Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
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Board of Selectmen — April 7, 2025
The meeting was largely procedural and collegial, but the $170,000 insurance contract breach, a public safety concern about fire hydrants, a payroll correction, and a transparency process correction introduced meaningful substantive tension.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Health Insurance Rate Increase — $170,000 Budget Shortfall
$170,000 unplanned shortfall from a 27.5% rate hike (up from contracted 9.5%), requiring mid-year budget reallocation Affected: All town departments and municipal employees; indirect impact on taxpayers if gap cannot be absorbed within existing budget
budget cut
02
Thornton's Ferry Bridge Closure
Full bridge closure April 21 through August 22, with final completion September 21 — approximately 5 months of disruption Affected: Residents and commuters who use the bridge corridor
service reduction
03
EMS Wage Scale Retroactive Pay Correction
Exact retroactive cost unknown pending staff calculation; correction also increases Grade 3 wages going forward in FY26 Affected: Grade 3 EMS employees owed back pay; municipal budget absorbing unplanned retroactive compensation costs
other high impact
04
Fire Hydrant Maintenance Deficiency
Unknown number of hydrants potentially inadequately maintained despite $26,000/month town payments; risk of compromised fire suppression response Affected: All Amherst residents in areas served by Pennichuck Water System hydrants
safety change
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approved Foundation for Amherst Education use of town green for community picnic May 30th, 4-9pm
Event expects ~100 attendees, no registration required, accepting donations
5-0 unanimous approval
Reappointed Rick Katzenberg as Town Treasurer for one-year term ending March 2026
Handles investment of $20-40 million in town funds received twice yearly
5-0 unanimous approval
Approved all board and committee reappointments and new appointments
Multiple committees including Conservation, Heritage, Recreation commissions
5-0 unanimous on all appointments
Approved purchase of AED unit for town hall
Rescue One AED for $1,607 vs. $100/month rental option
4-1 approval (John opposed)
Authorized RSA 155-B hazardous building order for SKF Realty LLC property
Structural roof truss repairs required by October 1, 2025 due to snow load risk
5-0 unanimous approval
Approved promotion of Dan Callahan to Facility Maintenance Technician
Permanent promotion from interim position, Grade 11 Step 3 at $29.57/hour
5-0 unanimous approval
Approved EMS wage scale Grade 3 revision for FY26
Corrects inadequate pay differential between Grade 2 and 3, includes retroactive pay
5-0 unanimous approval
Approved notice of intent to cut from Amherst Conservation Commission
Motion made and seconded, all members voted in favor
Approved unanimously
Approved raffle permit for Amherst Garden Club
Permit covers April 3 to May 10, 2025, with drawing on May 10 at Wilkins School during annual garden sale
Approved unanimously
Reassigned Babousic Lake Septic Committee liaison from John to Cynthia
John requested reassignment due to workload, Cynthia agreed to take the position
Approved by consensus
Motion to enter non-public session
Session entered at 7:43 PM under RSA 91-A:3(II)(a) for personnel matters including dismissal, promotion, compensation, or disciplining of public employees
Approved by roll call vote
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 00:53 Paul Revere 250th Anniversary Commemoration
Heritage Commission member Will Luke requested residents display two lights on April 18th to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride. Board agreed to participate with town hall displaying lanterns.
Speakers: Will Luke, Danielle Pray
▶ 04:06 Police Detective Recognition
Chief Champoli recognized Detective Aspenwall for successfully apprehending repeat retail theft suspect Chad Hurdle, who had committed multiple felonies across NH stores including seven thefts in Amherst.
Speakers: Chief Champoli, Tom
▶ 12:19 Foundation for Amherst Education Green Usage Request
Victoria and Ann from the Foundation for Amherst Education requested use of town green for community picnic on May 30th from 4-9pm to support school facility improvements.
Speakers: Victoria, Ann
▶ 17:01 Board Appointments and Reappointments
Multiple reappointments to various town committees including Rick Katzenberg as Town Treasurer and new appointment of John Silver to Recreation Commission.
Speakers: Danielle Pray
▶ 26:01 Health Insurance Rate Crisis
Town Administrator Debbie Bender reported NH Interlocal Trust breached contract, increasing health insurance rates from 9.5% to 27.5%, creating unexpected $170,000 budget shortfall.
Speakers: Debbie Bender, John, Lincoln Daley
▶ 40:31 AED Purchase for Town Hall
Discussion on purchasing vs. renting AED unit for town hall emergency preparedness. Board voted to purchase unit for $1,607 rather than rent at $100/month.
Speakers: Debbie Bender, John, Eric
▶ 50:50 Thornton's Ferry Bridge Closure
Director Slazik announced bridge closure from April 21st through August 22nd for reconstruction, with final completion by September 21st.
Speakers: Eric Slazik
▶ 56:53 EMS Wage Scale Correction
Correction needed for Grade 3 EMS wage scale which was improperly set only 6-7 cents above Grade 2, requiring retroactive pay adjustments.
Speakers: Debbie Bender, John
▶ 1:04:26 Conservation Commission Intent to Cut Approval
Board approved a notice of intent to cut from the Amherst Conservation Commission, with future applications to have a quick two-week turnaround process.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:05:37 Amherst Garden Club Raffle Permit
Board approved a raffle permit for the Amherst Garden Club's annual garden sale from April 3 to May 10, 2025, with drawing on May 10.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:08:00 Fire Hydrant Maintenance Concerns
Board member raised concerns about Pennichuck Water System not flushing hydrants regularly despite $26,000 monthly maintenance costs, creating potential fire safety issues.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 1:10:09 Committee Liaison Assignment Changes
Discussion about reassigning the Babousic Lake Septic Committee liaison role from John to Cynthia, with clarification that such changes must be discussed publicly in meetings.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Health Insurance Rate Crisis — NH Interlocal Trust Contract Breach
The NH Interlocal Trust unilaterally raised rates from 9.5% to 27.5%, creating an unexpected $170,000 budget shortfall. This is controversial because it involves a contract breach by a vendor, forces difficult budget reallocations that may affect services or staffing, and ultimately puts pressure on taxpayers. The board acknowledged they are technically not obligated to pay the higher rate, adding legal complexity.
Board position: Directed staff to find the $170,000 within existing budget and explore alternative insurance providers; no immediate resolution reached.
high concern
02
AED Purchase vs. Rental — Lone Dissenting Vote
While a modest expenditure, the 4-1 vote reveals a genuine philosophical or fiscal disagreement on the board about how to handle capital purchases vs. ongoing rental costs. John's dissent signals concern about spending priorities.
Board position: Majority approved one-time purchase of AED for $1,607 rather than $100/month rental.
Internal dissent
John voted against the purchase; his specific stated reason is not detailed in the summary but he was the sole dissenter.
low concern
03
Fire Hydrant Maintenance Failure by Pennichuck Water System
Board member Cynthia raised a public safety concern: Pennichuck Water is collecting $26,000/month in maintenance fees but allegedly not flushing hydrants regularly. This could mean firefighters encounter no water or rust-clogged hydrants during emergencies. The outsourced nature of the service limits the board's direct leverage.
Board position: Directed Cynthia and Eric to engage the local Pennichuck representative to address the flushing schedule; no formal enforcement action taken.
medium concern
04
Liaison Reassignment Process Correction
A board member explicitly stated that committee liaison assignments were being changed through informal conversations outside of public meetings, contrary to open government norms. The reassignment of the Babousic Lake Septic Committee liaison was ultimately ratified publicly, but the attempt to handle it informally raised a transparency concern.
Board position: The board member corrected the process and insisted all such changes be discussed publicly; reassignment from John to Cynthia was formally approved at the meeting.
medium concern
05
EMS Wage Scale Error Requiring Retroactive Pay
A payroll error left Grade 3 EMS workers only 6–7 cents above Grade 2, an apparent inequity that required correction and retroactive adjustments. While the board voted unanimously to fix it, the error raises questions about payroll oversight and the fiscal impact of retroactive payments on an already stressed budget.
Board position: Unanimously approved correction and directed staff to calculate retroactive pay owed.
medium concern
Split votes
Purchase of AED unit for Town Hall ($1,607 one-time vs. $100/month rental)
4-1
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Research budget options to fund $170,000 health insurance increase and explore alternative insurance providers
Assigned: Lincoln Daley and Debbie Bender · Due: Next meeting
Purchase AED unit for town hall and arrange installation
Assigned: Debbie Bender · Due: Not specified
Calculate retroactive pay costs for EMS wage scale correction
Assigned: Debbie Bender · Due: Next meeting or via email
Research raffle permit legal requirements and handle future intent to cut applications
Assigned: Lincoln Daley · Due: Ongoing
Update website to reflect Cynthia as Babousic Lake Septic Committee liaison instead of John
Assigned: Jennifer (Administrative staff) · Due: Immediate
Work with local Pennichuck Water System member to address fire hydrant flushing schedule issues
Assigned: Cynthia and Eric · Due: Not specified
Review action item list together before next meeting
Assigned: a speaker and Pam · Due: Before next meeting
Notable statements
Detectives are often our unsung heroes - it's the proactive work behind the scenes that frequently leads to successful cases — Chief Champoli · Recognition of Detective Aspenwall's work on retail theft case ▶ 05:07
NH Interlocal Trust breached contract - if they hadn't done that and honored all not-to-exceeds, they would have had to go into immediate insolvency — Debbie Bender · Explanation of health insurance rate increase crisis ▶ 30:58
We have a contract which they are in breach of - we technically don't have to pay the higher amount — John · Legal implications of insurance contract breach ▶ 31:57
We'll challenge ourselves to find that money in our budget and present opportunities at the next meeting — Lincoln Daley · Response to $170,000 budget shortfall from insurance increase ▶ 33:22
Suggested that raffle permits may no longer be required by law, based on experience in Milford — Speaker A (Daniel) · During discussion of Amherst Garden Club raffle permit approval ▶ 1:07:01
Expressed serious concern about fire safety due to lack of hydrant flushing, noting potential danger if firefighters encounter hydrants with no water or rusty water during emergencies — Speaker H (Cynthia) · Discussing maintenance issues with Pennichuck Water System ▶ 1:08:00
Emphasized that committee assignments must be discussed and changed publicly in meetings, not through informal conversations — Unidentified speaker · Addressing improper attempt to change liaison assignments outside of public meeting ▶ 1:10:41
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
3
Total speakers
2
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Will Luke
Addressed
Will Luke from the Heritage Commission requested the town participate in commemorating the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride on April 18th. He proposed that residents and the town hall display two lights (candles or lanterns) in windows to honor the historic 'one if by land, two if by sea' signal.
Key concern
Request for town participation in historical commemoration by displaying two lights at town hall
Board responseBoard members engaged positively, with Danielle Pray saying she had already bought lanterns and agreeing to encourage participation. They discussed implementation details and expressed support for the idea.
The board was receptive and supportive, with the chair indicating she would encourage the commemoration and had already taken steps to participate
Victoria and Ann
Addressed
Victoria and Ann from the Foundation for Amherst Education requested use of the town green for a community picnic on May 30th from 4-9pm to support school facility improvements. The event would expect approximately 100 attendees with no registration required, accepting donations.
Key concern
Request for permission to use town green for a community fundraising picnic
Board responseThe board approved the request unanimously (5-0), granting use of the town green for the event.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the use of the town green for the community picnic on May 30th
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Report composed by
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