Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning And Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board tables request to hire interim planning consultant amid budget concerns
Summary
The Lakeville Select Board heard Planning Board leaders request an interim planning consultant after the townplannerleft. Board members raised procurement, budget and scope questions and voted to table the request for more information.
The Lakeville Select Board on April 14 heard Planning Board leaders press for an interim planning consultant to fill gaps after the departure of the town planner, then voted to table the request while staff and board members gather procurement and budget details.
The Planning Board chair, Michelle McEachern, told the board the loss of the planner had “devastating” effect on project momentum and recommended retaining the planner in an interim consultative role until a permanent replacement is in place. "Her experience, her contacts, her connections, everything that she has ... the ability to get things done, it's devastating that we've lost her," McEachern said.
Kathy Murray, identified as a Planning Board member, said the board had projects that could not move forward without planner expertise and that finding a permanent planner previously had taken many months.
Town Administrator Andrew said procurement rules put the town in a "gray zone" for month-to-month consultant contracts. "When you go over that first month, to me, I would feel more comfortable doing a formal procurement process and having, like, a set term," Andrew said, adding that a short month-to-month contract that then extends could raise competitive-procurement concerns.
Board members said they supported the idea in principle but pressed for a formal procurement path and for the request to be weighed against other staffing and budget priorities. Brian Day recommended completing the town's budget review before committing to a consultant. Several members noted previous consultant cost estimates and quotes that ranged widely; one example discussed at the meeting was a consultant hourly rate reported around $200 per hour and per-project ranges in the low thousands.
After discussion, the board voted to table the matter and asked staff to return with options that follow procurement rules, a recommended term and clearer cost estimates. The board also asked staff to check whether short-term agreements would require insurance or an LLC structure and to identify any available consultants and their likely per-project or hourly pricing.
The item will return to the board after the budget review and procurement guidance are complete.
