June 1, 2009 Post-Meeting List
Called to order at 6:30 p.m.; adjourned at 9:44 p.m.
• To approve the street closure request for
• To approve the letter of support for the Open
Space and Recreation Plan, in a vote of 4 in favor, 1 absent (Weiss)
• Unanimously to approve the three Special Liquor
Licenses for events at UMass and Hampshire College, and for the Taste of
Amherst, per the motion sheet; also to approve the Special Liquor License for
the 6/8 UMass event, per the motion provided
• Unanimously to approve the following Select
Board meeting dates: Wednesday, July 8;
Monday, July 27; Monday, August 10, Monday August 24 and Monday, August 31 (and
agreed that the necessity of the 8/31 date would be reconsidered later in the
summer)
Agreed, without
votes:
• To notify the Chamber of requests for
event-related street closures and parking restrictions
• To ask the Town Commercial Relations Committee
to consider the issue of how requests for event-related street closures and
parking restrictions affect downtown businesses, and to make a recommendation
to the Select Board regarding how such requests might be handled
• To clarify the parking and street closure
information sought by the Chamber for the Taste of Amherst event, and to
approve the request at the next meeting
• To meet every Monday in June (and to do so at
Town Hall on Mondays when Town Meeting is not in session,) and to determine the necessity of meeting
before each Town Meting session as those meetings progress
• That the proposed summer work topics noted in
Stephanie's 5/29 "Summer Meetings and Agendas" memo will be listed on
agendas as reminders and to prompt status updates; those topics are FY09 Town
Manager evaluation process and FY10 goal setting; consideration of a Select
Board handbook; issues and details related to committees; a process for
establishing SB priorities related to capital spending and CPA funds;
exploration of options for aligning with other Western Mass. committees to
advocate to the State legislature on regional concerns; a possible role for the
Select Board in a revised personnel grievance procedure
• That Diana will highlight key concepts in the
draft minutes and that we will attach Stephanie's post-meeting list to each
meeting's minutes
• To make some changes to the packet process: to
observe a firm 9:00 a.m. Friday deadline for submitting packet materials, and
to either pick up the packets at Town Hall or to receive them by mail (Stephanie will notify the board about
pick-up availability details)
• To be mindful about requests to have items
prepared for our desks, per staff time
(Stephanie will monitor how this is going with staff in the office and let the
Select Board know if changes are needed,) and per expectations of what the SB
will do with the materials - i.e, if we are just receiving them, or if we have
enough information to act on them that night, etc.
• That Diana will consider incorporating suggested
concepts into a revised draft of the committee appointment policy,
including: that reappointment decisions
take into account committee needs; and a one vs. two committee policy and
possible parameters for second appointments
Requested:
• That Larry send out an e-mail to all staff,
asking if anyone knows the locations of the Select Board parade banner and the
original "Tree City USA" plaque
Items to be added
to the 6/8 agenda:
• Approval of parking and street closure request
for the Taste of Amherst
• Approval of the 4/27 minutes (which will
incorporate an edit and highlighted key concepts, and will have the 4/27
post-meeting list attached)
• Consideration of proposed ZBA charge changes
• Taking positions on remaining warrant articles
Items to be added
to a future agenda, not necessarily the next one:
• Information about archiving and accessing Select
Board materials
Materials to be
brought back to the next meeting:
• The collection of budget update materials John
provided in our packets
• The ZBA charge info that was on our desks
Issues not
resulting in actions, and other topics considered:
• Diana announced an upcoming joint meeting
between the Planning Board and the Public Shade Tree Committee regarding
planned road work on
• Public Comment:
Nick Seamon expressed concern about the Select Board's handling of
street closure and parking restriction requests
• Dave Ziomek gave an update on the final steps
necessary for completing the submission of the Open Space and Recreation Plan
to the State, and the expectation to know about its acceptance in time for its
inclusion in grant applications due July 15th
• Town Manager's Report -- Larry reported on:
• the Memorial Day parade and ceremony
• a budget presentation he made to the Amherst
Club and his willingness to speak to any group on that subject
• ongoing meetings about the budget with employees
• the status of the Police and Fire Chief search
committees (the application period for internal candidates has closed;
applications will be reviewed, interviews will take place, and applicants will
be asked to solve a strategic problem)
• the completion of the Kendrick Park Committee's
work, their recent wrap-up picnic, and plans to present their report to the
Select Board after Town Meeting
• the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission's public
hearing on rail service (and noted that a small data sample collected so far by
the Town on Amherst train station users splits about 60% - people 18-25, and
40% - 55 and over); and a planned meeting with PVPC Director Tim Brennan to
discuss increasing Amherst's involvement in PVPC's work on all subjects
• the Governor's community budget forum hosted by
Secretary Greg Bialecki
• events marking
the retirement of Lorna Peterson from Five Colleges Inc, and the
departure of Esther Terry from UMass for a position at another school
• the Health Department's screening and discussion
of "Unnatural Causes"
• being interviewed about the budget and human
services funding on WMUA's program, Focus
• attending the Fort River Festival
• John Musante provided an update on the current
State budget situation and on the
Finance Committee's recommendations for Town Meeting on budgets and reserve
use; he recommended continued advocacy with State legislators to support local
option taxes and to oppose making municipal health care plan changes subject to
binding arbitration
• Larry restated the swimming pool situation: that
this summer, War Memorial Pool will not open, the Mill River swimming and
wading pools will be open, that Groff Park wading pool will be open; and that
in FY10, Town use of the Middle School swimming pool will not be funded
• Alisa had no new status to report on the Town's
Annual Report
• Alisa gave an update on the work of the
committee studying K-12 school regionalization, and the committee's goal of
having information available for the FY11 budget discussions; she reported on
the recent discussion at AIC in
• Gerry gave an update on the work of the Police
Chief Search Committee, praised its members and its process, and expressed confidence
that the group would offer an informed and thoughtful recommendation
• Alisa gave an update on the Hadley parade: that the order in which we will be located in
the parade is set, but whether participating SB members walk or ride is our
option (info about the location/existence of a Select Board parade banner is
being sought; determination of how we will participate may be announced at the
next meeting)
• It was reaffirmed that the Select Board would like to see a compromise from the Parade Committee that would allow Town vehicle use in the Fourth of July parade
