About PZC Meetings

Agenda & Minutes

The PZC normally holds its Regular Meetings on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (except August), although holidays and other circumstances can cause adjustments, and Special Meetings may also be called.  The PZC also has "Site Walk" Meetings (generally on Sunday mornings), when we visit properties that are subject to pending applications.  All meetings, including site walks, are open to the public to observe.  Public participation/comment is also welcome during "Public Hearings" (see below).  

To be sure about dates, times, locations, and topics of meetings, always check our upcoming and historical agendas which are posted online.  The agenda for an upcoming meeting is typically posted on the Friday before each Tuesday meeting, although it may be delayed or revised through Monday.  Certain adjustments to the agenda may also be made at the meeting, upon a two-thirds vote of Commissioners.

The PZC also publishes our meeting minutes online, and (since Nov 2020) we also aim to post complete Zoom audio recordings.  (Please note that the meeting minutes are a legal requirement; the Zoom audio is provided as a courtesy and may not be 100% reliable due to technology glitches, speakers not near microphones, etc.  Audio files may also not be retained long-term, due to storage requirements.)  The written minutes are considered the official legal record, and are marked "unapproved" until the Commission has an opportunity to review and approve them in a subsequent meeting. 

Meeting Format & Procedures

It is not uncommon for PZC Regular Meetings to last 3+ hours.  We generally begin with any "Public Hearings" for the evening, since those are often the reason for public attendance.  After any Public Hearings, the Commission handles its Old Business (anything left unfinished from previous meetings), and then its New Business.  

Within each category, multiple items are generally sorted in age order, with the oldest items going first.  The Commission may re-order topics for any reason (e.g. efficiency, to accommodate a planned presenter, etc.), but this is our general practice.  To know the order of topics for any meeting, it is important to check the agenda.  

The PZC was one of the first town entities to commit to full-hybrid meetings (i.e. allowing two-way interaction in-person and/or via Zoom).  Except for weather events or other unusual circumstances, it is our intention to continue this practice.

Public Hearings

Because the PZC has a quasi-judicial role in adjudicating zoning applications, what we "hear" and "discuss" related to an application must be on-the-record, in a forum where the applicant and other interested parties are given an equal opportunity to participate.    

A Public Hearing is that forum - for the applicant (and often their experts) to present their proposal, and for any other interested party to also contribute their questions, concerns, evidence, and testimony.  Other parties are permitted to bring their own experts, advisors, or representatives.  PZC members may question the applicant and/or anyone else who presents testimony or evidence.  Beyond Special Permit applications, the PZC also holds Public Hearings when it considers other matters such as regulation amendments, zone changes, etc.  

During a Public Hearing, in addition to the applicant/proponent, the PZC may also hear a report from its own staff; and/or "referral report(s)" from other town officials or departments; and/or "consultant(s) report(s)" from outside experts the PZC has engaged.  Public Hearings for simple matters can take 10 minutes, but for complex matters the Public Hearing may take an hour or more, and could be "continued" through multiple meetings.

If you wish to submit testimony or evidence for the PZC to consider during a Public Hearing, you may appear in person (or via Zoom) at the relevant meeting and time, and/or you may submit the same in writing via email (before the hearing closes).  Anything submitted will be uploaded to the relevant public file, so it is "on the record" for all interested parties.  The PZC is not permitted to accept testimony or evidence outside the Public Hearing, or confidentially.  

Yearly Meeting Calendar