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Panel urges required training for planning and zoning boards; bill to allow associate members broader voting authority also supported
Summary
Planners, municipal officials and training organizations told the committee that standardized, accessible pre‑service and continuing education for local land‑use board members would reduce illegal or delayed decisions and speed housing production; a second bill would let associate planning‑board members act on any matter before the board.
State planning and municipal experts urged the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government to approve both a training requirement for local land‑use boards and a technical fix allowing associate planning‑board members to act on the same matters as full members.
Catherine Lacey, senior planner at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, testified in support of H.2299, saying accessible, comprehensive training is “good for our cities and towns” and can prevent delays or illegal decisions that block housing projects. MHP described repeated examples where well‑supported…
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