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Plaistow ZBA deadlocks, fails to appoint alternate after revote
Summary
After a closed legal consultation, the Plaistow Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 2-2 on appointing Mr. Bealo as an alternate, leaving the seat unfilled; Theresa Kane read a prepared statement opposing the appointment on governance grounds.
The Plaistow Zoning Board of Adjustment failed to appoint an alternate member on July 30 after the motion to appoint Mr. Bealo ended in a 2-2 tie.
After returning from a nonpublic legal consultation, the board moved to appoint Mr. Bealo. The roll call vote was M. Murray — yes; R. Labrecque — no; J. Unger — yes; T. Kane — no, producing a 2-2-0 result and causing the appointment to fail. Chair Michael Murray said, "Mr. Bealo is not appointed as an alternate member of the Board at this time." The vote followed public discussion and a lengthy statement from Theresa Kane opposing the candidate.
Kane read a prepared statement in which she said, "I represent the interests of the people of the town of Plaistow as those interests are expressed through the Zoning Ordinances and I see no place for an alternate member that has expressed contempt for those interests and the Zoning Ordinance." Kane framed the issue as one of "good governance" and urged the board to honor resident choices and follow applicable statutes and ordinances.
The failure to appoint leaves the alternate slot open; the board did not set a new date for another vote during the meeting. The record shows the board first considered whether to delay the vote, but after legal consultation and discussion the consensus was to hold the vote that night.
