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Planning board debates FY2028 budget and requests for legal and consultant funding
Summary
Members discussed the proposed FY2028 planning budget, noting rising legal costs and debating whether to request funds for consultants or an environmental planner; past legal spending figures and possible $20,000–$30,000 consultant needs were raised.
Board members reviewed the planning department’s proposed FY2028 budget and a multi‑year tabulation of legal expenditures. Staff said legal expenses are typically charged to an 'other technical and professional expenses' line, and provided annual figures from prior years; the agenda material referenced a roughly $34,000 line item for planning legal costs to date.
Members debated whether to allocate new dedicated funds for consultants or an environmental planner to support bylaws, zoning updates and climate work. One member suggested quantifying volunteer hours to justify a professional hire; another said the town’s fiscal constraints have limited prior requests. The chair asked staff to gather additional budget pages for the board to review at the next meeting.
