February 12, 2018 master plan implementation committee

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Master Plan Implementation Committee
Community Notes
Monday, February 12, 2018 @ 7pm
Town Hall

Board/Committee members in attendance

• Jessica Porter
• Michelle Reilly
• Shaw McDermott
• Fred Civian
• Ryan McDermott
• Marty Lindeman

Agenda

• Public Comment
• Approval of Minutes
• Discussion of MPIC internal governance objectives
• Preparations for Dedham 2020 Master Plan
  • RFI/RFP process, updates
  • Committee structure
  • Other
• Old/New Business

Abbreviations

• MPIC = Master Plan Implementation Committee
• PB = Planning Board
• RFI = Request for Information
• RFP = Request for Proposal

Public Comment

• No members of the public present

Approval of Minutes

• Approved with no discussion

Discussion of MPIC internal governance objectives

• How can MPIC be a model of good governance and transparency for other groups in the town?
• Contact information
  • Town sites are inconsistent with respect to contact information, amount of information shown is up to each committee
  • No official requirement in committee charter
  • Group in favor of as much transparency as possible
  • Post names and emails on website
• Public correspondence
  • Standard method of response to public inquiry/comment
    • Currently being done on case-by-case basis
    • Proposed process
      • Don’t comment on matters currently under discussion until discussion is completed and committee reaches a decision
      • Procedural matters - answer if possible
      • Forward issues to chair to consider bringing up for discussion
      • Acknowledge receipt of comment
      • Have a process that encourages public comment through channels other than showing up to meetings (e-mails, letters, calls, etc.) to be fair to people who can’t show up due to schedule reasons
      • Place comment in a repository that is read (not write) accessible to the public (ex. Google doc)
    • Discuss response template, form of contact, and tool for storing comments at next meeting
    • Eventually distribute this process to other groups as an example of good governance
  • Who responds - individuals or group response?
    • School board - only chair responds
    • Board of selectmen - automated response, then any member may respond
  • If an individual responds, are they speaking for themselves or the committee?
• Term limits on officers
  • Rotate officers via annual vote
• Committee Composition
  • Replace board members who don’t regularly attend meetings
  • Relationship with other boards/committees
• Actions
  • Publish email address on website
  • Draft process for responding to public inquiries and review at next meeting

Preparations for Dedham 2020 Master Plan

• John Bethoney took over as chair of PB for Mike Podolski
• Initial discussions held with Mike Podolski on path forward for RFI
• Budgeting $150k for next phase of plan
  • Supported by Mike Podolski and John Bethoney
• Looking to hire a consultant to assist in development of plan
  • MPIC will develop process for choosing the consultant
  • Get buy-in from PB
• 2 candidates for Town Planner scheduled to be interviewed
  • Impact of planner hiring - expedite RFP if they have RFI experience?
• Citizen Planner Training Collaborative
  • Organization of professional planners that helps volunteer citizens sitting on local boards with planning projects
  • Offer on-demand workshops ($400) that can be customized for the MPIC
    • Learn about developing a town Master Plan
    • Help with committee structure
    • Compliance with state statutes
    • Learn about what other towns are doing
    • Guidance on creating RFP
    • How does timing of this workshop interact with the hiring of the planner?
      • Hire before workshop - they get to attend
      • Workshop before hire - get guidance on how to hire a planner
    • Motion passes to request $400 to set up a workshop
• Points of emphasis for Master Plan
  • Livability/affordability
  • Community engagement with Master Plan
    • Walking tours of neighborhoods
    • Group bike rides
    • Photo contests - what do neighborhoods view as their best assets?
    • Expand feedback mechanisms to include social media, surveys, and other forms of technology
      • Facebook Live/teleconferences for people who can’t easily leave the house or attend meetings
      • Solicit questions from Twitter, Facebook, etc.
      • Use clicker survey tools like at Dedham Square planning meetings
        • Town might have some of these to use
        • Capital items like this could be purchased by the MPIC and then transferred to the town afterward
    • Town halls - Marty Lindemann knows someone with expertise in running town halls who may be able to assist
• Committee Structure
  • 2009 - 14 members of MPC
  • How many to have this time around? Who needs to be represented? How will the structure be determined?
    • Representation from the government side to ensure buy-in
    • Want people who will be committed and consistent with attendance
  • 11-15 members recommended (no more than 18)
    • Other committees have less members, with subcommittees that can be filled with other people not on the primary committee
      • If using subcommittees, what are the requirements?
      • Committee member + content experts?
      • Need someone responsible for deliverables
    • Large enough to assume some level of independence
    • Small enough to be efficient in decision making
  • Should the members be at the workshop to be scheduled?
  • Should the workshop be used to learn about how to select members?
  • How to absorb information from all members?
  • Groups to be considered for representation
    • Open Space
    • Parks and Rec
    • Board of Selectmen
    • School Committee
    • Board of Health
    • DPW/Engineering
    • Council on Aging
    • Historic Commission
    • Housing Authority
    • PB
    • Economic Development
    • Town Planner
    • Library Trustees (consult only?)
    • Precinct chairs
    • Sustainability
    • Citizens of Dedham Neighborhoods Alliance
  • Generate matrix of role vs. content area to aid in selection of members
• Town Manager Jim Kern update
  • Funding may have to wait until November
    • Budget restrictions
    • Let newly hired planner get up to speed
    • Can get RFP before then (just can’t pay anyone)
  • OK with $400 for workshop to fulfill RFI and develop plan for RFP
  • Timing of planner hire TBD, ideally decided by end of February
• Project timeline
  • Assuming 18 months of work starting 11/18: Complete May 2020
  • DO NOT want to slip past 11/18 town meeting to secure funding
  • 18 months seems feasible based on:
    • Building on other existing plans rather than starting from scratch
    • Other towns have used similar timelines (e.g. Cohasset - 14 months)
• Actions
  • Request $400 for workshop to satisfy RFI and develop plan for RFP
  • Generate matrix to assist in selection of committee representation

New Business

• Peter (missed last name) wants to come in and discuss developing the gravely yard at Legacy Place for age-restricted (55+) housing
  • Not subsidized - market rate w/ 10% designated for affordable housing with preference for Dedham residents
  • Next to Costco, across from Whole Foods
  • Looking to change zoning for that lot
    • Applicable zone types: SRA/SRB, General residence
    • Dedham has a surplus of those types of zones in residential neighborhoods, not as much in areas like the one being proposed
  • Might be a good opportunity to test that type of housing on a limited basis (scope is limited)
  • Near new medical facility (Beth Israel Deaconess + Harvard Physicians) going in near Yard House
• Striar Property
  • Example of what happens when different silo organizations have different priorities for a project (on docket for 17 years with no action)
  • Master Plan defines goals, but the MPIC doesn’t have say over what happens with specific properties like the Striar property - something to keep in mind as committee is constructed and different groups with competing interests work together
• Actions
  • Have Peter come in and discuss age restricted housing proposal at March meeting

MEETING ADJOURNED


Notes taken by  Justin Reiter
Notes reviewed by Heather Springer

Keywords:  Master Plan, Town Planner, Striar Property

Community Notes are not official minutes or transcriptions of a meeting. They are intended to provide summaries of discussion and actions taken at meetings. For official meeting minutes, visit the Town of Dedham’s website or contact the Town Clerk.

THANK YOU for helping with Transparent Dedham Community Notes Project! Please submit your notes to editorialteam@transparentdedham.org
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