Rural Land Management Board

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Rural Land Management Board convened on November 20, 2019, at 3:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting addressed three agenda items, all of which were approved by the board. The board took five votes during the session and heard one public comment.

The meeting focused on routine administrative matters and one substantive land use request. The board first approved the minutes from their October 30, 2019 meeting, then established their 2020 meeting schedule. The primary business item involved consideration of Farm 28-2002, a housing request submitted by Shirley McQuillan, which received board approval.

All three agenda items resulted in favorable outcomes, indicating consensus among board members on the matters presented. The single public comment provided community input on the proceedings, though the specific content and topic of the comment were not detailed in the available records.

Attendance

The following board members were present at the November 20, 2019 meeting:

• Beth Cawood Overman
• Phil Myers
• Robert James
• Will
• Jennifer
• Healy
• Margaret
• Dennis
• Zach
• Elizabeth
• Keith Horn
• Shirley McQuillan

Absent: • Tracy

No board members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Board conducted five votes during the November 20, 2019 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Approval of Minutes 2:00 Phil Myers motioned to approve the October 30, 2019 meeting minutes, with Robert James providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition.

Meeting Schedule Changes 45:00 Margaret motioned to maintain 12 meetings per year with the possibility of canceling some meetings when necessary. Healy seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote with one abstention.

Meeting Start Time 50:00 Elizabeth motioned to change the meeting start time to 3:00 PM, seconded by Healy. The motion passed by voice vote with one abstention.

Housing Request Approval 1:20:00 Margaret motioned to approve a housing request for Farm 28-2002, with Healy Bell providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote with the condition that approval is contingent on approval from the Division of Building Inspection.

Committee Resignation 2:30:00 Phil motioned to accept Nick's resignation from the long-range planning and ordinance review committee, seconded by Robert James. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.

All motions were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, so individual member voting records were not recorded. The Board demonstrated efficiency in processing routine business items while ensuring proper procedural requirements were met for each decision.

Public Comment

The Board received one public comment during the November 20, 2019 meeting.

Shirley McQuillan spoke in support of the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program 1:25:00. McQuillan expressed her appreciation for the PDR program and its role in protecting agricultural land. She noted that while she was not initially aware of the program when she purchased her farm, she has come to value its importance in preserving farming operations and protecting agricultural properties from development pressures.

Appointments

The Board addressed one personnel matter during the November 20, 2019 meeting.

• Nick Carter resigned from the long-range planning and ordinance review committee

The resignation was noted by the Board, though no additional details were provided regarding the timing or reasons for Carter's departure from the committee role.

Contested Items

The November 20, 2019 Board meeting featured one significant area of disagreement regarding the proposed 2020 meeting schedule.

2020 Meeting Schedule Reduction

Board members engaged in a heated discussion over a proposal to reduce the number of regular board meetings from 12 to 8 for the upcoming year. The debate centered on practical concerns about scheduling difficulties that had plagued the board throughout 2019, weighed against the operational need to maintain sufficient meeting frequency for timely board approvals and oversight.

Proponents of the reduction argued that fewer meetings would alleviate persistent scheduling conflicts that had resulted in postponements and difficulty achieving quorum. They contended that eight strategically scheduled meetings could accommodate the board's essential business while providing more predictable scheduling for members.

Opposition to the proposal focused on concerns that reducing meeting frequency could create bottlenecks for time-sensitive decisions requiring board approval. Some members expressed worry that fewer meetings might compromise the board's ability to provide adequate oversight of ongoing initiatives and respond promptly to emerging issues.

The discussion became particularly intense as board members debated whether the scheduling difficulties experienced in 2019 were representative of ongoing challenges or temporary issues that could be resolved through better coordination. Members also disagreed on whether the proposed eight-meeting schedule would provide sufficient opportunities for thorough deliberation on complex matters.

The outcome of this contentious discussion was not immediately resolved during the meeting, with the item requiring further consideration and potential revision before final adoption of the 2020 meeting calendar.

Approval of the October 30, 2019 Minutes

2:00

The Board reviewed the minutes from their October 30, 2019 meeting for approval. During the discussion, a minor amendment was identified regarding the applications and donations report section of the previous meeting's minutes.

Key speakers Phil Myers and Robert James participated in the discussion of the proposed changes to ensure accuracy in the official record. The amendment addressed specific details in the applications and donations report to better reflect what was actually discussed and decided during the October 30th meeting.

Following the discussion of the amendment, the Board moved to approve the October 30, 2019 minutes as corrected. The motion was approved, officially adopting the minutes with the minor revision to the applications and donations report section.

2020 Meeting Schedule

30:00

The Board discussed agenda item III.a regarding the 2020 meeting schedule during their November 20, 2019 meeting. The primary debate centered on whether to reduce the number of scheduled Board meetings from the current 12 meetings per year to 8 meetings.

Key speakers in the discussion included Will, Elizabeth, Jennifer, and Margaret, who presented various perspectives on the proposed schedule change. The conversation explored the practical implications of fewer meetings and how this might affect the Board's ability to conduct necessary business throughout the year.

After deliberation, the Board ultimately decided to maintain the existing schedule of 12 meetings for 2020. However, they agreed to build in flexibility by allowing for the possibility of canceling individual meetings if circumstances warrant it. This approach provides the Board with regular meeting opportunities while acknowledging that not all scheduled sessions may be necessary depending on the volume of business and other factors that may arise during the year.

The 2020 meeting schedule was approved with this understanding that the full complement of 12 meetings would be scheduled, with the option to cancel meetings as needed based on the Board's workload and priorities throughout the year.

Farm 28-2002, Shirley McQuillan - Housing Request

1:20:00

The Board considered a housing request from Shirley McQuillan regarding Farm 28-2002. McQuillan requested approval to add a mobile home on her farm property to house a farm employee.

Beth Cawood Overman presented the item to the Board, with Shirley McQuillan speaking on behalf of her request. The discussion centered on the need for on-site housing for agricultural workers and the appropriate procedures for adding temporary housing structures on farm properties.

The Board approved McQuillan's request to place a mobile home on Farm 28-2002 for employee housing purposes. However, the approval was made contingent upon obtaining proper approval from the Division of Building Inspection, ensuring that all building codes and safety requirements would be met before the mobile home could be installed and occupied.

This conditional approval allows McQuillan to proceed with her housing plans while maintaining compliance with local building regulations and inspection requirements.