Planning Commission Minutes 1-7-2021

Planning Commission Minutes 1-7-2021

 TOWN OF RUTLAND PLANNING COMMISSION

MEETING MINUTES

 

 DATE: January 7^th, 2021

Publicly accessible conference line

OPEN MEETING 6:30 P.M.

Commission Members Present: Chairperson Barbara Noyes-Pulling, Dana Peterson, Howard Burgess, Sherman Hunter, Andy McKane, Mary Beth Poli, and Jerry Stearns

Approval of the Agenda:

Mr. Peterson moved to approve the agenda. Mr. Hunter seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Old Business: Pocket Park Planning Grant

1. The Select Board approved the agreement with the RRPC at their recent meeting. Ms. Pulling will begin work on pulling together the various types of information we want to be included in the park area and bring it to the commission to review.
2. The plan is to design a concept for the park with input from the public and other entities using this grant. We could apply for a construction grant if we have all the design work done.
3. The review and research will be done this spring and meetings with stake holders and the public in the summer.

Announcements

Pre town meeting will be January 19^th at 6PM and will be on zoom exclusively. The exact process for Town Meeting Day has not been finalized yet.

Mr. Burgess encouraged members to see the recent publication from the Rutland Historical Society as it shows all of the historical markers from around the county.

Approval of minutes December 10^th, 2020

Mr. Peterson moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion. After some clerical corrections Mr. Peterson moved to approve the minutes as amended. Mr. Burgess seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Stearns discussed the role of the Planning Commission when the public comes to the group to discuss a project they want to develop. Without zoning we are not able to tell people what they are allowed to or not allowed to do. In some cases we are not allowed to ask certain questions because it is outside the scope of the responsibility of the group. Mr. Peterson suggested doing a small training exercise around what can and cannot be asked by the group. The group should be directing people to the correct resources and not questioning them on their design or intended use. Ms. Pulling asked the members to give it some more thought and it will be discussed at the next meeting.

Adjournment:

Mr. Hunter moved to adjourn. Mr. Stearns seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.

Respectfully submitted, Bill Sweet

 

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Barbara Noyes-Pulling

Rutland Town Planning Commission Chair