Your area Not set — showing everywhere
Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
Creating this report cost real money. Help fund coverage →

Board of Selectmen — June 9, 2025

The meeting was largely routine with one notable split vote and board-level skepticism on a long-term financial proposal, but no public attendance, no community confrontations, and no heated exchanges elevated the overall tone beyond mild contentiousness.

Date Monday, June 9, 2025 Duration 2.2h Speakers 11 Decisions 10 Lively

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

German Christmas Market — Town Service Costs and Traffic Impact

Event projected to draw up to 20,000 visitors to a small town center; town department cost estimates pending but potentially significant for a single-day event Affected: Residents living near the Town Common, commuters, and taxpayers who may bear unbudgeted police and DPW overtime costs associated with the event
other high impact
02

Health and Human Services Nonprofit Funding — Flat Allocation Amid Inflation

$55,000 total allocation unchanged for 6-7 years; real-dollar value has eroded substantially due to inflation, effectively reducing support to agencies serving residents in need Affected: Vulnerable Amherst residents served by 15 nonprofit agencies including elderly, disabled, low-income, and at-risk populations
budget cut
03

20-Year Net Metering Agreement Consideration

Proposed 20-year agreement generating ~$13,600/year to town; legal and financial obligations not yet fully disclosed or reviewed by town counsel Affected: All Amherst taxpayers and ratepayers; any long-term municipal financial commitment binds future boards and budgets
other high impact

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Conditional approval for German Christmas Market on December 13th with setup and breakdown days
Approval is conditional on receiving satisfactory information about bus routes, frequency, parking locations, porta-potty placement details, and cost estimates from town departments
Approved 4-1
31:51
Approved Kevin Peters as regular part-time groundskeeper for Parks and Recreation
Grade 4, step 2, at $23.38 per hour, start date June 16, 2025
5-0
1:32:12
Approved Health and Human Services nonprofit funding allocations
Total $55,000 distributed among 15 agencies as recommended by committee
5-0
1:22:02
Awarded line striping contract to Industrial Traffic Lines
$31,169.32 for annual road line striping services
5-0
1:44:35
Awarded crack sealing contract to Nicom Coatings LLC
$40,310 for one-year crack sealing agreement
5-0
1:47:32
Declared DPW vehicles and equipment as surplus
7 vehicles (2010-2017 models) and portable AC unit to be sold via municipal auction
5-0
1:50:30
Approved 4th of July Committee additional setup time
Use of town Common on July 3rd beginning at 4:00 PM for table placement
5-0
1:52:27
Approved elderly and disabled property exemptions list
2025 list as submitted by assessor with attached breakdown
5-0
1:56:47
Denied property tax abatement request
Map 8 lots 83-14 and 88-315 denied due to lack of signature on application
5-0
1:57:42
Motion to adjourn the meeting
Motion made by a speaker, all members voted in favor
Approved
2:12:33

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
01:59 German Christmas Market Application Review

Representatives from the German Christmas Market presented updates to their event application, including traffic management plans, shuttle services, reduced vendor numbers, and crowd control measures for their December 13th event.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
34:03 Net Metering Presentation by Kearsarge Energy

Malcolm Bliss from Kearsarge Energy and Pure Sergeant presented Group Net Metering programs that would provide annual payments to the town (~$13,600 first year) for 20 years in exchange for participation in a state solar program, with no investment required from the town. The board expressed skepticism about the 'something for nothing' nature of the arrangements.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
1:07:01 Health and Human Services Budget Allocation

Rick Katzenberg presented the annual distribution of $55,000 to 15 nonprofit agencies serving Amherst residents. American Red Cross was added as a new recipient with $500, taken from Souhegan Valley Rides funding.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
1:22:43 Board Calendar Review and Goals Discussion

The board reviewed their annual calendar and discussed establishing board goals, which they acknowledged they have never formally set despite giving departments goals and deadlines.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
1:33:35 Fiscal Year 25 Budget Update

Budget is tracking well with 8% remaining, approximately $500,000 after accounting for encumbrances and expected payroll. Revenue collections expected to exceed budget by about $800,000.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
1:42:19 DPW Bid Awards and Vehicle Surplus

Three DPW items: line striping contract awarded to Industrial Traffic Lines ($31,169), crack sealing contract to Nicom Coatings ($40,310), and surplus declaration of 7 old vehicles plus portable AC unit.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:06:04 Fire Department Performance Recognition

a speaker praised Eric Swanson's leadership during a garage fire on Old Coach Road, highlighting his coordination of mutual aid and ambulance services.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:06:05 Recreation Commission Equipment Decision

Board discussed waiting for recreation commission to decide on equipment that has already been offered to them, with concerns about installation costs and budget constraints.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:07:07 Bike Path Committee Meeting

a speaker announced a bike path committee meeting scheduled for the following day at 7pm in the meeting room.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:07:07 Bridge Engineering Study Proposal

a speaker proposed reconsidering a $5,000 engineering study for a pedestrian/bicycle bridge that previously failed to get a second, suggesting using available end-of-year funds.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:08:29 Planning Board Updates

Board discussed upcoming Planning Board meetings including Christian Hill Road subdivision final plans and the continued Von Rosa property case.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:09:31 Arlington Cemetery Service

a speaker announced traveling to Washington D.C. for Don Potter's interment at Arlington Cemetery, a WWII veteran who lived in Amherst for over 50 years.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:09:52 New Fire Truck Arrival

a speaker reported the new fire truck will arrive within 10 days after making the final payment, with plans for a tour once it arrives.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
2:10:24 Highway Safety Committee Report

a speaker reported on Chestnut Hill Road speed limit discussions and truck traffic issues caused by Bedford's no-trucking restrictions on Wallace Road.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

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

Potentially controversial issues

01

German Christmas Market Approval

A large-scale commercial event drawing an estimated 20,000 visitors to a small town center raises legitimate concerns about traffic, parking, crowd control, noise, and strain on town services. The 4-1 vote indicates real board disagreement, and the event's scale relative to Amherst's infrastructure is a significant community concern. Residents living near the Common and commuters would be directly affected.
Board position: Conditionally approved the December 13th event 4-1, pending satisfactory transportation and logistics details including bus routes, parking, porta-potty placement, and cost estimates from police and DPW.
Internal dissent
One board member voted against approval. The dissenting member's specific reasoning was not captured in the summary, but the conditional nature of approval suggests multiple members had unresolved concerns about traffic, crowd management, and town resource costs.
high concern
02

Net Metering Agreement with Kearsarge Energy

The board expressed open skepticism about a 20-year financial arrangement described as requiring no town investment in exchange for annual payments (~$13,600/year). Long-term contractual obligations and the 'too good to be true' framing raised transparency and due-diligence concerns. a speaker explicitly called it a 'something for nothing scheme,' signaling distrust of the proposal.
Board position: Did not approve; tabled for further review pending receipt of the enabling legislation (HB 315), PUC details, sample agreement, updated payment forecast, list of participating municipalities, and town counsel review of whether a town meeting vote is required.
medium concern
03

Bridge Engineering Study Proposal

a speaker revived a previously rejected $5,000 pedestrian/bicycle bridge engineering study, proposing to fund it from end-of-year surplus funds. The item had previously failed to receive a second, indicating prior board opposition. Using year-end discretionary funds for a study the full board had not endorsed raises questions about process and spending priorities.
Board position: a speaker proposed adding it to the next meeting agenda; no vote taken at this meeting.
Internal dissent
The item previously failed to receive a second from board members, indicating at least some members have opposed or been indifferent to this expenditure in the past.
low concern
04

Health and Human Services Funding Level Stagnation

a speaker noted the $55,000 funding pool for 15 nonprofit agencies has not increased in six to seven years despite significant inflation, meaning nonprofits serving vulnerable Amherst residents are receiving effectively reduced support in real terms. The board approved the flat allocation without committing to address the inflation gap.
Board position: Approved the existing $55,000 allocation 5-0. a speaker raised the question of increasing the amount but no action was taken; the issue was not formally scheduled for future consideration.
medium concern

Split votes

Conditional approval for German Christmas Market event on December 13th
4-1

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Provide detailed transportation plan including bus routes, parking locations, and shuttle schedules
Assigned: German Christmas Market organizers · Due: Within a couple weeks per organizers
Confirm exact porta-potty locations and provide detailed site plan
Assigned: German Christmas Market organizers · Due: Before final approval meeting
Provide cost estimates from police department and DPW for the event
Assigned: Town Administration · Due: Within a week per town administrator
Provide copy of legislation (House Bill 315 from 2021), PUC details, and sample agreement
Assigned: Malcolm Bliss (Kearsarge Energy) · Due: Not specified
Update payment forecast based on town's actual electricity usage
Assigned: Malcolm Bliss (Kearsarge Energy) · Due: Upon receipt of town's electricity bills
Provide net metering agreement details and list of current municipalities working with Pure Sergeant
Assigned: Staff/Town Administrator · Due: Next month's meeting
Coordinate with town counsel regarding need for town meeting vote on net metering agreement
Assigned: Staff/Town Administrator · Due: Before next meeting
Provide overtime comparison data for past couple years
Assigned: Finance Director · Due: Not specified
Schedule board goal-setting session
Assigned: Board · Due: August 2025
Decide whether to proceed with Rotary-funded sign project
Assigned: Recreation Commission · Due: Next week's meeting
Make decision on equipment offer
Assigned: Recreation Commission · Due: Not specified
Add bridge engineering study proposal to next meeting agenda
Assigned: a speaker · Due: Next meeting
Provide highway safety committee report
Assigned: Anthony · Due: Next meeting
Send schedules for next month to coordinate vacation coverage
Assigned: Board members · Due: Not specified
Chair next meeting in a speaker's absence
Assigned: a speaker (Cynthia) · Due: Next meeting

Notable ⁠statements

We would make it a ticketed event with tickets for every Amherst resident that wanted to come, and pre-selling tickets to outsiders to guarantee crowd control — German Christmas Market organizer · Explaining crowd management strategy to reduce attendance from estimated 20,000 to maximum 8,000 people 10:29
There's no investment or outlay from the town. There's no use of town land, property or services. There's no change to town's electric service supplier — Malcolm Bliss · Explaining the benefits and requirements of the Group Net Metering program 40:36
It sounds remarkably like a something for nothing scheme. And those are usually not real. — Unidentified speaker · Responding to solar net metering proposal 1:01:40
This amount has not increased in six or seven years. And we've had a fair amount of inflation across those six or seven years. So maybe it's time for us to look at increasing the amount. — Unidentified speaker · Regarding Health and Human Services nonprofit funding 1:18:04
This board has been not very good about assigning itself goals. You can't fail if you never give yourself a goal. — Unidentified speaker · Discussion of board calendar and goal-setting 1:24:10
Eric Swanson did an excellent job handling the garage fire, coordinating mutual aid and ensuring ambulances were available — Unidentified speaker · Recognition of fire department leadership during emergency response 2:06:04
We're eventually going to have to put something across there if we want pedestrians to be able to cross that road without having to go on the traffic bridge — Unidentified speaker · Justifying the need for bridge engineering study despite previous lack of support 2:07:07
I am headed to Washington, D.C. tomorrow for Don Potter's interment at Arlington Cemetery, a WWII veteran who lived here for over 50 years — Unidentified speaker · Explaining absence from next meeting to honor local veteran 2:09:31

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
No public comments were identified in this meeting.
Support coverage

Creating this report cost ⁠real money.

MeetingWatch attended, transcribed, and analyzed this meeting on its own dime. If this work is valuable to you, chip in to keep covering Amherst.

Report composed by claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-06-01.