Town of Chelsea, Vermont
Planning Commission
2023 June 01Meeting Minutes

Meeting Information
Planning Commission Members: Bob Brannan
Ed Kuban Gregg Herrin
Justin Sauerwein Neil Kennedy
Absent – Shenia Covey Selectboard Members: Kevin Marshia
TRORC Representatives: Sydney Steinle Community Members: None
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order on 2023 June 01 (Thursday) at approximately 7:00pm, at the Chelsea Town Hall.

Old Business
There was no old business to discuss.

New Business

Welcoming New Planning Commission Members
Gregg Herrin, Justin Sauerwein, and Shenia Covey (absent) were all welcomed to the Planning Commission, having been approved previously by the Selectboard. With the addition of these new members, the quorum requirement was satisfied (allowing the Planning Commission to transact business during the remainder of the meeting).

Appointment of a Chair
It was identified that the Planning Commission is required to have a Chair to oversee the team’s business and keep everyone focused on the most important issues.

Justin Sauerwein motioned to appoint Bob Brannon as Chair, Gregg Herrin seconded, and all voted in favor.
Decision Summary: Bob Brannon was elected as Chair of the Planning Commission.

TRORC Guidance
Sydney Steinle, the assigned representative from TRORC {Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission), presented background information related to the timeline and tasks required to revise the Plan. The revised Plan is scheduled to be filed with TRORC in November of 2023, but updates will need to be finished well ahead of time to meet guidelines related to public input, notification for adjacent towns, etc.
TRORC will assist in updating the Plan to match current statutory requirements, and will guide the Planning Commission in efforts to update content to reflect changes that have occurred in Chelsea over the past several years. TRORC will also be able to provide updated data for several sections of the Plan, although it was noted that updated floodplain maps will not be available in time for this revision. Since a TRORC representative is directly assisting, there is a very low risk of the revised Plan not being approved by the Regional Commission.
Acknowledging that there is substantial work to be done in a compressed timeframe, it was decided that the initial revision will have a primary focus on bringing the current Plan into compliance with changes in statutory requirements, and will seek to involve public input only in ways that do not endanger the timeline.
Sydney Steinle will also keep the official drafts as the work progresses, and will circulate updated content to the Planning Commission to ensure that everyone has current content available for review and discussion. When reviewing content, Planning Commission members are allowed to circulate proposed edits and comments to the group, but may not discuss those edits on email, since that would violate public meeting rules about having all discussion in a public forum.

Determination of Energy Compliance Certification
The Planning Commission will need to decide whether to seek a Determination of Energy Compliance Certification as part of this planning process. This has to do with things like solar fields, cell towers, and so on (not just energy). Having this certification is not a guarantee that the town can overrule something that a utility wants to do (like put up a new cell tower), but without this certification the town has no leverage at all to support any objections or redirections.
□ Planning Commission to research Determination of Energy Compliance Certification, and be
prepared to discuss at the next meeting to decide whether to pursue it.

Chapter-by-Chapter Updates
Sydney Steinle suggested that the most effective way to proceed is for her to assign sections of the Plan for the Planning Commission to review prior to each meeting. She will make suggested edits to the

sections in advance of the meetings, and the Planning Commission will review those changes along with any additional comments, suggestions, or revisions.
□ Planning Commission to review roughly the first 25 pages of the Plan prior to the next meeting,
covering the Chapters on Introduction, Economic Development, and Housing.

Next Meeting
Decision Summary: The next Planning Commission meeting will be on 2023 June 14 (Wednesday) at 7:00pm, at the Chelsea Town Hall.

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00pm.