ANTRIM PLANNING BOARD
Organizational Meeting
April 5, 2018
MINUTES
Members & Staff Present:
William Bryk, Chris Condon, Bob Holmes, Janet McEwen, Lynne Rosansky, John Robertson (Ex-Officio), and Kristin Bixby (Assistant to Land Use Boards).
Members Absent: Mary Allen
Others Present: None
CTO: Chair Condon called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. Board and staff introductions.
Organizational Meeting
I. Election of Officers:
Chair Condon said if the Board looked through the By-laws at Election of Officers, it had been practice in the past to just make motions for candidates and having someone second it. All present agreed that this was appropriate.
Motion: Chair Condon nominated Ms. McEwen to be the new Planning Board Chair. Mrs. Rosansky seconded the motion.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
Chair McEwen nominated Mr. Condon to be the new Planning Board Vice Chair. Mrs. Rosansky seconded the motion.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
The Planning Board members discussed whether the Board’s bylaws would allow for the Assistant to Land Use Boards to be labelled as the official Secretary of the Board. After review of the regulations, Chair McEwen added that as long as the Board does not come across something that specifies the Assistant cannot also serve as Secretary, they will be promptly named as such in the By Laws.
Motion: Mr. Bryk moved to appoint the current Assistant to Land Use Boards as Secretary. Vice Chair Condon seconded the motion.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
II. Planning Board Bylaw Review
(In By-law 2.4) Chair McEwen noted that all new members get six hours of training and checked to make sure both new members had signed up for the OSI Conference on Saturday, April 28th. Both will be attending.
CIP Committee Representatives – Mr. Holmes and Mr. MacDonald as long as he remains on the Board as an alternate.
(In By-law 3.3) Mr. Holmes asked if Planning Board Alternates have to be sworn in, and if Ex-Officio John Robertson would be the one to do so.
Motion: Vice Chair Condon made a motion to update Planning Board bylaw 3.3 so it will read that all newly elected members and newly appointed alternates of the Planning Board have to take an Oath of Office. Mr. Holmes seconded.
Discussion: None.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
Ms. Bixby, Assistant to Land Use Boards, asked about meeting start times. After a brief discussion, the Board decided to keep meetings consistent and continue to start at 7:00 PM.
Chair McEwen asked for more information on the definition of a friendly motion. Mr. Holmes replied that he believed a friendly motion was one where any changes made are insignificant to the initial motion and would not need a new motion to amend the initial motion.
Mr. Holmes had a question about noticed applications, and mentioned that the law is set to at least 15 days, yet the Board meets only every 14 or 22 days. Chair McEwen asked if it sufficed that Ms. Bixby has been giving advanced notice to material to Board members. It was added that the Board should keep in mind that the Public Hearing doesn’t need to have a final decision. The Board can wait to make a decision.
(In By-law 13.1.A) Mr. Holmes had a question about applicant interruptions and noted that the bylaw may want to be clearer about the Board members and audience members having to wait until the end of the initial presentation before being allowed to ask questions. Vice Chair Condon added that the instructions do say that the questions come after. It is at the discretion of the Chair. By leaving it the way it is written now, it will give the Board Chair more flexibility.
No questions were discussed regarding the rest of the bylaws.
Motion: Bryk moved to accept bylaws as amended /Holmes seconds.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
III. Election of Alternates
Ms. Bixby read emails that were provided by Jeanne Cahoon and Steve MacDonald, which referenced their desire to remain as Alternates to the Planning Board. Mr. MacDonald’s letter also specified that he would still like to sit on the CIP Committee.
Motion: Mr. Robertson moved to appoint Jeanne Cahoon and Steve MacDonald as the 2018 Planning Board Alternates. Mr. Bryk seconded.
Discussion: The alternates must be present at some of the meetings. An email needs to be sent to them reminding them that they need to be sworn in by Dianne Chauncey, the Town Clerk.
Vote: By a voice vote, all agreed.
IV. Planning Board Goals for 2018:
Mr. Robertson suggested a review of Highway Business District and its potential for rezoning.
Mr. Holmes suggested that on future Site Walks by the Board, the Town’s Conservation Commission members should be included and part of the walk could be focused on looking for invasive plant species. He said that this could be a great way for the Town to be proactive in some invasive species mitigation.
Chair McEwen suggested that Mary Pinkham Langer should come in to talk to the Board about sandpits and excavation.
Mrs. Rosansky suggested that the Board spends some more time on economic development. Chair McEwen added that the DBEA should becoming back to talk more about economic development as well. Ms. Bixby suggested that the Board hosts the DBEA presentation as a workshop, so the Board can break the audience out into groups and get a more interactive discussion going with different community stakeholders. Mrs. Rosansky added that the Hillsborough Chamber had asked her husband to do training for them on economic vitality, and he could be used as a resource to the Planning Board.
Vice Chair Condon restated the importance of the economic development piece, and added that the Town’s website needs work. Other Board members agree that more in-depth talk about updating the website should be a goal.
Chair McEwen commented that the Town (and surrounding area) housing inventory is lacking. A goal for this year is to get creative on housing options. Mrs. Rosansky added that there seems to be so many regulations, and if she was a developer she would be overwhelmed. Chair McEwen added that the Board should look through different ordinances to see what is allowed, especially regarding co-housing and tiny houses. It was also discussed that “current use” issues should be brought up in future conversations with Mary Pinkham-Langer.
Chair McEwen emphasized that the Board should keep the issues of providing workforce housing, and affordable housing in mind, as well as more “safe passageways” around Town.
Mr. Bryk added that the best goal for himself is to learn more about the issues that concern his colleagues and the Board.
Regarding Antrim’s Master Plan, Chair McEwen said a good goal for 2018 is to get the vision chapter updated. She also said the Board should look at the new RSAs and see where Antrim’s zoning ordinance stands. The Board should do this with Carol Ogilvie, Consultant Planner, when she is back. Her first meeting back should be May 3rd, if not sooner.
Business Meeting
Chair McEwen began the business meeting portion of the evening at 7:56 PM.
I. Minutes:
Motion: Mr. Condon moved to read the minutes from March 15th, 2018 for approval, seconded by Mr. Bryk.
Discussion: Line 27 was amended in order to specify what was Mr. Holmes’ inquiry was regarding the lighting ordinance. Mrs. Rosansky added that there needs to be a happy medium on the length of the minutes. Past minutes have been short, and these minutes were very lengthy.
Motion: Vice Chair Condon moved to accept minutes as amended, seconded by Mrs. Rosansky.
Vote: By a voice vote, all Board members agreed.
II. Survey
There was a brief update on the survey by Ms. Bixby. Chair McEwen suggested that the survey gets distributed through Brian Beihl’s email blasts and the Town Facebook page. The Board agreed that a cut-off date should be determined after seeing the response rate by the next meeting.
III. Additional Business:
There was further discussion on how to approach updating the Town website, and whether it may be worth looking into getting a college intern to help with the process.
McEwen tasked all members to ask three people about being Planning Board Alternates before the next meeting. There was discussion about putting a call for alternates in The Limrik.
An update from Selectman Bob Edwards on the Planning Board case regarding the Shook property was handed out.
Adjournment:
Motion: Vice Chair Condon made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. Rosansky.
There was no discussion.
Vote: By a voice vote, all Board members agreed.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:18 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Kristin Bixby
Assistant to Land Use Boards
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