[MassHistPres] Contents of MassHistPres digest...142, 2 Application process question (Ralph Slate)

[Jane Loos]

RE:  question about holding a “closed door” meeting with an applicant.  Check the updated Open Meeting Law.  It is my understanding that the only time the public may be excluded from a meeting of a public body is from an “Executive” session.  The subject matter of the “executive" session must be identified in the public record - the Minutes of the Meeting record when that the public body went into executive session for that particular matter.  Westport Historical Commission (WHC) has used executive sessions when dealing with litigation matters.  


WHC offers applicants the opportunity to come to us very early in the process of their thinking and decision-making about making changes to a property in the Westport Point Historic District.   It is not necessary that the applicants present detailed plans, though many do come with preliminary sketches.  The purpose of such a meeting is to talk through the applicants’ objectives, concerns, possible alternatives being considered.  WHC does not offer specific recommendations or give preliminary approvals,  but gives guidance about  the concepts that WHC would use to evaluate the proposed project and point to other “appropriate” solutions that were found in other projects elsewhere.  

 A preliminary review takes place during a regularly scheduled WHC public meeting, the agenda for which is posted in advance with our Town Clerk and on WHC webpage.   Abutters do attend on some occasions,  as it is their right to attend any open public meeting.   Public meetings in Westport are videotaped and presented on local access television.

in the long-run, we find that a preliminary review can save a lot of time/energy for the applicant, and for WHC when it receives the formal application.  There are fewer “continuations” of public hearings when there has been a preliminary review.  This also helps inform those who attend/see the video about WHC guidelines and how they may be applied to this project.  We think this increases public confidence in WHC ultimate decisions.

Jane Loos, WHC Member and Clerk