Amherst Town Council Meeting Report May 20, 2024. Part 1
Interim Superintendent Doug Slaughter presented a request for additional funding for the high school athletics project to the Amherst City Council on May 20 (video here). In making the proposal, Slaughter explained that the Regional School Committee (RSC) on April 30 narrowed the project down to two options, 1B and 1D, both of which would replace the track at its current location, widen it from six to eight lanes, add ADA accessibility throughout the facility and replace the weed-overgrown and dysfunctional perimeter drainage channels.
Option 1B would rehabilitate the indoor grass field, while 1D would provide a completely reconstructed grass field, including new underground drainage and irrigation, and upgrades to LED lighting. 1B is already fully funded (cost estimated at approximately $1.7 million), while option 1D (cost estimated at $3.4 million) relies on previously approved Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds of $800,000 and free cash of $900,000, but now includes restrictions that prevent it from being used for an east-west oriented grass field. With limited time to obtain permits and prepare design and bid documents to allow the project to be completed by fall 2025, Slaughter indicated to the RSC that he would contact the Town Council Chair and the CPA Committee Chair the next day to request that they take the necessary steps to lift the restrictions.
However, by the RSC's next meeting on May 14, Slaughter had still not contacted the Town Council or the CPA Board. Instead, he added a third option for the RSC to consider, Option 3C, which features a wider interior field and a rotation to a north-south orientation. Citing the 2019 Athletic Field Master Plan, which proposed a reorientation, Slaughter said he, along with Deputy Town Manager Dave Ziomek, had asked the designer (SLR) to revisit this option and see how to lower the cost. With revised field data and scope changes, SLR was able to present at an estimated cost of $4.23 million. Slaughter recommended the RSC ask the Amherst Town Council for an additional $756,160 to allow them to pursue 3C.
Some RSC members expressed concern about the request for additional funding for athletics projects, especially with a request for a 6% increase in the regional operating budget still unresolved.
But in presenting his proposal package to the Town Council, Slaughter explained that he was looking at capital and operating funding very differently. “I thought it would be appropriate to put the options in front of you and let you discuss and decide what additional funding you would like to put into this project,” Slaughter told the Town Council.
The motion before Town Council was to refer the issue to the Amherst Finance Committee and CPA Committee to lift the previously approved funding restrictions and to consider the additional request for $756,160.There seemed to be general agreement among council members to support Option 1D (a complete rebuild of the field), but there was division on Option 3C.
“When you're facing a local school operating budget and other circumstances that require capital funding, you can't just expect another $700,000 to be sitting there somewhere,” warned Councilwoman Cathy Schoen (District 1). “The mayor needs to be given a choice on how to raise the $700,000 for the 3Cs,” said Councilwoman Mandy Jo Hanneke (Independent), adding, “There's no room for discussion.” [the] finance [Committee] “We can't add more money until we know where the money is going to come from,” said Councilman Andy Steinberg (Independent), who expressed concern that the request for additional funds did not come from the mayor. “I'm not even sure it's appropriate to commit additional capital for this purpose without going through the process that's set out in the charter,” he said. Councilman George Ryan (3rd District), Councilman Anna Devlin Gautier (5th District) and Councilman Pat DeAngelis (2nd District) expressed support for the 3C's, which would achieve a north-south orientation. Councilman Hanneke (2nd District) said they are considering removing some features from the plan or making them into alternatives. [to reduce cost] More may be added later.
Several council members questioned why only the city of Amherst was being asked for the additional funds, with Councilman Bob Hegner (District 5) pointing out that an originally planned amount of about $240,000 in CPA funding from Pelham, Leverett and Shootsbury was rejected because artificial turf was already included in the plans, but the artificial turf is no longer part of the project.
Slaughter acknowledged that they could consider soliciting CPA funds from the other three towns for the new options and including the item as an alternative, but warned that the timing of the normal CPA funding cycle could cause delays and require the three local towns to convene a special town meeting. Council members expressed dissatisfaction with that explanation, arguing that these funds should have been pursued sooner and now is the time to do so.
Motions to refer the request for additional funds to the Finance Committee and to refer the request to remove funding restrictions (to allow for a grass field and east-west alignment if 1D is selected) to the Amherst CPA Board were both passed. The Finance Committee meets frequently during the budget period, but as of this writing, this item has not yet been scheduled for a specific date.
