The State Ethics Commission has concluded its investigation into an anonymous complaint filed against Planning Board member Margaret Oldfield, finding that no further action is required. The complaint stemmed from comments Oldfield made during an April 30th discussion regarding the town’s ongoing efforts to navigate state-mandated MBTA zoning requirements. Reporting the news during the board’s September 11th meeting, Oldfield noted that the commission finalized its decision on August 26th. She explained that her previous remarks focused on the difficulties of finding legislative solutions for the town, stating, The discussion was regarding how enormously frustrating it was to keep trying to produce workarounds to the MBTA zoning. I’m happy to report that on August 26th, the state ethics commission found that no further action on their part is needed and the case is concluded.

The board also performed a comprehensive review of proposed zoning amendments for signs, aiming to streamline regulations before the Fall Town Meeting. A key point of contention involved protecting business owners from administrative errors made by town staff. Member Jim Davis advocated for language that prevents the town from revoking a permit if the mistake originated in Town Hall. Davis argued, If the town makes a mistake, the owner shouldn't have to remove their sign. If a permit was issued in error, the building commissioner shall not revoke said permit and the sign shall be allowed to remain. The board agreed to strike a provision that previously allowed revocation for signs issued in error.

Resident and Zoning Board of Appeals member Kathleen O’Donnell provided technical feedback during the public hearing, suggesting that the document replace shorthand acronyms with formal titles to avoid confusion. O’Donnell noted, In section 6.C.1, the initials ZBA are used. I recommend that be changed to Zoning Board of Appeals... In 7.C.3, it says 'the board.' It should be the Zoning Board of Appeals because 'the board' is not a defined term. The board incorporated several of O’Donnell's suggestions as they worked to standardize definitions, including the removal of the word Normal from the definition of grade to focus on existing or newly established levels.

Timing for community events also triggered debate, with the board extending the duration for street banners from eight to 15 days to ensure they cover two full weekends. Member Cheryl Tougias expressed a desire to keep the town’s aesthetic organized, noting, We’re going to have signs all over our town... I would like to put some kind of limitation on temporary signs. 30 days seems like a long time for a banner. Assistant Town Administrator Nick Connors cautioned the board that certain sections regarding specific sign types still require legal scrutiny to avoid First Amendment issues. Connors warned, I just want to highlight that Peter Melo said 9 through 12 could all potentially be content-based and problematic... we need the municipal law unit to give feedback.

Member Sean Fahy questioned the origin of recent edits to the traffic mitigation articles, asking, Who made these edits? Did we make these? Tougias clarified that she had provided the redlined versions to track the board's previous discussions. The board is currently awaiting final legal review from KP Law on the traffic mitigation language, which is expected to be ready for the Select Board’s late-September meeting. Motion Made by S. Fahy to continue the public hearing for the zoning articles for Fall Town Meeting to Tuesday, September 23rd at 7:05 p.m. Motion Passed 5-0-0.

In personnel news, the town is preparing to welcome Liz Manning as the new Planning Director on October 1st. Connors highlighted her background in both planning and Community Preservation Committee (CPC) work as a significant asset. This leadership transition comes as the board manages a $90,000 FY27 budget request, which includes $40,000 specifically targeted at cleaning up Milton’s conflicting zoning code. Chair Meredith Hall also provided an update on the long-delayed stoplight project at the Squantum Street exit. Hall reported that the project is currently on pause due to revisions required by Mass Historical and concerns from local property owners regarding land taking. Hall noted, The stoplight at the Squantum Street exit, which has been in process with DOT for a while, has been paused.

Larry Laugher, Chair of the Local Historic District Study Committee, appeared during public comment to reassure the board that the committee’s work on a Milton Village historic district bylaw is ongoing after a brief hiatus. Laugher said, We have not died. We took a backseat because there’s a lot going on in Milton, but we’re back now. We need to circulate the new bylaw and make sure that the planning committee and the historical commission and all the players provide support before we go to the next town meeting. Chair Hall invited the committee to present their revisions at the board’s October 9th meeting.

The board concluded its business by reaffirming its representatives to various town committees for the coming year. Motion Made by M. Oldfield to designate Jim Davis to be the representative to the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, Margaret Oldfield to be the board’s representative to the Climate Action Planning Committee, and Meredith Hall to be the board’s representative to the Open Space and Recreation Master Planning Committee. Motion Passed 5-0-0.