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Board of Selectmen — April 15, 2024

The meeting was largely routine with unanimous votes throughout, but the Fire Department's tower truck situation introduced urgency and process concerns — with a board member requesting written documentation before proceeding on a near-$1M decision — and the wide-ranging PFAS cost estimates and new federal standards introduced unresolved fiscal and environmental uncertainty.

Date Monday, April 15, 2024 Duration 1.2h Speakers 13 Public comments 1 Decisions 10 Routine
▶ Video

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Fire Department Tower Truck Replacement

Approximately $900,000 purchase of a used tower truck; current truck is out of service, creating an active public safety gap Affected: All Amherst residents dependent on fire department aerial/ladder capabilities; taxpayers funding the capital expenditure
other high impact
02

PFAS Remediation at Food Basket Site

Preliminary cost estimates ranging from $277,000 to $1.9 million depending on soil disposal requirements — a nearly 7x variance reflecting significant fiscal uncertainty Affected: Nearby residents, town taxpayers, and anyone using groundwater or municipal water potentially affected by PFAS contamination
other high impact
03

Federal PFAS Threshold Tightening (4 ppt vs. 12–18 ppt State Standard)

EPA reduced PFAS action level by 67–78% below the state standard, potentially reclassifying previously compliant properties and requiring additional town remediation and funding reallocation Affected: Residents previously connected to municipal water due to PFAS concerns at the state threshold; homeowners who may now exceed the new federal limit; ARPA fund recipients and town budget planners
safety change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approved hawkers and vendors permit for Seasonal Specialty Store
Permit allows selling soft serve ice cream, slushies, and smoothies from trailer
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Approved multiple board and commission appointments
Various reappointments and new appointments to committees with terms ending 2025-2027
5-0 for all appointments (Chair abstained on her own reappointment)
Accepted resignation of Tom Murphy from Recreation Commission
Motion to accept resignation with regret
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Approved creation of Senior Program Coordinator position
Part-time position at Grade 5, funded by revolving fund, maximum 19 hours per week
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Declared DPW equipment surplus for auction
Two sign boards, two sanders, and asphalt zipper with trailer to be sold via online auction
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Approved meeting minutes from April 1, 2024 with amendments
Minor corrections for missing names and typo corrections
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Approved consent agenda items
Items 9.1 and 9.2 approved without individual discussion
5-0 (unanimous approval)
Established process for cell tower agreement review
Dean designated as point of contact with Vertex, board members to submit comments to Dean, two-week review timeline established
Consensus agreement
Scheduled stormwater committee dissolution for future agenda
Will formally consider disbanding the stormwater committee at next meeting
Consensus to add to next meeting agenda
Meeting adjourned
Motion to adjourn approved by all members present
Unanimous approval

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 01:16 Seasonal Specialty Store Hawkers and Vendors Permit

Maggie from Seasonal Specialty Store requested a permit to sell soft serve ice cream, slushies, and smoothies from a trailer in front of their store. The board approved the permit unanimously.

Speakers: Maggie, Unidentified speaker
▶ 02:14 Board and Commission Appointments

The board approved multiple reappointments and new appointments to various committees including Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, Cemetery Trustee, Conservation Commission, Fourth of July Committee, Heritage Commission, Historic District Commission, Library Trustees, Planning Commission, Landfill District, Swap Shop, and Trust Fund positions.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 11:45 Fire Department Solar Panel Update

Fire Chief reported ongoing issues with solar panels at fire station not registering power flow back to grid. Eversource redirected him to Constellation energy supplier, creating complications in resolving the issue.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 15:15 Fire Department Tower Truck Assessment

Chief reported the current tower truck is out of service due to torque box and balancer issues. Two companies assessed repair costs at $700-750K. Chief proposed purchasing a used 2018/2019 tower truck from Monroe, Connecticut for approximately $900K as a cost-effective alternative.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 35:11 PFAS Remediation at Food Basket Site

Town Administrator reported receiving preliminary cost estimates from Sanborn Head ranging from $277K to $1.9M for PFAS remediation, depending on whether soil requires off-site hazardous waste disposal.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 37:58 Buck Meadow Impact Fees Discussion

Staff raised concerns about applying impact fees to Buck Meadow field improvements, questioning whether the work qualifies under legal counsel's opinion. Board agreed to schedule discussion with town attorney Stephen for clarification.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 48:20 Senior Program Coordinator Position Creation

Recreation Director requested approval to create a part-time Senior Program Coordinator position (15-19 hours/week, Grade 5 pay) to expand programming for older adults, funded entirely through revolving fund revenue.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 53:44 DPW Equipment Surplus Declaration

DPW Director requested declaring surplus six pieces of old equipment including sanders, sign boards, and an unused asphalt zipper to be sold at auction to generate revenue.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:02:52 Consent Agenda Approval

Board approved all items on the consent agenda (items 9.1 and 9.2) without individual discussion. Minutes will specifically identify approved items for future reference.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:04:01 Cell Tower Agreement Process

Discussion of draft cell tower agreement from Vertex, establishing Dean as point of contact and setting up process for board member comments and review timeline.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:07:06 School District Impact Fees Meeting

Board member scheduled to meet with school representatives including superintendent and business manager to discuss impact fees.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:07:08 Stormwater Committee Dissolution

Proposal to disband the stormwater committee as MS.4 work is now handled by DPW and consultants rather than volunteers.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:07:48 PFAS Standards Update

EPA finalized new lower PFAS thresholds (4 parts per trillion for PFOA/PFOS, down from state's 12-18 ppt), potentially affecting previously connected houses and ARPA funding usage.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Fire Department Tower Truck Replacement (~$900K)

The board is being asked to consider a major unbudgeted capital expenditure of approximately $900,000 for a used tower truck. With the current truck out of service, there is urgency, but at least one board member (Bill) explicitly pushed back on moving forward without written documentation, signaling concern about a rushed process for a near-million-dollar purchase.
Board position: Cautiously open to purchasing a used 2018/2019 tower truck from Monroe, CT, but deferred decision pending receipt of formal written inspection and assessment reports.
Internal dissent
Board member Bill explicitly stated he was 'open to the ideas, but not on the basis of a conversation' and requested written reports from both assessment companies before any decision, indicating at least one member wanted proper documentation before proceeding with a major capital purchase.
medium concern
02

PFAS Remediation at Food Basket Site ($277K–$1.9M Cost Range)

The extraordinary cost range ($277K to $1.9M) for PFAS remediation reflects deep uncertainty about soil contamination severity. The higher end represents a significant fiscal exposure for the town. The recent EPA tightening of PFAS thresholds (down to 4 ppt from the state's 12–18 ppt) may further expand the scope and cost of remediation obligations across the town.
Board position: Acknowledged the preliminary estimates and the wide cost range; no funding decision made yet, monitoring situation.
medium concern
03

New Federal PFAS Standards Potentially Expanding Remediation Obligations

The EPA's finalization of PFAS thresholds at 4 parts per trillion — far stricter than New Hampshire's 12–18 ppt — could require the town to revisit previously connected homes and potentially redirect ARPA funding. This has broad implications for residents who believed their properties were already addressed, as well as for town finances.
Board position: Board chair flagged the rule change and its implications for ARPA funds; no formal action taken, but acknowledged as a significant development requiring monitoring.
medium concern
04

Buck Meadow Impact Fee Eligibility Dispute

There is unresolved legal ambiguity about whether impact fees can be applied to Buck Meadow field improvements. Staff raised concerns that the proposed use may not qualify under the town attorney's legal opinion, creating potential risk of improper fee application. This touches on development impact fee policy and could affect both developers and residents who benefit from recreational infrastructure.
Board position: Agreed to defer and schedule a meeting with Town Attorney Stephen for clarification before proceeding.
low concern
05

Stormwater Committee Dissolution

Disbanding a standing volunteer committee eliminates a formal civic participation channel. While the rationale (work now handled by paid DPW staff and consultants) is operationally sound, volunteer committee members and engaged residents may view the dissolution as a reduction in community input into stormwater and environmental policy.
Board position: Board signaled consensus to add formal dissolution to the next meeting agenda.
low concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Contact Constellation energy supplier regarding solar panel power flow issues
Assigned: Fire Chief · Due: Next meeting in May (4 weeks)
Provide written assessment reports from both companies that evaluated tower truck
Assigned: Fire Chief · Due: Next meeting (2 weeks)
Arrange professional inspection of used tower truck in Connecticut if board decides to proceed
Assigned: Fire Chief · Due: To be determined based on board direction
Schedule meeting with town attorney Stephen to clarify Buck Meadow impact fee eligibility
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Next meeting
Provide attorney with Bruce Mayberry's impact fee report before meeting
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Before scheduled attorney meeting
Serve as point of contact with Vertex on cell tower agreement and collect board member comments
Assigned: Dean (Town Administrator) · Due: 2 weeks
Send draft cell tower agreement to all board members
Assigned: Dean · Due: Immediately
Review draft Vertex cell tower agreement and provide comments to Dean
Assigned: All Board Members · Due: As soon as possible for 2-week review cycle
Meet with school representatives regarding impact fees
Assigned: a speaker · Due: Tomorrow (day after meeting)
Add stormwater committee dissolution to next meeting agenda
Assigned: Staff · Due: Next meeting

Notable ⁠statements

It just seems like a circle that they're sending us in — Fire Chief · Describing frustration with Eversource redirecting solar panel issues to different companies ▶ 12:50
I'm open to the ideas, but not on the basis of a conversation. I mean, I guess what I would like to see is the written reports — Board Member Bill · Requesting formal documentation before making major equipment purchase decisions ▶ 22:52
We're looking at 700, 750,000 to do a refurb on the truck, which is why, you know, a 900,000 give or take is much more palatable — Fire Chief · Explaining cost comparison between repairing current tower truck vs. purchasing used replacement ▶ 27:29
This position will be paid for completely out of the revolving fund. So no cost to the taxpayer — Recreation Director · Explaining funding source for new Senior Program Coordinator position ▶ 49:29
The minutes are going to reflect the actual items. They'll specifically identify the items that we have taken action so that somebody reading minutes in the future will know the items that were approved even though we didn't voice them aloud tonight — Unidentified speaker · Explaining consent agenda documentation procedures for transparency ▶ 1:03:32
Stormwater Committee was at a stage when our MS.4 work was really being done by volunteers. And we're kind of beyond that now... It's all being done now by DPW and consultants — Unidentified speaker · Justifying proposal to disband stormwater committee due to operational changes ▶ 1:07:08
EPA finalized its rule setting the new thresholds for PFAS substances... reduces the action items to 4 parts per trillion. The state numbers have been between 12 and 18 parts per trillion — Unidentified speaker · Reporting significant change in federal PFAS standards that are more restrictive than state standards ▶ 1:07:48

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
1
Total speakers
1
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Maggie
▶ 01:16
Addressed
Maggie, who works at Seasonal Specialty Store and lives in Amherst, requested a permit to sell soft serve ice cream, slushies, and smoothies from a trailer in front of the store. She clarified that no food would be prepared on-site, only pre-made items served. Key concern
Obtaining a hawkers and vendors permit to sell soft serve ice cream and beverages from a trailer
Board response
The board asked if there were any questions, then made a motion to approve the permit, seconded it, and voted unanimously (5-0) to approve
The board fully addressed her request by approving the hawkers and vendors permit unanimously after a brief discussion
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Report composed by claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-05-19.