The Lisbon Reporter

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Monday, August 25, 2008

The Lisbon Town Council Wants to Delete In Its Entirety the Powers & Duties of the Planning Board and the Advisory Board

Part 5. Other Boards and Agencies

Sec. 5.51. Planning Board.

There shall be a Planning Board consisting of five members, serving staggered terms of three (3) years, appointed by the Town Council. Each Planning Board member shall be a qualified voter of the Town. The Planning Board shall annually elect one of its members as its Chair. No member may be elected to more than two consecutive terms as Chair. By ordinance the Council may provide for the appointment of two associate members of the Planning Board.

From this:

Sec. 5.52. Powers and Duties of Planning Board.

The Planning Board shall have such powers and perform such duties as are provided by the laws of the State of Maine, this Charter, or ordinances duly adopted by the Council. Among other things, the Planning Board shall be responsible for evaluating and updating the Town's comprehensive plan, and shall annually review the capital program as provided for in Article VI.

To this:

Proposed to delete in its entirety. There are no State Laws that govern the establishment and function of a Planning Board and are relatively few Ordinances that deal with their powers and duties. This entire subject matter should be done by an Ordinance as either part of the Town's Administrative Code or the Town's Land Use Ordinance.

Sec. 5.53. Zoning Board of Appeals.

There shall be a Zoning Board of Appeals, which shall have such powers and perform such duties as are provided by the laws of the State of Maine and the ordinances duly adopted by the Council. The Zoning Board of appeals shall annually elect one of its members as its Chair. No member may be elected to more than two consecutive terms as Chair.

From this:

Sec. 5.54. Budget Advisory Board.

There shall be a seven-member Budget Advisory Board elected by the registered voters of the Town to staggered three year terms. Two members of the Board shall be nominated and elected by the qualified voters of each of the two Voting Districts and three members of the Board shall be nominated and elected by the qualified voters of the Town at large. The Budget Advisory Board shall review all budgets submitted in accordance with Section 6.03 of this Charter and budget amendments after adoption proposed in accordance with Section 6.05 of this Charter and shall make recommendations to the Council thereon. The lack of such review or making of recommendations shall not be cause for delay of Council procedures. Vacancies on the Budget Advisory Board shall be filled by the Council.

To this:

See comments to Section 5.52 above which are "Proposed to delete in its entirety. There are no State Laws that govern the establishment and function of an [Advisory] Board and are relatively few Ordinances that deal with their powers and duties. This entire subject matter should be done by an Ordinance as part of the Town's Administrative Code." The issue of election versus appointment needs to be discussed.

Sec. 5.55. Conservation Commission.

A Conservation Commission shall be appointed by the Council as provided by the laws of Maine.

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