Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020 BOARD | FROM PAGE 4 at providing the town with protection before the moratorium on multifamily buildings expires in April of next year. A Special Town Meeting last year approved an article that placed a two-year ban on the issuance of any new building permits for the construction of multifamily dwellings consisting of three or more dwelling units in any zoning district in the town. Rossetti said he isn’t worried about potential legal ramifi cations from the Planning Board’s inactivity. “Theoretically, it’s October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Portal To Hope sends special thanks to our program supporters and volunteers! For more information about Portal To Hope, or to get involved in the cause to end domestic violence, please call (781) 338-7678, or visit www.portaltohope.org Join Portal To Hope’s Domestic Violence Task Force or Youth Leadership and Safety Council FORCING THE ISSUE: After months of questioning town offi - cials on why the Planning Board hasn’t met in months, fi rstterm Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Joe Vecchione recently prompted a public discussion when he wrote some emails to the Board of Selectmen. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) not like a developer could turn around and sue us or sue the town, because we are protected by the COVID requirements now in eff ect,” he said. Planning Board opposed meeting electronically In this week’s interview, Rossetti stressed that it was the majority of the Planning Board members who voted against meeting, even via “Zoom.” “I did contact all of the board members and asked them if they wanted to meet,” Rossetti said. “Three voted against meeting,” he said. ”As chair, I didn’t vote,” he said. Essentially, the board was inA BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. LOW MONTHLY FEES - ONLINE BANKING & BILL PAY REMOTE DEPOSIT CAPTURE - COIN SERVICES TALK TO US TODAY ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNTS. WE’LL HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT OPTION. EVERETT – 419 BROADWAY LYNNFIELD – 7 7 1 SALEM STREET 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 Visit our website to learn more at: EVERETTBANK . COM Member FDIC Member DIF fl uenced by the town counsel’s legal opinion, which discouraged members from even holding meetings via “Zoom” teleconferencing. At the time, Rossetti said, he could understand why a majority of the Planning Board members didn’t want to hold remote meetings. “Somebody is going to be asking ‘Why did you go against a legal opinion you paid for?’” Rossetti said. “So, I could understand that. It was the determination of counsel that it’s not the thing to do, because they didn’t think the public would be adequately represented,” he said. There was also the logistical problem of presenting complex documents on the screen so members of the public could understand. And the ability of members of the public to participate in the process was limited. That was part of the board’s attitude, according to Rossetti. What the legal opinion says An Aug. 19 legal opinion auRIGHT BY YOU thored by Town Counsel John J. Vasapolli seems to be the main reason for the Planning Board’s apparent indiff erence to meeting via “Zoom” teleconferencing. And, thus it appears to be a contributing factor to the board being in limbo all of these months. “While the Zoom platform off ers a convenient, accessible means of conducting remote meetings, our recommendation is that it be used, if at all, for routine, uncomplicated business and not for conducting substantive hearings,” Vasapolli wrote in his two-page opinion more than two months ago. “We have several reasons for this. First, it is our understanding that some of the members of the Board, and Board staff , may not have the equipment or technological skills needed to use the full range of features that Zoom provides via internet videoconferencing. Although Zoom allows participation by phone, we do not feel that is an adequate substitute for the collaborative and discursive nature of an in-person meeting,” the opinion continued. “Relatedly, getting the most out of Zoom requires having a Host who is highly conversant in this technology and capable of managing a potentially high number of participants and their participation in meetings. Additionally, the introduction of plans and other complex documents could prove to be diffi cult in the zoom format.” Vasapolli recommended the board publish a notice advising the public why the Planning Board hasn’t been meeting electronically: “...in accordance with the advice of counsel … the Planning Board has opted to decline to conduct public meetings and/or public hearings via remote/electronic means until further notice due to technical consideration and concerns that proceeding remotely/electronically could limit public participation.” Meanwhile, Rossetti said he hopes the Planning Board will begin holding “Zoom” meetings soon. “I can understand why they don’t want to meet in person, because of the COVID,” Rossetti said. “But they should be able to meet electronically, though. Other boards are meeting, so why can’t we?”
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