Town planner Adam Paquette requested funding in the 2026 draft to hire outside consulting for a comprehensive ordinance audit and to merge several small consulting lines into a single planning/economic development consulting budget. Paquette told the board the consolidated consulting allocation of $15,250 includes previously separate economic development consulting funds and will be used to bring in third-party expertise to modernize local development regulations.

Paquette said that site-plan and subdivision regulations had been reviewed recently and that the planned consultant work would focus on broader ordinance modernization. He told the board that GIS and software costs (ArcGIS tokens and related subscriptions) were growing and that planning's department would also increase modestly its training and outreach budgets to run workshops and public roundtables in 2026.

On permitting, Paquette said planning and the building department will perform a fee reevaluation next year and present recommended changes to application and permit fees; the town will study longer-term impact fees for fiscal year 2027. He told the board staff will collect comparative data from neighboring towns and return with concrete proposals the board can approve or revise.

Board members asked staff to tidy line items, correct misplaced charges (for example, certain PD support contracts that may be better classified elsewhere), and to return with an amended overtime/contract allocation when finance posts staff wage placeholders.

The board did not take a final vote on the consulting line but accepted the planner's rationale and asked staff to return with more precise cost and scope documents.