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Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
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Board of Selectmen — March 10, 2025

This was a largely ceremonial and administrative meeting dominated by retirements, routine approvals, and housekeeping items, with no public speakers, no split votes, and only a brief suggestion about future zoning concerns that generated no debate.

Date Monday, March 10, 2025 Duration 0.9h Speakers 8 Decisions 6 Routine

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

EMT hiring — public safety staffing

Addition of one EMT at grade 2, step 1 ($22.45/hr), modestly expanding EMS staffing capacity Affected: All Amherst residents relying on emergency medical services
safety change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approved AJ LeBlanc Heating contract for fire station septic work
Contract amount $26,846.86 with additional $10,000 contingency authorization for interior septic plumbing relocation at central fire station
5-0 approval
14:40
Approved hiring of EMT Alexandra Villers
Hired at grade 2, step 1 with hourly rate of $22.45 for EMS services
5-0 approval
15:41
Approved changes to HSA funding policy
Authorized front-loading HSA matching contributions twice per year instead of per pay period, with 60-day waiting period for new employees and appropriate proration
5-0 approval
38:45
Approved consent agenda
Standard consent agenda items approved without discussion
5-0 approval
40:47
Reappointed Rob Clemens to Souhegan River Advisory Committee
Continued representation on committee overseeing protected river watershed
5-0 approval
44:45
Approved meeting minutes from February 24, 2025
Approved minutes from both 9:00am and 6:30pm Board of Selectmen meetings
5-0 approval each
45:10

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
01:13 Recognition of retiring Conservation Commission member John Harvey

The board recognized John Harvey for 36 years of service on the Conservation Commission, including 22 years as chairman. He helped with land acquisitions and habitat work.

Speakers: Speaker C (Selectman Lyon), Speaker B (John Harvey)
03:41 Recognition of retiring board members Bill and Pete

Selectman Grella gave remarks recognizing retiring selectman Bill for his ability to formulate motions quickly, and retiring police chief Pete for his career progression and leadership.

Speakers: Speaker E (Selectman Grella)
11:34 Fire station septic system relocation project

DPW requested approval for interior septic plumbing work at the central fire station to relocate the system due to contamination. The work will be done by AJ LeBlanc Heating.

Speakers: Speaker D (DPW Director)
15:06 EMT hiring

Fire Chief Conley requested approval to hire Alexandra Villers as an EMT at grade 2, step 1 with hourly rate of $22.45.

Speakers: Speaker B (Chief Conley), Unidentified speaker
18:32 HSA funding policy discussion

The board discussed changing the timing of health savings account matching contributions from pay-period basis to front-loading twice per year to help employees with early high-deductible expenses.

Speakers: Speaker B (Bill), Speaker F (Debbie)
42:00 Reappointment to Souhegan River Advisory Committee

Rob Clemens was reappointed to represent Amherst on the Souhegan River Local Advisory Committee, which oversees the protected river watershed.

Speakers: Speaker G (Rob Clemens)

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Pending state zoning legislation affecting Amherst

Selectman Cynthia raised concerns about pending state zoning legislation, warning it could affect the town 'for decades' if certain measures are passed. She suggested a joint meeting with the planning board and state representatives to discuss it. The long-term framing implies this legislation could significantly alter local land use control, a perennially sensitive issue in New Hampshire towns.
Board position: No formal position taken; the comment was raised as a suggestion for future action rather than a decision point. The board did not vote or formally respond to the concern.
medium concern

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Schedule traffic study for Chestnut Hill Road using NRPC and town equipment
Assigned: Chief Champoli · Due: Late April 2025
Meet with new Community Development Director Christy Jobin
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Next day (March 11, 2025)
Schedule HR software purchase decision for board consideration
Assigned: Peter/Bill · Due: First meeting in May 2025
Develop implementation plan for HSA front-loading policy with administrative details
Assigned: Debbie (Finance) · Due: Future meeting

Notable ⁠statements

We have made this a good place to work. And the benefit to the town is we have great employees who care about the town who are going to do a great job for us. — Speaker B (Bill) · Reflecting on board's efforts to improve employee compensation and benefits during his final meeting 46:51
We have not always agreed, we have frequently disagreed, but we have never fought. We have always worked together and we have always worked towards a goal. — Speaker B (Bill) · Farewell remarks about board collaboration during his tenure 47:51
We should get them here to discuss the zoning issues that are going to affect this town for decades if some of those are passed. — Speaker H (Cynthia) · Suggesting joint meeting with planning board and state representatives about pending zoning legislation 48:33
Jennifer Stover applied for the New Hampshire Women's Leadership Institute this year. And she was selected for that cohort, one of 24 women out of 120 applications. — Speaker A (Chair) · Announcing staff recognition for competitive leadership program selection 50:27

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
No public comments were identified in this meeting.
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Report composed by claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-06-01.