We're recording. Please go ahead. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Seeing a presence of a quorum, I am calling the May 18th, 2026 regular meeting of the town council to order at 6 in person and that the remote access
option for members of the public is provided as a courtesy only. In the event scheduled for as long as there is a quorum of the council present in the town room or through technological means. Chapter 2 of the acts of 2025
extended through June 30th, 2027, the ability of public bodies to meet without a quorum of the council physically present at a meeting location, although a quorum of the council is present in the town room. This meeting is being recorded and is accessible in real time via Zoom, by phone, and is a live
broadcast on Ammerst Media Channel 9 and at ammerst media.org. At this time, I will call upon each counselor by name by the name that they have indicated they would like to be addressed. This will indicate that we can hear you and you can hear us. Councelor Brevik, >> present. Councelor Ko Martin,
>> present. Andy Churchill, >> present. >> Anna Devongthier, >> present. >> Lyn Greimer, >> present. Mandy Joe Hanicki is present. Councelor Lord is not here at this time. Sam Mloud has not is not here at this time. Pam
Rooney >> here. >> Councelor Ryan >> present. >> Kathy Shane >> here. >> Jennifer Tob >> here. >> And councelor Walker is not here yet. If counselors have technological issues, please let the council clerk know or call a point of personal privilege.
There will be one public comment period during the general public comment section of the agenda. If you are in the town room, please sign up with the council clerk to make public comment. If you are attending remotely, I will ask for you to raise your hand in the Zoom application when we reach the time for
public comment. The announcements um we our next regular meeting is June 1. It will start with a public forum on the capital improvement program and then continue with a p a regular meeting. On June 8th, there will be a special meeting joint with the
community safety working group and the human rights commission. It will start at 7:30, not our typical 6:30. So, it is a different start time to accommodate all members that can make it that night. Um, and then we have a regular meeting
on June 15th. are there at those are the only announcements I have. Um we do not have any hearings at this time. Um and so I forgot to mention at the beginning that we are taking counselor comments
both at this time and um at the regular time in the agenda. So there will be two counselor comment periods during this meeting. So before we move on to general public comment, we're going to go to councelor comments and I will go to councelor brevik.
>> Since my comment is also with councilors Lord and Walker, do you want to go first if you have other comments? >> So councelor Lord will not be here till at least 700 p.m. Um and I'm not going to be able to hold counselor comments that long. So when we finish we'll have
to go if So I would recommend maybe >> she can just go ahead. Um, I can make one of my comments now if you'd like. Um, let me find it. So, I wanted to take a moment because last week a dedicated member of the Ammerst Municipal
Government community passed away and I wanted to take a moment to recognize her contributions. Connie Krueger was a force for good in Ammerst. Uh, she served Ammerst for decades. first as a town planner on staff, then as a member of the Ammerst Housing Authority, the
board of assessors, the housing and sheltering committee, town meeting planning board, and the select board. She was busy. She was a tireless advocate for addressing Ammerst's housing affordability challenges, building affordable housing, and planning for Ammerst's future
development. and she and her spouse Susan were one of the first same-sex couples married in Ammerst after the state legalized same-sex marriage. And she regularly reflected on the town's support and celebration of that ruling and the day
we were able to accept licenses for same-sex marriages. And I just wanted to say Ammerst and its residents benefited greatly from her love of the town and her fierce fierce advocacy and that she will be missed. But I wanted to take a time to recognize her and the loss to
the town. Thank you. Um I wrote a statement that I will read uh together with councilors Keno Martin and Devon Gothier. Uh that's also supported by counselors Lord and Walker. um in honor of Nakba Remembrance
Day as we recognize the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian and Lebanese people. Um May 15, 2026 was the 78th commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba, meaning catastrophe
in English. A term which refers to the violent dispossession and exile of more than 750,000 Palestinian people from their homeland in 1948 by Zionist militias in order to form the state of Israel. For almost eight decades,
Palestinians, their culture, their resilience, and their suffering have been invisible in spaces like this town room. Um, displacement, an ongoing Nakba, is still the reality for millions of people today who have been forced to
leave their homes again and again in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. In Lebanon as well, a country the size of Connecticut that is connected to Palestine by shared borders and traditions. Villages are being ethnically cleansed and civilians are
being killed on site for leaving their homes. With US backing and weapons, the Israeli military continues to attack civilians and has done so more than 2400 times after the ceasefire that began in October 2025 in the same way that it has
violated all ceasefires before that. While the new cycle moves on, Gassa is in the longest period without relief aid lasting 19 months. 1.1 million children remain at risk of starvation. There is not enough food or fuel which is
necessary to run the desalination plants that provide Gaza's drinking water, leaving 91% of the population to face acute water insecurity. More than 250,000 Palestinian and Lebanese people have been killed or severely injured since October 2023, with some sources
reporting much higher numbers. And all of our most trusted human rights organizations have called these actions genocide, including the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders, Batess Salm, the International Federation for
Human Rights, Oxfam, Save the Children, and the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Those killed by the USbacked Israeli military include the loved ones of Ammerst community members. We see you, all of you who have to go on and who
continue to show up for your community here in so many ways. We are witness to the grief and pain of our neighbors who have been watching the news relentlessly for the past two and a half years to see if their loved ones are safe, who endure trauma responses from calling their father or cousin or aunt and hearing the
phone ring and ring and go to voicemail, who have family members who are still under the rubble in the south of Lebanon and in Gaza. We also see those affected by rising anti-Islam and anti-Arab hate. Yes, here families in and around Ammerst have endured racial slurs, property
damage, and physical aggression. Residents have received threats and have had events canled because of their identity. Several of us here are also connected to a school in Gaza named the Simude School. Simud meaning resilience in
English. And we receive regular communication from the teachers and students who have continued to educate and learn and play despite having been forcibly displaced multiple times. Despite neighboring buildings being bombed, despite continuous deaths of
parents, children, siblings, and friends in their community, despite having to reduce their schools hours because the children and teachers were starving as a result of Israel's blockade of food and supplies and did not have enough energy to continue into the afternoons. I think
of them all the time when I put my kids on the bus and when we debate the school budget here. I also think of the more than $40 billion our government has given or pledged to the Israeli military and spent on our own participation in these atrocities. When we talk about
budget cuts and diminishing town services, I think of the white phosphorus and bombs we've helped purchase, the ecoside we've supported. When we talk about combating climate change, simply marking this moment and telling these stories and the history behind
them are the types of actions that have helped the world wake up to what is happening. that the United States has been complicit through Democrat and Republican administrations and continues to be complicit in Israel's ongoing NABA by providing Israel with weapons and
diplomatic immunity even as its leaders openly describe and enact plans to ethnically cleanse and depopulate Palestinian and Lebanese communities today. And as we tune into news about US escalation in places like Iran, remember that this is enabled by our society's
general justification of or ignorance to war crimes in Palestine and Lebanon, as well as our media's bias and complicity in their eraser. The ongoing Nagba affects our community deeply. If you weren't aware of this
history, this day of remembrance or its relevance to our community, there are endless opportunities to open your eyes right here in our area. To my fellow counselors, our voices inherently carry louder than others. Please take every opportunity to acknowledge these atrocities and support your constituents
who are grieving and advocate for the end of US involvement in this genocide. And to anyone listening, I urge you to reach out to me and I would be happy to connect you to one of the many groups expending tremendous energy to offer education and to celebrate Palestinian and Lebanese culture while fighting for
their freedom from oppression. Thank you. >> Thank you. At this time, are there any other council comments before we move on to general public comment? Seeing none, we are going to move on to general public comment at this time.
Um, anyone wishing to make general public comment who is attending remotely, please raise your hand in the Zoom application. If you are present in the town room and have not signed up with the council clerk, please do so now. Residents are welcome to make public
comments on matters within the jurisdiction of the town council. The council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during general public comment. Public comments are not reflective of the opinions of the town council. The First Amendment broadly protects individual rights to address the government, to speak, and to
express themselves, including their right to say hateful and offensive things. I am generally unable to shut those commenters down under the first amendment to the US Constitution unless their level of speech falls within an exception articulated by the courts such as fighting words, true threats to a
particular individual, harassment of a particular individual, or incitement of imminent lawless activities. If an if a question exists as to whether a particular speaker is engaging in unprotected speech, I must defer to the principle of freedom of speech. Um
there are two hands raised on Zoom of people who wish to make public comment. How many people in the town room have signed up? >> Five. At seven, each commenter will have three minutes to make their public comment. Um
we will start in the town room. >> Vince O' Conor. >> Vince, please come on up. State your name and where you live and make your comment. Good evening. I'm Vince Okconor. I live at 175 Summer Street, apartment 12. There are three things I want to say
about Beacons walking away from its Monu Road proposal. First, Amoris has a UMass housing problem, not a housing problem per se. UMass's refusal to build affordable housing for its students. The public private uh partnership uh known
as Subaswami's uh supplicer is the most expensive place to live in Ammerst. while opening the admission floodgates. Those two decisions essentially putting Ammerst on the road to becoming another stores Connecticut were profoundly hostile acts
by UMass toward this community and the people who live here 12 months a year. Second, the lawsuit filed against the project was not frivolous because it ultimately would have defrapped the manager of his power to act unilaterally
as the community. so-called executive authority. The travesty regarding the br beacon project is that one unelected man had become so contemptuous of the council and of the residents who elected
him that he could sign away decades of work to raise our affordability level over 10% without a public hearing or discussion or the knowledge, consent, or approval of the council. and he sent his housing planner to a
public meeting without telling Mr. Abag. The one-year resident planning board member who lives in a house valued at $813,000 about the six people who know more about this town than he ever will. ignores the
one man who contemptuously opened the can of worms that the lawsuit slams shut and and should suggest to the council that no person ever be appointed to the planning board unless they have lived
here at least 5 years prior to their appointment. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming tonight. Jerus, please unmute yourself, state your name and where you live and make your comment. Thank you. My name is Jerus. Uh I live
at 15 Oison Drive. Uh and I want to disclose that I'm a member of the planning board, but I come to you tonight simply as a human being. I'm here to humanize the loss of our future neighbors, but also to offer a genuine invitation because I know we can
do better. the death of the proposal for affordable homes for seniors and working families at 246 Monu Road or more poratively referred to as the Beacon Project in North Ammerst is a moral outrage.
It didn't need to happen. But nobody, including myself, stood up for our future neighbors when six members of our community decided to close the door to them. While the plans for those homes may seem like a threatening abstraction, the people who would have lived inside
them are not. They're the teacher retiring from Wildwood looking to downsize because they don't know how they're going to afford property taxes on their retirement savings. It's the young couple and the young parents who can't afford to buy a home for threequarters of a million dollars as a
starter. Those lost neighbors of ours deserve better, especially from a town that so loudly and quickly professes its virtues of equity and inclusivity. To be clear, using the legal system to block lowincome seniors and working families
from joining as our neighbors is not a liberal act. It is not a progressive act. And I do not think this was the motive, but the outcome is undeniably exclusive and inequitable. I tell you these stories not to shame, but because we too commonly lose sight
of the fact that humanity is at the heart of housing. I understand fear of change. I understand how terrifying it is to have your vision of the future, your quality of life threatened. It sucks, and I'm sorry. I know there are practical concerns, too. But I think
those feelings are what's at the heart of this town's pattern of housing exclusion, but I don't think that's who this town is. And here's what needs to change to make sure that this is that this is something that we take seriously. So for anybody who is serious about supporting housing affordability,
supporting seniors, supporting working families, or pursuing equity and justice, you need to start with a yes, how can we do that mindset, not a m only if as in yes 140 homes where our seniors can age in
place with dignity in our community they help to build. Yes, 140 homes where young families who don't come from money can get a foothold in our amazing community. How do we welcome them? When someone comes to us with a plan to build
140 homes, we should have said, "Hell yes. How do we make this happen?" But we didn't. Enough with the purity tests. So before you label me, before you make a judgment about who I am, I want to remind you that I am offering an honest
and open invitation. If you're serious about addressing these issues, you know how to find me. I'm not an enemy. I'm a partner and I'm a really nice person. >> Won't you be my neighbor? >> Thank you. >> Thank you for coming tonight. Jera,
>> Ila Mushabek. >> Ila, please come on up. State your name and where you live and make your comment. Hi, my name is Leila Mashbeck and I'm a Palestinian American resident of District 1 and I'd like to thank councilors Brev Kano Martin uh Walker De
and get Devllingot and Hal Lord who's not here for their statement commemorating the Nakba and for this important public acknowledgement that Nakba is not a single historical event. It has never ceased. that genocide did not start when it was named by the UN or Human Rights Watch or Betelum and that
it is a symptom of the same racist oppressive systems eroding civil rights and social infrastructure in our own communities. This is not sentimental. There are direct material connections between Israel's atrocities and our tax dollars that fund them, between the Israeli military, ICE and municipal
policing, and between the military-industrial complex and the defunding of public education, just to name a few. Genocide anywhere is a local issue everywhere and silence is an endorsement. So I'd like to remind all of you who hold positions of power that
we acknowledge NUKBA not as lip service but as a call to action as a reminder that our struggle lives and that it is a responsibility that we must all carry. >> Thank you for coming tonight. Ila Ella Bilch, please unmute yourself,
state your name and where you live and make your comment. Hello. Um, my name is Ella Bilg and I am an undergraduate student living at UMass. Um, I wanted to talk about a couple of near misses that I've had with cars as a pedestrian walking into and
from Ammer Center, particularly at the Rotary between North Pleasant Street, East Pleasant Street, and Triangle Street. I've witnessed other pedestrians been nearly hit by cars at this intersection, and I've also had many close calls. Um, I think it would make a really big difference if there were
pedestrian crossing signs at this intersection, particularly ones with flashing lights. Um, to both increase visibility when crossing and to alert cars to pedestrians before it's too late, especially at nighttime. Thank you.
>> Thank you for coming tonight, Ella. Athena L. Raporn. Loose, come on up and state your name and where you live and make your comment. Good evening. My name is Loose Rapport. I use they them pronouns and I'm a resident of District 1. Um, I will be
presenting two distinct comments and I would like to start in my professional capacity. I'm regional organizing for the organization Rank the Vote and Voter Choice Massachusetts. I'm hoping to discuss slash bring to your attention a lack of action on the charter voted in 2017 in terms of the implementation of rank choice voting. Even though the
commission organized was meant to provide answers by 2021 and that RCB is broadly favored by town residents, it is yet to be utilized in any Ammerst town elections. Rank choice voting has been proven to be one of the most democratic electoral systems and with such challenges to democracy we see in the
national government. It is imperative that you defend your constituents voices. I ask you, what will you do to defend your constituents voices in this moment? I'm also a grad student at UMass. I would like to echo the previous comments made in terms of housing
affordability. Um, but I would also like to bring to light a specific minoritized population at UMass that is being targeted by predatory landlords and predatory behaviors in terms of funding. Unfortunately, our international students um who provide great um input
and community building and resources to our town are being made to sleep in living rooms and still pay $800 a month. Um our rent is so disproportionate that as previously mentioned before, um we
have lost neighbors. Most of my classmates live in Springfield or Connecticut and have to commute for about two hours to attend our classes. The reality is that living in Ammerst is a privilege. And as a student, as someone who I'm just here to get my degree, I'm just
here to help the community and I'm here to build something especially for my generation, especially for the following generations. we will never own property like we we that is not a hope that we generally hold um because it is simply not realistic for my generation. Um
building wealth is often not in our mind. That is not what we want. We just want somewhere to live. We want somewhere safe and we want somewhere where we feel welcome. And unfortunately for those that commute so far, that is simply not their reality.
My hope, my request to you is that you work with UMass to hold landlords accountable. Um, or just in general hold landlords accountable. Um, I'm I especially have a problem with the um private public partnership that was done
uh as that rent is $2,000 for a studio. Uh, which is absurd. Um but overall um I would like to um request your compassion um for anyone who would like to live in
Ammerst yet but cannot afford it. Um I work 40 hours a week to get an apartment and that's a one-bedroom. Um yeah. Anyway, thank you. Thank you for coming tonight. Loose. Um Jason Dornney, please unmute yourself, state your name and where you
live and make your comment. Hello, my name is Jason Dhy. I'm a resident of district 2. I want to also make my comment regarding the um Beacon project. U Ammeris has a housing affordability problem, period. Uh UMass
is not necessarily helping, but um while they're part of the problem, they're not necessarily going to be the solution. Uh we need to make sure that we acknowledge this. Ammerst has a housing affordability problem. Yes, UMass has a
housing affordability problem, too. But Ammerst can only control what Ammerst does. That's it. We cannot force UMass to do anything. Denying that we have a housing affordability problem is just burying our heads in the sand and
wishing for somebody to come in and save us. And we can't do that. Just like we shouldn't be sitting around hoping that the Trump administration comes in and saves all of us from all of the things that they've created, we cannot sit here and hope that UMass comes in and saves
us. We have the ability to change zoning. We have the ability to affect affordability in our own town and it is our responsibility and our responsibility alone. We cannot continue
to put the blame on UMass and to a lesser extent Ammerst College. The Beacon project would have been a good project. It wasn't would have been perfect, but no project ever is perfect.
We can't let some high-minded ideal of some great project get in the way of allowing some of the dirty work to happen. We have to build housing. We haven't built enough housing for the last 40
years in this town. We need to make sure that projects like this that will genuinely help with affordability for seniors and for families can move forward in some way. As Jared Smith said, we need to start
with an attitude of yes, how can we? as opposed to no, we don't want we don't want something built on that property. We want it to remain a farm field. We don't want the traffic. We don't want the tall building. We don't want the
wetlands being affected. All of those things are taken into consideration when a project comes before all the commissions. But we need to make sure we're saying we do want neighbors. We do want affordable housing. We do want seniors to be able
to live here. We do want families to be able to live here. We really need to start with that. I agree with Jara. This project would have been a good project and it's really a shame that it uh it died the way it did. And if we're going to say we want affordable housing, say
we want diversity, say we want equity, we have to actually act like it and do the things that are required to get those things. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming tonight. Jason >> Esther Aar Esther, please come on up. State your name and where you live and
make your comment. >> Hey, uh, my name is Rabbi Esther Azar and I'm a resident of District 1. For those of you who don't know, I grew up as a right-wing Zionist. I was trained to believe that Palestinians who
threw rocks were more dangerous than 17-year-old Israeli soldiers carrying M16s. I didn't know about the Nakba. And had you told me about the Nakba then, I would have said, "You are crazy. Israel
has the most moral army in the world, and they would never do anything unless the Jewish people were in danger of annihilation." Today, my stomach flips when I hear those words come out of my mouth. How could I have believed that rocks were
more dangerous than M16s? And that Palestinians living under occupation could be a real threat to Israel, whose military spending is 11th in the world with the additional backing of the United States. But now, I know that this narrative is
not special to Palestine. The creation of Israel began with the British, just like the creation of this country. Both countries were created using traumatized people who were told the native population wants to destroy them.
Palestinians, like native peoples here, have been named savages who wanted to destroy the colonists. This propaganda led to genocide of native peoples here. And the same propaganda is being used in Palestine to
support the genocide of native peoples that began even before the Nakba and continues until today. I would like to believe that all of us in this room are pretty clear that the genocide of native peoples in this
country was horrific and that oh and that The genocide of native peoples in this country was horrific and that we are better than our ancestors, that we have evolved and would never commit the crimes of genocide.
And if we are to see ourselves in that light, then we are mandated to name and fight against the genocide that is unfolding with our tax dollars in Palestine. As those of us living on this stolen land, we have a responsibility to speak
out and fight back. >> Thank you for coming tonight, Esther. >> Athena, >> Evan Naymith, >> Evan, please come on up, state your name and where you live and make your comment. >> Good evening. Uh, Evan Aith, District 5.
Um, I'm here today because I want to help improve Ammerst's housing policy. In my free time, I research progressive housing solutions for Ammerst and I'm running for the ZBA and the planning board. I've taken applicable coursework at Yukon Law and have read the CHP and HPP front to back. I interviewed the
housing directors for three peer municipalities that host large universities. From those conversations, I've gleaned several important lessons that I'll share with you in the coming weeks. I've also authored six housing op-eds in the Amoris Current. Each one is supported by peer-reviewed economic
evidence applicable to the demographics of our town. When commenters criticize my findings, I respond in good faith. When I make a mistake, I publicly admit error and retract. My most recent article explored the relationship between race and housing in Ammerst.
Rather than criticizing the substance of my writing, Darcy Deont took to Facebook to publish details about my address. When my wife saw Darcy's post, she asked me to reconsider my planning board application because she didn't feel safe. The post has since been removed by
the currents editor, but is apparently still visible to Darcy's contacts. Darcy isn't alone in this creepy behavior. Check out Mora Keen's most recent article in the indie website. In her effort to crowdsource ADU compliance, she's now publishing photographs,
blueprints, and addresses of other people's homes. This is technically legal, but when is the council going to draw a line and say this is unacceptable behavior, right? In the discussion surrounding articles and 18, you guys claimed that you wanted more community involvement in housing decisions. Well,
your wish came true. We have frivolous lawsuits, failed threats, and neighbors spying on neighbors. But let's not lose track of the real victims here. renters. In the last two years alone, local poverty is up 53%. Now 62% of renters in Ammerst are
costburdened and 4,000 Ammeris residents face food insecurity. Paul Bachelman is right. This situation is a travesty. Thank you, Paul, for speaking with the appropriate conviction on this issue. Counselors, Ammerst is desperate for moral leadership on this issue. Take a
stand for civil discourse. Housing policy should not be a play thing for wealthy homeowners to pick and choose their neighbors. Rather, housing is the bedrock of the social safety net, and we must use the mechanisms of municipal government to make it plentiful and equitable. We elected you guys because
you're leaders. Please rise to the occasion. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming tonight, Evan. Athena, >> that was the last person on the register. >> Thank you. That there are no other hands raised, so that ends public comment. At this time we will be moving to the
consent agenda. The following items the following items were selected because they were considered to be routine and it was reasonable to expect they would pass with no controversy. To remove an item from the consent agenda for discussion later in the meeting, ask that it be removed when the
president lists the consent agenda items. The request to remove an item from the consent agenda does not require a second. I'm going to list the consent agenda items now and see if there are any for removal. Um, and the consent agenda items include the following. Item
6A, adoption of proclamation recognizing June as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, plus LGBTQ plus pride month. Item 6B, adoption of Juneenth proclamation. Item 6 C, adoption of race amity day proclamation. Item 8 B, relocation of
precinct 2B polling location to Ammerst Pelum Regional High School. Item 8 C, approval of optional tax exemption for taxpayers qualifying under MGL chapter 59 section 5 clauses 17D 22 37A or 41 C.
Item 9A 1-2, approval of the town manager appointments to the elementary school building committee and recreation commission. And item 11 A, approval of minutes for May 4th, 2026 regular meeting. Are there any items to remove from the consent agenda?
Seeing no hands, the motion I I move those items um and the printed motions there under and approve the items as a single unit. Is there a second? >> Second. >> We're going to give that one to Councelor Ryan because I heard him
first. We start with Andy Churchill. >> Yes. >> Anna Devon Gothier. >> I >> Lyn Greimemer >> I. >> Mandy Joe Hanaki is an I. Councelor has councelor Lord joined us yet? >> No.
>> No. And Coun and Sam Mloud is not here yet. Uh Pam Rooney. >> Yes. >> Councelor Ryan. >> Yes. >> Kathy Shane. >> Yes. >> Jennifer Tub. Yes. >> Has councelor Walker joined us yet? I don't see her. Councelor Walker is
absent. Councelor Breivik. >> Yes. >> Councelor Ko Martin. >> Yes. >> The consent agenda passes unanimously 10 to zero with three absent. We will move on to the reading of the now therefore clauses of the resolutions
and proclamations. Um procla proclamation recognizing June as LGBTQ plus pride month. Anna. >> Sure. Now therefore, we the Ammeristown Council do hereby proclaim June 2026 as
LGBTQ plus pride month. Be it further proclaimed that we the Ammeristown Council encourage all residents to celebrate and affirm our proud and diverse diverse LGBTQ community year round. Be it further proclaimed that this year in particular, we remember
Connie Krueger, former select board member and town planner, who with her wife Susan was one of the first lesbian couples to be married in the town of Ammerst in 2004 and who passed away in May 2026. She will be dearly missed and her impact and memory are indelible. Be
it further proclaimed that this proclamation will be recognized by raising the progress pride flag from June 1st to June 30th, 2026 with a formal flag raising celebration and proclamation on June 1st, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. and the Amoris Pride parade and
celebration on June 28th, 2026 between noon and 3 p.m. Thank you. >> Thank you. the Junth proclamation. Um, councelor Kennel Martin or Lynn, which one?
Councelor Kennel Martin. >> Okay. Uh, just the now therefore. >> Yeah. >> Now therefore, we the Amoris Town Council do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2026 as Junth in Ammerst. And we invite the Ammeris community to join us in the celebratory events that honor our
history and our community. And we encourage the community to embrace the spirit of Junth year round by visiting the expanded Civil War tablet and photograph exhibit located at Ancestral Bridges. Thank you. Uh Race Amity Day proclamation. Lynn.
Now therefore, we the Emeris Town Council hereby proclaim Sunday, June 14th, 2026 to be Race Amity Day, a celebration of the oneness of the human family and ask the community join in the joint celebration of Race Amity Day and
the Youth Hero Awards with the Human Rights Commission at Mil River Recreation Area on June 14th, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 300 p.m. Thank >> Thank you. That takes care of resolutions and
proclamations. We will move on to presentations and discussion items at this time. Um there is one item on the agenda for this. It's the rental registration program charter section 2.8C request for information. Um
presentation went up. I wasn't sure we were getting one. Apparently we are. Building commissioner Moira come on up and and make your presentation. Unless Paul wants to give an introduction. No. Okay. >> Good evening. Thanks for having me
tonight to give an update on the rental uh registration permitting and inspection program. >> Can you speak closer to the mic? Thank you. >> Uh got got a quick presentation here uh for introduction and then we'll move into your questions. Uh next slide
please. Uh so the uh background here is that we established the uh initial bylaw in 2014 and that was designed to be a registration and complaint response program. We had one dedicated staff uh working to respond to complaints that
came into the office uh by a number of different ways. uh in 2024 uh the the bylaw was uh changed significantly to enhance the permitting uh requirements and the add the inspection uh component
to that uh that program. Uh in in May of 2025 uh we updated the permitting and registration program to align with the new bylaw and launched that for the renewal that year. And then following
later in the year, we uh kicked off the inspections uh portion. Uh next slide, please. So, we currently have 13 over 1300 properties in the program. Uh within those properties, there's over 5,600 dwelling units, and the goal of the
program is to inspect about 2500 of those over a 5-year period. Uh so far, uh we're calling it the first six months. Uh we did start with some early inspections last summer to test out the program. Uh but we've conducted 2025 of
those inspections so far. Uh next I just have a bunch of photos I want to go through just give you an idea of what we're finding out there and why this program uh so far has been meaningful. Uh this is indicate showing a an electrical hazard. Those wires uh were
thought by the owner and person in charge that accompanied us with the inspection. They thought they were not live, but our tests found that they were. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, this is a pretty typical situation that we're finding, uh, where there's a faulty
ground at a receptacle that's next to a water source that's bathroom or kitchen. Typically, uh, that could lead to shock or electrocution. Um, th this is probably just a result of it not being installed properly. Uh, maybe not by a licensed individual. uh and something
we're finding quite often. Next slide, please. Uh this is a handrail that's severely deteriorated. Uh if someone needed to use that and grab onto it, lean into it, it would certainly snap. Uh next slide, please. Uh here's a a
photo of a set of steps that uh is settling uh and and you can't see in the photo, but it's pulled away from the building in that area right there uh and needs to be picked up and reattached properly. Uh, next slide, please. Uh, so this was a a property that had some uh
water experience in the basement and just didn't get cleaned up well. Uh, leading to some mildew and, you know, suspect material on the floor that just needs to be cleaned up. Uh, again, something that came out of found during our inspections. And, uh, thank you.
This uh, this is a sewer pipe uh, that's got a hole in it. Uh it's not dripping because the holes at the top, but it is releasing uh sewer gas into the dwelling unit. So uh not a great situation and found during our inspection. Last one here. Uh this is asbestous uh insulation
around some piping in the basement and it's loose and breaking apart and something that needs to be either removed or uh made secure and and properly cleaned for the the health and safety of the tenants of that that dwelling unit. Uh so that's all I've got for the presentation and happy to move
into questions. There was a status report that was provided to the council that addressed uh a number of things from staffing questions to um the cost of the program, revenue collection and uh just some of the the experience so far very early on in the program.
>> Thank you, Councelor Ryan. >> Thank you. Um, actually have a couple of questions and the president can shut me down whenever she feels I've had enough. But Rob, first of all, thank you very much. I think that I think I speak for everyone, but I certainly speak for myself that I think this is an important
program in a community where 60% of our residents are renters. Um, having a program like this I think is essential both for issues of quality of life and also I think even more importantly for health and safety. So um, I salute you for getting it started. I'm happy to see it up and running. I want to start with
a couple of questions about the data and staffing. My understanding is you really so you have basically been active for eight months. The program I believe if I'm correct has been active for eight months and you've given us six months of data and during those six months my reading of the memo suggests that you
really haven't been able to be fully staffed. Um right now I know you're not fully staffed. So I'm assuming you've had you know maybe one and a half FTEEs roughly throughout that period. That's my first question. and staffing through these first six months of reporting. Um where where have you stood with that?
>> Yeah. So during this time that the report uh covers, we had one of the inspector positions filled, one of the two inspector positions. >> So 50% >> uh 50% of inspection staff. We do have the program assistant uh that joined us uh to help prepare for the program. Uh
and then you probably know that recently we had uh a longtime inspector at Smith, lead inspector retire uh and he would have been, you know, the the lead position with anything related to uh code enforcement. >> Council Ryan,
>> so um when I look at the data, you know, we're hoping to do this in five years and right now with only 50% staff, it's going to take 10 years. So that seems about right. If you had fully staffed, you you probably would be on track for your goal of of a five-year
cycle to get through all of our properties. I noticed that 96% of the properties you've looked at have had some kind of violation or other, which is strikes me as I mean it may not strike you, but I wow that's a high percentage. And then
almost less than half, but almost half have a serious violation. And that's out of 58, if I understand your data, 58 of those properties, about little less than half have had a serious violation. So that would suggest to me that that what you are doing is really important and
you're discovering things on a fairly regular basis. So my second question is for you looking at this over the first six months, eight months, any big surprises? Is this kind of what you expected? Um what have you learned so far? That's my question based on just
what you've told us, >> Rob. >> Yeah. Um the um I guess what we've learned so far is that the uh the program has been pretty well received. Uh so um we haven't gotten a lot of um resistance to uh conducting the
inspections and scheduling the inspections, which has been great. Um we've gotten uh a very high level responsiveness from the landlords and the owners so far. and these issues that you see in the photographs are being addressed. So, um yeah, you know, the
96% is higher than maybe we would have liked, but it's still a relatively small number of properties that we've inspected in number of units. So, um I'm not sure that is, you know, what we're going to see throughout uh the program. But, uh it's it's what we have so far.
Um I think that uh there are a lot of what I would say are minor violations um that are being addressed and uh but important you know the smoke detectors you know the devices that are out ofd or not testing properly. Uh I think this is
really you know it's really doing a great service by by making sure that these units are in good condition for for the tenants. Uh but honestly there isn't anything I've seen that is you know shocking or something we haven't seen before at some level.
>> Thank you. We've got other hands up so I'll come back to you Pam. >> Thank you. Um uh I had I had a little bit of confusion on the the statistics on page three. um the table that talks
about the inspections to date and the percentages that were associated with each. I was um trying to figure out why 96 had minor violations yet 43% had serious violations. How I mean just explain the the table for me a little
better. >> Yes. So the the first two items uh you know the no violation at 4% and minor violation at 96%. Um you know and then we move into serious violations. The serious violations are at properties that also have minor violations. Uh so that's what
you know that's what we're seeing there is that it's a combination and and the properties that both experience minor and severe or serious violations. Uh, and then I just kind of broke it down to give you an idea of how much are um code related and how much are uh zoning
related. So zoning is typically going to be something like vehicles not being parked properly on the site. Uh so there's a a much smaller number of items that we have found so far that are uh zoning related. >> Do you have another >> the zoning was going to be my next question.
>> Go ahead. U besides parking are other zoning um you also have occupancy violations but that apparently only is in two cases. >> Yeah, it was a specific question in the request to me about how many or how things are being dealt with when we're
seeing more than four occupants in a dwelling unit as a result of these inspections. So these are the scheduled inspections. These are not responding to complaints. That's still ongoing. Um and actually is has been really high. The last year we had a large number of
complaint response larger than prior years. Uh but of the scheduled inspections uh you know we have come across two properties two dwelling units that had a violation related to occupancy. >> You ch
I can circle back to you unless it's related to that. We'll go to Jennifer. We'll just circle around you three. >> Thank you. Um, well, first I want to really express appreciation this program being up and running. Just as an aside, I first cut my teeth on town affairs by
working to get rental permitting passed in Ammerst and we were told by many, many developers that if we had rental permitting, that would be the end of any developer investment in Amherst, which did not happen. Um, but I did want to ask um, so since being under since we
are under staff with inspectors and we're not maybe probably able to do as many as we were, you know, our goal is in a year. Is there any way I'm sure there isn't of knowing from the exterior whether there was going to be a serious is there any way to try and get the
serious violations or you you really can't tell till you're inside? >> No, we really can't tell from the outside. uh you know, property maintenance doesn't really, you know, isn't an indicator of the the the condition of the systems in the building and everything else we're looking at. We
do have a a checklist that we follow um and we gave out to all of the landlords and and property owners so that they knew what we would be looking at. And that includes, you know, not only just the exterior, the interior, the common spaces, it also includes looking for compliance with say an old special
permit, zoning permit that is, you know, connected to that property. So there's there's quite a bit of review uh preparation that happens and then review that happens in the field. And we are also um just collecting information about the property that we didn't have
before. So we are, you know, we are recording and confirming number of bedrooms, bathrooms. Uh we are uh making sure that the assessor is aware of changes or or discrepancies we find between property cards. Uh so there's,
you know, there's a lot happening. We're even collecting information that's just good to know. We don't know if we're going to use it for anything yet, but you know, like one thing is we ask when the last Massave audit was done at a property. So, it's something that we might be able to give to our sustainability department that they
could use to maybe for outreach or, you know, some program that they might have running in the future. So, we're just trying to collect information as well. >> Yeah. I wonder if >> Thank you. Can I pause you for just a second? I'll come back to you. Councelor Lord has joined us. Can you hear us, Councelor Lord?
>> Yes. Can you hear me? >> Yes. Thank you. Okay. Back to you, Jennifer. I was just going to say I don't know if it's maybe getting a little article in the daily collegiate at UMass, but I know for the student who just spoke not we have a long way to go but that we are the town is you know
actively trying to ensure that rental housing is safe and up to code. >> Yeah. >> Thank you Lynn. >> First of all, thank you for your report and for getting this program off the ground. Uh can you talk a little bit
about what you do with complaints versus this program? How it differs how it differs or is similar? And do you go in with a similar checklist? >> Sure. Um so complaints um come to our office a number of different ways. Uh
they can be anonymous. Uh they we have a online function where a complaint can be filed. Uh it's immediately responded to. It goes to a number of different people on staff including um fire services and police services and uh you know we
decide we kind of triage it and you know we decide who's going to respond and and what needs to be done and who needs to be involved. Um those are you know generally you know um can be uh complaints from residents. It can be complaints from the tenant themselves.
Uh it could be the the owner of the property, you know, the landlords have filed complaints, you know, just needed assistance from us. Uh so we, you know, we respond to everything uh that we do get. Um last year we had over 400 complaints that come came through that
system. That way it it lands with our uh what was our lead inspector was at Smith who retired uh and then you know gets assigned from there. Um what's different about these um inspections is that uh
they're scheduled in advance at least a month in advance. Uh the landlords are given kind of the outline of what the inspection will be in a checklist. It's um you know supposed to be pretty predictable to them to prepare for and
hopefully make sure their properties are in good condition before we get there. uh where that inspection that's in a response to a complaint uh you know there's very little notice depending on the severity of it uh that is generally conducted depending on what the
situation is. It's conducted following one of our state laws. So it could be the the the housing and sanitary code. It could be a building or fire or electrical code depending on what the issue is. Uh, and it's that's a different different set of regulations than what might be incorporated into
this checklist. That's for this program specifically. >> May I ask? >> You may ask a followup. >> Um, so if you go there because now there's been a complaint of an electrical issue. Now we're we're going in on the state code on electricity, but
in the meantime, if you see another violation that's not that, can you address that? >> We can. Um, and there's, you know, if we're, if we're responding to a tenant that's called us out there, which does happen quite often. If a tenant is asking us to do an inspection, uh, it's
a comprehensive inspection. So, that's going through the entire sanitary code process. Uh, there's notification requirements, so we really have to follow that strictly. There's formal appeals that could be filed. Uh, but if we're called out for one item, electrical item, if we see something
else, we're absolutely going to address it. uh but we're not necessarily, you know, searching the property at that point for other things unless the tenant is inviting us to. >> So, in other words, you're not using the full checklist when you go out for complaints.
>> No. Um if there's, you know, what we've had had this year happened recently is that we go out for a complaint and we see five or six things. >> Yes. you know, um whether that was part of the complaint or not, and we might just stop and say, you know what, this
is going to be the time we do the inspection, you know, so then we will kind of transition and do a full inspection at that point because we feel like it's necessary. Um, and this kind of goes back to the way we crafted the bylaw that there's a number of ways that the inspection can occur. Um, and one of
them is that if we come, you know, have knowledge of a of a situation that requires it, uh, then we feel like we're obligated to do that. Thank you. >> Thank you. We're going to go to Andy because he has not spoken yet and then we'll come to councelor Ryan. Andy,
>> thank you. Um I just have a question about the intent of um the funding for this that your report says there that the personnel costs are total $440,000 uh dollars basically and
you list permit fees collected in FY26 through March 31st of 326,000 and if we had two inspectors 72,000 um so when I total those up that's 398 8,000 which is you know close but it's
40 something thousand less than um than the cost of the personnel. So was the intent that it would pay for itself or and I'm not saying it should. I'm just curious what you know whether that was the intent and I don't know if more permit fees would would come in between
March and and June or if they mostly come in at the beginning of the year but that's my question. >> Yeah. So those permit fees are the the total permit fees for that year. So that that cycle of permits. So there wouldn't be any more unless there's additional properties that uh that weren't in the
program previously. Uh it wasn't the intent to cover the costs by the permit fees themselves or the inspection fees themselves at the time. And there were I don't know a dozen different kind of scenarios and and ways to come up with
the fees schedule. Uh it was decided with the town manager's uh support to um have the program also be supported in part by a portion of the UMass strategic partnership uh money that is dedicated to safe and healthy housing uh
initiative. So we're really right in line with the projections. Uh we were at $46,000 projected for revenues and we're at 398 as you mentioned. Uh so we're pretty close to that. Okay. Uh, councelor Ryan,
>> thank you. So, just one last question about what I call scoff loss. Um, how confident are you? Can you be confident that pretty much everybody that should be is in the program? >> We do a lot to to ensure that they are and when we think we've done it, we find
another one, you know. So, it's it's ongoing. Um, what I can tell you is that we're probably 70 permits higher this year than we were last year. and we uh we monitor transfers and we reach out to properties that are not clearly owner occupied on the transfer. Uh and you
know we do what we can to look out for those but they they do still seem to pop up. Yeah. >> Thank you Kathy. >> Uh I just want to follow up on Andy's question. Um, as far as I can see, this year you're because you haven't been
able to hire as many expected, you're generating a surplus. Um, you know, long-term, you know, when you're fully staffed then. So, does that money just basically go into the general fund? >> It does.
>> Okay. And and there is some I asked I think I asked this when you were meeting with us. um there's an accounting system that we can see the actual expenses as opposed to the expected. Um so I just would like to track it over time. Um, so
that was one question. And then, you know, to the extent it they're they're less good than they used to be. But the voter roles that we get, if you get them, um, the first time I ran as council uh counselor, I could approach a
house if I was going to knock on the door and say, "Oh, there are seven people living in this house who are age 18 to 24, and they all have different last names. They are probably not a family. So, do you use any external information like that to then check is
that on the rental list? You know, I mean, it's a it's an indicator. You drive past a house and it's got eight, seven cars, you know, it so it was a signal. And sure enough, when I locked on the door, they were it was a rental property and there were a lot of people
living in the house. So, both things >> we we we will use, you know, any tool or method available when we're investigating a situation and we're trying to get those answers. But just as a reminder, we're not proactively out
there looking for these these issues. Uh it it just isn't we're not driving around looking >> saying it's another piece of information before you go into that. when we do get into a situation that we're trying to find out and build that evidence that there is a violation, we are looking for
every piece of information we can find. Yes. >> And I was saying not just for the violation, so say there were only four there, but um a double check that is that even on the rental list, you know, Georgees, you know, are there people that never bother to rent it uh register
it that it looks like it's definitely a rental from the occupants of it? As I said, the lists aren't as good as they used to be. I have they're counselors who aren't on the list anymore. People who I know and I think it's just whatever and the students because they
can vote absentee and they can vote by paper are less likely to register and then they just don't appear on the rolls as much as they used to. So, I'm just thinking that there's another indicator this is likely a rental property um to pick it up. Y
>> um is your hand still up for a question, Andy? >> No. Okay, Lynn, >> thank you. Um, I assume that you do not collect data. Maybe I should say this in a positive
way. Do you collect any data that would any way identify a discrimination situation? >> No. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Are there any other questions for our building commissioner on this item?
Seeing none. Thank you, Rob, for coming tonight and for answering our questions and for the amount of work it took you to compile this information. I know that took >> and I want to thank you. I was one of the counselors who asked for you to come. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Good night. >> Yes. Have a nice night. We are going to
move on to um we're going to move on to action items. Human Rights Commission charge and bylaw section 3.3, which is the Human Rights and Human Rights Commission bylaw. Um,
there's two parts to this action item. One part can have no votes tonight at all because it is a bylaw change. Um, which is why we listed this as a first read. If there is a desire for votes on the other part tonight, there could be,
but the intent was to do them all at once because it made sense to resend and replace and then adopt a charge at the same meeting instead of at two different meetings. But there is nothing preventing nothing in the charter preventing us from voting a charge
tonight if so desired. But that is why it says first read on there because we cannot under our charter vote anything related to the bylaw tonight. Um but I'm going to move to Anna our go chair to uh
talk about this item and go work. So when G was first tasked with this, a lot of our discussion centered around the question of why this existed in our bylaws versus existed as a charge as other commissions such as the disability
access advisory commission. Um and and that's just the most recent commission. I think transportation I guess uh is the most recent but commissions that we've approved. So, we started off by actually shifting the focus to have this be a charge instead of a um part of our
bylaws. The reason for that, not only is it consistent with the other uh commissions and committees that we have, but it also makes it so that any change to the what is now a charge, what is then a bylaw, doesn't require two readings at council, doesn't require
this much debate, and it puts the HRC on the same footing as the other committees and commissions that we have. The language that is in the charge before you was language that I believe went through or my understanding is that it went through a long iterative process
and a long back and forth with the um human rights commission and then to the town manager and the legal council for the town um before kind of coming finally to the council and then to go. So, we had a meeting with the chair of
the HRC as well as with um Lauren Goldberg from KP Law where we went through the charge piece by piece um to try to make sure we were all sort of on the same page and um ultimately led to the charge that that uh go passed which is in front of you. The language is very
similar. There are pieces of it that are not in the charge so that the committee can determine them for themselves. um it didn't seem like it was the council's place to fully dictate the exact process that the HRC goes through. That felt like something the HRC should uh should determine for itself. And um and then
the second piece of this is that once this charge goes into play, it's duplicate duplicative, excuse me, to have a bylaw as well as a charge. So the second recommendation from G is the uh I guess resend. It's technically a rescend
and replace, but really it's more of a partial recision of the current um Human Rights Commission bylaw. For that, you'll notice that we didn't just take the full thing out. GO had a lot of discussion about the importance and merit of leaving reference to human
rights in our in our bylaws. Um and how that will that helps to govern us. It has helped to govern us and it will continue to do so. So, we made it we took away the references to the commission. that doesn't take away at all anything about their, you know, right to exist, but we instead shifted
it to be a more general um statement on human rights. Goo members, if there's anything that I missed, please feel free to add in um at this time. Anything from any other go members before we move into general discussion?
Seeing none, we're open for general discussion on both the proposed charge and the go proposed resend and replace. Kathy, >> uh, yeah, I was just, what was the rationale early on that
Amoris set up a commission? They didn't have to. I was just double-checking the state law. Few towns have done that and as far as I can see it was because it made it stronger and it profiled it higher um by making a commission and it
then has also authority to investigate uh discrimination complaints. So I just this question of a charge versus a commission. What was the original rationale? >> I can clarify this is still a commission. We are not changing it to be a committee. It is still the human
rights commission. Um, commissions do not have to be in our bylaws. They can exist from a charge, >> Kathy. >> Okay. So, the distinction, the BL by doesn't have to mention a commission. We can have a commission in a in a charge.
>> We have many other we have many other commissions that are just founded by charge only. >> Um, yeah. >> So, I guess I would ask why was it in the bylaws? Um my understanding is that that was what was required for town meeting to
establish it but it happened before my time. Uh so I cannot speak to the exact moment but I think that it was uh a requirement based on the form of government at that time. >> Thank you Jennifer. Um yeah you may have
um mentioned this and I just spaced but has the members of the human rights commission reviewed this? But did they were they >> Yes, Ronnie Parker joined us for our meetings um and was an active part of the conversation throughout that process. We did not meet with the entire
commission, but Ronnie was able to be representative as chair. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And >> um and sorry, I just want to clarify one additional thing. Sorry. Um the bylaw does keep the the reference to the human rights commission in there. It just doesn't dictate what they do. So if you
look at the recommended language, it includes a kind of baseline, no person shall be denied any rights. And then the second piece of it is there shall be a human rights commission. So we we kept it in there. Um I don't think it's necessary for them to exist, but it is not fully removed from from that uh
bylaw. Thank you. I know your hand is not up, Councelor Kenno Martin, but you had thought you might propose next week a couple of amendments to the charge, so I wondered if you wanted to speak to them tonight. Uh yes. So um there's a couple of
amendments um I don't know if you have the possibility to put them up on screen um that I would like to make either tonight or when we vote the charge. And um I also just wanted to note that these amendments were um requested by the uh
HRC and um by Ronnie Parker as their representative. So um she's also here in the audience tonight I believe too if folks have questions about them. So, do we want to address those tonight? Um, it would be good if you talked about what your what you would propose next
week. So, counselors since that that's the point of a first reading in some sense. So, it gives counselors a time to think about it. So, >> um, Athena, would you be able to screen share if I send it to you? >> I think she has them. >> I might not have copied you.
>> Oh, I thought you were. Sorry, Athena. While she's getting them up, do you want to talk about your first one? >> Yes. Um, so the first amendment um would be to the um the commission charge um where it says the commission shall um
and there are seven items. So the first amendment would be to item one and where it says recommend programs and initiatives and it would be striking the words to the DEI department for consideration. Um the reason for striking that would be that the
commission can actually make recommendations to entities beyond um just the DEI department. And so my understanding is that the commission wanted to leave that open so that they could have that um it's clear that they can make recommendations to other entities as well in addition to the DEI
department. >> Thank you. >> I think working on it. Oh, it's still not through. Oh, sorry. Do you want me to read the second one while we're waiting? Yeah.
I just sent it, too, but it's going to be at the bottom of a chain. Um, yeah. Why don't Why don't you That one's a little harder, so I think that one's going to need to be on the screen to really be gotten, but yeah, go ahead with that one.
>> Okay. So, the current item seven um on that same list where it says the commission shall reads um while the commission may report, refer, and render recommendations on certain issues involving the town, including concerns as set forth in the complaint resolution procedures established by the
commission. The commission does not have the authority to subpoena witnesses or take sworn testimony or the power to adjudicate or mediate the resolution of disputes between individuals or entities. the um replacement for that number seven
would be uh striking the word um mediate. So where it says the power to adjudicate or mediate it would be strike or mediate and then adding the final sentence the commission may however seek resolution
through discussion, mediation or negotiation. Um and so my understanding of the reason for this change would be that um the commission does in fact um sort of informally um help parties that may be um having some sort of dispute or
complaint and that they do um provide that um you know as needed. Um and also that they reference the fact that we have people on Crest who are trained as mediators and that um they are able to coordinate with Crest um should a mediator be needed. So, they wanted to
make sure that it was clear in the charge that they had the ability to to do that. Thank you. And I just want to clarify, you had actually also proposed a potential rewrite of the rest of it. Just it looked like instead of having one long sentence, your your proposal
was splitting it into three sentences. >> Yes, that's right. Sorry, my eyes are playing tricks on me. >> It's really tiny up there. Um but yeah, it was a proposal to split number seven into three sentences of which one of them would be striking a sort of striking the last part and changing it a
little bit. >> Correct. >> Um thank you for that um information. Um, is there any further discussion on what councelor Keno Martin just talked about or anything else related to the
proposed human rights commission charge and recision and replacement of bylaw 3.3, human rights and human rights commission bylaw? >> Councelor Ryan, >> I thought I heard there were three amendments. Did I hear that? I didn't hear that.
>> No, there were two. Thank >> but the second amendment split number seven into three sentences. So I think that's where you heard the word three. >> Kathy, >> I I would like to see the wording because the second seven changed two
things. It was it removed it basically changed the power can't adjudicate and then gave it to the power as I understood to mediate. You were giving the power to mediate and I just would like to know that we have a
commission that uh knows how to mediate. That was my my concern. You know mediation is a a skill set or training. So, would we give commissioners some training on
mediation if we put this in? Giving them I think that's what you meant to do, Amber, was give them the power to mediate if they wanted to. I I I don't have the wording in front of me as as you >> tiny up there. It says the commission may however seek resolution through
discussion, mediation, or negotiation. So that wording doesn't mean the commission is the one who's mediating. Councelor >> Kenn um my understanding is that and um uh Anna and I were speaking about this
earlier today is that we understand that mediation is you know it's a legal term and it's a legal process. And so when we say seek mediation, my understanding is by somebody who is a you know who can is a trained mediator. But that doesn't
mean that members of the commission might not have informal discussions that may help to resolve some sort of conflict. So without it being in the legal framework of mediation and that um that may be something that they're sort of informally doing. Um and so you know
we understand that there's a legal definition but we also understand in layman's terms that just like helping somebody to resolve a conflict doesn't necessitate it being the legal definition of a mediation session. Kathy. >> Um, so I just so now that I now that I
can see the wording, but you don't want to have the wording just be the commission may however seek resolution through discussion, which is, you know, because otherwise they would have to call for mediation. Is that the idea here? Or negotiation? I mean through I
agree with they could seek a resolution through discussion. I think that's a good a very good ad. >> Yeah. I I just wanted to ask if it would be possible to ask that question to Ronnie Parker who is in the audience. Okay. Um hold on.
Um Ronnie, if you have an answer to that or would like to speak to that question because you are chair of the Human Rights Commission, please raise your hand and I will recognize you. Ronnie. >> So, one of the things that I think that
um perhaps council members are not completely clear on is that we don't receive the complaints. The commission does not receive the complaints. The commission only in the last two or I guess three years since I've been on
board has even asked DEI to report to us about what the complaints are. And even then it's very general because there's been a concern about confidentiality and so on. However, in reality we do get involved sometimes largely because of
staffing issues. uh when there's help needed then members of the commission may be called on to help with uh resolution and you know there's discussion going on now but it's between DEI and the complainant
and the person or institution complained against and there's negotiation going on now I don't think there's mediation going on now but since Crest has that capacity it seemed to us that that would give us an
option to work with Crest to help resolve some of the human rights complaints. That's all it is. I don't know if that answers your question completely. The whole complaints issue has been difficult for us to be honest because we're so outside the system and everyone
thinks let me tell you it's happened to me that at the farmers market somebody came up to me and thank me for hearing her complaint because she actually thought that I heard her complaint and I knew nothing of her complaint. Um so this is something we ourselves um will
be talking about more in our retreat this year. I think it mattered less before but right now or I'm not sure before before but right now we have people with a lot of expertise in human rights and so it's a little bit strange for us to be
completely outside the process. So through this we were trying to introduce some easy way for us to be a little bit more engaged. >> Thank you. Um, Lynn,
>> I just want to clarify. Um and based on Kathy's comment, they may enter into discussion, but if it comes to mediation and negotiation that a professional negotiator or
mediator trained is brought in and did do you feel satisfied with that in this sentence? Our intent can Ronnie can can you wait that was addressed to Kathy and then I'll recognize you.
>> I think the issue here is the commission may or may not know the name of the person. There's a privacy and that's been the whole issue that it can't be done in the public domain. So I'm not quite sure what this wording
which this wording ends up meaning in terms of what it can actually do if they don't know the particulars of the case in terms I I would be willing I'm fine with seek a resolution through discussion that makes sense to me um who
they're negotiating with is not clear to me and it says it is the commission as the negotiator is the way I read this sentence Not that, >> right? >> Not that they're they could call for mediation or they could call for someone. So, so that it's it's it's a
question and then I have to think about it. Yeah. Because I didn't see this wording before. Um, and since the commission, as Ronnie just explained, that the complaints often don't come directly to the commission of this type.
They come through another source. And I know even with wage theft, um there was an effort to protect the names of people and have it go up to the higher level and then come back for the town to do anything about it. And the the human rights commission
had a role, but it was more limited because of this confidentiality and they couldn't be talking to people in private. >> No. Thank you. Um, Ronnie, did you have a response to that question from Lynn?
>> Um, it's just that we don't directly do this stuff. So, when we say mediation, it was more a practical consideration of using that more as an option. But it's actually the DEI director who is also the human rights director who manages
all of this stuff including if we decide we could have a mediation options she would decide whether there that would be the appropriate way to go and she would tap into whatever resources she needs. I think so far she's been doing it all
herself. Okay. >> Thank you. Um, let me see. Councelor Brevik. >> Uh, so it it's my understanding that this conversation has been going on for a long time and there's been a lot of
time and effort put into the language of the charge and including um our attorneys and others being involved in the discussion. So I just thanks to everyone who's been part of that long process and that it's my understanding this language
reflects well the intent of the conclusion of those discussions and maybe um Anna or Amber anyone on go you could correct me if I'm wrong on that. It seems like this is where those discussions culminated in language along
these lines. And then just a slight second part of that and not to add not to complicate it or make too many other changes, but I wonder given this conversation, would it make sense to add something
like in partnership with Crest or in partnership with the DEI department and Crest or something like that just to get at that you know who who are the experts that the commission will be working with when they enter into mediation or negotiation. So before I recognize Anna,
I just want to want to state that is the purpose of these first readings is to discuss some of this where people are seeking changes so that next week when motions are on the table, they can take this conversation in and say, "hm, maybe I do want to add something else or change the wording a little bit and all
for that." Um, so Anna, >> yeah. Um, councelor Bravik, if I'm understanding your question, the language that was in the packet is what was the culmination of all those discussions. Um, the modification here was not discussed at go or with our
attorneys. Does that am I understanding your question correctly, >> Councelor Bick? But the is does it does this the idea that the commission would retain a role in seeking resolution through discussion,
mediation or negotiation. Was that is it that the language just missed the mark or was that not the intent as you left those discussions? >> Anna. Um, yeah. I mean, I think that the intention with the original number seven, I think that that language I I
hope my memory is serving me correctly here, but I believe that it was intentional by the legal team to state that the commission would not have the power to adjudicate or mediate between individuals or entities. I think that what and so I think that we would want
to make sure it's really clear that the commission would not be the individuals doing the mediation. I think that if I I'm not a lawyer um but I am guessing what the concern would be there. Um so I I think that it I'm not sure what kind of what the ideal language is. Sorry I'm
kind of I'm struggling to find the ideal words because I've been kind of wrestling with this a little bit too. But I I mean the initial language I think was very intentional to clarify that untrained mediators shouldn't be doing the mediation themselves. So I think that is I don't know if the
lawyers would have an issue with the new language. Um hopefully it's clear enough uh or there if there's clarity that we can provide like someone suggested about adding in was it you who just suggested this two seconds ago? Sorry. who um who said, you know, including by trained
mediators or something like that that that might or that makes me feel a little better. But yeah, I think I think the initial language was trying to make it clear that the commission would not be the individuals doing the mediation themselves. That's my reading. I mean,
I'm open to other readings of it. >> Follow up. Council brother, >> just a followup quickly. Is it possible for Ronnie to weigh in on how you would feel about adding just a little more detail about who the commission would be seeking resolution with?
>> Ronnie, do you have any thoughts on that question? >> Um, definitely we don't expect that we would be doing mediation. We would just be able to call upon mediation. Um when we raised this at one point
there was the whole question of money and so on and that's when it we thought well we've got mediators right here trained who recently been certified so we do have access to that capacity but I don't think any of us would want to
actually do the mediation that was never envisioned so the language like by train mediators would not would not change things for us and I have to say that we have we've been I've had to talk to individuals in
email because all the rules about not having group emails to to get the agreement of members of the human rights commission in case these kinds of questions came up tonight. So I feel confident to say no we were not thinking
we would do the mediation ourselves >> trained mediators. Thank you. Uh Lynn, >> um having had experience with the Human Rights Commission on a case that came
before them, um and the reality is that once it was determined that the best thing to do was mediation, um the Human Rights Commission did not do that mediation. In fact, they were not even um heavily involved at that
point. it was really the um DEI department. Um I just want to make sure that we write this last sentence in a way that respects how that has been done in the
past and understand totally what the position that Ronnie is in where she's, you know, doesn't want to get caught in an open meeting law violation by, you know, debating on email. Um, so I what I'd like to suggest is that uh we take
this last one. We've heard what's desired and that we look at whether or not there's a better way to word it for this when we come back in two weeks. Um because it really is the um and in in
the case that I was involved with, we there was actually an external mediator brought it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Anna. Thanks so much. Um, uh, my question is about the word negotiation. I know we focused a lot on the word mediation, but
Ronnie, could you clarify when you're using the word negotiation in this context, what you are kind of referring to? I I think my concern is that, you know, when we think about often the types of negotiations that happen in a town context, there's often union
negotiations that come up. And I just want to make sure that we're that's not necessarily what we're talking about. Uh or clarify if it is and maybe have further discussion on that particular ad of a word. >> I think that it was really envisioned
very loosely um in that there are negotiations now that take place between the human rights director and whoever's uh complaint she's addressing. I think they say well you do this and you do that and I will do this uh to resolve a
complaint. Um so it was meant generically like that and when we started talking about mediation it did occur to me that negotiation is yet another legal thing. Um yeah so I don't think anyone on the
commission would be very would be um uh would object to making this language more clear and acceptable but we the purpose of it was really to share to say that we want to have some um we want to have some more involvement
in the uh complaints process and have the process have more options than just um referrals to state authorities. >> Thank you. >> So that Yeah. >> Thank you, Ronnie. >> Sorry. Oh,
>> sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off, Ron. I just didn't I didn't mean to cut Ronnie off if if she wasn't done yet. Sorry. >> I'm done. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um I see no other hands at this point. It I was going to summarize and now two
hands just went up, but I was gonna Martin. I'm still going to do my summary before I recognize the two hands that went up, which is I'm I'm hearing a little bit for your thought for the next two weeks that there's some positive, you know, thinking about these proposed
amendments, but that that particular sentence might need a little bit reworking for clarity. That that's my summary of the conversation so far. Um, we will move to Kathy and then councelor Ryan. >> Uh, okay. I I think that's a good idea, but I also I'm looking at the very first
sentence. The commission may report, refer, and render recommendations on certain issues. If you think render recommendations on certain issues could encompass a recommendation for mediation or negotiation, the first sentence is
very inclusive. It doesn't limit what the recommendations could be. So there may not be a need for the last sentence. So we might need it to be clearer but it might be if you interpret may refer and render recommendation on certain issues.
It could be the recommendation is for mediation or for negotiation or bringing in certain staff to help. So you don't have to be as specific those that's just me going back and reading the first sentence. >> Thank you councelor Ryan. >> So this is really just a procedural
question. Um, is it the expectation of the council and of everyone here that this is something that go take up at its meeting on the 26th before this comes back to the council or is this something that counselors will just meditate on their own and we'll have this discussion at the next council meeting? So, in the
past when we've had two readings, it has certainly happened sometimes that the committee that came out with the original recommendation based on the first reading has relooked at it at their own choosing and um potentially brought back a slightly modified version
for the second reading. Um it is not disallowed, but it is also not required. So, it would be up to the chair who sets that agenda, assuming there's a go meeting between now and the next meeting um to to potentially choose to do that.
And if there are counselors that would ask want that to happen, I suggest they talk to the chair about trying to get that to happen. Um given the conversation, uh Lynn and then Anna, >> I'll be talking to you to you councelor
Hannah Martin. Anna, >> I was just about to say, um, Councelor Kenna Martin will be running the meeting on the 26th, so I would encourage folks to speak to her. Not that you can't talk to me, but I'll pass the buck this one time to to my vice chair, councelor Kenna Martin.
So, speak to councelor Ko Martin then. Um, I see no other counselor hands and Ronnie, the HRC chair, just unraised her hand. So at this point we will um
take our break. Um it is 8:04 and we will come back at 8:10. What is that? Yeah, but it's over. I Good luck. Okay, let's come on back.
Work our way back. >> He's back. I start. Okay, we have Let me >> I'm here too. Sorry, my video is off, but I'm here. >> No, thank you for confirming. I was going to confirm and I see counselor Lord is with us. So, we have a quorum.
so we can continue our meeting. Um, relocation of precinct 2B was voted on consent. Optional tax exemptions was voted on consent, which moves us down to charter review committee beyond the charter
recommendations. Um, as I stated, I believe at last meeting or the meeting before, I forget which one we dealt with this at, there are six items that we have not yet addressed
from the charter review committee's report section titled beyond the charter. Those items are lengthen and stagger terms for elected offices, change Ammerst to a mayor council form, uh town
election of planning board ZBA and finance committee resident members, return to town meeting, a smaller town council, and something titled community participation officer. Um, five of those six would require
charter changes, which I think is one of the reasons we haven't yet dealt with them or had discussion about them. Tonight's goal is to have discussion on what the council might wish to do to address those items. the charter review committee, I believe, for all of them,
but maybe the community participation officer was not included in this, recommended holding a public dialogue session um for these items. Um so, I'm going to open it up for discussion from counselors on
any thoughts on whether and how to address the items that have not been addressed yet. in the beyond the charter section. There was nothing in the packet because there's nothing really you'd have to go back to the beyond the full committee
report to see to see it. So I you know I didn't write anything new and I didn't put anything new in Kathy. >> So um my understanding that a few you listed would require a new charter commission. It's basic. It's not just
it's a major not a minor. Is that correct? So the legal opinion we received was strange I would say on that matter. So the law itself says that a number of these cannot be adopted through the
amendment process under 43b meaning a council vote and then a vote of the people. Um the law itself there says a new charter commission would be required and those I believe are four of the five
items. Lengthen and stagger terms, change ammers to a mayor council form, return to town meeting and a smaller town council. Um, but the legal opinion did indicate that they might be able to be adopted through a special act process
even though the 43b process could not be used um under the law. So that's why I said it was kind of strange. >> Okay, that is that is strange. And since our special act on rank choice voting
has gone quickly to nowhere um when it's something that could be acted on. So thank you because it's it's a fundamental change in the government structure is why I'm saying targeting those. Thanks.
>> You're welcome. I I'm trying to imagine a conversation about particularly the four issues that are are really fundamental to our charter that would
allow us to ever come to a conclusion. And the reason I'm saying this is because a charter commission and Andy is sitting here and others deeply spent enormous amount of times Mandy Joe
yourself our chair and co-chair of the last charter commission they spent a year and a half maybe two years listening to the public debating these issues and then coming up with changes
that eventually then did have to go um to be approved at some level at the state but then come back and be approved by the voters. So unless the only one that I believe has ever
um been dealt with without a charter commission is perhaps the size of the ch of the council, but that was something Greenfield may have done, but I don't know that they did it without a charter commission. And the reason I'm bringing
this up is because a charter commission is formed for that serious purpose of making sure they do all the outreach, all the listening and all the debating and
that is an important piece of making these kinds of changes to our form of government. So I can't I mean we could spend the entire rest of our term
talking about this and still not coming to a conclusion particularly the mayor former government totally befuddles me. I don't see how you can do that without a charter commission. But
so I'm just basically suggesting that I think that this is a lot he heavier duty than just a few council discussions and a few public meetings. I think it has a whole lot more implications
for much deeper discussion guided by a group that is elected for that purpose of doing that discussion which is what a charter commission is. >> Thank you councelor Ryan.
So I don't really see a role for this body on these issues for many of the reasons that Lynn has just raised. I think that for any of these to actually come about would obviously require a very he very heavy lift and
would require a great deal of public support and input. So one role we could play, one thing we could do is create a forum where these issues can be discussed and some of the people who might feel strongly one way or the other
can find out if there really is large support, public support for any of these changes. Um, so that could be a positive outcome, but I don't really think it would be wise for us to be spending our precious time on these matters when
ultimately they're going to require a very large amount of public input and support. So, we could try and find out if that exists. >> Thank you, Councelor Breick. Uh yeah, so I think that periodically
hearing from residents on these big picture issues is feels like a healthy way to go about our business. Um and I think as the charter review committee recommended in their report, a public forum on these specific issues makes
sense to me as you said, as George just said. Um, so I'm I have a motion prepared to that extent, but I I don't want to cut off discussion of other aspects of this. Um, so we could we could potentially discuss the relative
merit of h holding a public forum on these issues in the context of a motion if that's okay. >> So if you make a motion, then the discussion will be limited to whether to hold a public dialogue on these issues or not. Um if we go back >> and and once that motion is dealt with then we can go back to general
discussion if if that is the order you would like things you may make a motion now or you can raise your hand later and make a motion later. >> Uh maybe we'll hear from others and come back to me. >> Uh Jennifer so I just had a question about one of
the items about making the planning. you speak closer to about I just had a question about one of the items listed of having the planning board and the ZBA be elected by the public. Is that something the council since we appoint
the planning board and the ZBA? Could we still that would still have to go before like a charter commission or is that something that we could make a >> So I'd have to pull up the KP law opinion to be totally sure, but I believe KP Law said that is considered a minor change and therefore could either
be done through the amendment process of 43B of council vote and public vote or the chap the special act process. Yeah, because those then it also included the finance committee which is a council
committee. Was the intent just that the resident members would be elected because we wouldn't that that's finance committee resident members? Yeah. Anything else, Jennifer? >> No, I just Andy.
Um yeah, I I think the goal the goal having been on the um charter review committee um the sense was that these were beyond the scope of um the council to do but uh that they
probably would require um our sense was it would probably require a new charter commission which requires collecting 3,500 some signatures and then having an election for that for that commission. Um, but we did hear enough about some of these
that we thought that the that having a forum to raise those issues, to raise the profile of of these um interests was something that um might generate some energy for a
commission if people so chose to do that. So, um I think the uh you know the intent was of the overall committee was that these larger issues fell into a basket of things that could be discussed and the profile could
be raised and then it would be up to others to to deal with that. >> Thank you, Councelor Bravett. Just to answer Jennifer's question because I'm looking at the KP law memo. The the election of planning board and
zoning board members they do say is a minor amendment. But I do it feels to me like a pretty big change for the town and worthy of being included in this um if we'd go forward with a public forum either way. >> Thank you.
>> Other hands at this time. Andy, did you just fail to lower your hand? Okay. Councelor Breick, would I would you like to? >> Yes. >> So, I would like to make a motion in accordance with the charter review
committee's recommendations. I move to schedule a public dialogue session under rule of procedure 5.3 within the next four months. Feel free to weigh in on that. um for the for the purposes of discussing major structural
changes listed in section 4.8 of the committee's final report. Is there a second? >> Ryan second. >> Uh we are now open for having been moved and seconded. We are now open for discussion on the motion that was just
made. Uh, councelor Kennel Martin. >> Yes. Um, I just wanted to speak in support of the motion. Um I think this was something that we had talked about earlier when we back in January when we start first started looking at the charter review commission's report and
the recommendations and I just thought this was a really solid recommendation um on the part of the um charter review commission. Um, another thing that appeals to me about this option is that um, it can offer more opportunity for civic participation. And I think that
particularly given the fact that we're going into summer, we could even incorporate it with some sort of outdoor activity where folks could have a conversation about this and also just be in community with each other. Um, and and talk about democracy. I mean, I think that, you know, these conversations are important and we've
had almost 10 years of our current charter and I think it's, you know, the time is ripe to have this conversation as a community and show that we're different than what's going on nationally, that we can actually have a conversation about democracy and what it means locally. So, um, I hope that we
decide to do this. Cabbie. >> Um, I certainly support the concept and I'm my only concern is uh making sure the word public dialogue is not too restrictive. I think we're talking about
um substantive hearing from lots of different people. So, uh, when we wrote the public dialogue, the idea was kind of a roundt with people talking about an issue. So I think Jill you're think council breick
you're thinking of much more something a forum or what Amber just said you know really hearing from people around a variety of issues. So I'm fine with with whatever we call it. I just don't want it to be restrictive. >> Can I respond to that?
>> Yes you may. >> I went with public dialogue given that was what the charter review committee put in the report. So maybe we can hear from Andy as to why they chose public dialogue. >> It's just we have a definition of it in
our rules. So that's all I'm saying is to make it as broad as possible. Yeah. >> Andy. Well, the the commission the committee found found the the council's definition of a public dialogue, and it was something that most of us weren't aware
even existed, and we thought it was a good idea to have um that that type of fairly freewheeling conversation among citizens and um staff and and um council
members to to to talk about issues in a way that's not constrained by a particular um specific proposal. So um so we proposed that that would be a new thing in the charter. Um and I don't I
don't think that's I think then then that got um you know sort of wrapped up in what you know whether it needed to be in the charter whether it need whether it was just already available so on. So that hasn't been resolved. So we it it refers
to section you know the proposed section 8.1 which has not happened yet but the so I guess if we're proposing a public dialogue it would be along the lines of what's in the the council rules of a public dialogue. So, um,
and can I ask a question then? As long as I have the >> the mic. Um, if we if we do this, and I'm in support of doing it, um, you know, what what is the logistics of
that? Who who, um, who facilitates the process? And is there a team that does that? Is it one of the one of our committees or, um, is it the council president? H how would we how would that happen? >> So I will try to answer that one. Under
the rules the p by majority vote the council can hold a public dialogue session. Um then they are by majority vote public dialogues may be held at times other than prior to the regular council meeting and they all have to comply with open meeting law does not discuss in the
rules. um who chairs it, but since it's a council meeting, it would in theory be chaired by the president. Um and the rules do say that the council, the town manager, and any appropriate staff as determined by the manager shall welcome all interested individuals for an
informal dialogue session, and that they're meant to provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly interact with counselors, the manager, and staff. I know that didn't quite answer the question, but it's what the rule says. Lynn,
>> the closest thing this council has ever done to a public dialogue was the meeting on 132 Northampton Road during the first term of the council, so a couple of us remember it. Um, I was
president then. We spent a lot of time structuring what that would be so that we could have as much participation as possible. We tried using a panel and so forth. The meeting itself did result in some it it
was a single issue meeting just to be clear about 132 Northampton Road. The one of the major outcomes was that the people who were going to be developing 132 Northampton Road added an onsite
person that helped the neighbors that were particularly concerned feel much more comfortable with what turned out to be a beautiful facility. Okay. Um, it took four hours
and we did it in the bang center. I'm going to guess there was close to 400 people and that was the single issue that came out of it. So my point and it this comes
from years of doing facilitation and meeting planning is this has to be extremely well planned to ensure the greatest amount of input and pro I'm and therefore I'm going to
make a suggestion that we take these four five four or five things and we decide whether or not they truly can be changed by us in some
way and I will just tell you right now we cannot change our form of government to have a mayor there is I don't see how that can be done okay that requires a charter commission
u but you know could we change the election of uh to move to elections for planning and and zoning board of appeal Clearly, there's some other suggestions and I just think it's going to be very important to be extremely
structured for a meeting that creates the kind of dialogue that people want so that it doesn't just sound like four hours of public comment, which I think would be a disaster. It just it wouldn't
it it wouldn't be a dialogue. It would just be public comment. So, um, you know, that's some thinking about how to get there. >> Thank you. Um, I think I'm next in the list, at least
on my thing, but I don't know cuz I couldn't see whether that one had the same list order. Um, I am concerned about holding a public dialogue session where people think we might be able to do something afterward when we either can't
or won't. Um, and won't means some of the comments that other counselors said tonight. Um, it is a massive undertaking. um changing to for example, I'll just use the mayor form of government is a
complete rewrite of article 3 plus a rewrite of other sections of the charter. It is not easy. Um even changing to go back to town meeting is a whole new charter. It's it's not something this council or
a committee of the council could undertake while also doing other business. Um, and so I worry that a public dialogue session creates a an expectation of the public that is not fulfillable. And then I also within the
next four months, that's between now and September 18th, it cuts out a good half of our p uh of our population from even participating if we hold it over the summer. And um I I can't support
a major conversation like this being held when half of our population is not even generally in town. Um so I am not sure I can vote for it. Councelor Ryan.
>> Well, I don't think there's any rush. Um it certainly could wait until the fall. Um, so I'm not worried about that. My first thought is I would really like to hear from my constituents. Um, I I wouldn't I would imagine having
a District 3 meeting where this would be the topic of discussion and I'd like to hear what they think. Um, and I'd be willing to hold more than one of them if it's my district. Well, your districts are all big, but mine seems really big for some reason. So anyway, I would like to hear from people and see what they're
thinking. And I'm not convinced that there's a really ground swell for any of these, but I'm certainly open to finding out. And I think holding one meeting wherever it's held, whether it's in the fall or the summer or whatever, is really not going to get not going to measure the temperature of the
community. So if we want to do this, I would think that the first place that it would take place would be district counselors talking to their constituents, maybe through district meetings to get a sense of what they think about some of these things. And then uh if you wanted to have a larger
public forum, public discussion um that would be my thought. >> Thank you, Councelor Bravik. >> On the timeline, I'm I have no issue with pushing out into the fall. That's um that's fine.
Um, I do think there's value in one meeting in front of the council as opposed to district meetings or separate forums where we might be able to address these issues. I think for transparency,
accessibility, equity, I think having something posted here holds a different kind of weight and it's it's just a different it's a different activity. Um, I think it could be a public forum as opposed to a public
dialogue. And I think I think putting something out to the entire town together that the council wants to hear their feedback on how our form of
government is going, which I know happened through the charter review process, but again in a in this setting as a culmination of all of that work that we are driving home that we want to hear not just about the nitty-gritty small changes Sure, we can
make this change to wording and that, but we want to hear are people satisfied with the way that our government is running now after eight years, however long, you know, um, every 10 years. We we want to hear if people want big change. Hopefully
they're happy. Hopefully people are are not disgruntled and want everything to change. Um, but I think that we owe it to residents to have an opportunity for them to come out and express themselves
to us together on these topics and then I think then we come back and discuss discuss like with the DPW where it was like hearing hearing first, listening first and then we can discuss do we want to take this anywhere? Do we want to
move anything forward? Um, and then possibly having followup if there was say one item from that list that really felt viable, then we have a public dialogue on that one specific item. Um, I think or or think about other settings
where further discussion might make more sense on a on a narrowed down topic, but I think of it as a way to to narrow it down and and and also hear what our constituents have to say. >> Thank you, Jennifer. Um, I agree with
what uh with what both um councelor Ryan and councelor Breivik said. I think that we there it certainly couldn't hurt to have a dialogue here and um I would be willing to I think it would be a good topic for a district meeting and I I
believe at the charter review committees when you had public I mean you were challenged to have a large group and I think that's as you said maybe I I don't know that that residents on a day-to-day basis are thinking of more kind of breadandbut issues than the charter. So
to have district meetings and a public forum or dialogue, I also think to not raise expectations. I mean, couldn't we as part of the outreach and publicizing the event make it clear that certain
changes revi require a charter review commission? Not require a new charter commission. I mean, we're that that's just it's out of our control. like if you want to change our form of government, there has to be a an elected body to do that.
So maybe out of these conversations it would be clear that or not clear I mean I have no idea how it would go but I I really don't um that maybe there would be a new charter commission. I mean, my
sense is that there wouldn't, but I I don't I think we can make it clear that when people come for the dialogue that we cannot make the decision, yes, we're going to support changing our form of government. That that's beyond what this council can do.
>> Thank you, Andy. Your hand is up. Yeah, I um I I think setting that expectation up front would be important that but but you know the the charter review committee did hear these larger issues and they did uh feel that it was
important to reflect that in the report and for then the council to say all right let's let's you know this is something that would be that would require a large effort to do any of these things But we do offer ourselves
as a way of convening a discussion on that and and then if there's desire to do that, here's how you can go do that, which is start collecting signatures for a new charter commission. Um I I think that
um having having the I don't know where this discussion happens except in small little you know groups over coffee um otherwise and I think um you know talking about a a mayor or former government or talking about a smaller
council or talking about you know why do we have to vote for everybody all at once you know those are those are big issues that we can't change but we can certainly tell people how they can change it if they want to. So, I think that's important. I'm not sure that we need to
I mean some of the last one of these comprehensive review of resident boards and committees and their role in town govern governance um TSO is sort of taking that on um you know the the line item issue is is a legal issue that we're we've asked for
legal um question about how that could happen but you and and election of planning board zoning board of appeals I guess that's pretty Um I I actually think it's big enough that it should require a charter commission. But the the ones on the front on the front page, those are those
are fundamental issues that we set the expectations. We tell people how they if they want to pursue that, how they can do it, but we're the conveners and that's about it. >> Thank you, Lynn.
If I were the charter review committee listening to this conversation, I would be so incredibly offended. They just spent almost two years doing exactly what we're talking about doing, listening to everybody talk about the
charter. They spent meeting after meeting after meeting. They came to us with a report. If we're going to have any conversation, let's narrow it only to those things we
can do something about. But do not sit here and say, "Oh, we need to hear how people feel about our form of government." We just had a committee do that for a year and a half or two years.
and they spent a lot of time and they gave us a report and we've done a lot to dis to take that report and go forward. So let's figure out of these six items what we want to hear about but it's
people come to us every meeting and tell us how they feel about what's going on. I I I'm sorry. I I'm I think the charter committee review committee did an excellent job and I don't think we want to set ourselves up
to be a second charter review committee. Thank you, >> Councelor Breick. >> The charter review committee came to us saying that these issues were large enough and in some ways outside of their scope and I think that's why they set
them aside and set them apart for us to at their request hold a session like this. So I I don't think they would be offended. I think it's in line with what they felt like they saw and heard from their process and sort of where their process kind of met its capacity and
that we could pick it up from there. So I think it's kind of working in concert with the work that's already been done and I hope it's perceived that way. Um, I do agree with Andy that the last item probably could be dropped and I don't know if there's a way to
I I would probably propose to just amend the um motion to include the first five um well, one, two, three, four, >> the first six um I believe all rise to
the level of warranting this type of a a session. Was that a formal motion to amend? >> I think once we get there, I will amend several aspects of this. >> No. Is it a motion to amend this motion
to only include certain items from section 4A? That's my question. Sure. Question to amen. >> So you're looking to and I'm just going to ask you if this is right. Um major the between the word discussing and
major structural changes discussing the first five. Six. Was it six? >> Yeah. The seven total. >> The first you'd add the words after discussing you'd add the phrase the first six. Is that what you're moving to
amend to do? Is there a second on that motion to amend which would add the words the first six? >> Second, Churchill. >> So, we are now discussing solely the motion to amend the motion which is to
add the phrase the first six between purposes of discussing and major structural changes. So that this motion would then read if the motion to amend passes within the next four months for the purposes of discussing the first six major structural changes listed in the
section 4A of the committee's final report. Is there any discussion on the motion to amend? >> Point of order. Could we please see the six items? >> The six items are Thank you to Andy for having the report
out. Change Ammerst to a mayor council form of government. Return to the town meeting form of government. Smaller town council. Seven or nine counselors is more typical. Lengthen and stagger terms for elected offices.
Allow council to increase line items without increasing the total budget and town election of planning board ZBA and finance committee resident members. Those are the first six. And the council has already asked for a legal opinion on
allowing the council to increase line items without increasing the total budget, which presumably will arrive at the council if this motion passes before any p public dialogue session is held.
Kathy, >> uh, I guess my comment is it's way too big a list for a conversation. Way too big. Um, so I know there was a suggestion of saying several of these can only be done with a
full-blown charter commission. Is there an interest in that? Um, whichever. Um, I I know what I hear when I walk around my district and I have a lot of people that have voted against the charter and were for town meetings. So, they would
come out and repeat that. I just think it's too big a list. And so, if we did say there none of these can be done without a new charter commission, is there an interest in that? Might be a way of framing it, but otherwise it's it's too
big a list. Councelor Brevitt, >> I apologize. I also wanted to propose to amend it from a public dialogue session to a public forum. >> We can do that after we deal with this motion to amend this. It just addresses the >> Yeah.
>> the concern that I see that I see the point that this many items in a public dialogue session would be that wouldn't be the right move. So we cannot >> can I I can't now >> not when this motion to amend is dealt with because that motion has nothing to
do with this motion to amend. You can always amend an amendment but the motion is like if instead of you wanted to say the first six you could propose a motion to amend while we're talking about this to say the first five. But your motion to amend cannot be dealt with that a second motion to amend on a different
item cannot be made until after we've dealt with this motion to amend. So I will come back to you after this motion to amend is voted. Does that make sense? Any further discussion on this motion to amend? So, we are going to start we are going
to vote on the motion to amend. This is to add the phrase um the first six into the motion that is on the floor. Um we begin with Anna.
I >> Lynn. >> Nay. >> Mandy Joe is a no. Councelor Lord. >> Hi. >> Sam Mloud is absent. Pam Rooney.
>> No. >> Councelor Ryan. >> Hi. >> Kathy Shane. >> No. >> Jennifer Tob. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Councelor Walker is absent. Councelor Brevik,
>> yes. >> Councelor Kennel Martin, >> yes. >> Andy Churchill. >> I'm sorry to clarify. This is >> the motion to amend to add the phrase the first six. >> Yes. >> Um, and we started with Anna. So that's
I did I did get everyone right? >> Yeah. No, it's seven in favor, four opposed. The motion to amend passes. Um um so we are now back to the main motion that includes the motion to amend in the phrase the first six. I'm going to go
back to councelor Ko uh councelor Brevik who I believe has another motion to amend. >> Yes. I move to amend to change from public dialogue session to public forum and within the next four
months to within the next six months. So your motion is to replace the phrase public dialogue session under rule of procedure 5.3 within the next four months with the phrase uh public forum within the next 6 months. Is that
correct? Is that the motion you made? >> Yes. Okay. Is there a second to that motion? >> Second. >> Councelor Cano Martin seconds. We are now talking about a motion to amend >> to replace public dialogue session under
rule of procedure 5.3 within the next four months to a public forum within the next 6 months. Is there any discussion on that motion? Seeing none, we are going to vote that motion to amend. >> Just a point of information just to
confirm the intent of the motion. A public forum is defined in the charter as a meeting where more than one half of the meeting time on the agenda is devoted to public comment. Was that the intent of your motion? Because that restricts the council's ability to respond
because we have to reserve half at least half of the meeting time for public comment. And I know that's being ch that's up. >> It hasn't been changed current yet. >> Yeah. The the current so it can't be its own standalone session. >> Can she call it a public meeting?
>> So in the past we have held listening sessions that don't have that restriction. At least in CRC we've called them listening sessions which does not have any definition in the rules of procedure at all. I will just say that. But the charter defines a
public forum in a very specific way. So I wanted to make sure that matched what your intent was with the >> Are there any other just I guess point of clarification. Are there any other anything else about a listening session that we should be aware of?
>> It has no definition. So it's it's nice and broad. >> A listening session is not formally defined. >> But can we respond to comments in the council >> in a public forum? Generally we do and in the past we have counted that as part
of the public side of the co of the discussion but any presentation or discussion amongst just counselors or staff or anything would not count towards that side >> for a listening session can speak
>> we have in the past when we've held them in CRC I would generally it's it's what we called them in the charter commission too we called them listening sessions Um, so would that be like with we had actually during the rental
>> section, right? >> We called it a listening session. >> And I'm sorry, can so we can or cannot respond in a listening session. So, the way the community resources committee has held listening sessions before and the
way the charter commission that Andy and I were on held them was they acted very much like a public dialogue session sort of and like a combination between a forum and a dialogue. There sometimes was a presentation. there was open
comment by um public that was there and response to those comments or questions if there was. So they were I mean Andy and and Pam and Jennifer can can correct me, but that sort of it's been trying to held as sort of one of these less formal
I hate to use the word dialogues, but conversations between the committee and the people who show up but potentially with presentations and other things too. >> Councelor Ryan. So, as I understand it, the purpose of
this gathering, call it what you will, is to hear from the public. We can we'll we can answer questions. Maybe we can provide a brief clarification. That would probably be appropriate, explaining what the issue is and what's
possible and what isn't. Then we're there to hear what people have to say. So, I mean, I don't really care what we call it, but in a public forum setting, I can't imagine for the life of me, we'd spend most of the time of us talking about what um we're there to hear what
people think about, you know, should we uh elect planning board and CBA members. Um so, that's why we're having it. So, I I'm not worried about that problem, but if you want to change it to something else so you don't have to worry about that problem, I guess you could.
Councelor Breick. >> Um, I'll go to the back of the line. >> Okay, Lynn. >> The other option would be open meeting of the residents which is in the charter. It's section 8.1 and it can be called by the town council
and uh allows an opport it allow the presiding officer shall allow the opportunity to speak to those in attendance wishing to address the town council, school committee or library trustees. Um and the meeting may call residents
for the town upon their own initiative. However, there is a restriction on that one and that you're not supposed to have the same subject more come up more than once in a 12-month period. So, I you know, we don't have to follow our own
rules or our own charter, but that's the other option is the meeting of residents. Councelor Brevik, >> I wonder if a listening session maybe gives us the most flexibility and is the and and I wonder if we move quickly
enough with the charter revision around public forums, we could make a motion down the road that we amend this to be a public forum down the road, but for now, maybe we leave it as listening session. So, am I hearing the motion on the floor
is to amend it to read a public forum. um within the next six months. Am I hearing is that a motion to amend that motion to read listening session? So, change public forum to listening session. Correct. Um
is there a second to that motion to amend the amendment? Second. Without objection, we are going to accept that motion to amend the amendment. Am I allowed to do that or do I actually have to do a roll call because we've got
>> um Councelor Breick made the motion and council Ryan seconded it. So you could ask if it's a friendly amendment. >> Councelor Ryan, >> it's a friendly amendment. >> So we are now dealing with a motion to amend to listening session within the next
six months. Is there any further discussion on that motion to amend? Lynn. So, we will go to a vote on the motion to amend the motion on the floor to change public dialogue session under rule of procedure 5.3 within the next
four months to listening session within the next six months. >> Can I just ask we're doing this amendment then we get to vote on the whole thing? >> And then there's still a main motion to vote on. This is just the amendment to change basically public forum to listening session and four months to six
months. We start with um we start with Lynn >> I get back up to my thing. Mandy is an I. Councelor Lord,
we cannot hear you. Councelor Lord. >> We will move on. Sam Mloud is absent. Pam Rooney, >> yes. >> Councelor Ryan, >> hi. >> Kathy Shane, >> yes. >> Jennifer Tob, >> yes. >> Councelor Walker, >> sorry, is absent. Councelor Brevik,
>> yes. Councelor Kennel Martin. >> Yes. >> Andy Churchill, >> yes. >> Anna Deon Gothier, >> I. >> And councelor Lord, >> I. >> Excellent. Okay. So, that is 10 in favor. That is unanimous for that motion to amend.
>> That's Oh, yeah. >> Yeah, that was 10 in favor, zero opposed. Oh, sorry. 11 in favor, zero opposed with two absent. Um we are now back to the main motion on the floor which now reads in accordance with charter review committee's
recommendations to schedule a listening session within six months for the purposes of discussing the first six major structural changes listed in the section 4A of the committee's final report. That is the motion that is now
on the floor. Pam, >> thank you. I was have been sort of struggling to um think about these remaining six topics that that somehow fell off the that were beyond the scope
of the charter commission. um given the fact that we also have to come to the public with any of the changes that were recommended that we've adopted um to go through the process 43B
um and town vote. So it, you know, part of me says, hey, you know, if we're if we're pulling all this information together, um, and we want the town residents to, um, ultimately adopt all
of these changes, you know, when do we when do we go back to the same folks and say, "Okay, we've talked about these six that really aren't on anybody's list. Now, we really want you to focus on um the the things that we can change." It's it just gets a
little muddy. It's It's like I'm How often do we go back to them to get input on various aspects of all this? Thank you. Any further discussion? Seeing no further discussion, we're
going to move to a vote. The vote is on the motion in accordance with charter review committee's recommendations to schedule a listening session within six months for the purpose of discussing the first six major structural changes listed in the section 4A of the
committee's final report. Um we start with myself. I am a no. Uh councelor Lord I. >> Sam Mloud is absent. Pam Rooney. Yes.
Councelor Ryan, >> I >> Kathy Shane, >> no. >> Jennifer Tob, >> yes. >> Councelor Walker is absent. Councelor Brevik, >> yes. >> Councelor Cano Martin,
>> yes. >> Andy Churchill, >> yes. >> Anna Delongthier, hi. Lynn Greamer >> reluctantly I >> that is um nine in favor two opposed two
absent the motion passes. Is there any further discussion before we move on on the charter review committee beyond the charter recommendations. I will mention that I believe this takes care of everything that was on the list and so I will not be putting this back
on the agenda um except for the listening session that was just adopted and and passed. So moving on to the next item appointments were dealt with on consent. Uh we are moving to
committee and liaison reports at any town council committee chair have anything new to report on that's outside of any of the reports that they had? Um we're going to start I saw his hand first. Councelor Ryan Ryan and then Pam.
>> I don't know if it's new but just because I want to highlight it for your interest. um TSO at its next meeting, which is Thursday, will be meeting with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission consultant to discuss the waste hauler bylaw and give us an update on where
that stands. So, if you or any of your residents are interested in that, that will be on the agenda for Thursday. Um we also discussed the street lights policy. That's all in the memo. I'm sure you all read it carefully. Um but at this meeting, we'll also talk a little bit about what next steps might be
possible. Thank you, Pam. >> I too just have a reminder that on May 20th, there will be a joint CRC and planning board public hearing on solar
clean energy bylaw. I invite everyone to come and participate. >> Thank you, Kathy. Um you already have the schedule but tomorrow the finance review is the library and community
services and on Thursday it's DPW enterprise funds and the water and sewer rates and that will finish our focusing and the Thursday meeting starts at 3:30. >> Thank you.
Um, are there any counselors that have anything to report for committees that they serve on that are not town council committees? Is your hand still up, Kathy? >> Uh, the elementary school building committee met last week. The building is
on schedule to open in September. Um, and one of the things we heard is the public art commission has come up with a format of membership for what they call the jury, but it's an advisory committee and um, anyone who wants to see what
that is. I believe they're going to post it, but it includes it involves people in the school system. Um, and so it's a minimal group. So, they have a plan that would be progressing over the next year and a half. Councelor
Ryan. >> So, I have two, if you can indulge me. Jones Library Building Committee, the project is on budget and on schedule, and there is 2.2 million still in contingency, and they're still looking to a February 27 opening. I also can
report on the Transportation Parking Commission if that's all right. >> Yep. >> Um, a little bit more information there. Um, we now have a website that people can go to that at least identifies the commission that's on the town website. Um, we have two items at the So, the
commission has met twice. Um, it just met recently and at that meeting two items are brought to us by DPW that will be coming to the council very soon. One is a on West Street, a multi-use path project, and the other is um that's near Mil Lane. Um and the other is on North
Pleasant Street in the center of town near Kendrick Park. Sidewalk and parking improvements. Both of those were presented to the commission and the commission voted its support. The commission is working very hard to create a portal that would be a place where everyone would come um to submit
to make their submissions and we're hoping that might be live sometime in June. But we're still working on that. We've had great support from it and and from the uh from Kathy Anderson who is the town liaison. She's been fantastic as well and we're working very hard on a
process uh both how to prioritize and then ultimately evaluate um submissions to the commission. We're getting a good number already. Um there obviously is a fair amount of interest. Um and as especially for district counselors, um you certainly can encourage your
residents to consider us and we're working very hard to get that set so that hopefully by June we will have a process and a portal. >> Good question. >> Yes, Kathy. >> Okay, George. I I just have a a question on um during the last several years when
JCPC met, there were issues that would fit within this new commission that weren't acted on because we didn't have a policy. We didn't have a process. Do you know whether they've all been referred to you? >> To my understanding, no. Um
>> Okay. Yeah. >> You know, because I thought, you know, people might not know they have to bring them up again. way back when was a sidewalk down East Pleasant Street where we actually commissioned there was a study done to put a sidewalk on that. The town funded it, but I'll see whether
we can't with Shawn can't >> I think they went to Sean. I believe Sean has them. >> Yeah, he he has all of them, but I um and he was not here for a year and a half of it. So I I have all of them, too. So that was my question. >> So please forward them to George.
Uh Jennifer. >> Yes. Yes. So, I just have a question. The um Can you speak closer to the mic? >> The resident that spoke tonight um during public comment who I think was talking about a street light on and East Pleasant. So, how would that
person get would she have to come to a a commission meeting or >> Well, right now we're in the process, so it's a little bit confusing. Um, so, um, what we're encouraging people to do is send an email to the chair, which is Andy Steinberg. Um, and I can get you
the email address. You can also send it to me and I can forward it to the chair if that's a problem. But at the moment, we're we're doing it that way. Hopefully soon you would say to them there's this portal. We're hoping it'll be TPC atristmma.gov. Can't get better than that. That's what we're hoping it'll be. Um, but whatever
it is, they would go there and they would make their submission. >> Thank you. Thank you. Are there any liaison reports? Seeing none, we will move on to the town manager report. Paul, >> thank you. So, you got the building updates, which is great. Uh only two
things then. One, I just wanted to note that the fire station uh will be relocating, the central fire station will be relocating to north fire station for about three to four weeks in starting in June so that construction work can happen on the parking lot
adjacent to the fire station, a central fire station. and the fire chief doesn't think there'll be any um uh you know they've done this before so it's it's not a big deal but you should know that they'll that station will be closed and some people might bring it to your
attention. The other is just um an update on Hampshire College which is taking up a ton of time. So they had their commencement last um on Saturday. Um if you look to to the campus now pretty much it's all closed and locked. uh they are really have closed down
operations for the most part. Um there's a public uh the trustees of reservations have uh partnered with Kestrel um trust to submit a letter of interest to the college according to their press release. Um we've been working with the
early learning center to help them find a new location or a fiscal sponsor. They are employees of Hampshire College, so it's not easy to just sort of move their whole operation, but putting a lot of time with our state legislators on helping them uh continue with their very
valuable um early childhood uh spots that they have for uh child care. And lastly, we've been working with the state to secure some technical assistance as the town starts moving forward on uh looking at the land that
is uh that's the Hampshire College owns and what kind of zoning opportunities are there that we could help develop and that's a that'll take time. Um but zoning is independent in some ways of what a new purchaser would do. I mean I
think the college um is entertaining any kind of proposals they I'm not sure what their priorities were in terms of um what kinds of proposal they proposals they would um you know prioritize. I do know they have fiscal constraints in the
sense that they have loans to banks and to a um nonprofit that they owe money to and they have the responsibility to teach out their um their their existing students. Um, so that's a very fluid
process. Um, and things seems seem to change on a daily basis, but I can answer any questions if you have any. >> There any questions of the town manager for his report? Councelor Kennartner. >> Yeah, I just wondered if you could give
us an update of the um the request to have a DPW worker added to the DPW building committee. Um my understanding was that they spoke um the DPW employees spoke and I think the union spoke and they had all agreed that Jason Skills would be a good choice and um it seems
like he would be a great addition to the committee. So I think it would just um the only thing left to do would be to update the charge and I would just wanted to ask if you could do that. >> Yeah. So I'm taking that into consideration. We'll get to that soon. >> Okay. So you're saying that you will do it?
>> I'm taking into consideration. Can you just explain to me what why what what you're considering because I'm not sure like why this is an issue? He seems like a very talented employee and would add a lot to the committee. So I'm just wondering what what's the consideration?
>> There's a lot of things going on with DPW right now that I'm trying to keep navigate through and so I don't want to sort of disrupt any things I don't you know I've that's all I'm going to say for now. >> Thank you. Any other questions of the
town manager? Seeing none, we will move on to item 13, town council comments. The president's report um was in the packet. Um if you've got questions, let me know. Next agenda, future agenda items. Um we have
a public forum on the capital improvement program coming up June 1. That will start next council meeting um at 6:30. Uh before that if I haven't heard from anyone that they could not make a 6 pm time in person for a photo of the
council outside is are you okay you so we will not have a photo at June 1 at 6 o'clock if we can't we will we will work on another time but um so we will not have a photo of the council beforehand um we have a
potential presentation on Hampshire College land use planning potentially we have not confirmed confirmed whether that will happen yet, but we are we've slated it in as a possibility. Water and sewer rates, first read. You'll notice June starts all of our first reads and budget votes. So, capital improvement
program. We've got a first read on water and sewer rates. Um we've, as councelor Ryan indicated, a couple of sidewalk and road um permanent changes. The second read on the human rights
commission general bylaw and charge. So that will be a vote. Um some intergovernmental agreements with Pelum and the set of appointments that Paul forwarded to the council today. The reappoints um will likely be on the
agenda. Um at this point that's what is I know of. It might not all make it. Uh but the June 15th is slated for the vote of the budget. Um are there any other agenda items people are asking for? Uh Kathy, >> I just have a question. If you want to
do first read of water and sewer rates on June 1st, >> finance should report it out before we report out on the budget. >> If your budget's not going to be reported out till June 2nd, then yes. >> Yes. Okay. So, we we'll >> if possible,
>> we'll focus on those. We'll I'll figure out how to focus on that. >> Although, yeah. Um because the the water and sewer rates need two reads >> under under the No, I heard I you know, so we we can do it. I just need to figure out we we have time. So that's
great. Thanks. >> Okay. Thanks, Andy. >> Um just along the lines of the Hampshire College uh discussion, I mean, I I know we've had discussions and I appreciate Paul's publicizing of some of the priorities that we we've talked about um
tax revenues and housing being um fairly widely shared. But as he said, it's a fluid situation and um I know Mandy, you and I have had some conversation about how we can have convers how we can have
discussions among this body um about things that might be coming up that might involve negotiations. And I'm I think it would be a good idea to somehow figure out how we can have executive sessions at the, you know,
pencled in at the ends of these meetings. So if something comes up between meetings, we have the space in order to in which to discuss potential opportunities for the town of Hampshire College. Um I I I know that the you know the the
most likely negot you know uh topic for um executive session would be um negotiating the purchase or you know negotiating real estate aspects and that might not
but be exactly we might not be talking about the entire thing but when we're talking about the child care center. If we're talking about recreation uh facilities, if we're talking about pickle ball, there might be some areas that we that would involve
um real estate negotiations. uh if we're talking about you know if there's partnering with some of the other folks who have talked who who are talking about purchasing um so if we can figure out a way to do to have an executive s a potential
executive session on the agenda I think that would be a useful way of responding to a a situation that's both really important to the town and fluid. >> Thank you Andy. Any other thoughts on future agenda items?
Lynn. >> Um, I think at some point, and I'm going to leave this to the president and the town manager to determine when, uh, we should return to the issue of the sighting of DPW.
Um, and what is because at this point there is an RFP out to look at three different options and that is not consistent with the charge that was given to the committee. And then in
addition to that um during public comment at those meetings uh there is a group of people who think that somehow or another a fire station north of downtown will satisfy a cited with DPW
on the Wildwood lot uh would somehow or another serve South Ammerst. And so I think it would be in in the since at some point we assume sometime around August the council uh the town may in
fact acquire the Wildwood site. Um I leave it to the president and the town manager to determine when we might have that conversation. >> Okay. Thank you. Any further requests for future agenda items or questions for the president report? See none. Are
there any councelor comments? Councelor Kennel Martin. Excuse me. Um, yes. I would just like to take a moment to address a recent request made on Monday, May 4th by myself, councilors Walker, Ryan, Brevik, and Tob which we requested that the
council president schedule an executive session regarding the DPW contract. Um though this request was made on behalf of all of us, I'm going to make the statement for myself. So the request said, "I'm writing on behalf of a group of counselors CC to this email,
including councelor Walker, because she was the vice president and she was one of the counselors requesting it to ask that we add an executive session to our next council meeting to discuss the settlement of the DPW contract. The contract has still not been settled and we would like the opportunity to discuss this with the town manager with the
hopes that it can be settled in a timely fashion in a way that is acceptable to all parties given that this is also in the best interest of the town and its residents." end quote. On Tuesday, May 12th, this group of counselors and I received an email from Mandy Joe which read, "At today's agenda sitting
meeting, Paul indicated that this if this appeared on the agenda and received a majority vote of the council, he would not attend the session. Without the manager in attendance, any executive session held for this purpose is not practicable. Therefore, I have not put this request on the upcoming May 18th
council agenda." End quote. For reference, the town charter section 2.8C 8C states that town manager the town council may require the town manager to provide specific information to it on any matter within the jurisdiction of the town council. The town council may
require the town manager to appear before it at any time to provide specific information on the conduct of any aspect of the business of the town. Therefore, as per the charter, the town manager would be required to attend such an executive session if the council voted to have one. Due to the fact that
Mandy Joe did not place it on the agenda for today, we cannot take that vote, which takes away our rights as counselors to democratically determine and weigh in as to whether or not we believe an executive session should take place and whether or not the information that could be shared in such a session is important to the town, to residents,
and to the council. Further, Mandy Joe said that charter section 3.2D permits the council president to excuse the manager from attending a council meeting. At this time, I have excused him from attending any executive session related to the DPW union's collective bargaining process." End quote. While
that may be what the charter says, I believe the spirit of this provision was likely to allow the president to excuse the town manager on the basis of an illness or scheduling conflict, not to release him from his duties under the charter. And I think that using it this way is an abuse of power. This is not
the first time that Mandy Joe has shut down an executive session on this issue without a vote of the council. On Monday, March 30th, at a special meeting of a town council, an executive session on this issue was scheduled on the meeting agenda, then removed unilaterally by Mandy Joe at the meeting itself with no prior warning without a
vote of the full council or a chance for the council to weigh in on this decision. Tonight, I'm asking President Hani to please live up to the promises of inclusivity and transparency that you made when you were running for president of the council. By twice shutting down executive sessions on this topic, you
have unilaterally decided for each and every council member whether or not we have the opportunity to hear from the town manager on this aspect of the business of the town as is our right under the charter. That is not acceptable. It is not democratic and this model of decision-making does not live up to our values as a town. Thank
you. >> Thank you for your comment. I have raised my hand because I have a comment. Unfortunately, Councelor Walker is not here, but I wanted to note that on behalf of the council, I wanted to congratulate Vice President Walker for receiving her Masters of Public Policy
degree last week and that the council wishes her the best and we had a token of appreciation for her tonight. I will get it to her when I next see her. Um, but congratulations to Vice President Walker for getting her MPP. Any other counselor comments? Councelor
Kenna Martin, you have your hand still raised? Nope. Okay. Um, there are no topics not ant not reasonably anticipated by the chair 24 hours in advance of the meeting. The there is no executive session on this. So I move to adjourn the council
meeting. Is there a second? >> Change seconds. Seeing no discussion, we start with councelor Lord. >> We will move on. Sam Mloud is absent. Pamy, >> yes. >> Councelor Ryan, >> hi. >> Kathy Shane, >> yes.
>> Jennifer Tub. >> Councelor Walker. Oh, councelor Walker is absent. Councelor Brevik, >> yes. >> Councelor Hannah Martin, >> yes. >> Andy Churchill, >> yes. >> Anna Devon Gothia, >> hi. Lyn Greimemer >> I. >> Mandy Joe Hanicki is an I. Councelor
Lord. >> Councelor Lord will be marked absent for this vote. Um it is 10 in favor, zero opposed. We are adjourned at 9:23