Chair Nick opened the Bylaw Review Committee meeting by reading a diversity statement, affirming the group's commitment to creating an environment of respect for all community participants. "We value the participation of our community and want all participants including marginalized and minoritized communities to feel welcomed and respected," Nick stated. The committee began the evening by approving several sets of past meeting minutes, including a joint session regarding stormwater regulations. Motion Made by Lincoln to adpopt December 11 meeting minutes. Vote Passed 3-0 Motion Made by Chris to accept the October 2 meeting minutes. Vote Passed 3-0

The committee engaged in a strategic discussion regarding the upcoming Annual Town Meeting and whether to present a "clean-up" of the town’s general bylaws. Clerk Nancy informed the board that she had already secured a spot on the warrant. "The warrants already closed. I had put a placeholder article on there for you," Nancy explained, suggesting the committee decide if they were ready to move forward. Lincoln urged caution and thoroughness, noting, "I definitely think we should all go through it with a fine tooth comb one more time" to ensure the recommendations were solid before presenting them to the Select Board and Advisory Committee. Guest Patty, reflecting on the complexity of the ongoing stormwater review, added, "It was a good idea that we were there. We could talk and listen and ask questions."

Select Board representative Nico provided guidance on the best way to present bylaw changes to the public, weighing the benefits of a gradual approach versus a total overhaul. "It might be advantageous to give the town little bites rather than a giant book," Nico suggested, noting that "dripping" changes across multiple meetings might be less tedious for voters. Steve Bjorkland of the Planning Board encouraged the committee to keep the momentum, stating, "I would hope that the town never has a final version because it's always going to evolve." He recommended moving forward with the current progress to remind the town of the committee's active role in maintaining the town code.

The committee also worked through specific language edits, including a definitive stance on the spelling of the word "bylaw." After a brief debate, Chris noted that according to grammar resources, "Grammarhow.com is one word. One word." The committee agreed to remove hyphens from the term throughout the code. Additionally, the committee decided to formalize the number of town constables at three and updated the Town Council section to better reflect the town's use of a legal firm rather than a single individual. The meeting concluded with a discussion of a petition article regarding the definition of a commercial fisherman. Motion Made by Lincoln to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM