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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Hello, again. I’m resending this email because the bill. H3555 (summary attached) remains in committee. Now is the time to take a minute to call the co-chairs listed below and ask that the bill be released from committee. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Thanks for anything you can do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Jeff Lacy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Rural Planning Associates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>896 Graves Road<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Conway, MA 01341<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>(413) 230-9693<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='mso-ligatures:none'> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>ruralplanningassociates--- via MassPlanners<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 17, 2024 2:25 PM<br><b>To:</b> massplanners@masscptc.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Kristin.Kassner@mahouse.gov<br><b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Important Bill in the Legislature!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Greetings, planners:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>I want to alert the planning community to an important planning/zoning bill now in the legislature. The deadline for getting bills out of committee with an “aught to pass” recommendation is fast approaching, so immediate action is needed from planners and planning board members.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Currently, the Attorney General’s interpretation of the state’s Zoning Act limits planning board associate members to serving only for special permits. They can’t do anything else, even count for a quorum so a meeting can take place. <b>House Bill, H3555</b> fixes that to expand associate members duties to include any function of a planning board. See the attached summary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>The bill was filed by Kristin Kassner, a former town planner and one of us. It had a hearing in October and received only favorable testimony from the planning and development communities. <b>Now it’s time to give the bill the push it needs to get out of committee.</b> Please communicate this to the two committee chairs listed below, and your own representatives and senators.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Carole A. Fiola, House Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>24 Beacon St. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Room 236<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Boston, MA 02133<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Phone:(617) 722-2430<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Jacob R. Oliveira, Senate Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>24 Beacon St. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Room 416-B<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Boston, MA 02133<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Phone:(617) 722-1291<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Thanks so much,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Jeff Lacy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>Rural Planning Associates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'>(413) 230-9693<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>