Task force names chair Paul Baum as representative to town land-use planning committee
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Summary
At its April 24 meeting the Town of Concord 2229 Advisory Task Force voted to appoint Chair Paul Baum as its representative to the Town Land Use Planning Committee; members also discussed municipal facility siting, a 12‑month working-group timeline and logistics for upcoming SelectBoard assignments.
The 2229 Advisory Task Force voted unanimously April 24 to appoint its chair, Paul Baum, as the task force’s representative to the Town Land Use Planning Committee.
The appointment came after a brief discussion about continuity and membership as several advisory bodies wind down before town meeting. "I move we name, Paul as our representative to the town land use planning committee," said a task force member during the meeting; a second was recorded and the roll call vote was Aye from Carl Seidman, Pam Rockwell, David Ropek, Rich Feeley and Paul Baum.
The vote matters because the land use working group will consider municipal needs — including possible relocation or consolidation of fire, police and Department of Public Works (DPW) facilities — and the task force members said having a representative who knows the sites and prior deliberations would be helpful to the SelectBoard and working group.
Members discussed timing and the workload for a SelectBoard member serving on the committee. Baum, who is running for the SelectBoard, told colleagues he expected the liaison and SelectBoard duties to be part of the role and that he would "let you know in a couple of months" if the combined workload becomes untenable. A fellow member said the SelectBoard assigns liaisons after town meeting and that members may state preferences then.
Task force members also noted the working group’s charge lists a 12‑month timeframe for Phase 1 — described as examining municipal facility needs — and that practical decisions about where to site consolidated facilities will depend on parallel processes such as state Department of Transportation work on the Route 2 rotary. "We have capital planning out a few years that includes those," a member said, describing facility planning as a high priority.
The task force agreed it was important to keep someone familiar with the committee’s work on the land use planning efforts, and formalized Baum’s appointment by vote. The motion passed and members said they would communicate the appointment to the SelectBoard and the working group.
