Town of Pembroke

The primary discussion focused on the Noise Restriction Bylaw, specifically concerning the responsibility for policing noise restrictions, which falls under the Board of Health (BOH). Due to the BOH not being prepared to assume this policing role without further deliberation, a motion was passed to remove the potential bylaw from the Fall town meeting warrant, pending further input before the Spring town meeting. Additionally, the committee decided to table the discussion on Battery Storage until the next meeting.

The commission addressed a formal complaint regarding Open Meeting Law violations, resulting in the requirement to create and approve minutes for meetings held in August and September 2020. Key actions included the unanimous approval for the demolition of the former Shepard's Funeral home for a 40B housing development. Several Certificates of Appropriateness were approved for work on the Quaker Meeting House, the Historical Society building, and the Sewing Circle building. The commission discussed and confirmed that structures built pre-1900 are subject to review for demolition permits, and any structure within the Historic Districts' boundaries must adhere to those requirements. Future plans involve investigating signage for the Historic Districts and initiating outreach efforts with the Pembroke Historical Society.

The meeting primarily focused on two bylaw discussions. The committee discussed the absence of noise restriction bylaws and subsequently moved to adopt specific wording, gathered from neighboring towns and vetted with stakeholders, to be presented to the Select Board for inclusion in the Fall Special Town meeting warrant. The committee also briefly discussed a proposal for a Digital Signage in the Town Center Bylaw, agreeing to further explore this at the subsequent meeting due to pre-existing signage conditions.

Key discussions included the review of the Historic District Demolition Permit Bylaw, where it was determined that further information from the Historic District Commission was necessary before proceeding with bylaw revisions. During general bylaw discussion, it was confirmed that the committee would propose two warrant items for the spring town meeting. Action items included having the clerk review and circulate outdated town bylaws for removal, and the chair seeking input from the town manager regarding the committee's original rules to guide discussions on board reorganization.

The meeting commenced with the signing of several official documents, including monthly reports of excise abatements, real estate exemptions for first-time applicants, Chapter Land applications, Real Estate Warrants, Personal Property Warrants, Betterments and Special Assessment Warrants, and Real Estate Commitment. The Board entered an executive session to consider FY2026 Property Tax Exemption Applications for new applicants and FY2027 Chapter Land applications. Following the executive session, all commitments and warrants for real estate and personal property were signed. The Board provided an update that the FY2026 tax rate was approved, tax bills were sent, and abatement applications became available through February 2, 2026.