PC Meeting Agenda & Minutes 01-28-25
Town of Leicester
Planning Commission Agenda
Leicester Town Office
January 28, 2025
6:00 p.m.
Agenda
Review Agenda
Introductions
Review of Current Town Plan
Other Business
Public Comment
Adjourn
Leicester Planning Commission Meeting Minutes (unapproved)
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 6:00 p.m. Town Office
Present: Katie Raycroft-Meyer, Jay Michael, Lyndsay D'Avignon, Bill Shouldice, Donna Swinington, Jeff McDonough, Suki Fredericks, Diane Benware
Meeting called to order by Chair Donna Swinington, followed by roll call.
Introductions were made. Everyone was provided a binder, created by Lyndsay,
containing the current Town Plan, scratch paper, note-taking tools. Thank you, Lyndsay.
Katie discussed the possibility of the ACRPC's help to apply for a Municipal Planning Grant, as well as serving as our agent to do the work of the update.
Grants are quite competitive and generally run for a 2 year period.
As a number of communities will be vying for the grants, Katie suggested we brain-storm ideas to make our community/request stand-out to assure we are successful. Preliminary comments centered around housing and our aging population.
Members seemed amenable to the support of the ACRPC, with the understanding that it would be advantageous for the PC members to do as much brainstorming and research as possible.
Two new elements of the Town Plan involve expanding the flood resiliency section as well as a section to address forest blocks/fragmentation in the Natural Resources section.
Members are invited to a meeting on Feb 20 at ACRPC office to get more information about Act 181, the reform of Act 250, related to addressing future housing needs and land use.
Katie observed that our Enhanced Energy Plan is almost half of our current plan. That plan, too, is expiring. ACRPC has funding/time to work with two
communities this year to update energy plans. We took her up on her offer
for ACRPC to help Leicester update their energy plan. She also suggested that it be an appendix to the Town Plan, rather than part of the plan.
She also reminded us that a working Implementation Plan needs to be developed so that the plan doesn't sit on a shelf, forgotten until the next re-write is due.
She left for Diane, a copy of the FY 25 Municipal Resolution for Municipal Planning Grant, to be signed at an upcoming Selectboard meeting, delegating
Diane to be the Municipal Authoring Official (MAO), to execute grant documents, etc. She indicated a need for a Grant Administrator, (pays bills) who is often the same person as the MAO. Diane said she would check with Julie about being Grant Administrator. Julie has agreed to serve as Grant Administrator.
Lyndsay collected emails from members and forwarded grant material information from the state.
NEXT STEPS:
Diane and Katie will connect in the next two weeks.
Members will read/review the current plan and make notes, write down questions and suggestions.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, Feb 18, at 6:00 p.m. at the Town Office.
Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
Diane Benware