Letter: Conservation Commissioner Questions Town Manager’s Refusal to Reappoint Him
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The following letter was sent to the Town Services and Outeach Committee on October 1, 2025. The letter was discussed at their meeting on October 2, 2025.
I am writing to you about the communication you have received from the Town Manager about his nominations for appointments to the Conservation Commission. As you know, the commission is comprised of seven people, and I am honored to have served as one of them these past three years.
The commission had one vacant seat for some time followed by a second after a commissioner resigned at the end of August. These two seats are in addition to the seat I currently occupy. The filling of these seats has been raised at recent commission meetings as quorum challenges have been anticipated.
I applied for reappointment to a second term as my term was ending but had not heard anything back. Contrary to the Town Manager’s statement that “The interview team interviewed all applicants.”, I was not interviewed by the team assembled for that task and I received no contact. Instead, a couple of weeks ago I was asked to attend a meeting with the Town Manager. At that meeting, I was informed by the Town Manager that he did not intend to nominate me for reappointment. I asked for his reason(s) and was told he did not need reasons.
I have been an involved, prepared, productive member of the commission and I have more to offer the town in this capacity, as I’m sure the two potential new members before you will also. The rationale for not allowing me to fill the third available seat at this time escapes me, and I remain ready, willing, and able to continue to serve.
I respectfully ask the TSO to recommend to the Town Council that the Town Manager reappoint me to the commission for a 2nd term.
Alex Hoar
Alex Hoar is a member of the Amherst Conservation Commission
AT this time of budding autocracy nationally Amherst does not need or benefit from a Town Manager who doesn’t believe that he must be transparent. Signing the contract for the library without first consulting with the Town Council is another relatively recent example of this type of action.
“I don’t need a reason” I’ve lived in amherst since winter ’79 petitioned the commission twice alex hoar was the one who called me both times came to my house to overview my concern demonstrated his concern for the wildlife corridor brought up my concerns at public meeting mr. “town manager” : “because I said so” is unacceptable mr. “town manager” ; I need a reason
Committee stacking has been a problem for amherst since renovation of jones library was discussed more than ten years ago—if not longer, when Denise was not renewed for Planning Board.
I decided this morning that since north of the Mill River was the Third Precinct of Hadley until 1789, we should secede from Amherst and become Hadley residents where apartment buildings aren’t allowed in any district (except by ch. 40B), taxes are lower, schools have higher ratings…. We seem to be the dumping grounds for whatever uses others don’t want in their backyards.
To the Town Services and Outreach Committee,, Town Council and Town Manager,
I was disheartened once again at the opaque process of town committee appointments when I heard that Alex Hoar was not only not being considered for reappointment to the Conservation Commission but not even given a reason after capably serving for 3 years. In this climate of national distrust and global anxiety over multiple crisis, when we need to be building town morale, behaving with transparency and respect, what message are we repeatedly giving to our town residents when sincere, qualified, sorely needed volunteers are not being considered to fill the many vacancies and treated with such disregard.
And at this time when we are facing biodiversity collapse, water cycle disruption and climate chaos, Amherst’s ConCom has been a functional team, critical in protecting local ecosystem health. Alex Hoar is one of the reasons.
The role of conservation commissions includes wetlands protection, conservation land stewardship and management, education regarding conservation laws and permitting. We need experienced people to serve into their second term to ensure continued effective operation and contribute to institutional memory.
We don’t have to agree with or like everyone we serve with as long as together we honor that we are serving the greater good to the best of our abilities without prejudice.
Please help restore confidence in our town governance by bringing more transparency and respect to this process.
As a resident of Amherst, I attended 5 recent Conservation Commission meetings. I have been impressed by the professionalism of the Committee discussions and their process of decision-making. I understand Mr Alex Hoar applied for a second three year term this June. He was never granted an interview. In fact, he had not heard anything until he was summoned to Mr Brockleman’s office in September where you told him you were not going to nominate him for reappointment. When Mr. Hoar asked why, Mr Brockeman said that he didn’t have to give a reason. Yet three other applicants were interviewed by a citizen appointment committee and recommendations were forwarded to the Town Manager
Having knowledgeable, experienced members on this extremely demanding commission is critical. Reappointing Mr Hoar to a second term is logical for continuity given that two new members will be starting their terms this fall and given his conservation background.
Mr. Hoar offers expertise as he worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 38 years doing regulatory work protecting the environment with a focus on wetlands, rivers, migratory fish migration and fish passage at dams. His participation in Committee meetings was professional and effective.
I nave asked the Town Manager and the Town Council to:
– reappoint Alex Hoar to a second consecutive term on the Conservation Commission or give cogent reasons why his 3 years of dedicated service does not warrant re-appointment
– work together to develop a fair, consistent and transparent process for appointing/reappointing Town committee members.