 This program is brought to you by Cable Franchise Vs and generous donations from viewers like you Welcome back. This is byline here at Amherst Media, a public affairs show sponsored with the Amherst League of Women Voters and Amherst Media And we've been meeting here every Friday night and repeated on Monday nights To bring people up to date with what's happening with our town government as we continue the transition From our old form of government to our new form of government And tonight we have a very special show and a very special guest our assistant town manager Dave Zomek is here We are all struggling right now with the health situation that has been affecting our country the world And it's beginning to show some really significant impacts on our economy as well And so we want to talk with you this evening about the coronavirus and how our town is responding our town government And the impacts that we're seeing in our town in terms of our higher education institutions and our businesses, etc But Dave, let's begin sort of at the beginning here With trying to get an understanding of what the town's general the town government's general policies are With regard to how we're going to be doing business and and what we're recommending That people do in our community in order to stay safe and healthy Sure. Well first, thank you very much for having me stand. I appreciate being on your show Obviously these are uncharted waters for all of us and You know, we we are sending our very best out to all the residents of Amherst All those families all those employees all those businesses and our partners Throughout town in the region It's a time when we're all going to be called on to pull together and and I think We're already seeing some of the best of of our community. So I'm happy to be here talking about what's going on I can't say enough about Our team in Amherst Our town manager is surrounded by some incredibly talented people With our health director Julie Fetterman our our fire chief Tim Nelson police chief Scott Livingstone and superintendent of public works gilford mooring and They and and supporting team members around them are really stepping up in this time. So Paul Backelman is is leading us all working very closely with Lynn grissmeere our president of our town council We've been meeting In limited fashion because of social distancing One-on-one mostly remotely Many one-on-one exactly many remote meetings But also really trying to model what we're asking those folks in our community to do which is to social distance as much as possible So social distance means staying six seven ten feet apart if you're able to do so exactly I'm just trying to create distance as we've done on our set tonight. We usually sit much closer together But we are now about six feet or more from each other in order to have that distance that health professionals recommend Right, right absolutely. And then if you if there is an occasion where we do have to meet in person Or we're also Taking the opportunity to to use some of those platforms out there that allow you to meet remotely But I I guess the message I want to send today and You know in the coming days and weeks is that you know immerse government Your leadership is solid We're working as I said behind paul bachem and our town manager And so we are trying to both address the situation as it unfolds and everything is changing really hour by hour day by day But we are here We are here for all the residents And we're trying to anticipate what needs our community will have in the coming days and weeks. So um and with regard to meetings of town boards and Entities so you know the town council doesn't meet every week. It hasn't met every week Although right now. This is a period of time where they probably might meet a little bit more frequently Are they actually meeting in town hall? Are they meeting remotely? Virtually, how are they how are they conducting their business? So the town council did meet on monday night really in on a virtual platform And that will continue. So they will have a meeting Next monday and and I'll likely the monday after that and and the council I believe through the leadership of of lynn grismire will will want to be as consistent as possible I think it's you know, people want to see That we are here and we're operating Obviously the town council will be prioritizing those items that really need to be addressed Working with paul bachman Week to week. So um, there will be a meeting So is there a lot of focus in their meetings now on the corona virus in the town's response? So are they doing are they also doing uh, usual business? Shall we say things that they had been working on and and scheduled To debate and discuss certain ordinances and whatever along the way? Or is it really mostly focused on the current situation? Well, I think In the weeks ahead there will be hopefully all of us would like to see a return to business But right now the focus is what are those priority items? That must be dealt with in the town again working with paul Um And and finding out how the town council can be supportive of our residents our businesses Working with our our state rep and state senator. How do how are we communicating? What are the resources that the town of amherst needs? That we can communicate back through lynn through paul To our representative and our and our senator So for the time being it's really the the prioritization of those items I do think in weeks ahead months ahead clearly we will get back to get back to business as usual Although they may continue to meet in different ways than usual But we'll get back to the substance of matters that they've been working on As this recedes more into the background That's that's our hope and um, I think earlier we had chatted a little bit about Those boards and committees that do that are adjudicatory That deal with regulatory issues our planning board our zoning board of appeals So we've taken a little hiatus between this past monday and Friday april third those boards and committees will not meet We're working very diligently. We have a wonderful it department in town They're working to see how we can get up and running again using remote Technologies and those platforms that allow could allow for the planning board zoning board conservation commission historical commission To begin functioning again in the in the new normal if you will We want to make sure that uh when those boards and committees are able to meet That there is the ability for the public to weigh in and Participate as best we can As we're still adhering to social just that you've started to identify of how the public It's a little bit easier to imagine how maybe through zoom or these other platforms Where the six or five or ten members of a particular board Could all dial in click in and now they're all on the screen and they're talking with each other So you can imagine that a part of it. Um, how do you imagine the public being able to participate? And and and either observe or actually Testify and bring their business before boards of that nature. Well, I think we've already solved the observing We know that we can do that And that that took place last monday when the council met remotely And and there are as you mentioned how does that happen if i'm in the if i'm sitting at home And I want to watch the town council meeting and they're all in their homes How do I plug in well that would either Happen through amherst media or through the town's website a live stream through the town's website Um, and again as we move forward, we're going to be looking at ways through those platforms like zoom Like teams that's another platform that that is in in common use How do we get that the the ability for the public to weigh in? I know that the northampton city council met This week and they are they too are experimenting. So we're also reaching out to our other municipal friends and partners colleagues To see how how they're doing and and we're learning from them So we already know through technology how we can meet we also know through technology how we can observe And you're working through How the public can participate And so that's stay tuned and hopefully by april 3rd when the moratorium if you will of Official meetings of these Boards like the zoning board and planning board Hopefully will expire and won't need to extend that moratorium at that point Hopefully you'll have a solution for how people can actually participate One a matter is pending before those boards that relates to them to themselves or they've placed And that's the goal and I want people to know we're thinking about that because we want to be cognizant of those We want to be cognizant of of the business community and the development community We want to do anything we can on the side of local government to help keep the the economy moving forward But I don't want to put that out in front of right now Paul bachman his team Myself and lin are really working on how do we address the needs the immediate needs of those people in our our community? good well, it's also good that you raised the the point about the business community and Let's talk about both our major industry in town Which is higher education and the fact that these institutions have closed the students have gone home All three institutions. I I know for sure amherst and I've heard and of course you mass And you mass was going to come back But they've now told students to expect to complete their coursework online for the remainder of the semester Hampshire college. I've missed that. What's the situation there? Um, I actually don't I think in general We we we assume that hampshire is following suit as well with that. Yes, okay But we're not exactly sure but there it's We're not seeing a lot of students around town right now. No each each one of the campuses Is is taking a role in housing and providing services for those students who for some reason couldn't get home Exactly, whether they're international students or or are there under other circumstances? So again, we're in touch with all three institutions trying to make sure we know How many students are still on campus and if there's any needs that the the schools may have From our side of things and of course the uh reduction in the presence of students Means that's uh going to have a pretty big impact on our businesses Bookstores and you know amherst cinema and restaurants What are you hearing from the chamber of commerce from the bid with regard to what the Short-term immediate impacts have started to be in relation to these businesses. So they're They're they're they're pretty uh, they're pretty severe. They're pretty uh, serious We're in direct contact with the bid and chamber having weekly meetings with them Remotely at least and again the bid and chamber are doing a lot of that outreach How can they help some of those businesses that are struggling so much as most people know Some of the restaurants at least are trying to stay open In a takeout format. Yeah, and I think that's working for a number of them at least in the short term I think again the the bid and chamber will be looking To our state rep rep and and state senator for more And deeper assistance that might come through the state or federal government For those businesses that are are going to be tremendously affected by this downturn So I think right now we're we're working with some of the restaurants Again can other ways that Local government can help Keep some of that going. I mean, I think we're all trying to order as much takeout as we possibly can To keep these wonderful try to support our local businesses so that they'll be there when this is over Exactly because we don't know how long it's going to last And that said it will eventually go away and when it goes away We don't want a bunch of empty storefronts and businesses successful businesses Having been put away as a result of of these problems So right and that's not something that the town can do anything about immediately This is really going to require some state support. Have the businesses asked for anything in particular locally that That they think the local government might do or is is really the focus on trying to figure out state support I think most of the most of the the requests are really going up through the state As I said, you know, there are significant conversations having at the state level because of course this affects All 351 towns and cities and towns of massachusetts and all of those businesses You know hundreds of thousands of businesses right here in the commonwealth. I did want to talk a little bit Stand about If people have questions, where do they go? That's where I was hoping they could go next But I do want to ask one other thing before we do that Are we going to see some impacts on things like for example, I think about our water system and That we have three campuses that were major water users And they're I'm assuming they all got their water through the amor system And therefore that's going to have a revenue implication. Do you have any thoughts or has there been any Assessment of what the impact is going to be on on those funds because those are set up as separate Like water enterprises and so do we know what the impact is and is water the and sewer the only Area where we think we're going to see a major a potentially major impact Well, let me start by reassuring everyone that um our water and and our water in particular But our water and sewer systems are in fantastic shape There are no concerns about either one of those systems It is a core function of our government to provide clean and potable water to all of our residents and businesses So first and foremost, um those systems are running fine We consider those a very high priority. So safeguarding our Our staff in dpw These very technical folks who run our water and wastewater system is one of our highest priorities And that's why I mentioned them at the outset of this interview as really a core component Of the town manager's team with fire police health and dpw So first and foremost those those systems are in very good shape and those will continue Down the road, we will see some impacts to revenues. No doubt about it But again, that's really kind of secondary right now We want to make sure that the campuses with those Students their housing all of our residents any of our businesses Are our senior facilities both in south amherst central amherst are all receiving Water and wastewater services uninterrupted Down the road, some of those enterprises Systems will Feel the hit from less water, but right now that is not a major concern We're really focused on making sure we keep all of those systems functioning properly Exactly and it's really a two-month revenue hit because We were relatively close to the end of the school year And so it's really probably going to be about a couple of months of revenue Because if everything goes well everybody will be back in town in september and things will be back to normal You mentioned the schools just for a second I might take a moment to To compliment the wonderful work of superintendent mike morris and his team They are doing a terrific job in particular right now keeping all of the teachers and children and families Engaged during this challenging time, but also really importantly They are providing the the staff they're Working in the kitchens of our schools are actually providing lunches for those students who would normally be getting meals a breakfast and lunch Through the the state and federal Programs that are available to them So right now the schools are producing those meals and actually delivering them to about 11 different locations in amherst So those families and those children will still be getting that meal during that time those meals actually During the day five days a week So these are the kinds of examples of people stepping up and and I can't say enough things happen that need to happen Exactly and our partnership is so strong with the superintendent and his staff great So let's pivot to what you were Opening up another subject which is people have lots of questions and there are there are places You can get the best answers and then there are places where you go For certain things and other places where you go for other things So let's just sort of start from the beginning for people who want to understand more about the virus and How viruses spread and things of that nature That's something you you don't call town hall for the public health department The town has some Some links on on the website Yeah, we we understand that everybody is is very concerned They're getting their news and information from from a lot of sites and sources We want them to visit our website Our our main web page For the town of amherst then provides them links and and opportunities to go deeper depending on the department But our our health department has lots and lots of resources So I would I would certainly start there We want to make sure that we Keep our our health staff able to respond to You know priority situations in town to work with our department heads So if you have questions, I would start with the website if people have specific questions about Their own health or their family's health or or friends health That are really More, you know, I'm I'm I'm experiencing this They really need to go to their primary care provider for that and not call our health department probably starting by phone By phone, absolutely Making a determination with the nurse or the nurse practitioner and the doctor Whether a visit would be necessary and then under what conditions right exactly and I think that's the that's the That's the guidance we're getting from our department of public health and the cdc Call your primary care physician if you're having Symptoms of any kind again keeping in mind that the the flu is also out there still out there So call your your pcp first And if you're in real distress that crosses a line absolutely and What do you do if you're in distress? What would you normally do you would call 9-1-1 if it's a health emergency? By all means, please call 9-1-1 We I just met earlier this morning with with a number of our staff town manager had a meeting with his leadership team and and chief nelson and his staff are Fully prepared to respond to any emergency Along with our great fire police department in town. So if it's a health emergency Please call 9-1-1, but other other You know, if you just have general questions about your own health or your family's health Call your primary care physician. That's where you should start And if you want to learn more go online and you can start with the town website You can obviously google and cdc must have a lot of information up And I think you even have a link to the cdc we do on the website But there's plenty of information out there that you can read online if you'd like what kind of feedback are you getting from from your health department staff from the Fire department from the police department in terms of the contact that they're Experiencing from the residents here in town Are they getting a lot of calls? Are they What what's the nature of these the kind of interactions that they're having? Yeah, by and large then I would say that people are very positive. They're very caring. They're very understanding They understand that this is going to take All of us as a community to get to get through the next couple of weeks and months So people have a seem to have a tremendous amount of patience But that contact is important. So We want to encourage people A cross town government if they have questions for us Staff is there. They may not be there in town hall or in the lsse department But they are on call and and will respond To their phone calls or their emails from wherever they are Based on how we've social distance. So all hands are truly on deck even though you may not find them in their offices That's right. Even though these buildings may be closed to the public and that's a precaution. That's not to exactly people aren't off on vacation They're not off. Absolutely. They just For the safety of everybody involved We need to minimize the contact that people have with each other for this period of time Absolutely, you said it very well. We want to model the same behavior that is being asked of everyone throughout the country We're modeling that in town government. We are department heads are keenly aware of of what things are on the horizon in the business community um In the regulatory community and their staffs are ready to respond to you either By phone or by uh by email Or by on one of these other platforms on zoom or team As uh as things come about so and this is a really great period for people to be maximizing the use of the technology In general, you know calling your neighbors to see how they're doing as opposed to knocking on their door Sure, they'd love to see your face But at this point it's best to try to have some distance But still show that you care about your neighbors and and what's happening around you Yes, and a great example of that. It's so important. I'm glad you raised that that There are a number of people in our community particularly seen particularly seniors who may really They might not be getting that uh that face-to-face that one-on-one or group setting in our senior center Or through a delivery or something of that sort So our senior center director is setting up different systems for check-ins for phone calls For those seniors who are a little bit more advanced technologically There may be some of those platforms that we talked about where we can check in with them that way But we've got volunteers checking in with as many people as I know a lot of seniors who are busy on their facebook pages and twitter and using their technology so I did want to touch with people for seniors I did also want to mention that we're doing the very best weekend to continue those food delivery Those those really primary food delivery Systems like meals on wheels. We've changed our practices a little bit. There's no longer that contact if you will But meals are still being delivered Out to locations where those seniors need them So well, I want to thank you for joining us today and for the good work that you and Your colleagues in town government are doing to try to help First keep the town safe and healthy and second to keep the wheels of government turning so that We can get back to normal as quickly as possible when we can Change and go back to our old habits of of being more Being closer together Around tables and in interviews like this. So thank you for all your good work Well, thank you stan and i'm happy to come on In future future shows if that may have you on for updates as time goes on even if it's just for a few minutes Even if we're covering some other subjects because we want to keep people informed So thank you for joining us. Thanks for watching out for your neighbors. We hope you all stay healthy