Town Council Resumes Work on Reparations with Creation of the Amherst Black Reparations Committee

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, June 30, 2025.  Part 2

This was a hybrid meeting held in Town Hall and over Zoom and was recorded. 

Present
Lynn Griesemer (President, District 2), Andy Steinberg, Mandi Jo Hanneke, Ellisha Walker (at large), Pat DeAngelis (District 2), George Ryan (District 3), Jennifer Taub and Pam Rooney (District 4), Bob Hegner and Ana Devlin Gauthier (District 5). Absent: Cathy Schoen and Freke Ette (District 1), and Hala Lord (District 3).

Staff: Paul Bockelman (town manager) and Athena O’Keeffe (clerk of council).

Public Comment
Mattea Kramer, a resident of District 1 thanked councilors for carrying forward work on the Amherst Black Reparations Committee charge and noted the work has been “nationally recognized and reported on by the Associated Press.” They urged the council to move forward with “reparatory justice.”

Vincent O’Connor a resident of District 1 followed up on a letter that he wrote to the council regarding local ICE activity that occurred on May 27. He pointed out that he has not received any official response, but made a statement about the 14th amendment to the Constitution, which makes it illegal to expel anyone born in the United States or who is a naturalized citizen. He urged every member of the council and the public to read the Constitution before speculating about current events. 

Michelle Miller, a resident of District 1 and former member of the African Heritage Reparations Assembly also thanked the council and governance committee for continued work on the reparations committee charge. She highlighted specific local developments supporting racial justice including the opening of Ancestral Bridges Cultural Center, expansion of Black Business Association of Amherst Area and the DEI department’s community sessions with Dr. Barbara Love.  Read her full comment here.  She noted that all these organizations are building the community but operating with limited funding. Miller noted various statistics, including that median black household income nationally is nearly $30,000 less than white households, black families hold only 24-27 cents for every dollar of white wealth, black women are more than three times likely to die from pregnancy-related causes and one in three black renter households lives below the poverty line.

She emphasized reparations as a “necessary and grounded response to real, measurable harm,” and said she hopes Amherst will continue to align its values with its budget.

Consent Agenda 
The council unanimously adopted the following items on their consent agenda:

Energy and Climate Action Committee appointments of Emily Dor and Tetsu Tanaki.

Public Arts Commission appointments of  Theodore Rosenberg , Matthew Watkins and Lori Friedman.

Recreation Commission appointments of  Jonas Cox and Andrew McDougall.

A Disability Pride Month Proclamation, which was read by Councilor Pat DeAngelis. The proclamation highlights the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the town’s commitment to inclusivity. The public reading of the proclamation will include a flag-raising ceremony on July 16 and a tri-town celebration of Disability Pride Month with various events in Easthampton, Northampton, and Amherst. 

Amherst Black Reparations Committee Charge
Councilor Ana Devlin Gauthier, chair of the Governance, Organization and Legislation Committee (GOL), explained the recommendation to adopt the new charge for the Amherst Black Reparations Committee (ABRC), the successor body to the African Heritage Reparations Assembly (AHRA). . The AHRA concluded it’s work in 2023 and one of the recommendations in its final report was for the town to create a successor committee to implement reparations payments. The charge for the proposed seven-member body includes a description of its role in continuing the work of the AHRA including recommending avenues and priorities for distribution of funds from the town’s Reparations Stabilization fund, and establishing guidelines for eligibility and funding schedules.

The council discussed and unanimously approved the charge, along with amendments suggested by Counselor Mandi Jo Hanneke and Devlin Gauthier. Henneke recommended revisions to the ABRC charge to the annual reporting section. Currently, the draft only allows recommendations for revisions to the charge in the first-year report. Hanneke proposed adding this to the yearly reporting requirement.

Hanneke also asked to clarify that the charge refer to when the awards of reparations would be paid out (determining the funding schedule for allocations) as opposed to when contributions will be made to the reparations stabilization fund. 

Devlin Gauthier confirmed that the council would be the ultimate approver of fund distribution recommendations.

Council President Lynn Griesemer moved to designate special municipal employee status for the Amherst Black Reparations Committee. This would enable members of the committee to be paid for their work. There was no discussion, and the motion passed unanimously.

Griesemer then moved to authorize the town council president to sign the letter from the town council to the Amherst School Committee as presented in the June 16, 2025 Finance Committee report. The letter emphasizes that the additional funding given to the elementary schools in the FY 26 budget was a one-time allocation and will not be considered toward the base budget in subsequent years. The motion passed unanimously without discussion.

Committee and Liaison Reports
Griesemer asked for updates on the Amherst Elementary School building project. 

Town Manager Paul Bockelman noted that the project keeps moving forward on track, but he is concerned about the potential impact of federal budget cuts on potentially reducing the reimbursement for the school’s sustainability initiatives. He said the town will be eligible to apply for reimbursement from those initiatives  in mid-2026 and hopefully the climate-friendly initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act will still be available.

He also reported on the War Memorial Pool’s response to the heatwave. Town staff have worked hard to prepare the pool for opening before the recent heatwave. The pool passed inspection by implementing new safety features including installation of new, safe pool drains, adding a new liner, and updating plumbing. He added that during the heatwave from Sunday, June 21 to Wednesday, June 25 over 1,000 people visited War Memorial pool, and over 1,300 people used the Mill River pool.

Bockelman also announced the summer meals program aimed at ensuring that no young person goes without lunch during the summer by offering free food to children 18 and under. Locations include Olympia Oaks, University Village, Mill River Village Park, Meadowview, Butternut Farm, Colonial Village and Rolling Green. Food trucks are available daily Monday through Friday from 12-3:35 p.m. according to the schedule.. 

Bockelman noted the upcoming fireworks event on July 3. He added that the University of Massachusetts provides significant support for the event, including police, facilities, and organization. The Hadley fire department inspects the fireworks, and the Amherst DPW assists with food truck logistics.

He also announced that the construction of the new track and field at Amherst Regional High School began on June 30..

Property Tax Assessment and Funding for Food Program
Counselor Bob Hegner asked if the assessment for the new elementary school is included in the property tax bill recently sent out. Bockelman confirmed that a portion of the assessment is included in the tax bill. Hegner suggested reporting the assessment separately, but Bockelman explained that it is not possible.

ICE Activity and Police Intervention
In reference to Vince O’Connor’s public comment, Councilor Pam Rooney asked if the Amherst Police Department (APD) can intervene in ICE activities, and Bockelman explained that town officials cannot obstruct legal law enforcement activities.

Bockelman said that residents observing ICE activity could notify the  Public Health Director and share information with the media. Councilor Jennifer Taub inquired if the Amherst Police could request identification from ICE agents, and Bockelman explained that this could be considered obstructing justice.

Elections
Councilors DeAngelis and Hegner announced they would not seek re-election in November. This leaves openings in Districts 2 and 5 for new members to fill in the next council term. District 1 councilor Cathy Schoen had previously announced  that she would not run for re-election.

Next Meeting
The next meeting for the Town Council will be held July 21.