AMHERST — The May 23 Town Council meeting included final presentations of budgets by the Finance Committee.

Finance Director Sean Mangano directed questions concerning inspections to Building Commissioner Rob Morra regarding overall program costs, including rental fee increases and the possibility of staff additions which were determined will not be included in the current budget.

Planning Director Christine Brestrup noted the completion of some projects, including the FEMA flood mapping project and the Town Council’s adoption of the associated zoning amendments as well as the adoption of the preservation of historically significant buildings.

“We also completed for food and drink establishments, a zoning amendment that reorganized the use categories and permitting paths for these uses that will make it more easy for them to establish themselves,” Brestrup added.

Listing housing as a top priority of the Planning Department, Brestrup said housing of all differing types and price points is a necessity in the town despite production of some 800 housing units in the past six years.

“We really have a housing issue that we have to solve somehow,” she said.

Fielding a question on grant allocations and staffing from Council President Lynn Griesemer, Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek expressed a commitment to working through grant assisted projects as they address any staffing challenges.

“We’re still in the game, we’re still being aggressive out there and going for money but as Lynn said, once we get the money, once we get the grants we have to perform and that means contracting and bidding and all of the project management that goes into these things,” he said.

Fire Chief Tim Nelson and Assistant Chief Lindsey Stromgren presented to the committee on behalf of the Fire Department and EMS services. Nelson made note of only a slight increase in calls for service as a result of the University of Massachusetts’ term extension into late May.

Staffing challenges continue to impact the department despite the recent addition of four new employees who start in June, according to Stromgren.

“That still leaves us with four vacancies,” Stromgren said, pointing out that student members of the force handle much of the call load during the school year.

Further discussions of the budget presentations took place at the next committee meeting on May 29, after Reminder Publishing’s deadline.