The Cohasset Planning Board held its first meeting of the new year on Jan. 7, 2026, quickly addressing procedural matters before launching into a forward-looking discussion on annual goals and a potential overhaul of town regulations. The board, consisting of Chair Kevin Heine, Vice Chair Clark Brewer, and members Deirdre Hobson, Amy Glasmeier, and Birgit Schmidt-Wesche, began by addressing its 2026 meeting calendar.

Town Planner Cassandra Thayer presented the proposed schedule, noting a potential conflict with the February school vacation week. The board agreed to move its Feb. 18 meeting to Feb. 25 and shifted its Sept. 30 meeting to Oct. 7 to avoid a member conflict. During the discussion, Deirdre Hobson informed the board of her upcoming travel. "I will be out of town starting next weekend until March 13," Hobson stated, adding that while she would miss four meetings in person, she could attend remotely for critical hearings. "I will take my iPad with me. If there is anything important... I can see whether I could make it work."

The board then formalized the calendar adjustments and approved its previous minutes. A motion from Vice Chair Clark Brewer to accept the modified 2026 and January 2027 schedule was unanimously approved. Motion Passed 5-0. A subsequent motion from member Amy Glasmeier to approve the Dec. 3, 2025, minutes also passed. Motion Passed 5-0.

With administrative tasks complete, the conversation shifted to the board's objectives for the year. Clark Brewer proposed a dedicated session to set annual goals, similar to the Select Board's practice. "I think it would be good to have a discussion about planning board goals over the next year," Brewer said. Amy Glasmeier expanded on this, advocating for a comprehensive review of existing regulations to provide more clarity for residents, arguing that specific rules could "make the process smoother, make it clearer for the public."

The suggestion sparked a discussion about which rules could be updated by the board directly and which would require a Town Meeting vote. Chair Kevin Heine sought to clarify the scope, asking if the review would cover "the zoning bylaws or another" set of regulations. The board identified several areas for improvement, including accessory dwelling units, stormwater management, and outdoor lighting. "Lighting always comes up on a lot of our discussions," Brewer noted. Glasmeier raised the issue of intense seasonal light displays, adding, "we could fashion something that would say this is permittable under certain circumstances, under certain times, and that there's a time when it has to be turned off."

The board agreed to add goal-setting and a regulations review to a future agenda, tasking Cassandra Thayer with gathering information on the Select Board’s goals and clarifying the process for amending town rules. The meeting concluded after a final motion to adjourn. Motion Passed 5-0.