HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board minutes 11-04-1998 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF NOVEMBER 4, 1998
Chairman Merrill called the meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Selectmen's Meeting Room,
Town Office Building, to order at 7.11 p.m. Members Bridge-Denzak, Colman, Davies, and Planning Director
+ Bowyer,were present.Mr. Galaitsis was not present.
199 Candidates for Assistant Planner
The Board met to interview candidates for the Assistant Planner position which will be vacated when Mr
Marino starts his new position as Economic Development Officer for the Town. Selectman Jeanne Krieger,
who is a liaison from the Board of Selectmen, and a self-described advocate for planning, was present. She
works closely with the Planning Director on the reuse of the Met. State Hospital land and on the HATS-Four
Town Planning Group and with members of the Board on the Hennessy Field Ad Hoc Committee.
Mr. Merrill said that the Board should ask the same set of questions of each applicant. He outlined some
questions he thought were important and other Board members contributed suggestions as well. After
discussion it was agreed that the Board would pose four questions and topics for discussion:
1) Why is the applicant attracted to or interested in this job?
2) Ask the applicant to discuss professional and technical strengths and weaknesses. Potential topics
include subdivisions, zoning and site plan review, policy making experience and planning studies.
3) Communication skills and style. How does the applicant interact with the public, with developers,
with staff of other departments,and with a board.
4) What are the applicant's impressions of planning in Lexington, of the Board and of the Planning
Department staff?
The Board then interviewed two persons: one with 19 years of professional planning experience, all of which
was with consulting firms and a second with 26 years of professional planning experience with a mixture of
public agency experience and work with consulting firms.
After the interviews the Board evaluated the two candidates. That discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of
the two candidates pointed toward the need for the Board to be clearer on what it is looking for. After
discussion, the Board agreed that its emphasis should be more on a person capable of succeeding Mr Bowyer
as the Planning Director than of filling the Assistant Planner position.
The Board agreed to interview the third and final candidate on Monday,November 9, before the Special Town
Meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:56 p.m.
/Sr Mt"'
Steven L. Colman, Clerk