Committee says RiverCOG housing template is a starting point, not a mandate

Chair (S1) opened the discussion of RiverCOG's housing-assessment process and framed the template as a planning tool rather than a requirement, saying, "It's not a mandate. It's not, it's not the state telling you this is what you must do." The chair emphasized that RiverCOG's deliverable will be numbers to help towns plan, not an order the town must follow.

Committee member (S4) and others raised questions about how RiverCOG will account for local economic conditions, seasonal housing and the composition of the housing stock. S4 warned the template relies on generalized inputs and said towns will need to "massage that template" with local data. Public commenter (S5) added that regional tailoring was intended because applying one statewide rule "is not good," arguing the regional approach gives towns a reasonable starting point.

Members agreed RiverCOG will share numbers and follow up with towns to reconcile seasonal and local factors; the committee asked that RiverCOG requests and 'homework' be circulated promptly to the commissions so the town can return accurate data. The group also agreed to revisit the RiverCOG outputs once the numbers are distributed and to invite RiverCOG staff to explain how they account for affordability and vacancy rates.