Select Board discusses ballot-format change and tight timeline for November land‑use items

The Select Board discussed whether to change the information presented with land-use ballot questions and reviewed timing for proposed ordinance amendments ahead of the November 4 special town meeting.

Ballot-format request The planning board asked the Select Board to include planning‑board vote information on land‑use ballot questions, mirroring an established charter requirement that budget questions list both the Select Board’s and the budget committee’s votes. Town staff advised that the planning board’s request could be handled by a Select Board policy, an administrative change to the ballot question language, or by amending the town code or charter; staff recommended consulting the town attorney about legal constraints and whether ballot summaries might be considered influencing voters.

Board members were divided: some favored more information for voters (including explanations or a planning-board vote) to make questions clearer at the polls; others expressed concern about appearing to cede Select Board authority or introducing editorial summaries that might influence voters. The town attorney will be asked to advise whether planning-board vote language or expanded summaries can be placed on the ballot or in polling booths and whether a voters’ guide approach is preferable.

Schedule for ordinance amendments Staff provided a calendar for the November 4 special town meeting and explained the legal deadlines. The clerk’s deadline to place items on the November ballot is September 5, 2025, which requires the board and planning board to complete drafting, public hearings and any joint public hearings well ahead of that date. Staff and the planning board identified several priority ordinance updates that could be feasible for the November ballot, including: - sidewalk materials/maintenance language (paver vs. concrete), - timber-harvesting code updates to align with state Chapter 1000 guidance, - poultry/chicken statute alignments following recent state changes, and - affordable-housing/performance-standard updates and accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) language (the board discussed separating ADUs from affordable-housing items so each can be considered independently by voters).

Several board members said accessory-dwelling-unit rules and short-term rental rules may require more time and broader public engagement; the board agreed to workshop short-term rentals at its July 15 meeting and to prioritize items for November at that workshop. Staff noted some state law changes (LD 2003 and related items) will require towns to adjust local ordinances and that those state changes have effective dates that give municipalities time to adopt local amendments.

Why it matters: The board must balance providing clear, useful information to voters with legal limits on ballot language and the Select Board’s statutory roles. The September 5 deadline compresses drafting and public hearing timelines for candidates the board wishes to place on the November ballot.

Next steps: Staff will consult the town attorney about ballot‑language options and return to the board with legal guidance; the board scheduled a July 15 workshop to continue work on short-term rentals and to set priorities for November.

Speakers - Planning board and town planning staff representatives (presented the planning-board request and timetable) - Select Board members (discussed policy and requested legal review)

Clarifying details - Deadline for request to place items on the Nov. 4 special town meeting ballot: September 5, 2025 (clerk’s office deadline cited in memo) - Items identified as realistic targets for November: sidewalk requirements, timber-harvesting updates, poultry/chicken statute alignment, and affordable-housing/ADU items (planning and legal review pending)

Searchable tags: ballot-format, land-use, planning-board, special-town-meeting, ordinance