AMHERST — Recent private meetings between members of the Town Council and Amherst police, disclosed publicly during a council meeting in December, are prompting an Open Meeting Law complaint against the council’s president.

The Dec. 20 filing with the town clerk’s office, made by resident Allegra Clark, contends that Council President Lynn Griesemer violated the state law by setting up the sessions with the Police Department, and didn’t publicly post them or alert the media beforehand.

Griesemer “(mis)used her title, position, power and authority to call for closed Town Council meetings with Amherst Police in advance of voting to adopt language in the draft Town Council Performance Goals for the town manager — specifically as it pertains to personnel management and the Amherst Police Department,” Clark wrote in the complaint.

Clark serves as the co-chairwoman of the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee, but filed the complaint as an individual.

She is asking that a response to the complaint include Griesemer recusing herself from discussing or voting on matters related to town police, and that the Town Council elect a new president. Griesemer has served as the president since the Town Council was first established in December 2018.

The meetings between councilors and police were referenced in a December Town Council meeting discussing some of the police priorities and performance goals for Town Manager Paul Bockelman. That discussion centered on whether the anti-racism culture that councilors would like to permeate town operations should have a specific focus on police.

A majority of councilors participated in the meetings with police, according their accounts.

Clark’s filing includes an attached exhibit of an email from Griesemer titled “Opportunity to meet and hear from our Police Department” that was sent to all councilors.

In that, Griesemer writes that Police Chief Scott Livingstone identified opportunities to meet on the afternoon of Dec. 1 and the morning of Dec. 2.

“The plan I am suggesting is that we provide some refreshments (donuts, fruit, coffee) and after introductions listen and have a dialogue with those present,” Griesemer wrote.

Town Clerk Susan Audette said the council has 14 days to respond to the complaint. If it is placed on the Jan. 9 Town Council agenda, as she understands it could be, that would be in compliance with state law.

In an email, Griesemer confirmed that the matter would be on the council’s agenda at its first meeting of 2023.

“The town is committed to complying with the Open Meeting Law and will, of course, examine in detail the allegations in the complaint and the issues raised,” Griesemer wrote. “It was, and is, my understanding the listening sessions at issue were not meetings subject to the law.”

Clark’s complaint also alleges that Griesemer “coached” police officers and police administrators “to make statements at these meetings to move councilors to vote in a manner sympathetic and favorable to her disposition” concerning the performance goals for the town manager, and mentions of the police.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.]]>