Meeting report · Board of Selectmen

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Board of Selectmen — May 27, 2025

Amherst forfeited $120,000+ in federal trail grant money — and never told the volunteer committee that secured it before making the call.

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

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AMHERST BOARD OF SELECTMEN — May 27, 2025

Amherst just walked away from more than $120,000 in federal trail infrastructure funding — and the volunteer committee that spent months securing that money wasn't even told the decisive meeting was happening.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant was intended to fund the Beaverbrook bridge project, part of Amherst's rail trail network. The board declined it after learning that upfront wetlands permitting costs could run as high as $40,000 — money not in the current budget. The state confirmed the grant could not be extended. That fiscal reality is real. But the process around the decision is what drew sharp public criticism at this meeting.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Chair Wendy Rennenberg came to Citizens Forum to say the board held its decisive meeting without notifying her committee — volunteers who had invested significant time arranging the grant on the town's behalf. Her assessment: the board has been 'against this project from the get go.' Trail advocate Chris Shank called the outcome 'a real crushing blow' and said the project needed 'the consistent backing of the Board of Selectmen — and in this particular project, I don't see it happening.' The board did not directly rebut those characterizations. The Chair acknowledged the fiscal constraints but did not address the failure to loop in the committee before the grant was effectively killed. The board has committed to a July work session on the related 7 Thornton Ferry property disposition — but no alternative funding for the bridge project has been identified, and the timeline is now projected to span multiple years.

Other business from the meeting: Kevin Healy was appointed Interim Fire Chief (4-0, one abstention) following Chief Connolly's retirement, with a $1,000/month stipend while a permanent search proceeds. The town's FY2024 audit came back clean, with a net position of nearly $45 million and an unassigned fund balance of $6.3 million. Fuel supply contracts for FY2026 were approved — propane at $1.599/gallon (Bottle Gas) and heating oil at $2.40/gallon (Dead River Company); Irving was rejected due to quota requirements and penalty clauses. The July 2025 tax warrant of $27,595,563 was approved. Official minutes have not yet been published.

May 27, 2025 1.2h long 9 speakers 8 decisions Lively

❝ Notable statements ↔ Drag to browse

“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 03:08

“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 04:16

“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 1:06:56

This meeting — choose a section

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.

What was discussed

$27,595,563 tax warrant approved with 8% annual interest on delinquent balances effective July 1, 2025

What was discussed

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

What was discussed

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

What was discussed

Leadership transition in fire department following Chief Connolly's retirement; interim coverage in place but permanent search timeline not specified

Topics ⁠discussed

Each topic expands to quotes and full context.

Speakers: Wendy Rennenberg, Chris Shank

What was discussed

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: Tim Green

What was discussed

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: Town Administrator

What was discussed

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

What was discussed

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: Eric Slasik

What was discussed

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: Town Administrator, Eric Slasik

What was discussed

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.

Controversy & ⁠dissent

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

Potentially controversial issues

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

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

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RTP Grant Rejection and Advisory Committee Consultation
Community wants: The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee wanted the board to support the $120,000+ RTP grant, to be consulted before major decisions affecting their work, and to receive consistent backing for non-motorized infrastructure projects. Rennenberg explicitly stated the board appears to have been 'against this project from the get go,' and Shank called the outcome 'a real crushing blow.'
Board response: The board declined the grant citing unforeseen permitting costs and budget constraints. The Chair acknowledged the fiscal rationale but did not directly rebut allegations of systemic bias against the committee or the process failure of holding a decisive meeting without notifying committee members. The board did commit to scheduling a future work session on the related 7 Thornton Ferry property.

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Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.

No public comments were identified in this meeting.

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.