Freetown Board of Selectmen Advances Zoning Bylaw Codification for Special Town Meeting

In a recent meeting, the Freetown Board of Selectmen focused on finalizing and submitting two significant warrant articles for the upcoming special town meeting in October. The primary discussion revolved around the renumbering and recaptioning of the zoning bylaw and making specific changes to streamline the process for residents and town officials alike.

The first article aims to renumber and recaption the zoning bylaw by designating it as Chapter 300 of the town bylaws. This effort includes reformatting each section and subsection, inserting titles, and updating internal references. This initiative is part of a broader codification project intended to make the bylaws more accessible and navigable for residents. One board member emphasized that the changes would help consolidate various sections, currently scattered across multiple documents, into a more coherent structure. This would simplify the process for residents to find relevant information, whether it’s about zoning laws or other regulations.

The second article proposes specific revisions to the zoning bylaw. One notable change includes removing a redundant requirement for the town to obtain a special permit for putting up signs, which has been a source of confusion. The proposed modification aims to align the language more closely with existing regulations, thereby eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic steps.

The board confirmed that various other town departments, such as conservation, are also undergoing similar codification processes. These changes will allow each department to have its own clearly defined sections, making it easier to manage and locate pertinent information. The board discussed the necessity of having these articles reviewed by Town Council or the Attorney General to ensure legal compliance before they are presented at the special town meeting.

The urgency of the meeting was underscored by the approaching deadline of September 5th for submitting warrant articles. The board members expressed confidence that the review process would be completed in time to meet this deadline.

In other business, the board confirmed that they would not be meeting on the first Tuesday of September due to election day, to allow board members and residents to participate in the voting process without conflicting obligations.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Town Administrator:
Deborah L. Pettey
City Council Officials:
Trevor Matthews, Jared Zager, Carlos Lopes

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