# Town Council Oct 19, 2026

At the Town of Amherst Town Council regular meeting (titled Oct. 19, 2026), the council unanimously adopted the 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan update approved by FEMA. The Fire Chief said implementation would include DPW-led infrastructure projects, particularly flood and culvert mitigation, and that an active plan makes the town eligible to seek hazard-mitigation grants; the town is also developing emergency operations and sheltering plans. The council unanimously approved an amendment to the Bylaw Review Committee charge adding designated members from the Finance Committee, Human Rights Commission, and Energy and Climate Action Committee. It also unanimously approved applying for Mayors for Peace membership, which carries a fee of 2,000 yen (about $13). No procurement contract or vendor award was made.

Procurement-related discussion included the transfer-station RFP: a council committee report said the RFP scoring favors proposals that preserve existing services, with higher marks for making no changes and lower marks for more substantial changes. No RFP decision or award was taken; council members raised a request for a public listening session, to be considered for a future agenda. The council also unanimously voted to remove the affordable-housing restriction on 49 Deepwoods Drive after an unsuccessful, extended resale process. In the tax-classification hearing, staff recommended retaining a single tax rate, and that item passed on the consent agenda; the hearing included no purchasing decisions.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Grants & Funding, Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 23, 2026

### Sources
- [Town Council Oct 19, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LLLQKasDoM) - Town of Amherst, MA