TOWN COUNCIL MAJORITY OFFICE
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 23, 2007
PRESENT Chair Richard F. Kehoe, Councillors William P. Horan, and Donald H. Pitkin.
ALSO
PRESENT Melody Currey, Mayor
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Kehoe called the meeting to order at 6:09 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
August 9, 2007
MOTION Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to approve the August 9, 2007 Ordinance Committee minutes.
Motion carried 3/0.
September 10, 2007
MOTION Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to approve the September 10, 2007 Ordinance Committee minutes.
Motion carried 3/0.
NEW BUSINESS
Property Tax Relief- Severely Disabled Veterans
The Chair noted that he had received the request from a veteran that the Town Council consider adopting the provisions of the state law that allows municipalities to provide a complete exemption from property taxes for any residence of a severely disabled veteran who has received federal assistance to adapt the home to address disabilities that have occurred as a result of service in the military. The town researched the issue and noted that we had provided such exemptions in the past, going back more than 20 years. However, we noticed that there wasn't a specific town ordinance for such exemption. The committee agreed that we should place that exemption in our town ordinances, right next to the existing veterans' exemption.
The committee reviewed the October 23rd draft of the severely disabled veterans' tax exemption ordinance. The committee noted that the reference to disabled veterans should indicate that it is severely disabled veteran since that is the term that is used in the state statutes. With that change and other minor technical changes…
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to send the October 24, 2007 draft of the Severely Disabled Veterans' Tax
Exemption ordinance to the Town Council for the purposes of setting a public
hearing date.
Motion carried 3/0.
Property Maintenance Code – Fences
There have been, over the years, a number of complaints about materials that are used on fences, whether it is corrugated plastic or tarp. There is currently no restriction in ordinance on the type of material that may be used for a fence. The committee agreed that we should draft an ordinance that will restrict the types of materials that are used for fences to the most commonly used materials, providing a special permit for using a different kind of material. The committee agreed to continue to review this issue with the goal of sending a recommendation to the Town Council for the purposes of a possible revision to the Property Maintenance Code.
The committee Chair agreed to work with the Administration in this effort which has the support of Mayor Currey.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Bill Horan
seconded by Don Pitkin
to adjourn (6:30 p.m.)
Motion carried 3/0.
cc: Town Council
Mayor Currey
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
Bonnie Nichols, Director, Inspections & Permits
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