Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Deerfield board asks staff to update application fees, notices and deadline timing
Summary
Planning Board members told staff to prepare a proposed fee schedule and updated application forms after hearing that current fees and postage do not cover town notice and legal costs; members also discussed changing filing deadlines to business days to give staff and applicants more time.
Deerfield Planning Board members asked staff on June 10 to bring a revised fee schedule and updated application forms to the next meeting, saying current fees and notice charges do not cover the town’s costs.
Staff reported that some application forms had not been updated in several years and that legal-notice and postage expenses are not currently covered by fees. As an example, members discussed a comparison with Allenstown, where the Zoning Board charges a $300 application fee, a $200 legal fee and about $15 per notice; by contrast, Deerfield’s ZBA fee is $100 and does not fully cover notice costs. The staff member asked to prepare a proposed fee schedule and bring it back for the board to vote.
Members also discussed the timing of meeting packets and notices. Several members said agendas and materials often arrive the day of a meeting and requested at least 24 hours' advance delivery, with one member asking for packets a week in advance when possible. Staff agreed to aim to distribute materials earlier.
The board debated whether to change regulatory filing timelines from the existing 17 days (interpreted in some places as calendar days) to 17 business days to give staff and applicants more time to assemble notices and legal filings. Members noted that making that change may require a rules amendment and a public hearing.
Next steps: staff (Lauren) will draft updated forms and a proposed fee schedule and present the package at the next meeting for the board’s consideration.
