Meeting Minutes - PC
Town of Leicester Planning Commission Meeting Wednesday, October 10, 2012*Unapproved* ** See subsequent minutes for any changes Members Present: Donna Swinington, Chair, Jeff McDonough, Pete Fjeld Members Absent: James Russo Others Present: Kate Briggs, Sandra Trombley, Secretary Meeting called to order at 6:00 p.m. with roll call. Motion by Jeff and second by Pete to approve minutes of September 12, 2012 as written. All in favor. So approved. Kate gave the Board an overview of what has transpired with their request for a Municipal Planning Grant. We will not be getting the grant because Addison Regional Planning had not approved our Town Plan to date. In all conversations, Regional Planning never mentioned they had to adopt the Town Plan in order to get a grant. Kate provided the outline for Regional Approval of Town Plans. Today Kate went to the quarterly meeting of town zoning administrators. Kate provided a list of tasks needed to be done or revised to begin the process of revising zoning board regulations. She thinks that we should collect and look at the plans from Cornwall, because it has some good language about home-based businesses. Monkton has good overlay language. Salisbury, Whiting, Lincoln and Brandon have some good language; as well. #12 on the list is reproduction and dissemination which requires some money. Peter feels as long as they/contractors have access to the by-laws, even on line, it is fine. Kate thinks we can break the process down into pieces and certain people can work on certain sections. Kate thinks that Brad Lawes would be a great person to help with the economic development portion of the plan. Have some public meetings for other input. Peter would like to see a list from Regional Planning of things that we must incorporate. Kate stated this information was under #8. Identify changes required by statutory changes and/or E court decisions. Kate is going to get this information from our town attorney and from VLCT. They have a better handle of things that are required to be in the by-laws. Peter thinks #8 should be further up the chain. Move #8 to #2a. Board would like a joint meeting with PC and Selectboard to figure out a joint strategy. They need to focus on the areas that need to be changed and then clarify language and definitions. Donna will get a copy of Brandon and Salisbury regulations. Kate has Whiting’s. Kate will get Monkton and Cornwall from Regional Planning. The Planning Commission will work on a work plan and when ready, ask the Selectboard for their help. Peter asked what a realistic time frame was to have this finished. Everyone thought about a year. 1. Information gathering will happen in first month. (gather town regs from other towns)2. Revision identification by PC & Selectboard3. Identify Additions by PC & Selectboard4. Procedural Changes5. Put together a Plan & Task Groups For next meeting, November 14, the PC & Selectboard should review current by-laws and PC would ask the Selectboard to identify things they know they would like to be revised and things that they know need to be added and bring them to meeting. It might not necessarily mean the whole Selectboard come, but perhaps a representative of the Board. Not necessarily the whole thing spelled out, but maybe a two sentence idea. Not necessary to have a full board in the preliminary information gathering meetings, unless they would like to come. Kate thinks that Regional Planning will be doing the technical review. There was discussion of needing another person to serve on the Board; so there would always be a quorum if someone couldn’t make a meeting. Motion by Jeff and second by Pete to adjourn meeting at 6:45 p.m. All in favor. So approved. Respectfully submitted, Sandra L. TrombleyPC Secretary