Select Board packets for July 21st
Select Board packet – received Friday, July 11th for Monday, July 21st meeting:
• Agenda for the July 16th Planning Board meeting, with public hearings for Site Plan Review applications for a two-story office building on Meadow Street, a storage shed for the Eric Carle Museum, and a three-story storage facility on Meadow Street.
• A copy of a 10-page “Administrator’s Report” from PVTA Administrator Mary MacInnes to the PVTA Advisory Board, providing updates on government relations, facilities issues, implementation of fare increases, human resources issues, ridership and outreach issues, finances, information technology, marketing and public relations, and other topics.
• Notice of a July 24th ZBA public meeting with public hearings scheduled for a Special Permit renewal for a flag lot on Pomeroy Lane; a change of conditions on a Special Permit for a two-family dwelling on Lincoln Ave., and a Special Permit for a home carpentry and furniture business on Pomeroy Lane.
• An invitation to a farewell reception for interim UMass Chancellor Thomas Cole
Select Board packet – received Thursday, July 17th for Monday, July 21st meeting:
• Agenda for the July 21st meeting. Looks like these aren’t being posted during
the transition to the new web site, so…
6:40:
• Motion sheet
• Diagrams of proposed sidewalk and parking
designs for the west side of
• Document describing Select Board liaison policy
• A letter from the Town Clerk to the Select Board Chair regarding the appointment of election workers
• Two applications for special liquor licenses for “Cruise Night” at Atkins Farms on August 4th and 18th
• Letter from a Cambridge City Councillor seeking to create a network of elected officials to advocate for action on climate change
• A sheet with a 2008 calendar
• The notice, decision and “Notice of Filing” for
a ZBA Special Permit granted for renewal of a flag lot on
• The notice, decision, and “Notice of a Filing” for a ZBA Special Permit granted for operating “The Alexander Technique School New England” out of a home on Lessey Street
after reading today's paper, does vince o'connor run this town, he sure costs us a lot of money.
for someone who cpmplains so much about having students in town he is now worried about them being included in the selectboard election.
stephanie you are aboslutely right, we closed the polling places at the university because there was not enough interest by students to vote.
just out of curiosity how many students were involved in your campaign or fellow selectboard members campaigns. why is this man allowed to rule what goes on in town?
Democracy requires participation.
If students were inclined to participate, even encouraged to participate, then town/gown would have a basis for discussing issues that affect both groups.
Apart from the issue of how Amherst accommodates students who are registered voters in Amherst, and apart from whether Amherst political groups have initiatives to register students to vote, the select board might consider inviting the Dean of Faculty and the president of the student assembly (from the three higher ed institutions) to a meeting once a year for introductions and to establish a relationship that could prove helpful as subsequent issues call for discussion and remediation.
Anon -- No students specifically assisted my campaign, nor am I aware of their assistance in other campaigns, though that may have occurred. Unfortunately, due to that pesky secret ballot system we have in this country, I can't know for sure how many, if any, voted for me. :-)
Neil -- Good suggestion about a formal meeting with student and faculty leaders. Thanks.
I'm quite sure Amherst has no obligation to schedule an election so that students would have returned to campus in time to register as voters for it. In fact, I'm quite sure Amherst has no obligation to schedule the election when school is in session. As it stands however, the special election is scheduled when school is in session.
A special election in September - to fill the vacated Select Board seat - will come at a financial cost to Amherst taxpayers... and if I recall correctly it is approximately $8000. Why spend the money if the election could be scheduled in November and the Select Board believes it can function successfully for two months with four members? That would allow for longer campaigns, students to register as voters, and save money at a time when saving money is a high priority for Amherst residents. If we are able to save $8,000 125 times, we will have saved $1,000,000.
Conservation is high on the list of priorities for individuals, institutions and town governments. It seems to me the specific measures that could be undertaken by the town of Amherst towards realizing conservation-minded operations (energy efficiency, low carbon emissions, small footprint waste) would be best learned by engaging experts - as consultants or employees - in Town of Amherst operations. This may be more productive that joining a group of like-minded municipal officials and seeing what comes of it.
Neil, the September 16 date was chosen because that is the date of the state primary. So the special election would piggy-back on that; it would add to the cost of the primary, but would cost about $8000 less than if it were held by itself (e.g. on Dec. 2, which is now proposed). As for combining it with the general election in November, the Town Clerk has explained to the Select Board why that would be incredibly complicated.