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At least 2 or 3 times a year, I inform our ZBA and Planning Board members about the availability of upcoming training offered by the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (including the all-day session at Holy Cross in Worcester which has been in the March/April
timeframe the past 2 years). I make it clear the Town can pay the fee for this training. Most members do not take advantage of the online training, but at least one has. We have difficulty getting membership on our volunteer ZBA but our Planning Board
is fully staffed with elected members.. </div>
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Perhaps I need to provide written training materials to the Board members since there is reluctance do the online training - such as the 2015 Planning Board Resource Book or other materials. Any suggestions for such training materials? </div>
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I think Rep Kassner's email (to this listserv this morning) clarifies the nature of this training - as a one-hour module much like conflict-of-interest training. I think that would be useful. It is hard to imagine that would prevent someone from volunteering
for our ZBA as it can be done at their leisure. In contrast, I think the CPTC courses are in a specific time window such as 5 pm to 7 pm on a Monday night or similar scheduling basis.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134);">Richard Jordan (Rick)</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134);">Avon Town Planner</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134);"><u><a href="mailto:Email :" id="OWA3e09d0f4-c190-2531-58db-fd74da860b29" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(23, 78, 134); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Email :</a></u>
<u><a href="mailto:RJordan@avon-ma.gov" id="OWA9068e3e2-b7e1-868a-5e7b-d2eac4e33d1b" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(23, 78, 134); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">RJordan@avon-ma.gov</a></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134);">65 E. Main Street-Avon, MA 02322</span></p>
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</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134); background-color: white;">774-480-1682</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype", serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(23, 78, 134);"> at Town Hall</span></p>
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<img width="62" height="61" style="width: 62px; height: 61px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" data-outlook-trace="F:2|T:2" src="cid:204149e9-7526-4248-9b63-b694bee2388a"></p>
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<b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org> on behalf of Maren Toohill via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 5, 2025 9:42 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Edgartown Planning Board <planningboard@edgartown-ma.us>; Ralph Willmer <ralphwillmer.apa@gmail.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Mass Planners <massplanners@masscptc.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Upcoming legislative hearing</div>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Very well said; thank you for weighing in!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Offering my (very biased) opinion. If residents knew that they would be provided with appropriate training, perhaps they would feel empowered to offer their
volunteer services to the Town.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Maren</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Maren A. Toohill, AICP</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Town Planner</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">978/540-2425</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><u><a href="mailto:MToohill@littletonma.org" id="OWA1d79e83b-b478-c257-500f-a5fd1b570ebf" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">MToohill@littletonma.org</a></u></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Town of Littleton</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Edgartown Planning Board via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 5, 2025 9:24 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Ralph Willmer <ralphwillmer.apa@gmail.com><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Mass Planners <massplanners@masscptc.org><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Upcoming legislative hearing</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><b>Warning \u2013</b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: black;"> THIS EMAIL WAS SENT BY AN EXTERNAL SENDER</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Greetings - <br>
<br>
I for one would be interested to get some feedback from town employees about this. I'm personally of mixed feelings: <br>
<br>
On the one hand: It's hard to get volunteers to step-up, collect signatures, run for office, and stay committeed for a 3 to 5 year period of time. Adding the additional burden of training requirements - even if free - might be the feather to tip the scales
for some. <br>
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On the other hand, I've seen my share of really (putting it nicely) uninformed folks, who don't understand the essential responsibilities of the board. The issue isn't those who are less educated, or even folks with an axe to grind, bur rather... well, you
know the old saying: if all you have in the toolbox is a hammer, all the world looks like a nail. Attorneys will spend half the meeting arguing about the language; builders will spend half the meeting arguing about methods and materials of construction; realtors
will spend half the meeting arguing in favor of 'improved real-estate values' and so on. Having basic education in their responsibilities as a board would be at least a step towards reining this in.<br>
<br>
- Doug.<br>
Westhampton nee Edgartown. </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On Wed, Jun 4, 2025 at 6:46<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">\u202f</span>AM Ralph Willmer via MassPlanners <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" id="OWAed94b2f5-4673-65c1-6d5b-85a119eaf1bf" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">massplanners@masscptc.org</a></u></span>>
wrote:</p>
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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hello -</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted to alert everyone that on June 10th, the Municipalities and Regional Government Committee will be holding a hearing at 1 pm (Room B-1 and virtual) on some legislation of interest
to planners. Among the bills to be heard is H. 2299 regarding mandatory training for planning and zoning boards and H. 2300 regarding associate members to planning boards. Written testimony will be accepted until June 24th.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You can find details about the hearing and each of the bills at
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5212" id="OWA039ad7a3-80bb-966f-f6e0-02150c83c261" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5212</a></u></span>.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ralph Willmer, FAICP</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">MA Chapter Legislative & Policy Officer</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chair, Citizen Planner Training Collaborative</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">--<br>
MassPlanners mailing list<br>
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org" id="OWA4d00198f-55cc-4cc2-1cb5-99fd6a1d6921" class="OWAAutoLink" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a></u></span><br>
<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org" id="OWAe84e2480-8058-36b9-12f4-3182ec483fad" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</a></u></span></p>
</blockquote>
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</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">--</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Edgartown Planning Board</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">PO Box 5130</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Edgartown, MA 01027<br>
413-627-6170</p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Attention! This e-mail originates outside of the organization. Do not open attachments or click links unless you are sure this email is from a known sender and you know the content
is safe. Call the sender to verify if unsure. Otherwise, delete this e-mail.</b></p>
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