Commission reviews draft bylaws and schedules community sign forum amid legal concerns

Planning staff told commissioners they had prepared a clean and strikethrough draft of proposed bylaw revisions and placed both versions in the commission Dropbox for review. Staff reminded the commission that current bylaws require written notice (10 days) before adopting changes and suggested commissioners provide comments ahead of the next meeting.

The staff memo recommended a couple of changes to streamline roles, including eliminating the secretary position and creating a vice chair role and a normal schedule for officer elections. Staff said the draft follows standard bylaw language often used by local boards and commissions but asked members to review and send comments prior to formal consideration.

Staff also announced a community sign forum to educate business owners and stakeholders about temporary‑sign rules. Staff warned commissioners that the town’s current sign code may risk being legally vulnerable because the U.S. Supreme Court has emphasized content neutrality for sign regulations; staff recommended a review to make the rules content neutral and easier to enforce consistently across multiple storefronts.

Commissioners agreed to receive comments, and staff said it would email materials and plan to revisit the bylaws at the next meeting so members can discuss proposed changes together.