Meeting report · Board of Selectmen
Creating this report cost real money.
Help fund coverage →
Board of Selectmen — May 26, 2026
The meeting was characterized by significant debate over security costs and a major split vote regarding emergency services funding.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
EMS Budget Reallocation
A significant shift of $85,000 from leadership salary lines to part-time and overtime staffing to maintain service levels. Affected: Amherst residents relying on emergency services
other high impact
02
Health and Human Services Grant Allocations
Distribution of annual grants, with discussions noting that funding increases have not kept pace with inflation over the last decade. Affected: 15 non-profit organizations and their service recipients
other high impact
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Accept resignation of Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee members and disband the committee.
The Board accepted the resignation letter dated May 12, 2026, and formally disbanded the committee's activities and operations.
5-0
Adopt revised job description for Recreation Department Full-Time Assistant.
The board approved the non-exempt Grade 6 job description with a specific update to the 'knowledge, skills, and abilities' section regarding teamwork.
5-0
Reallocate EMS budget funds.
Approved transferring $55,000 from the full-time deputy chief salary line item to EMS part-time wages, and $30,000 from the same line item to EMS overtime.
9-5-0
Reallocate Fire Department funds for radios and equipment.
Approved transferring $35,000 from full-time chief wages to radios/pagers and $25,000 from retirement to tools/equipment.
5-0
Appoint/Reappoint Deputy Forest Fire Wardens.
Appointed Oliver Freights, Alexander Bonifant, and Benjamin Vaughn. Reappointed a list of existing wardens (excluding Eric Mehron).
5-0
Waive bidding requirements and award heating oil contract to Dead River Company.
Contract awarded for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, at a rate not to exceed $3.6713 (plus a 10-cent buffer) per gallon.
5-0
Waive bidding requirements and award 2027 propane supply contract to Bottle Gas.
Contract awarded at a fixed rate of $1.599 per gallon. Authorized DPW director to execute the agreement.
5-0
Approve job description for the new full-time transfer station attendant position.
Authorized DPW to advertise the position for FY2027 staffing needs.
5-0
Approve Health and Human Services grant funding allocations.
Allocations distributed among 15 receiving agencies.
5-0
Accept FY2027 Amherst Police Department Municipal Prosecutor Agreement.
Commences July 1, 2026; includes a 3% cost of living increase.
5-0
Approve Police Union contract amendment regarding healthcare provider updates.
Updates information to reflect Health Trust and extends term to June 30, 2027.
5-0
Accept NDA with American Tower Corporation.
Authorized the chair to sign on behalf of the town.
5-0
Motion to enter non-public session (2C).
Pursuant to MGL Ch. 40A, Sec. 22(c).
Unanimous (Roll call: Pam, D'Angelo, yes)
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 00:45 EMS Month Proclamation
The Board of Selectmen read a proclamation recognizing May 2026 as Emergency Medical Services Month to honor the Amherst Fire and EMS Department.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 04:40 Promotion Ceremony
A ceremony was held to swear in David Dion as a Lieutenant for the Amherst Fire and EMS Department.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 10:52 Citizen's Forum: Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee
A resident discussed the mass resignation of the Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee and suggested the town needs clearer governance and oversight for multimodal planning projects.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 16:00 Introduction of Priority Power Management
Representatives from Priority Power Management introduced themselves following their acquisition of Standard Power's retail energy procurement business.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 44:10 Town Hall Security Improvements Discussion
Staff presented a proposal to upgrade Town Hall security with electronic fob access and a new camera system; the board engaged in a debate regarding cost, necessity, and privacy.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 64:10 Heating Oil and Propane Contract Awards
Discussion and votes regarding the awarding of municipal heating oil and propane contracts to Dead River Company and Bottle Gas respectively.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 70:00 Transfer Station Attendant Job Description
Review and approval of the job description for a new full-time Transfer Station Attendant position to be filled for FY2027.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 72:30 Health and Human Services Grant Allocations
Review of the FY27 budget allocations for various non-profit organizations providing services to Amherst residents.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 75:14 Police Department Prosecutor Contract
Renewal of the municipal prosecutor contract for FY27, including a 3% cost-of-living adjustment.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 76:20 Police Union Healthcare Amendment
Amendment to the Amherst Police Department employees (Local 3657) contract to update healthcare provider information to Health Trust.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 76:54 American Tower Corporation NDA
Authorization to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with American Tower Corporation.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 79:28 Town Website Update
Update on the transition to a new website platform (Civic Plus) and the migration of information.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 80:59 PROM-X Conference
Notice regarding department heads and staff attending the annual PROM-X conference for training and networking.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Town Hall Security Upgrades
The proposal for electronic fob access and a new camera system sparked debate over the necessity of the $11,000 expenditure versus privacy concerns and perceived lack of need.
Board position: Divided; some members advocated for modernization (fobs), while others viewed it as an unnecessary expense.
Internal dissent
a speaker explicitly opposed the spending, calling it a 'solution in search of a problem,' while a speaker argued that electronic access is mandatory for modern standards.
medium concern
02
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Dissolution
The mass resignation of the committee follows the Babusa Greenway project controversy, highlighting systemic issues in how the town handles multimodal planning and governance.
Board position: The board moved to formally disband the committee to allow for a structural reset.
medium concern
Split votes
Reallocate EMS budget funds ($55k to part-time wages, $30k to overtime)
9-5-0
Community vs. board tension
Ready to share? AI-written accountability posts about this meeting's controversies.
View posts →
Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Provide a general contact email address to the Town.
Assigned: Priority Power Management (Pete Lawler/Max Stewart)
Research security upgrade specifics, including insurance discounts via Primex and a formal policy draft regarding camera usage and privacy.
Assigned: Staff (Eric/Lincoln) · Due: Future meeting
Execute the propane supply agreement with Bottle Gas.
Assigned: DPW Director
Advertise the full-time transfer station attendant position.
Assigned: DPW · Due: Start of FY2027
Complete the transition and tailoring of the new Civic Plus website.
Assigned: Town Staff/Jen · Due: June 2026
Provide information and a draft policy regarding the access to security proposal.
Assigned: Director Slazek · Due: Next meeting
Notable statements
The Bike Ped Committee became in many ways the public face of decisions and processes it ultimately lacked final decision-making authority [over]. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the tension between advisory committees and municipal leadership during the Babusa Greenway project controversy. ▶ 14:01
I'm certainly not interested in spending $11,000 worth of the taxpayers' money on a solution in search of a problem. — Unidentified speaker · Opposing the proposed Town Hall security camera and fob system upgrades. ▶ 50:44
I think the key fob is, from my perspective, mandatory. It's time we get up with the times and not be hanging out physical keys with old locks. — Unidentified speaker · Expressing support for the electronic access control part of the security proposal. ▶ 61:04
I recommend that we award a one year agreement to bottle gas [Bottle Gas]. — Unidentified speaker · Justifying the propane contract based on price being ~59% below market value. ▶ 67:21
We should probably look at trying to keep up with inflation on this thing [HHS grants]. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the $5,000 annual increase in grant funding over the last decade. ▶ 72:58
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
3
Total speakers
2
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Unidentified speaker
Partial
The speaker addressed the recent mass resignation of the Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee following the Babusa Greenway project. They argued that the controversy stems from a lack of clearly defined governance and institutional processes rather than individual fault.
Key concern
The need for the town to establish clearer governance structures, committee roles, and administrative coordination to prevent the loss of institutional knowledge and repeat mistakes.
Board responseThe board did not respond directly to the speaker during the forum, but shortly after, the Board of Selectmen formally voted to accept the resignations and disband the committee's current operations to allow for a future restructure.
The board acted on the immediate situation mentioned (the resignations/disbanding) but did not engage in a dialogue with the speaker regarding the specific governance improvements suggested.
Pete Lawler
Addressed
Representing Priority Power, the speaker introduced himself and Max Stewart to the board following their company's acquisition of Standard Power. They explained that they will now be the town's interface for energy purchasing and support existing electricity supply agreements.
Key concern
To introduce the new management and reassure the town that there are no immediate strategic actions or bidding requirements needed until 2028.
Board responseThe board thanked them and the Chair asked for a point of contact for resident inquiries, which the speaker promised to provide.
The board acknowledged the introduction and gathered necessary logistical information to facilitate future communication.
Max Stewart
Addressed
The speaker introduced himself as a Principal Advisor with Priority Power. He noted his professional background in the energy sector and expressed enthusiasm for working with the town of Amherst.
Key concern
Introduction and professional background.
Board responseThe board engaged in a brief exchange regarding contact information for the company.
The board acknowledged the introduction and handled the logistical follow-up.
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.
Follow Amherst
One email when a new report is published from the Board of Selectmen — or one weekly digest.
Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-28.