Article 74: The Long Road To Better Long-Range Planning

To the editor: This year, Town Meeting will be asked once again to vote on a home rule petition to reform the NP&EDC, Nantucket’s Regional Planning Agency. What’s different this time is that the two groups who have long been at odds - the citizens petitioning for change and the NP&EDC itself - now agree on a path forward. As someone who is a member of both groups, I want to thank everyone who helped bring about this consensus and to share a few reasons why I hope Town Meeting voters will support Article 74.

The consensus article asks the State Legislature to create a revised NP&EDC under a new name: the Nantucket Regional Commission (NRC). Its powers and responsibilities remain unchanged, but its structure is modernized. The proposal creates more opportunities for Nantucket voters to serve directly on the NRC without first serving on another board or commission. It increases accountability and preserves the many benefits of having our own Regional Planning Agency.

Both sides - citizen petitioners and the NP&EDC - gave up elements they would have preferred to keep. But we agree that planning for Nantucket’s future requires more than managing land use. It also means strengthening our community and stewarding our nationally significant natural and cultural heritage. Most importantly, this agreement reflects a shared commitment to working together.

You can read the Finance Committee’s positive motion on Article 74 on page 144 of the Town Meeting Warrant. My hope—and my request—is that neither Article 74 nor Article 75 is called for separate consideration. I ask Town Meeting to embrace this consensus so we can move forward with the hard work of shaping the future we all want. I also want to thank the voters who, over the past four years, have supported the idea of a new Regional Planning Agency; the Article 75 citizen petitioners who participated in many negotiation planning sessions and public meetings; the chairs of the Select Board and Finance Committee for encouraging this consensus; and my colleagues on the NP&EDC who made this consensus possible.

The two prior petitions passed by Town Meeting reached the State House but were sent to study, due to vocal opposition from some members of the NP&EDC and its staff. There have been many public meetings on the consensus article and many people involved, but if you have any questions before Town Meeting that you would like to address to me, I invite you to email me at hrayport@gmail.com or of course find me at Town Meeting.

Sincerely,

Hillary Hedges Rayport