By Beth David, Editor
The Fairhaven Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to hold a meeting on 2/4/25 for one item: to discipline a sitting member, get her kicked off the board, and get a former member back on to replace her.
The truly bizarre agenda item, the only item on the agenda, was partially written in first person, presumably by chairperson, Patrick Carr, and had two revisions. In the end, the meeting was canceled.
“There will be one item on the agenda for all Zoning Board Members to discuss and for all Zoning Board memers to vote and the subject matter is as follows,” reads the item. “Disciplinary action and removal of Full-Time board member Amy Goyer. I will also add as a subject matter, to all the Zoning Board members to discuss and consider sending a written request to the Select Board to reappoint Kenneth Kendall returning Kenneth Kendall to his Full-Time status on the Zoning board. I will draft and add documentation at the meeting supporting this disciplinary action and removal of Full-Time member Amy Goyer and the reappointing of former Full-Time Zoning Board member Kenneth Kendall.”
A revision added the following: “Depending on the outcome of the Boards (sic) decision to move forward with the disciplinary action, if a positive vote is taken, 4/5ths of the Full-Time members, the ZBA Board [sic] will then seek to have the appointing body (Select Board) at their next meeting, decide what action is to be taken.”
It ends with the following text, which is not part of the revision: “This is an extremely important meeting, and I am requesting all board members be present and to participate. I am also requesting that the Building Commissioner be present and participate at this meeting and provide supporting documents.”
The Neighb News was not able to find out why the meeting was canceled by press time. We have submitted a public records request for the documents referenced in the agenda item.
At a rare extra meeting on 12/18/24, the board posted an executive session on the agenda to discuss “Open Meeting Law complaints filed by Patrick Carr and Ruy Dasilva [sic] against Amy Goyer.”
The meeting, however, was held in open session at the request of Ms. Goyer.
Those minutes are not available to the public. The latest minutes available online are from 9/5/24. At the 1/7 meeting the ZBA accepted minutes from the 12/3 meeting, but the 12/18 meeting minutes were not on the agenda.
At the 1/7/25 meeting (see 1/9/25 issue), the ZBA voted to revoke a permit the School Department had for a storage shed at Fairhaven High School, in response to a petition by abutters. Ms. Goyer was the only vote against revoking the permit.
Mr. Carr had to recuse himself from running that meeting because the container company he owns with his daughter has storage containers at the school. They will not be needed if the shed is complete. (See 1/9/25 issue)
All meetings are available at FairhavenTV.com.
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Click here to download the 2/6/25 issue: 02-06-25 GnomeTrees
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