Portland historic preservation board adopts formal procedural rules

The Portland Historic Preservation Board on June 18 voted unanimously to adopt a formal set of procedural rules intended to clarify meeting order, elections, agenda-setting and disclosure practices.

Board staff member Evan Sheckler told the board that the draft rules ‘‘would formally adopt Robert’s Rules, supplement these, clarify elections, meeting order, agenda, and the process for all the comments and things that have come up in the past.’’ He said the draft removes fixed meeting dates from the rules, clarifies that staff sets the agenda in consultation with the chair, and notes that formal minutes are not kept because sessions are recorded.

The rules also add procedures for members to voice conflicts of interest or ex parte communications at multiple points during meetings and clarify that cross-examination language applies only when the board sits in an appellate capacity to review administrative appeals. Sheckler summarized other edits as coming from consultation with the city attorney’s office and from board input at an earlier meeting.

Why it matters: The board framed the rewrite as moving longstanding meeting traditions into a consistent written form so future members and the public have a clear reference for how hearings and deliberations will proceed.

Public comment at the start of the item included a concern from longtime West Bayside resident George Roe, who urged the board to retain a standing meeting schedule in the rules so the public ‘‘know where to look for a notice’’ and can plan attendance. Roe also asked the board to preserve meeting transcripts or printed copies alongside video recordings to protect historical records.

Deliberations among board members focused on specific points of the draft. Members confirmed that the land use code requires a majority of members present for passage and that a tie vote would be recorded as a failure of the motion. The board discussed language in Article 3, Section 1 about meeting frequency; the adopted rules retain flexibility (no fewer than one meeting per month) while allowing staff and the chair to schedule more frequent sessions when needed.

Following discussion, a board member moved ‘‘to adopt the attached procedural rules for the Portland Historic Preservation Board as drafted.’’ The motion received a second and passed on a roll-call vote: Hillary Bassett, Michael Hutchins, Robert O’Brien, Brian Sosby, Rob Whitton, Valerie Pickman Gould and Brad Miller all voted yes.

The staff confirmed the next steps: the rules will be filed with the city clerk and transmitted to the city council, which has a 45-day period to review and, if desired, veto the rules. After the council’s review period ends with no veto, staff will make the rules available on the Historic Preservation Board’s page of the city website.

The board adjourned after completing its agenda.