Consultant Advises Committee to Get Started on Charter Discussion

Public Listening Sessions to Begin May 22

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Charter Review Committee, April 24, 2025

Present
Julian Hynes (Chair), Andy Churchill, Raphael Rogers, Meg Gage, Erika Mijlin. Absent: Bernie Kubiak, Ken LeBlond, Marcus Smith. One opening on the committee.

Staff: Athena O’Keeffe (Liaison and Clerk of Town Council)

Guest: Patricia Lloyd, Collins Center

The meeting was held on Zoom and recorded. There was no public comment.

Julian Hynes said that the contract with the Collins Center has been signed and Patricia Lloyd is present to begin the process of supporting the committee’s work.

Outreach Subcommittee Update
Erika Mijlin reported that the subcommittee has made progress on the questionnaire for town officials and a proposal for public listening sessions. They will begin working on a public survey with the help of Collins Center and also intend to develop materials to publicize all outreach efforts. The Town Communications Director, Samantha Giffen, has offered to help promote the committee’s efforts. The subcommittee also proposed developing a website separate from the town’s official Charter Review Committee website. Athena O’Keeffe was asked to contact Giffen to find out if there are any restrictions or concerns about the committee establishing a separate website.

Public Listening Sessions
Mijlin and Meg Gage presented a draft proposal to establish five listening sessions to gather comments and concerns from town residents. The first session is scheduled for May 22. The draft proposes three in-person sessions, each in a different part of town, and two to be held virtually. 

The committee considered whether each session should have a theme, such as “Relationship between the Council and Town Manager.” The advantage to having a theme is to focus discussion; the disadvantage is that it may discourage some from attending if the stated theme is not of interest to them. Even if a session identifies a specific theme, it could be made clear that there will be room for all comments, regardless of topic. Andy Churchill suggested having materials available at each session, including the town government’s organizational chart, copies of the Charter, and a summary of its ten articles. 

The committee recognized that implementing this proposal requires some work on the part of all members, not just the subcommittee members (Mijlin, Gage, and Raphael Rogers) and agreed that all will participate in arranging and facilitating the listening sessions. Planning for the first session on May 22 at Crocker Farms will be on the agenda for the next committee meeting scheduled for May 8.   

The committee voted unanimously to the schedule of five listening sessions, the first of which will be open-ended, and that all committee members will participate in the sessions.

Summary of Public Comments
Gage presented two versions of a summary that she and Churchill have compiled of approximately 85 public comments received in writing through the feedback form on the committee’s webpage.  They first grouped the comments according to broad topics and then identified some recurring themes. They suggested that all committee members review the summary.

Questionnaire for Town Officials
The committee considered several issues concerning the form of questions (open-ended, scaled, or mixed), the technical platform (Google or AirTable) and whether the same questionnaire is suitable for all three intended audiences (elected officials, appointed officials, and town employees). After discussion, the committee acted on three votes.

First, with Hynes voting no, the committee voted to use only open-ended questions.  

Second, the committee considered whether the platform should be Google or AirTable. Hynes favored Google as the more familiar choice. Mijlin, who has some experience with the platform, said that AirTable allowed for more flexibility to tailor questions for different audiences and analyze the results. The committee voted to reject the use of Google, and chose the AirTable platform.

Third, the committee considered the subcommittee’s version of the questionnaire. Mijlin noted it is possible to make further adjustments and suggested that committee members complete the questionnaire as a way of testing the form. Gage said this version is a good first step. Churchill urged that the questionnaire avoid leading questions and include brief explanations of each of the Charter articles. The committee voted to adopt the subcommittee’s draft, subject to Collins Center review and advice.

Collins Center Input
Patricia Lloyd said she and others at the Collins Center are available to provide guidance and support to the committee but she also is interested in learning more about the committee’s ideas and approaches to this process.  Lloyd used a short PowerPoint presentation that is viewable on the recording of this meeting beginning at 1.05:54. 

Lloyd directed the committee’s attention to the committee’s Charge and the importance of fulfilling all aspects of it. She reviewed the reports that will be required from the committee: an initial report, a preliminary report with recommended changes, and a final report with all recommended changes and the reasoning for them. Lloyd asked the committee to describe its understanding of those requirements and when the work would be completed. Churchill said it took a while to get started so approval has been granted to extend the committees work until October. With that endpoint in mind, he said an initial report could be submitted in late summer, and a preliminary report going to Town Council sometime midway to the final report in October. Hynes said the committee has yet to pick a time to start reviewing the Charter. Churchill also said that the committee agreed that in addition to recommending changes to the Charter, the committee would also report additional themes that emerge from public comments, including those that could be implemented only through legislative action or the election of a Charter Commission. Lloyd said there may be some gray areas that KP Law (the town’s attorney) could help guide. Ultimately Town Council would determine what paths are necessary but she noted that the general scope of the committee’s work is to keep the same form of government.

Lloyd proposed a Work Plan based on the committee’s deadline of October 2025.  This timeline allows for 10-12 biweekly meetings. There will also be scheduled public input meetings and the committee may decide to hold a public forum before the final report, perhaps presenting preliminary recommendations.

Lloyd stressed that the process of review is a dynamic one, involving both gathering input and reviewing the Charter and therefore she advised not waiting until the collection of public input is completed to begin reviewing the Charter. It is important for the committee to know what is in it. Lloyd suggesting doing an initial quick run-through of all Charter articles.  

Lloyd urged the committee to review the summary of comments Gage and Churchill prepared and to continuously add to that compilation as comments come in. Lloyd said even though some comments may not directly address a Charter provision, it is important to consider them and determine how they might relate to the governance structure 

The committee expressed interest in having Lloyd assist in structuring agendas and keeping the committee on track.  Hynes added that Lloyd could be helpful in getting the started with reviewing the Charter. Lloyd said she and other members of the Collins Center team are available to assist the committee in any way they can.