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Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
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Board of Selectmen — May 27, 2025

The meeting was largely procedural, but the Citizens Forum segment generated genuine tension, with two community advocates delivering pointed accusations that the board had systematically undermined bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure efforts and failed to consult an advisory committee before a consequential funding decision.

Date Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Duration 1.2h Speakers 9 Decisions 8 Lively

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Approval of July 2025 Tax Warrant

$27,595,563 tax warrant approved with 8% annual interest on delinquent balances effective July 1, 2025 Affected: All Amherst property taxpayers
other high impact
02

Fuel Supply Contracts Affecting Town Operations

Propane locked at $1.599/gallon and heating oil at $2.40/gallon for FY2026; Irving rejected due to quota requirements and penalty clauses that posed budget risk Affected: Town and school district operations, indirectly all residents who use municipal and school facilities
other high impact
03

Loss of $120,000+ RTP Infrastructure Grant

Town forfeited over $120,000 in federal grant funding for the Beaverbrook bridge project; no alternative funding secured yet, with a multi-year timeline now projected Affected: Cyclists, pedestrians, and recreational trail users in Amherst; broader community relying on non-motorized infrastructure investment
service reduction
04

Interim Fire Chief Appointment and Permanent Search

Leadership transition in fire department following Chief Connolly's retirement; interim coverage in place but permanent search timeline not specified Affected: All Amherst residents dependent on fire and emergency services
safety change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Appointed Chair to Energy Committee
Chair volunteered for Energy Committee appointment when no other board members expressed interest
Approved by consensus
28:28
Appointed Kevin Healy as Interim Fire Chief
Deputy Chief Kevin Healy appointed as Interim Fire Chief effective immediately with stipend not to exceed $1,000/month
4-0 with 1 abstention
31:01
Approved DPW hire of Heather Smith
Hired Heather Smith as driver/laborer at Grade 4, Step 1 ($22.92/hour or $47,673 annually)
5-0
38:32
Approved fuel supply contracts
Awarded propane contract to Bottle Gas ($1.599/gallon) and heating oil to Dead River Company ($2.40/gallon) for July 2025-June 2026
5-0
43:49
Approved paramedic hire
Hired Kirkland Garland as paramedic starting May 28, 2025 at EMS Grade 5, Step 5
5-0
44:55
Approved tax collector wage increase
Approved COLA and step increase for Robert Barnum to Grade 15, Step 4 at $40.07/hour
5-0
47:28
Approved elderly exemption removals
Removed elderly exemptions from two properties due to income exceeding qualification limits
5-0 each
49:12
Approved July 2025 tax warrant
Approved tax collector's warrant for $27,595,563 with 8% annual interest effective July 1, 2025
5-0
1:03:57

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
01:12 Citizens Forum - Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Concerns

Wendy Rennenberg, chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, expressed frustration that the board held a meeting about the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant without notifying committee members. The board ultimately declined a $120,000+ infrastructure grant due to unforeseen permitting costs.

Speakers: Wendy Rennenberg, Chris Shank
09:12 Fiscal Year 2024 Audit Presentation

Tim Green from Robertson Green presented the town's fiscal year 2024 audit results, reporting an unmodified (clean) opinion for all fund categories. The town ended with net position of almost $45 million and unassigned fund balance of $6.3 million.

Speakers: Tim Green
26:59 Energy Committee Board Appointment

The board needed to appoint a member to the Energy Committee to address the Standard Power contract renewal, as the previous representative Bill Stoughton's work had been completed but Standard Power was sold.

Speakers: Town Administrator
29:51 Interim Fire Chief Appointment

The board appointed Deputy Chief Kevin Healy as Interim Fire Chief following Chief Connolly's retirement, with a $1,000/month stipend while conducting search for permanent replacement.

Speakers: Town Administrator
39:58 Fuel Supply Contract Awards

The board approved joint fuel supply contracts with the school district, awarding propane to Bottle Gas at $1.599/gallon and heating oil to Dead River Company at $2.40/gallon, rejecting Irving due to quota requirements and penalties.

Speakers: Eric Slasik
1:09:14 RTP Grant Decision Follow-up

The town administrator reported that the state confirmed the RTP grant could not be extended and recommended seeking alternative funding sources for the Beaverbrook bridge project, as it would require multi-year timeline and significant upfront permitting costs.

Speakers: Town Administrator, Eric Slasik

Controversy & ⁠dissent

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

Potentially controversial issues

01

RTP Grant Rejection and Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee Exclusion

The board declined a $120,000+ federal infrastructure grant for the Beaverbrook bridge project, citing unforeseen wetlands permitting costs of up to $40,000. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee — whose volunteer members invested significant time arranging the grant — were not notified of the decisive meeting, leaving them blindsided. Committee chair Wendy Rennenberg and advocate Chris Shank publicly accused the board of being opposed to the project from the outset and of systematically sidelining the committee. This raises concerns about transparency, respect for advisory bodies, and the town's commitment to non-motorized infrastructure.
Board position: Declined the grant citing budget constraints and unforeseen permitting costs; the Chair defended the decision as fiscally necessary but did not dispute the process failure regarding committee notification.
high concern
02

Interim Fire Chief Appointment — 4-0 with Abstention

The appointment of Deputy Chief Kevin Healy as Interim Fire Chief was not fully unanimous. One board member abstained, which is notable for what is typically a straightforward personnel appointment. The reason for the abstention was not stated in the summary, leaving the public without clarity on whether there were concerns about the candidate, the process, or a conflict of interest.
Board position: Approved the interim appointment with a $1,000/month stipend effective immediately while conducting a search for a permanent chief.
Internal dissent
One unnamed board member abstained; reason for abstention not disclosed on the record.
medium concern

Split votes

Appointment of Kevin Healy as Interim Fire Chief
4-0 with 1 abstention

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Contact Energy Committee to schedule meeting regarding Standard Power contract renewal
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Not specified
Schedule work session with Bike Ped Committee and stakeholders regarding 7 Thornton Ferry property disposition
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Early July 2025
Review human resources software options and return with recommendation
Assigned: Town Administrator · Due: Early July 2025
Complete review of Chestnut Hill Road traffic study data with NRPC and present findings
Assigned: Police Department · Due: Next meeting

Notable ⁠statements

It seems that the board has been against this project from the get go. And this is just another example of kind of leaving the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee hanging after all of the volunteer work that's gone into arranging for over $120,000 worth of infrastructure projects at no cost to the town. — Wendy Rennenberg · Expressing frustration over RTP grant decision and lack of committee consultation 04:01
What it takes more than anything else is the consistent backing of the Board of Selectmen. And in this particular project, I don't see it happening... this was a real crushing blow. — Chris Shank · Commenting on need for board support for rail trail projects 06:02
Given new information from the DPW director that there would be wetlands permits required and that could possibly go upwards to $40,000 which we did not have in the budget... I felt our hands were tied. — Chair · Explaining rationale for declining RTP grant due to unforeseen costs and budget constraints 1:09:14

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.