Amherst council approves street closure and $1,000 donation for fire department fundraiser

The Amherst Town Council on July 8 approved a street closure request and a $1,000 donation to support a fundraising event organized by the Amherst Fire Department.

Steve Drummond, assistant chief of the Amherst Fire Department, asked the council to close Courthouse Street at Goodwood Street on Sept. 26 for a fenced community fundraiser that will include a beer garden, a band and food trucks. "We're gonna have a beer garden and the band, food truck," Drummond said while describing plans for the evening.

Blake Robertson, speaking for the department, asked the town for a modest sponsorship and stressed the department's long record of service. "We're here to help the town. We're here to help the county, anybody that needs any help," Robertson said, noting the department's service since 1917.

Councilmember Sundom Murphy moved to appropriate $1,000 to the fire department for the event; after a second, the council approved the donation by voice vote. The council also moved and approved the street closure by voice vote.

The approval allows organizers to proceed with event logistics tied to use of the courthouse parking area and the closed block. No formal conditions or a detailed security plan were recorded on the meeting transcript; Drummond and Robertson described fencing and a beer‑garden layout as part of the proposal.

The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript, and the motion outcomes were reported by voice as carried. The council set no additional requirements on the public record at the meeting and did not specify further permitting steps beyond the closure approval.