TSO Recommends New Appointment to Conservation Commission. Public Objects to Replacement of Alex Hoar

Report on the Meeting of the Town Services and Outreach Committee of the Town Council, October 16, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. 

Present
Andy Steinberg (at large, chair), Jennifer Taub (District 4), George Ryan and Hala Lord (District 3). Absent: Bob Hegner (District 5)

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

Despite the controversy over Town Manager Paul Bockelman’s refusal to reappoint Alex Hoar to a second three-year term on the Conservation Commission, the Town Services and Outreach Committee of the Town Council (TSO) voted 3-0-1 with Jennifer Taub abstaining to recommend the appointment of Kristina Smith to fill the vacancy. Committee members had no problems with Smith’s qualifications, but Taub objected to the way Hoar was treated in the process; Bockelman did not grant him an interview and refused to give a reason why he was not reappointed.

Taub said, “This is not a sort of controversy any of us were looking for, but it’s before us, so I think we have to address it. What makes me very uncomfortable is that there is just so much innuendo out there. I don’t have any reason to doubt that the new members that we confirmed [are qualified], but we do know that the member who’s not being [re]appointed is at least as qualified. And it’s not just with this situation — our process of appointing feels too subjective.” 

Hoar has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 38 years, doing regulatory work protecting the environment with a focus on wetlands, rivers, migratory fish, and fish passage at dams. He has graduate degrees in fisheries and wildlife sciences, as well as forestry.

New Appointment Means There May Not Be a Quorum to Decide Archipelago’s Atkins Corner Project
Taub also raised the issue that there will only be three members of the Conservation Commission who are  qualified to vote on Archipelago’s proposed mixed-use building for Atkins Corner if commission member Jason Dorney is elected to the Town Council in November. The three newly appointed members are not eligible to vote because they have not participated in the full public hearing. Dorney would have to resign at the end of December, so the project could not be approved if a decision was delayed until 2026 because only three eligible members will remain. With Hoar removed from the committee now, all four (the majority of the seven-member committee) remaining members would have to vote for the project for it to be approved.

Bockelman Not Forthcoming About Reasons for Not Reappointing Hoar
In response to questions about a connection between Archipelago’s proposed project and his rejection of Hoar’s reappointment, Bockelman said that it had not been his intent to interfere with the decision on the Archipelago project. Instead, he referred to his legal authority to do so:  “The process is set by the Charter. The Charter establishes that the Town Manager is the appointing authority, and the Council has the right of approval or not approval. It is subjective because I have to make a judgment. I gave a fair amount of detail about this process in the memo [and]the Residents’ Advisory Committee is involved in pretty much every interview. So those are the checks on the Town Manager’s appointing.” He added, “I think the process has been running well. If you look at the record of the hundreds and hundreds of appointments I’ve made, the council has been pretty supportive of it.” 

According to Bockelman, the difference in this case is that the identity of the incumbent is known” and his qualifications can be compared to other applicants.

Taub countered that no other parties were consulted about Hoar’s application for reappointment, as he was not even offered a chance to interview. In addition, Bockelman did not explain why he chose not to make the reappointment, previously saying he would explain “…at the appropriate time, and when that time comes, I will give a full explanation for what my thinking is.” However, no explanation was given.

Ryan Supports Town Manager’s Appointment Process
Councilor George Ryan concurred with Bockelman’s assessment, saying, “This is not our process — this is the Town Manager’s process. This is not our appointment — this is the Town Manager’s appointment.” According to Ryan, the Town Manager “follows a very rigorous process, always consulting multiple people,” but added, “This is an extremely unusual circumstance.” Ryan’s opinion was that ”the Town manager has made every effort to make it clear that it’s not about the individual’s qualification [or] expertise; it’s about something else. And, given the long history of what the [Town] Manager has done, it isn’t asking too much of us to trust him.” Ryan also reminded his fellow councilors that appointment to a committee is not a guarantee of reappointment although even if someone is not reappointed, “…we’re grateful for the willingness of residents to serve.”

Taub disagreed with Ryan, saying “If this is the Town Manager’s decision, why is it even coming to TSO and the council? What you’re saying is that it’s our job to rubber stamp [these decisions].” She pointed out that the lack of transparency in the appointment process was mentioned several times at the League of Women Voters’ candidate forum on October 15, when a number of  candidates said that they could not get appointed to town committees. In the history of the Town Council, the Town Manager’s recommended nominations have always been approved with little or no discussion.

Bockelman defended his position by stating that with a sufficient pool of applicants, there will always be someone who is not appointed. “One of the benefits of the Town Manager [form of government] is that you do have a unitary figure who’s been designated as a Chief Executive Officer — as the appointing authority. That’s what the Charter chose.”

Ryan quickly moved to appoint Kristina Smith to the Conservation Commission. Bockelman said he would check with the town attorney regarding Archipelago’s application and that they might have to delay Smith’s appointment until a decision on the application had been made. Presumably, Hoar would continue to serve until that time to maintain a quorum.

Public Comment Supports Hoar
Joanna Morse, Mickey Rathbun, Maria Kopicki, and Janet McGowan spoke in favor of reappointing Hoar.

Morse said that she wrote to Bockelman about Hoar’s non-reappointment, and Bockelman replied that his “…sole motivation was to choose the best candidate and, more importantly, to ensure that the commission and its members function in a manner consistent with the town’s standards and values.” However, Morse pointed out that he did not explain what standards and values he is trying to uphold, and questioned what interests of the town are being protected by Hoar not being reappointed. She expressed concerns that if  the Town Manager was trying to eliminate a vote and the voice of someone willing to speak up for wetlands — something that might not always be in the interest of elected and appointed leaders —  then how can members of committees and boards serve as a check on those in power.

Rathbun said that the town depends on hard-working volunteers, such as Hoar has shown himself to be, and they should not be subject to “arbitrary and capricious treatment.” 

Kopicki objected to the Town Manager not giving any reasons for rejecting Hoar’s application, to the applicant and the public, which meant that Hoar was unable to defend himself or refute any allegations. She maintained that the Council’s role is to supervise the Town Manager and make sure that processes are fair.

McGowan pointed out that Hoar is hardworking, and conscientious about following the town’s wetlands bylaw. “Several times when I was serving on the Planning Board, he would call me and ask questions about the history of a project,” she said.  “I appreciate people who are curious and go the extra mile to collect information. There is already a lack of public trust in the process of appointments — I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get people to apply for boards, but they said, ‘I had a friend who was an expert and was never even called for an interview’ or ‘wasn’t picked.’ It looks like a failure of the process that if somebody who has worked so hard, and has the qualifications and the experience — the renewal should not be automatic, but it should be close to it.”

Town Manager Recommends Kristina Smith to Replace Hoar on Conservation Commission.
Bockelman’s chosen replacement for Hoar on the Conservation Commission is Kristina Smith. Of Smith, he writes: “Ms. Smith is extraordinarily qualified to serve on the Conservation Commission. Professionally, Ms. Smith works as stewardship planner in the Agriculture Preservation Program for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Conservation and Technical Assistance. Ms. Smith supports farmers throughout the state in understanding and complying with the State Wetlands Protection Act. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she earned her degree in plant and soil science and studied vernal pools. She recently spoke at the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions about stormwater management on agricultural land. Ms. Smith is well-versed in the roles and responsibilities of the Conservation Commission having taken numerous trainings provided by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions such as ‘Plan Review and Site Visit Procedures’, ‘Buffer Zones: Considering the Science While Applying the Regulations’, ‘Effective Erosion and Sediment Control’, and ‘Fundamentals of Wetlands Enforcement’. Her special interest is in working with farmers and recognizing the unique challenges they face to ensure our agricultural community is able to thrive.”

TSO Recommends Removal of One Parking Space at 151 Amity Street
Residents of the condominium complex at 151 Amity Street petitioned the Town Council to remove one parking space near their shared driveway because cars that are parked close to the drive obscure their visibility, especially to the east toward the center of town. Removing one space, they said, would keep parked cars farther from the driveway and afford greater visibility. Resident and Homeowners’ Association Chair Steve Judge presented photos illustrating the obstructed view.

Amherst Police Chief Gabe Ting was agreeable, stating that safety was the paramount consideration, although he noted that all four driveways on that block of Amity Street have similar visibility problems. Residents stated that theirs was the only driveway that served multiple units. Two others are for single-family homes, and the fourth is a wider driveway for a multi-unit rental building. 

Superintendent of Public Works Guilford Mooring also did not have a problem with removing one parking space. He thought that the space might even be regained by adjusting the spaces when the lines are repainted. 

Ryan voiced concern asking, “Where do we draw the line? It’s a safety issue for a whole host of properties on that street. I’m sympathetic, but what do we do when the next neighbor comes? This is precedent-setting. When I look at the way this is headed, we’re going to lose a lot of parking downtown. It’s our downtown. And we want people to come and use it.” 

Taub pointed out that the nearby town-owned lot behind CVS is still underutilized. TSO then voted 4–0 to recommend reducing parking at 151 Amity Street by one space.

Consultant Hired to Draft Waste Hauler Reform Bylaw
Bockelman announced that he has hired a consultant from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to draft a Request for Proposals for town-contracted waste hauler services and curbside compost pick up. The consultant will begin work shortly and will probably give a presentation to TSO in November. Waste hauler reform was recommended by Zero Waste Amherst as long ago as 2021 and endorsed by relevant town committees and organizations, as well as the Board of Health. The Town Council allocated funds for a consultant in November 2024, but little progress has been made since it was referred to the Town Manager.

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