HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-07 Bylaw Committee MinutesTown of Reading RECEIVED
Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK
READING, MA.
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council: 2025 SEP 16 PM � 18
Bylaw Committee
Date: 2025-08-07 Time: 7:30 PM
Building: Virtual Location: Zoom
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Jesse Arnold, Jason Clarke, Jared Belliveau, Liz Sullivan, Louise Saunders
(all via Zoom)
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Town Manager Matt Kraunelis, Town Clerk Lauara Gemme (all via Zoom)
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jared Belliveau
Topics of Discussion:
Meeting called to order at 7:31pm
Reorganization of Board. Sullivan nominates Arnold to continue on as Chair. Clarke
seconded. Board voted 5-0 for Arnold as chair. Sullivan nominated Clarke to continue as
vice -chair. Arnold seconded the nomination. Board voted 5-0 for Clarke to continue as vice -
chair. Sullivan nominated Belliveau to continue as Secretary. Arnold seconded. Board
voted 5-0 for Belliveau to continue as Secretary.
Discussion of snow removal bylaw. Arnold has drafted a slide deck for public presentation.
Arnold walked committee through the slides. Background, Purpose, etc. Sullivan and Clarke
agree that some wordsmithing is needed. Kraunelis explains that we cannot work on it
collaboratively outside of the meeting; Sullivan suggested that we each mark up a .pdf
independently and then present at the next meeting. The committee then recommended
edits, primarily grammatical, to each successive slide. Clarke suggested that we have
examples of snow removal bylaws from peer towns on -hand. Arnold agreed and will edit
the presentation so that it includes one specific example; and others as back-up.
Committee members agreed that the proposed bylaw be edited to go into effect in 2026.
Town Counsel is reviewing what penalties may be permitted under MGL c. 85. Sullivan
recommends that we include information relating to enforcement by DPW. Sullivan also
recommended that a map of the proposed district be included in the presentation.
Library was not available for 16 September. Library could support 15 September or we
could hold in Select Board room on 16 September. Arnold noted that attendance will likely
be low, so the library room might be bigger than necessary. Arnold also prefers Tuesday.
Decided that Tuesday, 16 September in the Select Board room at 7:30pm will be in -person
with Zoom option. Zoom -only option will be on 24 September at 7:30pm.
Kraunelis asked whether we want to present something to the Select Board or, alternatively,
invite them to the forum. Arnold and Sullivan agreed that inviting Select Board to the
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forums to comment as members of the public. Kraunelis noted that the bylaw will be on the
November warrant and that we do not need to vote on that.
Future agenda items. None.
Review of 09 April Meeting minutes. Sullivan motioned to accept the minutes from 09 April
Meeting Minutes. Arnold seconded. Committee voted 5-0 to approve the minutes.
The committee discussed options for the next meeting and agreed on Monday, 08
September at 7:30pm.
Sullivan made motion to adjourn. Belliveau seconded. Committee voted 5-0 to adjourn at
8:49pm.
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