Divided Council Unable to Choose Representative for DPW Building Committee

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, July 21, 2025

by. Audrey Falkner and Maura Keene

This was a hybrid meeting held at Town Hall and was recorded.

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

Staff: Paul Bockelman (Town Manager) and Athena O’Keeffe (Council Clerk).

The Amherst Town Council met on Monday, July 21, covering a wide range of topics from committee appointments and project updates to community concerns and capital planning. A key agenda item, the appointment of a council representative to the Department of Public Works (DPW) Building Committee, resulted in a 3-round deadlock, highlighting arguments over balancing expertise with equitable council participation.

DPW Committee Appointment Leads to Council Deadlock
Town Manager Paul Bockelman plans to form a committee to oversee creation of a new Department of Public Works (DPW) building and sought a representative from the council. Three councilors expressed a desire to be on the committee: Pam Rooney, Ana Devlin Gauthier, and Mandi Jo Hanneke. Devlin Gauthier withdrew after receiving the fewest votes (3) in the first round of voting, but two subsequent votes ended in 6-6 ties between Rooney and Hanneke. Councilor Ellisha Walker did not arrive at the meeting until after the votes were taken. The council decided to postpone choosing the representative until the August 18 meeting. 

Although Bockelman had originally proposed a single building committee for both the DPW and the new fire/emergency medical services station (fire/EMS), the town still does not have a location for the Fire/EMS building and Bockelman described the condition of the current DPW building as “dire.” He said the town continues to look into potential sites for the fire/EMS station, but the two building projects will be on different timelines and will require two separate building committees. The new DPW building will occupy the same site on South Pleasant Street as the current building. 

Special Capital Projects Coordinator Bob Peirent will provide staff support for the building committee, since his work with the Elementary School Building Committee and the Jones Library is winding down. Service on the building committee is expected to last five to seven years until the building is completed. Bockelman said he hopes the councilor chosen will serve as long as they are on the council and not change with every election, so there is continuity on the committee. 

Hanneke said she thought the new fire/EMS station would be at Hickory Ridge, but Bockelman said that the Fire Chief did not think that was an appropriate location, and it is not large enough to house the DPW.

In advocating for a position on the DPW building committee, Rooney cited her experience as a landscape architect in site design, traffic flow design, and pedestrian amenities. She stated that she had been a construction manager for federal projects and was responsible for space allocation at UMass.

Hanneke stated that the building committee needs someone who can scrutinize finances to control costs while meeting the needs of the DPW. She felt that she was the candidate for that aspect of the project.

In the first vote Freke Ette, Bob Hegner, Cathy Schoen, Jennifer Taub, and Rooney voted for Rooney. Hala Lord, George Ryan, and Devlin Gauthier voted for Devlin Gauthier. And Lynn Griesemer, Pat DeAngelis, Andy Steinberg, and Hanneke voted for Hanneke. Since no councilor received a majority of seven votes, Devlin Gauthier dropped out, saying she definitely wants to be considered for the Fire/EMS building committee. At the two subsequent votes, she and Ryan voted for Hanneke, and Lord voted for Rooney.  

In supporting Hanneke, several councilors pointed out that Rooney already serves on the Jones Library Building Committee (JLBC), but Schoen noted how valuable Rooney’s experience was in the early days of the Elementary School Building committee in determining the best site for the new school between Wildwood and Fort River and deciding on the optimal configuration. She said that Rooney’s position on the JLBC was a “red herring” because all of the crucial decisions on that project had been made before Rooney joined the committee in January, 2024 when the project was ready to go out to bid, and it has only met sporadically since then. Both Hanneke and Devlin Gauthier are on the Four Towns School Fiscal Responsibility Committee.

Should the Vacancy on the Charter Review Committee Be Filled?
Devlin Gauthier stated that the pool of candidates applying for the vacancy on the Charter Review Committee is insufficient to hold interviews to fill the position that has been open since Dan Muscat resigned in January. She said that she has reached out to those who originally applied and were not chosen and asked if they wanted to fill out another application, with little success and that the vacancy has been posted on the town’s online bulletin board.

Griesemer said that she spoke to the committee’s chair Julian Hynes and learned that the committee is finishing its public outreach and plans to start its deliberation of the charter soon. It expects to submit its report in January. She suggested that if the vacancy was not filled soon, it would not be worthwhile.

Taub questioned whether all previous applicants had been contacted, because she heard of one person who was not. Devlin Gauthier disputed this, but said she would recheck with previous applicants.

In other appointments, Assistant Town Clerk Amber L. Martin was named Town Clerk and Building Commissioner Rob Morra was reappointed as Interim Planning Director. Joseph Jayne was elected as a nonvoting member of the Finance Committee. The other preferred candidate has withdrawn, so there is still a vacant position. Alexandra Terratorini Tarina and Milan Clark were appointed to the Human Rights Commission.

Other Vacancies Abound
In addition to the DPW building committee Bockelman said he is creating a Cherry Hill working group. There are also seven positions on the Amherst Black Reparations Committee the creation of which was adopted as part of the consent agenda. There is also an open position on the Cable TV Advisory Committee. The town contract with Comcast expires in August, 2026 and must be renegotiated. Plans are to fill most of these positions in July and August, so the committees can begin work in the fall. Bockelman also announced that Comptroller Holly Drake has submitted her resignation after more than 20 years of service to the town.  Bockelman said the town is actively recruiting members for The Amherst Black Reparations Committee,

Jones Library Roof Bid Higher Than Expected
Bockelman said that the bids for the slate roof on the Jones Library came in higher than the original bid for the synthetic slate, but he did not have the exact figures at hand. He did not specify where the money to cover the added cost would come from. The Indy has requested that information.

Kendrick Park Restroom Delayed
While TSO considers a Public Urination Bylaw, the installation of the Portland Loo public restroom at Kendrick Park has been delayed because it apparently does not comply with state plumbing regulations. Bockelman said the manufacturer is working with the state to resolve the issues. The only afterhours public restroom is at the Police Station, and with the Jones Library downtown closed, daytime options are also more limited.

Finance Committee Considers Use of Reserve Funds
Schoen reported on recent Finance Committee discussions which centered on capital planning and the town’s reserve fund. Schoen said the committee is exploring using reserve funds for urgent projects such as road repairs and a potential new DPW facility. The committee also reviewed third-quarter financial results. Schoen indicated that no decisions were made, but that longer-term planning discussions will begin in earnest at the next meeting, scheduled for August 5.

Construction Updates and Federal Tax Incentives
Schoen also updated the council on the Fort River Elementary School construction project. She reported that exterior framing is nearly complete and geothermal system installation is more than halfway done which is a key sustainability milestone. The committee is optimistic about qualifying for federal tax credits on renewable energy. Initial construction bids came in under budget, creating a contingency fund that has not yet been used.

Series on Civic Engagement Planned for the Fall
Communications Manager Samantha Giffen and summer intern Abigail Bellen are developing an eight-session online course on local government for residents who are interested but not currently engaged. Details will be announced in the coming weeks. The sessions will be held on Wednesday evenings.

Disability Pride Month Recognized
Councilor Pat De Angelis provided a liaison report on the recent Disability Pride Month event, which included a flag-raising ceremony on the Town Common and a film screening at the Bangs Community Center. The event was a collaboration between disability commissions in Amherst, Northampton, and Easthampton and drew more than 20 attendees. A follow-up screening is scheduled for July 29 in Northampton.

Temporary Jones Library Location Opens
In response to a question from De Angelis, Town Manager Paul Bockelman confirmed that the temporary Jones Library site on University Drive opened last week. The new space offers public computers, restrooms, and a children’s area, though seating is limited. Staff are still assessing visitor traffic. The Bangs Center has seen increased foot traffic as a result of the reduced library capacity.

No Expanded Hours for North Amherst Library
Although he praised town staff for opening the public pools and expanding cooling stations during the June heat wave, Bockelman asserted that expanding the limited hours of the remodeled North Amherst Library for residents was not possible because it is not in the library budget. He said, with the downtown Jones Library closed, the Bangs Center hours were expanded during the heat wave.

CRESS Report and Public Services Update
Ette asked about the status of the CRESS (Community Responders for Equity, Safety & Service) year-end report. Bockelman said the report is in development, with daily data being entered into a new Qualtrics database. A researcher is expected to complete an analysis by September or October.

Griesemer Reflects on MARS Report,
Council President Lynn Griesemer raised concerns about the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS)report — a financial analysis commissioned by the regional school superintendent. She said the council was not made aware of the report until the July 8 meeting and noted that much of the data is publicly available and limited to the past ten years. Councilors expressed reluctance to fund the report unless it provided additional value. At least one participating town has signaled resistance to paying for it.

Public Comment
The meeting opened with public comment. Resident Todd Way spoke about his personal efforts to clean up litter near Puffers Pond and advocated for reinstating a town trash can near the Cumberland Farms bus stop to help maintain the area. He expressed hope the Department of Public Works would respond to the request.

District 1 resident Vince O’Connor raised concerns about immigration enforcement and community safety in neighborhoods with a high percentage of renters. He called on the Town Manager and Police Department to make a clear statement on how 911 calls are handled and whether immigration status plays a role in policing decisions.

Consent Agenda Unanimously Approved
Councilors unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included appointing Amber Martin as Town Clerk, extending Rob Morrow’s term as Interim Planning Director, appointing Alexandra Terra Torini and Milan Clark to the Human Rights Commission and approving minutes from previous meetings on May 12, May 19, and June 2.

Steinberg Will Not Seek Re-election. Sees Troublesome Financial Times Ahead
Steinberg announced that he will not be a candidate for re-election. He served two terms on the Select Board and three terms on the Town Council, and offered his observations on the state of the town today. He said, “Amherst has always had a lot of ambitions, and our ambitions always have exceeded its capacity to really do all that the citizens would like to have happen, simply because we’re in a unique situation with the large number of acres of our land that is not taxable because it’s a nonprofit entity or conservation land. There’s been a very strong tradition of not wanting large development that ended up going to Hadley. As a result, Amherst has the 15^th highest tax rate among the state’s 352 municipalities.” He cautioned that in the future a lot of difficult choices will need to be made, possibly including an operating budget override. Steinberg has been a steadfast supporter of the Jones Library expansion project, which has been the target of many concerns among some councilors and many residents. 

The council next meets on August 18.