Nantucket commission proposes new appointments, name change and broader mission; residents press for accountability

The Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission on Dec. 10 outlined a draft of legislative changes that would change how its members are appointed, expand its membership and update its stated mission.

Leslie Snell, the town’s director of planning and land use services and executive director for the commission, opened the hybrid meeting and introduced consultants from Dodson & Flinker, who facilitated the presentation and public discussion. "Thank you all for coming out this morning to hear about the NP and EDC's proposed legislative changes," Snell said.

Dylan Sussman, a Dodson & Flinker consultant, said the commission’s draft — developed over multiple meetings beginning in 2022 — aims to modernize the agency’s structure and better reflect current island needs. "The probably the most significant of them is that the commission is proposing to change how its members are appointed," Sussman said, summarizing the central change in the draft.

What the draft would change

The proposal would reduce planning board seats on the commission from five to three, keep representation for the county commission, conservation commission and housing authority, and convert the commission’s three at‑large seats so they are appointed by the county commissioners (the town’s select board) rather than chosen by the commission itself. The commission would grow from 11 to 13 members with the addition of permanent seats for the Land Bank, a historic preservation representative, a…