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Brookfield planning board to draft letter urging better communication with state on SB 84 and local control
Summary
Members agreed to draft and circulate a letter to state representatives expressing concern that bills such as SB 84 could undermine local planning control, and to track legislative service requests (LSRs) so the board can respond quickly when bills are numbered or assigned to committee.
The Town of Brookfield Planning Board discussed a proposed letter to state representatives expressing concern that bills such as SB 84 could erode local control over planning and zoning, and agreed to circulate a revised draft for edits.
Members debated whether the board should send a formal letter or have individuals write personal messages. The proposed letter would urge better communication and ask representatives to engage the planning board when bills affecting local control are under consideration. "We believe passage of bills such as SB 84 undermine the ability of our planning board and elected officials to carry out the wishes of our residents as manifested in our master plan," one draft sentence reads; members discussed adding language inviting representatives to present to the board or to consult before action.
Board members also agreed to monitor the State's legislative tracking (LSRs) so they can act promptly when bills receive numbers and committee assignments. Speaker 1 advised designating one board member to monitor LSRs and to report at each meeting; Speaker 3 volunteered to learn the State House website and track relevant LSRs once in session. The board asked S4 to circulate a revised letter focused on communication and to solicit edits from members within about a week.
No formal vote was taken; the board signaled general agreement to proceed with a circulated draft and to consider sending a version in January if timing aligns with legislative discussion.
