HomeMy WebLinkAboutTGSCminutes20060109Town Government Study Committee
Minutes, January 9, 2006
Land Bank Office
Call to Order. Chairman Reinhard called the eleventh meeting of the Town Government
Study Committee [TGSC] to order at 4:00 pm. Present were members Reinhard, Gardner,
Sevrens, Topham, Lohmann, and guest Barnes. Miller, Willauer absent.
Minutes. The minutes of 12 December were approved with the deletion of the sentence
about the light bulb.
Meeting on January 30th. The plan is for the TGSC to meet with Keith Bergman at 3:00
pm on January 30, followed by a joint meeting with the Nantucket Civic League [NCL]
at 4:30 pm in the High School cafeteria. At the latter meeting Reinhard will introduce the
TGSC and Mr. Bergman, who will address the NCL members. Then there will be an
opportunity for people to ask questions and raise issues. The TGSC will be there to listen
and gather input; it is not yet ready to make any presentation. Reinhard will arrange for a
room at the high school for the initial TGSC meeting, and discuss payment of expenses
with Bergman.
The NCL has offered to arrange for video taping of their meeting if the TGSC can fund it.
Reinhard noted it would be an opportunity to raise public awareness of TGSC activities
and to solicit public input. Gardner moved and Topham seconded that the TGSC finance
the videotaping, estimated at $300.00.
Meeting Schedule. The TGSC will meet on January 23, January 30, February 13 and
February 27. All but the January 30th meeting will be at the Land Bank Office. Gardner
will be away February and March, but will be in touch via e-mail.
Preliminary Report of the TGSC. Reinhard circulated a draft of ideas for the format
and content of a preliminary report. Sevrens said the report should make note of the
changes in the town population since the Charter was adopted ten years ago, and whether
they necessitate changes in the form of government. Reinhard noted that the operation of
town government had improved since the charter was adopted, but there are still issues
the community feels strongly about which we need to address. He suggested reviewing
information from Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable and Provincetown. We should be
writing our preliminary report in March.
Prioritizing the List of Questions and Issues. We should focus on the big issues, but
not make any recommendations yet; there will be more questions raised. Some important
issues:
The form of Town Meeting [TM]: need to streamline TM -- increase the number of
signatures required to place an article on the warrant? -- limit last minute articles and
amendments to allow enough time to discuss and understand them -- limit number of
amendments -- limit time to talk -- refer more amendments to a committee -- separate
meeting for zoning articles -- change to representative form of TM?
Planning: clarify roles of Planning Board and Planning Commission -- Master Plan, new
Zoning by-law -- clarify zoning requirements, implications -- reconcile need for adequate
space and affordable housing -- secondary dwellings -- central permitting -- make process
more accessible to public.
Also address: the issue of conflict of town employees as elected officials; health benefit
program costs to the town; professionalism in town offices; adequacy of management
policies.
Reinhard asked us to review and update the list again and prioritize issues for the next
meeting.
County Charter Review. The time being late, we skipped discussion of the 1995 Charter
Commission Final Report and moved to examining the County Charter.
1.1 and 1.2 Sections on Incorporation and General Grant of Powers are standard and
clear
1.3 Enumerates the powers of the County, why it exists. . Reinhard noted that the State
took over some counties that were in financial difficulties. Nantucket transferred
some County assets to the Town, but retained the County entity. The County
Commissioners have control over funds from deeds fees and can exercise eminent
domain and can transact real estate matters without going to Town Meeting, as the
Board of Selectmen must. The County government has been inactive but is now
becoming more active, with respect to Roads and Rights-of-Way and relations with
the Sheriff's department.
Adjournment. At 5:40.
Respectfully submitted,
Pamela Lohmann