Milton Planning Board member Sean Fahy signaled a potential showdown at the upcoming Town Meeting, announcing he will move to block the creation of a permanent Master Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC). During the board’s October 23 meeting, Fahy expressed frustration over Article 5, which seeks to transition the temporary MPIC into a standing committee. I am not a fan of rushing anything, Fahy stated, noting he only learned of the proposal when the warrant arrived in his mailbox. I will request the article be pulled back and the MPIC be granted another year extension so we can collaboratively create this article together. I don't like the idea of creating a permanent committee in perpetuity in a rushed format without the participation of the Planning Board.

The debate highlighted a rift over how the town monitors its long-term goals. While Member Cheryl Tougias defended the proposal, noting the committee worked within a tight one-week window to submit the article in August, other members shared Fahy’s discomfort. Member Margaret Oldfield remarked that government should be slow and steady, suggesting the MPIC had been running parallel to the Planning Board without sufficient coordination. Chair Meredith Hall raised concerns that the current language might confuse residents regarding the Planning Board's statutory authority to determine the focus of future master plans. Following the discussion, the board tasked new Planning Director Elizabeth Manning with consulting the Town Administrator to see if a one-year extension is procedurally possible under the existing warrant article.

The meeting also marked the debut of Manning, the town’s new Director of Planning and Community Development. Manning immediately dove into the FY27 budget cycle, reporting a need for significant funding to overhaul the town's complicated zoning bylaws. Tougias noted that while the department typically receives $50,000 for studies, they previously requested $40,000 for recodification that was not funded. Nick [Milano] said we could probably justify $100,000 for next year, Tougias said. Our zoning code is not easy to work with. It's out of date and lacks user-friendliness... There's things in conflict with state law that need to be fixed.

Further financial and administrative hurdles were identified during a review of a new 17-page draft for site plan review rules. The draft includes procedures for a new bylaw that Manning described as a catch-all for projects of various scales. Member Jim Davis raised alarms over the potential impact on small-scale local builders, specifically questioning a proposed $5,000 fee. If you do a three-family, does this trigger the five grand fee and eight sets of plans? Davis asked. It seems like a ridiculous amount of protocol for a small project. If I saw this, I'd just remodel a single-family and move on. Tougias noted that the board included waiver provisions in the bylaw to provide flexibility for smaller developments.

Manning also updated the board on several expiring strategic plans, including the Housing Production Plan which ends in 2025. This plan is viewed as a critical shield against unfavorable 40B developments by demonstrating the town’s progress toward affordable housing goals. Additionally, Manning is working to finalize the hiring of a new department assistant to help clear a backlog of meeting minutes from eight previous sessions. Chair Hall emphasized that with a full planning department now in place, Manning should act as the hub of the wheel to ensure communication between various town committees remains centralized and transparent.