Pl Planning nning Bo Board rd Ba Basi sics cs Da Danie niel l D. D. Cre Crean an Cr Crean ean Law w Of Offi fice ce Pe Pembroke, broke, Ne New w Hampshire pshire
Pr Provid vide e General neral Guida danc nce e in the Ba Basics cs for New Ha w Hamps pshire hire Pl Plannin nning g Bo Boards rds Enab nabli ling ng Legisla gislatio ion & L Loc ocal l Gov overn ernme ment nt Power wers Planni anning ng & R Regu gula latio ion: : Past & P Presen ent The he New w Hampshire mpshire Sch chem eme PB Organi ganizati zation, n, Offic icer ers, s, & G General neral Dutie ies; ; Con onfl flic icts s of f Inter eres est Becom comin ing g and nd Bein ing g a PB Member mber PB By-Law Laws or Rules ules of Procedur cedure Meet etin ings gs and d Proce cedures dures Planni anning, ng, Zon onin ing, g, Sub ubdiv divisi ision on Regu gulat latio ion & S Site e Plan an Review iew Decisio cisions ns and d Decis cisio ion-Makin aking Under derstan andin ding Appea peals ls Acc cces ess s to Proce ceedin edings s & R Recor ecords ds 2
Some words to live by: “Get thee to a statute book!” “Don’t try to do it alone or reinvent the wheel – unless you have to!” 3
OE OEP, P, RPCs, Cs, & NH NHMA MA Tow own n Doc ocum uments: ents: Hi Hist storical orical & & Cur urren rent t – In Including luding th the Ma Master ter Plan an RSAs As & Yo Your ur Mu Muni nicipal cipal Lawy wyer er NH H Mu Muni nicipal cipal Lawy wyers ers Assoc ociation iation (NHM HMLA LA) ) Loc ocal al Gov overn rnment ment Semi minars nars Ot Othe her Boa oard rd Me Memb mbers ers and nd Ot Othe her Boa oards rds Com ommon mon Sen ense se 4
5
SZEA A & SCPEA PEA RSA 31 & 36 reenacted enacted as TITLE E LXIV IV CH CH. 67 672: 2: GEN ENERAL ERAL PRO ROVISI VISIONS ONS CH. 67 673: 3: LOC OCAL AL LAND D USE BOA OARD RDS CH. 67 674: 4: LOC OCAL AL LAND D USE PLANNI ANNING G & R & REGUL ULAT ATOR ORY Y POWE OWERS RS CH. 67 675: 5: ENACTMENT TMENT & A & ADOP OPTI TION ON PRO ROCEDURE DURES CH. 67 676: 6: ADMINIST INISTRA RATIVE TIVE & E & ENFOR ORCEM EMENT ENT PRO ROCE CEDU DURE RES CH. 67 677: 7: RE REHEARING RING AND APPEAL PEAL PRO ROCEDUR EDURES ES CHAPT PTER R 67 678: 8: COM OMMUNITY MUNITY SERV RVICE ICES S & & CARE RE PLANNING ANNING BOA OARD RDS 6
Pow owers rs ve veste ted d primari imarily ly in n loc ocal al go gove vernment nment BUT Home Rule v. Dillon’s Rule Need fo for ena nabling bling legi gislation slation Complianc ompliance e wi with th leg egislative islative require uirement ments s Why hy? Becau cause se th the Leg egislature islature say ays s so 7
Ba Basic ics s of PB PB Po Powe wers rs & Duti ties es Mast ster er Pl Planning nning Compil iling ing Capit ital al Impro provements vements Pr Program gram Growth wth Manage agemen ent Zoning ng Ordinan inance Subd bdivisi ivision on and d Site Pl Plan n Regu gulation ations Revi view w of Appl plic ication ations Official ial Map p (RSA 674:10) Earth rth Excavati vation on Pe Permi mits ts Speci ecial/Cond al/Conditi tional onal Use Pe Permi mits ts Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow!” 8
RS RSA A 67 673: 3:2 2 Mem ember bership, ship, Ap Appo pointmen intment or Electi tion on RSA 673:5, , :6, :7 Terms, rms, Alternates, rnates, Servin ving g on Other er Bo Boards rds RSA 673:8 Organ ganizat izatio ion, n, Terms s of Chair ir and d Officers ers RS RSA A 67 673: 3:13 13 Re Remo moval val of Mem embers bers RSA 673:16 Staff ff and Finan ances es RSA 673:17 Open en Meetings tings and Records ds – And Don’t Forget RSA 91 -A 9
RS RSA A 67 673: 3:14 14 RSA 31:39- a“ “Know thyself – and Have a Thick Skin!” And don’t forget, common sense. 10
The Oath h of Office . . . agree reeably ably to the rules ules and regulati gulations ons of this is constituti nstitution on and laws s of the state te of New Hampshir pshire You don’t need a law degree, but “if a policeman must know the Constitution, why should not a planner?” You don’t need to memorize the RSAs, but your oath of offi fice says s you u wil ill l perf rform m your ur duties ties to the best t of your ur abilit ility y and in accordan cordance ce with th the law w – Should ould ig ignorance orance of f the la law excuse cuse ma malpractice ractice of f plan anning ning an and re regu gulation? lation? 11
You don’t need “parliamentary rules” Bu But you do need eed something mething Why? y? Becau ause se the legislat latur ure says so But also becau ause you reall lly need them. 12
Meeting ting v. v. He Hear aring ing No Notice tice Pro rocedu cedure re an and Due Pro roces cess s or r Pro roces cess s that at is is Due Deal aling ing with th La Lawye yers, rs, Gad adflies flies & Ot Other er Undes desirables irables Requests quests fo for r Fi Finding ndings s & R & Rulings lings 13
Who ho Propos oposes? s? PB Role on Selectmen’s or Peti titio tioned ned Ame mend ndmen ments ts The he He Hearin ring The he Ballot llot Qu Questio tion n Wor ording ding Prote otest st Peti titions tions 14
“ You gotta do it!” Ma Many ny dec ecisions isions ha have ve to to be e ma made, e, suc uch h as: Re Reject ct or r acc ccept t appli lica cation; tion; Act on on waiv iver ers s if if requested ested; Approve ve or d deny y approva oval l of the applic licat ation; ion; Defer er conside idera ration tion on a an applic licati ation, n, bein ing g min indful dful of deadl dlines ines to a actio ion; n; Impose se co conditi itions ns on ap approva roval. l. 15
Be Before re the notice e of decisi ision on is finali alized zed But you can use a draft aft decision cision as a guid idelin eline Decision sion shoul ould d be made e by a motion n that t is clear r and, d, if requ quired ired or approp propriate, riate, shoul ould d includ ude e reasons asons Includ lude e conditi tions ons if approp propriate riate 16
1. . I It tells ls the e wor orld ld what at the PB d did d – an and ma mayb ybe e why! y! 2. . P Purpo rpose se of f notice tice of f decision cision is to let par arties ies know ow bas asis is of f PB ac action. ion. 3. I . It ma may pr y prevent vent an an ap appea eal. l. 4. I . It ma may li y limit mit gr grounds unds fo for r an an ap appea eal. l. 5. M . May ay be key to y to defe fendi nding ng – or r lo losing sing – an an ap appeal. eal. 17
Don’t Take it Per ersonally! sonally! You’d like your “day in court” if you felt “wronged. Und nderstand rstand th that t we we ca can n ma make ke mi mista stakes kes And nd th then n learn rn fr from om th them em! 18
Pr Provid vides es access ess to proceedin oceedings gs (meetin etings) gs) and d to rec ecords ords (document uments, s, or mo more e broad adly, y, information). rmation). RS RSA A 91 91-A A is mi minimu mum m acces ess Constitu nstitution tion may be bro roader ader. Litigation tigation rule ules s also so lik ikely ely are bro roader ader for r both th retention tention and pro roducti duction on of docum cuments. ents. The scope pe of access ss contin ntinues ues to bro roaden. aden. PB PB must t be awa ware e of, and d comply y wi with, , law. w. 19
General neral rule e = they y are publi blic. c. Excepti ptions ons are narrow rrow and d may not be used to “get around” openness requ quirement irements. s. Notic tice Location ation and accessi essibility ility Chance ance meeti tings gs Elect ctro roni nic c partici rticipation pation Se Sequenti uential al commun munication ication 20
Purpose ose Procedu dures es to en enter, , co conduc uct, t, and co come out Min inut utes es Can no lo longe ger ge general ally ly use for “deliberations” “You Mean They Get to Know How We Think?” Transparen ansparency cy is an ove ver-used used term rm toda day, y, but in land nd use proceedings, oceedings, it can be part rtic icul ularly arly important. portant. 21
Defini initi tion on of record ord is about out as broad ad as you can ima magi gine ne Duties ies to retain ain and d produce oduce Pu Publ blic ic righ ghts ts to see and copy them Excepti ptions ons are limited ed and d are appl plied ed stric ictl tly 22
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