Poultney Planning Commission Minutes Discrepancy from Aug 19th Meeting

I want to bring something concerning to the community’s attention regarding the draft minutes from the August 19 Planning Commission meeting. During the discussion of the proposed Short Term Rental Ordinance, there was significant community turnout roughly 15 people attended in person and approximately 10 participated remotely. Every community member who spoke during the STR discussion expressed opposition to the proposed ordinance. Numerous concerns were raised about the need for the ordinance, and community members specifically asked the Commission not to continue pursuing it. While the draft minutes summarize some of the concerns that were raised, they do not reflect the number of people who spoke in opposition or the overwhelming sentiment expressed by those who participated in the STR discussion. What I find particularly concerning is what the minutes document afterward. After the STR discussion concluded and most of us had left, the Commission moved on to other business. Later, during Public Comments and Concerns, one individual spoke in support of the Commission continuing its work on the STR ordinance. The draft minutes specifically identify that individual by name and clearly document his support. I have absolutely no issue with someone supporting the ordinance or having that opinion included in the minutes. Their voice deserves to be documented just as much as anyone else’s. My concern is fairness and accuracy. Someone reading these minutes without attending or watching the meeting could come away with a very different impression of the public participation that actually occurred. Because of these concerns, I formally submitted my concerns in writing to the Planning Commission. I cited 1 V.S.A. § 312(b)(1) of Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, which states: “The minutes shall cover all topics and motions that arise at the meeting and give a true indication of the business of the meeting.” I explained why I believe the current draft does not give a complete picture of the STR discussion and recommended that the minutes be corrected before being formally approved. The Planning Commission responded to my email and stated that the draft minutes will be brought before the Commission for approval at its September 16 meeting along with my concerns. This gives the Commission an opportunity to review these concerns and make appropriate corrections before the minutes become the approved record. There is also another issue I noticed that I have not formally raised with the Commission at this time. Vermont's Open Meeting law, 1 V.S.A. § 312(b)(1)(B), requires meeting minutes to include “all other active participants in the meeting.” Several community members actively participated in the STR discussion but were not identified by name and instead were referred to generally as “other members of the public.” I have taken no action on that particular issue at this point. I hope the Commission reviews the draft as a whole and resolves it before the September 16 meeting. This isn’t about demanding that the minutes favor those who oppose the ordinance. It’s about expecting the official public record to fairly represent what actually happened. If one person who supports continuing the ordinance is identified by name and their position is specifically recorded, then the significant turnout and opposition expressed by the community should not effectively disappear from the record. The minutes are still marked DRAFT, so there is an opportunity to correct them. I hope the Planning Commission does so. Draft Meeting Minutes: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6019a62b23e13c48ec439e5f/t/6a8cb357dfa0c52e894f5403/1787605847441/August+19%2C+2026+Minutes+DRAFT.pdf Meeting Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/FYrbvABBHC6dy0VSSmCLkLaS2RTuuiS8L3D_x2uCvcv7nCLNkSvQiEOwYEMdi4RkB8hpOyPwAlEcCPXh.RV4bvSP8lUcOq6b6?accessLevel=meeting&canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&continueMode=true&oldStyle=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2F_V7_IeN6sjLlJLDCeL4H4Puww9UZJSjmzPkDzgzmY06tXMlLpX0O2qpvCQkGPQsZ.aMnWKd-53-kzd83A