Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Board of Selectmen · Amherst · April 15, 2024.
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Unbudgeted ~$900K capital purchase with at least one board member demanding written documentation before any decision on a major public safety asset
Amherst's fire tower truck is OUT OF SERVICE. Fire Chief proposed a used 2018/19 replacement for ~$900K. Board member Bill pushed back: wants written reports before any vote. No decision yet. 4/15 Board of Selectmen. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024-...
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Enormous fiscal uncertainty in PFAS remediation costs that taxpayers will ultimately bear
PFAS cleanup at Amherst's Food Basket site: estimates range from $277K to $1.9M — nearly 7x spread depending on whether soil is hazardous waste. No funding decision yet. 4/15 Board of Selectmen. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024-04-15/ #MeetingWatch #...
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New federal PFAS threshold is far stricter than state standard and could expand town remediation obligations and reshape ARPA spending
EPA tightened PFAS limits to 4 ppt — down from NH's 12–18 ppt. Amherst board flagged 4/15 that properties previously addressed under state rules may no longer comply. Could affect ARPA funds too. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024-04-15/ #MeetingWatch...
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Ongoing unresolved infrastructure issue at a public safety facility — accountability for follow-through
Amherst fire station solar panels still aren't sending power to the grid. Fire Chief: 'It just seems like a circle they're sending us in' — bounced between Eversource and Constellation. Still unresolved. 4/15 meeting. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024...
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THREAD: Amherst Board of Selectmen met 4/15/24. Several items residents should be watching — including a public safety gap, a potential $900K unbudgeted purchase, and a federal environmental standard that could cost the town sig... #MeetingWatch
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1/ FIRE TRUCK OUT OF SERVICE. Amherst's tower truck is currently down — torque box and balancer failures. Two companies assessed repairs at $700K–$750K. Fire Chief proposed a used 2018/19 replacement truck from Monroe, CT for ~$...
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2/ Board member Bill requested documentation: 'I'm open to the ideas, but not on the basis of a conversation. I would like to see the written reports.' No vote taken. Chief must submit formal written assessments from both compan...
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3/ A ~$900K unbudgeted purchase — even for a legitimate public safety need — warrants formal written documentation. Watch for those reports and what the board does next.
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4/ PFAS CLEANUP: The Food Basket site remediation just got a preliminary price tag — and the range is wide. Sanborn Head estimates: $277K on the low end, $1.9M on the high end. The difference? Whether contaminated soil requires...
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5/ No funding decision was made. But with a nearly 7x cost spread, this is a major open fiscal question. Residents should be asking: where does that money come from if it hits the high end?
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6/ NEW FEDERAL PFAS RULES. The EPA finalized PFAS action thresholds at 4 parts per trillion — compared to NH's current 12–18 ppt standard. That's a 67–78% reduction. Board Chair flagged this 4/15 as potentially affecting homes p...
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7/ In plain terms: properties the town already addressed under the state standard may now fall out of compliance under the new federal one. This could expand the town's remediation obligations significantly. No formal action tak...
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8/ ALSO AT THE MEETING: Solar panels at the fire station still aren't working properly — power isn't flowing back to the grid. The Fire Chief has been bounced between Eversource and Constellation with no fix. He called it 'a cir...
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9/ What to watch: Will the board receive and act on the tower truck written assessments at the next meeting (~4/29)? Will PFAS remediation costs and the new EPA threshold get a dedicated agenda item? These are significant issues... https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024-04-15/ #AmherstNH
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Longer-form draft.
📋 AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — April 15, 2024 Meeting Recap Several significant items came before the board that Amherst residents should be tracking closely. 🚒 FIRE TOWER TRUCK OUT OF SERVICE — ~$900K DECISION PENDING Amherst currently has no operational tower truck. Repair estimates from two companies came in at $700,000–$750,000, prompting the Fire Chief to propose buying a used 2018/2019 truck from Monroe, CT for approximately $900,000 instead. This is an unbudgeted capital expenditure. Board member Bill requested proper documentation before proceeding: 'I'm open to the ideas, but not on the basis of a conversation. I would like to see the written reports.' No vote was taken. The Chief has been asked to submit formal written assessment reports from both companies before the board proceeds. The next meeting is approximately two weeks away — watch for this item to return with documentation. ☣️ PFAS REMEDIATION COSTS: $277K TO $1.9 MILLION The town received preliminary cost estimates from Sanborn Head for PFAS remediation at the Food Basket site. The range is $277,000 on the low end and $1.9 million on the high end — a nearly sevenfold difference depending on whether contaminated soil must be removed as hazardous waste. No funding decision was made, but this is a major unresolved fiscal exposure. Making it more complex: the EPA just finalized new PFAS action thresholds at 4 parts per trillion — far stricter than New Hampshire's current standard of 12–18 ppt. The Board Chair flagged that this could affect homes the town previously considered resolved under state standards, and may also affect how the town can use remaining ARPA funds. 🌀 SOLAR PANELS AT FIRE STATION STILL NOT WORKING The fire station's solar panels are not sending power back to the grid. The Fire Chief reported being redirected from Eversource to Constellation Energy with no resolution in sight — describing it as 'a circle they're sending us in.' He has until the May meeting to pursue a fix through Constellation. This is a public facility where a renewable energy investment is not delivering its intended return. OTHER ACTIONS: • Approved hawkers and vendors permit for Seasonal Specialty Store (5-0) • Approved multiple board and commission appointments (5-0) • Created a part-time Senior Program Coordinator position funded by revolving fund (5-0) • Declared surplus DPW equipment for auction (5-0) • Deferred Buck Meadow impact fee question to meeting with town attorney • Scheduled stormwater committee dissolution for next agenda All formal votes at the 4/15 meeting were unanimous (5-0). The board's next meeting is approximately April 29. Residents who care about fire department readiness, environmental cleanup costs, and federal regulatory changes should consider attending or following up. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/amherst/board-of-selectmen/2024-04-15/ #MeetingWatch #AmherstNH