7:00 PM Organizational Business
Unscheduled:Old/New Business
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Board members discussed, and then adopted, a Code of Conduct as follows:
Code of Conduct for the Planning Board
Voted July 2, 2009
1.A member of the Planning Board, in relation to the community, should:
a.Accept that his or her role is to understand the authority and responsibilities of a Planning Board member as set forth by State and local laws and policies, with administration delegated to the Town Planner.
b.Accept that by becoming a member of the Planning Board, he or she is one of a team and should abide by, and carry out, all Board decisions once they are made even if such decisions conflict with personal opinions and interests.
c.Refrain from communicating the position of the Planning Board on a pending matter to others unless the full Board has previously agreed on both the position and the language of the statement conveying the position.Unless otherwise agreed upon by the Board, defer to the Board Chairman or Board designee to communicate such statements.
d.Accept and understand the role and authority of other Town Boards and Committees as it relates to matters before the Board.
e.Remember that he or she represents the entire community at all times. Board members must not place the interests of one neighborhood or interest group above the best interests of the Town as a whole.
f.Abide by the Ethics Guidelines and Open Meeting Law established by the State.
g.Treat members of the public, including Applicants and their representatives, with respect, without regard to differences of opinion. When serving in your capacity as a Board Member at a public hearing, act in a professional and non-judgmental manner, and solicit and listen to all points of view.
2.A member of the Planning Board, in his or her relations with fellow Board members, should:
a.Recognize that action at legal meetings is binding and that he or she alone cannot bind the Board outside of such meetings.
b.Not indicate how he or she will vote on matters that will come before the Board until he or she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Board meeting.
c.Uphold the intent of executive session and respect the privileged communication that takes place in executive session.
d.Come prepared to meetings, and refrain from drawing conclusions without fully understanding all available information and testimony, including the opinions of other Board members.
e.Treat fellow Board members with respect, including respect for their time and energy.
3.A member of the Planning Board, as a representative of the Board on other committees should
a.At open public meetings of the Planning Board, share all relevant information provided at committee meetings with all Board members and seek the input of the entire Board on all committee matters;
b.Board representatives shall not represent their personal opinion as the majority position of the Board unless such position has been agreed upon by the Board at a public hearing.
c.If participating in committee activities when not serving as the official Board representative, defer to the Board representative to serve as the formal liaison.
a.Endeavor to establish sound, clearly-defined policies that will direct and support the administration of the staff and benefit the residents of the community.
b.Give the Town Planner full responsibility for discharging his or her duties.
5.A member of the Planning Board, in his or her relations with Town staff, should:
a.Treat all staff as professionals, with clear, honest communication that respects the abilities, experience, and dignity of each individual.
b.Requests for information relative to matters before the Board should be directed only to the Town Planner, Town Counsel, or department heads.
c.Never publicly criticize an individual employee.Concerns about staff performance should only be expressed to the appropriate supervisor or manager.
d.Ensure that any materials or information provided to a Planning Board member from a staff member is made available to all Board members.
Board members also reviewed current board and committee appointments.
Old/New Business
Board members reviewed the plans submitted by Curtlo Realty Trust to refurbish the exterior of Lincoln Plaza. The developer is seeking a building permit showing work totaling approximately $170,000 to update the facades and roof-lines of the stores included in the center. Board members reviewed the plans and determined that they had no affect on the surrounding site, and so voted to waive the requirement for Site Plan Review per Section I-I (5) of the Zoning By-Law. The Board also asked that Ms. Lacy remind the Building Commissioner of Brian Curtis's promise to secure the Stop and Shop cart corrals located in the parking lot to the ground, which has still not been done despite having been required through a Site Plan Review recommendation issued several years ago.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Katy Lacy, Hingham Town Planner