HomeMy Public PortalAboutBCAG_Revision_ProposalAugust 8, 2016
Brewster Coastal Advisory Group Meeting #7
Subject: Revision of strategy document for consideration by group
Submitted by: Ruth Courtnell
This is a suggestion to revise sections of the draft document that address in-
stitutional responsibility and contain reference to the existing, suspended
town Coastal Committee.
In preparation for submitting this revision for consideration, an email query
to the town as to whether the recommendation outlined below is within the
purview of the BCAG, Select Board chair, John Dickson answered in the affir-
mative. In advance of this meeting, the text below has been provided to
Mike Embury, Town Administrator, John Dickson, Chair, Brewster Board of
Selectmen, and Chris Miller, Director of the Department of Natural Re-
sources.
Text of proposed revision:
Government Structure and Implementation
The town currently has a suspended Coastal Committee whose charge is to
develop a management plan for Brewster's coastal resources and to under-
take much of the assessment, study and identification work now accom-
plished in this strategy. Going forward, the best path to insure the integra-
tion of this strategy in town decision making is the establishment of a new,
permanent Coastal Resource Management Board.
Establishing a permanent public body to oversee coastal resource manage-
ment will provide consistency of scope and authority in applying the vision,
guiding principles and recommendations of this strategy. Although a perma-
nent public body may be established by a vote of the Select Board or with a
bylaw passed at town meeting, the importance of comprehensive coastal re-
August 8, 2016
source management as outlined in this strategy is permanent and critical to
the town, and seeking the approval of a bylaw by two thirds of the voters at
town meeting is recommended over a vote by elected officials.
Therefore, it is recommended to:
Ask the Town Administrator to create a task force to develop the para-
meters for a Coastal Resource Management Board. The task force will
include identified stakeholders in the coastal resource management
process drawn from the BCAG, town officials, town employees, and
Brewster residents and will consult with professional services as neces-
sary.
Assign the task force these objectives:
Draft a bylaw which establishes the CRMB and defines its purpose,
responsibility, accountability, membership and required procedure
to be recommended for inclusion on the warrant for the next town
meeting
Draft a set of procedural bylaws to be considered for adoption by
the CRMB for governing their actions
Draft a management plan based on this strategy to be considered
for approval and subsequent administration by the CRMB
The task force will not be a public body subject to Open Meeting
Law since it will be strictly advisory and will not make jurisdiction-
al decisions
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