SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2794        FILED ON: 10/12/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2467

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Julian Cyr

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act changing the name and membership of the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2794        FILED ON: 10/12/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2467

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act changing the name and membership of the Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 561 of the acts of 1973, as most recently amended by section 1 of chapter 347 of the acts of 2018, is hereby further amended by striking out section 1 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 1. (a) In order to plan for the orderly and coordinated development and protection of the physical, environmental, social and economic resources of the islands of Nantucket, including the protection of ground, surface and surrounding waters, natural resources, open space and coastal resources, the provision of adequate facilities, including transportation and fair and affordable housing, and the preservation of historic resources, there is hereby established the Nantucket Regional Planning Commission.

(b) The commission shall consist of: 5 members, elected for rotating 3-year terms at the annual town election; and 6 members appointed annually to 1-year terms, 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the planning board of the town of Nantucket, 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the Nantucket Islands Land Bank Commission, 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the Nantucket Historical Commission, 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the Nantucket Housing Authority, 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the county commissioners of Nantucket county and 1 of whom is a representative of and appointed by the conservation commission of the town of Nantucket.

Any vacancy in the elected members shall be filled by a majority vote of the commission until the next regular town election, at which a new member shall be elected to serve the remainder of the vacated term, if any.

In no case shall any of the elected members or appointed members serve on the commission for more than 9 years in total; provided, however, that this section shall not prevent members from serving on other elected or appointed public bodies at any time.

SECTION 2. Section 2 of said chapter 561, as so amended, is hereby further amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The commission shall produce and make available for the annual town meeting a written report of its activities, annually.

SECTION 3. (a) At the first annual town election held after the effective date of this act, the voters of the town shall elect 1 member of the Nantucket Regional Planning Commission for a term of 1 year and 1 member for a term of 2 years; provided, however, that if 3 seats are to be filled at said election, the voters shall also elect 1 member for a term of 3 years. All subsequently elected members shall be elected to rotating 3-year terms pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1 of chapter 561 of the acts of 1973, as inserted by section 1.

(b) Following the first annual town election held after the effective date of this act, the terms of members previously appointed to the commission by their respective boards and commissions shall terminate and appointments shall be made pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1 of chapter 561 of the acts of 1973, as inserted by section 1.

(c) Following the effective date of this act, members previously appointed at-large by the commission shall continue to serve in such capacity until the date their successor is qualified at the regular annual town election held in the calendar year in which their appointed term ends. At such election, the previously appointed at-large member of the commission shall be replaced with an elected member pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1 of chapter 561 of the acts of 1973. At no time shall the sum of elected members and previously appointed at-large members on the commission exceed 5 in total. In all such cases, previously appointed at-large members shall serve until successor elected members are elected and qualified.

SECTION 4. Years served prior to the effective date of this act shall not count towards the term limit established under the third paragraph of subsection (b) of section 1 of chapter 561 of the acts of 1973, as inserted by section 1.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage.