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Jackson Planning Board
MINUTES –January 9, 2014 – REGULAR MEETING
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:05pm by Dick Bennett, Chair. Attending were: Members John Allen, Scott Badger, Dave Treadwell, Sarah Kimball, Betsey Harding and Dick Bennett, and Alternates Bea Davis, Kathleen Dougherty, and Daren Levitt. Also attending were Diana Cataldo and Hank Benesh, who was filming the proceedings.
Dave moved approval of the minutes for December 12; John seconded the motion and all approved. Dick has learned that none of the office staff is permitted to take minutes for us because that would overly increase their hours. Martha Tobin could write the minutes by reviewing the filming, but we agreed that could be very difficult, given problems understanding some of the speakers distant from the microphone. Dick will try to have a special minutes-taker for hearings, etc., but it was agreed that Betsey can continue for regular minutes.
On the agenda for the meeting was Tara Bamford of North Country Council, but she is out sick. She requested we hold a workshop meeting for her draft presentation of the build-out study; we agreed that the dates of Thursdays, January 16, 23, and 30 would be best. Dick will check her availability.
New Business: BUDGETING & REPORTING FOR 2014 - Dick has learned that the remainder ($13,750) of the amount that the town approved for the build out study will be available in 2014. In 2013, the Board spent $3,975.37, of which $2,700 was the deposit on the build out study, and $185 was the cost for the minutes-taker (since most of the year that work was paid within the town’s general expenditures). We may send the survey/ questionnaire out with June tax bills, but will need to plan at least on printing expenses. Regarding Board members contacting attorneys, the Board Chair should give approval before the town attorney or the Local Government Center attorneys are contacted by Board members. Dick will draft a budget. As for submission of a report for the Town Report, Dick will
review 2013 minutes for material to be included.
Old Business: MASTER PLAN - In preparation for the new Master Plan, we agreed that Dick will contact department heads for input they may have on policies for the Board to include in the next Master Plan’s list of policies and objectives.
We continued our review of the current Master Plan, beginning with the fifth policy in the Municipal Services Goal, and decided that there are no changes needed to the fifth and sixth policies. For objectives within the seventh policy (concerning fire safety), we agreed to drop the word “substantially” from the first objective; at the second objective, we questioned who should develop a plan for fire ponds and dry hydrants. Perhaps the Fire Department has already done that; Dick will check. For the eighth and ninth policies we made no changes; the tenth policy, regarding the Water Precinct, Dick agreed to ask for their
Input. The final policy, concerning the town’s transfer station, we revised the wording as follows:
Policy: Maintain a cost effective and environmentally sound solid waste disposal system at the Jackson-Bartlett transfer station and recycling center. No change at the first objective; the second objective would read: “Continue to support” instead of “Investigate.”
For the next category, the Human Services Goal, we decided to revise the first objective as follows: Enforce all life safety codes [no initial caps] in accordance with all applicable regulations. We chose to delete the second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth objectives as already met. For the second policy, we dropped the word “sound” before educational system, decided to delete the second objective for its redundancy, and deleted the third, fourth and fifth objectives because they have been met. At the third policy, we changed the first objective to add “the website and Jackson’s ENews.” For the third objective at that policy, we added “Obtain and” before “provide.” Regarding the fourth policy, about the library, we decided to add “and
technology resources” to the first objective; for the third objective we re-worded it to read: “Support the library’s initiatives to stimulate the use of library materials and to enlighten people of all ages.” We deleted the fifth objective as having been met.
The final policy, concerning recreational opportunities, was reviewed but no decisions were made on what to change or retain; it will be reviewed at a subsequent meeting.
There being no further business, it was moved and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Betsey Harding
(Note: an audio-visual record of the meeting may be found on Jacksonflicks.com)
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