39 7 63 0 40 0 58 8 9 4 73 1 53 1 866 11 16 11 16 12 1,01 NO 64 6 52 6 48 3 90 6 2 3 7 11 51 4 3 14 BLANKS 37 75 37 0 34 0 46 91 91 1 84 0 37 0 673 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 2,55 TOTAL 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

QUESTION # 2 11 12 YES 47 77 31 5 36 3 61 767 5 89 7 45 4 714 15 17 15 21 11 1,15 NO 58 8 86 1 53 0 81 1 6 5 4 4 59 1 7 14 BLANKS 35 83 35 0 33 0 52 87 89 8 81 1 37 0 681 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 2,55 TOTAL 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

12 16 13 21 13 1,07 QUESTION # 3 58 0 54 5 42 1 95 0 0 5 0 6 61 2 9 11 12 13 YES 42 9 51 1 44 2 91 097 5 66 4 43 2 817 13 NO 40 79 47 0 36 0 8 95 85 8 88 2 37 1 656

218

BLANKS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 31 15 12 19 37 31 48 28 2,55 TOTAL 0 8 2 6 23 4 5 2 8 4 12 141 5 2

TOWN MEETING MEMBERS Prec. I, three years (8) Daniel P. Kramer 88 Terry J. Franklin 73 @Strider Rubeck 1 Rebecca S. Goldstein 77 @David Robson Gillham 7

Prec. I, one year (1) Robert F. Winne 86

Prec. II, three years (8) Carolyn M. Holstein 194 Albert S. Woodhull 164 Stephanie Gelfan 141 Carol R. Sharick 174 Edith Nye MacMullen 164 Fil Valiunas 135 Jennifer M. Fabrizi 166 Stanley F. Gawle 142

Prec. II, two years (2) Patrick D. MacLeod 149 Kevin C. Gale 143

Prec. II, one year (1) Cynthia C. Brubaker 165

Prec. III, three years (8) Steven R. Dunn 107 Dorwenda Bynum-Lewis 94 @Louis Anthony Roberts 5 James B. Mead 96 @Catherine C. Porter 9 @Marcy A. Sala 2 Kimberly May Mead 94

Prec. III, two years (1) Lawrence Orloff 102

Prec. IV, three years (8) Michael A. Giles 79 Robert J. Joy 72 @Donna M. Zucker 2 Stacey D. Brock 76

Prec. IV, one year (1) David A. Levenstein 77

Prec. V, three years (8) Alan Root 114 Leo C. Maley, III 97 Franklin E. Wells 95 Tong Shen 101 Richard E. Alcorn 97 @Ben T. Grosscup 15 Hisham F. Nakshbendi 99 Calvin L. Brower 96

219

Prec. V, one year (2) Nina Wishengrad 114 Larry J. Kelley 83

Prec. VI, three years (8) Robert A. Spence 183 James I. Chumbley 164 Andrew T. Melnechuk 148 Ralph P. Hill 183 James A. Brissette 163 Richard E. Mudgett 127 Mary W. Kersell 181 Miriam M. Dayton 149 *Joseph M. Wronka 104

Prec. VII, three years (8) Louise R. Hammann 143 Albert Chevan 122 +Christopher J. Hoffmann 92 Thaddeus E. Dabrowski 142 Terry S. Forrest 120 *David T. Keenan 90 Robert R. Wellman 136 Carol Jeannette Gray 111 *Paul M. Wright 84 Richard B. Morse 127 Marilyn A. Gonter 110 *Michael D. Olkin 63

Prec. VII, two years (1) Ernest J. Dalkas 148

Prec. VII, one year (1) Martin F. Jones 143

Prec. VIII, three years (8) Dolly G. Jolly 277 Bart Bouricius 169 +Eric T. Nakajima 143 M. Jane Ashby 204 Christopher D. Bascomb160 *Yaniris M. Fernandez 130 Robert Lyman Phillips 191 Zina Tillona 147 *Helen M. Thelen 119 Clare Bertrand 183 Michael A. Cann 146

Prec. VIII, one year (2) Eleanor R. Manire-Gatti 157 Fred Moseley 153 *Robert G. Erwin 113 *Andrew W. Mason 101

Prec. IX, three years (8) Liv Baker 128 Sarah W. Auerbach 114 *Clifford L. Wilkinson 69 Kathleen E. Ford 125 Charles J. Traitor 113 *Denise Renee Barberet 68 Molly Kirsten Whalen125 Taryn S. Laraja 102 *Ann Wills Marshall 66 Julia Y. Rueschemeyer 122 +D. Joseph Bodin 77 *Robert J. Crowner 60 Stephanie J. OKeeffe 118 *Robert D. Harris 75 *Daniel Y. Schreier 55

Prec. X, three years (8)

220

Grace A. Griecci 100 John J. Michaels 97 @Howard Ewert 4 Christine A. Kline 99 A. Edward Cutting 97 @Carolyn S. Bentley 4

Prec. X, two years (2) Keith R. Ulrich 85 Philip S. Jackson 84 *Howard T. Ewert 50

@ Write-In Candidates * Defeated + Section 1.541 Amherst Town Government Act

Precinct Ballots Cast Number Registered PM Return Time % Turnout 1 140 1,502 9:16 PM 9.3 % 2 318 1,469 9:36 PM 21.6 % 3 152 656 9:26 PM 23.2 % 3A 6 400 9:20 PM 1.5 % 4 122 581 9:32 PM 21.0 % 4A 3 467 9:20 PM 0.6 % 5 194 1,521 9:32 PM 12.8 % 6 375 2,080 9:06 PM 18.0 % 7 312 1,900 9:38 PM 16.4 % 8 488 2,435 9:11 PM 20.0 % 9 284 1,275 8:57 PM 22.3 % 9A 12 803 9:20 PM 1.5 % 10 141 679 9:14 PM 20.8 % 10A 5 397 9:20 PM 1.3 % TOTAL 2,552 16,165 - - - 15.8 %

The public announcement was made at 10:47 p.m. on April 4, 2006. 2,552 ballots were cast, representing 15.8% of the 16,165 voters registered.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

221

* * * Amherst, Massachusetts Annual Town Meeting May 1, 8, 10, 15, 22, 24, 30, June 5, 7, 12, 14 and 19, 2006

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The 247th Annual Town Meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Harrison Gregg at 7:35 p.m. There were 242 town meeting members. 121 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek. The Moderator was sworn to the faithful performance of his duties. Town meeting members were sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. The Moderator recognized those elected officials that were elected at the 2006 Annual Town Election. Anne Awad, Select Board chair, and the Town Moderator both recognized the former Town Manager, Barry Del Castilho, for his 23 years of dedicated service to the Town and Town Meeting. Articles 1–4, 6-12 were considered on May 1st. Article 5 was scheduled to be considered just prior to Article 26. The Consent Calendar consisted of the following Articles: 1, 3, 4, and 5. Article 5 was removed from the Consent Calendar at the request of a Town Meeting Member. Nancy Gordon, Hilda Greenbaum, Nonny Burack, James Pistrang, James Scott and H. Oldham Brooks were sworn as tellers.

ARTICLE 1. Reports of Boards and Committees (Select Board) VOTED that the Town hear only those reports of Town officers, the Finance Committee, and any other Town boards or committees which are not available in written form. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 2. Transfer of Funds – Unpaid Bills (Select Board) DIMISSED unanimously [To see if the Town will, in accordance with Chapter 44, section 64, of the Massachusetts General Laws, appropriate and transfer a sum of money to pay unpaid bills of previous years.] Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 3. Optional Tax Exemptions (Select Board) VOTED that the Town authorize a maximum additional exemption of up to 100 percent for taxpayers qualifying for exemption under Chapter 59, Section 5, Clauses 17D, 22, 37A, or 41C of the Massachusetts General Laws. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 4. Authorization for Compensating Balance Accounts (Select Board) VOTED that the Town accept the provisions of Chapter 44, section 53F of the Massachusetts General Laws, which authorize the Treasurer to enter into written agreements with banking institutions pursuant to which the Treasurer agrees to maintain funds on deposit in exchange for banking services. Action 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 5. Retirement Assessment (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town raise and appropriate $2,835,526 for the Hampshire County Retirement System assessment. Action taken on 5/22/2006.

222

ARTICLE 6. Property Tax Deferral Interest Rate (Select Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town reduce the rate of interest that accrues on property taxes deferred by eligible seniors under G.L. c. 59 §5, Clause 41A from 8% to 4%, with such reduced rate to apply to taxes assessed for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2006. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 7. Bylaw Amendment – Consent Calendar (Town Meeting Coordinating Committee) VOTED that the Town amend the Town By-Laws, Article I The Town Government, Rules of Order For Town Meeting (item 1), by adding the language in bold italics as follows:

1. CONSENT CALENDAR. At least five business days prior to the opening of the first session of the Annual Town Meeting or any Special Town Meeting, the moderator shall propose to all members a “Consent Calendar” listing all articles and budget areas which, based on the records of recent town meetings, the moderator deems to be non-controversial. At the first session of the meeting, at the request of any five members present, any article or budget area shall be removed from the Consent Calendar so that it can be debated and voted upon in accordance with the provisions of these Rules of Order. All items remaining in the Consent Calendar shall then be voted upon by a single vote without debate. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 8. Bylaw Amendment - Removal of Snow and Ice From Sidewalks Penalty (Select Board) VOTED that the Town amend the Town Bylaws to reduce the fine in the Removal of Snow and Ice from Sidewalks bylaw and in the list of Non-Criminal Disposition of Violations to $10 in compliance with Chapter 85, Section 5 of the Massachusetts General Laws which authorizes “penalties, not exceeding fifty dollars in the case of a city or ten dollars in the case of a town, for each violation.” Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 9. Petition – Bylaw Amendment - Open Containers of Alcohol Violation (Mendez) DEFEATED [“To see if the town will amend Article 2, Section 7 of the Amherst Town Bylaws by deleting the second paragraph and replacing it with the following language: A violation of this section constitutes a civil infraction and any person who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $50.00 for each violation.”] Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 10. Memorandum of Understanding for Emergency Management (Select Board) DISMISSED unanimously [To see if the Town will, in accordance with G.L. c. 40, section 4A, authorize an intermunicipal agreement with one or more other governmental units to provide public health services, in accordance with an InterMunicipal Mutual Aid Agreement to be entered into between the Town and such other governmental units.] Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 11. Tax Incentive Financing for the Cushman Market (Select Board) Motion 1: VOTED that the Town designate as an Economic Opportunity Area (EOA) the area known as Cushman Market, 491 Pine Street, shown as Lot 39 of Assessors’ Map 6A, and described in the Cushman Market Economic Opportunity Area Application, dated December 2005, and authorize the Select Board to offer, subject to Town Meeting approval, the granting of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or Special Tax Assessment (STA) agreements for qualified economic development projects undertaken within said EOA. Action taken on 5/1/2006. 223

Motion 2: VOTED unanimously to approve the Certified Project Application dated November 21, 2005 as amended, submitted by MULVA LLC and Eddie Haskell LLC for acquisition/expansion/renovation of a facility within the Cushman Market Economic Opportunity Area, shown as Lot 39 of Assessors’ Map 6A, and the form of a Special Tax Assessment (STA) between the Town and MULVA LLC and Eddie Haskell LLC, which provides the following tax relief over a five-year period: 100% tax exemption for year 1; 75% tax exemption for year 2; 50% tax exemption for year 3; and 25% tax exemption for years 4 and 5. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

ARTICLE 12. Petition – Special Municipal Employee Status (Rhodes) VOTED Yes 102, No 65 that Town Meeting strongly urge the Select Board to continue annually conferring on all Committees and Board members the status of Special Municipal Employee as permitted under M.G.L. Chapter 268A. Action taken on 5/1/2006.

9:59 p.m., May 1, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, May 8, 2006, at 7:35 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 187 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, May 8, 2006, session, adjourned from May 1, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:37 p.m. 122 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Articles 13-17 were considered. Article 19 was scheduled to be considered after Article 41, Article 20 was scheduled to be considered after Article 23 and consideration of Article 22 is scheduled for May 15, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.

ARTICLE 13. Petition – Resolution - Improve Our Town Committees, Boards & Commissions (Root) VOTED Yes 95, No 83 the following resolution: RESOLUTION TO IMPROVE OUR TOWN COMMITTEES, BOARDS & COMMISSIONS The Town recommends to our Select Board the following: That our Select Board appoint a Task Force of four (4) months duration to hold public hearings to receive public input and make comprehensive recommendations on ways and means to improve our town's system of committees, boards and commissions. And that the Select Board seek such advise from our committees, boards, commissions and others to make this endeavor as efficient and economical as possible. Action taken on 5/8/2006.

ARTICLE 14. Petition – Universal Health Care (League of Women Voters) VOTED that the Town reaffirm the previous vote of Amherst Town Meeting (April 26, 2000) “to urge the state Legislature to create a system of universal health care in Massachusetts that provides all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage (including free choice of doctors and other health professionals, facilities and services and also including prescription drugs) and eliminates the role of insurance companies in health care by creating a publicly administered insurance trust fund, similar to the Federal Social Security trust fund; and commend Senator Stanley Rosenberg and Representative Ellen Story for their support of single payer legislation and urge them to use their full influence to move such legislation forward.” Action taken on 5/8/2006.

ARTICLE 15. Petition – Resolution - Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Legislation (Grosscup) VOTED that the town make the following request for legislation: 224

Whereas, there exists, both within the United States and internationally, substantial scientific dispute about the safety of food products derived from genetically engineered (GE) organisms; and,

Whereas, in situations where scientific experts are divided about the safety of a particular food product, consumers ought to easily be able to choose whether or not to purchase and consume food products derived from GE organisms;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Amherst Representative Town Meeting:

1) requests that our United States Senators, Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry, our Congressional Representative, John W. Olver, our Governor, Mitt Romney, our State Senator, Stanley Rosenberg, and our State Representative, Ellen Story, sponsor and support legislation that would enact mandatory labeling by manufacturers and processors of all GE food and seed; and,

2) additionally requests that the Amherst Town Clerk transmit a copy of this resolution with the vote of the Town Meeting thereon to the elected officials named above.” Action taken on 5/8/2006.

ARTICLE 16. Petition – Resolution - Legislative Moratorium on Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops (Grosscup) VOTED Yes 82, No 77 that the town make the following request for legislation:

Whereas genetically engineered (GE) foods and crops have been shown to cause long-term damage to the environment, threaten rural economies, and may impair human health;

Whereas GE crops have been found to contaminate other farmers’ crops through cross-pollination, and are stringently regulated in more than 30 countries; and

Whereas Congress and federal regulatory agencies have failed to adequately address this problem;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Amherst Representative Town Meeting:

1) requests that our United States Senators, Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry, our Congressional Representative, John W. Olver, our Governor, Mitt Romney, our State Senator, Stanley Rosenberg, and our State Representative, Ellen Story, sponsor and support legislation that would enact a moratorium on the further growing of GE crops until there is credible and independent scientific evidence that these products are not harmful to our health, the environment, and the survival of family farms; and

2) additionally requests that the Amherst Town Clerk transmit a copy of this resolution with the vote of the Town Meeting thereon to the elected officials named above.” Action taken on 5/8/2006.

ARTICLE 17. Petition - Resolution - Farmer Liability Protection Legislation (Grosscup) VOTED Yes 115, No 60 that the town make the following request for legislation: Whereas, certain genetically engineered (GE) crops have been shown to cross-pollinate with non-GE crops on adjacent farmland; and

225

Whereas, such cross-pollination has been deemed by the corporate distributors of GE crops to be infringement on their patented genetic materials by owners of said adjacent farmland; and

Whereas, such corporate distributors have used their considerable financial resources to attempt to claim both patent infringement against the owners of adjacent farmland and ownership of any farm product resulting from the unsolicited migration to adjacent farmland of the genetic materials from farm products grown from their GE seeds:

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Amherst Representative Town Meeting:

1) requests that our United States Senators, Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry, our Congressional Representative, John W. Olver, our Governor, Mitt Romney, our State Senator, Stanley Rosenberg, and our State Representative, Ellen Story, sponsor and support legislation defining any unwanted or unsolicited migration to adjacent farmland of the genetic materials from GE farm products as a trespass and tort by the corporate manufacturers of GE products and making said corporate manufacturers strictly liable for providing means of recovery for the owners of said adjacent farmland; and 2) additionally requests that the Amherst Town Clerk shall transmit a copy of this resolution with the vote of the Town Meeting thereon to the elected officials named above.” Action taken on 5/8/2006.

10:05 p.m., May 8, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 196 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Wednesday, May 10, 2006, session, adjourned from May 8, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:37 p.m. 122 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Articles 18, 20, 21 and 23 were considered. Article 20 was divided at the request of a Town Meeting member.

ARTICLE 18. Zoning Bylaw - Section 6.0 Amendment (Planning Board) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that the Town amend the following provision of Section 6.0, Overview, by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

SECTION 6.0 OVERVIEW

A lot may not be so reduced as to fail to satisfy any minimum dimension, area or yard required for a permitted principal use except as specified in Sections 4.3 and 4.4. Minimum lot area, frontage, setback and yard requirements, and maximum coverage and height limitations shall be prescribed in the following Table 3, "Dimensional Regulations."

Explanation of the column headings can be found in Section 6.1, Interpretation.

Section 6.2, Modification of Dimensional Rregulations shall be modified only as provided for under this Bylaw, discusses the procedure which may be used to modify several of the requirements in including as indicated under Table 3 and its footnotes.

For non-conforming lots, see Section 9.1

For dimensional regulations in the Educational (ED) District, see Section 3.213 Action taken on 5/10/2006.

226

ARTICLE 19. Zoning Bylaw - Drive-Through Facilities (Planning Board) VOTED unanimously that the Town amend Section 5.04, Retail Business and Consumer Service Uses, of the Zoning Bylaw by adding a new Section 5.043, as follows:

5.043 Drive-Through Facilities

Any attached or free-standing structure designed or operated to provide goods or services for patrons who drive to the structure and remain in their vehicles while receiving said goods or services shall be considered a drive-through facility, and accessory to Principal Uses under this Bylaw. Stand-alone automated teller machines or similar unattended facilities shall be regulated under this section. Exceptions shall be drive-in restaurants (Section 3.352.2), automotive filling stations (Section 3.381) and car washes (Section 3.383), where associated drive-through facilities shall be considered part of the Principal Uses and regulated accordingly. No drive-through facility shall be permitted in any zoning district except as hereinafter provided. Existing drive- through facilities accessory to any existing legal non-conforming use shall be regulated under the provisions of Section 9.2.

5.0430 No drive-through facility shall be permitted in the B-G, B-VC, OP, PRP or LI Districts. Drive-through facilities may be permitted in those portions of the B-L districts abutting the B-G District under a Special Permit issued by the Special Permit Granting Authority authorized to act under the applicable section of the Bylaw for the Principal Use.

5.0431 In the COM District and in those outlying B-L districts not abutting the B-G District, drive-through facilities may be permitted as accessory to any permitted retail or consumer service use, or motor vehicle related use under the applicable Site Plan Review approval or a Special Permit required for the associated Principal Use, either proposed or existing.

5.0432 A drive-through facility serving as the entrance/exit structure for the control of access, payment of access fees, and the like may be permitted as accessory to any extensive use, institutional use, governmental/public service use or public parking use in any zoning district under a Site Plan Review or Special Permit, whichever is required for the Principal Use. Where the associated Principal Use is permitted by right in the applicable zoning district, an accessory drive-through facility shall require Site Plan Review approval. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 20. Zoning Bylaw - B-G & B-VC Dimensions (Planning Board) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that the Town amend Table 3, Dimensional Regulations and Footnote b. as follows: Motion 1: A. Amend the Additional Lot Area/Family requirements for the General Business (B-G) and Village Center Business (B-VC) districts, as follows:

B-G Decrease from 2,500 sq. ft. to 1,250 sq. ft., and add footnotes a. and b. B-VC Decrease from 4,000 sq. ft. to 2,500 sq. ft., and add footnotes a. and b.

B. Add the sentences in bold italics to Footnote b.:

227

b. Applies to Residence Uses only (Section 3.32). In the B-G and B-VC districts, the Basic Minimum Lot Area shall apply only to the first dwelling unit on the ground floor. For a Section 3.325 use, or any other use in these districts where all residential dwelling units are located on upper floors, no Basic Minimum Lot Area shall be required and the Additional Lot Area/Family requirement shall apply to all dwelling units. Motion 2: VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote to amend the Maximum Height requirement in the B-VC District from 35 to 40 feet. Action taken on 5/10/2006.

ARTICLE 21. Zoning Map – College/South East Street (Planning Board) DEFEATED Yes 93, No 67 - 2/3rds majority not obtained [To see if the Town will amend the Official Zoning Map to change the zoning designation for the following properties, all on Assessor’s Map 15C:

Parcel 2 – Rezone that portion of the property currently zoned R-N to COM.

Parcel 7 – Rezone those portions of the property currently zoned R-N to COM.

Parcels 3, 4, 8, 9 and 41 – Rezone from R-N to B-VC.

Parcel 42 – Rezone from R-N and COM (portion) to B-VC.

Parcels 16 and 17 – Rezone the portions of these properties currently zoned COM to R-N.] Action taken on 5/10/2006.

The Wednesday, May 15, 2006 session, adjourned from May 10, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:38 p.m. 122 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 22 was considered.

ARTICLE 22. Petition - Zoning Map – South East Street PURD (Gray) DEFEATED Yes 78, No 115 - 2/3rds majority not obtained [To see if the Town of Amherst will vote to amend the Official Zoning Map by rezoning map 17D, parcels 24 and 21, from Outlying Residential (R-O Zone) and Planned Unit Residential Development (PURD) to Low Density Residential (R-LD Zone).”] Action taken on 5/15/2006.

9:35 p.m., May 15, 2006 – The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, May 22, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 201 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

ARTICLE 23. Zoning Bylaw – Professional/Technical Offices (Planning Board) DEFEATED Yes 99, No 52 - 2/3rds majority not obtained [To see if the Town will amend Section 3.359 of the Use Chart (Section 3.3) of the Zoning Bylaw, by deleting the lined out language and adding the language in bold italics, as follows:

3.359 Technical or professional office such as architect, engineer, lawyer, financial services, or similar office providing services predominantly by appointment to clients in person on the

228

premises, or, administrative business office or similar Business or professional office not providing services to the general public in person on the premises.

R-0 R-LD R-N R-VC R-G R-F B-G B-L B-VC COM OP LI PRP FPC

N N SP N N SPR SPR SPR SPR SPR SPR SPR N (SP)

Standards & Conditions

For the purposes of this section, the general public shall be defined as including all persons acting as customers or clients not receiving services by appointment. Exceptions shall be affiliated professionals or consultants conducting business with the office use, salespersons and service contractors (delivery, maintenance, etc.).

In the R-VC District, the Zoning Board of Appeals may grant a Special Permit for an technical or professional office for professional or office uses not dealing directly with that provides services predominantly by appointment to clients in person on the premises, or, for an administrative business office or similar office that does not provide services to the general public in person on the premises. The Zoning Board of Appeals may grant a Special Permit providing it finds that, in addition to meeting the provisions of Article 7 and Section 10.38, the proposed office use meets the following conditions:

1. Is located on the ground floor only, and occupies no more than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the structure, exclusive of storage space.

2. Shall be allowed only as a second Principal use, where the first Principal use is a residential use consisting of one dwelling unit.

3. Shares a property line with or is adjacent to another property with a similar use permitted under this section or a property in the B-L, B-VC or COM districts.

4. Employs no more than 5 persons who work on-site.

5. Where located in an existing building, the residential character of the structure and site shall be maintained.] Action taken on 5/10/2006.

10:20 p.m., May 10, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, May 15, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 175 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, May 22, 2006, session, adjourned from May 15, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:35 p.m. 124 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Articles 5, 24 – 26 (Public Safety) were considered. Anne Awad, Select Board Chair, introduced the new Town Manager, Laurence Shaffer, who will begin working on July 1, 2006.

ARTICLE 24. FY 06 Budget Amendments (Finance Committee)

229

VOTED unanimously to amend the action taken under Article 30 of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting – Fiscal Year 2006 Operating Budget to distribute the amount appropriated for FY 06 salary adjustments for Town employees from General Government to Public Safety, Public Works, Planning, Conservation, and Inspections and Community Services and to transfer sums of money between these accounts to balance the FY 2006 Fiscal Year, by decreasing the appropriation and the amount to be raised by taxation for the following accounts by $285,000: General Government by $270,000 and Planning, Conservation and Inspections by $15,000, and by increasing the appropriations and the amounts to be raised by taxation for the following accounts by $285,000: Public Safety by $95,000, Public Works by $90,000, and Community Services by $100,000. Action taken on 5/22/2006.

ARTICLE 25. Amend Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Agreement (Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee) VOTED unanimously to amend the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Agreement that will enable the realignment of annual assessments to be consistent with said Agreement while supporting the strongest possible Regional budget, such that the Towns of Leverett and Shutesbury will each make a transitional contribution of $62,000 in addition to the assessments determined for each member town by Section VI of the Regional Agreement (“per-pupil method”), such an amount to offset the assessment to the Town of Amherst, which amendment shall apply to Fiscal Year 2007 only. Action taken on 5/22/2006.

10:30 p.m., May 22, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 7:35 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 192 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Wednesday, May 24, 2006, session, adjourned from May 22, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:52 p.m. 124 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 26 (Public Safety, General Government) was considered. A procedural motion was made to consider the Library, Elementary School and Regional School budget areas on Tuesday, May 30th following the completion of the six municipal areas.

ARTICLE 26. FY 2007 Operating Budget (Finance Committee) VOTED that the Town adopt a comprehensive operating budget for the ensuing year and raise and appropriate money therefore:

PUBLIC SAFETY VOTED that the Town appropriate $8,029,047 for Public Safety and that to meet such appropriation $6,589,417 be raised by taxation and $1,439,630 be transferred from the Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Account. Action taken on 5/24/2006.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT VOTED that the Town appropriate $5,304,392 for General Government, that the salary of the Moderator be fixed at $100, that of the Select Board at $300 each, that of the Elector under the Oliver Smith Will at $20, and that to meet such appropriation $5,202,647 be raised by taxation and $101,745 be transferred from the Ambulance Receipts Reserved For Appropriation Account. Action taken on 5/24/2006.

9:51 p.m., May 22, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Tuesday, May 30, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 184 Town Meeting Members were checked-in. 230

The Tuesday, May 30, 2006, session, adjourned from May 24, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:37 p.m. 124 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 26 (Public Works) was considered. Stanley Gawle was sworn in as teller.

PUBLIC WORKS VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $1,737,044 for Public Works. Action taken on 5/30/2006.

PLANNING/CONSERVATION/INSPECTIONS VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $898,047 for Planning/Conservation/ Inspections. Action taken on 5/30/2006.

COMMUNITY SERVICES VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $1,831,363 for Community Services. Action taken on 5/30/2006.

10:30 p.m., May 30, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, June 5, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 176 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, June 5, 2006, session, adjourned from May 30, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:43 p.m. 124 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 26 (Debt Service, Library Services, Elementary Schools and Regional Schools) was considered. After the last article was considered, nominations were taken to elect a temporary moderator to preside over Town Meeting during Harrison Gregg’s absence. Jim Pistrang was elected as temporary Moderator and was sworn to the faithful performance of his duties.

DEBT SERVICE VOTED that the Town appropriate $1,797,573 for payment of the Town’s General Fund indebtedness, and to meet such appropriation $1,752,573 be raised by taxation and $45,000 be transferred from the Community Preservation Fund Balance. Action taken on 6/5/06.

LIBRARY SERVICES VOTED that the Town approve the Library Services operating budget of $2,033,196 and that the Town raise and appropriate $1,446,695 as its share of that budget. Action taken on 6/5/06.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $19,264,119 for the Amherst Elementary Schools. Action taken on 6/5/06.

REGIONAL SCHOOLS VOTED that the Town approve the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District operating and capital budget of $26,704,016 and that the Town raise and appropriate $11,904,067 as its share of that budget. Action taken on 6/5/2006.

10:18 p.m., June 5, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Wednesday, June 7, 2006, at 7:35 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 163 Town Meeting Members were checked-in. 231

The Wednesday, June 7, 2006, session, adjourned from June 5, 2006, was called to order by the temporary Moderator, James Pistrang, at 8:13 p.m. 124 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 26 (Water Fund, Sewer Fund, Solid Waste and Transportation Fund) was considered. Molly Whalen and DeAnne Sloan Riddle were sworn as tellers.

WATER FUND VOTED that the Town appropriate $3,722,592 for the Water Fund and to meet such appropriation $3,529,777 be made available from Water Fund revenues of the current year and $192,815 be transferred from Water Fund Surplus. Action taken on 6/7/2006.

SEWER FUND VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $3,232,035 for the Sewer Fund and that to meet such appropriation $3,020,200 be made available from Sewer Fund revenues of the current year and $211,835 be transferred from Sewer Fund Surplus. Action taken on 6/7/2006.

SOLID WASTE VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $473,497 for the Solid Waste Fund and that to meet such appropriation $440,000 be made available from Solid Waste Fund revenues of the current year and $33,497 be transferred from Solid Waste Fund Surplus. Action taken on 6/7/2006.

TRANSPORTATION FUND VOTED that the Town appropriate $920,199 for the Transportation Fund and that to meet such appropriation $920,199 be made available from Transportation Fund revenues of the current year. Action taken on 6/7/2006.

10:03 p.m., June 7, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, June 12, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 164 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, June 12, 2006, session, adjourned from June 7, 2006, was called to order by the temporary Moderator, James Pistrang, at 7:36 p.m. 126 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. New town meeting members elected from the Precinct 1 caucus were sworn to the faithful performance of their duties. Articles 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 were considered.

ARTICLE 27. Reserve Fund (Finance Committee) VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $50,000 for the Reserve Fund for FY 2007. Action taken on 6/12/2006.

ARTICLE 28. Special Services - Amherst Community Television/Cable Advisory Committee (Select Board, Cable Advisory Committee) DISMISSED unanimously [To see if the Town will raise and appropriate $4,000 for the enforcement of the provisions of the 1996 License Agreement between the Town and Comcast and, under the terms of the 1996 contract between the Town and Amherst Community Television, for Amherst Community Television and related purposes if unused or uncommitted by the Cable Advisory Committee for enforcement purposes by March 1, 2008.] Action taken on 6/12/2006. 232

ARTICLE 29. Capital Program - Chapter 90 (Joint Capital Planning Committee) VOTED that the Town authorize the expenditure of $600,000 of Chapter 90 funds for qualifying purposes and further authorize the Treasurer to borrow in anticipation of reimbursement of these funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Action taken on 6/12/2006.

ARTICLE 30. Capital Program – Equipment (Joint Capital Planning Committee) VOTED that the Town appropriate $1,031,943 to purchase, repair, and/or install new or replacement equipment and that to meet such appropriation, $801,943 be raised by taxation and $230,000 be transferred from the Ambulance Receipts Reserved for Appropriation Account. Action taken on 6/12/2006.

ARTICLE 31. Capital Program - Buildings and Facilities (Joint Capital Planning Committee) MOTION A VOTED unanimously that the Town raise and appropriate $350,000 to repair and/or improve the following buildings and facilities: Town Hall Exterior Maintenance North Fire Station Repairs Police Station HVAC Improvements Jones Library Roof Repairs Jones Library HVAC Improvements Elementary Schools Asbestos Removal School District Feasibility and Demographic Study East Street School Accessibility Improvements Preliminary Study for Fort River School Renovations Marks Meadow School HVAC Improvements Action taken on 6/12/2006.

MOTION B: VOTED that the Town raise and appropriate $135,000 to develop a Comprehensive Plan for the Town. Action taken on 6/12/2006.

10:04 p.m., June 12, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 172 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Wednesday, June 14, 2006, session, adjourned from June 12, 2006, was called to order by the temporary Moderator, James Pistrang, at 7:37 p.m. 125 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. A motion was made by Peter Jessop to reconsider Article 23. Town Meeting VOTED Yes 89, No 81 to reconsider. After reconsideration Article 23 was defeated Yes 102, No 69 (2/3rds majority not obtained).

ARTICLE 32. Community Preservation Act – Affordable Housing (Community Preservation Act Committee) MOTION A: VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $6,500 to the Amherst Housing Authority for repairs to Keet House, being shown as Parcel 85 on Assessors Map 6A, and to meet such appropriation transfer $6,500 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance, and to authorize the acceptance of an affordable housing restriction in a form acceptable to the Select Board. 233

Action taken on 6/14/2006.

MOTION B: VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $45,000 to the Amherst Housing Authority for the Main Street Housing Project, being shown as Parcel 249 on Assessors Map 14A, which appropriation shall be in addition to the funds appropriated under Article 11 of the 2005 Annual Town Meeting, and to meet such appropriation transfer $45,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance. Action taken on 6/14/2006.

MOTION C: VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $30,000 to Habitat for the Humanity/Amherst College affordable housing construction project on land shown as Parcel 1 on Assessors Map 18A, and to meet such appropriation transfer $30,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance, and to authorize the acceptance of an affordable housing restriction in a form acceptable to the Select Board. Action taken on 6/14/2006.

ARTICLE 33. Community Preservation Act – Historic Preservation (Community Preservation Act Committee) VOTED unanimously that the Town appropriate $92,500 for the following historic preservation projects and to meet such appropriation transfer $92,500 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance:

North/South Cemetery Survey $10,000 North Pleasant Cemetery Entrance Survey/Design $ 5,000 East Village Common Historical Research $20,000 Historic Document Conservation (Special Collections of the Jones Library & Town Clerk) $20,000 Interpretive Signs – Dickinson District & West Cemetery $10,000 Interpretive Publications – CBD District $ 7,500 NHR Nominations – East Village & Outlying Historic Buildings $10,000 Historic Preservation Restrictions – Appraisals & Surveys $10,000 Action taken on 6/14/2006.

ARTICLE 34. Community Preservation Act – Open Space (Community Preservation Act Committee) VOTED that the Town appropriate $125,000 toward the acquisition of an interest in a certain parcel of land owned by David N. and Phyllis H. Smith, containing 24 acres, more or less, or a portion thereof, shown as Parcel 8 on Assessors Map 30A, to be managed and controlled by the Amherst Conservation Commission in accordance with Chapter 40, Section 8C for open space, conservation and passive recreation purposes, and to meet such appropriation transfer $125,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance. Action taken on 6/14/2006.

10:04 p.m., June 14, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to Monday, June 19, 2006, at 7:35 p.m. in the auditorium of the Amherst Regional Middle School. 177 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, June 19, 2006, session, adjourned from June 14, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:51 p.m. 125 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Articles 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 19 were considered. James Oldham was sworn in as a teller.

234

ARTICLE 35. Community Preservation Act – Recreation (Community Preservation Act Committee) VOTED 78 Yes, 72 No, that the Town appropriate $20,000 for a sign program to provide a plan and some informational signs for joint use Town and School playing fields, parks and adjoining conservation areas and to meet such appropriation transfer $20,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 36. Stabilization Fund (Finance Committee) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that the Town appropriate and transfer $1,000,000 from the Stabilization Fund to balance the 2007 Fiscal Year. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 37. Free Cash (Finance Committee) DIMISSED unanimously [To see if the Town will appropriate and transfer a sum of money from Free Cash in the Undesignated Fund Balance of the General Fund to balance the 2007 Fiscal Year]. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 38. Community Preservation Act Ballot Question for November Election (Select Board) VOTED Yes 89, No 61 that the Town amend the vote taken under Article 2 of the Special Town Meeting held on February 12, 2001, by increasing by one-half percent the surcharge authorized thereunder, and to place on the ballot for the November 2006 State Election a question regarding acceptance of such amended surcharge, all as provided in M.G.L. c. 44B, §§ 3(b) and 16(a). Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 39. Petition – Cherry Hill (Rhodes) VOTED Yes 72, No 62 that Town Meeting strongly urge the Select Board to cause to be issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the lease and/or management of the Cherry Hill Golf Course by private entities. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 40. Petition - Fact Book (Churchill) VOTED to ask the Select Board to direct the Town Manager to compile existing information into a concise, user-friendly “fact book” containing tabular and graphical summaries of Amherst’s current status and trends in areas such as revenues, expenditures, taxation, population, open space, residential and commercial development, and other information judged by the Town Manager to be both feasible to compile and useful as a common foundation for decision-making by Town Meeting members and other town officials, said fact book to be available if possible by the Spring 2007 Town Meeting, posted on the town’s website, and updated periodically—ideally, annually. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

ARTICLE 41. Petition - 5 Year Financial Projection (Tierkel) VOTED as amended that the Town request the Select Board to (1) prepare a projection of revenue and expenditure trends for the next five years, assuming constant service levels, with the rationale for each; and (2) propose for Town Meeting consideration one or more sustainable strategies for the generation of revenues to the town to support the necessary municipal, school and library services consistent with those projections. In carrying out this charge the Select Board shall consult closely with the Finance Committee, the Library Trustees, the School Committee, and any other such boards and committees as may be appropriate. Action taken on 6/19/2006.

235

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 10:29 p.m. on June 19, 2006. 160 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * PRECINCT 9

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on May 8, 2006 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill one vacancy in town meeting membership in Precinct 9. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Robert Crowner 13 Ann Marshall 5 D. Joseph Bodin 1 Robert Harris 1

Robert Crowner of 44 Spaulding Street was elected to fill one vacancy in Precinct 9 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * PRECINCT 10

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on May 22, 2006 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill three vacancies in town meeting membership in Precinct 10. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Irwin Friman 13 Anne Sterling Bush 13 Adele Levine 13

Irwin Friman of 76 Fearing Street, Anne Sterling Bush of 57 North Prospect Street, and Adele Levine of 321 Lincoln Avenue were elected to fill the three vacancies in Precinct 9 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * PRECINCT 7 236

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on May 22, 2006 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill one vacancy in town meeting membership in Precinct 7. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Susan Pynchon 12

Susan Pynchon of 37 Applewood Lane was elected to fill one vacancy in Precinct 7 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * Amherst, Masschusetts Special Town Meeting May 24, 2006

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The Special Town Meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Harrison Gregg at 7:38 p.m. There were 246 town meeting members. 124 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek. A procedural motion was to made to postpone consideration of Article 1 until immediately following Article 34 of the May 1, 2006 Annual Town Meeting.

7:52 p.m., May 24, 2006 - The meeting voted to adjourn to until immediately following Article 34 of the May 1, 2006 Annual Town Meeting. 184 Town Meeting Members were checked-in.

The Monday, June 19, 2006, session, adjourned from June 14, 2006, was called to order by the Moderator at 7:40 p.m. 125 Town Meeting Members checked-in and a quorum was declared. Article 1 was considered.

Article 1. Community Preservation Act – Open Space (Community Preservation Act Committee) VOTED that the Town appropriate $16,000 for appraisals and surveys to support the purchase of Agricultural Preservation Restrictions (APR’s), Conservation Restrictions (CR’s) and fee acquisitions of land, and to meet such appropriation transfer $16,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Balance. Action taken on June 19, 2006.

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 7:50 p.m. on Monday, June 19, 2006. 160 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

237

* * * Amherst, Massachusetts Special Town Meeting June 7, 2006

The meeting was televised by Amherst Community Television and shown on the Government Channel.

The Special Town Meeting was called to order by the temporary Moderator, James Pistrang at 7:43 p.m. There were 246 town meeting members. 124 checked in and a quorum was declared. The call and the return of the warrant were read by Town Clerk, Anna M. Maciaszek. Article 1 was considered on June 7th.

ARTICLE 1. Land Acquisition – Water Supply Protection (Select Board) VOTED by a declared 2/3rds vote that the Town authorize the acquisition by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise a certain parcel of land in the Town of Pelham for water supply protection and other similar purposes, located on the south side of Amherst Road, being shown as Parcel 7 on Pelham Assessors Map 8, to appropriate $220,000 for such acquisition, to meet such appropriation to transfer $220,000 from Water Fund Surplus, and to authorize the Town to apply for and accept grants for reimbursement of the cost of such acquisition. Action taken on 6/7/2006.

The business of the warrant having been completed, the meeting voted to dissolve at 8:13 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7, 2006. 164 town meeting members were checked in.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

* * * PRECINCT 1

A public meeting was held in accordance with section 1.5421 of the Amherst Town Government Act on June 12, 2006 in the auditorium of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School, for the purpose of counting ballots to fill three vacancies in town meeting membership in Precinct 1. The Town Clerk conducted the meeting and certified the following results:

Ryan E. Quinn 8 Diana Ditmore Beechhaven 6 Kathryn Elizabeth Pickett 5 Stephen J. King 4

Ryan E. Quinn of 12 Sand Hill Road, Diana Ditmore Beechhaven of 44 Summer Street, and Kathryn Elizabeth Pickett of 44 Summer Street were elected to fill the three vacancies in Precinct 1 town meeting membership until the next annual town election.

Attest:

Anna M. Maciaszek Town Clerk

238