Monday, January 30, 2017

Town Meeting School Vote on January 30

On Monday, January 30 at 7pm, the Amherst Town Meeting will vote on Article 1. Petition “Bond Authorization for Co-located Elementary School Project on Wildwood site"

“To see if the Town of Amherst will appropriate, transfer from available funds and/or borrow $66,369,000 to be expended under the direction of the School Building Committee to construct, originally equip and furnish two co-located elementary schools on the Wildwood site to educate all Amherst students in grades 2-6, including the cost of architectural design, project management and other incidental and related costs, as well as demolition of the existing building and other necessary site improvements, which school facility shall have an anticipated useful life as an educational facility for the instruction of school children of at least 50 years, and for which the Town may be eligible for a School construction grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 7(1) of the Massachusetts General Laws or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor. The MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any project costs the Town incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the Town. Any grant that the Town of Amherst may receive from the MSBA for the Project shall not exceed the lessor of (1) 68.34 percent (%) of eligible, approved project costs, as determined by the MSBA, or (2) the total maximum grant amount determined by the MSBA."

Full text of Town Warrant: http://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37540
Certified petitions and statements are available on the Town Meeting’s website: http://www.amherstma.gov/790/Town-Meeting

The Town Meeting Coordinating Committee has established a new communication method that allows citizens to email Town Meeting members. Use the following format to contact all members from a specific precinct:


precinct1@amherstma.gov (for Precinct 1)
precinct2@amherstma.gov (for Precinct 2)
precinct3@amherstma.gov (for Precinct 3)
precinct4@amherstma.gov (for Precinct 4) 

and so on. Substitute the correct number for the precinct you wish to email. Any TM member from that precinct who has an email on file with the TMCC will receive the message. Phone numbers and mailing addresses for TM members are available from the League of Women Voters here: http://www.lwvamherst.org/town-meeting-members