lBy SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Effective in the new year, part-time hourly employees will be ensured of being paid at least $11 per hour, the same as the state’s minimum wage as of Jan. 1.
The Select Board this week approved the new salary schedule recommended by the Personnel Board.
While cities and towns are exempt from the minimum wage law, the Personnel Board in September voted in favor of the changes. In a memo to the Select Board, Personnel Board Chairman Tony Butterfield wrote that “it is the town of Amherst’s intention to embrace and abide by both the spirit and the letter of the law.”
The current average hourly wage for hourly workers, except for election workers, is $13.46 per hour, with more than three quarters of these employees already being paid more than $11.
Adding two more steps to the top of each wage level, each with 3 percent raises, allows the town to bring every hourly worker up to $11 per hour.
Many of these are seasonal people employed either at the Jones Library or with the Leisure Services and Supplemental Education Department.
Expressing concern for the outcome of the presidential election and how local immigrant communities might be affected, students at the Common School recently raised money for the Center for New Americans.
After having a conversation led by co-teachers Linda Donnelly and Chad Odwazny, students came up with the idea of letting local immigrant and refugee families know that the Common School students, who range in age from 3 to 12, are thinking about them.
Students wrote letters of support to be shared with these families, and then held a bake sale in November, with an anonymous donor agreeing to match the amount raised.
They then presented a $691 check to Center for New Americans Executive Director Laurie Millman, who said in an email that it was touching that children showed empathy and concern for the immigrant community.
“In an era that has been characterized by such negative and ignorant comments about immigrants, it is heartening and reassuring to see young people taking such positive action,” Millman said.
Millman added that the donation will also be important to sustain the organization.
Additional Thursday evening hours are being scheduled at the Amherst Survival Center so more people can apply for food stamps and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
In partnership with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ SNAP outreach and enrollment program, people will be at the 138 Sunderland Road site in December and January, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, to assist those interested in applying for food stamps and SNAP benefits. This will include screening them for eligibility and assisting them throughout the application process.
The Survival Center already offers application assistance on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Tracey Levy, program director, said in a statement, that the pilot program will determine if the evening hours are more convenient.
“We hope that these additional hours will provide access to people who could not otherwise come to the center,” Levy said.
Survival Center Executive Director Mindy Domb said the collaboration with the Food Bank is about reducing food insecurity for area residents.
“We’re grateful that the Food Bank has agreed to join us in this expanded collaboration to see if a weekday evening session will increase the number of enrollments,” Domb said.
MONDAY: Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
TUESDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall; Amherst School Committee, 6:30 p.m., high school library.
WEDNESDAY: Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
