Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Board of Selectmen · Amherst, NH · June 24, 2024.
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Individual posts for different angles. Pick the one that fits your audience.
Board silence on a citizen's public concern about a staffing decision affecting active permit applications
At the 6/24 Amherst BOS meeting, a resident publicly protested the firing of a Community Development employee with active permit applications in her queue. The board said nothing in response. No acknowledgment. No explanation. Nothing.
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Internal policy disagreement on truck weight limits despite unanimous vote
Amherst BOS (6/24) passed a no-through-trucking ordinance for 3 roads — but one board member said on the record he wanted a lower weight limit than the 75,000 lbs adopted. The vote was still 5-0. Merrimack Road still pending.
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Compensation policy adopted without finalized placement criteria, creating risk of inequitable treatment
Amherst BOS (6/24) approved a new EMS wage matrix — a real step for firefighter/EMT retention — but voted to figure out the placement criteria *after* the fact. Employees can now be placed on the pay scale before the rules are written.
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Scope of lease renegotiation potentially expanding beyond athletic facilities, with budget implications
Souhegan School Board wants to renegotiate its athletic facilities lease with the town — early. Amherst BOS (6/24) deferred the conversation but one member signaled interest in reviewing ALL town-school relationships. Watch this space.
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THREAD: Here's what happened at the Amherst Board of Selectmen meeting on June 24, 2024 — and what residents should be paying attention to. 🧵
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1/ A resident named Kelly Mullen used Citizens Forum to protest the termination of Deb Butcher from the Community Development office. Mullen cited Butcher's qualifications and warned of harm to pending permit applications. The board offered zero public response.
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2/ No board member acknowledged Mullen's concern. No justification for the termination. No indication of follow-up. A resident raised a legitimate service-continuity concern and was met with silence. That's worth noting.
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3/ The board passed a no-through-trucking ordinance (75,000 lb limit) for Boston Post Road, Jammer Street, and Mont Vernon/New Boston Road — 5-0. But board member Bill Stoughton said on the record he preferred a lower limit, citing truck mass as a safety factor.
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4/ Stoughton had raised this concern 'previously and publicly on a number of occasions' before voting with the majority anyway. The vote was unanimous, but the policy disagreement is real. Merrimack Road is still pending — next meeting.
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5/ The board approved a new step-based EMS wage matrix — a legitimate move to improve recruitment and retention. The Fire Chief called it a major morale win. But the placement criteria — who goes on which step — won't be written until after the policy is in effect.
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6/ That means employees could be slotted into pay levels before there are transparent, written rules governing how that's done. The board acknowledged this and directed staff to develop criteria later. It's a process gap worth watching.
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7/ The Souhegan School Board has asked for early renegotiation of its athletic facilities lease. The BOS deferred to next meeting, but Stoughton flagged interest in reviewing ALL town-school arrangements comprehensively. The scope of this could grow quickly.
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8/ On the positive side: the board approved refinancing existing notes at a lower rate (expected 3.5–4% vs. current 5%) for the $1.4M conservation land purchase — an 18-year bond that could save taxpayers meaningful interest costs.
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9/ All votes were 5-0. But unanimous votes don't mean no concerns exist — this meeting had a citizen protest ignored, a stated policy disagreement overridden, and a compensation framework adopted without its own rules. Stay engaged. /end
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Longer-form draft.
📋 AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — June 24, 2024: What You Should Know A resident named Kelly Mullen stood up during Citizens Forum to protest the termination of Deb Butcher, a Community Development employee. Mullen argued that Butcher was qualified, experienced, and that her departure puts active permit and development applications at risk. The Board of Selectmen offered no public response — not a word of acknowledgment, no explanation, no indication that the concern would be followed up on. If you have a pending permit application with the Community Development office, this matters to you directly. The board also passed a no-through-trucking ordinance restricting trucks over 75,000 pounds on Boston Post Road, Jammer Street, and Mont Vernon/New Boston Road. That's a real safety win — but board member Bill Stoughton said on the record that he preferred a lower weight limit, citing truck mass as an equally important safety factor. He has raised this concern multiple times publicly. He voted yes anyway. Merrimack Road is still not covered; that discussion is scheduled for the next meeting. On the emergency services front, the board approved a new step-based EMS wage matrix to help recruit and retain firefighters and EMTs. The Fire Chief described it as a major morale boost. It's a needed change. The concern: the board approved the matrix before the written criteria for placing employees on the pay scale have been developed. Staff were directed to create those criteria after the fact. A compensation policy without pre-established placement rules creates real risk of inconsistent or inequitable treatment. Finally, the Souhegan School Board has requested early renegotiation of the town's athletic facilities lease. The BOS deferred the conversation to the next meeting, but at least one member signaled interest in reviewing all town-school arrangements as part of the process. Residents with kids in Amherst schools — or anyone who cares about how the town and school district share resources — should follow this closely. The next BOS meeting is the time to show up.