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Zoning board reviews bylaws, asks staff to draft revised language
Summary
Board members reviewed proposed edits to the zoning board bylaws, recommending changes to staff-report language (change 'shall' to 'may'), removal of confusing clauses about session/voting language, and additions to clarify rehearing and tabling procedures. A revised draft will be prepared for the next meeting.
Members of the Nashua Zoning Board of Adjustment discussed multiple edits to the board’s bylaws during the meeting, requesting staff produce a revised draft for consideration at the next scheduled meeting.
Highlights of the discussion included changing wording that currently requires staff to "shall" provide a report for use-variance requests to a permissive "may" after a request; striking or rewording an unclear sentence that follows a semicolon in Section 9; and explicitly adding equitable waivers to the bylaws. Members also raised readability concerns about repeated uses of "his/her" and suggested replacing "chairman" with the gender-neutral "chair."
Board members asked staff to produce a cleaned draft that also clarifies when rehearing requests are handled in a public meeting versus a public hearing, and to add explicit language on tabling/continuance to a date certain so applicants and members understand the options when additional information is requested. The board agreed to review a revised legislative-style draft at the next meeting before taking a final vote.
No formal votes were taken on bylaw text changes at this meeting; members reached consensus on the key edits to be drafted and scheduled the bylaws for another review session.
