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Fall River Conservation Commission begins planning for local wetland bylaw and fees; will return July 7 for further discussion
Summary
Commissioners discussed drafting a local wetland bylaw and fee schedule, favoring an indexed percentage approach tied to state DEP fees rather than fixed flat fees; staff will circulate comparative bylaws and the item was tabled to July 7 for substantive discussion.
Commissioners on the Fall River Conservation Commission spent a substantial portion of Monday’s meeting initiating work to draft a local wetlands bylaw and a corresponding fee schedule, with the goal of having a local structure ready if and when Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations change.
The commission discussed approaches to setting fees. Several members favored indexing local fees to DEP charges (for example, a percentage-based increase of the state fee) rather than adopting a fixed flat-dollar fee that could become outdated. One member noted that indexing to DEP fees would shift the administrative burden of fee increases to the state should DEP revise their schedule. The commission agreed not to adopt anything at this meeting but to begin compiling model bylaws from neighboring municipalities and to circulate those examples to members before the next meeting.
Staff said they will assemble previous drafts and examples of adjacent communities’ bylaws for review. Commissioners asked that the item be returned to the July 7 agenda to permit a substantive conversation without the pressure of a large audience.
No formal action or new regulation was adopted; the commission set a reporting and drafting process and asked staff to provide materials for the next meeting.
