AMHERST — Town officials are in the midst of updating the town’s housing production plan for the first time since 2013.

On Tuesday, two 90-minute, in-person sessions will be held at the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library, 43 Amity St., led by Greg Richane, Amherst’s associate planner and housing coordinator. The first begins at 2 p.m., while the second starts at 6 p.m.

A housing production plan will chart a path toward addressing the affordable housing needs of low- and moderate-income people in town, with data about who needs housing and what options currently exist. The plan will also identify goals for different housing types and strategies that could be pursued to increase affordable housing opportunities.

The plan will also help Amherst meet the state’s Chapter 40B affordable housing law. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities regulates these plans, which are required to be locally approved before being sent to the state. Plans have three elements: a comprehensive housing needs assessment, affordable housing goals, and implementation strategies.

Barrett Planning Group of Hingham is partnering with the town to conduct demographic, housing and market research; to engage Amherst residents in developing the plan; to identify housing types needed in Amherst; and to consider approaches to secure affordable housing for all residents.

Those who attend will be welcome to share their hopes and vision for the future of housing in Amherst. Those interested in attending can RSVP at https://forms.gle/rtc9T5zX3fAY3KvF8/.

Community input will also come via an online public survey, a second community meeting and focus groups.

The housing production plan comes as the town is embarking on several efforts to increase the housing stock, including working in partnership with local nonprofit developers and making zoning adjustments. Developments getting underway include Valley Community Development’s Amherst Community Homes in North Amherst, which will be owner-occupied duplexes, and the East Street School and Belchertown Road affordable apartments led by Way Finders Inc.

The town is also in the midst of getting concept plans for the VFW site on Main Street, coordinated by architecture firm The Narrow Gate, hiring a consultant to examine possibilities for South Amherst School on South East Street, and considering placing an overlay district along University Drive.

Charter Review Committee

The panel that will take feedback on the current way Amherst government operates, and make recommendations for adjustments to the town charter to the Town Council, began meeting on Sept. 19.

Athena O’Keeffe, clerk to the Town Council, is staffing the panel that will meet regularly via Zoom starting on Oct. 10, and then every other Thursday evening.

O’Keeffe said decisions the committee has to make will be on how to solicit feedback and about what it can and can’t recommend to the Town Council for changes, without needing to form another Charter Commission.

The new charter was adopted by voters in 2018, with a Town Council and town manager form of government replacing one with a Select Board, representative Town Meeting and town manager.

Senegal and The Gambia experiences

Amherst Regional High School students Sanna Johnson and Craig Hrones will talk about their experiences in Senegal and the Gambia on Thursday at 7 p.m. as part of the Judy Brooks Conversation Series hosted by the Amherst League of Women Voters.

The Zoom presentation can be joined by registering at the League’s website at lwvamherst.org.

Johnson and Hrones were part of the fifth group to travel to those countries, living with host families in Gunjur, The Gambia, and Dakar, Senegal, in April and May. Their time there also included field research projects on leadership and governance in Senegal.

Brooks, who died in 2018, was an Amherst educator and civic leader who worked to find solutions to complex issues in town.

Repair Cafe

People with computers, smartphones, tablets and small household appliances that aren’t working properly are welcome to come to the Woodbury Room for the Jones Library’s first Repair Cafe.

The event will run from noon to 4:30 p.m. and each person can bring one item. Drop-ins are welcome, though it is recommended to sign up in advance at the reference desk or complete a form at https://forms.gle/SLUBvoBWKJHKtJzP6/.

Bandtoberfest

The UMass Wind Ensemble, conducted by Matthew Westgate, and the UMass Symphony Band, conducted by Lindsay Bronnenkant, will perform on the Town Common on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. as part of the fourth annual Bandtoberfest event sponsored by the Amherst Business Improvement District.

The family-friendly fall celebration event will feature performances of music from movie soundtracks including “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” musicals such as “Mary Poppins,” “West Side Story” and “Sound of Music,” along with marches, polkas, and classic band works.

Abandoned Building Brewery will be on hand this year serving wine and freshly brewed beer, with those attending encouraged to picnic on site with their own meals from home or a downtown restaurant.

Stained glass tour

Also on Sunday at 2 p.m., the Amherst Historical Society & Museum is hosting a guided walking tour of historic stained glass windows in downtown Amherst, led by Suzannah Fabing Muspratt, museum professional and retired director of the Smith College Museum of Art.

Limited to 20 people, registration is required, with the cost $10 for museum members and $15 for non-members. Go to amhersthistory.org/events/stained-glass-walking-tour/ to register.

The tour will visit several buildings in downtown Amherst that feature historically significant stained-glass windows from the 15th century to the early 21st century.