AMHERST – With his six-month tenure as interim town manager ending, Peter Hechenbleikner this week provided the Select Board detailed observations about how Amherst town government can function better.
Speaking at the board’s meeting Monday, Hechenbleikner, who was the long-time town manager in Reading, began by noting that Amherst residents are served well.
He praised the municipal staff and the many volunteers who fill out boards and committees as being smart, dedicated and committed.
“Keep it up, Amherst. That’s really good,” Hechenbleikner said.
But there are many areas that can be improved.
In the town manager’s office, for instance, a new half-time person may be needed to do various work, including taking minutes for the Select Board.
“I strongly believe a recording secretary for the Select Board is essential,” Hechenbleikner said.
He suggested that more documents in filing cabinets be scanned and put on the town website. “Records management is desperately needed in this community,” he said.
For contracts for the EMS service provided by the fire department, he noted that the town is only collecting about 65 percent of the expenses incurred for serving Hadley, Leverett, Shutesbury and Pelham.
“Communities are all on notice about that,” Hechenbleikner said.
Other ideas include having a leadership team join a retreat session to set goals within six months of new Town Manager Paul Bockelman assuming duties and hiring a new finance director to replace Sanford “Sandy” Pooler, who left in January.
To improve Town Meeting. Hechenbleikner said he would eliminate overhead projector presentations and would like to see members pick up their packets of information at the police station, rather than have them mailed out. He added that reducing the amount of paper might be a good idea for a town that considers itself “green.”
“I can’t believe how many trees we cut for paper at Town Meeting,” Hechenbleikner said.
Select Board Chairwoman Alisa Brewer said the board will discuss Hechenbleikner’s ideas with Bockelman and Assistant Town Manger David Ziomek, observing that members appreciate the “clear-eyed look at how we can continue to improve.”
A candidates night forum on Monday, co-sponsored by the Amherst Area NAACP, will feature the six candidates for the 3rd Hampshire District state representative seat and four candidates running to become sheriff of Hampshire County.
The forum, which is also co-sponsored by Coming Together: Understanding Racism, Working for Justice, Building Connection, Citizens for Racial Amity Now and the Undoing Racism Organizing Collective, begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Room at Town Hall.
Six Democrats are running for the state representative position for the district that includes Amherst, Pelham and Precinct 1 in Granby. They are Bonnie MacCracken, Lawrence O’Brien, Sarah la Cour, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Vira Douangmany Cage and Eric Nakajima.
Three Democrats, Kavern Lewis, Melissa Perry and Patrick Cahillane, and one Republican, David Isakson, are running for the sheriff position.
The event will be co-moderated by Manuel Frau-Ramos, co-founder and editor of El Sol Latino newspaper, and Carlie Tartakov and Jacqueline Smith-Crooks, the hosts of WHMP’s “Black In The Valley” radio show.
The primary election will be held Sept. 8, followed by the general election Nov. 8.
Peeople are welcome to submit questions and topics to amherstnaacp@gmail.com.
A demonstration showing how to turn flax into yarn and thread will be held at the Amherst Historical Society’s Simeon Strong House Saturday. “Flax: From Plant to Thread” is the title of the event, beginning at 11 a.m. at the 67 Amity St. site, that will include antique flax processing tools. The event is free and will run for about three hours.
TUESDAY: Downtown Parking Working Group, 10 a.m., and Public Shade Tree Committee, 4 p.m., both at First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.
THURSDAY: Recycling and Refuse Managment Committee, 4:30 p.m., First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.
FRIDAY: Jones Library Budget Committee, 10 a.m., Goodwin Room, Jones Library.
