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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMaster Plan Comm. 10/18/1995j MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE 95 DEC 11, OCTOBER 18,1995 Present: Andrea Bonda, Planning Board; Bill Madan, Citizen -at -Large, Peter I�CTrblib,i S Zoning Board of Appeals; Jim Burke, Conservation Commission; Kathleen Nash, Citizen -at -Large; Tom French, Planning Board; Bernie Dolan, Planning Board; Chris Trombetta, Planning Board; Marydee Flynn, Planning Board; Lionel Brooks, Citizen -at -Large; Tom McShane, Planning Board; John Sullivan, Planning Board; Dwayne Fredricks, Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate Shaun P. Burke, Director of Planning and Development Christopher Marion, Assistant to the Town Manager 1. Meeting called to order at 7:10 P.M. 2. Organization Motion: To appoint Andrea Bonda Chair (Dolan -Flynn) Eight in favor. PASSES Motion: To appoint Kathleen Nash Chair (Madan-DeTrolio) Motion: To appoint Tom McShane Clerk (Dolan -Madan) All in favor. PASSES 3. Meeting Schedule Mr. Madan suggested the meetings be televised on cable; Chair Bonda said the multi -purpose room in the Jordan School is cable -ready. Mr. Pasquale told the committee the Board of Selectmen's meeting room is free most Thursdays, as the Board of Health meets infrequently. Following discussion of the schedules of various boards and committees, the following vote was taken. Motion: To hold Master Plan Committee meeting on Tuesdays (Madan -French) All in favor. PASSES Mr. Madan was in favor of meeting every other week. Mr•. Brooks agreed, but was unsure about his ability to commit to every other week for several years. Mr. Burke said this committee was in better shape than the last, because it has only been six years between updates and the available data base is better this time around. Consensus was to meet every other week beginning on Tuesday, October 24, 1995 at 7:30 P.M. 4. Funding Mr. Burke told the board $25,000 was appropriated by Town Meeting for this update, so much of the work will have to be done in-house. He explained support staff (a minutes clerk) would eat up a lot of that money, depending on how often the committee and the Master Plan Advisory Committee were to meet. Mr. Burke outlined the following options: reduce the number of meetings, which would stretch out the time line; pay a minutes clerk from the Planning Board budget until it runs out and ask for additional funds from the Finance Committee; ask for a transfer at next spring's Town Meeting; ask Town Meeting for the $15,000 which was put aside for the impact fee study, since the study probably will not be done. Chair Bonda asked if the last Master Plan Committee had secretarial support. Mr. Madan said minutes were taken by a committee member and the meetings were taped. Mr. Pasquale suggested the meetings could be taped and the Board of Selectmen's secretary could transcribe them and will bring it up at the Selectmen's meeting this evening. 5. Master Plan Process Mr. Burke explained many aspects of the Master Plan are prerequisites for grant funding and said many of those would be done in-house. He identified several recent sources which will assist the committee in updating those sections, including a new Open Space and Recreation Plan, which he suggested may be able to be incorporated into the Master Plan whole. He asked the members to consider priorities and what they would like to do in-house and what they would like to hire consultants to do, keeping in mind the available resources and financial constraints. He also requested any suggested changes to the timeline be addressed at the next meeting, Mr. Pasquale requested that when board -specific documents are discussed, that board be asked to attend to present and speak about the document. Clerk McShane suggested it would be more useful if the boards in question would present these documents during the first few Master Plan meetings, before the committee gets into analyzing and critiquing the documents. Mr. Madan asked about the function of the Master Plan Advisory Committee and whether the Planning Board would review and make changes to the Master Plan after the Master Plan Committee is finished with it, something which was criticized after the last Master Plan. Mr. Burke told him the Planning Board brings the Master Plan to Town Meeting, and though it is the Planning Board's job to update the Master Plan, it wanted greater public input in the process. Mr. Sullivan said he intended for the committee to make the decisions and the Planning Board to take care of the technical aspects of the changes. Clerk McShane said the Planning Board had considered including a few members, but decided it wouldn't be fair to the Master Plan Committee to do all the work and have the majority of the Planning Board change it later, so it was decided the entire board would attend. He said the Planning Board had also considered doing the plan itself, but decided it is not just a Planning Board document and in order to get political support for the finished product, ideas from other areas were needed. Mr. Brooks suggested when the committee agrees on its current situation, it should discuss its objectives, and find a way to make its recommendations fit the objectives. This would give the town options and hopefully, the Planing Board will be behind the recommendations. Mr. Brooks also suggested the committee do a summary of each meeting to be run during the Board of Selectmen's meeting. Clerk McShane suggested doing these summaries at the end of each meeting, which would force the committee to come to some sort of closure. Mr. Madan was concerned there would not be much public participation in the Master Plan meetings. Mr. Pasquale said getting the meetings on cable may be a problem because of a shortage of volunteers from the cable station. Motion: To do a summary at the end of each meeting to be run during the Board of Selectmen's meeting (Flynn -McShane) Mr. Brooks said a 10-minute summary consisting of old business, new business, and the next meeting date could be run either right before the Selectmen's meeting or during a break. Clerk McShane suggested the committee members give the summary on a rotating basis. All in favor. PASSES Mr. Madan brought up the need for a policy on alternates. Motion: Alternates will be allowed to participate fully in any discussions, but will not vote unless the principal is absent. (Burke -Dolan) All in favor. PASSES Chairman Bonda asked if the committee would like to have a time for public comment. Motion: To make Public Comment a standard agenda item under the control of the Chair. (Sullivan -Madan) All in favor. PASSES 6. Public Comment Karl Clemmey, 390 West Street, asked what the board's policy would be on absenteeism. Mr. Sullivan said the Planning Board had discussed if a member were to miss four consecutive meetings, they would be replaced with a citizen -at -large. Mr. DeTrolio asked if that policy would apply to the Planning Board as well. Clerk McShane told him because it is legally the Planning Board's job to produce the Master Plan, it would not. Mr. Dolan suggested if any of the members lose interest or are unable to continue to attend, he or she let the committee know so they can be replaced as soon as possible. Motion: The chair will send a letter requesting voluntary resignation or an explanation for absences to any member who misses four consecutive meetings, if necessary, an alternate will be appointed. (Pasquale -Madan) All in favor. PASSES Summary Mr. Brooks asked if the committee wanted to do this meeting's summary or take it from the minutes. Mr. Pasquale offered to do tonight's summary at the Board of Selectmen's meeting. The next meeting will involve prioritization and changes to the time line. 8. Adjournment Motion: To adjourn at 8:30 P.M. -Dolan-Sullivan) Allin favor. PASSES Date of next meeting: Tuesday, October 24, 1995 at 7:30 P.M. Signature of Clerk Date of Approval