Planning staff proposes subcommittee and town survey to update New Boston master plan

Planning staff told the New Boston Planning Board on April 28 that the town should form a subcommittee and run a resident survey to guide an interim master plan update while longer‑term funding is pursued. The staff speaker said a full professional overhaul could cost "upwards of $6,070,000," and recommended an interim effort with strong resident participation.

"We could do, like, SurveyMonkey or something like that to residents in town," the staff member said, recommending online outreach supplemented by paper copies at public locations to accommodate residents without internet access. Board members suggested using social media and the town bulletin and asked staff to draft outreach text and a mock survey for review.

Discussion covered committee size and commitment: board members suggested a manageable group (six to ten people) to balance representation and workability. Staff proposed that interested residents complete the usual application for appointment to a town committee and that the planning board help recruit volunteers.

Board members also requested that staff retrieve prior survey results for comparison; staff noted past surveys drew strong responses, with one panel exceeding 1,000 respondents. The board directed staff to draft survey outreach copy and share it via the town bulletin and social media to begin recruiting a subcommittee and gathering resident feedback.

The board did not take a formal vote to create the subcommittee at the meeting; staff will return with draft outreach materials and suggested committee membership procedures.