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The Raynham Channel
Candidates Night 04/17/2025
(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
The future of Raynham hangs in the balance as two passionate candidates face off in the town's first contested Planning Board election in thirteen years. In this revealing candidates' forum, incumbent Matt Andrade and challenger Pam Menconi share their distinct visions for managing the town's growth and development.
Matt Andrade, a lifelong resident with five years on the board, positions himself as the voice of Raynham's younger families. With experience in real estate and a deep commitment to community service, he emphasizes making the town "better than I received it" while focusing on commercial development over housing. His institutional knowledge and participation on multiple planning committees demonstrate his immersion in the town's growth challenges.
Challenger Pam Menconi brings thirty years of Raynham residency coupled with professional experience in both legal and municipal settings. As a former real estate paralegal and current Town Clerk for Middleborough, she offers a fresh perspective informed by procedural expertise and resident advocacy. Her personal experience challenging a controversial development decision that was ultimately validated by land court shapes her approach to planning decisions.
Both candidates tackle pressing issues including state-mandated housing requirements, excessive development pressures, and dwindling community involvement. They discuss creative approaches to managing growth—from reviewing bylaws to potentially capping building permits—while acknowledging the constraints imposed by state mandates like the MBTA Communities Act.
As Raynham faces crucial decisions about its future character and sustainability, this election offers voters a meaningful choice between qualified candidates with different perspectives, experiences, and approaches to consensus-building.
Cast your ballot on Saturday, April 26th at Raynham Middle School, with polls open from 10am to 8pm. Your vote will help determine who shapes Raynham's development landscape for the next five years.
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Hello and welcome to Rainham Candidates Night 2025. I'm Pat Riley, the moderator for this evening. I want to thank you for joining us those of you here in the audience and also at home viewing channel and will also it is also being taped, recorded to be replayed on the Rainham channel. Between now, in our election that's coming up annual town election on Saturday, April 26. The polls will be open from 10 am until 8 pm and all voting takes place at the Rainham middle school. Our town clerk's office has had mail-in ballots and absentee ballots available, and absentee ballots will actually be available up until 12 noon the day before the election. So if you suddenly realize that you're not gonna be available to vote on Saturday election day, you can stop by the town clerk's office Friday morning, april 25th, and fill out your absentee ballot. So I wanna first thank our Rainham Channel for making these candidates' nights, these annual events, possible, and thank also Michael Halen, our RACAM and Rainham Channel executive director, who is our timekeeper here this evening.
Speaker 1:Tonight's forum is focusing on the candidates for the Rainham Planning Board. It is a five-year position and we have two candidates the incumbent, matt Andrade, and the challenger, pam Mincone. And one thing also that makes it possible for us to have these events is the candidates have to be willing to come forward. So we want to thank both Matt and Pam for agreeing to participate this evening. Tonight's forum will begin with opening statements and then followed with questions. We'll alternate the questions so that the first person doesn't have to, the same person doesn't have to speak first each time, and, by the luck of the draw, the opening statement begins with Pam Mincone, and our candidates have been asked to keep their responses to two minutes if possible. So we start. Pam Mincone and our candidates have been asked to keep their responses to two minutes if possible.
Speaker 2:So we start, pam Mincone. Okay, so you know my name is Pam. I've been a Rainham resident for 30 years and I'd like to share some information about my professional career and my personal experiences to give a little insight on who I am and why I'm running for planning board and why I think I would do a good job. I started my professional career when I obtained an associate degree in legal studies. I worked as a real estate paralegal for 15 years for local law firms before I made the jump over to a career in municipal government in 2010. Some of the experiences that I have in municipal government include eight years right here in the town of Rainham. I was also appointed the first ever director of elections for the city of Taunton and my current role is the town clerk for the town of Middleborough. So I feel that my legal experience and my municipal experiences have given me a really good foundation on legal interpretations and procedural matters of procedure regarding municipal events.
Speaker 2:On a personal level, I have had some experiences with the planning board. As a resident of Rainham, I've been actively involved with the site plan approvals for 1000 new state highway. It's a very complex matter and I think that my experience as a resident dealing with that has really deepened my understanding of the planning board procedures and in what it's like to be a resident on the other side of the table. So I think the combination of all three of those experience levels they allow me to have a different perspective and make well-rounded and well thought-out decisions for the board. I understand the legal capabilities that we need to bind by and I understand what it's like as a resident. So I see both sides and I think that would be valuable.
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam Mancone.
Speaker 3:Next opening statement Matti and rate my name is Matt and raid, lifelong Rainham resident. I was the last five years I've been serving on the board. When I first joined the board I was 31 years old, so probably one of the youngest members to have joined. It's been a great experience so far. I currently live down off of Church Street. I have a wife, two kids, one daughter, stella seven, axel five and they're fully engulfed in the Rainham experience School, baseball, soccer, you name it, they do it.
Speaker 3:So it was largely my part in the planning board and trying to get onto the board when I was asked was. I was always of the intention to make the town better than I received it. Being a lifelong resident, resident going to school here, everything like that it's been very important to me to give back. I've had many family members before me join a lot of the boards, a lot of Commission, senior Center stuff like that which has played a large part in, you know, community involvement, giving back, making sure that you're doing more than just existing in the community. My five years on the board has been great. I look to hopefully be able to give 20 more if I can, and that's pretty much what I have for opening statement, looking forward for the rest of the questions.
Speaker 1:Thank you, matt. Next question, and it goes first to Matt what do you see is the role and responsibilities of the planning board and of a member of the planning board?
Speaker 3:So, as a member of the planning board, it's our responsibility to uphold the rules and regulations that are set forth before us. These rules and regulations are voted on by the public for the public. We're here for public safety 're here for, you know, safe travel. We're here for site plans. We're here for special permits. We're here for master planning. We're here for a whole slew of different things in making sure that the community as a whole, as we participate in it and making sure things are done accordingly and it's to hear the public comment, making sure that the public's heard, making sure that people participate and come in and we hear their side of every story. Um, it's going to be. You know, I've always felt that you have to come to the board with an open mind. You have to make sure that you're following the rules set forward before us, because the, the guidelines, the rules of regulations, are there not by our choosing. They're here for the public. You know. They've been voted on at town meeting and I always tell people if you're looking to make a major change on the planning board, your best place to start is town meeting and trying to do an amendment to the zoning bylaws that we uphold to. So I think that you know that's largely the role of the planning board okay, thank you, matt.
Speaker 1:Andre, same question, pam and Connie. Pam, what do you see is the role and responsibilities of the planning board and of a member of the planning board? So I pretty much agree with everything that Matt said. I, the PARTICULAR PART OF THE PROCESS IS THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PLANNING.
Speaker 2:BOARD AND OF A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD. So I PRETTY MUCH AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT MATT SAID. I THINK THAT THE I LOOK AT THE TOWN AS A PUZZLE AND I THINK THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND EVERY BOARD AND COMMITTEE IS A PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE. That making sure that people are adhering to these, the regulations, the bylaws, master planning and proposing amendments to the bylaws those are all things that the Planning Board is responsible for. I think that a planning board member I think I think we would all agree that a planning board member should perform those duties with integrity and with the best interest of the town and the residents at heart. I would take it a step further and I would propose that a member of the planning board if I were a member of the planning board, and this is just how I roll should be proactive.
Speaker 2:I think a proactive status is something that is beneficial to everybody that's involved. When we're talking about bylaws and proposing amendments and things of that nature, that's not something. We're talking about. Bylaws and proposing amendments and things of that nature, that's not something that the planning board can do. Matt's right, it has to go to town, meaning so that the residents can vote on it, but the planning board has to act as a conduit between change in the voters.
Speaker 2:And if I'm proactive a hundred percent, I do not like to be reactive because it doesn't always give you time to prepare and fix a situation. It might need to be fixed. So I think a planning board member should be proactive. I think maybe some annual reviewing of the bylaws, wondering does this fit what we have for rain him and just giving the townspeople the choice to make to make that vote, to make any changes that they have, especially with all the conversation now with what's going on with development and overcrowding, to not have a proactive approach to that would be almost like being toned up to the community. So I would adopt that approach.
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam and Connie. Next question goes first to Pam, so I WOULD ADOPT THAT APPROACH. Thank YOU, pam MINCONE. Next QUESTION GOES FIRST TO PAM, and THAT IS WHAT SPECIFICALLY, has PROMPTED YOU, or DID PROMPT YOU, to SEEK THE POSITION ON THE PLANNING BOARD AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD, specifically, pam MINCONE.
Speaker 2:SO I TALKED. A LITT is with 1000 new state highway and I'm gonna try to really carefully here and really lightly here because I don't want to make this into something that it shouldn't be and I don't want to get off topic. But I live on Judson Street and most of you know that that is property that is parallel to Route 44. There's a parcel of land on 44 that has had a couple of proposals for site plan use on it. I don't agree with the uses that were proposed.
Speaker 2:My interpretation of the bylaw was different than others. I was told several times that my interpretation was not correct, and that's fine. But I didn't give up. I was persistent with my viewpoint and a couple of years later it was my viewpoint in my interpretation of the bylaw was confirmed correct by the land court. So I thought to myself you know what, maybe you do know what you're talking about, maybe maybe you do have some insight, maybe you could be valuable to the board. It's not. It sparked my interest. For sure it's not the reason why I'm running. I actually like municipal work and I think that I'm really good at it. So that started it. But then just really getting involved with it, it just it really piqued my interest and I think I can contribute a lot to the board.
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam and Connie. Same question, matt and a. And read Matt what is prompted you or, in your case, did prompt you to seek a position on the planning board initially, and why do you want to be on and continue on the planning board?
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah. So five years ago, as Texera was exiting the planning board, my uncle, who was on the board at the time, dan, he was on the board for over 20 years he had approached me. He said hey, listen, my time on the board is kind of nearing an end. He's like mr tech, sarah, it's deciding he's gonna be leaving as well. I feel like concern your background in real estate and everything else that you've done over the years, I think that you'd be a perfect fit. And with that, you know, I was like listen, I'm all for it, I'll join, just tell me what you need me to do. And so we went through the election, ended up getting elected, and you know it was my interpretation of the board and everything like that.
Speaker 3:You know, I got on here and I had a ton to learn and over the past five years I've learned a lot.
Speaker 3:I've joined the serpent committee, I've joined the MBTA 3a committee, a committee also involved with the master plan and 138 and everything like that.
Speaker 3:I've gotten to learn a ton and I've always found that, you know, with certain things you have to leave your emotions aside and making sure that the decisions that you are making are strictly to the bylaw and you know you're taking into account the other members. All the members of the board have been there far longer than me and you know they jokingly say it because they know that I'm the youngest member. They jokingly say it because they know that I'm the youngest member and that's the biggest thing that they love about having me on the board is that the youth is what's going to help to take over the board, and they've always been proactive in telling me, matt, like we need more younger people on the board. It's important to have the youth because of the fact that you know you have younger kids and it's going to be youth it's gonna step to set the stage for them in the future. So that's been like the largest driving factor for me and getting on the board and hoping to remain on the board all right.
Speaker 1:Thank you, matt andrea. Next question goes first to matt. And matt, if you are re-elected, do you have any particular priorities that you will have? What will you hope to accomplish during your five-year term?
Speaker 3:I think that, um, the important part with considering what the state has kind of told us that we had to do, told us that we had to do. We're inundated with housing inside of the town, largely different types of 40B developments, apartments, stuff like that. I don't find that that type of building is necessary at this point in time in the town. I think largely it's important for us to focus more on commercial driving business to the town. I'd hate to see Rainham be developed into a community that's simply somewhere where you go to sleep and then you don't get to enjoy the remaining facets of the town. So I think expanding on, you know, dining, expanding on shopping, expanding on you know, some commercial type aspects that are going to drive more tax revenue to the town where we don't have to rely solely on the residents, I think is a big part.
Speaker 3:And I think that you know to Ken Collins point on a few different things he was talking about. You know changing some of the amendments to increase. You know what's required for a form A lot to kind of tamper down building by right with a form A lot. You know trying to make that size requirement bigger. I think that that's a great idea. There's different types of ideas with trying to put restrictions on things to hopefully make it more difficult for developers to come into town and just do the things by right according to our bylaw that they can do. Hopefully we can, kind of you know, add some extra restrictions on there to try and make it a little bit more difficult.
Speaker 1:Thank you, matt Andrea. Same question, pam Mincone. Pam, if elected, what will your priorities be? What will you hope to accomplish during the five-year term? So some of the things that I PAM. If ELECTED, what WILL YOUR PRIORITIES BE? What WILL YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH DURING THE FIVE-YEAR TERM? So?
Speaker 2:SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD FOCUS ON. Some OF THEM ARE BIG MATTERS AND SOME OF THEM ARE SMALLER MATTERS. One OF THE SMALLER MATTERS FOR ME WOULD BE OPENING UP COMMUNITY, outreach AND EXPANDING COMMUNICATION. Social media is a blessing and a curse. We've all seen the pages. We know how out of control they can get, but I think if you have a social media account that is administered properly, I think it could be a really valuable tool to extend the outreach to the community. I think it could also be used to dispel any misinformation that we have. I think it would give the community more of a sense of transparency. When I was in working the election in Middleborough part of my job is election administration and I launched a social media marketing campaign to engage the community with outreach, make them realize that what we were doing was transparent and it was really really well received. Something else I'd like to work on is a review of the bylaws. We do have many.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to talk about subdivisions or development right now, because I'm pretty sure we're going to get to that later on. It's such a hot topic. So, for the point of this conversation, what I'm referencing is site plan review. We have a corridor on 44 and we have a corridor on 138. We we don't want to deter a business, we want to attract business. We need their tax revenue. We don't want to. I'm not anti business, but we do have certain neighborhoods that live either directly adjacent to those corridors or their neighborhood would be effective affected by the use that it is. So, again to review the bylaws, let's take a look at what's regulated for site plan use. Businesses and residents should be able to coexist, like we should be able to have. It shouldn't be all or nothing, so we should make sure that we have regulations in place that allow us to have the tools to make that happen.
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam and Connie. Next question goes first to Pam. As one member of the planning board, of a five-member board, you need to have an effective working relationship with the other members and, at times, be a consensus maker in order to be effective. How do you accomplish that, pam andoney?
Speaker 2:I think it's all about flexibility and having an open mind. In my leadership role, I've learned to really appreciate compromise and teamwork. I'm pretty good at conflict resolution. You have to be. You have to check your ego at the door too. You have to be able to have an open mind. You have to realize that a lot of successes are built on a give-and-take situation. You have to be able to self-reflect.
Speaker 2:If there's four members that agree with something and you're the one that doesn't, you have to be able to take a stand back and be like is it me? Because it could be, you could be, you could be in the minority. And then you have to ask yourself is this a hill that I want to die on, like it's give and take, it's compromise? If I was in that situation, I would ask myself the question is this issue so important to me that if I change my vote or I change my thought process, am I compromising my integrity? Am I compromising my? If? The ANSWER IS YES, I'm GOING TO HOLD MY GROUND AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO WITH THE MAJORITY. But IF I'M NOT COMPROMISING MY INTEGRITY, if I'M NOT COMPROMISING MY PRINCIPLES, I THINK SWITCHING YOUR VOTE OR YOUR VIEWPOINT overall- thank you, pam and Connie.
Speaker 1:Same question, matt and read Matt is a one member of a five member board. You need to have an effective working relationship with the other members and, at times, be a consensus maker in order to be effective. How do you accomplish that?
Speaker 3:so, from the minute that the meeting starts, as far as I'm concerned, we're a team of five. You know, each person comes to the table with their own perspective and I think that's largely what comprises the board and what makes it, you know, effective, because each person is entitled to their own opinion. On many occasions we've had applicants come up to the podium and they'll all present, and then they'll go down the line to each of the board members and ask them for their opinion and I tell them I am straightforward, the applicant listen. This is how I feel on this matter. This, it would be my recommendations. If you don't agree with my statement, I recommend that you go to the remainder of the board and ask them for comment, because each person has come to this board with their own set of skills, their own set of knowledge, their own set of history on this board, and they've you know, the majority of them have seen far more than me, but I come to it with a different perspective. So I always think that it's important that you hear everyone out, you make sure that you take into consideration everyone's view, but in the end, you know, I'm gonna sit at this board, I'm gonna make the determination on my own and I'm going to stick to it.
Speaker 3:I felt strongly on certain matters that we've had in the past instances where roadway work on Pine Street with subdivision approvals and I told them. I said listen, I've spoken with Ed Buckley, head of the highway department, and I feel that you're going to need to contribute $10,000 per lot. You know a lot of the board members have never heard anything like that. But I said listen, like you guys need to talk to Ed, you've got to understand like this is what he needs. And we ended up compromising and got $5,000 a lot, which you know is a win overall. But I told him I I said I'm not going to vote for something unless we get extra, and that's just you know.
Speaker 1:And it's just of a stance where I just took a hard stance on it. Okay, thank you, matt Antri. Next question goes first to you, matt. What do you consider to be the top challenges facing the planning board at this time and going forward?
Speaker 3:I think at this point in time, considering the way that the state has rolled out so many mandates with the 3a, the ADU bylaw, I think that that is a huge point right now that the board faces, because a lot of the decision-making that we would have as far as saying no has been relinquished from us. It's it's unfortunate, but again, the funding that would, we would forego as a town. We have to kind of circumvent it and work around it. You know, essentially, with the ad use, you know that that's a whole nother conversation about. We've put regulations on ad use to make it very expensive to do it. It's not supposed to be easy, so we've kind of circumvented that.
Speaker 3:But again, like you have the state issues, you have issues with people not showing up.
Speaker 3:You need to have more community involvement in order for people's voices to be heard. Everyone has an opinion on what the board has done, but a lot of these people that say the board has done this they've never sat in the room, they've never had a conversation. I'm the first person to put my phone number online and say if you have a question, call me. I'll answer any question that you have and I've done it on many occurrences on different things and people are like I had no idea that this was really true and you have to have more younger people joining this board, because we are the future of Rainham. It is going to be important. We're the people who are coming in here buying homes. We are the people who are coming in here putting our kids in school and it's important that we be the voice and these people get heard. And I think that that's a huge issue right now with the planning board is that not enough people participate, and I think it's important going forward.
Speaker 1:Thank you, matt Andrews, pam and Coney. Same question, pam what do you consider to be the top challenges facing the planning board at this time and going forward? I would agree with all the state mandates, I THINK.
Speaker 2:THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT'S A you don't have the funding for, and I think navigating our way through that it's gonna be difficult.
Speaker 2:We don't, we don't have a choice about it. We're told what's done and and you, I agree with Matt there's nothing that we can do about it. But you know, to piggyback off his comment if we had social media it could outreach people like for the community outreach. I think he's right. There isn't a lot of involvement. People are busy. I don't know that this is something that would be categorized as one of the biggest problems that the Plain Board has right now. I think the ADU and the 40B and the MBTA those are significant issues. They're the biggest problems that we have right now. I don't know how we're going to solve them because I don't know that there is a good solution for it. Community outreach again, to repeat what I just said sure, I think it's a good idea. Get the word out there, try to get people more involved to make it easy for them so that they know what's going on. A lot of the times, people don't know what's going on until they drive by and there's a lot cleared.
Speaker 1:Okay, thank, don't know what's going on until they drive by and there's a lot clear. So okay, thank you, pam and Connie. Same quest of your first again for the next question, pam, and that is do you have, what are your thoughts about the MBTA Communities Act and the town's proposal to comply with that?
Speaker 2:so, first and foremost, I think that the board that proposed the solution for the overlay over Walmart, I think they did a great job. I think that it was a it's a lose-lose situation and I think they were really creative with the solution that they came up with and I give them a lot of credit for coming up with what they did. They did a great job. Having said that, I am against the MBTA mandate. I like I'm a plan B kind of person and I like facts and I like data. So what I would want to see before we take this to town meeting is I would like to see exactly how much funding we do receive from grant funding in the town, and I would like to see exactly how much funding we do receive from grant funding in the town and I would like to compare it to a number that it may cost us if the development were ever to occur. Compare the two numbers and see what the net number is. What are we dealing with? Are we going to lose potentially more grant money than we take in? Grant money is not guaranteed. That's a well, that's gonna run dry very soon. I also Walmart is Walmart.
Speaker 2:The likelihood of Walmart going out of business is is pretty unlikely, but never say never it it could happen. You could have a numbers cruncher sitting up at Walmart corporate and be like oh okay, we have two Walmarts in rain ham. This piece of property is now worth a lot more money because of the rezoning. We're gonna sell it off, we're gonna sell it to a developer, make our money, consolidate our stores and they're in it for the profit. They don't care about rain here. So while it's unlikely that Walmart will close its doors, it's not off the table. You can never say never. And big-box stores are closing all the time. They just they closed. A bunch of Kohl's stop-and-shop is gone. I think big value. So it's just something to be aware of. I like the facts, I like the numbers and I think that if you have that, people can make a better vote. But at the end of day, the planning board did a great job with what they had to work with.
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam and Connie. Same question, matt Andre your thoughts, matt, about the MBTA Communities Act and the town's proposal to comply with that?
Speaker 3:So when the MBTA Communities Act came down, it was the board's decision that they had to appoint one member to have a meeting with some of the other department heads. So I elected to do it myself Ken Collins, bob, I afraid, II and the town administrator. We all, greg Barnes. We all met, we all sat down. There was a proposed lot that was vacant land. It was off of Church Street. Greg presented us that and I explained to. We all sat down. There was a proposed lot that was vacant land. It was off of Church Street. Greg presented us that and I explained to Greg. I said I have an extreme problem with this. I said this is vacant land and, coming from a real estate background, if the land is vacant and you make it easily accessible, the developers will come.
Speaker 3:I said we need to work with Serpid, who, serpid was also in attendance, and I explained to Serpid. I said what are our options for taking different parcels? I said does it have to be these parcels? Does it have to be vacant? Does it have to be contiguous? They said it could be separate. So I proposed we pick two separate Walmarts, put the overlays over them and leave it up to the town to decide. It's only the board's job to make a recommendation to town meeting. We're not here to make a judgment on yes or no. We're here to give forward two parcels that we find to be the best option considering the circumstances that are before us. We're not here to make a decision. I'm not here to say that it's a good idea, bad idea. I don't think it's going to get passed at town meeting. I honestly don't. I don't think it's going to have the votes. But again, it's not my decision to say yes or no. It's our board's decision to present the lots and leave it up to the town to decide.
Speaker 1:Okay thank you, matt Andrew. I have one more question. Sure, we hear at times people express concern that there is too much development going on in town, that the town's population is growing too fast and putting excessive demands on town services. Does the planning board have any role or ability to control current or future development and or the rate of development? Matt Andrew.
Speaker 3:The board does have control. You know we have the decision to approve projects. We have. We can give our input.
Speaker 3:A lot of the large projects that were done in the last five years were projects that were outside of our control. The 40 B's that were developed, the multi-family Lockwood, all these never came before us. They went straight to the state and they found their approvals there and circumvented the planning board altogether. The project that did come before us off of pine street, the subdivision down there, layla states they had wanted to go with a cluster development but down there traditionally they're one acre lots in Dover Run To keep with the aesthetic of the neighborhood and the area. We had told them you know we'd rather see conventional. They weren't happy because of the fact that their road went from, you know, 1,200 feet to over 2,000 feet and for every foot it could be $1,000 a foot. So their prices just get exponentially larger.
Speaker 3:The one way to hinder development is to put regulations on these things that they can do by right and make it more difficult for them to do it. In addition to the $5,000 per lot and road improvements, the more stuff you tack on, the harder it becomes for the developers to find it justifiable to get a shovel, to get the money to do it, because if they don't, if they're not in the business of breaking even, they're there to make money. But in the same token, if you have this land, it conforms, it meets all the bylaws. You know, if we just pass it off and just say no, just say no to everything, keep saying no, then they'll just appeal it to the state, as you said with new state highway, and they could just say no, say yes. You know, it just depends on every circumstance okay, thank you, matt Andrews.
Speaker 1:Same question, pam Mancone. Pam, we hear at times people express concern that there's too much development in town, town's population is growing too fast and putting excessive demands on town services. Do you feel the planning board has any role or ability to control um current or future development or the rate of development?
Speaker 2:I think that this definitely some conversations that could be had about what we can do to control it, if we can, until it's sustainable. Some questions that I would ask would be can we increase lot sizes across the board? Can we put a cap on how many building permits are issued annually? I know other towns do have a cap on how many building permits are issued annually. I know other towns do have a cap on how many building. I think Rochester is one of them that they only allow so many building permits to be issued on an annual basis.
Speaker 2:I started reading through the regulations and the subdivision control laws. I don't know if this is a viable solution, but I think it's something worth a conversation. I think it's section 6.0 entitled environmental impacts statement. Each, each developer is required to submit a developmental impact statement with the plan. It's broken down into subcategories and I think it's a 6.8 addressesDRESSES SOCIAL IMPACT, where IT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES HOW IS THIS GOING TO IMPACT THE SCHOOLS, and THE DEVELOPER IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE A LETTER OF INTENT ABOUT HOW IT WILL, what THE PROPOSAL IS, how MANY HOUSES, how it could possibly affect that.
Speaker 2:So my question would be and this is something that would require more looking into is are these statements getting submitted? Are? Are they getting? Um, is it enough teeth for us to say no like if? If a developer says we have 40 new houses coming in, it's going to impact the school this way, it says in the bylaw that you are allowed to deny the plan accordingly if it does have such an impact on on the environment. They're calling it. So that's something that I would look at. Is that a tool that we could use to slow down the growth until it's sustainable? And if it's not enough, can we create one that may be enough to stop that?
Speaker 1:Thank you, pam Mincone, and again, by the luck of the draw, a closing statement comes first from you, pam, pam Mincone.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I have been an Iranian resident for 30 years, like I've talked about. I've raised my family here and I plan on retiring here. I was asked about a compelling reason on why people should give their vote to me. I've talked about my legal experiences and how that allows me to interpret laws. I've talked about my municipal experience and how that allows me to be really familiar with procedures, and I've talked about my personal experiences, which allows me to be relatable as a resident, and I think all of those three things combined would be a compelling reason why I think that you should vote for me. But I don't think that those are the most compelling reasons why I think the most compelling reason why I would ask somebody to vote for me would be because of my personality and who I am.
Speaker 2:I am a fearless advocate for things that I believe in. I do my homework, I do my due diligence, I do everything with integrity. I, if there's not a solution, I'm gonna find one. I was once told that there was nothing in place that would prevent a business from operating 24 hours a day, which was fine. But I took a citizens petition I presented at town meeting and I had a bylaw passed that solved that problem. I am in this. I want to seat at the table for all of the right reasons. I can offer a fresh perspective to the board. I think it's important to note that this is the first time since 2012 that we have a contested planning board race. That's the first time in 13 years that there are two names on the ballot where people have a choice. So I am just respectfully asking that people would choose me thank you, pam and Connie.
Speaker 1:Closing statement.
Speaker 3:Maddie and Dre. So I think that, when it comes down to it, I think the largest part that we have in Rainham right now is that we don't have the youth involvement in the community that we need, and I think that my joining the board the last five years has been it's been an amazing journey for me. Outside of the planning board, I run a real estate brokerage in town. I manage a chain of laundromats. I've done everything from finance. I own investment property. I know every facet of real estate finance community, what drives clients, how to take care of people and I brought that to the board for the last five years and I look forward to hopefully bringing it to the board for another 20 years.
Speaker 3:And I think that the most compelling thing to me is that I am here with kids in the school system. I'm here living kids in the school system. I'm here living inside of the community. I'm here listening to everyone at the baseball games. I'm here listening to everyone at the basketball games. We are the youth that are going to drive this community to the next stages, and I think that having someone up here that's like-minded, that can communicate, I think it's imperative for the board in going forward. I've spoken to the board members at length about it. I would say that all of them would love to see me return, and I think that I have a lot left to give and I'd love to leave the town better than I ever could have received it.
Speaker 1:Thank you, matt, andrade and voters. The decision is yours. Please be part of that decision. You know I ever could have received it. Thank you, matt, and rate and voters, the decision is yours. Please be part of that decision. We want to thank Ray cam and our rain ham channel again for the event, for all of you are tuning in or in the audience and again, election is coming up. Saturday, april 26. Polls will be open from 10 am to 8 pm at the Rainey Middle School. Please vote and thank you for joining us this evening. Good night.