04/20/2022 PLANNING BOARD Minutes

Home Browse Search

16 Great Neck R.oadNorth MasGrpee, Massachusetts 02649 especially from consultants from New Jersey. Overall, it was rocky at first, he feels a lot of work went into the LCP. It's a very important document. It sets the tone and guides the process for how to move forward. We do not create new zoning bylaws from scratch, they are built on existing. The same should be done with this document, it's an update, but the old document needs to be referenced. How did we achieve goals and initiatives from the past? On the water quality, we failed. Housing, we are failing. People simply cannot afford to live here, especially with the new influx of property being purchased and the prices keep rising. It's a MA issue, not even locally on a municipal level. We need to provide affordable housing and this document can help. Protecting the environment and water quality, these are all critical issues, and with climate change, it's crucial we get this right. Mr. Lehrer is trying to do a good job with moving this forward, he wants inclusion. Once everyone moved out of the auditorium and broke out into smaller groups, the dialogue he was hearing around the room relieved some of his concerns. He would encourage all members of committees, boards, and commissions to attend meetings because there is insightful thought and dialogue. He is upset that Mr. Fulone came in and just read off something and singled himself and Ms. Waygan out, then got up and left the room. Lastly, he was a member of this Board at one time. The three years he served there was never any contention. Even when there were disagreements, it was done respectfully. He feels bad for Ms. Waygan as the only female of a predominately male Board. She is often ganged up on, someone used the term bullied earlier. There's a tone to communicate respectively. No one person's ideas overpower the others. He just asked the Board to remember to treat each other fairly and respectfully and dial it down. Paula Peters- She did not attend the workshop. She is fearful of going to town structured events because of the very thing being talked about. She saw Mr. Fulone's comments online and she was appalled by them. She feels there is a toxic environment in town politics that needs to be addressed, that come in the form of comments like that, silencing Ms. Waygan and Mr. Weeden. We elect people to offices in this town because we care what they think, whether we agree or not, we have put people like yourselves into office to sit at these tables and be intelligent thinkers. If we disagree, we can do that publicly or in meetings. She cannot imagine a consultant would say they will come in and have a workshop, but exclude public officials, it doesn't make sense. In an environment such as that, she is a pretty good thinker, but until that is cleaned up she does not wish to participate. Marjorie Hecht- She would like to set the record straight about the off the wall comments by Planning Board Chairman at the last Select Board meeting concerning the Kickoff LCP workshop held on April 9tt' She and the sixty or so residents who took the time to attend and participate were not empty vessels waiting to be filled. They are active and informed citizens who think about town issues. It's insulting to hear that Mr. Fulone thinks community leaders are clueless dummies. All the workshop tables came up with good ideas, and the same concerns and hopes for Mashpee. Perhaps those views are what Mr. Fulone doesn't like. She sat at the table with two previous speakers and Planning Board member Ms. Waygan. Ms. Waygan told everyone who she was and said she would speak last so as not to influence anyone. She took notes on their ideas. This table included the head of Mashpee Clean Waters, Finance Committee member Mike Richardson, representatives from two pond protection groups, a young realtor, and a Wampanoag Tribe leader. These are not exactly people likely to be swayed by any elected official. She doesn't think Mr. Fulone heard anything that went on at that table, although he discussed it. He was using a public forum to advance a personal agenda, not the elected 4