What Will Madison Look Like In 10 Years? Process Is Underway To Help Determine That

A process initiated in 2009 to help the town plan for the next decade took another step Monday night when the Board of Selectmen approved a proposal to spend $77,000 to update the town's Plan of Conservation and Development.

The Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) was last updated in 2000. It originally was to be updated every 10 years, but the town received an extension on that deadline, said Christopher Traugh, a member of the town's Planning and Zoning Commission. He said the town is on track to complete the POCD within the time granted for the extension. 

That's important, he said, because the town may otherwise become ineligible for state discretionary funds if it does not complete it in a timely manner.

Money to be budgeted for a variety of work

The $77,000 will come from the town's planning reserve fund and will be budgeted as follows:

• $57,000 for committee work
• $11,000 for Planning and Zoning review and the statutory adoption process
• $4,000 for printing and deliverable expenses, and
• an allowance of $5,000 for possible additional meetings

Planimetrics, a company from Avon, will be helping the town with the process, Traugh said. Much work has already been done in preparation for the POCD revisions, Traugh said, including the formation of a steering committee, organizational meetings, public workshops, a professionally administered random sample telephone survey, and review meetings.

Board of Finance must approve proposal as well

Phase II of the project will include another steering committee meeting, a more comprehensive survey of Madison residents, review of the public informational meetings, and additional meetings.

The proposal to spend $77,000 as part of this process also has to be approved by the Board of Finance, which meets next on Aug. 31st.

In other action at the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday night:

• the board approve a grant from the Department of Transportation for On-Demand Dial-A-Ride transportation for senior citizens and disabled citizens to Senior Services for $24,002. This is the fifth year of funding for this.
• the board approved a request from the Director of Health to accept a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant from the state Department of Public Health for $11,340 for 2011-2012.
• the board updated the classification of Nancy Martucci, assistant town clerk, to Deputy Town Clerk at $19.64/hour retroactive to July 1,2011. Also, upon the retirement of Town Clerk Dolly Bean, Martucci will be appointed Acting Town Clerk until a permanent replacement is found, for a monthly stipend of $1,500 in addition to her hourly wage.
• the board appointed a Historic District Study Committee for the Boston Post Road from Rockledge Drive to Mungertown Road and appointed members John Lind, Garry Leonard, Eric Berg, Thomas Boyle, and Susan Cartledge, and alternate members Eileen Banisch, Peter Horton, and Eric Axberg.
• the board appointed Eileen and Gunnar Johnson to the Madison Center Project Committee and reappointed Pam McKinnon, Andrew Brauer, Lorey Walz, Eileen Banisch, Gail Fearon, and Ryan Duques.
• the board recognized the resignation of Selectman Diane Stadterman from the Planning and Zoning Commission and appointed Craig Bernard to fill that vacancy for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2014.