Moving along with the topic of "progress" (budget available online due to state mandate, FOIA notice being published in local newspapers per state law, one citizen comment acted upon in less than a month), let's continue looking at how other things are advancing. Remember the town motto: Progressive Small Town Living At Its Best.
Contrast the response for meeting a state mandate requiring local budgets on government web sites to the consideration and process used to examine a noise ordinance stemming from citizen suggestions in July 2007. The Planning Commission spent five months preparing a draft noise ordinance after being directed by council to do so. Ultimately, after some research, draft writing, handwringing, wrangling and flipflopping, the PC recommended in November 2007 not to adopt a noise ordinance. And council agreed.
Contrast the low speed/golf carts on town streets comment and less than one-month response time by an ad hoc committee to the PC being directed to review and make recommendations for a Historic District Overlay. That task resulted from a conditional use permit (CUP) for property at 655 Depot Street for residential use in a B3 General Business district last March.
During a public hearing on the CUP, a citizen pointed out this request to allow more rental townhouses was within one of the town's three designated Historic Districts. This seemed to come as a surprise although these districts and properties are referenced numerous times in the Town's Comprehensive Plan and had been established for decades. The special permit application brought out council discussion about protecting these designated areas, compatible uses, and being consistent with the town's Comprehensive Plan. After the PC recommended denial of this CUP, however, some last minute proffers were presented to the council and that evening's citizen hearing was eliminated, curtailing other related public comment. Council voted to reject the PC's recommendation to deny the application, a new motion was made and a vote taken. Council approved the CUP.
So at that March meeting, council directed the PC to examine historic district overlays further and bring them back a recommendation. The Department of Historic Resources (DHR) was later scheduled and made a presentation on the numerous benefits of such local ordinances, stating these could be defined as broadly or specifically as a community wished, providing little to substantial economic incentives.
Five months after being assigned this task, the chairman of the PC instructed members to be thinking about questions they'd like to see on a survey, who should be asked these questions, and how this entire process might be approached -- all to be discussed at future meetings.
Five months later, perhaps council and community members should be asking whether this too should be been tasked to an ad hoc committee.
Sometimes, things are simple. Other times, things are more complex. Why? Perhaps due to the topic or issue itself, or relative to the process or approach taken.
Other wags have said it's because the town "always does what it wants anyway" or is responsive to input by some citizens, but not others. One hopes this is not true.