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Council votes to extend term limits for planning and zoning board members to three five-year terms
Summary
After a public hearing and debate over institutional knowledge and optics, the Nelson Field Town Council amended Code of Ordinances §5‑15 to allow three consecutive five‑year terms for planning and zoning board members, replacing the prior two‑term limit.
The Nelson Field Town Council voted to amend Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Article 2, Section 5‑15, increasing the maximum consecutive service for planning and zoning board voting members from two five‑year terms to three five‑year terms.
The change, passed after a public hearing, alters the town ordinance that previously limited volunteers on the planning and zoning boards to ten years of consecutive service. Proponents told the council that longer service preserves institutional knowledge as the town faces development pressure along the Route 146 corridor; opponents warned the amendment could appear to benefit individual incumbents and suggested the Charter Review Commission address term limits instead.
Council discussion included whether to keep term limits at all, send the issue to the upcoming Charter Review Commission for broader study, or extend the ordinance now and revisit later. Town Solicitor Igliuzzi explained the amendment will be posted for the 20‑day statutory advertisement period before codification.
Speakers at the public hearing and in discussion included residents and board chairs who favored a longer maximum: Robert Najarian, chairman of the Zoning Board, told the council, “15 years, I think, is a wonderful compromise.” Resident Gail Burlinghoff raised concerns about how alternates would be affected if rules changed. The council’s roll call vote approved the ordinance amendment and the solicitor said the clerical insertion (adding the 2025 amendment) will be handled editorially by the municipal code publisher.
The ordinance takes effect upon passage but will be posted for the required 20 days as part of the codification process. Councilors also discussed how reappointments and vacancy procedures interact with the charter and noted that statutory planning and zoning terms remain five years; the amendment affects how many consecutive terms an individual may serve under town ordinance.
The council did not appoint planning or zoning members immediately under the amended rules; appointments were left for later action and some related items were tabled for the next meeting.
