Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Welcome to the, Millbarrow Playing Board. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. Good evening, and welcome to the playing board meeting for today, 04/21/2026. This meeting is being recorded by MCAM and can be viewed on MCAM, Verizon, and Comcast.

For those wanting to watch the commission meetings at their convenience, MCAM offers on demand viewing through the Internet. We have three hearings that are gonna be continued tonight and will be voted on to be continued. 25 Dash 9 R L Plain Street, 25 Dash 10 R L Plain Street, Lot 225 Dash 11 RL Plain Street, Lot 3. Unacicipate. Is there any member of the a of the board who has anything under it? Unanticipated.

Mister chairman? Yes. Actually, can I back up to the continued hearings? Do we know why they're being continued again?

I think we can have that discussion when the votes

are continued. Oh, okay.

Anybody else have anything under unanticipated? Any member of the audience have anything under unanticipated?

Sorry about that.

No rush.

Take your time.

Be left. So I'm Evelyn, Pascarello 15 West Grove Street. You guys are all familiar faces. Kinda want to give you an update on Taco Bell. Little things that they're not doing. I don't we'll go at one thing at a time. Remember when they said that they're gonna shut the lights off? At night, they don't. They keep them on all night. Remember when they said there's gonna be none of the deliveries or pickups were gonna happen during non business hours.

That's not happening. They do pick up trash. I believe their schedule is like Monday and Wednesday. And I promise I'm not policing this, but how do I know? Because I'm woken up by the trash trucks empty and backing up and empty and, you know, when the trash truck comes up and it hits the hopper hits the bangs. I'm woken up by that at 04:45. I do get up at 05:00 in the morning to go to work, I'd rather sleep. Those fifteen minutes are precious to me. Let's see. The trash, they said, remember when they said, oh, we're gonna do extra walks around the building, make sure there's no trash.

I just ran over a, a trash container getting into my car, and my fence catches the rest. So another thing that happens and I'm used to the traffic is remember how we said, oh, we're only gonna do right hand turns or left right hand turns. I witnessed our own middle bar cop taking a left hand turn out of there. And again, I can't police that so I don't I kind of like let that go. Right? Like, I kinda you guys heard my concerns. I've been here numerous times. Again, I love my house. I don't wanna move. I'm sure you guys love your houses.

Right? You don't wanna move. I have kids in the school. I'm a member of the community. So I just finally got used to Taco Bell, whatever it is what it is. Because again, I feel like if you don't live there, you don't care. Right? You go home to your house. It's not in your face. You're like, whatever. The same thing with the buildings that are going up around. If it's not in your backyard, you don't care. But it is changing the dynamic because there are cars that pull out. The hours, I thought they weren't supposed to be open till twelve. They're open up at two.

It would be wonderful if you guys could review the pull the the fire alarm codes. It just went off this last afternoon. The other night, my daughter had a friend sleepover, and they woke me up at 01:30. They're like, mom, there's a Taco Bell alarm going off. Is anyone gonna respond to it? So I feel like it's taken from our resources because we called the the fire department, and they said, oh, no. We have to respond with our lights. It's natural, but it still was taken away from our town resources. But my complaint again, because I feel like you can go back and you can tell them all this and they'll say, oh, that's not true. We'll fix it.

We'll fix it. So I digress. My other problem is there's a lovely taco truck that's parked right next door to it and I was so excited. I was like, yeah, let go. Like they're so ballsy putting it running next to a Taco Bell, like go Mexican, love this. Until they run the generator all the time. And the generator is facing my house. Proof in point, the Mexican, truck, Facebook, Instagram ad. Their my house is, like, in like, you can look into my bedroom window. So again, I'm like, I'm giving them grace.

It's okay. Like, I don't understand, like, how we had I Taco Bell had to go through all of these hoops, but how come this food truck is able to park in front of my house? And I wanted to stay. Trust me. I'm all for it, but I cannot listen to the generator. If I'm in my living room, I hear it. If I go in my driveway and me and my daughter were talking, I can't hear anything. So I can only imagine when the summer goes on, how loud it's going to get. And I'm not putting this on Facebook because I'm not I know this might get blasted, but I'm not because I I'm very positive and I love that they're here. It's just I need to live.

I need, like, I've tackled my bell in my face and now I have this loud generator in my, like, house and it's interrupting my well-being. So I'm asking as a community member, what can I do besides move? Because I can't move. My kids will call me. Any ideas? My husband did call the planning board this morning, and we had a friend of ours reach the reach the person who owned the building and said, oh, they're gonna work on putting on electricity. And the person started to kinda went off. Well, if they do electricity, they need a permit. But it was like, that's not the point is how if you leave here all tonight, I invite you, go to the taco truck. Actually, come over to my house.

I'll gladly I'll gladly have all of you over and you could just hear how disturbing it is. So what can I do?

So, miss Pasquarelli, we certainly appreciate your your comments. I would ask that you send us an email with these lists. Wrote them down. We I have the lights, the delivery hours, trash pickup, right hand turn only, operating hours, fire alarm and a taco truck. If you send us an email listing those.

Okay. Who do I send it to?

Planning board. Send it to me, alanfrawley@hotmail.com.

Okay. Is it like a froley or alan froley?

Send it to Joe. We'll make that easy. But we can't discuss any of these issues because it's not on the agenda. I understand. I don't know how much authority we have over the food truck because it's not really a planning thing.

I understand that. I just don't know where to go.

I would I don't I called Building inspector and the

I called the police and the police said because it was Friday afternoon that they had, like, their grand opening and I was just like, hey, what can we do? And they're like, nope. Their permits, they have permits, they're able to be there, they can do. They're there. They're legally. There's nothing you can do.

I'm like, okay. The Planning Board and the Board of

Health. Okay.

I'm I'm sorry. Not the Planning Board. The Board of Health. Department of The

Board of Health.

Mister chair?

I may should be able to point you in the right direction. Yes.

Evelyn, odors? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I can smell them too.

Stacy, can't have a discussion about this. Well,

I wanna add it to the list that I'm

I will definitely put it in an email. Yeah. Again, I kind of gave up that fight because I feel like whatever I say is going to just be met with like, no, we do shut those lights off at night. No, you don't. Cause when I pull out of my driveway at 05:40, they all get shut off, including the interior light. The parking lights, yes, they're like they they do fall down, but the whole lights are on.

You send us that email. We can actually have this discussion. Okay. But we can't have it now.

Okay. And I'm emailing Joe about

Yep. I'm gonna give it to him.

I appreciate that.

Joe, last week, I've mentioned the the operating hours and we discussed it on thing and they can be open up until on Fridays and Saturday nights till one. Other than that, it's 12:00.

The Taco Bell?

So, again, I'm gonna caution the board that we cannot have this

I understand, but I'm saying it was on my discussion last week, so I'm trying it's in this week's minutes we have to sign. And I already brought up that thing. And it's 12:00 except for Fridays and Saturdays it's 01:00.

Okay. That'd be Mr.

Chair, could I just say a pitch is worth a thousand words? So

Mr. Chair, when you said, when you were doing your clarification of who to who to contact, you again said planning department. I But I just wanna make sure because you said building department at one point. So I wanted to clarify.

Aren't you guys the planning department?

Yeah. I misspoke.

Okay.

Okay.

I will call it. I because we don't issue permits for our food truck.

Oh, yeah. I totally understand that. Okay.

I would

Mister chair. Before verification.

Evelyn leaves. Will we be placing this on our next agenda?

When we get everyone's email, we will.

Okay. And you'll just communicate Yeah. By

Okay. And when's our next meeting? Fifth. Plan on May 5.

Cinco

Appreciate Cinco de de Mayo. Let's all celebrate by having Mexican.

There you

go. I thank you for your time, guys.

Thank you. Anyone else in the audience have anything other unanticipated? Payment of bills, we don't have any payment of bills. Approval of minutes, I'd entertain a motion to approve the minutes of April 7.

So moved. Second.

I have a motion to second. Any comments or questions? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Passes unanimously. Alright. 06:30 hearing. Do I open it? Well, I don't have to open it. We're just You already opened it. Alright. So I entertain a motion to continue to the next meeting?

Yes.

All three?

Yes.

All right. I entertain a motion to continue 20 five-nine RL, 20 five-ten RL and 20 five-eleven RL to our next meeting at the same time, 06:30, 06:35 and 06:40. So moved. Second. I have a motion to second. Any comments or questions?

Yes. Mr. Chair? Yes. Do we know a reason why they are continuing again?

Yes. They are working with Natural Heritage and they want to make sure they have everything documented with us with them before they come to us for these. That way if there's any more things that have to be added to the drawings, they make sure they're there.

And where are they with Natural Heritage? Because Natural Heritage usually takes a while.

That's why we're continuing this. I don't know where they are in the process.

Well, typically it's sixty days. They have set time limits on them because it was taking so long. So typically you receive a determination within sixty days.

So they're most likely going to be continuing again?

I'm not sure what the date was when they submitted with Natural Heritage. They usually do it with conservation along with their conservation filing.

What I've been told is it was National Heritage Okay. Where they're dealing

Thank you.

So I have a motion and a second. Any other comments or questions? All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Passed unanimously. Number one, town planner position. Joe is retiring. I am. And we have a internal posting, job posting. There's a whole bunch of other stuff that's going on, and it really doesn't concern us. All we have to worry about is Joe retiring and posting the internal posting for a new planner. It's the same listing that we had approved earlier before we were told no new hires, with the exception that, what what was the one sentence we removed?

Well, we had to remove the, that the town planner, reports to the director of planning and community Development.

So the town plan will report directly to the planning board, just like it used to. Yeah. Does anybody have any comments or questions?

Yes.

Nancy?

We cannot approve this composting the way it is. It lacks information. I had a I went on my own to try to figure out this mess, and I spoke with HR. Yes. Allison? Yes.

All right.

And there is a lot of language that we have to look at. There's a lot. So me, I would like to make a motion to wait on this and hold it off until May 5 when all of us can have the documentations of the posting and the description so that we can change them both together and then be able to send it to human resources and the town manager's office for review to post.

If I may, This is the exact posting

Excuse me. I have a motion. Want to see if someone wants to second it before we have discussion.

Second for discussion. Yeah.

This is the exact posting that the Planning Board approved that was sent to HR, that was sent to labor council, and sent back to the planning department. There can't be anything missing because this is approved and what was approved by labor council. There is The only thing that was taken out was because my position is being eliminated, so the town planner will be reporting to the planning board.

Which is how it always was.

Right. But this that right there was approved by labor council.

Yeah, I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. That's my opinion. Anybody else have any other comments?

Yeah. Nancy? Like I said, I spoke with HR, human resources. And the posting doesn't look anything like this with what we had. There's other language that has to go in here and I'm not going to discuss it tonight. We need to have a full discussion as a full board. We can't just be given a document day of. I want to have it at a meeting on an agenda that says job posting and job description like we did before. Just go over it and then post it. We can finish it up on the fifth and be done and post it. This all goes with fair hiring practice. You know what I mean?

Nothing was changed.

It it needs to change. That's the

issue. Then why did Labor

Council I went to human resources.

This is what this is what human resources gave me. When? The last time they sent it to me at the February.

Alright. I went there today and I spoke with them.

Unless things change between Ben and Ben.

There's other language that has to go in here.

Where is the other language?

I don't have it all right here. It's in my email. I figured I would make the motion to do it all next week because I don't have time to go through it. I didn't get it till late. And I didn't think it was appropriate to bring it up tonight until we can get it on the agenda. The job posting and the job description is not on the agenda for talking tonight.

Complain on position discussion of vote.

It doesn't say posting like it always did before. That could be anything. That's vague. We've always put it on as the job posting and the job description. That's I I there's other things that have to go in here. There's other things. There's other language.

My opinion is, one, the post the agenda is fine.

Mister chair?

I'm gonna finish my sentence. K. And this is already a posting that's been approved.

Be happy before we do the email from the HR director what that attaches this very job posting.

I know what I was told today.

Tracy?

I did find a typo error in the job posting. One, two, three, fourth item. It says reviews and drafts comments for the planning board, department and zoning board. What is this department?

No, that is where I took out the, about my eliminating So

I agree with Nancy about the vagary on the agenda item. It doesn't say what actually we're going to be discussing. You know, it should have said discussion and possible vote regarding town planner job posting and job description. So it is rather vague. So I do agree with that. I just got this when I walked in the door tonight. Again, I don't like it. I don't want things to be on the desk when I walk in. I want them to be in the packet. If it's not in the packet, we shouldn't be discussing it.

And so, again, I just got this. So I don't know if this looks the same as the last one because I don't have the last one from February. All I have is this, so I can't compare this to the last one to make sure that everything that was in the last one is in this. So I mean that's my issue is you're asking me to vote on something that I'm being told isn't any different than the last one but I don't have the last one to compare it to. So I don't believe that's fair to the members for us to be asked to vote on something that we cannot verify is the same thing that we voted on in February.

So that's my take on it. And also, That's what that's what I have on this. I also want to discuss the letter that we received in our packet, but we have a motion just for this. So

Nancy, do you want to repeat your motion? Is there any other discussion? Joe?

I got one quick question. When is Joe retiring?

Joe? May 29. So how

many weeks do we got? Six. Six. We don't even have this position posted yet. You do not. Okay. That's all I'm just to me, it looks like our back's against the wall.

Any other comments, questions from the board? Any comments, questions from the audience? I have a comment.

I thought we'd been through all this and

made Exactly. All the

That's what I did.

We have been through it.

We did. Okay.

That's what I thought.

With a fine toothed poem, it took us weeks to go through it.

That's what I thought.

And now

it's changed.

See no reason to revisit it. I

know one of the things that has to be changed in there that it's not just reporting to the planning board.

We did change that.

No, it doesn't just say that. There's another department it has to go through.

The town planner only reports to the planning board. It does not report to anyone else. The position that they used to report to has been eliminated or will be eliminated. Would you like to repeat your motion, Nancy? And then we'll take a vote.

I make a motion that we wait on this matter until May 5 when we can fully discuss and have all documentation together to go over it to see what exactly has changed and to use changes that HR wanted in this and then to send it to HR and human resources and the town manager for them to post.

Any other comments, questions? All in favor? Opposed? Aye. You just voted against your own.

Oh, sorry. What it wait. What? Resent.

Oh. You have

I don't know what you So

you made a motion.

I voted the wrong way.

All in favor of your motion.

Oh, aye. Sorry.

So I'll change my vote to I'm in favor of Nancy's motion.

Aye. Opposed? Aye. Aye. Anders?

I'm starting to see the sentence that throws. I just need a yay or a nay from you. Aye. It's a yay. In favor of the motion? Yes. Motion passes. Three to two. We're have to have that discussion on May 5.

Mister Chek?

Yes.

So as part of the very vague item under other, I wanna discuss the letter that was sent by the chair of the select board. I just I had a question as to how about this letter came to be if you were aware of this letter, if you worked with the chair of the select board regarding this? Because this just came out of the blue. And as far as I remember, the planning board did not vote regarding this. And as far as I am aware, as one member of the select board, that I do not recall the select board ever voting on this.

And I don't remember the select board ever giving permission to the chair to prepare a letter So such as I wanted to know, Mr. Chair, if you had any involvement with this letter being made up and because I know it did go to you and that is how it got on the agenda and so I was

a little

concerned about how this has all been arrived at.

I didn't pursue any letter from anyone regarding this. I had some conversations with the interim time manager regarding funding for the planning department and how that was gonna work, but I certainly did not solicit any letter. I did not have any correspondence. I I don't have any as far as I'm concerned, the select board has no authority over this duly board nor the town planner. When that changed, because the select board and the town manager promoted the town planner to community director, they did it without a vote of this board, and I was curious about that.

This letter has nothing to do with me. If you have a question about what the chair of the select board's doing, I would in your position as chair well, as a member of the select board, I'd bring it up then. But it has nothing to do with me. It has nothing to do with the planning board because we are a duly elected board, and Tom Planner is under our purview.

Correct.

And that's the end of it as far as I'm concerned.

But it did go to you.

I saw it.

It was emailed to you.

Yeah. Okay. You wanna see all my junk emails too?

No. No. I'm just I'm just just trying to figure out how this happened.

Now we'll talk to your select board chair.

We are an elected board. The planner is under the our board. So I was just trying to figure out where this idea came from.

Certainly wasn't my idea.

Mr. Chair?

Yes. I

just because I had thought about this the whole time

Thought about what?

That letter. I've been thinking about it since I saw her in Dropbox. I happened to be looking at minutes and things like that. Robin knows I go through Dropbox all the time. But I wanted to say I have empathy for all our town employees during this challenging time. These are not easy circumstances for anyone involved and I understand the pressures everyone is facing. That being said, I did have some concerns after reading that letter. As an appointed authority, we were clueless of the specifics creating this document. Clueless. The documents dated eight days after our meeting on the seventh when I asked the meeting if it could be posted and we were told no, there's still a hiring freeze.

And within seven days, a contract was written after I even said that without even having the job posting. So I mean, like it goes against all fair hiring practice. It actually is a violation of Massachusetts General Laws two sixty eight with a conflict of interest. And I just don't understand like although it could have been well intended, it glosses over a number of issues. Rights of a union employee, legal standards and the unfair hiring practices was just to name a few. And that's all I wanted to say on this matter.

I would suggest that anybody who has any concerns about this letter and you go to a select board meeting and ask the chair of the select board. I didn't like the letter.

Do we feel the letter is going to come back? Do we need to make a motion or I make a motion that we take no how did I write it? Sorry. Let me look. I move to reject the document that was brought before us to take no further action.

Do you call somebody like a teenage girl calls a guy up and says, I'm not talking to you? Doesn't make any sense, does it?

I'm just saying. I'm making a motion that we don't discuss this, that we don't have anything to do with this letter if it comes before us again. I want to reject it. That's it. I have a motion.

I'll second it.

I have a second. Any comments or questions? I won't be voting on this motion. Voting to ignore something is ridiculous.

It's a contract. Not a contract. But it is a contract.

I get fake contracts in the mail every day.

It's a contract. You have fake

offers in the mail every day. It's not just because somebody sends you something doesn't mean you have to act on it. I'm a motion to second. Any other comments, questions? All in favor?

Aye.

Many abstain.

Opposed?

Nay. I have

one in favor, one opposed, and three abstentions. Motion fails. Anything else?

My name is Brian Giovanoni. I'm one member of the, Select Board. Could I get a copy of that letter? Because I was not forwarded a copy of this alleged letter that's been talked about and one of the worst kept secrets in Middleborough at this point. Thank you. I appreciate it because I'd like to see what it actually says from the chair because there's never been a vote regarding any job positions. We as a board will not be presented I believe until May 4, all the cuts that are going on. We there has been one cut officially done. That was a vote that was taken. It was a tough one taken by our board, but we did that with our own administrative assistant. Other than that, we have done done no other votes on this, but thank you for that.

Anyone else have any other comments on the position of Tom Planner? Alright. Filing fee increase. Discussion. Public hearing scheduled for May 5.

Mister chairman, as we discussed last meeting, I added two other items onto this list that were additional fees that we charge.

Mr. Chair? Yep. Can I ask which two were added?

The two at the very bottom, accessory dwelling units and site plan review.

Anybody have any comments or questions? I mean, I'm Okay with it. Yeah,

this is a 20% across the board increase.

And we have an increase since?

It was five years. So as we discussed in the last time, it was just

Best deal in town right

now. Yeah.

Mr. Chair? Yep. I'll make a motion to accept the draft fee schedule as presented.

Second. That's for our hearing. We're not accepting the increase at the moment. We have to have a hearing.

Okay. So I'll make a motion to schedule a hearing regarding the draft increase for fees.

You're hearing the schedule. Already scheduled.

Utilizing these.

So we don't need to do anything tonight.

Public hearing is scheduled for May 5. Yeah. Yeah. No.

Should we say the 20% increase fees? There's no other way to say it's just paper. How do we make sure we're voting on this paper?

These are proposed changes. I wouldn't vote. I don't think we should vote on it.

Okay.

We'll save it.

We have a hearing.

Yeah, hearing on this one. Yeah. Which is the 20% increase. That's why just want to state the documents so we know what we're talking about.

Yep. Nancy?

Mr. Chair, if I recall correctly, last meeting on the seventh, we had said we were going to have a working meeting on the twenty eighth to discuss this very matter and to go over the fees.

Yes. We're now making schedules for tonight, so we've moved it up to tonight. That's why it's on the agenda.

Well, I still then I think we should still talk about it. I didn't realize. I thought it was just going to be to show us. Do you know what I mean? Because we scheduled the working meeting to go over

We didn't schedule a working meeting. We instead of the working meeting, because we didn't have anything going on tonight, we just put it on the agenda for tonight for discussion. I mean

When was the working meeting canceled then?

It was never scheduled.

We did. We discussed it.

I did recall.

To the twenty eighth.

Did we vote?

Yes, we did.

Yes, we did.

My plan It hasn't been

posted or anything like that, so it doesn't need to be canceled.

So in the interest of efficiency, I put on the agenda for tonight

because I

come in for a half an hour and then come in again.

I understand, but I my whole thing was I had asked that this be put on for the working meeting, and that was in the motion.

I understand that. And I figured we could do just get it done tonight because we didn't have anything else going on tonight. You don't want to discuss it tonight?

No, because I made a motion last time that was passed to discuss it at the working meeting. Everyone else can discuss it. I'm just not gonna Mister chair?

Yeah. I am looking at the minutes, it was the planning board will hold a working meeting on 04/28/2026, to increase the increase. TCM made a motion to schedule a public hearing for May 5 and to adjust the fees of the planning board. So I think perhaps what Nancy is saying is she was prepared to actually go into it because we were supposed to be discussing it on April 28. I understand that. I just figured we could discuss it tonight since we weren't doing anything else,

and we wouldn't have to come back on the twenty eighth. You guys still want to come back on the twenty eighth and discuss this?

We can push it off to another work meeting. We we made because we had a motion to do it on the twenty eighth. We voted on it, Alan. Was the

whole No

one can act unilaterally to do something else. It has to go to the board. Everyone should have been in discussion with this. Yeah, you guys We can't

have a discussion unless we're a meeting.

All right. So you guys can have a discussion on it. I am going through with my motion and what I put through

Aye.

For the twenty eighth.

Alright. Playing board code of conduct discussion. Tracy?

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you. So I had asked that this be back the agenda just so happens that it was adopted on 07/18/2023, and I was not present at the meeting. Had I been present at the meeting, I would have spoken against this.

I honestly feel that we don't need four pages of documentation to tell us how to behave. I think it it's, you know, I mean, we do so much. We do open meeting law. You know, we have all these other things that we abide by and I just, I think this is unnecessary and there is some of it you know like I don't think that we need to be told how to relate to our fellow board members, how our conduct should be in regards to the planning board staff, conduct in relation to town staff. I mean, think we are all adults and I just think that there is some stuff in here as well that basically says if I wanted to get some information from Robin which is very was clerical in nature, very minor, I would have to bring it to the town planner which seems ridiculous.

Robin is our administrative assistant in the planning department and there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to call her up and say hey Robin can I get a copy of that plan, I've misplaced mine? There's absolutely no reason why I should not be able to have that relationship to ask for something. This code of conduct does not allow that. It says I have to call the town planner. The town planner is busy doing town planner things.

I shouldn't be bothering the town planner asking for a copy of a piece of paper. And that doesn't allow me to do that in this. I think it's overwritten. I think it really I would be interested to see what other boards or committees in towns have a code of conduct that is four pages long. And I would certainly hope in my sixty one years on this earth that I have learned how to behave in public and how to treat people with respect.

And I just I never would have voted for this. I would have fought like heck against it if I had been present. So I think that if the board truly feels that we need to have a code of conduct to tell us how to behave, then I think we could definitely take this and get it down to one page. And even that, think, is unnecessary.

Anybody else have any other comments, questions?

Mr. Chair? Where did this came from where? This is what's always been used, right?

This came from MIIA, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, which is affiliated with MMA, the Mass Municipal Association. And this was forwarded to most probably all municipalities, especially after the Southbridge issue with with their boards, and they recommended for protection for the town for insurance purposes to adopt something similar. This isn't exactly like theirs when the board had reviewed the original document. You guys took out a lot of things.

That's what I thought.

Yeah. And this is what you

voted on.

This this is what was left over.

This was recommended Yeah.

I thought I by thought for, but I wasn't I wasn't sure.

Yeah. Mister chair?

Yes.

Can I ask, does every board and committee in town have a code of conduct specifically for them?

I can only speak to the Planning Board.

So I think that unless every Board and committee in the town of Middleborough is operating under a similar code of conduct, why is the planning board being singled out?

Not being singled out. We adopt we

Why is the planning board the only one that has this? I

don't know what other boards do. I know the boards that I've served on. Thank you. As you said, this was adopted two years ago. We haven't had any issues.

Right.

So I don't understand what the issue is now.

Because can I ask, mister chair, do you think that it is reasonable to tell a planning board member that they cannot ask for a document or a question of their administrative assistant?

I think that if all requests go through the town planner, everybody understands what the information is. Everybody gets an opportunity to get it, and it's just a better way to operate. I also don't remember anybody telling anybody what they can and can't do.

But it says it in here.

Has it bothered you? Have you followed it for two years?

No. Because I wasn't aware it was in there because I didn't vote on this.

You were aware of it because we had a discussion at the next meeting about the, public comment.

Well, all I know

You can check the minutes for that.

Is that I think that it is not financially responsible to be taking an employee that makes over a $100,000 and taking their time to ask them for document when I could go to the administrative assistant and say, hey Robin, could you please email me this? That is not fiscally responsible.

Nancy? Yeah. Mister chair, I've reviewed this document over and over since I've received it. I was I've been the only planning board member that I know of that's been elected or reelected because I wasn't reelected that has received this document. So on the last page of this document, the town clerk shall provide a copy of these guidelines to all members upon issuance and upon the subsequent appointment or reappointment of any member.

The town clerk shall maintain and distribute the educational materials, which is fine. They do that. But this document, did you get one, mister chair?

I think so.

No. Did you just get one? Because you got reelected. Well, the town clerk doesn't give it. Alright. The administrative assistant is the one who handed it to me. And I can say it was

asked Are complaining that you got it?

I'm complaining how I got it. And I don't want to go down that route again. We all know what happened. And that's when I got it. So it's okay.

But I would think that if we were to keep this, I would keep A and B and actually dump the rest. And the guidelines, I watched the meeting a number of times, the guidelines for individuals speaking at meetings. When this came up, Bill had said a thing about, well, if you're going to do something like that, you may want to have a card so that people know how they're supposed to act in public. It wasn't verbatim like that, but it's basically what he had said. And that makes sense actually, you know, like if we want to have a guideline for that, I'm all for that.

You can have that. And we can have something that if, you know, at least have it here for somebody, have like that section that goes with guidelines for individuals and have a copy here. So that if someone does do something, you can say, well, this is the copy. But I would say if you're going to keep anything, just keep our conduct. Do you know what I mean? But we already have these are all the rules and regulations. We have 28 of them that we have to abide by. And most of them are in this ethics, things like that. We have to sign something to be nice to fellow board members when we get elected. I mean, but it's, you know, it's you guys' call.

I didn't make this agreement, but if you wanted to keep the first part so that we stay on track, I'm okay. A and B is fine.

Any other comments, questions on, playing board code of conduct? All right. Discussion regarding appointing a playing board representative to the Community Preservation Committee.

Ms. Casey, are you currently serve as the CPC delegate for the planning board. And while I thoroughly enjoy the committee, the members are wonderful. And who doesn't enjoy giving away money? I just don't think that I can do it. Even though there was no conflict, I did check with ethics. They cleared me. But I just think that I need to get off that Board or committee, I should say.

Anyone else like to volunteer to be the, Planning Board representative to the Community Preservation Committee?

I'll do it.

Nancy said she'll do it. And a motion to that effect?

So moved.

Second. Any comments, questions? All in favor? I just have one.

How often do they meet?

They don't meet every month. They had a meeting scheduled for April, but they canceled it since town meeting has been moved, so they will be meeting in May. I believe it's usually the third Wednesday of the month. I will reach out to the chair and Nancy, if you could just give me an email address, I'll forward it to her so she can put you on the list. And will do May, they have two projects that are going before town meeting for funding. It's all set. It's on the warrant.

As long as it's not weekly, I think I'm good. I can't wait for another weekly meeting.

No, no. It's usually an hour meeting if that it's pretty quick.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Thank you very much, Nancy. We appreciate that. Ridge. Will

the Planning Board Department send a notice to the town clerk? Sure.

Right. Rose Ridge letter from Patricia Cassidy. So on Rose Ridge, when this was voted on,

it was decided by the board to wait and to sign the documents until we had something from the Conservation Commission stating that they've come to an agreement with Rose Ridge as to how they're going to handle the open space. We did get an email from Patricia Cassidy saying to please process the subdivision plan at this time so the recording information may be added to the deed for the Conservation Commission. That's what we're waiting for. So we can sign the documents tonight.

Alright. We need a vote or anything? No. Just Beautiful.

Informing you of what we brought and documentation from.

Alright. Mister chair? Yep. I was a little confused about this email because how does police process the subdivision plan relate to please sign the form k one and form h covenant? I was a little confused.

Well, they're all they're all related.

I'm not sure.

But it just says, please process the subdivision plan.

Well, the plan is the trigger. That's that's what needs to be signed to start everything. We didn't have them sign anything else. We basically held everything hostage until they had come up with something on the open space plan.

Did Okay. You want to say something?

Yes, sure. Jeff Delisi, I represent the applicant and the decision approving the subdivision required prior to endorsement that the applicant provide the board with the, easements and the covenant to be endorsed and then that those two documents be recorded with the plan. So that's what your decision says. So that's what we're trying to accomplish this evening. Incidentally, the, decision requires that the open space be conveyed to the town prior to the first lot release and we can't convey it until the actual land or the lot which is the open space lot is created by recording the plan.

So it's all tied in that way. So I'll let you know. Thank you. And if you guys needed to be notarized, I'm notary. I have my stand.

There's more information for you.

Anybody else have any other said

it was just information.

No, I know that. I thought you meant there was more. I'm like, you're looking at me saying there's more information. I'm like, I don't need anymore.

Well, if we needed more information, Nancy, you'd be the first one

we'd ask. Yes,

thanks. Anybody else have anything else? I didn't see any more.

Well, one thing actually. Sorry, one thing is if we can put on for a discussion and vote or whatever if we want to, like have it on a regular agenda item for the Code of Conduct.

What do you want?

Well, because I You want to vote

on something we already approved? Or do you want to make a motion?

I want a to motion that we put it on the agenda so we can see if we want to modify

it. Sure. Second. Motion, second. All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Aye. Passes three to two. That will be on the next agenda on May 5.

Okay. If there's no time, like, it's fine to do what we got. We got a lot on the fifth.

I don't know. Just want to get it all done.

I know. I'm just saying.

There's nothing else? I didn't see a motion to adjourn.

There is something else, actually, mister chair. I'm sorry.

Do we have to sign the planes on?

Yes. I just wanted to say to Leanne, the letter that you submitted to Mass Housing is amazing. It is so thorough, and the emails that we received, everything that she brought up, you answered, like, completely without any, you know, doubt of the intention. So thank you very much because it it's really nice to have someone that can go toe to toe with mass housing and fight for the town. So thank you.

Exactly. I agree. You're welcome. 100%. Last thing was remedies.

I heard three. Bill and I. Anybody else have anything else?

Motion to adjourn. Second.

Motion to second. Any comments or questions? All in favor?

Aye.

And now adjourned. Thank you very much.