Select Board packet for January 5th

Below are the contents of the packet received Wednesday, December 31st for the Monday, January 5th meeting. 

Note that this is a very thin packet, because much of the meeting materials were given to us previously, and the agenda items they pertain to were either postponed or continued to this meeting, and we are trying to not duplicate materials unnecessarily. 

Note also that this is the first packet available as a PDF on the Town web site.  The PDF contains the meeting materials that had been in earlier packets - for example, the WMECO pole hearing stuff, the dog hearing materials, the road plan materials, etc. - which are not listed below, because the SB received them already.  The PDF contains only the meeting materials, NOT the mail, announcements, nor other items we receive in our packets but are not meeting-specific. 

Because the PDF is available, I will be less detailed in my document descriptions.

•  The agenda

•  The motion sheet

•  Lists of committee meeting times for the committees to which I am liaison, and to which Diana is liaison

•  A Special Liquor License application for an event at Hampshire College's Red Barn

•  A copy of a letter I sent on behalf of the Select Board, to Senator Stan Rosenberg, regarding ways the State Legislature could assist Amherst through municipal relief measures.  (This didn't make it into the PDF - technical difficulties - but if the PDF gets re-run after the meeting with materials we get Monday night, it will be included then.)  I will talk about this in my Chair's report, otherwise, it is just an FYI to the SB.

•  Again, I note that the other materials for this meeting had been in earlier SB packets, and while not included this week, are part of the online packet PDF

A bunch of mail: 

•  My quarterly pay check:  $75 gross, and $64.74 after taxes and withholdings

•  A letter from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, describing the process for voting at the annual meeting:  who is entitled to cast the single vote for Amherst, and how to designate someone else to cast the vote if necessary

•  A copy of a letter sent from the Chamber of Commerce to the Planning Board, cc'ing the Select Board, urging timely acceptance of the Master Plan

•  A memo from Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) urging payment of an attached overdue invoice, seeking $1,000 for "Local match payment for Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Planning project to be completed by Pioneer Valley Planning Commission."  The invoice is dated 10/25/05.  There must be a story here.

•  A letter from PVPC regarding their participation in updating information for the 2010 U.S. Census, and inquiring as to Amherst's interest in having a role in the process

•  A holiday card from the UMass Chancellor

•  Notice of alcohol service training sessions to be held in Florence in January, February and March

•  The December newsletter of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center

•  A copy of a letter from the Kingston Town Administrator, noting the enclosed copy of a letter he sent to the Massachusetts Senate President urging amendment to the Mass. General Law regarding the Community Preservation Act, to allow CPA funds to be used for green energy initiatives

•  A ZBA Special Permit, Decision, and Notice of Filing regarding approval of a restaurant - Latino's - in South Amherst

•  ZBA Special Permits,, Decisions, and Notices of Filing approving Special Permits renewing the use of  South East Street house as a two-family, owner-occupied residence; and approving installation of a cell phone antenna on West Street

•  A letter from Comcast about new High Definition programming and package options and other cable channel and package changes

•  A cover memo from the PVPC, with a booklet of its 2008 Major Accomplishments, and its list of "Top Ten Resolves for 2009"

•  A packet of information from the Massachusetts Municipal Association regarding its upcoming annual meeting in Boston, which I will be attending

•  A letter and booklet from HAP Housing, celebrating its 35^th anniversary, and seeking donations to its fundraising campaign