Select board sets protocol for board reappointments; planning-board recommendation to precede reappointments

Select board members agreed to make it standard procedure to request a planning-board recommendation letter before approving reappointments and said the practice should apply to other municipal boards.

At the meeting, the board received two reappointment requests for long‑serving planning-board members Sue Woods and Mike Ahern. The board discussed whether to follow the protocol of asking the planning board to submit its recommendations before reappointing current members. "They're the ones working with those board members and they'll know if they're present and contributing," a select board member said, and the board asked Joseph, who represents the planning board, to bring the question to the planning board at its next meeting.

Separately, a member of the public reviewed RSA 6735 (managing terms of land-use boards) and suggested the select board consider delaying appointments because a warrant article on the ballot would, if approved by voters, change whether planning-board members are elected or appointed. The public commenter advised the select board that, under RSA 6735 as read into the record, if no successor had been appointed at the end of a member—s term the incumbent may remain until a successor is appointed or elected. The select board asked staff to confirm the legal interpretation with town counsel before taking final action.

The board signalled support for asking the planning board to send recommendations and to follow the established protocol used recently with the recreation commission. One planning-board reappointee—s letter was submitted late the afternoon of the meeting; the board agreed to await the planning board's formal recommendations and to schedule votes after receiving them.