ANMHERST — Four months into its work studying how to improve town government, and possibly make recommendations for changes, the Charter Commission has received extensive feedback from those familiar with the inner workings of Town Hall and the customs and traditions of Town Meeting.
To broaden this input and get more nuanced information, the nine-member commission is launching an effort to get out into the community and be in touch with more residents directly affected by the actions of town government.
Commission member Margaret “Meg” Gage, who is co-chairwoman of the Outreach Working Group with Julia Rueschemeyer, is organizing several events that she dubs “listening workshops.”
“This will give the charter commission the opportunity to listen to and get input from people in Amherst who don’t always show up for forums,” Gage said, observing that she wants to make sure the demographics of the community are represented, including people young and old and from all socioceconomic groups.
The idea, Gage said, is to continue listening, which has been much of the work for the commission since April, when it began meeting after members were elected at the March town election. The commission was created by voters following a signature drive by a group called Amherst for All.
In recent weeks, the commission has met with department heads, such as Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford Mooring and Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson, former interim town manager Peter Hechenbleikner and former long-time town manager Barry Del Castilho, and current and past town moderators.
Gage said it is important to supplement the previous feedback opportunity, held at the Amherst Regional Middle School in May, that was mandated by state law to be held within 45 days of the formation of the Charter Commission, and which brought out about 50 residents.
“We want to make sure we hear from more than the people who showed up at the middle school,” Gage said.
Commission Chairman Andrew Churchill said he appreciates the need to get more voices into the process.
“I think the commission is trying to reach people who don’t have as much of an interest in government or may not interact with it as much as we do,” Churchill said.
With the commission’s job to come up with an alternative to the current form of government, Churchill said the first part of the work is to hear from people, the second part is to identify key attributes and values that should guide possible changes and the third part is to discuss specific structural elements that reflect those attributes and values.
A draft charter document must be complete by July 31, with a final document done by Sept. 29, 2017. That document would then be brought to voters for a vote. There could be major or minor changes proposed to the current form of town government, which includes a five-member Select Board, 240-member Town Meeting and a professional town manager
The first listening session put on by the working group, which also includes commission member Mandi Jo Hanneke and residents Ted Parker, Janet McGowan and Adrienne Terrizzi, will be held Sept. 14 from 2 to 4 pm. at the Senior Center at the Bangs Community Center. Gage said she has been working with Senior Center Director Nancy Pagano and members of the Council on Aging to make people aware of this meeting.
Anyone from town will be welcome at the forum. “The questions and topics we’ll address can be responded to by anyone,” Gage said.
Another session will be held at the Survival Center in September, and one will be at the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library Oct. 27 from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m.
The remainder will be scheduled later this month, with the hope to have at least one take place at an apartment complex and another that would attempt to hear from college students.
“In order to have a strong proposal we need everyone to participate,” Gage said. “The idea is to ask questions in such as way that will encourage them to be open.”
“We need to set this up so we hear things that we don’t want to hear, on all sides,” Gage added.
Churchill said the commission’s next meeting, Aug. 25, will discuss hiring a consultant to assist the commission. That consultant could be hired by mid September.
Meanwhile, the Town Meeting Coordinating Committee, whose members offered comments to the Charter Commission this week, will be doing its own work to improve Town Meeting.
TMCC member Christopher Riddle said he is part of a group called the Subcommittee on Policies and Procedures that will offer suggestions for ways to make the legislative sessions more responsive to the community.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
