Conservation commission invites Planning Board to joint meeting on stormwater bylaw

Commissioners on Feb. 10 agreed to invite representatives of the Planning Board to a joint meeting to resolve outstanding questions about enforcement and authority under the town stormwater bylaw.

The commission said there may have been a change in an earlier draft that shifted enforcement authority; members emphasized the town had paid a consultant to produce a minimum plan and that the conservation commission did not wish to be named as the enforcing authority if the town intended selectboard-led enforcement with the town planner or planning board as agent. To clarify roles and answer the Planning Board’s questions, the Conservation Commission decided to invite planning representatives to attend the commission’s Feb. 24 meeting (or March 10 as a fallback) and asked staff to circulate a memo documenting the commission’s prior comments.

Next steps: the chair will confirm the invitation and staff will prepare the memo and materials for the joint discussion at the next meeting.