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 Town of Amherst adopts new policy for appointment to committees

A new policy affecting the appointment of councillors to external boards, committees and commissions was adopted by Amherst town council during its Feb. 26 regular council session.

The new policy does not apply to appointments and ad hoc committees of council – committee of the whole and the audit, planning advisory, north Tyndal wellfield advisory and tree advisory committees – but does delineate three levels of outside committees that councillors may be involved in.

Those three levels include committees that are required by legislation, bylaw or formal agreement, like the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority; those that clearly have municipal interest, like the senior safety advisory committee; and committees in which councillors are involved without being appointed by council.

Council also approved the following committee appointments:

• Mayor David Kogon: the L.A. Animal Shelter and regional emergency management committees;
• Deputy Mayor Sheila Christie: the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, the planning advisory committee and the YMCA board of directors;
• Coun. Jason Blanch: the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, the municipal alcohol project and the tree advisory and Tydnall wellfield advisory committees;
• Coun. Vince Byrne: the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority and the regional emergency management committee;
• Coun. Darrell Jones: the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, the senior safety advisory group and the Tyndall wellfield advisory committee;
• Coun. Wayne MacKenzie: the Cumberland Public Libraries board and the planning advisory committee;
• Coun. Terry Rhindress: the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority and the northern region solid waste and planning advisory committees.

All of the appointments, with the exception of those appointed to the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, expire on Oct. 31, 2018.