Age Distribution of Ranked-Choice Voting Applicants

Demographic data of applicants to Ranked-Choice Voting Commission The Outreach, Communications, and Appointments committee Designee for the Ranked-Choice Voting Commission presents to the Town Council an overview of the demographics of the applicant pool for the Ranked-Choice Voting Commission. All data was self-reported by applicants on submitted Community Activity Forms. Age

Gender

18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+ No Answer

Age Range

Age Distribution of Ranked-Choice Voting Applicants

Gender Balance of Ranked-Choice Voting Applicants

Male

Female

No Answer

Racial/Ethnic Background*

*Racial/ethnic background is an optional category on the Community Activity Form that allows applicants to self-report their race/ethnicity. The category allows applicants to fill in any information as opposed to selecting a racial/ethnic background. This explains the varied answers provided. OCA sought to report this data as self-reported, and did not re-categorize applicants’ responses. The OCA Designee recognizes the lack of racial/ethnic diversity in the applicant pool.

Race/Ethnic Diversity of Ranked-Choice Voting Applicants

White/Anglo-AmericanCaucasian

No Answer

Does the recommended appointee appear to have relevant experience or expertise in the committee subject area?

Does the recommended appointee represent a community or stakeholder the Town Council feels should be on the committee?

Was the applicant pool sufficiently diverse?

Is filling this member slot pressing because committee (1) has struggled

to have a quorum (2) because the committee has consistently struggled with recruitment (3) a vacancy will impede the committee from acting?

Does this recommended appointee further the Charter’s goal of increasing

underrepresented groups on committees?

Return to OCA as rejected candidate or with a request for

explanation of recommendation

Does the committee or the appointees reflect the diversity of the applicant

pool?Return to OCA with request for additional

recruitment to the applicant pool

Recommend appointment to the Town Council

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

Decision Tree for Town Council to Appoint Residents Recommended by the Outreach, Communications, and Appointments [OCA] Committee for Appointment to

Multiple-Member Bodies Appointed by the Town Council

Outreach, Communications, and Appointments Committee

Process to recommend appointees to Ranked-Choice Voting Commission (RCV) and Participatory Budgeting Commission (PCB) appointed by the Town Manager and the Town

Council Relevant actors: APPLICANTS TOWN CLERK TOWN MANAGER RESIDENTS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE FINANCE DIRECTOR

OUTREACH, COMMUNICATIONS, AND APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE [OCA] OCA DESIGNEE TOWN COUNCIL RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE

Application & Interviews APPLICANTS submit a completed Community Activity Form (CAF). OCA receives all CAFs but does not discuss them with each other, other TOWN COUNCIL members, or the public. OCA designates one member to conduct interviews for the multiple member body. The OCA DESIGNEE and the TOWN MANAGER schedule joint interviews with APPLICANTS. They may, subject to availability, invite appropriate staff (TOWN CLERK for RCV, FINANCE DIRECTOR or designee for PBC) and a member of the RESIDENTS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE to participate in the interview in a strict consultation role. Following the completion of interviews, the OCA DESIGNEE and TOWN MANAGER meet to discuss APPLICANTS. The OCA DESIGNEE and TOWN MANAGER select their desired candidates. The TOWN MANAGER refers to the TOWN COUNCIL, and simultaneously files with the TOWN CLERK, the name of each RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE the Town Manager desires to appoint. OCA requests that the TOWN MANAGER also sends OCA a brief narrative of why they selected the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE, but recognizes this is at the discretion of the TOWN MANAGER. The OCA DESIGNEE simultaneously refers to OCA their RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES accompanied by relevant information (qualifications, reasons for recommendation) and a narrative description of the interview and selection process.

OCA Review & Votes At a posted public meeting, OCA reviews the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES. OCA discusses and votes on RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES. At this point, OCA may:

For RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES appointed by the TOWN MANAGER:

Recommend that the TOWN COUNCIL approve a RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE Recommend that the TOWN COUNCIL reject a RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE, sending the recommendation back to the TOWN MANAGER Recommend that the TOWN COUNCIL take no action on a RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE, allowing appointment to be effective after 30 days of the filing with the TOWN CLERK

Request more information from the TOWN MANAGER to answer questions or concerns about the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE or the applicant pool

For RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES appointed by the TOWN COUNCIL:

Approve the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE and send them to the full TOWN COUNCIL with a recommendation for appointment Reject a RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE, sending the recommendation back to the OCA DESIGNEE, who may choose to bring forward a new candidate, or who may at that point declare that the pool lacks sufficient candidates and ask OCA to recruit more candidates Request more information from the OCA DESIGNEE to answer questions or concerns about the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE or the applicant pool

Town Council Review & Votes OCA sends a report to the TOWN COUNCIL with their recommendations on all RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES, along with relevant information about the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE and a description of the selection process. The TOWN COUNCIL reviews, discusses, and votes on the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES. At this point, the TOWN COUNCIL may:

Approve the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE Reject a RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE, sending the recommendation back to either OCA or the TOWN MANAGER (depending on appointing authority), who may choose to bring forward a new candidate or recruit more candidates Request more information from OCA or the TOWN MANAGER to answer questions or concerns about the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE or the applicant pool Refer the RECOMMENDED APPOINTEE back to OCA for further deliberation

Applicant CAF Pool

RACOCASelects designee

OCA DesigneeRecommended Appointee(s)

Process Narrative

OCA

TownCouncil

Submits CAF

Consults

Requests more information/refers

back to OCA

Town Council rejects Town Council

recommendation

TOWN MANAGER & TOWN COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS TO RANKED CHOICE VOTING COMMISSION &PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING COMMISSION

Town Manager

InterviewOCA Designee + Town Manager

May include staff and RAC member OCA Designee + Town Manager discuss and select recommended appointees. Determine which will be

Town Manager appointments and which

will be Town Council appointments

Town Manager Recommended Appointee(s)

Recommended Appointees

Town Council rejects Town Manager

recommendation

Requests more information

Requests more information

OCA rejects OCA Designee’srecommendation

Tools

RSS

Notify Me

View Archived

Categories

◾ All Categories

◾ amherstma.gov - News & Announcements

◾ amherstpd.org - Police News & Announcements

Previous

Open Air Burning Permits now available

Next

Eversource Maintenance Notifications

Other News in amherstma.gov - News & Announcements

amherstma.gov - News & Announcements

Posted on: February 20, 2019

Town Council Seeks Members to Serve on Town Committees

The Town Council is seeking volunteers to serve on several Town committees that may have

vacancies now or beginning in July, including:

The Town Council is especially seeking individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those who have no prior municipal

government experience.

If you are interested in volunteering to serve, please fill out a Community Activity Form at: www.amherstma.gov/caf

If you have questions, please reach out to the Town Council Outreach, Communications, and Appointments Chair Sarah

Swartz [email protected], or our Town Community Participation Officers at [email protected]

The references cited above are from the Amherst Home Rule Charter,

https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41987/Amherst-Home-Rule-Charter?bidId=

This notice fulfills the Town bulletin board requirement.

Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at 9:30 am

Apply online!

◦ Finance Committee (Section 5.5(b)),

◦ Planning Board (Section 2.9(c)),

◦ Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) (Section 2.9(c)),

◦ Ranked Choice Voting Commission (Section 10.10), and the

◦ Participatory Budgeting Commission (Section 10.11).

⇐ ⇒

Construction Activities Week of April 22nd, 2019

Posted on: April 19, 2019

Amherst, MA - Official Website Page 1 of 4

https://www.amherstma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2257 4/22/2019

Amherst Pelham PreK-6 Regionalization Public Forums


Catch Us in the Community!


10th Annual Sustainability Festival


Think Before You Swim!


Amherst Community Cleanup


MassDOT Public Hearing for Rt 9 & 116 Improvements on Thursday, April 25, 2019


ArtWeek Amherst 2019




14th Annual Human Rights Hero Awards


Street Sweeping

Posted on: March 29, 2019

Amherst Leisure Services Receives Agency Award


Scheduled water Main Flushing


Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Woodland


Open Air Burning Permits now available


Eversource Maintenance Notifications

Posted on: January 24, 2019





OCA Designee report to OCA RCV recommendations 1 of 3

Standard Interview Questions adopted by OCA 04-08-2019

1. Welcome, thanks for taking time to fill out form and apply 2. Why did you apply? How did you learn about the vacancy?

3. Have you ever watched or attended one of their meetings? Looked at their webpage?

4. What is your relevant expertise and/or experience?

5. What important perspective do you feel you bring to this body?

6. Tell us about an experience you have had collaborating with a group?

7. Are you comfortable working under Open Meeting Law, where all discussions and decisions are done in meetings posted at least 48 hours in advance and open to the public?

8. What about the time commitment and committee meeting schedule on the provided handout?

9. Do you have any questions for us or anything else you want to share with us?

10. Thank you – let them know about process going forward and time frame. Everyone will be contacted, whether selected or not.


Interview Protocol drafted through 04-08-2019 Edited for Ranked-Choice Voting Commission & Participatory Budgeting Commissions

A. Preliminary Steps

1. There is a vacancy 2. Vacancy has been published per the Charter for 14 days [published on the Town bulletin

board for a period of not less than 14 days (Charter Section 9.12(e))] 3. OCA designates one OCA member to do the interviews for all current vacancies on that

multiple-member body (can be different OCA Designees for different multiple-member bodies)

4. OCA Designee asks the Chair of the relevant multiple-member body what special skills/qualifications their multiple-member body is seeking in new nominees. These are to be used as a guideline in the OCA practice:

1. by the OCA Designee who interviews and recommends nominee to OCA, and 2. by OCA to recommend nominees to the full Town Council.

6. Everyone who applied should be interviewed (or given opportunity to interview) – validates process

7. The number of applicants (number of CAF filed) is not released to anyone at this point: not to press, staff, Town Councilors, multiple-member body chairs or members

8. Town Manager decides which staff member is setting up the actual interviews based on the time availability provided by the OCA Designee

9. Town staff member emails each applicant an interview time invitation that was written with OCA Designee that provides:

1. copy of multiple-member body charge; 2. handout that describes what the multiple-member body does, time

commitment, when the committee meets time/day/frequency, homework required, and restrictions placed on committee by Open Meeting Law (see interview question 7) (DEVELOPED BY STAFF WITH COMMITTEE CHAIR AND DISTRIBUTED AT TIME OF INTERVIEW SCHEDULING; see rough draft Alisa em 04-10-19);

3. link to multiple-member body webpage 10. Limit interviews to 20 15 minutes; schedule 3 4 per hour

B. Who is present? OCA Designee, who may at their discretion include:

1. Relevant multiple-member body Chair (if available) 2. Staff Liaison (if available) 3. Town Manager (if available) 4. Town Clerk (Ranked-Choice Voting)/ Finance Director (Participatory Budgeting)


Note: This is not an interview committee. There is no standard interview committee, just the OCA Designee and additional people who may be available at the OCA Designee’s request and discretion. All questions will be asked by the OCA Designee. Others present have no speaking role unless the OCA Designee asks the others present to speak. C. What materials are used on the interview table? CAF Charge and other email materials provided to applicant Published vacancy notice D. After the interview: OCA Designee who did interview prepares to present recommended appointments to full OCA After the interview:

• The OCA Designee may, but is not required, to solicit the opinions of the Staff Liaison, multiple-member body Chair, and/or the Town Manager.

• The OCA Designee cannot solicit the opinions of other Town Councilors.

Documents

Age Distribution of Ranked-Choice Voting Applicants