AMHERST — Sixteen candidates for the Amherst Town Council discussed student housing, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and town-gown relations during a recent forum with students and faculty at the University of Massachusetts.
A small crowd gathered in Stockbridge Hall for the Oct. 3 forum, hosted by the UMass chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Candidates for the contested at-large and District 2, District 3 and District 4 seats participated in the forum, which included multiple rounds of questions, including one “lightning round” in which answers could only last 20 seconds.
“An event like this is a way of representing student concerns,” said Paul Musgrave, a political science professor and faculty adviser for Pi Sigma Alpha. “The candidates at least had to think about those issues for one evening.”
UMass senior Ruth Tony-Alabi was one of two students moderating the forum, which she said Pi Sigma Alpha members organized because “there wasn’t a strong enough connection” between students and the Town Council.
She and fellow moderator Samantha Lamas picked up voter registration forms after the forum and said they planned to register to vote in Amherst in advance of the election.
“You may not want to stay here forever, but you’re here for the next four years,” said Lamas, who was impressed by the number of women and young people participating in this year’s election. “Hearing people closer in age to you makes it feel like you have somebody representing you.”
The deadline to register to vote for the general election is Friday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m., and people who wish to vote by mail can request a mail-in ballot at the Town Clerk’s Office until Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.
In the first round of questions, Tony-Alabi told candidates that steep rent prices are a “serious concern” for UMass students and asked how they would modify the Comprehensive Housing Policy the council adopted in September 2021.
At-large incumbents Mandi Jo Hanneke and Andrew Steinberg agreed there is not an adequate supply of housing for students or full-time residents. Steinberg suggested the town modify zoning policies to increase the number of available units, but Hanneke stipulated that increasing the housing stock should not impact the amount of open space in Amherst.
Incumbent Ellisha Walker noted that the town needs to redefine affordable housing, as she does not consider the existing units that are considered affordable to actually be affordable. At-large candidate Matt Holloway said the university should continue to partner with private developers to alleviate pressure on the town. District 2 candidate Amber Lee Cano-Martin countered Holloway’s suggestion and said the town should incentivize the university to build more on-campus housing without engaging in public-private partnerships.
District 2 Councilor and current council President Lynn Griesemer said the town should keep an eye on rent control as a possible solution to the high cost of housing. Cano-Martin and District 3 candidate Heather Hala A. Lord also spoke in support of rent control.
District 2 newcomer Charlotte Allegra Clark said the town should impose additional fees on pricey rental transactions. Former councilor George Ryan, running in District 3, suggested the council look into zoning regulations that would allow for duplexes and triplexes. District 4 challenger Dillon Maxfield also spoke in support of approving new housing developments that would not have only single-user and apartment-style residences.
Lamas then asked candidates how the council could improve its follow-up to a December 2020 resolution to end structural racism.
Clark started the round by noting that the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service program has not been “fully resourced.” Councilor Jennifer Taub, who currently serves District 3 but is running for District 4 this fall after the voting districts were redrawn, said she would want to increase CRESS funding so that the program can be successful.
Ryan took a different approach, saying that supporting the school system, library and senior center relates to race. District 3 challenger Patrick Drumm tacked onto Ryan’s comment and said he would want to look into funding universal pre-K as part of the town’s commitment to ending structural racism.
At-large candidate Jamie Danielle Daniels said she would like the council to uplift the voices of Amherst residents of color during conversations about racism, and Lord and Walker agreed.