##VIDEO ID:NzN2ou2hNEY## [Music] f good evening uh welcome everybody uh to Warrant committee uh we have some people here uh in person and we also have a couple of people on Zoom um Karen could you please uh call the role yes we have Tom Caldwell Steve ryes is on Zoom Lori Connelly Elizabeth Dylan Jay funding Andrew Co Peter M Julia Maxwell Brian Maguire and Judy steel is on Zoom you have a quorum thank you very much um so again welcome uh members of the warrant committee and members of the public who are watching watching um as you can see by uh from our agenda posted uh we are very fortunate to have the chair of our town of milting planning board Meredith Hall here to uh to join us to speak just generally about some of the things that the planning board is working on this year um as you can see from the agenda and um you know the work that they're currently doing and that they expect to present to us um in the upcoming months as we prepare for the special town meeting uh in February and also our annual in in May so um chair Hall if you could please come up good evening good evening thank you and thank you for the invitation to be with you tonight this nice to see everybody so uh chair Hall and I I know we we spoke uh earlier so we just kind of set this set this up um you know we've had a few other uh committees before us Town Administrator and you know we're preparing obviously for our potential uh um special town meeting as I said in in the in the fall so this is just we're kind of getting to work a little early just to kind of position everybody to understand what's coming down um The Pike for uh for Town meetings consideration and our comment so um I have an agenda and it's there are several items on there so I I just I give you free reign to to address each as you know as you see fit in the order that you think is um the best to present great thank you so much um yes because because some of these um items are um potential articles that we are we are currently working on we now know um after the selectboard meeting that the it will be a February 24th special town meeting um which I think is a um a realistic goal to get at least two items um that put forth to the to the town um the first one and I'll give you a little background and please if you have any questions um you can let me know one the first one that we're um currently working on a draft and hopefully we'll have something to get to uh Town Council by the end of this month potentially um are the amendments um to our site plan approval site plan approval is something we currently have in our zoning bylaws essentially when you have a project um that an applicant comes before us that does not require a special permit uh the site plan approval is the way that we um we look at our whether it's setbacks height um you know various items that we we can control a project we um typically you it's very difficult to deny a project um an example would be um under the do Amendment either a school a preschool that um application that comes before us a church application those are items that do not require uh special permit a project like 440 Granite which had a very unusual uh lot configuration they did not require that did not require a special permit that was site plan approv approval so we're limited right now um in what we can do and how we can sort of help to um to craft what what that development is going to ultimately become right now our what we have in our site plan review is really just very vague so it really doesn't help the developer the applicant it doesn't help the planning board it it sort of gives us um just some vague guidelines and I think it's really helpful uh especially to a developer to know at the beginning what the what a town expects um as far as um the size of a building you know the impact that it would um does it have a detrimental effect to the neighbors um for various reasons um are there safety or site um fire you know um concerns all those items go into site plan approval and so that is something that we are updating we're looking at what other towns have done and we're we will have something I think that will be um just better for everyone um a little more clear and that draft again will probably go to Town Council at the end of the month and then we we'll have a draft to get to you as as soon as possible um that would be um one item uh the next item that we are going to be working on um is accessory dwelling units um and I know you all have been very familiar with the MBTA and what's been happening with that which I'll touch on but for those um accessory dwelling units um this is something that actually was signed or passed in the legislature uh this past summer and it actually goes into effect February 2nd the challenge with with this which is not too different from the MBTA zoning is that hlc will be promulgating the regulations um the Department of Housing um and they they probably they will not have their regulations in place by the time when the when the um when February second comes and adus are allowed and it's by right so we would like to be prepared to have something um it it may be we may need to amend it later down the line but at least when out of the gates um by February when people start coming to the building department applying for an Adu we have some language that again will you know require setbacks you know give certain height Dimensions make sure that it's appropriate and that that what is being built fits in and I thought just for those for um because this is new I just wanted to read um what an Adu is because some people are like what is an Adu and you hear these things um often you know can be mentioned um and I just wanted to read this from the state's website accessory dwelling Unit A selfcontained housing unit inclusive of sleeping cooking and sanitary facilities on the same lot as a prin principal dwelling subject to otherwise applicable dimensional and parking requirements that uh one maintains a separate entrance either directly from the outside or through an entry hall or Corridor shared with a princible dwelling sufficient to meet the requirements of the State Building Code for safe safe egress it cannot be um larger in Gross floor area than half the gross floor area of the principal dwelling or 900 ft whichever is smaller and is subject to additional restrictions as may be imposed by a municipality including but not limited to additional size restrictions and restrictions or prohibitions on short-term rental and that's an important thing that we'll need to um have in there um as defined in section one of chapter 64g provided however that no municipality shall unre unreason ably restrict the create the creation of or rental of an accessory dwelling unit that is not a short-term rental um and then it goes on to say in Section 8 no and this is um this is um very specific to what we are able or not able to do no zoning ordinance or by law shall prohibit unreason restrict or require a special permit or other discretionary zoning approval for the use of land or use of land or structures for a single accessory dwelling unit or rental thereof in a single family residential zoning District provided that the use of land or structures for the for such accessory dwelling unit under the this paragraph may be subject to reasonable regulations including but not limited to if applicable site plan review so that's where the site plan review also will be able to be applied um to the adus um site plan review regulations concerning dimensional and prohibitions on short-term rental as defined in section one of chapter 64g the use of land or structures for an accessory dwelling unit under this paragraph shall not require owner occupancy so that is very interesting we cannot control that um of either the accessories dwelling unit or the principal dwelling unit dwelling provided that not more than one additional parking space shall be required for an accessory dwelling unit and provided further that no additional parking space shall be required for an accessory dwelling unit located not more than half a mile from a Commuter Rail station subway station fairy terminal or bus station for more than one accessory dwelling unit or rental thereof in a single family residential zoning area there shall be a special permit for that's the only time that a special permit is if it's more if somebody's applying to do more than one Adu in a single family residential zoning district there shall be a a special permit for the use of land or structures for an accessory dwelling unit the executive office of Housing and livable communities May issue guidelines or promulgate regulations to administer this paragraph so essentially we have to come up with zoning language um and I do believe this this this is realistic um for those of you who maybe have been on town meeting for a little while or have followed the conversation on adus um a lot of work was done by the planning board on adus um the board uh was split at the time on whether it should be by right or by special permit but the language that we really there was a lot of really good things that that were in the article it was more the question is do we want this for our town to be a special permit or by right we no longer have that decision it's been made for us by the by at the state level so um we will be working on that what we can do is make sure that it's not air for Airbnb use um we can limit it to one per site one per site so there are some things that we can do and then we can include some of our language from site plan approval so that we can we can ultimately make sure that what is being built if it's an addition really fits in with the character of the neighborhood and keeping that consistent um so that would be probably more information but I just want if you all start hearing you know the conversation around adus and it would be it would really be prudent of of you know the planning board to really be able to present something to you to have for town meeting to have this um when when this legislation um when it becomes in inact um active um so the next thing just to keep you guys uh going um is the MBTA communities um we can talk about that that um the planning board has had met about 65 times on looking at various Z districts um extensively we've really laid the groundwork to the point where we are currently now we're waiting for the decision um by the AG's office so we're sort of at a um just you know as much work as we can do right now um and using our resources um most wisely we do we have we have a number of districts um we've been rating those we're going to be having a community Forum um but we until we know what the decision of the AG is going to be um the decision could be a number of different things that Milton will have to decide um the question is will they determine if it's an optin or if it's required um we'll have to understand what um if there's a designation as far as um will they you know will they get into the details of really looking at um do we have a do we have a Subway in in the town but there's there's a lot of different things that they're going to be looking at where the where the um guidelines properly promulgated that is um really a question that they may have to go back and and say you know what we need to start this process again so we will know a lot more um we think we'll have a they'll we'll have a decision by the end of the year but we're not sure so it's really the timing of getting an article to tell back to you all in to meeting really is depending on the timing of the AG so that I would say is not realistic for the end of February although if it came you know if we get it next week you know possibly um but it it really um I would say look for that maybe for a town a Spring Town Meeting um likely that we would have something prepared for for that I just could just not maybe more of a question and comment but I I I think um essentially the the planning board it seems like it's covering all angles is that really the approach in terms we have we've looked at so we've looked at a number of different districts that will be depending on what we're required to do um or what the you know what the town decides to do um there could be different combinations so we basically have narrowed it down to okay this makes sense in this location this makes sense you know for a variety of reasons we've gone back and what we've really been looking at is taking um units off of Zoning for units on granite Avenue because that was a a you know a real challenge so if we if we are required to do with a full 25% that will basically be shifted and we're looking at some alternative districts which were're not in um the article one that tal meeting voted for so we're looking to substitute um for those units on graned Avenue um but different combinations depending on what um the AG decides so and just as a follow in ter in terms of a community Forum would that be um obviously after a decision is rendered by the court but um would it be part of a planning board meeting would it be um something separate do you even know so it would be after once once we it would be after the AG um because offers that you know provides their decision and it would be a public hearing it has to be a public hearing um we did have one that we were thinking that we would have scheduled for tomorrow evening actually and it was going to be um here um actually we're going to have year but we realized we didn't want to raise anxiety levels for people and certain residents and certain districts unnecessarily so we thought you know and we didn't want to just start debating you know things that we don't have control contr over right now it's really in the AG's hands so we thought rather than getting people all worked up unnecessarily let's wait let's see what the AG says and then it will be a Sprint but we'll get it done um and have something um and know how to how to move forward on that but it will be a public open to the public and it will be well posted and and um and we'll have more than one public hearing too because we want to hear feedback from the residents it's everyone's voices need to be heard so that's great thank you yep okay chair should we ask questions about this topic there are questions that the chair can answer please go fire away yeah if there's anything so far that I've covered yeah yeah hi yeah this is about the NBTA so I've not been following the ins and outs I apologize I did think that one of the main arguments I shouldn't have touched that microphone oh boy um I did think that one of the main arguments was that we were we were an community and therefore we should have 10% by December 31st 2024 which is not going to happen so I guess I'm confused like why are we not going to have a 10% zoning written by December 31st 2024 because we they we might not they may not decide that we're an adjacent Community we we don't know that for a fact we were looking at you know the a lot of people were we arguing that we should be adjacent because we do not have the the trolley is not a Subway would be the argument on that so but we don't know so rather than spending the the resources of our consultant sort of looking and doing because we thought originally let's do multiple plans let's have you know different things available um we did not know about the Adu that we have and looking at how important our site plan approval is to have that ready that the time and the resources um to sort of go down different rabbit holes you know and not be working on something and you know fine-tuning something that actually would be that we wouldn't need did just didn't seem to um make sense as far as time um and resources but yeah I sort of understand and I hear how long your meetings are I know you put in a ton of work I I guess I just thought that the 10% was the bare minimum that we were going to have to do and I thought Like You could argue that oh we didn't have to do the 25% because we're in J Community but I don't know if you can argue that we don't have to do the 10% so then what's our argument for not having the 10% by the end of this year so well depending on if did I don't know if you were able to follow the oral arguments um but so the oral arguments had different levels of constitutional what is constitutional are the guidelines constitutional so if the guidelines are found not to be constitutional or not properly promulgated the guidelines go away so then the term adjacent communities those are all those aren't from the the actual law those are actually from the guidelines so the whole term and I think I think we all and including myself got caught up you know we're not rapid are we Rapid Transit are we not Rapid Transit none of those terms adjacent communities Rapid Transit has anything to do with the actual law itself so those came from the guidelines so when we're waiting to hear the decision from the AG it may be those guidelines are are tossed or not found to be um necessary at this time then we're actually looking at the law which is the 15 units per acre a reasonable size you know we're we're back to the law so that's what I think we're we're waiting on because we can't necessarily assume that the that the guidelines which are being treated as regulations um may not be found to be properly promulgated does that help thanks yes okay uh do we have somebody Judy yes thank you um so curious um question to Meredith and I guess to you too Thomas chair um should we at this moment be going into all the um nitty gritties of the MBTA until we hear from the Attorney General's office or the lawsuit wherever where I think it's at the state um Courts at the moment um should we not delve into what could be what not could be until we actually get that decision that's exactly what we're saying that's what that's where we are right now um as as a planning board saying you know we've done a lot of groundwork when we know what the decision is but until then we really you know can't get into the details until okay thank you thank you two questions yeah um if it happens one of the issues was pocking because because it was only one car per unit and I think they say the average is really 1.5 and or it could be up to two so there's somewhere like if you were in East Milton Square there were 1100 units being that was going to be that were going to be built so see the 300 or 600 cars that would have to be parked in the street because it was on adequate parking is that something that can be controlled with this with um are you asking about the ab oh the and the MBTA so we can look at parking is something that we're looking at in and it would vary depending on the district that we're looking at um we've been we've been charting that out and and doing a calculation of of that and what we could require for for parking okay so so you can change that you could change that with the NBTA zoning um what I what I was reading from that that was from the Adu language that wasn't from the MBTA so right no I heard that that was okay I me I'm I'm sorry so you going back article one yes so we have not um we've not focused on parking but that is something that we we definitely have spoken a great deal about and making sure that there is sufficient parking um especially in areas that are tighter such as East Milton Square okay and in that area and especially since there's two new developments that are going to be going up in that location it's that's Force having the developer make adequate parking so they don't everybody's not parked in the street correct correct okay exactly so and you said Adu is one per unit so it's one per unit and it actually it's a state law you don't have to if and it's if if it's within a half mile of a subway station fery terminal um bus station um you don't you can't even require one unit um which is I I find really incredible because a lot of people you know don't necessarily work in Boston and may they love to live by the you know a te but don't necessarily drive so we there are some concerns about that that there hopefully that that whoever owned that property and they were putting in an Adu would would want to make sure that there's sufficient parking because Milton does not allow on street parking so it would yeah it's not a requirement that we can impose but hopefully the homeowner would okay and just a comment so being from district 7 um there were going to be like Milton had a bill 1,700 units 1100 of them are going to be in East Milton's proper I guess or the square one square mile since there's 10 districts in Milton is there a way to like spread them out if we end up losing that's what we're looking to do yeah we're that's absolutely what we're looking to do we're looking at new districts um Randolph Avenue where we have h a 40b project currently going in is one of the districts that we've looked at um so we're looking at other options um and it it's a little bit of a um an interesting formula um in the way you look at it because you're looking at you have to look at the entire parcel so a parcel let's just say Fuller Village is a parcel that you're you know somebody would say well why don't we look at zoning up there and there's multif family housing up there the problem is that when the land size is so large it brings it draws down your average of 15 units per acre because otherwise you would have 800 units or 1,200 units at on brushel road so it it that that was a district that we had looked at but it just didn't really it didn't make sense because we would have to to keep our um to to not draw our our our average down so low that it falls below 15 units per acre we would have to create so many units so that's those are the type of things that we're looking at in combination um with our Consultants so but we're definitely looking at other areas as much as possible okay and spreading out cuz it's yeah not impacting just one area and looking at roadways and how people get on Highway you know how you get on the highway and obviously gr and AV is a mess right now and it's a real challenge for the Neighbors so so it's in Randol a and so and random I know it's and it doesn't seem to be getting better I know it's so yeah very much so and that's why we'll have a public forum too and you know once we know so we really can hear from the residents on on and and they can see the challenges that that we have so okay good thank you and and I a couple more questions but I I think that you know you had mention the um the court case uh before the SJC and I think some of the issues you raised like um will this even happen and I um and I just wanted to to just reiterate that because I think some of the comments by some of the justices indicated that you know this might be all there is in terms of the statute and the legisl might have to go back mhm um but I know that it is a big unknown right in terms of what the Court's looking to do right so yeah at this time and and of course then you know we look at is it an opt in opt out a a lot of towns that are just now coming online are saying you know is is the is the juice worth the squeeze or you know is it worth doing what the impacts might be I think some towns are saying and we're seeing quite a few saying you know what we the grants that we would be losing and that's where I think it really you know it's important for you all to to be thinking of you know when we know and be thinking um one of the questions that was asked during the oral arguments is well how much has milon gotten in the past because what are they you know what are they losing out on and that's sort of a um a question and because there's three different categories and the categories that um were originally put into the to the um with the legislation said um they were they were things that sometimes we weren't even eligible for but it was a $100,000 a year over 10 years so that's not that's not insignificant um but yet some people felt like well we really that's not really we have not been getting um a lot of those Mass Works grants um funded so and they do prioritize depending on the town you know the needs of different towns so but again that you know we don't want to jump ahead until we we know but but that's something that's going to play into the decision that our our town has to make so please oh thank you so um I know that the this Jane groved it so I don't know um I'm move it back so I know that the it's very unknown with the court case and I was at the oral argument so I'm following along with what you're saying so thank you um I know that the Attorney General had asked for and again who knows what the judge is going to do or the judges are going to do but after the decision if Milton were to I don't want to say lose but if the court were to decide against Milton um the Attorney General asked that a zoning plan be put in place 90 days later again I don't know what will happen but it sounds like to me you all are putting in some steps do you think that it's a very tight time frame it seems like do you think it would be possible to do it if there were an order I do in a kind of a short enough that seems consistent with the time frame you were saying exactly and you know we we would probably have to add some meetings you know we would but um but I think our board has said we're we're prepared and we feel like we've done the a level of the groundwork so that we could we could have something ready um fairly quickly so than yeah Julie hi um on a similar vein um the the planning board was here before the warrant committee um a little over a year ago now it was October 31st of last year and um we were told that you all were probably three to six months away from a compliant article that even if uh we get sued that you know the intention is to keep pushing forward until we have a plan that is um 25% compliant just in case we we need it um so and you know even some members even went as far as to say that they'd be willing to stick to a Maytown meeting timeline so that would have been May of this this year so I'm surprised to hear that there isn't an article ready to go in case it turns out that we need one I based on that conversation would have assumed that you guys would have been working on both a 10% and a 25% one in the event that we lose and as Liz said you know we have a very short um time for compliance and to to hear from you that it's not realistic to have an article in front of town meeting for the February 24th meeting is concerning if we find out that we lose and we have a 90-day time so what does that what does that mean and I I understand your um your concerns it was really the timing of having the ad the Adu um come before us really at our last couple meetings just felt like we need to we need to have that done um and you know we certainly we might be able to you know depending on what happens and when we hear we may so I don't want to completely rule out the February 24th um that we would have something ready obviously we would work as quickly as possible if it was you know within the 90-day period um I think that's very very realistic for us to do it will all come down to when when we get the um when we hear from the decision from the AG and then we'll we'll be focused on that um you think the 90-day timeline is realistic for the planning board to create an article or for you to create an article and town meeting to pass it because isn't won't town meeting need to have passed it within the 90 days um I don't know that that I think that was a request from the attorney general but I don't think that was um I did not hear that from the oral during the oral oral arguments okay um I have another question about the adus you had said that the um regulations will be in place by February 2nd that this goes into effect February 2nd but we won't have our town meeting until February 24th so what happens in that interim if someone there is a there is a brief window there um and you know I I don't you know and in listening and it was interesting I was on a a call where um eohc was was talking about their their regulations and they said well we don't expect you know everyone to sign up for an Adu right away but we we don't know there is a little bit of a a time there um a couple weeks but I don't I think by the time it would go to the building department um just sort of I think people will be learning more about adus and about you know construction costs are quite expensive right now um I don't know that everyone's going to rush to to do something they may be thinking about it but I think in two weeks you know given you know or those three weeks um you know something could happen I I don't want to not be truthful I mean it just will depend but um it would be nice if we could you know hold people off until we have you know something finalized because it it will actually benefit them as well I think to have you know an Adu that works but and the 65 times that you said you guys have met what time frame is that over I'm just curious that was I would say that is since the the last um I would go back to 2023 on that I think that was the just the the um the rough count when we look back I think it was early 2023 okay thank you yeah how are the adus taxed is there separate real estate tax for the unit or is it part of the so that's something that we're that's coming up in the questions is does this get assessed separately because and also um that was a question that was on the call is how will these be assessed it certainly is going to add um a lot more to you know our building department is already over overwhelmed with you know building um permits and new construction but but the assessor's office will have to also and the other qu the other question that came up is Will these will adus actually count um just as a regular housing a separate housing unit which goes to what you're saying with an assessed value and if it does um would the state consider allowing these to be considered affordable units because the the argument behind the the um which currently they're not considered affordable units but the argument that people have been saying and talking is that this the reason why the state was pushing to do this was to create more op options of smaller more affordable housing so therefore if they're not affordable they're actually going to count against our um against our a number of housing units and our 10% that we need to get to to have safe haven from having 40b projects so it's actually for all the towns you know that have achieved their 10 have gotten to their 10% they're going to be set back when this Adu law comes into place unless the state would consider which would be really great if they would consider these to be considered um in in some sort of form an affordable status but that's a question about the appraisals and and how that will um how that will and utilities you know it's a question on are these separate utilities there's a lot of things that insur will H Insurance will have to be ironed out on on these so it's I think this unfortunately the state is trying to figure it out what they're learning to you know on the Fly it's sort of the way MBTA happened and it's I don't think all the details have been completely considered thank you okay keep going oh yeah keep yeah yeah uh thanks to to continue so I understand that we don't know what the court will decide but to follow up on what my colleague Miss Maxwell was saying could maybe the planning board put I mean there's there's a whole process internally of somebody has to put put something for the warrant and then we have to talk about it and then the warrant has to go to print with our recommendation and all these things take weeks and weeks so would it be a good idea for the planning board to propose a 25% article and a 10% article for the February 24th meeting knowing that you know if you propose those in December and it goes to print in January if the court comes back in mid January and says Nope guys you don't have to do anything well then we're pretty sure town meeting is going to votee no on those and that's fine or if the court says you have to do 10% well then we'll have one ready to vote on if the court says you have to do 25% well one ready to vote on um it's a bit of a chicken in the egg problem who moves first and who does what first but could that be something the planning board does is I think it's in addition to like the time and resources which we're trying to you know do a lot of different things working on different things it's also there was there's also was some concern learn from members that um are we doing something is it out of is it disrespectful to start doing something before the SJC has made a decision I I don't think that I don't I don't know that they're watching our meetings I don't know but we don't want to we we don't want to um lead them in any different direction for any reason so we felt like right now sort of being quiet um you know I think when the Press um is is asked when a decision is being made of someone who we have a we have a pending legal sit lawsuit situation and so it is often viewed as you really shouldn't be discussing this at this time until the decision's made and I think that was a concern that um that actions that we or things that we're discussing could um could have some effect in any way and we just it's out of respect for the SJC to to not be discussing at further at this time but my understanding is you have been discussing it you have been making forward progress to a solution this would just be taken another step or two towards that solution yeah we've we've been looking at different combinations yeah we we've been looking at different com different um combinations of of what could come with that and that's why we don't think it would take too long so I'm you know when I'm saying the May town meeting that's assuming that we don't get a decision until the end of December or mid December that would be unrealistic to try to get the public forums done because we also part of what we we need to do in as well as bringing it to you is we need to have public Forums on this did Town Council recommend we not put something on the warrant for you said you don't want to influence the the Court's decision put something on something that before we would know what we were asked to do you seem to say that it was part of a legal strategy to not put something together was that a Town Council recommendation no that was a or did I misunderstand no no that was not um that was a decision that the planning board felt um and talking to other attorneys not necessarily Town Council Town council's specialty is really Municipal law it's not litigation oh I guess yeah when I said Town Council I guess I meant our Council on this case and if you're not all we we've spoken to different various other litigators and um so sort of just a quiet period right now just in terms of legality maybe we shouldn't be discussing okay as much um yeah but any other but I appreciate your questions yeah Tom Tom Judy may I interrupt just for a quick moment um I'm at your table where you and jul Julia Maxwell your mics are projecting loud enough um I know there's only two of us on Zoom but when the when you or or Julia are talking I have a very difficult time I have to lean into my computer near where the where the sound is coming out to catch everything you're saying if you could have matv check on that or perhaps move your mics closer to where you're sitting not sure uh yeah Judy we will uh we'll do a better job we're getting some direction from cable access now oh thank you try to speak a little louder also I don't want to miss anything thank you Judy Judy you have anything else about anything that uh chair Hall has discussed uh no I as I mentioned before I believe that we um it it would be difficult to um it' be like playing a poker game game and saying hey everyone I got three aces in my draw now everyone knows how to bet so until we hear from um the courts exactly how we are going to proceed how we should be proceeding I think getting into the core issues of districts and um what we're thinking about whether we have 10% 25% I think those things do need to wait until we get either a very strong signal from the court that they're leaning one way or we have the actual decision and I I understand everyone's concern that um time limits are not favorable in this regard but we're in kind of a different situation than other towns we are dependent on a decision from the courts to proceed so that would be um what I have thank you thank you Judy I understand that there are sensitive uh aspects not to be discussed because of the lawsuit I was going to ask as far as with the planning board select board us is there are we contingent on an outcome because I know with the zoning decision it's going to affect the budget potentially I was curious if we are kind of prepping in case of contingency whether how we're going to like approach this say if it's a yes and we have to um proceed with the zoning um well I think we are as far as contingency I mean I I don't think right now financially which is what your primary goal is looking at your budgets um I don't think our allocation and again this is something that I think the SJC is also going to be asked to weigh on because it was part of the oral arguments is what are the penalties that a that can be imposed on a Town um what is is there a limit um what we've been seeing is they keep changing some of the penalties that they've been putting in um the the guys lines and adding things that weren't originally there um they've been going back you know updating um so that's going to be part of the decision on which will also be um will be asked you know is whe you know there was the fund you know for the seaw wall is if that if the guidelines weren't properly promulgated is that money that actually Milton should have been awarded and it should not have been withheld because we weren't we weren't out of compliance um with you know with what the guidelines were saying and we should have maybe been awarded but it's you know I think it's going to there's there's different scenarios so it's hard to say right now um but I think we're going to we're going to have a a pretty good a clear picture fairly soon Liz well I'm going to ask what I thought you were going to ask but maybe you did I don't know um so you're right that our primary um focus here or one of our primary focus foses is budgetary right so with that in mind um for the maybe you're going to talk about this maybe this is three and so you can just say wait on that but for the um Adu really the three things that we talked about so far so for the changing the Amendments for the site plan approval for the kind of maybe temporary regulations I guess for the um the temporary rules for the adus until the regulations come out and then um for the consultants for the NB communities that we're using now pending the um lawsuit sort of if you could talk about each of those three things as far as like budgetary needs for your department and kind of how you see that playing into the next fiscal year so um so Tim did put a request in for um $100,000 more than what we currently have um we have a lot of really exciting things that I'll get and I'll get to um other than just the things that we're required of of the state um the overlay zoning we've already hired a consultant for that um we have um you know we're doing our design guidelines right now for again I'll get into that for East Milton um but we're beginning an economic uh development plan which I'll also talk about um which we have hired a consultant for that um so at this time there are some un you know some unknowns about other future planning one of the things that um you might recall from town meeting is we did a um a codification of our zoning bylaws we which was a big First Step but now we sort of have to go back and we really need an attorney who can um who can go through our zoning bylaws because there's things that are duplicated in certain areas there's just um there's there's things that aren't relevant anymore that might not be applicable that have just been our Zoning for a 100 years you know things that need to be cleaned up so that's the was going to be this the second phase codification and then going back and looking at our what our zoning um laws are and seeing what's applicable and relevant or unnecessary at this point so that is a that's a pretty big um ticket item that we'll have um I'm actually meeting with um Tim on Monday and to go through sort of an overall sense of of where we are budget- wise how much we have left Tim is really good about getting grants and he's been wonderful and really being able to come in underneath what our you know what our ask is but just at this at this time he did put in um I think it's 100,000 over I know last year I don't believe we received that request um so I just I think these are just some things that we'd like to sort of clean housee um and and be able to and then you know again with MBTA if if we need other resources we want to that's part of you know managing those resources um wisely is is very important but we will need to get to the get to the end on this so I'll be able to be provide more specifics um going in the future um in relation to 40 BS what is Milton's percentage on affordability right now we're about 5% we have I I think um you know the time when we all the 40b projects that were permitted we were going to be close to 10% if they were all built right now just with the cost of construction um you know various interest rates the some of the projects have not gone forward at this time so we don't know that everything will actually get built that was approved um but they um but if they did it would be we would be close to our 10% um but right now we still are I think 400 some um units short we have approved winter Valley which I think they're going for their funding winter Valley will have 30 um affordable units we'll get credit for the ice house once that's completed you know so there are some things and then 7-Eleven Randolph Avenue so we've we've got some things coming in um apparently things are moving forward for the Falcone project in East Milton Square so you know 90 units here got 90 units you know it'll it'll start happening um but right now we just until they are are completed we we can't count them yet okay uh I'm I'm curious about the Adu article that might be coming up in February did we consider not doing an article and what would the consequences be if we don't do an article or if town meeting doesn't approve an article so that is something that town meeting will have to decide but but because it is law by right a a resident can do this it's that's that is law um right immediately um we just would not have a say in how it could be done it would be very difficult we would not be able to prohibit um an Adu that followed a l that um a a building department would approve and said this is this is happening legally okay I'm just trying to think of the analogy with the MBTA law like that we that we so the question with the MBTA law is is that was tied to and this is again I'm not a lawyer so I'm but I'll just say that some of the argument is if it wasn't if it was absolutely a mandate a state mandate why did they put in um any punishments any penalties so because typically when you see penalties that means okay if you don't obey this law this is what happens so then that's where the the um SJC is now saying do does a town have a right just to say no and these penalties will be imposed or do they just absolutely they don't have a right to say no at all so that's because there's penalties in it it led some legal um um opinions to be that it is an optin it's not a mandate so that's part of what we will be learning on that so where this is law I mean I think Adu it's you know it doesn't have penalties in there if you don't do this it's it's just what the law is and obviously we want to obey the law we want to do what's right so yeah I'm just trying to think of like any questions that any residents might have or questions that we should be asking and so sure that's a you know that's my question is you know and I'm not trying to be I'm not trying to be sarcastic but if if we said no we're not going to comply with the MBTA law which maybe I'm paraphrasing maybe that's not what we said but why can't we say no to this one too that's what I think people will ask and that's what I trying to understand again it will be you know because there were penalties was it an opt-in law or or a mandate because I don't think and and were the regulations properly promulgated I don't think most people are looking to not obey the law I I I truly believe that most miltonian um if it if it is the if it is the law but if it is an opt in then the town would have a choice and that's what you know communities throughout the Boston area right now are are evaluating and some are making the decision to take the penalties and roll that dice but um so I think that's that's going to be an important part of of that decision and what what Milton will have to decide to do but there's no penalties with the Adu it just is the law okay um in terms i' like to to kind of move this along away from MBTA U was kind of talking a lot about it but do you have anything quick claric clarification clarification question regarding the adus so if the guidelines are aren't in place uh by the time the law goes into effect in February um any units that are built in between the point in which law goes into effect and the guidelines are published are they effectively automatically grandfathered or what what happens or do guidelines retroactively apply to adus so some so there may be depending on what they come up with hopefully what and this is where you know part of the problem with the MBTA communities was the guidelines expanded what the actual law said so it went beyond what was actually required in the law so if if the um there will be a public process um it that will go through if there is something that is found to be I think appropriate the guidelines or the regulations um that we did not have in ours we would probably have to come back to town meeting and and amend that but I think we want something we want our Adu to have some teeth to it to have some um to really if somebody does apply for an Adu that it's that it's done you know in a way that would represent the character of the town and I think as long as what we put in is reasonable and that's what sort of the law is is stating we might be fine um but we we there's only certain things that we can limit in this so just to clarify what happens to any units that are actually built between the time the law goes into effect and when those would still be allowed those would still automatically grandfather they would be allowed yes exactly yes it wouldn't change their status and we actually have right now because this came up with qu some questions in other communities that they're asking some communities already have adus so they might have by you know and technically Milton does we ours are um temporary apartment bylaw is sort of it's the same thing but we just allow it's for families or um in-laws or you know work staff that that um that is there at the house our adus those those are still allowed you you're not kicking we're not you know those towns are not going to be kicking people out and saying no you've got to redo this whole pro pro whole project but there is um there will be questions on on how that Transitions and how they either reapply for the proper status so that's one of the questions that people are that's a good question because other communities are asking it and and we haven't heard the answers necessarily from the state but thank you yeah okay all right so just to touch on um a little bit on so you um East Milton overlay zoning so this is right now um what we're looking at is looking at we've already done overlay Zoning for the Milton Village for those of you who followed that we're now looking at East Milton for businesses that are in the in the um business district it's not residential district but it's really the businesses that we're looking to give opportunities when there is Redevelopment if a building is torn down or red developed that there is an opportunity for there to be mixed um mixed use which means business on the first floor it would still require the you know the businesses to be on the first floor but that res you could have residential units upstairs I'll use the Elliot Physical Therapy Building as an example that was a building that was torn down very Tastefully rebuilt but that has commercial on the first floor residential um units up above so that we want to give in in again another way to offer um a variety of different housing opportunities for people especially in an area like East Milton that they could walk you know go to do their errands go to the drugstore not get in a car be be able to be in East Milton but um be able to live and um and live in a mixed use um unit so we have done we've done a mapping for that for those of you um you may have seen there was a survey that was put out online and um and there's been a couple of different public forums um over in East Milton that I think you know Liz attended and quite a few may have attended so um we have zoning language that we have just we've gotten back and we will be discussing that that's something we're also in the process of working on that will be likely for May um because it's sort of in two parts you can think of the zoning language which is the law but then there's we have a design guidelines piece which is sort of goes back to that site plan approval with what we can ask that a building looks like how it can you know how it can conform to the neighborhood essentially so we're going to be looking at that piece that's going to be presented by our consultant um probably next month we I I don't know if Tim is has a specific date but we're going to do another Community Forum after we've had a chance for the board to talk about the things that he's um prepared and then we'll do another one and give some give time for Community input on that over on that overlay zoning so that will just be it's you can still have a business nothing changes the business that exists there today can still exist um there's still the zoning it's sort of underlying zoning no matter what happens but this is just something that is an option if um if a property owner decides hey you know what I'd like to add two stories to my building or I'd like to you know build a new building this is an opportunity for them to do um have some resident component as well as the business component but they still have to have the bus component there um okay and so then the other just interesting thing that we're just and this is really we are just kicking this off we've just had one meeting um on October 10th and that's our economic development plan we've hired um the metropolitan area area Planning Commission as our Consultants to work on this um and they briefly just gave a presentation and you can go online for anyone um interested gave a presentation on the town economic develop development planning process and that's why I'm bringing this up it's not an article but I thought it it's about money so I thought you all might be interested in knowing about this um the board discussed um the scope of work um Community priorities and how to engage the community and the roles and responsibility of M of the MPC team and town boards um things that we're looking at were um sustainable economic activities facilitating economic investment expanding the tax base uh looking at traffic traffic and parking mitigation this is something where we can ask developers to actually um when they do a new development we can ask them to actually um pay some fees into our traffic mitigation um identifying um our existing economic strengths challenges and opportunities for economic development in the Milton Village East Milton Square the central business district um northern gr Northern Gran adav um and we talked a little bit about um in the west side of Milton a lot of you know folks on the West Side really feel like they don't have as many amenities so looking at possible areas where um again it's very residential but there may be some Pockets that we could find area for development and for Zoning for areas that that could give um an opportunity for coffee shops or little small amenities um you know on on the west side of town um and then also um there will be a um we will be conducting a survey of what types of amenities Milton residents would like to see and what um to attract you know proposals so we want to have Community input in this process um we need to look at our traffic you know where we're looking at doing Economic Development and be realistic but looking at if there are opportunities and missed opportunities right now where we could be um revitalizing an area or expanding an area of business that would that would bring Revenue to the town so that's going to be exciting we're just now starting that again you'll be hearing about um forums and surveys that you can fill out to say hey what you know what would you like to see in in the town in Milton um and then the last thing we have um just in the Milton Village the historic district um Tomy just asked me to touch a little bit on that the planning board um and I'm also to serve on the historic commission both voted um to support the idea of of doing this study and supported the idea the concept of putting together a local historic district for those you know if you've looked at or read any of Teal's books but um the Milton Village vill is is one of our most significant historic um locations and the buildings down there are really incredible um this is really about PR preservation of those I have not seen and our board has not seen the final draft language which I know you're going to be um having the local historic district um come before you um and when I say we're in support of it we just haven't seen the final language so we're not saying that specific plan because we have not seen it but the the idea of doing this I think it's it's a really good thing um it's one of the few tools that towns have um to preserve their significant historic buildings so you will see it in many different communities I know I think the template that they're using is based on what other towns have used I it's but again I have not seen the final language so um I'm I don't have any comment to that but just the overall concept is something that I think would be very um useful to the town in and it and Milton Village would be a good area because it's mostly business it's not a residential um there's a few few residences down there but this is the mapping um is seems to be mostly just um commercial buildings that you know yeah we want to protect well CHL we we'll have the um we're going to be having the historic district come in and present to us um as they had done last year um and I know I think there's some some additions and subtractions so right um we I have not seen it either but they'll be coming in as and they'll be before you also so we're looking forward to the new product that's great so terrific and you know I'll keep you posted if other things come up um I know the select board I was watching the meeting that they're talking about possibly doing a lighting um some an article thinking about coming up with something that I think they would come to us because it would fall under zoning to see if that's something that we would endorse and support um I think a lighting article would be really good at some point um that would be appropriate for Milton um but again I don't know um what what um that article would look like at this point so yeah is that to provide Lighting in public spaces or is that to limit private houses having certain lights yeah it would be more um on limitations of what would be allowed what um you know when we do projects when we have applicants come before us right now one of the things that we that we ask all new um for new construction is that it's a dark sky compliant so looking to do things that are environmentally conscious not adding you know light pollution um is a concern of our boards and so if it's done in the right way and it would be it would have to be I I believe for to be endorsed by the town a really high level of light and there's ways to measure that that now that it would be um it would be considered an offens an offense to your neighbor if you had that type of lighting and you know we're seeing other things coming up like sport courts now with really some really bright lights that light up a whole neighborhood you know things you know I I haven't discussed this you know I don't know but that's something I do hear sometimes people are concerned with um when somebody puts in a sport court in their yard it it really can light up and the light poles can be tall and so I I I think um a lot of towns do have a lighting um some sort of lighting bylaw so but we would just need to make sure it was the right thing for our town so CHL this was something that had has been previously discussed and there was language prior so this isn't a new thing yes and some people on the board may have remembered that yeah coming forth so um yeah so that's um but that's a select board discussion that we haven't discussed that on our our board yet so just something that might be coming down so I think that's all okay did I hit it on everything that um yeah as to the Future Board needs and um Building Development yeah so one thing that I just um was thinking well just thinking of one of the things and I think we all hear it now is you know we have these regulations in Milton we have these laws we have um people get special permits but then nothing ever gets but no who's enforcing it like things just happen traffic are we you know is it being enforced so one of the things that I was questioning but it did was brought to my attention that we do there is a um it's in the building department but there is um somebody who does oversee um you know violations who's an enforcement officer so I think um I had always thought it was the building the um head of the building department you know whether it was Joe prond act as and and I don't know exactly who does the enforcement but there is a position there because I was thinking that would be something that the warrant committee might might want to consider funding the other thing again we're in the process of hiring a new town planner but a lot of towns that are that are our size actually have a staff of four I think with all of the development between the many 40b projects you know new construction that we've had it's been a lot for our town sta our board staff and they've done a great job but um you know if we continue to see this level of um of work that needs to be done possibly a you know an additional even part-time um grant writer or planning staff would would be um I think most most towns um similar size do have a staff that's a little bit larger there's a lot of evening meetings that they need to attend um it's it's a it's a real dedication especially if it's a some a young you know someone young with young children it's it's hard to be out every night for for public meetings and so they do a great job but again extra you know staff can help with that too but that's that's not coming for they have not asked for that yet but I know that would be on like a great thing um down the line if possible so well you chair off I could um just following some of the planning board I know there's a lot of discussion um you know about the various construction projects um restaurants especially in East Milton area um so in terms of like enforcement as you mentioned not just the building code right um and of course we're building more we potentially could have look look like a different town like from your perspective in terms of what you see potentially coming online in terms of new units in in potentially a new restaurant or maybe two um like what's your spitball in terms of like what would be an adequate enforcement wing for not planning but like Department of Health like those types of things like do you see you know a a restaurant inspector uh a a apartment building inspector like those types of things that yeah maybe staff really wears a lot of different hats you know when we do have um what recently has been come up is you know there's been whether it's rodents in you know certain parts of town mice rats even um if there are strong odors coming because grease traps aren't aren't being um cleaned as often as they should that's those are board of health obviously those those um and they do an amazing job so I I don't I can't speak for the Board of Health and if they feel that they're short staffed right now I think they they do an amazing job and and I they seem to be um well well staffed but I again that that would need to come from them and and again I I don't want to speak for the building department but I do know the building department is really under a lot and with things like adus coming on there's a lot more inspections that are going to be having to happen and I think they really do an incredible job on just a real skeleton crew um and could probably use more but again I would want um that to come from you know the building department to to say that but it's just something that I observe because we work so closely with with um with the development um projects that that they're overseeing so list so similarly on the um enforcement front I know there's been some discussion um the select board various different boards but just because you were talking about um tra traffic issues before um and I love the idea of having the developers kind of have to put some money in the mitigation um very passionate about traffic myself um is there any thought and I don't know if it would be the planning board and the select board and can't speak for the select board but to having some kind of broader more townwide or different parts of town traffic study or traffic mitigation put into effect cuz I know a lot of the time it'll be building by building um development by development road by road but is there any sense of kind of creating more of a broader understanding of our traffic problems and what to do about them there is a comprehensive traffic study and that's that is something that we have been talking about we've done a lot of different studies um you're right with different areas but we actually I'm not knocking that I think it's great too but exactly but that is something that we're that we talk about frequently is how do we do something that's a more comprehensive plan because what we do see is when one development you know throws off you know is built you know all of a sudden or or some traffic change that all of a sudden all the ladder streets are being you know utilized and it's affecting and it's like one thing triggers the next so we do have and this is interesting we we do have and it's under the traffic um commissions this is sort of their world and and things that they look at but we did we do have technology that we purchased as a town with I think the funds from a mitigation fund for the purpose of doing exactly what you're talking about the problem is you have to be trained to to utili to use this technology so having somebody use this and then we need so we're we actually Outsource it um and we have and we use a consultant in beta um you might be familiar with beta who runs different programs for us but it's really um I think we should internally maybe have somebody who's in the IT department or whatever department but they that somebody who knows how to run this and we can run the model ourselves without having to Outsource it um and I don't know again with the financial pros and cons to doing that um having somebody that either could do that part time time or or but we do own the technology to be able to do that and it is something that we're impacted with um on a daily basis in all parts of town yeah oh Brian you go ahead uh bigs the question there's no State guidelines on controlling traffic or can you like deny a complex because it would just cause too much traffic so it's really difficult to prove that um because a lot of that's always what we hear from Neighbors we we cannot do this because it's just going to it's it will create too much traffic there does there's a rating scale for you know is it a BC D you know is it an F rating you know what is it I would say a lot of our roads should be F rating if they're if they're not it's amazing we we're looking at the um the gardener school on blue hilab and of the stretch bike you know up near Curry College and they're like I think they gave it at like a c and it's you know trying to tell the applicant do you have any idea what it's like to try to get out and make a left-hand turn on Blue Hill a coming you know from the west side it's you should you know understand what you're what you're looking at at on this site here so um but it's very hard to to you know when we had the memory care project that was a real concern and they come there are studies that they we require that they do often they'll come back and they will have done them in the summer when people are on vacation you know right before the of July and right now we're requiring The Gardener school to actually go back and revise those traffic studies because the fourth of ju you know the the week before the Fourth of July in the summertime is not when all the schools are in in you know and and uh the commuters aren't aren't out there so we do look at that we have we ask them sometimes to go back it's it's very difficult to um to deny a project because of that but it does have impacts you say you can do that right there really aren't no we we would yeah too bad I we sometimes we feel the same way but yeah it's very difficult to do yeah you uh mentioned about hiring a consultant for economic development uh Cosmopolitan yeah and if we haven't uh been told this yet what are the current goals especially for the incoming fiscal year that we should know about so these are more long-term goals and strategies so we can we'll we'll be able to have a report of what we would like to see happen um that we'll be doing I I think it's you know six to eight months I think would be a realistic time frame and we could have sort of an action plan um but we don't really control the individual sites so we can't um tell a homeowner or a property owner okay we the town really wants a coffee shop right here this is what we want you to build we can't we can't do that but we can guide them and we can prioritize and we can um we can sort of make it our our focus of giving opportunities and what we can do is that we can actually look at zoning in certain areas that maybe have been limited for various reasons to you know is this would this be wise to to have a development in this location and look at doing some some zoning relief in in some of those are areas if the if the benefit um you know if it would be worth it one of the nights I don't know if you remember on Brook Road the kns of Columbus bu the old kns of Columbus building which is just a dilapidated old site that was actually permitted years ago and that was so we were really hoping to see something um Town Homes doing some you know possible affordable housing there and the the owner just went quiet and it just so it's like sometimes people are sitting on properties and we're asking why um the the Swift hat shop down in Milton Village when you go down which um used to be just a really Charming building it's it's a complete mess right now that developer has been coming back he keeps you know coming back with plans you know previewing things and hasn't hasn't um we we've been told we're going to be getting something new but that's an area that that could be a Redevelopment that could be something that would be um bringing in a larger tax base and and can benefit the community and the building already you know there's a building there I think at this point it would have to be torn down but a new structure could be built and it could be either housing or um or a new business so we can have sort of a road map to to help um and and to guide but sort of looking at these opportunities and making sure that we're saying are we doing everything that we can do to make this um to make this happen for the residents of Milton who want to see something go in a certain location yeah is there is the Milton the histor the local historic district study committee um was the historical commission involved in determining that area or they came to us with a couple of different areas um we supported they they narrowed it down I think they talked to some of the residents I think Hillside neighborhood association were they were approached um and were not interested they weren't getting the the feeling that they were going to be interested they didn't they didn't really know enough about it to to jump on board which makes sense um so I think when they narrowed it down they came to the historical commission and they said what do you know what kind of resources or um data do you have on the historical significance and we have for years hired a we've had a consultant who's been doing surveys of the historic properties we have a huge book of Milton historic properties and a significant number of those fall into the the Milton Village area um and so for them it just seemed to be sort of obvious this is where our our our greatest um number of large you know significant historic buildings so they they narrowed it down we didn't ultimately make that we weren't part of that decision I was wondering about the East Milton with the railway just District yeah and that seems to have some historic significance it does and yeah and based upon the I was on the sign review committee meeting last night and um and I know that you mentioned the whole district and that the mixed use with the overlay but I'm wondering if and I don't know if that would be an area to be looking at as well because like the whole redo of santand there which doesn't really fit with you know and again it's not site plan review knew that was about the sign but the building and the facade and all I kept thinking is on the cape where you have adorable little bangs that fit right into the character of the neighborhood would be lovely there right and it's just very different and it stands out so that's something that I I completely agree it would have to be something um I think because I would use the example of Pierce on Pierce in Mechanic Street yes Pierce what we've seen in the last couple of years the the applications for demo um demolishing de demolishing some really Charming historic Properties or that have been completely altered had those had that local you know a little local historic district there it would have taken the homeowners to buy into that idea and say we don't want this to be overly restrictive but we just don't want people coming in and completely ruining and if you drive down Pierce you'll see what has happened to some of those um um and some of the properties that have been demolished that would have protected those and especially from Demolition right so that that would be an area but I think they um the thinking was let's start with one and see how this works in town and you know how it how it can work and um and sort of use it as an example and a prototype that's typically and then you see um many towns have multiple historic districts um and so I think they said let's start with this one you know let everybody in the community sort of feel comfortable with this and then maybe we can look at others but certainly if if um certain roads areas want to talk to their neighbors and say we'd like to be a local historic district they certainly could do that if um actually the eustus estate where the historic New England owns the three properties they applied and they wanted to be a local historic district so they're actually a little historic district in among themselves so that actually um but they went through the process and we approved it as a town because that's what they wanted to impose on themselves and um but but they are a local historic district oh interesting that yeah thanks but yeah any other comments or questions just in regards to the items and I'll work on getting some some more specific budget items I'm Tim is working on a memo which I'm sure he'll be giving to you um talking about you know um the funding requests and what those would be able to do but there are some really important things such as our our zoning codification that um we just don't have the resources in Milton that we would need um we would need to pay an outside consultant but um that was one of the big items that um we've been discussing so okay well chair thank you so much thank you all for coming by questions and yeah and feel free to reach out you know obviously through Tom you know anything you think of later at any time but but we'll keep you updated I think this is great to start early have these conversations so we keep the public and keep everyone sort of aware of of where we are with things so well thank you um we we're looking forward to having you back um but like again thank you for this like overview of everything you're working on and just some of the positions the board has and um forward to speaking with you again good thank you very much thank you so much thank you okay well that in terms of timing I think it works out um we have discussion now and the agenda is on the board um if anybody wants to maybe start the discussion if there's anything of interest um I I'm really interested I I kind of commented I was just really interested on just the new development and East Milton you know this restaurants that are going to be going in there you get the fire station the old fire station which become a new fire station but what's going to go in there and just like all the new developments and are we looking at more money for Board of Health planning board or other so I mean I don't know that's just something maybe just to K just to kick it off um enforcement offices if they could generate Revenue would be and pay for themselves basically might even actually be an added Revenue source for the town if there are in fact so many enforcement uh discrepancies um I know the city of Boston has done that before where you come in and well your grease trap isn't cleaned and there's a uh that used to be uh You' get a fine for that another fine for it then you'd come in pad lock it uh not expecting that you're going to see all that in in East Milton but um we should have enough enforcement offices to um handle the issues that are arising in the town I don't know if that's ever been studied or not or whether there's just it seems anecdotal but the other side of that though is that that from a cost benefit analysis was you know if an enforcement officer can go up just like police officers write tickets for parking you know there's some Revenue to offs at the cost of having that happen maybe Obviously good at some point just to bring the building department in and have a chat with them you know they they usually do come in and just kind of they can opine on maybe what they're looking down the pike at so um it was very interesting when Meredith mentioned this technology that I didn't know we had that's the second piece of technology that I've learned through being on the warrant committee that um Milton has paid for but we're not using because we don't have the right trained people so I'm curious what else what's the first one oh I I will tell you all about it later but I learned about it from the um when we talked to the uh police chief but it's um it's interesting because I think this one in particular we're Outsourcing um it had to do with like the traffic cameras but anyway so um I think it's interesting that we're Outsourcing something that right like she said maybe if we were to bring it inhouse I don't know how the financials would look but if they were able to just run scenarios that might be a great tool so I thought that was really interesting and I don't know how to find out what other technology are we sitting on that we could be using to I mean both of them were actually related to Traffic to combat some of these issues um and in this case maybe save a little bit of money too so I don't know I just thought that was pretty interesting yeah I I uh also am passionate about traffic and the inability to leave my house after 2:00 and 2:30 in the afternoon I have the same issue yeah it's just it's crazy I'm wondering though if you know we don't understand the problem already which is there's just too many cars exactly coming through the town yeah not even from here and yeah it's it's not it's not Milton residence it's people shooting out of the city and just getting stuck in every lane and they've learned that Route 138 will Aven it was a great cut through to get to 95 93 the other way and you know you find you keep finding ways to get out there but it's it's ridiculous uh and it's just I don't know we could model it but it's not going to say that how the issue is how do you get fewer Ka coming through the town yeah yeah I think that's NBTA or that is a thought is you have more residence options so you don't have to have commuters but right it's a right generational problem it is Genies out of the bottle map yeah yeah these things probably send people through Milton I I I was I just wanted just as comment I I attended a traffic meeting probably seven or eight years ago up at the library the representative for mass mass do was there yeah their goal is to get cars off the highway right it was all talk about up by um up by the Trailside Museum yeah and and Mast do said that's great because we want cars off the highway it improves our Highway times it improves our federal funding boy and I don't know if this person is still employed by masc but I I it was a meeting at the library held by the former Town Administrator and that was said yeah that if they can get cars off the interstates then that's a good thing and uh that was you know remember they used to block ex's off yeah well that's part of it it's get cars off and um so that's what I wanted to add I think someone else oh Ron um as we think about suggesting resources and people and hiring I wonder if we need to have Nick in these discussions because we don't hire right we don't we're not the administration we don't run these departments but I think he would be a great person to have come share these thoughts with us because I think he may have hiring plans or he may have specific funding requests that could Impact Staffing um so I don't know maybe that's something we can have a meeting with him and just get his thoughts on are there needs from these changes that are on his you know radar that he thinks oh when these laws go into effect will have a lot of need from the building department or whichever department and he's going to propose hiring in the future I don't know if it's immediately this year or it's three years down the road there should be some long-term stashing compl no I think that's I think that's a good thing and we will have Nick back in and we'll make sure we talk about that um I thought a good idea was the hiring somebody to write grants from town I always wondered about that Meredith mentioned it um and uh possibility with the state other grants maybe we're missing stuff could be that's an income gen generator could be federal grants you could be able to get like sustainability grants or Etc climate change things that are out there with the government opportunity j u yeah I want to go back to the traffic planner that Miss no that's totally fine um first of all it's it's not totally obvious to me it sounds like we own the software and we're hiring a consultant to come use it it's not completely obvious to me if we should hire someone 40 hours a week to do it maybe train one of our already people to do it or if it's fine to keep bringing in consultant or maybe book to our big brothers and quiny and brain tree and see if they have somebody who can do it that we can pay so it's not obvious to me if we should hire a new person for that or not but what I'm thinking of is if we're going to if and we don't know if we are if we're going to be going to the taxpayers this year and say you know we're suggesting an override we want the taxpayers to have tangible things that they can get excited about and they can see a benefit about there be lots of things in override budget that people in this room will get excited about but maybe the man on the street would not get excited about but if we can and this gets what Peter said not only hiring a traffic consultant but then what tangible results do we expect that traffic consultant to produce if they just study it and say yep it's bad well that that's not exciting but if we can you know if the idea is that we can tell the taxpayers we'll hire a traffic consultant and these are the kinds of things we can't predict the future but what might we get out of it um that could be that that could be a really big selling point and maybe we could think about that a lot when looking at the override what can we you know really tell people this is a tangible thing that will improve your lives if you vote for this override or you don't you you choose either way um that sort of turned into a ramble but that that's sort of my thoughts about that that's good what could we possibly get though from a traffic study that's that could say well we have to so I talked to Nick about this two weeks ago and my 10-year-old son at the time said Mom traffic is horrible I don't understand let's put tolls on the exits so if you get off an exit on squantum street that or graned AV and you're in the town and you get back on at Brian a because you wanted to miss the Slowdown for a quarter mile then and you leave the town you have to pay a toll because you got back on within 15 minutes and then the state can have 75% of the whole and the town can keep 25% he's a new consultant so how do we do this said you can't no so it kind of goes with my let's put cameras on all the Blinky Blinky lights and ticket the cars that are speeding on Randolph have and reedale Road and Brook Road so that we collect money but we can't because we can't take pictures of the s right what you need is the technology they use in golf carts when you get too close to the green and so like it identifies you as a Milton resent you're allowed to get off in Milton and if you're not your car just sits there yeah just like geofence the town I mean can you I thought is this something with ways you could do like where you can like limit like not a through traffic or something like that like you can some I these days like if you say you cannot turn you know it's illegal to turn on this road even if you never enforce it but if you tell ways yeah this is an article I read 10 years ago so we got don't know but signs report right every time I'm sorry no yeah what did I didn't hear what you said like like on my street or the next street like Plymouth app people are cutting through from quiny and if you put a stop sign at the end of that street which I asked that once um that would at least slow it down so maybe ways would just like knock it out as an option for some or if you talk to your neighbor Liz yes you two will have speed bumps no speed bumps I don't oh they won't get speed bumps although I'd be happy to help you if you wanted them but yes your neighbors don't want speed bumps over there well it just rots traffic from one road to another yours or ours or something you know it's like that's the issue well I'm we're not allowed to take camera like pictures right I kind of find that interesting because near like if you look at mil where it's bordering High Park you know how like when you go past Precinct one but kind of across um I don't know the lights but it's kind of like if you were going to go on the way um down to Blue Hills like ens Pond there's an area where they actually have cameras but for people that might litter and so I kind of find it interesting if there's like a loophole around that oh I need to know Town Council yeah town counc I don't want toine on chapter 90 and like talk about it but there are strict ideas about operating a motor vehicle and if there's an offense essentially police need to observe you as the operator on a public way in the vehicle and you know whatever infraction that occurs speeding you know it has to be human it has to be a human element some jurisdictions you know Midwest and Stu they don't have that but Massachusetts like most laws that we have are pretty pretty strict as to at least you know cuz I've noticed that they when I've been around that area they have like a speed limit as well as also you know they just literally have a camera for people that might litter in the F so I always thought if there was like a way around things if we're really looking to go after that goal well I know there's a lot of talk in the state about similar things like this like you know um tolling and and and you know all how do we control traffic uh in general um and they just haven't had a solution to it yet and and like you know as Ron was saying like you know MBTA is like get people to get on the train you know and you know utilize public transport um because you know people going to keep buying cars I think uh some general thoughts uh first the technology that we own um that's kind of shocking that we have it and nobody knows how to use it and hopefully um checking it was used grants outside grant funding not Town Town funds but um the the real thought that I had was uh what I'd love to see every town Department present to us um on a regular basis is um a modernization plan U both short and long term uh and make sure that each department has an understanding of uh the potential impacts of AI uh and how it intends to um how recognizes what may what it may impact where they can save money and what what are sort of the real um pitfalls that they need to be conscious of um even if most departments aren't ready to adopt it it's coming and towns that aren't prepared are going to be left behind um so they really really really should have a plan uh as well as uh I think a data digitization plan and if you think about just shedding paper what that means in terms of space um freeing up town town space in the long term uh as well as accessibility of information and once you digitize that information all of a sudden it's really incredible what you can do and when I think about uh what I've heard over and over how different departments are taxed uh taxed in terms of their ability they're overworked or uh at at capacity a lot of that is because there's manual process or things that are in place that could be U remedied um and when I think about traffic AI the implications of that and why we shouldn't own certain technologies that is evolving at such an incredible Pace uh I'm a really strong believer of not owning or hiring things that aren't core to the mission of the organization or the town um because uh you have to hire for those competencies and hiring is in many cases a lot easier than firing uh and it's also really expensive um and so that that sort of cost benefit analysis really should be done on anything that has uh a material impact on the town budget um but I think having a recognition of um each department un really really understanding and have somebody either coach them through it or have an internal recognition of what AI really means and I'm not just talking about machine learning I'm talking about generative AI what what what is the impact of that um is really really critical if you want to plan to sort of make a change around it that's had I thought there I I think this town I think it'd be tough to ask department heads to become AI experts and they should I think more likely you're talking about having a study from a consultant that would come in across all functions and and we would have to have Nick Charter that or somebody has to pay for it but I can't see a the department of three people who've been working in the same department for 25 30 years each also start thinking about AI I mean it's just if you were la maybe you know in New York City you have these resources but here I think we'd have to get a consultant to say what are all the technologies that are out there come tell us about it and then present it to the town and these departments can hear about it and there's a sales pitch and they can say we're never going to do that or maybe let's try it I can't yeah I think it's just too tough for small departments to take that tackle yeah I I I think I agree yes and no um it's a big elephant to eat to to under take a project uh of that scope on however if the department heads really understand what are the types of things that can be transformed in their business um even just generating notices or legal drafting legal documents what does it mean because they don't really understand um each department head knows their Department best and can only those department heads can really think about what does this mean in terms of impact of the work that we do today and of course there's going to be bigger process thinking that happens that a consultant needs to be engaged but I I think it's really easy to get department heads thinking about it uh and present to us what they think the the impact is and refine that refine that knowledge over time but um today I'm thinking about and I'm new to the committee but when I think about all the things that I've heard from the different presenters thus far nobody's really nobody's really talked about it and it's actually really kind of shocking to me thank you both something different to talk about that's okay all right um so I just wanted to say I was really excited about the economic development plan that Meredith was talking about um because to Jay's point I think I think these are all things that you know a lot of people in Milton can get really excited about so expanding our tax base so that we have taxes coming from other than property tax which is the majority um you know we talked about parking and traffic mitigation having commercial development on the other side of town on the West Side um I know a lot of people that live over there really want that and then um bringing Revenue to the town what I really heard a lot of there was talking about having a lot of community input which I thought was really great um I know as Mera said I went to the East Milton overlay um zoning district and the survey result like people really were engaged people really liked it um I don't want to speak for like my whole side of the town but I think that a lot of people really appreciated the work that went in and um what you know are pretty favorable about the outcome and so um I think that it would be great to kind of be able to portray those as things that you know to Jay's point that we're going to get out of um maybe not necess necessitated by the override but she did say that that was part of the additional money that they're seeking um I know that the MBTA and the Adu and you know some of those were a little bit more controversial and a little bit more divisive and I get that um but I think focusing on these things that the vast majority of people really could get excited about about excited me so I think that was really great um especially the ones that would bring kind of Revenue in which I think is important from a budgetary perspective so I was excited by that no I appreciate it I think getting people excited about you'd be surprised I think I think we all have I think what people can get excited about but I think it's a good point what can people get identify with and get excited about you know do you recall I know in the past we've had like a town master plan is that like an ongoing strategy that someone maintains we we do have a a master plan that was drafted uh we do have a master plan imple implementation committee and it it is I um I can't speak to is like a living breathing document I would assume it it is and it could be but um it's pretty large I we've cited to it prior um on the war committee we've cited to it before terms of um but there's one out there it's available on the town website it's pretty in- depth there was a this about 10 years ago Jay about 10 years ago so I think it might be due to are they going to do another process they might asked to do another one but I don't know we sneak AI in there yeah I was going to say AI yeah there we go traffic and AI appendix B yeah I do it but I I it's you know I think just generally for members of the committee like take a look at it there was a huge amount of work and like you open it up you'd be surprised like a lot of like just even what we're talking about right now they were talking about then so you know it's just another helpful document for you to look at and get some ideas from anybody else have anything they'd like to discuss that we touched base on this evening on the agenda comments questions maybe for the future people who would like to see come in to maybe talk about some of these things in addition to the chair of the planning board when do you think the local historic district committee study whatever it's called it's going to come on down like yeah CU I mean he was here three or four times I believe the head of our um the historic district command for Milton Village will be before us he has reached out oh good and we will uh invite him back to discuss I think as Meredith indicated and as he did in other meetings that there are some changes that have been made um I know the big thing there there we had some issues last year um I I know that uh mic I I I think um you know they were a little concerned about maybe a couple of things in there I know um um but you know I think I think generally it's something that they they're really pushing for town meeting to consider again I know the fines were an issue last year we and you know they have been on other zoning articles the fines I think the fines and then the next committee what was their Charter I think there was a serious question that's great I appreciate that yeah and it was like who's going to be on it who appoint who's the appointing authority you know real questions I think yeah and there were a lot of ideas you know like how like who should be the the primary focus and I think another un unsettled question on that topic was what do the business owners right now in that area think about it we heard I think our guests maybe said they were fine with it but maybe a member of our committee said I'm not sure if they are so I don't know yeah I think that came up in one of our I think it was um it was just you know there's a property owner down there I think that has some historical buildings I think it was just concerned maybe and I'm not ACC I might not be accurate this just concerned about you know if there would be handcuffs in terms of it was not commercial development I think that was one thing that came up there's a question of is it opt in like no you ow that property you are going to be subject to this requirement yeah I think logic would dictate right dozone is designated like everyone like you're on the team and you're noted it option and those are the things that I think you know that's a big committee I think they've worked out we spent a tremendous amount of time with them um so they are going to come back Lor I guess to answer the question and we can get that done in short order um because it's a zoning matter it's going to be coming up it'll if they have something ready that they want to push forward for selectboard approval it's going to be in February so that would be another one um added to our list thank you L anybody else have anything for the town hall meeting that's going to be on February do we do we ever address like town or I don't know how that works out with because this is my first year yeah well it's it's well actually it's um it's future scheduling I guess um we we frequently we we comment in the warrant and there are often times we haven't seen it much in I think the past year or two but sometimes we're asked direct questions about our comment yeah what's in it why we put it in there um there are other times where maybe something comes up on the floor and we're subject to another vote we have another vote on the floor sometimes we explain why we voted a certain way but that would that would flow through me as the chair so I I would speak and obviously it's you know any anything we would want to say to town meeting is from the committee or I was curious if it was just you know select board planning board like warrant committee they're just all gathered together for you know the town as far as you know meeting assembly yeah we're up front with we okay I just wanted to yeah um shower you'll see and I think yeah that's when um you know and and when we when we just started and everyone was appointed you know go back and try to watch some of those Town meetings um especially last year the year before and you know even members of the public just give you a good idea of how business is done yeah on the floor it's exciting yeah yeah it is like it democracy it is it's it's a great you know it's um but you'll get to experience it Center I'm looking forward to the scrutiny colorful like that point is like I brought it up doing speech but um between the adus the NBTA the 40 BS that in my mind like they're only they're not having enough parking for all these apartments and stuff and um that's just going to add parking to the streets which is going to kind of cityy Milton which I think is a concern I don't know if anything the war committee can do or I think there's a big concern about that and I think it's not probably what that most Town people would want I think that's I think that code enfor anyone want I would just say we'd have a two code enforcement officers and take it all the street I don't think you can I thought you couldn't do anything about it like if they live in the town and they don't have a parking spot don't they aren't they allowed to park on the street you can get a permit from the police department yeah so you can get around it and they would so you're just it's going to become like we have to explain to the police that in Boston that's what it's going to be the permit cost $10,000 yeah well this this already exists I mean in my area town there are lots of multifamilies and not enough driveways so everyone myself included park on the street because there is nowhere else to park is not great it's not the case in rest of Milton but it's not a good situation yeah um yeah the the overnight parking band has been in effect for as long as I can remember somebody parks on the street I call the police and tell them but these are something I think Brian that we that we ask the questions of the the speakers as they come in and I think in the I think in the overall if if the situation plays out with a specific article uh we as the warrant committee can address that in the comment and it might not come on the floor that day but I think kind of how I've looked at it is it it may start a conversation somewhere either within the town or department where you know it comes up so why lot of times you can't effectually change right then and there through our comment or however you want to address the floor but sometimes it starts conversations so so it's a good thing but definitely a problem Judy uh thank you I just wanted to add a comment to the subject of how the warrant committee works at a town meeting and for some of the newer members that also town meeting members um may not realize that they can't go to the microphone to speak as a town meeting member because being on the warrant committee you're already speaking to an article um that's being voted on so it would be like it'd be double voting I think is how it was explained to me at one time so um you can still vote on your little clicker but you just can't go to the microphone um as a town meeting member is thank you is that a rule or is that just like a habit that was my question yeah is that a rule or is that just an expect anyone who's a town meeting member should be allowed to speak but I think we should respect the role as War committee members too and not have contradicting messaging because that could be confusing but I can't imagine we we wouldn't be allowed to no anyone any member elected member Tom meting can speak when recognized by the moderator yeah I mean the the moderator has said don't do this so what the consequences would it be would it be you're not appointed the warrant committee next year would it be I I don't know he's he's very firmly asked not to do this now can you point to town meeting time and say I have the legal right to it doesn't say I've read it I think maybe I don't want to speak for the moderator but I think it might be sort of why you never have an attorney or a doctor on a jury because the idea would be that as a member of a warrant committee people could give it kind of undo weight your comment and so maybe the thought is is that right you have all these opportunities to express your thoughts we're expressing them have a vote and then meet maybe keep the rest of it to yourself but I don't I don't know that's an interesting question we could ask the moderator it's a it's a unified voice you know and it it's really um you know I know there was some discussions years ago and about who vot who's voting what on the war committee and um but I think that the hisor of the town it's always been you know we're we're a single unit we disagree in here but we present a unified front and and of course like we are commenting and people do give it a lot of weight I think others you know I I certainly did when I was the Tom member brand new so um but yeah those all valid know they're all good points yeah I I think it would be counterproductive because people would see people would know that person is sitting up at the front of the warrant committee and then they just got up to the mic everybody in the room would know that and it just cause when you got a room of 250 people trying to do something anytime you cause little chaos it makes things worse so so so there's that it would be it would be noted and remarked upon and it wouldn't uh wouldn't help things text a friend hello um on a somewhat related note I I learned after the fact um that it is not typical for the chair to write the comments without the or the recommendations for the warrant without the rest of the committee seeing and giving input and sort of agreeing on the final version um and there were certainly some things in the warrant last year that I was not okay um with being in there so are do you chair plan on doing things similarly or different from the way the previous chair did the comments from the group uh and if if we're not ready to discuss this well it's just I I would love to have a conversation with everyone about I don't want it it's not on the agenda procedures and stuff but I hear where you're coming from maybe we could put it on a future agenda I think that would be a good idea great in it well in advance of February thank you right in the comments everyone wants to volunteer until you actually have to do it and then uh then the chair ends up writing it yeah um I'm joking but a little you can write it I just want to criticize yeah exactly so but we we can have a we will especially for the new members we we will have plenty of time and we will discuss the procedures and how we're going to go forward UNC common right going back to scheduling um for the February town meeting is it just the one that I understand what the select board said but are you aware of anything else other than the one thing that's going to be brought up are there other potential warrant yes yeah so it would be all zoning yes so it would be addition to Public Schools right planning board yes potentially historic district okay anything else no not that I know of now but stay tuned okay so um and you know we're taking you know the select board is going to obviously weigh in on what we actually see wonderful I I trust it would be all of them but were there articles from the last time me and got pushed oh yeah the recording no did we decide on that I can't I don't think there is no no it got pushed from December got pushed you're right that's what happened to yeah that's what happened how can you good memory it warrants a lot good memory yeah there's nothing but you know you talking like the twoyear ones that are like yeah there's nothing that I've been alerted to or I can remember just sitting there right now that so it be easy you're saying no one night one night I think you know in terms of the meeting it's going to be um it's going to be some hot button issues so I would expect to keep your schedules open for that week and how the moderator schedule again I'm getting off the agenda here but they'll uh you know usually it's kind of two days on one day off that type of thing um what's the high school is already booked yeah and we yeah exactly maybe there's a band or a play we can't do it but I leave that up to our moderator does anybody else have anything they'd like to bring up no okay in terms of can I move on we move on to Future one more question sorry so we had a meeting with school committee a few weeks ago and they were going to get back to us with some answers I think but who do they go to do they go to you just that come to us let me figure that out okay yeah I mean I'm I'm the point of contact well may I'm not trying to nag I'm just some one point how does it get back to not at all let me let me I will reach out and okay get some answers I know there was several things that we asked for would it just come back when they come back yeah sometimes they just answer they come back to the meeting okay that's fine anyone else okay in terms of future meetings we're going to have to have the historical commission come in like maybe think about maybe um mic some other just kind of asking them what they're planning on anything in the fall anything in February or the annual any opinions they have so I'm going to be reaching out to a few more um departments committees um to add to what we already have I would ask that you continue continue to work Brian had a question for me you continue to work on your um assignments and once if you want to reach out to me via email I know Jay has Jay had like a meeting with the agenda and like um I know him um that group the government group got together um if you want to just email me and say that you're ready you're done you're completed and you want to then you know and then we can talk about how you want to present it anything you don't need to do Powerpoints you don't handouts that we can put up on the screen but just kind of inform the committee what you learned any ideas you have the ideas they have more money less money the same um things that other committee you know things that maybe we think they need um you know marial was here she made some comments you know about the building department maybe they need some help so when you're ready and I'd like to make block it like maybe three or four you know department meetings like where you where the people on the subcommittee present give the information we have a nice discussion questions answers and then we bring and then we bring that department or Committee in and then we are all well armed you know to ask the best questions um and figure out what they need what their ask is if if it's anything so does that I think that I felt I feel as if though um I was not well as well situated as other people were who were doing individual work I just think that if you share all that information you have it'll make for a better discussion and I think we can really drill down on the issues uh in the money issues that that anybody may have and you know answer the questions for the town if we need to ask for more we got to ask for more and this is why and like a j like Jay said get people excited about it you know so I will be in touch over email I think I'm I'm I'm hoping maybe we could get something next week if not uh the week after and um I think at that point but I think we probably be Thanksgiving which is Thanksgiving so that's right yeah so that'll be December so I expect our next meeting in December at this point um does anybody have any um concerns about the community work are we having are we getting are we making contact with everybody an issue now if if there if there if you're having an issue with information or just reaching out just you can contact me on email and and I'll I'll reach out to the necessary people and get things moving okay anything else okay well anybody have a motion to adjourn make a motion to adjourn second uh we are adjourned thank you very much everybody appreciate it [Music] he he