Trustees, public and planning board chairs debate zoning timeline and live-streaming of hearings

Trustees and members of the public pressed for clarity about the zoning-code timeline and whether planning and zoning board meetings will be streamed or allow public comment at a June 11 joint hearing on a large development.

The discussion focused on two linked issues: the internal timeline for trustee review of a near-final draft zoning code and the practical, legal and staffing implications of recording or live-streaming planning and zoning board meetings. Several residents and trustees urged more public access and earlier notice ahead of a joint meeting where a controversial development proposal (125 Bath Street) will be discussed by planning and zoning.

Marilyn Stephenson, speaking for the Zoning Advisory Committee, asked when the village’s legal review of the draft zoning code would be completed and when the board would publish responses to written public comments. She told trustees the draft code posted on June 3 stated legal review had not been completed and asked for an amended timeline and public responses to comments on the village website.

Trustees said the current draft remains under internal review and that the board will consolidate comments over the next two to three weeks for a near-final version before sending it to the village planning board and then the county planning board. Mayor Ben Rossi said the trustees are handling edits now and that public hearings will come later in the process.

Several speakers and trustees addressed live-streaming. Mayor Rossi and others noted the planning and zoning boards are autonomous and that, while the trustees can facilitate streaming, chairs of those boards must request changes in procedure. Planning and zoning chair Anna (last name not stated at meeting) cautioned against relying on volunteer board members to run streaming equipment and urged the village to plan staffing and logistics before making streaming routine. Anna said: "That is not something that we can depend on our board members to do, nor will I ever support that." Trustee discussion referenced recent purchases of microphones and a new recorder to improve audio quality; trustees said additional portable recording and streaming equipment is available and that community volunteers had offered to help with setup.

Public commenters asked why the joint planning/zoning meeting on June 11 would not take public comment at the outset. Resident Nathan Ward said: "Why is the village restricting residents' right to free speech?" He asked the trustees to reconsider allowing comment at the joint hearing given community interest in the Bath Street proposal and its height relative to zoning standards.

Trustees and staff said the joint meeting’s procedural format is being set by the planning and zoning boards and that formal public hearings will be scheduled as required by code; they encouraged residents to submit written comments and to attend the public hearing phase. The mayor noted the planning and zoning chairs had requested improved audio equipment; he said the village had approved about $300 in microphone equipment and ordered a better recorder to improve posted audio recordings.

Ending: Trustees set an internal deadline for members to exchange zoning comments in the coming weeks and said they would determine whether a special meeting is needed for a final review. The live-streaming question will be pursued as a logistics and staffing issue with input from planning and zoning chairs, the clerk’s office and community volunteers.