From: Milton David Schroeder Jr Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2026 12:44 PM To: Carmen Garcia Irizarry; Jessica Michaud Subject: Suggested Research Topics – Staffing and Administrative Implications Dear Chairwoman Garcia-Irizarry, One of the Ad Hoc Committee's charges is to evaluate the staffing and administrative implications of separating the PZC. As I've been thinking about our discussion at the last meeting, I believe there are several questions that would need research. For example, during our last meeting Mr. Capon stated that, under separate commissions, the Zoning Enforcement Officer would need to be planner-certified in order to assist a separate Zoning Commission. Similarly, Eric Treaster's recent letter to the Committee refers to CAZEO certification. Rather than relying on assumptions, I think it would be helpful for the Committee to gather objective information on questions such as: * What certifications or qualifications are required for a Zoning Enforcement Officer to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the Town Charter and Connecticut law? Is the town's current ZEO qualified to do so? * Would separating the commissions require any changes to those qualifications? * Are there statutory or practical reasons why additional certifications would or would not be necessary? How would you suggest is the best way of obtaining answers to those questions? I also think it is important that we consider staffing from the opposite perspective. Today, the Town Planner provides support to a combined Planning & Zoning Commission on both planning and zoning matters. If the commissions were separated, the Town Planner's primary responsibility would once again be advising the Planning Commission on long-range planning matters, including development and implementation of the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). It would be useful to understand whether that shift in responsibilities could reduce the need for outside consulting services or otherwise improve the Town's planning capacity. Similarly, questions have been raised regarding administrative support. Some have suggested that two commissions would require additional administrative resources. Before accepting that assumption, I think we should better understand how the current workload is distributed. For example: * Would separating the commissions actually increase the total administrative workload, or would it simply divide the existing workload between two meeting schedules? * How much additional work, if any, would be created? * Would it be helpful for the Committee to speak with the Town staff responsible for preparing agendas, posting notices, and compiling meeting minutes to better understand the practical implications? As I've been reviewing Planning & Zoning records, I've also noticed that the level of detail in Commission meeting minutes varies considerably over the years. Some years contain detailed summaries of the issues discussed, while others contain only brief references to agenda items with little explanation of the deliberations. There may be many reasons for this, and I don't want to speculate. However, it may be worthwhile to ask whether staffing levels, workload, or changing administrative practices have influenced the quality and completeness of the public record. Finally, I've begun reviewing historical Town budgets to better understand the costs associated with preparing previous POCDs. My preliminary review of budgets dating back to 2007 has not identified a budget line item for outside consulting services related to preparation of either the 2010 or 2020 POCD. I intend to continue that research and present my findings to the Committee at our next meeting. I offer these suggestions because I believe the Committee's recommendations will be strongest if they are based on a thorough understanding of the staffing, administrative, and budgetary implications of both governance models. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Dave Schroeder Jr.