TOWN MEETING RESUMES -

Town Meeting is about half way to completing the second half of this session. So far, Town Meeting has approved the budget amount for Public Safety (Police and Fire ), Community Services (LSSE, Health, Senior Center, Community Development, Public Works and Planning, Conservation and Inspections. The approved budget amounts are the amounts recommended by the Finance Committee and the Select Board. With a reduction in real cost of approximately 1.4% for both Town and School budgets and the recommendation to use up to $1,200,000.00 in town reserves, it would appear that Amherst will be able to close the budget discussion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009. However, the changes are dramatic. Fourteen (14) positions for the town and approximately fifty (50) positions for the school will eliminated. Fees for services such as recreation and ambulance will be increased. Programs such as swimming will be greatly reduced. There is a great deal of pain with this budget and, in many ways, the outcomes of the budget deliberations will be permanent. However, I do believe that we have made significant advances against the structural deficit that has been previously defined. Now the question becomes whether we will be able to live with the reduced or eliminated programs identified.

Taste of Amherst was a tremendous success notwithstanding the rain. Many people were out to defy the weather forecasters and to enjoy the food and companionship.

Larry

MEMORIAL DAY 2009

It is always a little disconcerting to have such beautiful weather on Memorial Day. On a day devoted to the memory of the sacrifices that Americans have made in the service to their country, it seems as if it would be more fitting to have weather consistent with a somber occasion. However, the sunshine does brings clarity to the stark contributions made by veterans in the service of their country. Allow me to join with all Americans to acknowledge and thank the veterans for their tremendous contributions to our nation. Thank you.

Larry Shaffer

VARIETY OF TOPICS

The Kendrick Park Committee, chaired by Peg Roberts, approved a plan last week for both the use and improvement of the three and one half (3 1/2) acre parcel, owned by the town of Amherst. Located across the street from Bertucci's Restaurant, Kendrick Park is a gift of the Kendrick family to the people of Amherst. The committee decided that Kendrick Park should be a place for beauty and quiet enjoyment while not closing the door to some more intensive uses to include a public market and certain passive recreational activities. There will be much more about the plan but now is the time to extend my gratitude to the members of the Kendrick Park Committee for the time and effort devoted to this enterprise.

The local budget picture is not particularly good for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2009. Fundamentally, the revenue gap that exists between the Finance Committee's initial recommendation and the estimate from the proposed State of Massachusetts House of Representatives budget is approximately 3.9 million dollars for the Town of Amherst, Amherst Elementary Schools, the Amherst share of the regional budget and the Jones Library. This is a very serious issue and without dramatic reductions in expense or increases in revenue, the budget crisis will not be resolved. Staff, the Select Board and the Finance Committee have been working very hard to find an answer to this challenge.

I was very proud to be able to join Nancy Pagano, Senior Center Director and Barbara Southerland, Council on Aging to celebrate and acknowledge Loretta Cavanaugh as the oldest citizen of Amherst. She was presented with the handsome Boston Post cane in recognition of this achievement. Mrs. Cavanaugh resides at the Center for Extended Living.

2010 BUDGET UPDATE

I have been meeting with the Select Board and the Finance Committee to discuss the proposed Town of Amherst budget for the period July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. As you may know, the projected revenue from the Commonwealth has been reduced by $2,800,000. That dramatic reduction requires the Town to implement steps to meet that funding gap. Those steps include funding social service programs from the Community Development Block Grant fund and not local property taxes; it includes increases in fees for Leisure Services and Supplemental Education (LSSE) programs; it includes increases in ambulance fees for individual users and the towns of Hadley, Leveritt, Shutesbury and Pelham; it includes reorganization and potentially regionalization of the Police Communication and Dispatch Center; it includes the elimination of five positions in the town budget. Certainly, there will be more changes that need to be made. However, I am doing my best to reduce the need to lay employees off.

I have sent a letter to the three unions currently under contract with the town. I hope to have a conversation about the contracted Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of 3 1/2% scheduled for implementation on July 1, 2009. The reduction or elimination of the COLA would go a long way to resolving our budgetary problem for next year. In order to show leadership and to set an example, I will not accept a COLA for next year. Further, the town department heads have stated that they would be willing to accept a COLA adjustment less than previously committed consistent with the school administration. I am pleased and proud of the position that the department heads have taken.

I have been invited to participate on a weekly radio show with Jay Fedanza of WHAI of Greenfield, Massachusetts. The spot will run weekly on Tuesday morning. The show is designed to highlight the various activities of Amherst for the previous week.

Finally, it looks as if I will have my left hip replaced on June 15, 2009. I had the right hip replaced in 2004. I am hoping for same terrific results-----higher mobility and no pain.

Have a great weekend.

Larry

BUDGET DISCUSSION IN AMHERST

It has been very interesting and telling to observe the discussion over the proposed Town of Amherst budget and the effects of the loss of State Aid ($978,000 for 2009; $2,800,000 for 2010). There are those who are pleased to understand that draconian cuts are not the exclusive option available to the Town to address the severe shortfall in revenue. As a result of some very wise decisions in the past, the Town now has the option to employ revenue it has generated from grants and the independent health insurance trust owned and operated by the Town. I will continue to look for strategic reductions that do not appreciably impact the ability of the organization to deliver services. I will also continue to work very hard on developing alternative revenue sources which have already generated over $400,000. for next year. Leisure Services and Supplemental Education (LSSE) Department has implemented dramatic changes in the number of programs and how those programs are administered. Specifically, LSSE has reduced staff by one position and increased revenue for programs by over $181,000. The Fire Department has also seen an important increase in revenue of over $200,000. These increases in revenue are a result of the investment that the Town has made in capacity and is the reason why Amherst has more options going forward to address our budgetary challenges.

The Winter Fest at Cherry Hill Golf Course last weekend was great. The weather was fantastic and the community responded with great attendance. It was wonderful to see the community enjoy this tremendous asset.

Town Budget - Part 1

Consistent with the Town Act that requires the annual submittal of the Town of Amherst budget by January 16th, I have forwarded to the Select Board and to the Finance Committee the Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010) the proposed budget for the Town of Amherst General Fund (Police, Fire, DPW, Health and other departments), Solid Waste Fund, Water Fund, Sewer Fund and the Transportation Fund. The proposed General Fund budget complies with the recommendations made by both the Select Board and the Finance Committee. If you are interested in the details of the budget, please go to the Town of Amherst web site www.amherstma.gov. I am deeply appreciative of the tremendous effort made by staff to prepare the proposed budget. The next step will be to receive and take steps to address the anticipated cuts in revenue certain to come from the Commonwealth for both the present fiscal year and the next fiscal year. More than ever, the Town must stay positive and creative as it meets this new challenge.

The skating rink has been created at Kendrick Park and is ready for use. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see people skating in Kendrick Park. Many thanks to the hardy crew at the DPW who installed the rink.

Tomorrow is the Martin Luther King Birthday Breakfast at the Amherst Regional Middle School at 8:30 AM. It is an honor to be able to celebrate this great man of courage and conviction.

HOLIDAY SEASON IN AMHERST

Town Hall is closed today (December 19, 2008) in anticipation of the considerable snow and wind predicted. The decision to close was strongly influenced by the experience from last year when the Town, School, University and Amherst College all shut down mid day during a snow storm, releasing all their employees at the same time causing massive gridlock on Route 9. The Town could not get its ambulances back from the hospital and the plows could not move in Hadley. This year, the Town, University, Amherst College, Town of Hadley and the School District all communicated and coordinated their responses to the anticipated snow storm thereby avoiding the problems of generating significant traffic in the teeth of the storm.

The Town of Amherst and the Town of Hadley have come to an agreement in principle for the provision of ambulance service by Amherst for the people of Hadley. The discussion was at times difficult but important. Total revenue in fiscal year 2010 should be approximately $400,000.00 for just over 700 ambulance calls to Hadley. That revenue along with the stability that a three year agreement provides, allows Amherst to adequately plan and prepare for the
future needs of the Amherst Fire Department. I appreciate the Town of Hadley for all the hard work it invested in making this partnership work.

I attended the Holiday Party hosted by Chancellor Holub of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It was a great event. The University is facing extremely difficult budgetary issues. It would be naive for the town to think that those budgetary challenges will not affect Amherst. It is important that Amherst support the University as it takes action to meet the budgetary challenges.

I met with Tony Marx, President of Amherst College on Thursday, December 18th. President Marx and Amherst College are also facing considerable challenges that would have been unthinkable six months ago. But the world has changed and even those institutions with the greatest resources have been rendered cautious by the recent economic crisis. Given that, I am very impressed with President Marx's commitment to fully pursue the Lord Jeffery Inn renovation next year.

Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful holiday.