Town of Otisfield
Ordinance Policy Review Committee
Meeting Minutes
January 10, 2013
1. CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM. Present were Joe Zilinsky - Chair, Stan Brett - Vice Chair, Nancy Lundquist, and Diana Olsen. Len Adler and Tanya Taft were absent. Guests were: Rick St John, Code Enforcement Officer; and Dan Peaco, Member of Planning Board
2. SECRETARY’S REPORT:
Minutes for November 8, 2012 were approved as presented.
3. NEW BUSINESS:
To accommodate our guests, we re-ordered the agenda to consider New Business before Old Business
Both St John and Peaco spoke to inform the Committee more fully concerning a matter delegated to us in a memo from the Select Board dated 9-19-2012.
Basically, the issue involves a subdivision permit granted by the Planning Board in 1974. Since then, the guidelines have changed significantly and that permit would no longer meet current standards. Further, no substantial progress on the subdivision was ever carried out. The current owner of a part of the parcel would like to clear his title.
Essentially the question is should a policy or ordinance be crafted to address planning board permits that have gone “stale”. Should there be a “sunset” time for permits after which they must be renewed? What would be considered “substantial” or “significant” progress toward developing the project.
Mr Peaco shared also some of his research into the wording covering such matters in the planning ordinances of neighboring towns.
OPRC Board members decided that we would each investigate information available in the ordinances of neighboring towns. Each member will be responsible for two different towns.
4. OLD BUSINESS
So much time was expended considering New Business that we postponed working on the FOAA policy until our next meeting scheduled for Feb 8, 2013.
5. ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted
Joe Zilinsky
| 
