Planning Board Appointment and Lack of Confidence in BOS

At last night's, June 8, Selectmen's meeting, the board voted, 2-1, to not reappoint Jenny Fallon to the Planning Board. Chairman Ralph Jones was in the minority, while Angelo Firenze and Mark Paolillo voted to toss her. About eight people in the audience spoke in favor of Jenny, none against. (I was not in the room, just watching on TV.)

Jenny is finishing her second term, and has been a solid, insightful, and forward-looking performer, with institutional knowledge and an open mind. From my own observation, during my six years on the School Committee – overlapping with two each on Warrant and Capital Budget Committees – the current comprehensive plan, which we had not done for more than 20 years, would not have happened without Jenny's efforts. As a board member, her more visible appearances have been in front of Town Meeting, laying out the merits of planning issues, often zoning changes, needing TM's support.

Selectman Paolillo talked up the need to "restore confidence" in the BOS. He then mentioned the failed effort at this spring's Town Meeting to sell two small parcels of town-owned property. My observation was this was partly TM's vote against the Selectmen, in particular the one presenting, not against the Town's overall planning efforts. I don't see how not re-appointing a solid incumbent would increase the public's confidence in the BOS. This vote did just the opposite for me. My confidence in the BOS has been lowered.

Mr Paolillo also cited relevant experience, here, development experience, for the Planning Board, and the way I heard it, he thought Jenny did not bring enough of that. Did the last six years not count as relevant experience? Selectman Firenze was mostly silent on this topic during this meeting.

This all reminded me of the current Republican and Tea Party ideologues in Congress who want to turn everything over to big business and have government "get out of the way", and the expense of other public interests, both short- and long-term.

During my 15 years in Belmont, a constant complaint is lack of planning from Town officials. Ms Fallon is all about planning. And the name of the board is the Planning Board, not Development Board.