Accountability Posts

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Single-bidder procurement concern on a multi-year, six-figure contract

Amherst BOS 4/29: Town awarded a $256,815 snow plowing contract — and only ONE company bid. The DPW Director says insurance requirements are keeping contractors out. Taxpayers have no way to know if this is a fair price. Board approved it 5-0.

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Equity concern about who will pay future stormwater utility fees

Amherst BOS 4/29: Before approving a new stormwater utility fee study, one board member pumped the brakes — demanding data on who actually bears the impervious surface burden: homeowners, businesses, or industry. Smart ask. Watch this space.

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Community concern raised but not acted on — speed enforcement beyond truck restrictions

Amherst BOS 4/29: Residents called for broader speed enforcement — not just a trucking ordinance. The board acknowledged the comments, advanced the ordinance, and took zero action on the enforcement gap. Same concern, no resolution.

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Assessment verification process failure and split vote on abatement denial

Amherst BOS 4/29: A property owner sought a tax abatement for a trailer. The assessor couldn't verify the claim because the trailer had already been removed. The chair abstained rather than vote to deny. Process question worth asking: what happens to people who can't freeze their property in place?

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🧵 Amherst Board of Selectmen met 4/29/24. Here's what residents should know — from a $257K single-bid contract to a stormwater fee study with real equity stakes and a trucking ordinance heading to public hearing. Thread:

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1/ SNOW PLOWING CONTRACT: The town needed bids for a 3-year plowing contract. One company responded: Knox Land Care, at $83,500/year — $256,815 total. The DPW Director said insurance requirements are blocking other contractors from bidding. Board approved 5-0, no competitive pressure.

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2/ That's not a knock on Knox Land Care. But when only one company bids on a quarter-million-dollar contract, taxpayers can't know if the price is fair. The board should be asking: is our bid spec driving people away? This is a structural problem that could repeat every 3 years.

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3/ STORMWATER FEES: The board was asked to authorize $9,890 for a study to design a new stormwater utility fee — charged based on impervious surface (rooftops, parking lots, driveways). A board member said: not yet. Show us first how the burden breaks down across residential, commercial, and industrial zones.

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4/ That's the right question. Stormwater utilities can hit commercial and industrial landowners hard — or they can spread costs broadly across homeowners. The board deferred the authorization until staff brings back that equity data. Public should follow this closely.

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5/ TRUCKING ORDINANCE: After six residents spoke — some for restrictions, some for enforcement instead — the board voted 5-0 to advance a no-through-trucking ordinance to public hearing. Weight limit set at 68,000 lbs. Covers Boston Post Rd, Mount Vernon Rd, and New Boston Rd. Christian Hill and Limber Roads excluded.

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6/ Public hearing hasn't been scheduled yet. If you use those roads — or rely on truck deliveries — this is your chance to weigh in before it becomes law.

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7/ SPEED ENFORCEMENT GAP: Multiple residents asked for broader speed enforcement, not just a trucking ban. The board heard them and moved on. No direction given to the police chief. Same concern, no assigned action. Worth raising again at the next meeting.

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8/ TAX ABATEMENT DENIAL: A property owner sought an abatement on a trailer. By the time the assessor reviewed it, the trailer had been removed — making the claim impossible to verify. Board voted 4-0-1 to deny. The chair abstained, noting discomfort with how the process played out. Worth asking: is there a better verification process?

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9/ Full agenda was posted in advance and most items were properly noticed. No off-agenda decisions flagged. Next meeting will include the revised Town Common Policy and a tower truck update. Stay engaged. /end

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Longer-form draft.

📋 Amherst Board of Selectmen — Meeting Recap & Accountability Notes (April 29, 2024)

The board covered a full agenda on Monday, and most items moved through without controversy. But a few decisions deserve a closer look from residents.

💰 SINGLE-BIDDER SNOW PLOWING CONTRACT: The town put out a bid for a three-year snow plowing contract and received exactly one response — Knox Land Care, at $83,500 for year one and $256,815.89 over the full term. The DPW Director acknowledged that insurance requirements are making it hard for contractors to participate. The board approved the contract 5-0. That may be the right call given the circumstances, but when there's no competition on a quarter-million-dollar contract, residents have no benchmark for whether the price is reasonable. This is worth watching — if the procurement structure keeps driving bidders away, it's a problem that will repeat.

🌧️ STORMWATER UTILITY FEES — WHO PAYS? The board was asked to authorize $9,890 for a consultant study to develop a stormwater utility rate structure — essentially a new fee that would be charged based on how much impervious surface (rooftops, driveways, parking lots) a property has. A board member pushed back before approving, asking staff to first bring back data showing how the impervious surface burden breaks down across residential, commercial, and industrial zones. That's an important equity question: stormwater utilities can shift costs significantly depending on how rates are structured. The board deferred action until that data is available. Residents — especially business owners and large property owners — should follow this process.

🚛 TRUCKING ORDINANCE HEADS TO PUBLIC HEARING: After six residents spoke — divided between supporting a truck restriction and asking for better speed enforcement on all vehicles — the board voted unanimously to advance a no-through-trucking ordinance to public hearing. The ordinance would ban vehicles over 68,000 pounds from using Boston Post Road, Mount Vernon Road, and New Boston Road as through-routes. Christian Hill Road and Limber Road were excluded from the final draft. The public hearing date has not yet been set. If you live on or near these roads, or if your business depends on truck access, this is the time to get involved.

⚠️ NOTE ON SPEED ENFORCEMENT: Multiple residents specifically asked for broader traffic and speed enforcement beyond the trucking ordinance — including school-zone safety and construction vehicle speeds. The board acknowledged the comments but gave no direction to the police chief and assigned no follow-up action. If this is a concern in your neighborhood, consider raising it again at the next meeting.