001uh good evening everyone and welcome to the planning board meeting of Thursday October 26th um what time is it um calling the meeting to order at 7:20 and a reminder to our audience that the meeting is being broadcast and recorded um we did have two public hearings on our agenda today both of them have asked for continuances for anyone in the audience but we will get to those in due course sorry H let you in am I good no Echo okay um all right so that said twice uh we'll have the clerk's report we have received two cor uh I should say correspondents from two entities since last planning board one of them was two emails about requests for public uh GIS files which the town planner has followed up with the other one was
002concerning 9 to 49 Homer all right thank you next on our agenda is public comment if there's any members um online or in the audience that would make to like to make a public comment I will um open it up at this time and I'll let uh Peter machic man manage that uh thank you so there are two people uh in the audience uh via Zoom that have their hand raised first Marie gresel Margie gresel can you please unmute yourself and state your name and address Margie gasel 8 Adams Road excuse me Margie we can't hear you in the room we just have to turn our audio up okay Paul is there any way to turn the audio up yeah all right thank you I've got mine all the way up on this end can
003you hear me yet yep we can hear you now okay good thank you thank you since the combined meetings of the sustainability committee and the planning board were discontinued the sustainability committee has really prioritized our efforts on moving the tree bylaw forward and we've been working on finishing up the draft tying up loose ends and also because the joint meetings have stopped it's no longer a public process and so our idea to address that is that we want to complete the draft document in the next couple of weeks so that we can begin to hold public forums and share the information with the community and get their feedback I um understand that Trisha you suggested a working group and I think that perhaps working group could be the right thing to just um go over
004the remaining issues and um yeah so I'm I'm asking who on the planning board could be available in this time frame in the next couple weeks to meet with me um oh boy now it's really loud here okay um I think just to clarify and I was going to talk about this in our normal agenda item um under sustainability committee um two things so one I wouldn't I'm I'm not sure maybe I'm missing something that I don't think joint meetings have been discontinued it was just that we'll have them whenever is a good opportunity to have them um so I I wouldn't say that we we're certainly not opposed to meeting again with the sustainability committee a draft yeah um I think it's it's more about having a a bylaw draft to really look at
005and and that that work um you know meanwhile the work is done in the sustainability committee and brought to the brought to the planning board so I just wanted to clarify that that we're certainly not opposed to that yeah what I recall I think there was one meeting where I chaired where Trisha may not have been present where we talked about having like working sessions and a schedule of what we would do each session so I did Envision it being kind of a regular joint meeting until we made prog progress um I was going to ask about that like when we were going to go back to that so we can make some progress on it because I didn't see it on this agenda and it seemed kind of like a light agenda and a
006great opportunity to do it um so maybe when we talk about our meetings because we have three more left for the whole year if we can use them to work with the tree bylaw we should yeah I think we just have to talk about how we see that process um going and where the work should fall I guess to make sure we're in agreement on that um and the second thing um was what I did attend the sustainability committee meeting it wasn't this Monday but it was the Monday previous I believe because the weeks go so fast um and I did suggest we were talking about and again I'm sorry this is out of order but maybe Margie then doesn't have have to hang out for our whole meeting um we did talk about the
007um the optin stretch code and um that um that that I had uh offered after town meeting to to work with the sustainability committee on that to kind of work through things but um I think for reasons of the sustainability committee that that really didn't go forward that way and so I made the offer again so and I I suggest instead of having these big committees having 10 plus people try to work through these things that we start with smaller working groups um to um have things progress further and someone on the sustainability committee thought that was also a good idea for the tree bylaw so that's um that's kind of how that how that happened um so I was going to work with to be on the working group for the stretch code information
008and I guess then would be looking for someone to be on a working group with the sustainability committee if if that's what we want to do this was just a proposal I threw out in that meeting for the tree bylaw and I just and we can discuss that in a regular place on the agenda too because it's being thrown at everybody at this time so I'll just put it out there that um since the last planning board meeting that we met with Margie and I think that after that meeting we were going to go back and Margie uh another member of the sustainability committee Chuck litz myself our sustainability manager um Samantha Riley and Alvaro our assistant Town planner we all met and we kind of went over the you know what needs to be
009done in the direction of the tree bil law and I do want to note that um I believe Margie has started to put together and and compile a bylaw um and I know that was in front of the sustainability committee was that on Monday Margie Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday so there is starting to become a working draft can I is that appropriate to say so now there is starting to become a working draft of a tree bylaw and so I think it's starting to I agree it is getting to a point where we all can discuss it again and kind of going over the finer points of the tree bylaw regarding um you know triggers I know that one of my items was to follow up with Town Council about the triggers and and actually I
010did that with Margie and and Chuck you know in person during the day um tree size money um payment in L of replanting schedules all those types of things so um Margie if it's appropriate I'm happy to share the draft with the the planning board so everyone can kind of take a look at it well I the the draft has moved along and and there are just um some things remaining that I wanted to get some feedback back on um I I have to take this opportunity to say that waiting till the end of the year to reach the point that I was hoping to reach much sooner does not feel wise to me um I I have some comments and I if we are moving it early to the agenda I could or otherwise
011I'm fine waiting but I definitely do have some comments so I I think if it's about process you know Margie's here and Alex I hate to ever we can just take that item out of order yeah exactly let's just get it done so so I do um I I'm fine with how it works out but I do remember the last planning board that we actually had like topics and keep coming through a working group and we had expressed and again we can change our mind but we had expressed the public um make sure it's in front of the public so we don't have have people wondering where this came from I am perfectly fine if there's an alternate pathway that gets this sort of sped up because we weren't making the progress we wanted to
012but I would like to make sure that that is also with timeline that we I don't see any reason why this wouldn't be ready for May 24 um but I personally think that we need that same really detailed work plan of like when they're coming back and again sometimes we we pushed one meeting we didn't feel like we were able to give it adequate time but I want to make sure that that is a well well spelled out plan um to be coming back and then I think if it is like a a dra so we left we've kind of flopped back and forth and again we realized maybe we're smarter about how we want to attack it I think just for Margie my advice would be it sounds like there's still open issues meaning
013somebody is taking a chance of of making a decision and I'm again more than fine with that but I think a a cover of here's the draft bylaw here are still the things that sustainability the working group decided at at a cover makes that easier to to get to the next step since we're talking about progress I think I seem to remember that at the last meeting it it feels to me from what I'm hearing today that it's kind of like like a jump missing one step because what I remember correct me if I'm wrong is that we heard the progress that the sustainability committee had made so far and and then we there were a lot of good commentary and good discussion relative to making sure that uh not only the the overview of
014the intent of that bylaw it was clear which was not very much at that point and and there were parts of emphasis of focus on that analysis is that people thought maybe I I might have been Anna one of the discussion there yeah but there's not a lot of uh full cutting left to do an asine so maybe there's other emphasis and we discussed that and and I think we left it at the end of the meeting that that that that they will reconvene maybe with the process that Peter was describing kind of uh package it again with a little more clarity and then we would review it so that we could put it in front of the public which we all said we want I don't think that we should jump into put it
015in front of the public and something that has not gotten to that level of completion I think it needs to come to us soon it sounds like yeah and that was what and and maybe it was that one meeting I think at the end of September maybe I don't remember that I that I wasn't at I it was the second meeting in September last that was sustainability that um that a typical process for a bylaw coming before us from another group would be that that group would take the lead in creating the bylaw um would bring the bylaw before us of course we would review it give feedback it would go back to the group for edits the bylaw would come back again and so maybe that was confusing what I said versus maybe what
016had been said the meeting before and so this would still be something that would periodically come before the planning board of course just not every step of the process that it would go back to the sustainability committee or working group or whatever to to incorporate all the ideas get more detailed and then the bylaw we're looking at another draft of it a revised draft that was my that was my that that that I would say would be the typical process I mean mine was more in the middle I felt like this thing is so complex because we as a community seem to have a long history multiple years of effort trying to do it and struggling because of legal and technical issues right what is appropriate for Ashlin what's not appropriate so I was envisioning
017something more in the middle they're not quite on their own and but we would I recall a discussion we would try to make 20 to 30 minutes available to them whenever we had a light agenda as much as possible to kind of move it along and give them feedback as they're really pushing this thing as soon as possible so I for one think you know a light agenda like today's is perfect for this conversation but we should make room on the rest of the three meetings we have left it seems like we don't have a ton of big projects right now in front of us other than Homer AV so it seems like a great time to get them to these meetings that we have left and give them as much feedback as we can
018and hear from Town Council and I'm okay with that as long as progress has been made between the meetings that the work isn't happening at our meeting the work needs to happen outside the meeting and be brought to planning board and I think the extra help with that is Peter has been very involved in the process and now they're asking for someone to be part of that working group someone who knows a little bit more about is used to reading the bylaws it's like oh we can get Town Council involved with this so a planning board member to be that connection so I think that's what they're asking for so that that work can progress maybe a little bit faster than it has been being has been being in the sustainability committee alone so but
019I like I said I don't think it should I don't think the work should should be done in the planning board meeting I don't feel that's appropriate so but is there depend what the work is is there someone that can be um the the member that participates in the working group for the tree just for the tree bylaw I mean I'm I'm more than happy to make myself available if there's no one else uh I can I can certainly do that I think the the challenge I'm seeing is Peter has some expertise as a planner Town Council has some input sustainability has expertise and priority for them is the tree bylaw I for one think it it is appropriate to bring progress to us for feedback and if there's kind of a working session with
020us where we're we're pointing them in the right direction I for one think that's okay if we have to have a working group where one of us has to be involved I am more than happy to do that but I do think it's time to like bring the this draft to us I think it's time to see it sounds like some work has happened yeah I think that's what we're all saying so are you willing to go on to that working group with thee bylaw okay so Margie Anna is going to fill that role the tree bylaw working group and um and then hopefully I mean we do typically these days have room on our agenda you know especially for yeah I mean at this point but also we want to make sure on the
021agenda there is there is a leap there's something to talk about there's a leap to talk about not general questions but something more specific yeah I I like where where Anna is going with I provide you with a copy an updated copy I'm sorry that I don't think we caught all of that Margie sorry um I'm I'm from what I heard it sounds like it would be helpful if I were to provide you with an updated copy before the next meeting where we're on the agenda is that correct yeah I I would say before that time that Anna would be given that copy work through it with you and Peter at least one time so that it's been worked through once and then it's brought before the planning board okay I thought that would already
022happen with Peter meeting with them and you that didn't happen I've met with Margie and Chuck multiple times okay and I've met I think since with Margie and Chuck at least once or twice since okay because I mean if you guys already met and kind of made progress I don't want to redo what you already did already meeting I'm already meeting I would say at this point C me if I'm wrong Margie bu weekly with with Mar and Chuck in in so in helping guide the development of this tree bylaw now they're are some decisions that need to be made between the sustainability committee and the tree and the planning board you know I think from from the last planning board meeting that we discussed this was hey yes there's a pretty large outstanding items
023but why don't you go back to sustainability and I'm sorry and um and and vet these larger questions right what are the triggers what you know is the building envelope going to count you know are we going to you know I think we definitely stayed away from existing residential but does any new residential count you know within a new subdivision um yes we are going to count the road layout within the subdivision any newly created Lots right via an anr Andor via subdivision you know are those going to be um are those going to be analyzed and applied to this bylaw you know and I think we kind of talked about in theory that in other communities outside of Ashton right a tree bylaws have been adopted um in in my opinion in a defense
024for the tear down right the tear the the the pre-war indor the post-war multif family like excuse me the the post-war ranch house right that was built in the 1950s and 60s that were being torn down a little bit east of us right and there was mature trees on the site and then if they were being torn down and replaced with a much larger house what was the replacement because a lot of the trees that had matured since the development of that house was were being cut down right and so I think Ashland you know I think the proposal in front of us was to look at commercial sites sites that was mult you know multif family sites commercial sites but I think one of the biggest outstanding questions was how do you address residential
025and do you address residential with any newly created Lots from this point out right and I so where's the process we're only talking process right now so I have I let Marcel I have met weekly bi-weekly and I'm happy to meet weekly with Margie and Chuck but there's some pretty big stuff but I do believe and I I and I always planned on to have a very strong process with the planning board and the sustainability committee because there's some pretty big discussion points number one with the size of a tree and how what is in and what is out marel I I I think some of what you said Peter it is really what what kind of speaks to me I think U yeah creating working groups and everything that sounds great looks like an
026a working group is already on ongoing so I'm I'm not sure that complicating it more it really is what what we are looking for at least from my viewpoint I think what we looking for is those big ticket items the big idea of each part to to be communicated clearly so that we can say okay we agree or this one we don't or but once the big idea is agreed upon I think the minutia there's plenty of expertise there to to get a by law that that that is legal and and that would achieve those objectives I think that's the right process I think making a process out of a process is never uh really very useful in my view I think simplifying the process is better what what I caught from our last discussion
027is that there was just no CL Clarity on the big picture at least that I heard once I hear that that that those ideas are clear and what are we trying to do and we're doing doing it like this and these are the four five tools whatever whatever is the structure of this thing then I will be I will be very happy because this this this objective is very important to me too I really like I would like to to get something good for the town achieve it but but but the process can be very simple in my view so I totally agree with you I think that makes like you took the words right out of my mouth I think I if there's already really in depth working sort of sessions happening with Peter
028um I feel like the next step would be to see where it stands right now and address the big ticket items in a group setting at the next meeting and then um go from there and not over complicate it so so the working group you you say it's already in place it's already moving so maybe maybe a member of the planning board is not needed at this time for the tree bylaw is that what we're saying if I think that's what I'm hearing what I'm hearing is that there's been significant input from Peter so at this point the sustainability committee needs to pick a draft of some kind bring it back to us it sounds like Peter you know what are the difficult 5 to 10 items that you could identify for us it seems
029to me whatever draft sustainability presents and whatever list that Peter can offer us hey guys these are the 5 to 10 issues that you guys need to make a decision on we should be able to point sustainability in the right direction I recall at the last meeting that we understood how complicated this was and we were comfortable coming up with something to start the discussion with the public and to move some sort of draft forward and then allow the public to guide us as well so I don't think we need to solve all these really complicated issues I think we need to kind of give guidance to sustainability as to what is it that we believe the public is ready for and it might be just one sliver of this very complex big thing so
030so it sounds like basically we're just gonna we're going to put this on the agenda for the next meeting Peter I think may not be there yeah I I will most likely I will not be there so yeah do you think you could highlight for us high level like these are the five things that are big struggles that you the planning board need to point SU do that I think you know I'm happy to meet with Margie and Chuck again I'm happy to create a memo with our sustainability manager to highlight these points you know and I think I think we could I think I could sum it up in a very short two two-page memo to say these are the bullet points beside this and this because I think when you sit down and
031you and I've I've read bylaws across the state regarding trees some are very simple three pages it's it you know and then some are a little bit more um you know more complicated you know I think it the less complicated the better in any bylaw and and so I'm happy to continue to work I think Margie Chuck and myself and Samantha have had a good working relationship with with Alvaro uh I've been able to get the Town Council to answer some of the the bigger questions regarding the quote unquote the triggers and and how is this going to be kind of implemented um and I'm happy to do that and and if that's a direction that we want to go in I'm I'm happy to take lead kind of a followup with that is I
032remember there was we we sort of or the sustainability discovered this loophole about subdivisions right and and Peter was going to find out how that was certainly applied in the past and we said maybe it only applies to the road and then if you apply this tree bylaw what people are saying the big area maybe someone can go clearcut it and sell out a lot like that's a that's a translation of the whole thing and I don't I haven't heard any feedback of that that's the question yes and also we're this is not an agenda item so we we're not going to yeah we can't go that's a good we're staying follow follow Peter's so Peter's on that we will put this on the November 9th agenda the planning the Peter and the sustainability committee
033and whoever's involved with that will take it as far as they can bring a bylaw send a bylaw so we can review the bylaw ahead of the November 9th meeting including your memo yes and then we will discuss it with the sustainability committee on November 9th and we'll go from there can I just make a request for the memo if it's possible like for example trigger right there could be options from you and Town Council like these are the three options where we can kind of choose one right or size of tree like these are your options choose one regarding the triggers quote unquote I think that's been settled 100% I think I've worked with Margie and and and Chuck and I think we're we're beyond that I think the biggest part is not okay
034um but what I mean is in your memo in my memo yeah I can highlight that three options I think it'll make our work easier because it's almost like a checklist like what are we all agreeing on and it's not that we're going to reach consensus necessarily but what do we think the public is ready to consider right well it sounds like you would present the few things that you were considering and which one you decided on to put in the bylaw and then it can yes yeah and then it can always be requested yeah but that's the like the work being done there and brought into us here and we can always question it like why did you choose 6 in versus 8 in or whatever we can have that question but there should
035be there should be a preferred answer in the bylaw already for us to I'm okay with that I I don't have any problem with sustainability taking that recommendation to us but I do want to give them some input of course that's what Peter might have options that's why they would be coming before us so okay so that's the plan Mar is that clear for you okay so November 9th and then we'll be looking at the bylaw at that time with a joint meeting however member many members of the sustainability committee would like to join us yeah and Margie I would just add can you please reach out to myself and samanther and and and we can schedule a meeting next week um to to move forward good Margie does that that sound good any fed
036out I didn't know what happened okay I'm good thank you okay um okay so we're still in public comment yes I'm sorry so thank you for uh your patience but Mr Mark Don can you please unmute yourself and state your name and address hey Mark son 29 Road N I want to talk about two things that involves the whole planning board one of them is the in stretch code which was mentioned earlier a little bit but not talked about and the other one is going to be how you how you can you overall make up to date a new strategy for site designs or Developers for nowaday an Envision as that's going to be going forward with the comprehensive plan got to need new site design rules to go with that so first it's going
037to be these stretch up up and stretch code is going to be I wondering and thinking out loud is um that's that's got if you if you were thinking that and nothing against Maji in the tree threee thing the three Cod is going to be complex this is a little more down the Earth down Earth with the planet board way of doing things up in stretch coat and the site review up to date and to bring in get involved in both of those would have to understand that bring in the building inspector so he can be up to date and be heard on um publicly i' like to be involved in any of those at all possible that's it that's not that's it so far but I might have some after so sounds like sounds
038like Mark wants to be involved in the stretch code conversations um those those will be coming for the planning board as well obviously so um right now we'll probably just keep that to the to the working group and then it'll be brought you know obviously into the public so thank you Mark for those comments and I'm I said I'm not done yet okay the stretch code is to me is what came from the form base codes that got passed to Tom Meen CLE some years ago and got signed by the Attorney General and got put forth the tree by law you gave marj a lot of time on that this has more to do with the dev when they come in when they break ground that's and before the trees get pulled in pulled out
039whatever but this is this is the uh I'm looking down like the comprehensive plan with the Envision Ash that it's got to be it's got to be forwarded in the open to work all together can the planning board with the building inspector work together and bring it out front into the public and I can be involved with the building inspector I would like to be involved in that too Markel I can do a say thank you for your comments I mean I I I think you I I think it I'm I'm not sure maybe I didn't understand the question but again the the stretch opin code is something that I told the sustainability committee I would be part of a working group on and um then similar to the tree by law we will bring
040that before the planning board of course which everyone is free to participate in and and that's going to be the process for for that but for the Envision Ashen down the road to try to attract businesses all that's going to be all together and in public and through the and through the board Sal and the build inspector it's got to be in town hall on paper then with developers coming in and people businesses coming into to see um to see um um our economical um woman there that's there I for her name which I saw before to work all together as a town exp expanded so without any of that being the public and people not knowing what's the background of it I would like to be on those backgrounds to help bring it to
041the public well we'll take that into consideration thank you Mark and to Peter that's the same thing as the Zone zoning codes thank you Mark and yes you all the public and especially you that were so crucial in form based codes will be part of this and and you know the the optin is and I and I know it the the sustainability committee is working hard on it and I think that's where the the place where it is right now and you know the Building Commissioner um has met with the sustainability representative um just to discuss it and I think um I think opt in uh I think a lot of towns some towns have adopted it but it's a fairly complicated set of um building codes that we all have to kind of make
042sure and I think at the last time we discussed we all want to make sure that um we wanted to see how it was going to affect the average homeowner in ashin before there was any um decisions made and with right agender this is this is going to be it okay last comment Mark and would like agenda next the next two or three meetings to the end of the year this would be a good time to try as a board with the building committee building inspector to make a draft out of that that's it we have no more public comment all right thank thank you so we're moving on to item four on our agenda which is public hearings the first one of those um as I mentioned before both of those public hearings have
043asked for continuances the first one is 400 C Street that is the T-Mobile um special permit uh yes so everybody under tab two in your binder will find a continuance so at the last meeting I think we all talked with the uh the applicant for T-Mobile Adam brayy uh who is representing the application um and we all talked about making sure that structural analysis was complete I can tell everybody today uh excuse me today that on Wednesday I received the uh check for the peer review um for the uh sust for the structural analysis to begin and so I have um emailed um our structural analysis engineer um from Helen Ward to start that process and hopefully by the next meeting um we will have that report in hand and so things are moving on
044that application from a technical standpoint Point um with Halen Ward and uh that's what I have to report and so with that said without that report complete um kind of been speaking with the applicant that uh we all thought it would be best to continue to the hearing until November 9th uh we'll when hopefully we have a that that that I can't say analysis that report complete any questions from the board on that topic okay I'll make a motion to continue the public hearing for 400 Cedar special permit application T-Mobile Northeast LLC to November 9th 2023 second roll call Anna teski I Mar I Catherine J and Tra Kendall says continued until November 9th next on the agenda is 9 to 49 Homer Avenue um we do have a um continuance request for for this
045um for this application which Peter can explain um but I thought it might also be good to to um to talk about the project just in terms of a list of things that we feel are outstanding items and to have it all on one list um so I I kind of started a an email that I sent to Peter before I knew it was going to be continued of things that I was wondering about so I can start those and if anyone has other things we'll add them to the list but just to try to keep track of outstanding items are we allowed to do that if we're continuing a public hearing I think we're not since we're not discussing anything you know within the project making a list I just want to also can
046I just add so just from the last meeting the applicant um just from the last meeting it was DEC it was October 12th um that day we received gcg's letter everyone can under you know everyone remembered that and then we had the rendering um from the applicant I know we we talked about renderings and we had all the the sample the material samples out on the table um so since then the the engineer um this past Monday uh submitted a uh response letter dated October TW uh 20th revised plans revised storm water calculations and I believe a revised attorney analysis for fire trucks do we um no not yet not yet okay the you're so in your binder there is the letter was printed out okay all information was submitted is actually up on the
047website for everyone to review I did not go crazy printing out everything because obviously they were continued tonight but in front of you there are three updated plans on the table for everyone to take a look at and or take home so with that said I reach out uh reaching out and and working with the applicant um well back it up a little bit at the last meeting we were we asked to have a couple two renderings a a a c colder um is that the term a colder and a warmer um color palette color scheme yes um I know I know uh so we haven't received that yet right so talking with the applicant knowing gcg was still under review of this document they felt it was worthwhile just to put it off until
048October 9th excuse me November 9th where hopefully at that point gcg will have responded and to this letter dated October 20th and from architectural standpoint the cooler and warmer color pallets would have been submitted for review uh so with that that's where everything everything kind of sits right now so would it be better to go through our list first and then continue yeah why don't we read your list okay right isn't that what we're doing yeah so we continue this is a print out I sent can we put it up on the screen oh yeah I think so uh sure yes so what I did in the email is that I um cut and pasted things from it's just a list of maybe six items but I cut cut and pasted things from previous reports
049like the design Review Committee in order to explain to Peter what it was that I was trying to get at so um it wasn't originally intended for everybody but I might be helpful so and I I'll just I can just start um um first of all I said um a question on the en environmental impact study um I believe we asked about it during one meeting this was something that came up out of the design Review Committee notes and um Marcelo and I made a note about it to review with gcg and um um I believe when I mentioned it uh Terry Morris the attorney said that they did do one and so my questions were did did gcg have this report were there any other comments from Mike Carter from gcg um do they
050does gcg recommend and it's kind of semi- related to this but no blasting which Mike Carter talked to us about on site or or is that not in the purview of the Consulting engineer were my questions right so the first one really is just about the environmental impact study who where is it who who's reviewed it things related to that so so that would be on the list the second item was in regards to Trails um there was a did this get in the binder there was a the the email from Joel R bitman yes is in everyone's binder but it is behind the agenda and it's behind the memorandum from Anna above the meeting minutes okay so um in I want to say may oh no not the uh no no no no that
051was a followup because Joel made his comments on the last meeting and then followed up with that email no no no no yeah no so um these are there was and maybe there was more than one email I was looking at a particular one that where Joel had um I want to say was from May um that uh Joel in thinking about the plan and thinking about 9 to 49 that's the one and thinking about 9 to 49 in relationship to the potential Trail I think it was after the discussion where we talked to Preston crow about the trail he had sent um a document um that just talks about it talks about ways that it might be made safer um this was before the change in traffic flow which is kind of the number
052one of the things on there um so I had made a note um my second note uh is Trails gcg is REM is recommending in their in their document a traffic impact analysis or a revised one if one exists um and I didn't see it on the website um a bike trail may be located on Homer Avenue does gcg's assessment take this into consideration are there any other safety precautions for cyclist pedestrians that should be considered so Trails was my number two thing not not in that order are you thinking of asking gcg if they consider the lack of traffic study or if they themselves completed one if if they you any information we have about a traffic impact analysis gcg was recommending one does one exist if it exists has it been updated to
053the new traffic flow okay that kind of thing do we want to ask for one if it doesn't exist well gcg is asking that we do so I would say if gcg is asking I'm asking okay right okay um so that's probably item five well these just two these are two items for me so far there's environmental impact study and there's Trails sorry I started with like sorry yeah so I'm already in five um okay um my third one it was a question actually for Doug Scott because again going back to design Review Committee they had made a point that three of the units are only accessed from the upper level outdoor space and it was just a a question to Doug is that okay because if they have to change the design that that's
054not to code you know from his perspective then they the should know that now right as a design change that have to make but that as M Marcel and I put in our thing that's to review with the Building Commissioner it's not for us to decide it's a code issue uh fourth question was sewer are we allowed to require a grinder as requested by DPW in their analysis I think Kate had mentioned that one time it's in the notes from DPW saying hey we'd like to have one can we ask for one so I don't know who answers that question if we can put that in as a condition is this a special permit project yes why would we not be able to I just don't know the regulations and I'm not going to say
055that I do without asking the question so are we asking Peter or in Town Council to app because that's not a applicant answer right I I don't know I'm putting it on the list and letting Peter track it down for me right uh number five delivery and emergency vehicles at one point I believe on this project we had had a space I think currently it's for deliveries but we had a space for emergency vehicles I think then the route changed that was before that was when it was in and out then the route changed so my question is now the police and fire department had already okayed I believe this plan but my question is that's still needed or not needed from their perspective right they might be like nope we don't need that anymore
056because we're just driving through but TR I I seem to remember Maybe I'm Wrong but there is a striped area the Inception of the driveway that they actually confirmed that it was for that purpose I believe right um but I didn't know and now it's just I think labeled kind of for deliveries so I just wanted to make sure that they're okay with that that if they need it they're okay with it they're okay with the size of it because it's kind of gone through the ringer a few times and then um so that was my that was like question five and then six was Conservation Commission where does this process St and when does it get started um so which I think Peter said that they're looking to complete our process first and then
057do conservation but as you know we always have a contingency in there that you know ours is contingent upon conservation's approval so yeah and that's that's his boiler plate language that that are in any of our conditions that permits will be sought from all other departments so um and then the last one I had was the one that Peter had mentioned about design looking through the design all the things we talked about design last time was that we had asked for two schemes rendered two sets of physical samples one with a that's a cool pallet that kind of is connected to the town and the cool brick of the sidewalk and that kind of thing one that and I think that's kind of what they were showing more the cool gray and one that's a
058warmer pallet that may be more connected to the railway station across the street which is a warmer Stone a warmer brick and to show us two pallets complete two pallets so that we can look at them those are my items does anyone have any items to add to the list I do but one it's along that lines I recall the the last meeting we had asked for since there were sort of recommendations open things from design to have the applicant say doing yes get it not doing still in consideration they were supposed to comment back the same way we've done back and forth with gcg and okay so I I um think we should ask for that again even if they disagree I think we told them if you disagree with something the design review
059recommended tell us why you disagree exactly I do remember that um it may be covered under your Conservation Commission but maybe not because there were spefic specific comments from the conservation agent about plantings that is open I have those printed out somewhere um there's some DPW about verifying Water and Sewer lines um so some of those yeah so some of those I think it's information that like the planting stuff is it's kind of design Review Committee but we can see if it's been already Incorporated um because the applicant did get those notes um from the various parties so I just haven't gone through and seeing if the plant names line up um but that but that's something they could do right they could conf um the applicant could confirm yes we got this and we
060made these changes um um the fire department you said I think a a last look because it I sort of agree it might have been a Mist on with the change there's also um a fire department connection for the sprinkler and that was sort of on the gcg report so it's probably covered but we also like to make sure the fire department's happy right so that I think um that's why I'm making one the conservation I think this is covered but they have the atlas 14 storm water so I think that's mostly probably the conserv that's already covered I know for a fact that they're using Atlas for all the stor and water review um we did get that swft path analysis update I think but is that uh those are anybody else have anything
061to no I think it's a comprehensive list thank you so how are we are we going to deliver this list to yes some of these items are more uh Town Council questions right like most can we requ can we require a uh yeah I mean I think most of them actually are applicant questions y um I guess I have another because we I was thinking you cover with the grinder but we we I did have because it's under just that this is adequate infrastructure a general water sewer right conversation or Memo from because we are under Sur moratorium and part of that was to study how this all works so it's like the volume expected and how can we handle that and then the general about um adequate water supply pressure whatever and that is
062sort of with the applicant but I we said we're coming to this meeting to discuss it which we're not but I think those are open issues as well didn't we discuss water pressure before talked about a little bit in the email from Greg Eldridge what I what I sent out you know he does state that the downtown has the highest historical water pressure and so typically when you kind of go in you start designing these buildings this is from my understanding from alman's terms that you and I think in my eyes that you you as you design your building right you do a flow test right and so typically you open up the flow the hydrant and there's a flow test done with the PW and then those calculations those numbers are then used to
063help design the interior Plumbing of the building and so qu the question is is there adequate water pressure at the site from what I collect from the email that I share with everyone is that yes there is there is enough water pressure at the site I think I recall I don't have that email with there was an open issue that he didn't said probably enough pressure no I read theil it's definitive there's plenty of pressure he but there was an open issue about well we can go back and check that email to see if there was any other D issues on the technical questions like the grinder right that's it's a that's a technical recommendation I don't remember I don't see it gcg's analysis can could could they provide a recommendation from the engineering point
064of view I can ask I can reach out because it's different when you say oh we would like you to put this that's different when when there's a technical rationale for for yes the benefits didn't the uh didn't we get that from the water um there was in a memo from the water that we had asked for that the engineer we got it from you actually no no it's there received a memo from know because Peter follow up with him and based on that discussion and he confirmed that yeah that they are very supportive on the idea of having one ab and but I think Marcel was saying from a technical rationale you to for us to make a condition we need to have a technical rationale to put that in there yeah I mean
065any request should not be arbitrary right correct yeah M yeah I agree I thought that was the followup that that's and maybe gcg can help us with I can reach out okay and and I don't want to get too far down this because obviously we're still this is closed and I don't want to start discussing this stuff so but I think we can add it to the list and and I can try to follow up okay so we following up with all the technical notes that the different departments provided and that would be one from DPW that did had the grinder on there so any anything else obviously things can come up later but I wanted to be able to give them a really strong list and clear to the applicant of things that we
066wanted on there it seems like we got a complete list I took some notes it looks like you did too do you need my notes after or you're good like who's going to compile all of this stuff uh I was going to take Trisha's notes and I was gonna go forward and yeah but if you cool I mean I can try to turn this into something if you can turn that into an email I'll I'll I'll gladly take it yep all right so then if there's no other comments 9 to 49 um I'll make a motion to I'll make a motion to continue the 949 Homer Avenue site plan and special Perman application to November 9th 9th 2023 second and a roll call vote Anna minitz I Al I Katherine Jersey I and Trisha Kendall
067I so that's continued to the 9th okay so that puts us at um number five reports on planning topics so let Peter update us on any of these items uh yes excuse me I just got to yeah uh so we're repord on Plenty topics um so scenic road we were we're still working on and I apologize tomorrow morning for economic impact tool I will be attending the Framingham State uh economic Summit um and so I uh have the zoom link and I'll be ready to go at 7:30 um so that should be an interesting one since I'll be home having breakfast with my daughters but uh you know the camera will most likely be shut off moving forward the parking is always on uh and I think uh we're continuing however I think that one
068just gets kept on getting put you know getting piled on because right now we're dealing with MBTA zoning in the office and we're dealing with a couple other items so so I hate to say uh that one just kind of is still lingering I think however I think I I do have an idea in of the direction that we need to go in but but is isn't that a dimensional requirement I mean it's almost changing one paragraph and like correct from 228 right yeah but 228 and uh and I think we can continue to and I think I can dust up that memo and and bring that back up to consideration and I think the other aspect is and and I don't probably think we need to even go there because the building codes go
069there today is that I think EV parking when you start talking about um percentile of EEG EV parking I think you just let the building code speak for their s um then the only other concept we could talk about is compact cars and if you start bringing in a concept car you know excuse me the compact car which is typically I think 8 by 15 um you could start making you know couple more spots in a parking lot a little bit smaller um as you may see as you travel around and so those are just some things to kind of think about I know there was some uh a lot of uh Mass excuse me American Planning Association uh articles about parking and that I've downloaded I'm happy to share with everybody uh but I
070think those are just um we Food For Thought um I have a question if this I think if it's some the topic but possibly not um are there or the working group would they be considering parking related to the MBTA zoning as well like taking a look at if there's any potential updates that we would want to look at for the MBTA zoning yeah no I think the MBTA zoning uh that I'm working on with obviously uh our chair and Mr manani and myself is that I think it's the MBT only is going to be I think I think we just need to focus on MBTA zoning and just look at that from a from a from one one Ang know from we're going to look at we can't look at it just from one
071angle right but we can look at it I think when you start adding in parking regulations on top of it I just don't think it works and it's going to work that well not I'm not actually sure clear what I mean I was going to we're going to give an update to that in a little bit but um it's Transit oriented development in theory and people are using the train in theory and does that mean we should be looking at the parking requirements that that's kind of just the basis of my question yeah I think I think the MBT zoning is so big picture that it doesn't get into that kind of no but we are going to have to look at our zoning if we're going to comply and and we could be looking
072at it holistically for the area that we are potentially considering and I would consider parking part of that that's all it might be helpful it sounds to me like what you're saying I'm going to interpret what you're saying for for like what I think is doable which is once the MBT work has progressed significantly and some kind of decision policy wide is being made as to what area of town is actually going to be impacted by the MBTA regulation that might be a good time to come back to the parking issue and see if there's something relating to parking that we want to congruently address it may not be addressable but it might be something we want to consider so that if we're going to kind of rezone an area that's not already rezoned sounds
073like we we may be resoning something that's already zoned for it but if not maybe we should consider parking is that what you're saying okay I think that has some reasonable reason behind it uh I don't know if we'll have the time to do it but we can certainly think about it right if we're looking at it already we can see hey what's the parking in this area is it adequate if we're going to make it more dense I I'll put it's on our radar now it's on our radar and I think we can start we can think about it but I don't I don't want to make any uh I don't think you're saying we have to change anything in the rezoning I think you're thinking maybe whatever work you guys are doing on
074the MBTA you're going to recommend certain interpretations of hey these areas might be targets for resoning once there's a decision made by The Joint group maybe we can then consider hey what's the parking like in this area that we've picked should we maybe think about amending that but I think that's for later I feel like we need to get through the mpta stuff first meet the statutory obligation make the state content that we follow their requirements and then see if there's an unintended consequence of oh my God now we can't park anywhere right yeah you know I think right now we're just you know we're not there yet we're still working on we're still working with the with the with the compliance model from the state level doing you know you know we just we
075completed the gis work which was a huge lift um we're looking at the acreage you know we're looking at the next you know the next step within the compliance model you know so I think we're we're working it's all happening but to add another complexity in there I I think it I don't know if it's I don't want to say it's too much but I I understand where you're coming from but I think um I think we need to work through some more items on the MBTA before we start talking about pking yeah I mean that can actually just be our summary for for that item and it's not on it I was just going to note under other that we are continuing to work on it and progress on it in order to present
076I think we said November 15th at the select War meeting but to be able to present those options so okay so then we're to reports from board members and town planner comprehensive plan Kate nny sent out a letter today which I think I think it's did I see it in the binder as well yep it's uh it's in the binder right after the agenda okay so which which one of you wants to take the I I can give it a shot since uh we have an associate member and members of the public I can um not exactly read but kind of go through the letter so basically read um so the letter is addressed to the planning board to update the planning board um Kate and I did discuss this to make sure we're on
077the same page and our conclusion is that there has been a significant change in the process for the comprehensive plan that about a year ago I think it was in July August um summer of 2022 uh the planning board had reached some final agreement on how the comprehensive plan would work that was done after significant discussion negotiation and it was made pretty clear that town staff select board planning board would have shared responsibility for the project and agreement was ultimately supported by a vote of this board that a project management team would be created with two responsibilities issuing a request for proposals for the consultant and functioning as a liaison between the consultant the steering committee the select board and the planning board it was given that the members of the project management team would
078sit on the steering committee but it was certainly not ever discussed that they would disappear um that the project management team would not exist anymore um and it was certainly not called a consultant selection team it was called a project management team and Kate and myself agreed that that is what we voted on um a year ago so this is where we are now um since the consultant was chosen it's come to my attention um and to Kate's attention that uh the project management team meetings that were happening have stopped um there has not been a vote by the project management team to disband the project management team the steering committee has not voted to disband the project management team and the the two groups the planning board and the select board that voted to
079create this entity have not voted to end it um the only reason it has essentially ended is it has not met because No Agenda has been posted despite multiple requests from me um including for a meeting where I was supposed to be chair for the project management team and the only agenda item was the discussion of whether we still exist and it was not posted despite my requests to post it um and the effort of town staff was respected so that I offered to post it myself and I was never given a memo to do it so essentially the project management team is no longer meeting because no one is willing to post an agenda meanwhile between the meetings of the steering committee um there has been key work being done to develop data gather
080input create surveys and obtain key information to deliver back to the steering committee for input and vote so decisions are being made every month between steering committee meetings by a new planning management team which appears to involve the consultant Town staff and at least one select board member planning board members myself and Cade are fully excluded from this process um and we disagree with this change the new project management team has been working to essentially gather data that we the seel the planning board and the select board agreed the planning board would have role in gathering at this point you might ask hey what's the big deal the steering committee is a group of great people um the co-chairs of the steering committee are doing a great job running the meetings we have very experienced
081staff we have a great consultant why should we care and without tell you is the planning board has jurisdiction over planning and to exclude the planning board members from project management what it does is it removes a entity that is ultimately responsible by state law from creating those policy decisions of who do we ask for data and what questions do we ask those are the kinds of things that are happening between each steering committee meeting and ultimately we all want the same thing we want a successful comprehensive plan so that down the line when we have a final draft everyone in this room including Kate and I can proudly say that we were part of the process and the public can feel that there's transparency and ownership by this committee by this group and at
082this point Kate and I have concerns that we are no longer following the process that we voted on so others in this room May disagree with us but I would ask the rest of this committee to bring this back to the select board and have a conversation about this and actually take a vote so that if we have a new process where the planning board will not be part of a management team that we all agree on that and we are transparent and open with the public about it and we all own it so that's the point of the letter I don't know Kate if you want to add anything I mean I think it covers it I I guess if anyone had question questions what I could say is this I feel strongly as
083it goes back to the root of some of the discussions to come to that agreement that we for instance and I I think we've heard from people that when it seems a very Town Hall Centric process people can have concerns about that and the consultant for the very first meeting of the steering committee sent out a survey to 29 people and it was like things you like about Ash don't like and some great things you think about the plan and some concerns and of the people that responded and I can't save 29 people I don't know it it showed up as a concern about um distrust of town government right so the more we can stick to what we said to have um the three groups kind of working on the management I think that
084helps with a perception to make sure that it's not one sort of one entity leading this and I also I mean me personally just having that um an agreement that we did have not being followed gets gets kind of sticky for me personally does anyone else want to jump in with comments I have three questions yeah just I'm trying to kind of digest the the explanation that Anna U and Kate gave and and what the letter says so just remind me what was the objective of the project management team was that objective to carry through through through through this stage and and the the question goes to I'm trying to understand uh by reading this but but but but but what we just heard looks like uh something just evaporated out of the blue with
085no explanation uh was there no discussion the the way this sounds in those initial stages of the group uh I just don't understand how suddenly some group disappears with nobody knowing how how it's not that no one knows it's just that the group is refusing to post an agenda I mean so to answer your question let's start with the basics I found Michael's original Memo from June of 2022 that proposed the integrated plan so he created and I actually have what we voted on so that's great so we can talk about both documents because that this was modified when we left that behind and we can discuss both that's not a problem um so this document informed our ultimate discussion um and so Michael's proposal was that the additional responsibilities for the project management team
086would be lays oning between the consultant of the steering committee select board planning board the project management team would also help collect data other required information necessary for the development of the existing conditions plan and mapping and help with the drafting process right because a group of 20 some people drafting is difficult project was the ultimate objective of that committee that has now yeah so the final draft I believe this is final these are my notes from Wednesday the 26th of something um but I think the date on the report um was October October 2022 I believe October November um the project management team this is after the uh request for proposals the project management team will become a part of the steering committee and will be a subcommittee within that larger group as such
087the project management team will work with Town department heads and staff to collect data and other required information necessary for the work of the steering committee as a part of the steering committee the project management team will also contribute to the responsibilities and tasks of the larger group okay so he that I'm trying to catch up because I just I'm trying to remember all the discussions so the project management team is a sub body from the steering committee and the the the the group that is not posting agendas or that not suly not not meeting is is that group so is the steering committee who who basically oversees this group not aware so the steering committee uh does not oversee this group this group was supposed to become a a committee of the steering committee
088so the compr ensive plan project management team has a schedule of meetings and it includes staff uh Michael Peter Yolanda Brandy from the select board Anna and Kate so we met and met and met and met and once we got either to August 17th or September 21st uh we would Kate and I would ask for an agenda to be posted and it was no longer posted I don't know how else to explain the process to you other than if a group refuses to post an agenda the group is no no longer meeting okay so there has been no vote to disappear there has been no vote I I get I get no group no group or entity steering committee has never voted to end this group okay um the select board and the planning board
089have never voted to end this group The comprehensive plan project management team has never had an official discussion because we've never had a formal Quorum or agenda been posted to discuss if we still exist there has been no vote um there have been individual discussions you know I've had some discussions with Brandy about her interpretation of whether or not we should exist I've gotten some clue from Michael as to whether or not we should exist but there has never been a formal discussion or vote as to whether or not this group still exists and what was that I don't think this is fake like I think the group existed at one point and had a meeting schedule I don't think anybody's saying anything fake but at some point it no longer met I think Marcel
090I think Marcelo still had a third question that he intended yeah and and the last question is um so I I this this letter seems very clear to me has a a similar uh like U positive request being issued to that group to discuss that and find out the solution the steering committee agenda is set by uh unknown entities I don't know who sets the agenda I believe it's this new project management team that includ no no before before the that that group was formed I mean you guys were meeting right suddenly something goes there has not been an I think you're you're saying has this memo been presented to the steering committee something to the effect of um hey we asked for an agenda to be posted uh we request to have a meeting
091about it to like asking the steering committee to post an agenda asking yeah I guess if the steuding committee is the one that is kind of on top of this based on the structure that I I believe that's the way it is right uh it seems to me that that there's got to be a very black and white answer to that question so if it's been asked yeah so the I mean the project management team would be free to post their own agenda as a subcommittee right so you're saying that someone someone submitted to the town clerk an agenda to be posted and you're saying it either was not posted or it was posted and then taken down is that it was just not posted so to to be no so to be clear uh
092the way that these agendas would be posted is we would send it to town staff to post Town staff has not posted it no I don't know why um what I will say is um the reason the project management team exists in the first place with the agreed upon membership of two select board members two planning board members and two staff is because this group voted for that and the select board and this group met together and agreed on this process and so the idea that the steering committee should make that decision seems a little bit backwards to me I think we need to go back to the select board and this group and the select board need to have a conversation because that but that was the point of my question because I I'm
093reading it exactly the opposite isn't maybe I'm wrong I'm I'm I'm thinking if the the sing committee was created it was voted I remember we were we were part of it we know how it was put together um but now that is the entity that is running this this this um process so before getting out of that into the past or or the the the entities that created it I cannot I I just don't understand and and I'm feel sorry that if you if you both of you have been excluded I I I don't see any reason for it uh but but that seems to me to be the place to there has not been any there has not been any vote by the steering committee to exclude anyone or to create a new project
094management team so so so but I I think I mean I personally think that it's clear I don't think anyone would ever intend a group of 29 to be project managing somebody has to do that and I am quite sure people in this room recall that there were concerns about having it a transparent and shared responsibility M which was select board to town staff and two Town planners I distinctly remember that and I I'm just going to full disclosure if it didn't have that I wouldn't have voted for it because I had the concerns about making this work without one particular of those entities having an particularly when it is statutory and planning board so yeah so I don't have any reason to think that we were thinking 29 people were liasing with the consultant
095and that it turned to 29 people not a project management I I distinctly remember we could probably get tapes of like there's these ongoing duties that aren't going to be managed there's things in between meetings that aren't going to be managed by 29 people I I am positive that was I want I do want to come in here just because this um this document which I believe to be the latest version that we voted on are very close and I believe that to be because we changed steering committee members to be residents versus voters which we just found was we could not do and the minimum of six seats it was four to match the six voting precincts so that has been changed um and there's just another highlighted area at the very back which
096leads me to believe that this um that this was the you know the select board will vote on the final plan followed by the planning board so these are the language that tells me this was I believe the very last version right so it does say on here I read the description of the project management team under the responsibilities of the steering committee right it does it says membership project management team membership responsibilities and I read those steering committee membership responsibilities the steering committee will draw Drive The process by working closely with the consultant cultivating Civic engagement Lea Le liasing with boards and committees receiving reports guiding the project management team and ultimately refining public input and existing data into drafts of the plan now that said I think that's I think we laid out
097these and this is unless someone can provide another document this is the thing we voted on um but I but I do think that it it is in here that this project management team which has been divided decided as Town planner Town manager two planning board two select board exists through this process I think that was clear to everybody that that that that was supposed to be a part of so I definitely agree with you on that this is supposed to exist and um and thus I think it's a good discussion to have with the select board that this is supposed to exist here's here's what we voted on M absolutely and and I will I will add that right now there is a new project management team and I that can you explain that
098a little bit where's the evidence is there a vote uh so I found out that last week uh together with a consultant um there is a group of individuals it appears that involved at least one select board member no planning board members were involved that worked together with a consultant to create a series of questions essentially a survey decided who the the experts in our community are on specific issues like transportation and sent that survey out now this is a wonderful effort it is an effort that's exactly what a project management team should be doing and Kate and I certainly were not part of those discussions we certainly did not contribute to who the transportation experts are and I can tell you that had we been part of that discussion tonight's discussion with you would
099have been hey great news take a look at this list of Transportation experts Kate and I have some input you as planning jurisdictional planning experts might have input let's see if we have changes or edits for the consultant let's bring that back to the rest of the project management team and do exactly what we the two planning board members are supposed to be doing now am I in some way questioning the capacity of the individuals who are making these decisions no I think it's I'm sure they're doing their very best what I'm telling you is that we meant to include planning board representation and how data is gathered why is that important because how you gather data means you're choosing who to ask and what questions to ask that is a very powerful thing that
100the planning board should be part of once those things are done the process is essentially contained to only one more step which is you bring it back to the steering committee and 29 people vote and if 10 of them which becomes the majority agree that's you're done you're done and the planning board is no longer part of being able to L on and do what a project management team is supposed to do so I think I understand the con I just want I want to say that there are Michael Herbert and um Brandy are are on um I'm I am going to get to them but I'm going to I'm going to hold off just a little bit so be patient up there actually DEA you've had your light on do you want to jump
101in here no um the wording on that paper that we voted is not really saying that project management team is kind of going to be the project management group that they're going to oversee the steering it's the other way around so it feels like that itself is I don't know if it's a language issue but the whole working system and the communication is not what that paper is saying right now it feels like the project management team I don't know if you have a back and forth with the steering committee how the project project management team is working with the steering committee are you not because when you say you're a subcomittee to that larger group it's like planning board and design review team right they come back to us and that's how that Loop
102is but that's not how this conversation is sounding it sounds like project management team is working with the consultant Steering group is working with the consultant and I'm not sure what that because that's not how that paper is really talk about so you have to figure that Loop out and I guess that's where the confusion is starting it it may be a case where our intentions on the paper and the reality that we're in now with this big group and we knew it would be a big group and how working with a consultant don't quite align and may need to be rediscussed I mean that's all I want to say yeah know I was going to say is it is it is this is this the only time where where that that has happened or
103is just it could have been just a miscommunication or or could be a different OB but finish myself but I then Amanda's going to want to jump in finish what you yeah no I was I was just asking whether CU I I I have to tell I'm not prepared to come here to discuss other miscommunications what I what I will tell you is I disagree that this is confusing I think that the intent is not authority over anyone the way I voted that what I remember is is that there were essentially a team of people working together for the same goal we have a steering committee with Incredible community members who each bring a unique perspective and steer the comprehensive plan process we have a project management team with select board and planning board members
104and staff who are actively doing everything they can to effectively work to support this and lison as necessary everybody's working together I personally looked at all of these as equal force of nature to make this a success to make the public feel proud at the end that we all work together that's my interpretation I did not look at this as some sort of authoritative triangle of power going down to the to the people I looked at this as a team effort and um I don't take any of this personally what I believe in is if you exclude the planning board members from Key project management duties what you're going to end up doing at the very end is that you're going to have a comprehensive plan draft that I will not comfortably be able to
105tell you that I was involved in policy decisions and the public will also have questions about why is it that certain things are coming up last minute or and I no one here in this room at least I will not be able to answer those questions because I was not involved in those many many decisions that take place every month do I need to be involved in all of those decisions absolutely not that was not Our intention when we voted so our let me finish my w our vote was to make sure that select board planning board and town staff work together that was the intent that's not happening right now okay Amanda did you I just to jump in because I attended a number of the project management teams meetings before the full committee
106was created and I'm wondering if it's just like an issue of the like you know the the larger hearing Comm didn't exist now it exists there's chairs it's it's like up and running and I wonder if it's just like a a communication issue with the p passing of the Baton in terms of you know getting that subcommittee up in formal underneath the the full um the full steering committee group and and I guess what I'm wondering is is this issue on the radar of the I think it's two chairs now that are pretty new um and you know that hey we've said who these six people need to be this it needs to be a subcommittee this is all laid out and you know it seems like in the absence of any organization around this
107where making decisions that should be the purview of the project management team um sort of with different groups of people you know I wonder if it's kind of um because the steering committee didn't exist and it's now the umbrella organization at the time I wonder if it's just had trouble scooting under so that was my my question Anna and Kate because I know you how you know the meetings I attended before I was on the planning board you know before just sort of as a member of the public that was a very public process those meetings of the project management team and and I think um again it's like very clear who that group is so it was a wordy question I apologize so oh was there do you want to answer that Kate I
108mean I think that supports an independent person of if anyone did think that we misinterpreted I guess that's all I could say about that I mean I will say there's a beauty to the project management team and the six of us meeting um it was not always easy we sometimes disagreed but it was a vigorous public process that is exactly what we need for a successful comprehensive plan yeah I mean I um I have been keeping an ear to the ground during this entire process since it began not wanting to get overly involved because I did not volunteer for this position but I know those project management uh meetings have often been arduous um maybe combative and yet at at worst um and uh so I know they haven't been easy and given some of
109the early meetings um it would be right for us to expect that those wouldn't have been easy meetings right um so but that but that said that's sometimes how you work out the disagreements and The Kinks right so um and everyone going into it knew it wasn't going to be a nice smooth easy Road I do want to comment on because after getting this information um I went back and looked at um I'm like oh yeah I got an invitation on October 6th right and so I went back and actually looked at what that was and I apologized because I should have responded um earlier but I I think I have a copy of the questions I was asked to um meet with um I'm reaching out to you today as one of those experts
110I'm being called the expert to participate in an interview on land use in Ashland and so um so I so I received these things which look like standard things from our consultant I would say um yeah I I assumed it was it did come from the consultant and so I assumed it was literature and questions that were from the consultant that we obviously hired to do this work and um but in but in no way have I been a part of a group group I mean forgot I got the email right so I need to respond to that but I was in no way a part of a group so if that was a misunderstanding then I wanted to make that clear if if if there's something about this new project management team or a
111team of experts it just sounds that it sounds like at some point you were chosen by um perhaps the new project management team is how I'm referencing it that you are one of the land use experts and you very well are obviously um and that's great but what I'm telling you is that this in no way relates to and like Kate and I were not involved in choosing who would get this we I don't know who else got it um you would have to ask uh I'm just trying to so clar I'm trying to clarify your your your concerns um are that things like this in selecting 29 people however many of us got got these letters or you know whatever um um that you know who was involved in saying oh Trisha would be
112good for this versus Marcelo right I don't I think thanks I on this I will have no comment just so we're clear um I will be silent on which one of you is a better expert but so my but my question is um are these the type of things that you feel um and it's an opinion question that you feel should have been part of a discussion that included the compr our comprehensive plan members to to the steering committee and to the project management team right I mean I'm not sure I'm not I'm not sure I think that falls on under the data Gathering that you read like you read at there was a sentence you read that talked about Gathering data right so yes it's squarely what you're suggesting or the document you received
113is data Gathering it's exactly the sentence you read um to answer your question and why is that important because the questions you ask and who you ask the questions is the key element of a comprehensive plan data collection yes but I don't think this is just the start so I don't want to say that oh my gosh I have 129th of the voice on this comprehensive plan because they asked me right that would be ludicrous right to say that um and I also think that the responsibilities are like you know they may need to be Rewritten because it does say that the the rering committee um works with a consultant who sent me this it doesn't say the project management team right so so so I think so what I'm saying is that I think
114I understand where something is very unclear here and the process for project management team has been arduous and maybe not a very strongly connected social group at this point um but yet it exists in our documents right and I also think that the steering committee as a group has a lot of has a lot of the even the liaison dealing with the consultant responsibilities that we gave them so I think there's a way that it's almost like how do we work out this new what should we were thinking here with what those rules should be what the project management role should be what should it be what do we need as a board that role to be what does the select board need their members to be and it might be a discussion in that
115way so why don't absolutely either of you two have a comment and then I'm going to and Michel com I think the correct approach is to remember the planning board per state law has jurisdiction over the comprehensive plan we're the only entity in this town that have state jurisdiction it is our responsibility period so we have a responsibility to make sure that we understand and are comfortable with the change and we absolutely need to bring it to the select board and make sure that that entity who is a partner with us is also very comfortable with the change and whatever the change is we need to agree upon it and it needs to be transparent so my preference would be that this is not about my opinion this is not about Anna's view this is
116about the fact that we voted for something this group voted for a process now we have something very very different and we need to come up with a consensus for the planning board and to develop that we need to talk to the to the select board and get on the same page and understand in partnership with the select board how are we going to be successful in this comprehensive plan all right Kate do you want to add anything before I I mean I think we know when the planning board is not involved things could not go well that the last time it was abolished by the planning board at the 11th hour I don't know the background but it's just an advocacy to for us to make sure we are not absent from this in
117many ways all right um oh Amanda do you want to sorry I forget you're there do you want to weigh in before I oh it's annoying that I'm remote I'm sorry um no I guess what I would wonder is if I I and I completely understand your perspective on on like wanting to get together with the selectboard on this I'm wondering though if like what just has to happen to get the group back on track because I I guess I kind of want to give a benefit of the doubt that like it's just the meetings haven't been happening and some you know other work has been happening in the meantime in the absence of the the project man management team meeting and so what I'm wondering is if like it just needs to be a
118very pointed question to the chairs of the large of the steering committee group to basically get the group back on track get the project management team back on track if they're the umbrella organization like can that happen so the the role of the the role of the chairs so far has not been formally defined by the steering committee and originally when it was presented to the steering committee um I think it was SE the former select board member Mitchell who said listen we all know how to run a meeting like that's what chairs do so I think what you're saying is can't the chairs kind of get this back on track and I would say that the roles of the chairs has not been defined as the authority to get us back on track yet
119all right my concern that it's just off their radar that there's supposed to be this subcommittee that's still functioning within the group I'm gonna I'm actually G to let um brandy brandy you want to unmute hey guys um thank you for for giving me a few minutes um so you know Anna's correct in in the statement that the project management group still exists the um you know nothing has been dissolved the um steering committee has not talked about the project management team at all um and you know we haven't met because the really hasn't been anything to take action on and to do so the last time when Anna had wanted to to post an agenda there really wasn't anything for us to act on um I think with the consultant coming on board we
120are starting to see the requests coming in for data and I think it's unrealistic to assume or think that the project management team is going to be the conduit for all the data that's coming in I think that um it's going to come to the steering committee and if the steering committee believes or thinks that it's important for the project management team to work on this um I think it's under the purview of the steering committee to agree upon that for the for the project management team to take action um you know I see the the steering committee is as the umbrella group that is driving this whole project and we are a big group we are 29 people and this project is um as we know very big and very cumbersome but I think
121we have a great consultant that brings a lot of expertise and I think part of it is we have to trust some of the work that the consultant has done previously and we've all agreed upon that this consultant has um a lot of strength in the um the community involvement and working with big groups like ours so I think that um I think that we are um on the right track and I think that I would think that the next steering committee meeting that this data ask that um Michael had sent out an email today just kind of letting the steering committee know that there was this data ask by the consultant for the existing conditions um I think that that's going to be a discussion point on the next agenda and if the steering
122committee feels like it needs extra help I'm sure that the project management team will be able to um to assist with that so I I but you know there are a lot of people that are working really hard on this project and um I think it's unfortunate that there's this characterization that there's a new project management team I don't think that there has been any real changes to the process um the select board the planning board we both have two members as members of this um steering committee and we're we're a part of every single meeting so I don't think that there's another group that's making decisions on behalf of the steering committee I do think that the chair s of the steering committee are driving the agenda for our steering committee meetings I think
123that um that we are all working towards the same goal and I just I feel that um to characterize things as being you know anything happening in a underhanded kind of way or behind the scenes is um disingenuous so I I feel that we are all working hard to try to get this project up off the ground and I don't think that there's another group that's that's working to do something different or nefarious so um that's just my take on the situation but um I do appreciate you know the work and the perspective that Anna and Kate bring to the group because I think it's important I think it is important to have a planning board voice um you know it's just the same as it as it is for the other 27 members of
124the of the steering committee so um you know and I think that we are going to have a very successful project so um but you know the project management team will probably continue to exist unless there is a reason to disband it but I think that unless we have something tangible to work on that the steering committee agrees to I think that we are that there's really no action to take on the on on behalf of the project management so could I could I respond Trisha um yes but if you could keep it brief so I can get Michael in there too and then so I will say that Brandy's point is the point that Brandy and I have kind of been discussing very informally in a more casual way and I have to say
125I very much appreciate bry's work on the steering committee she's been very involved in the newsletter and you know I I do agree that we're all doing our very best to make this a success I will tell you that what you just said Brandy is exactly the Dilemma we're in I was the share of a meeting right September 21st I ask to post an agenda the agenda item is let's discuss the role of the project management team in light of the vote we took a year ago right let's discuss it in fact I said let's discuss Michael's proposed integrated plan let's discuss what we voted on and you are deciding Brandy and Anna are having this conversation Brandy says well this is not an item to take an action on the steering committee needs to
126make this decision that is a policy discussion within the project management team where we disagree to the point where the agenda does not get posted this is why we're here today so who is Right ultimately at this point we have a document we have maybe two documents that the reality on the ground right now is that no one is willing to post an agenda for the project management team to discuss it who are the people that voted for this process this group and the select board so we're not going to solve the Anna anab Brandy debate without an actual meeting of the project management team or the select board and the planning board and this idea that it's up to the steering committee to decide how we voted on this a year ago I disagree
127with that not that I think that it's the exact same sentence that you read about leaz oning so whether it's Michael's document or this one that we voted under the responsibility of a different group that's important what I will say is Kate and Anna are two members of this planning board that distinctly remember that two planning board members continue to Liaison that is no longer happening because Brandy and Anna are having a discussion and a disagreement as to whether that's necessary or anything that we should be discussing as a project management team this goes full circle to the fact that the project management team has had a lot of debate a lot of difficult conversations which are key to the vital success of the comprehensive plan if we don't want to have those conversations we
128need to take a vote and disband that has not happened so until we do that we still exist exist which means either post the agenda or let's go back to the select board and create a completely new process that Brandy and Anna and everyone else can agree upon because right now we're at a standstill and it's not productive I understand and I'm going to let Michael get in and uh comment as well good evening sorry I'm in my jams today tonight um but now I just wanted to reiterate and just say a lot of what Brandy said there is no new project management team um you know there is an administrative team that I guess you could call it an administrative team that uh consists of the co-chairs myself and Peter and then Susan Roby
129sometimes joins us uh when she can uh to help uh keep us all organized um and really those discussions are based around the agenda um the types of communications need to go out to the whole committee um those are that's really the focus of it now there's two specific things that that have been brought up tonight are two specific actions um and I think there's another disagreement here in terms of what's policy versus what's administrative and the two things were the data request that JM Goldson the consultant had asked of Peter and I um and that data request is not like going around and asking people for the input it's like okay what studies do you have on Transportation what studies do you have on you know parking um what studies do you have on
130126 you know do you have police call data things of that nature the stuff really only we have access to so we put that together so they can go ahead and do what they need to do meting Golds and and do their report um this again no policy decision being made there so second another item was this list of people who are going to be interviewed now I think it's been characterized as a questionnaire um I'm not sure if that's the case if so we didn't have anything to do with it but yes my staff and I were asked to select I think it was three people under each area that um would be considered experts and so we took into account that really all of the uh steering committee members would have input throughout
131the plan so we looked at people outside of the steering committee including employees um and but that was because Goldson needed a a tight turnaround and um you know we you know we felt that was the the best decision by the way if this was all like hidden and everything this wouldn't believe we discussed this a little bit at the last steering committee meeting and I sent an email out earlier today you know talking about this stuff and saying we're actually going to add it as an agenda item I think so that could be the issue sorry Michael I mean I think unfortunately and like I said keeping my ear to the ground over the past however many months it's been I think um unfortunately some of the um early discussions the very early discussions
132before we all went down this road um about trust haven't unfortunately unfortunately haven't those roads haven't been built as as well as we would have liked them to and so I think there's um both there's not the collaboration that we I think is necessary in this process and that should be happening um and um collaboration and giving the benefit of the doubt as to what's going on and so it seems that um like I think it like like I said before it is right that we voted on this dopic this document and what it said we created the project management team and and it also may be true that it's um it it's perview right now its function is a little bit confused maybe a lot confused and maybe we need to figure that out
133you know that said I mean I think it's important like I think it's important for the select board to have their Lea zones their members on the comprehensive plan coming back to the select board and and I think it's important for we have our members of our planning board coming back to us in the planning board um I think that's very critical so how do we make those roles um you know how do we make that group work for the whole process because I do think it's important to have that input um but I also think it's important to kind of this group that you've created the steering committee is is obviously a a a much better group than I ever imagined frankly with the the little snooping I've been doing on those meetings so
134um I think it may be best as suggested in your letter to Let's we already meeting with the select board they'll have to see um you know if they a little bit more room on their agenda that night I think it's the November 15th I I think uh November 15th if we can if we can if there's room on the agenda that that the um planning board can can join the select board we we're already there anyway but to have a little bit of discussion about this as well and to see if we can get this straightened out before the new year right and before we get even deeper into this process because this should be the steering committee the project management team the chairs the co-chairs you know the consultant all this there should
135be a really bonded group that like us has our arguments but that you know we still come together and make decisions and I think it's it's seems like it's on the point of falling apart if it hasn't already and we need to put it back together again as quickly as possible abs and that means there's going to be give and take on all sides to to try to figure out what the new solution is based on where we are now based on not based on where we oh we've never done a comprehensive Plan before let's try to figure this out on paper now we have to figure it out from where we are now so um I don't know open to any kind of semi not final comments but semifinal comments on this I mean
136I obviously helped write and brainstorm and sign well didn't sign the notes so I very much support the process of of going back to those entities and we I distinctly remember we all said as well that the process can change but it needs to be discussed and I very much um what what we have to remember is it's uh when things are not transparent and and that is just literally exposed that that's hard for the public right whether whether there's these things happening if it was like information passed along I think that has to be I will always be advocating for the a very transparent and public process right so that when when decisions are made that we didn't know they were being made how how does the public know right that's what ultimately this
137is about it's a public planning process and I I I just want to also say I agree with you like the we spectacularly got 29 people um that are engaged have things to offer are starting to reach out farther to you know their groups Etc so uh I just have two thoughts I mean from what I've heard uh and I I like where Kate was going with that um the first thing is I personally think it's always good not to assume the worst intentions on on on on someone that uh either something didn't work or or was miscommunicated or what started in the wrong foot what have you U so it's good to always leave the room to understand why that happened before and I say that because on one side I I and I'm
138really trying I'm trying to see okay what is the the problem because in my view Kate and Anna has have to be involved in what's important so what I was trying to discern is uh okay there's a new PM group but says no there's no new PM group uh there's just administrative okay seems to be a disagreement on on on what happened that happens fine um and from what I've heard from all these a great group of people that were able to to gather to do this work my my second my second thought is seems to me my conclusion from everything I've heard is that this can be worked out in about five minutes of just discussing it uh and maybe it's at that meeting where we can do it I I I think that
139with a with with with and I know that what the trust part it has to be out there but it also is part of not assuming the worce um I think I I think maybe the both sides of the discussion that I'm hearing are probably closer than they are apart that that's kind of would be my hope um so maybe that's the meeting where where this could happen uh seems to me that U I just don't see any very complicated way to UNS solve this actually I see that it's just maybe a little more soft communication that's my reading of it I think um um when I first heard Anna it was definitely a very different thought but after hearing Michael I think it's really critical that the roles of the project management team and
140the steering committee is clear to the consultant because the question for data collection came from the consultant and because you have three distinct groups it was obviously not clear to the consultant who the question should have gone to right and I think I can see why Anna is feeling left out because it is an important process and the fact that in addition to collecting that basic research or information that we hold as a town about traffic or all the other things that the consultant asked the question about the kind of the team that should have approached I think should have gone back to the project management team and kind of shared that hey in addition to this data that the consultant asked us this is another bucket that they're looking for um can we as
141a team agree that we at Town Hall can take that lead or do you all want to win it could have just been an email conversation where I feel I'm going with this is I think it's really really important because this is going to be a two long year process if that communication path is not clear to the consultant this is going to just become difficult and difficult along the way because who is who is the they're approaching who is the one they should ask to I think the roles have to be clarified not just for the consultant but just for the internal working group because sometimes it's easy it's easy because I know the information I'm just going to give it to you it solves the issue and it's I can check that box
142so to make that call we have to remember we are part of a larger team right so sometimes it just happens but I think it's really really important for the three groups the administrative the project management Steering group all to be very clear what their role is in this through years process otherwise this is going to be a nightmare moving forward and it's not going to be efficient and all the passion that's there across in this team is just going to fall apart in another 6 months which is not going to help anyone I think that's exactly it I think that this the um consultant probably has no context for the project management team necessarily and the steering committee co-chairs I I just feel to marcelo's point I feel like this is the kind of
143thing that can get hammered out so quickly like after hearing Brandy and Michael's feedback it seems like everybody agrees the planning board members need to be you know extremely engaged in that project management team and it just seems like this can get back on track like very just with clear communication and like five minutes of all like getting on the same page is my hope because I agree with you Marcel I'm incling to give folks the benefit of the doubt and it does seem like it's just sort of different entities with different context started at different times that are not aligned all right n so I'll say something somewhat critical and then something very positive the critical thing I'll say is to me an administrative group is no different from the new project management team
144it it's just a semantics of words right so essentially planning board is no longer involved and there's this new team chosen by staff to exist without any vote by anyone that is the constructive criticism I have to saying that this is not a new project management team and I certainly know that Brandy has been very involved in some of those decisions because we've discussed them over email um as far as how decisions will be made so to say that there is no new team is not accurate despite calling it administrative the other thing I'll say positive is that I think we all deeply care about this process and I appreciate it and I hear it and I especially appreciate Brandy talking today and I can see that she cares a lot and I think we
145can move through this yeah and I just think I want to reiterate um you know Marcel's point about for me it it starts out with collection of data but it's really about like reserving judgment on this whole thing so when I originally when I read this letter which was probably 3:30 or 4:00 whenever I got my kids back from the orthodontist I read this letter and then my first call was to Peter and full disclosure my second call was to Brandy my third call was to Michael and my fourth call was going to be to Rob Shear I couldn't call either of you two obviously because that would have been open meeting um because I wanted to get as much information as I could and I think you can talk to all the people I
146talked to and you can say that I grilled them pretty good about what the information was um so that I could come to the meeting and and obviously I looked up all these old documents I went and looked at my email what was this thing that I received and didn't respond to um to try to get as much information that I could to try to read then the letter again in a kind of context about the complicated things that were happening and um so I think there is I think all the points that have been made are good I think the the feelings about we should we need to be more involved in this process are valid I think the things about giving people the benefit of the doubt we the the um the relationship
147with the consultant it needs to be clear all of these things I to me I think fit under the category of growing pains now that we're in this process which is what have been a total of two meetings now for the com for the steering comprehensive plan steering committee right with the consultant so I think we should make the consultant aware of these discussions I think the co-chairs should be made aware of this discussion um and then on the 15th we should meet with the select board let's get all back on the same page with where we started plus plus some new members of that of that team the the co-chairs and the um and the consultant and then and then like I try to get try to get our ducks in a row for
148the next um steering committee meeting which I assume is in mid to late November 19th I think nov is that our joint meeting 15th is the joint meeting so there's not a lot of wiggle room in there but oh right the next day wait oh okay isn't our next meeting the 9th and then the 30th do we have I'm talking about steering committee and comprehensive plan committee so any but wait I guess at least get things on the right track so um I guess we will be in contact with Michael and Rob Shear to see if we can make that happen uh yes okay and then we will we'll go from there I do appreciate I do appreciate the time that you guys are putting into this committee you were the ones who kind of
149brought it to the table you stepped up when the three of us took a step back and um you sure you don't want to join the party pretty sure and um and and and so but it takes it's going to take all of us to see it through right absolutely and I want to say that I I do know I'm not trying to beat anyone up about the fail but I appreciate because the planning board hasn't been absent and you've always said that we we are part of this so I appreciate it and and it does have to continue so thank you for saying that all right so we will put an informal end to that topic and we'll pursue it with the select board to see if we can discuss in a larger group
150all right next we are actually almost at the end Peter is there any updates oh wait um I don't think there's any other updates on these committees except no I just yeah I just want to mention I attended the Metro West Regional uh collaborative uh Trail Summit annual Trail Summit over in Framingham at Lauren Arena uh this morning and so it was all about trails in Metro West uh I did pick up some um some really good maps and uh and I I PDF them and I scanned them in and I and I have a email teed up so I'm just going to give everyone the heads up that I'll send that out uh two of them are just Maps one of them is a little bit more Framingham Centric and then another one is
151just a brochure on the upper Charles Trail extension happy to talk to anybody in Greater detail um and then uh that's really kind of what I to tell everybody it was a great conference um it Great summit um MPC Dil l l Lucen Heiser who actually came out here last spring and and walked the uh the new uh Charli B trail with me and then walked down West Union Street then through down Summer Street into the downtown um was the one kind of running uh running point and he does run point on uh all Trails within mpc's um uh 101 cities and towns territory um and so we do have a strong relationship with them and uh it was a good conference and I'm just going to send out the information all right um nothing
152else on that list right we're good I'm all set okay um planning office updates I know you wanted to give a brief update to whittamore yeah so uh whittamore um and I'm not to go into depth but um but we had a meeting with the developer and we we hopefully opened up some lines of communication um just because there's a lot of stuff happening I'm going to end it at that but uh that was a positive sign uh other elements 9 to 30 CH 100 to 30 excuse me to 103 Chester Street continues to to kind of chug along um nothing too new over there um gcg has been out there pretty much every day and or every other day doing their inspections um as as required for for our items so that's a good
153item that's a good thing um nothing for 501 um 399 uh Union Street the Starbucks um things are starting to move around out there too I was out there actually I walked out there between uh the end of the day and uh in the meeting to stretch my legs and I and I did see that the wood you know wood has arrived on the site and so hopefully that's going to go vertical um and so it's fairly a simple building so that hopefully will be kind of put up fairly fast I do also want to note the select excuse me the Board of Health um received an email um with a application um for all the material indoor equipment that's going in so um that process hopes will be moving along um as as appropriately
154so um and then is the side completed at no no no no no uh for which one Starbucks yeah just the utilities have been kind of stubbed in and then obviously and then they'll be kind of continued to be built out so yeah that kind of continues on and there's actually two contractors is a contractor the developer hired the owner of the site hired and then Starbucks actually hired their own uh construction company and they do actually the Starbucks buildout and so it's kind of a it's a two pronged approach um so um so yeah those are the updates I can give on the meetings I did add the meetings uh for the remainder of the the um excuse me I'm sorry there's been no applications received and was there anything for 12 Pond excuse
155me no nothing for 12 Pond no update no new applications received at this point and I do just want to make a note I did list the last three meetings of the month anner I just did put a note so the meeting on November 15th was a meeting that was called and organized by the chair of the select board Rob Sher where we're going to update on MBTA communities and and uh we talked a little bit about MBTA communities a little bit earlier in the meeting but that process is going well um we got a GIS license Alvaro has been doing all the G the mapping work we've been using the state compliance we''ve been using the um uh all the layers and everything that's been kind of put together so uh Al and I
156are are have a strong knowledge in GIS and I think we're using it to our advantage all right any questions about any of that all right then we're down to the meeting minutes September 14th um we did have a few things um I can just name them I can give this to Peter but um under the associate member position um line 70 it says associate members kind of telling the requirements for associate members associate members must attend all meetings I I think it should be should you know um um and then and will vote on special permit applications when a full member it says has recused them eles but it's really is unable to do so because it could be because of an illness or something like that yep um and then can um do
157you have anything uh L line 135 can we can we make it including condo associations condo Associates sounds like the mob Association yeah Association right yes Y and then I don't know if it's worth it but it's like The Sopranos I had a the condo Associates I was trying to um why not be worth it in in the conversation we had with Mr Morgan Revol of involving the scenic roads I mean it's a pretty good summary I just wanted to I wanted to somehow acknowledg in there that the scenic roads is still under the jurisdiction of the planning board and it is not a part of the sustainability committee um so I'm not I'm not sure what the line is it's just in that 137 to 141 and I couldn't figure out how to say
158it how about is it um um I I thought about just changing the end of your line Miss Tes tesinsky said that the committee attended a recent planning board meeting to discuss their tree bylaw how about a proposed tree bylaw a prop it's not really right a proposed tree bylaw that's fine and the second half of that could be Scenic roads remain under the jurisdiction of planning board or just something like that to can can we just put like an editor's note because I don't think we said that clearly at the meeting did we we didn't say it that clearly but we certainly said it in many ways um so well I know but it's I know we'd have to watch the either the tape or put like editors yeah I did watch the tape
159but I still couldn't so so so that's fine if we want to put it as an editor not so I I I agreed I just wanted to be clear that we in no way acknowledge that we gave that responsibility to this so sustainability committee like I can just put those parentheses yeah okay like planning board edit yeah planning board edit no then finish this yeah I think that that's that's fine statue yeah that' be fine close pry and my note on uh the net Z1 I don't think it was in this context it was in context of the tree byw okay out the tree plan it was not in context of Scenic conversation I don't remember this part in relation can I just write in relation to when we were discussing with the sustainability committee
160that's when I brought that up so this was not in this context I think actually you did mention it not in this in the scen grow context I did mention it in the sustainability when you're talking about tree byog that's when we talked about it but I don't remember mentioning it you just take it out yeah you take it out yeah take it out easy easy if I did I must have had jetl because that's not the context I say editors not delete um line 172 where money has been give I think where money has been given yes where money has been given I think it's supposed to be where money has been given but there is no conservation restriction I'm not sure how that yeah where money has been given but there is no
161conservation restriction that works um and then 174 line just typos yeah a lot of tacos on that oh yeah originally I got it but I also added on 173 so no conservation restriction period um these and then I put these are properties that have been purchased and are being used for different purposes period okay so yeah that got really um kind of confusing there yeah I would say something like that yeah sha whoever is preparing these notes whoever is preparing these notes must be really scared of you because just you have salutations and nobody else oh wait what like you have like Miss Kendall M and then Lisa me doesn't have Miss in front of her name and really margin other lines so salutations are like all over Place yeah no actually and I did
162not I did not see these like in advance but you know typically put that everybody yeah just let's we first name well no last um Mr like the first time they mentioned it's just usually first name last name but usually we go Miss Kendall or Mr machek or you know whatever um yeah and that might have been I think that was the end for me um spell check on my name on the present one you said one oh yeah yeah I got you and is is the abbreviation for attorney at is that right okay don't remember I was Addie who's Addie there is that Mark too isn't there a Mark I don't know or Esq oh yeah okay guess usually we just spell it out so I okay I didn't have anything else though NOP
163that's it any other changes before I make a motion I'll make a motion to accept the September 14th 2023 minutes with the edits discussed second and a roll call vote Anna tuski I oh you weren't there cther j a guy and trishia kendi so I guess that's four yeah it's was like Marcelo it is your turn that's right if you don't hear that I don't do all right so meeting minutes are approved um anything else that anyone wants to add at the very end of our agenda I think we're good all right motion to adjourn I'll make a motion to adjourn at 9:35 look at that it's a record is there a second though I'll second it and a roll call vote vo and tki I Mar I Katherine Jers I Trisha Kendall I oh
164and I all right thanks Amanda for joining us thank you by everyone