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Trustees discuss simplifying public-hearing escrow to a single $1,000 amount
Summary
Historic-review and other boards proposed moving to an escrow model for public hearings with a standard $1,000 escrow and modest application fee increases; trustees favored simplifying to one uniform amount to reduce administrative discretion and cover attorney/advertising costs.
Members of the Historic Review Board (HRB) proposed shifting from separate public-hearing fees to an escrow model so applicants post an escrow that covers legal notices and attorney time, with unused funds refunded. The HRB recommended $500 for residential new-building escrow and $750 for commercial; the attorney advised that $500 would not cover typical public-hearing attorney work and advertising costs.
Several trustees advocated a single $1,000 escrow for all boards that require public hearings, arguing it simplifies administration and aligns with planning and zoning practice. Trustees also discussed modest application fee increases (for example, raising an HRB application from $30 to $40) and asked staff to prepare a consolidated, legible fee schedule for formal adoption at a future meeting.
The board agreed in principle to pursue a consistent escrow approach and directed staff to check code language and prepare formal fee-schedule revisions for adoption.
