Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
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Board of Selectmen — August 26, 2024
The meeting was professional but featured high-stakes discussions regarding environmental contamination and the efficient use of expiring federal funds.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
PFAS Soil and Groundwater Remediation
High-cost remediation project involving soil capping and potential leach field relocation. Affected: All residents, particularly regarding long-term environmental safety and potential future tax implications for remediation.
safety change
02
Police Department Infrastructure and Staffing
Significant updates to equipment, body camera implementation, and dispatch communication systems. Affected: The entire community through public safety service quality.
safety change
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Accept the donation of the Swiftwater rescue boat and motor from the Amherst Fire Rescue Association.
The donation is valued at $12,818 and will be added to the AFR assets.
Approved (5-0)
Award police cruiser bids to Northwest Hills CDJR.
Purchase of two Dodge Durango cruisers for $42,051 per unit, totaling $86,103.60.
5-0
Hire Linnet Brand as Executive Assistant for Community Development.
At Grade 12 Step 3, $31.34/hour ($65,187.20 annually).
5-0
Hire Jacob Keyweather as DPW Driver/Laborer.
Grade 4 Step 1, $22.92/hour, effective September 9, 2024.
5-0
Authorize response to the state regarding the Municipal Solar Grant Program.
Preference is to use budget funds for O&M; if state requires otherwise, the board commits to putting a $12,000 capital reserve fund for solar O&M on the ballot, contingent upon receiving the grant.
5-0
Approve 2024 List of Tax Exempt Properties.
Includes an adjustment to add one charitable institution that filed late due to oversight.
5-0
Approve firearms sale license for Amherst Shooting Supply.
Approved as submitted in the package.
5-0
Adoption of the Rules of Procedure as amended.
Amendments included formatting changes, addition of a clerk position, and fine-tuning of 91A references.
5-0
Adoption of the revised Tax Collector job description.
Corrections were made to typos regarding tax deed notices and the spelling of 'Council'.
5-0
Acceptance of the 2025 Board of Selectmen meeting calendar and 2025 Town Holiday calendar as modified.
The March 10th meeting was moved to March 3rd to avoid being the night before the town election.
Unanimous
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 12:48 Recreation Budgeting
Discussion regarding a potential $50,000 budget-neutral switch to move the recreation program coordinator's funding from the general budget to the O2 account.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 14:00 Ordinance Reviews
Brief updates on the Merrimack Valley trucking ordinance and the Hawker and Peddler ordinance review.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 15:16 SAU Agreement/Contract Discussion
Update on negotiations with the School Administrative Unit, including a discussion on a proposal to move the maker space from the middle school to the high school.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 15:48 Tower Truck Plan
Discussion on the status of the tower truck plan and the timeline for receiving updates from Tom Quinn.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 17:47 ARPA Funds Usage
Discussion regarding the use and timeline for spending remaining ARPA funds before the end of the year, including potential use for payroll or road construction contracts.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 20:50 Police Department Cruiser Bids
Review of bids for two new Dodge Durango police cruisers, noting a preference for Northwest Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram due to price and equipment integration.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 23:28 Community Development Hiring
Proposal to hire an Executive Assistant for the Community Development office.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 23:48 DPW Hiring
Proposal to hire a full-time Driver/Laborer for the Department of Public Works.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 24:00 Municipal Solar Grant Program
Discussion on how to respond to state inquiries regarding the funding of ongoing operation and maintenance costs for a proposed solar project.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 25:13 Tax Exempt Properties and Assessments
Approval of the annual summary evaluation and the list of tax-exempt properties, including one late charitable institution.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 01:28 PFAS Investigation at Fire Station
Sanborn Head provided an update on the PFAS investigation at the fire station, discussing soil and groundwater contamination, potential remedial alternatives like soil capping and leach field relocation, and projected costs.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 35:00 Ways and Means Committee Introduction
The Town Moderator introduced the newly organized Ways and Means Committee for the -1 budget year, including the election of officers.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 37:47 Amherst Fire Rescue Association Donation
The Amherst Fire Rescue Association presented a donation of a new Swiftwater rescue boat and motor valued at $12,818 to the town.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 40:09 Administration and Finance Strategic Plan
The department presented its strategic plan for the upcoming fiscal year, noting upcoming leadership changes and a focus on stability and efficiency rather than new expensive initiatives.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:00:01 Police Department Strategic Plan & Update
The Police Chief presented an update on department strengths (hiring, investigations), weaknesses (training, retention, aging equipment), and goals including state accreditation, increased transparency through body cameras, and enhanced traffic safety via a new role/strategy.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:34:07 Dispatch/Communications Update
The Chief discussed challenges with employee retention, the need for updated policy manuals, and infrastructure needs including new consoles and radio tower replacement.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:53:00 Administrative Updates
The Town Administrator provided updates on the Thorton's Ferry 1 waterline project and Comcast franchise fee revenue.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
PFAS Remediation at Fire Station
The investigation involves soil and groundwater contamination ('forever chemicals'), which poses significant environmental and health concerns, along with significant financial implications for the town.
Board position: The board signaled a commitment to managing the issue through a 'capping' strategy and intends to use ARPA funds to minimize taxpayer impact.
high concern
02
ARPA Fund Usage and Deadlines
The town must spend remaining ARPA funds by year-end. There is tension regarding how to allocate these funds (e.g., payroll vs. road construction) and ensuring remediation projects are fully documented before the deadline.
Board position: The board is moving toward using funds for PFAS remediation to avoid direct taxpayer impact, but is operating under tight timelines.
medium concern
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Engage a septic contractor for the fire station leach field relocation project.
Assigned: Town (via contact Dean)
Send forms to department heads regarding the budget meeting timeline.
Assigned: Town Administration · Due: End of this week or early next week
Continue through the state accreditation program process.
Assigned: Police Department
Provide updates on self-service/cell tower inquiries and potentially report on the fire station remediation/PFAS progress.
Assigned: Town Administrator (Dean) · Due: 2 weeks
Review recreation revolving fund to determine if a budget-neutral switch between Appropriated and O2 accounts is possible for staff positions.
Assigned: Bill · Due: 4 weeks
Add the Merrimack Valley no-through trucking ordinance review to a future agenda.
Assigned: Danielle/Staff
Present the Hawker and Peddler ordinance review to the full board.
Assigned: Police Chief · Due: Next meeting
Determine if the recreation budget switch is possible and budget neutral.
Assigned: a speaker / Craig · Due: 4 weeks
Schedule the tower truck plan discussion.
Assigned: a speaker · Due: 2 weeks from meeting
Revisit ARPA fund usage status.
Assigned: Board of Selectmen · Due: Mid-October
Notable statements
We have been very conservative with our ARPA fund so that we would be able to fund this, and it would not have any impact on the taxpayer. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the funding of the PFAS remediation project. ▶ 31:00
There be no new initiatives that we're going to put on that will require money to be put to the fiscal year 26 budget... the new people coming in should be able to, if they want to do new projects, they should be able to think about that themselves. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining the decision to limit new initiatives in the upcoming strategic plan due to upcoming leadership changes and budget constraints. ▶ 41:02
I'm happy to report that we have started [the state accreditation program] and we are well underway. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing progress toward professional standards and accreditation for the police department. ▶ 1:03:00
I think it's one of the things that we ought to look at whether similar accreditation programs are available for our other departments. — Speaker B (Bill) · Commenting on the Police Department's progress toward state accreditation. ▶ 1:39:07
The grading matrix... is only a 58% difference between the dispatcher... and the assistant coordinator... I don't think that the grading right now for those two positions is sufficient to sort of have people setting their sights on developing to that level. — Speaker C (Police Chief) · Discussing pay compression and retention issues within the communications/dispatch department. ▶ 1:35:00
The Dodge Charger has been phased out... due to higher maintenance costs and less durability compared to the Durangos. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining the reasoning behind the cruiser bid selection. ▶ 22:10
If we get a grant and that the state requires us to use something other than [the budget], we would need to know in advance... by the beginning of November. — Unidentified speaker · Addressing the tight timeline for spending ARPA funds. ▶ 19:10
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
4
Total speakers
9
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Bill Stoughton
Addressed
Inquired about whether the PFOS exceedances were being measured against state or new federal standards. He also expressed concern about whether the remediation process might change if federal thresholds become even lower in the future.
Key concern
Impact of changing federal PFAS standards on current remediation plans and future costs.
Board responseThe consultants (Sanborn Head) and the Board Chair provided detailed explanations regarding the difference between state and federal standards and how the proposed 'cap' would address future changes.
The consultants provided technical answers to all his specific questions regarding standards, mitigation, and costs.
Bill Stoughton
Addressed
Asked several questions regarding the cost estimates provided by the consultants, specifically questioning why the estimate had increased from $343,000 to $450,000. He also inquired about the annual maintenance costs and the timeline for using ARPA funds.
Key concern
Budget accuracy, contingency planning, and meeting the December 31st ARPA deadline.
Board responseThe consultants explained the increase in scope and contingencies, and confirmed the strategy to meet the ARPA deadline by preparing documents in parallel with state reviews.
Every specific question regarding costs, septic connections, and the ARPA deadline was answered by the project consultants.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
Shared historical context regarding his time in the fire department and the previous use of AFFF foam. He expressed concern about the long-term migration of contaminants and whether more wells would need to be replaced in the future.
Key concern
Long-term contaminant migration and future impacts on drinking water safety.
Board responseThe consultants explained the concept of dilution and how the proposed cap would stop the addition of new mass to the plume.
The consultants provided a scientific explanation for why the plume is expected to stabilize and dilute once the source is capped.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
Expressed a summary understanding that PFAS are 'forever chemicals' that can only be managed via capping or excavation. She also questioned if the cap would remain effective if federal limits were lowered further.
Key concern
Long-term efficacy of the capping strategy.
Board responseThe consultants confirmed that the cap covers both direct contact risk and the leaching pathway, making it resilient to lower regulatory thresholds.
The board chair's question was addressed directly by the technical experts.
Bill Stoughton
Addressed
Asked about the physical composition of the proposed cap and whether the surface could still be used for activities like parking.
Key concern
Functionality and maintenance of the capped area.
Board responseThe consultants clarified it would be standard asphalt and could be used for parking provided it is maintained and not disturbed.
The technical team provided specific details on the material and usage restrictions.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
Inquired about how rainwater would be handled on the new impervious surface and whether the new septic/leach field would have the capacity to handle the increased flow.
Key concern
Stormwater management and septic system capacity.
Board responseThe consultants explained the use of stormwater features/grading and noted that the town is already investigating the capacity of the police station connection.
The consultants addressed both the hydraulic capacity and the drainage design.
Bill Stoughton
Addressed
Asked whether the body camera system has encountered issues with data storage or the volume of 'ones and zeros' generated.
Key concern
Digital infrastructure and data management for police body cameras.
Board responseThe Police Chief explained the transition to cloud-based management and the current process for handling video evidence for court cases.
The Chief provided a detailed response regarding storage, cloud usage, and the legal discovery process.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
Asked how many other departments are currently utilizing the state accreditation program mentioned by the Police Chief.
Key concern
Prevalence and industry standards of the accreditation program.
Board responseThe Police Chief provided an estimate of the number of participating agencies and discussed the workload involved.
The Chief answered the question regarding the adoption of the program by other agencies.
Unidentified speaker
Addressed
Expressed frustration regarding poor cell service in the area and suggested that a company should install equipment on the existing tower to resolve the issue.
Key concern
Lack of reliable cell service.
Board responseThis was raised during the 'New Business' section where the Town Administrator noted that inquiries regarding cell service (self-service) are already being investigated and moving forward.
While not a direct response to the speaker's exact words, the board confirmed via the Administrator that cell service projects are an active item on the agenda.
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