Department Heads to Present Strategic Plans Starting Sept. 9

On Monday, Sept. 9, the Amherst Board of Selectmen will begin an eight-week session of meetings with Town Department heads for presentations of what they've come up with for strategic plans.

According to a press release from the board, in June, the Amherst Board of Selectmen launched an integrated approach to strategic planning to enable the town to be more proactive in shaping its desired future and to link annual plans and budgets to a unified strategic direction.

The department heads have spent the summer working on their plans.

Starting in a week, the board will shift from meeting twice monthly, to every week until all the plans have been presented. Each presentation will be televised via Amherst Community TV, so that citizens can view all of the presentations and related discussions.

According to selectman Mike Akillian, who is leading the planning process, “Presentations will be made by Police (9/9/13), EMS (9/16/13), Fire (9/23/13), Library (9/30/13), Community Development (10/7/13), DPW (10/15/13), Recreation (10/21/13) and Town Administration (10/28/13). Each department head will, at a minimum, present a proposed FY15 budget and some will propose multi-year budgets tied to strategic initiatives outlined in their plans.

“This is a multi-year process starting with the town departments," Akillian said. Because Community Development takes its strategic direction from the Planning Board, Heritage Commission, Zoning Board, Historic District Commission, and Conservation Commission, we have shared the planning process with them and asked that they help shape a strategic framework upon which Community Development can base its plan this year. Next year, the process will be extended to other town boards, commissions, and committees, and we expect the process to be refined each year as it becomes part of the fabric of town government.”

The Board of Selectman is interested in learning what other forums citizens might like them to convene to discuss these proposed plans further. Citizens can share their ideas with them at bos@amherstnh.gov.