The March 8 meeting of the Town Board was called to order by Supervisor Jack Buschmann.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance and the approval of the minutes from February, the first order of business was discussion of the Planning Board.
A member of that board recently resigned, leaving one person on the board – Dante Ruia. The Planning Board hasn’t met in some time, and the business normally handled by them was taken up by the Comprehensive Planning Committee, headed up by Jamie McNair, who is also Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Town Attorney Bill Getman did not recommend disbanding the Planning Board. His suggestion was to merge the two – the Planning Board and the Comprehensive Planning Committee – with Councilmember Ken Ford, who has been on the Committee, serving in an ex officio/liaison capacity to the Town Board.
Members of the Committee, who have worked on a voluntary basis, would be on the payroll. This would include Ruia.
Getman does not think having a member on both boards (the ZBA and the Planning Board) constitutes a conflict of interest because neither of those committees oversees the other. It was suggested Buschmann contact McNair and Ruia about the proposed change.
Colleen McGill gave the Zoning Board of Appeals report. She referred to last month’s ZBA report regarding the maps which would be made available to all the Boards.
McGill said any additions to the maps, such as overlays for…