Accountability posts
Drafts ready to share. Click to copy, then post. Board of Selectmen · Amherst, NH · October 8, 2024.
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Individual posts for different angles. Pick the one that fits your audience.
Board's failure to engage with public speakers on a high-stakes safety decision
Amherst Board of Selectmen (10/8/24): Five residents spoke at the Merrimack Road trucking hearing. The board addressed none of them directly. Vote delayed — again. If you live on that road, your concerns are still unanswered.
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Financial sustainability of a community service with no board commitment to solve it
Amherst's July 4th fireworks cost $14,000 in 2024 — triple the pre-pandemic price. The volunteer committee says it's guaranteed to lose money. Thousands attend. The board has no funding plan. 10/8/24 meeting.
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Legal drafting error constraining board authority on a precedent-setting property disposal
Amherst owns the Thornton Curry property after a court process — but the board just learned prior warrant language limits them to sealed bid or auction only. No flexibility. May need to go back to voters. (10/8/24)
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Systemic risk from poorly worded warrant articles affecting multiple town-owned properties
At 10/8/24 meeting, the Thornton Curry property was called a 'bellwether case' — there are other tax-taken properties in Amherst with the same disposal problem. The board is now considering a new warrant article to get flexibility it should already have.
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🧵 Amherst Board of Selectmen met 10/8/24. Here's what residents need to know — from a trucking fight on Merrimack Road to fireworks that may not happen next July 4th. Thread:
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1/ MERRIMACK ROAD TRUCKING ORDINANCE: The board held a public hearing on repealing the no-through trucking ban. Five residents spoke — some worried about safety, some in favor of repeal. The board acknowledged one emailed comment and addressed zero speakers directly.
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2/ Some board members wanted to vote immediately. The majority said no — wait for more input from Merrimack Road residents specifically. That's not unreasonable. But five people showed up to be heard and got no response. That is a problem.
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3/ JULY 4TH FIREWORKS: The volunteer committee told the board fireworks cost $14,000 in 2024 — up from $4,500 before the pandemic. Thousands of people attend every year. Parking donations totaled $125. The committee says another year is 'guaranteed to operate at a loss.'
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4/ The board's response: schedule a working meeting. No funding commitment. No decision. The fireworks program may not survive 2025 without a real plan, and right now there isn't one.
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5/ THORNTON CURRY PROPERTY: Town completed a quiet title court process and now owns this tax-taken property. But the board just found out the prior warrant article limits them to selling by sealed bid or auction only — no other options without going back to voters.
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6/ One board member called it a 'bellwether case' because Amherst has other tax-taken properties with the same legal constraint. The board is now considering a new warrant article with broader 'as justice may require' language — something that should have been in the original.
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7/ Bottom line from 10/8/24: A safety decision stalled with no feedback to the public, a beloved community event heading toward cancellation with no funding solution, and a legal drafting problem that may affect multiple town properties. Next meeting matters. Show up or stay informed. /end
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Longer-form draft.
📋 AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — October 8, 2024 Meeting Recap Three issues from Tuesday's meeting deserve your attention. 🚛 MERRIMACK ROAD TRUCKING ORDINANCE The board held a public hearing on repealing the existing no-through trucking ban on Merrimack Road. Five residents spoke — some raising safety concerns about speeding trucks, others supporting repeal for practical routing reasons. A prior community meeting on a nearby road drew a large turnout of concerned residents. Despite this, the board did not respond substantively to any of the five speakers. The vote was postponed to a future meeting, with the board saying it wants more input from Merrimack Road residents specifically. Some members wanted to vote immediately, revealing an internal split. If you live along this route or use it, you should be at the next meeting. 🎆 FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS IN JEOPARDY The volunteer Fourth of July Committee came to the board with a stark message: the fireworks program is financially unsustainable. Costs have risen from $4,500 before the pandemic to $14,000 in 2024. The committee needs to raise $15,000 annually and cannot do it — despite thousands of residents attending the event. Community donations at the event totaled $125 from parking. The committee chair said she can 'guarantee' another year will run at a loss. The board scheduled a working meeting with committee members but made no financial commitment. Without a new funding model, Amherst's July 4th fireworks may not happen in 2025. 🏠 THORNTON CURRY PROPERTY — LEGAL CONSTRAINT DISCOVERED After completing a lengthy court process to take ownership of the Thornton Curry tax-taken property, the board learned that prior warrant article language restricts them to selling it by sealed bid or auction only. Any other disposal method requires voter approval at Town Meeting. One board member described it as a 'bellwether case' because Amherst holds other tax-taken properties with potentially the same legal limitation. The board is now exploring a new warrant article with 'as justice may require' language to give future flexibility — language that was missing from the original article. Legal counsel follow-up is pending. The next board meeting is where some of these decisions will land. Stay informed and consider attending.