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Wayne planning board asks select board to form committee to update comprehensive plan
Summary
The Wayne Planning Board voted to ask the Select Board to create a committee to produce a comprehensive plan under 30‑A M.R.S. §§4321–4328 that reflects changes since the town's last plan; board members emphasized public participation and urged the Select Board to consider committee diversity and budget timing.
The Wayne Planning Board voted unanimously on Sept. 18 to request that the Select Board create a committee to produce a comprehensive plan under 30‑A M.R.S. §§4321–4328, reflecting changes in the town since the last plan.
Board members said the change in state law requires a process the town must follow to be recognized as having a state‑compliant plan. The committee would be appointed by the Select Board and supervised by the Planning Board; the motion directs the Select Board to charge the committee to follow the cited statute’s procedures and to report progress to the Planning Board.
Planning board members and public commenters said the update matters because a state‑recognized comprehensive plan can affect eligibility for state grants and guide future ordinance changes. At the meeting the board read a proposed charge that said in part: “Produce a comprehensive plan following the guidelines set out in 30‑A M.R.S. §§4321–4328, conforming to the requirements set out in said statute and reflecting changes in the town of Wayne since the creation of the last comprehensive plan.” That wording was adopted as the basis for the request to the Select Board.
Public comment emphasized representation and outreach. Tico Brown, a resident and member of the previous comprehensive‑planning committee, said the prior committee lacked age diversity: “There were no really younger people, and there were no really older people,” he said, and urged the Select Board to recruit broadly. Board members agreed that the Select Board will control appointments and that the Planning Board’s role is supervisory; the meeting noted the committee can request town resources in time for the next budget cycle if needed.
Board members also discussed whether the committee should start by revising the existing plan or undertake a de novo process. Some members urged a broad charge that allows the committee to weigh revision versus replacement; others said starting from the existing plan preserves prior work and is more efficient.
The motion was offered at the meeting by an unnamed Planning Board member and carried with all members present voting in favor. No recorded roll‑call tally by name was entered in the transcript.
What happens next: the Planning Board chair said the request will be sent to the Select Board; the Select Board will appoint the committee and the Planning Board will supervise its work and receive progress reports. The board also emphasized that the committee must follow the public‑participation guidance in the cited statute so the plan will be state‑recognized and eligible for associated grants and assistance.
Meeting observers and members recommended that the Select Board aim for broader outreach and volunteer recruitment, noting time burdens on working‑age residents and opportunities to solicit input beyond appointed members.
