HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-08-22 Bylaw Committee MinutesBYLAW COMMITTEE AC94UTES #176
August 22, 1990
7:35 p.m. Chairman Pacino called the meeting to order in the Conference Room of Town Hall.
Members present: George Theophanis, Phil Pacino and Dolores Carroll.
Guests present: Community Planning and Development Commission members
Thomas Stohlman and Bill Goodrich.
Minutes #175 were read and accepted as amended by a vote of 3-0.
Briefly discussed Special Town Meeting called for September 13, 1990, to resolve health insurance
issues of Town employees.
George Theophanis referred to our previous meeting which resulted in the following changes to
Section 3.8.2 of the Land Use Committee article:
On the second line delete the after the word "conveyances" and add the word "and".
On the third line delete the first two words "or vacation", add a after the word "land"
delete the next word "or", adding the words, "on all proposed takings and vacatings of
Town owned" add an "s" to the word "easement", followed by "and on all proposed street
acceptances". On the 10th line delete the words "those proposed amendments to the
Zoning Bylaws" and add "any article in a warrant". On the next line add an "s" to "affect"
and delete the words "land within the", adding "Town owned land". In the third to the last
- line of this paragraph delete the words "in executive session" and replace with "privileged".
Add as the last sentence of this section, "Where such information is privileged, each Land
Use Committee member shall be held to the same confidentiality requirements as those
placed on the members of the official body which is the source of the information."
The corrected version reads as follows:
3.8.2 The Land Use Committee shall report to Town Meeting on all proposed uses,
purchases, takings, sales, conveyances, and alterations of Town owned or proposed Town
owned land, on all proposed takings and vacatings of Town owned easements and on all
proposed street acceptances that require Town Meeting approval or petition to the General
Court or that require the appropriation of funds by the Town Meeting, said uses including
the erection, demolition or alteration of buildings, transportation facilities or other public
structures and the development of parks, playgrounds, sporting facilities, public works or
conservation projects or open spaces. The Land Use Committee may also report on any
article in a warrant that in its judgment significantly affects the use of Town owned land.
Land Use Committee reports to the Town shall be in the form of recommendations and
contain written rationale and be included in the Finance Committee Report as specified in
Section 3.4.2 of these Bylaws. The Land Use Committee shall have access to all
information, data, proposals, requests for proposal, agreements, and deliberations of any
official body, whether open or privileged, related to warrant articles on which the Land Use
Committee intends to report. When such information is privileged, each Land Use
Committee member shall be held to the same confidentiality requirements as those placed
on the members of the official body which is the source of the information.
-2-
Discussion resumed between the Committee and guests with a suggestion made to form an
Advisory Committee, appointed by the Moderator, to study issues that other committees do not
have time for. Major concerns were redundancy of responsibilities, confusion that would be caused
if the Land Use Committee and the CPDC gave opposing recommendations to Town Meeting, and
additional meetings for the public and boards to attend. However, it was felt that these problems
could be resolved prior to Town Meeting.
George Theophanis assured the guests that information brought forth by the Land Use Committee,
could not be brought forth by the CPDC. That the Land Use Committee would study issues in
depth, and report to Town Meeting as an oversight committee, and not as an action committee.
Another suggestion was a non-partisan Advisory Committee to focus on a specific article, as
opposed to a permanent standing committees. Also suggested was an Oversight Committee for
"everything", which was rejected for being too confusing and impossible to deal with - one subject
only.
Committee reviewed and accepted new letterhead.
Warrant closes on September 25 for the Subsequent Town Meeting
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 5, 1990.
Respectfully submitted,
ZC4A-t-o ~
Dolores S. Carroll