The board of health is comprised of three elected members.  Each member is elected to a three-year term.  Generally one seat is up for election each year at the annual town election.  In addition to the elected members, the Board of Health employs professional staff to fulfill its responsibilities.  This staff includes agents, (an engineer for septic, storm water and other civil engineering issues and sanitarians for inspections of food service and housing) and other employees that act on behalf of the board and staff the office. 

 The board of health is responsible for the protection of public health. The board has broad oversight responsibilities dealing with everything from how food is stored and prepared in restaurants or served to the public,  the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink, the proper disposal of waste water from homes and from industry, the cleanliness of lakes for swimming, and so on.  The Board of Health issues permits for the following activities: septic systems - installers and installations,  food service and frozen desserts - restaurants and mobile servers, garbage haulers, motels and campgrounds, swimming pools - installation of private pools and operation of  public pools, milk and cream, wells, raising pigs, funeral directors, syringes, tanning facilities, massage establishments and massage therapists.

In 1975, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted chapter 808, amended Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), Ch. 40A and established "The Zoning Act" to facilitate standardized procedures for the administration and promulgation of municipal zoning laws.  Consistent with the objectives of "The Zoning Act", the Wrentham Zoning Bylaws were adopted in 1978 to provide for compatible development and best use of the Town's land and resources with further emphasis on
safeguarding the right of all Wrentham residents to clean air, water and quality of life. 

The Wrentham Planning Board consists of seven members with three year terms.  Members are chosen by voting at the annual Town elections.  A vacancy occurring for any reason other than expiration of term is typically filled via joint appointment by the Board of Selectman and the remaining members of the Planning Board.  Such an appointment is in effect until the next annual Town election, at which time the unexpired term is filled by election.  This year, the contest is for such an unexpired term of 1 year duration. 

The framework in which the Planning Board functions is largely defined by local zoning bylaws, Massachusetts General Laws and local regulations.  Three fundamental components of this framework are the established Zoning Districts, the Use Regulation Schedule, and the Development Regulations as represented in Articles 3,4 and 6 respectively, of the Wrentham Zoning Bylaws.  These criteria, when applied responsibly, provide a clear and comprehensive mechanism to determine what is and what is not allowed in Wrentham's various Zoning Districts by means of use definitions and dimensional requirements   (minimum lot dimensions, % of lot coverage, minimum buffer zone distance, height limitations, etc.)  There are six Zoning Districts in Wrentham (excluding the Watershed and Aquifer Overlay Protection Districts) ranging from residential (R-30/R-43) to Commercial-Industrial (C-1/C-2).  Although C-1 and C-2 districts allow industrial manufacturing, it is important to note that such uses must comply with specific criteria identified in the Use Regulation Schedule, which paraphrased, limits such activities to light manufacturing in a totally enclosed structure. 

Among the Planning Board's routine responsibilities is the Site Plan Approval/Special Permit Process. This process requires a number of submissions by the applicant including a Community and Environmental Assessment report which should describe environmental and community impacts, both beneficial and adverse as defined in Article 8 of the Wrentham Zoning Bylaws.  A public hearing is also required as an integral part of the Site Plan Approval/Special Permit Process. Respective procedural, filing and time-line requirements as defined in Article 7 and M.G.L. Ch. 40A must be closely monitored and adhered to as the contrary could result in automatic approval in a worst case scenario.  Article 9 requires the Planning Board to make numerous specific findings prior to the issuance of a Special Permit and provides governing criteria on which to base these findings.  One example is the Board finding that the immediate neighborhood will not be adversely affected by traffic or nuisance such as noise, vibration, dust, odor, etc.  In fact, Article 9 prohibits the issuance of a Special Permit unless the Planning Board determines that the proposed development/use is in harmony with the intent and purpose of the Zoning Bylaws, in particular, s1.2. 

The Planning Board is also the local authority on subdivision control, and as such, routinely deals with the lay-out, design and construction details of ways in subdivisions.  M.G.L. Ch. 41, sections 81K-81GG "Subdivision Control Law" provides the foundation upon which this process is based, the overall purpose of this process being to protect the safety, convenience and welfare of the Town's inhabitants.  As a subset of this process, the Planning Board is also required to act on ANR (Approved Not Required) plans for which submission and endorsement procedures are found in M.G.L. Ch. 41, s 81P.  ANR status is typically dependent on a finding that the submission is not a subdivision plan, and that adequate frontage is provided on a qualified way with vital access being provided to each lot.  Upon conclusion of these findings, the Board must endorse said plan "approval not required under the Subdivision Control Law."  It is important to note that the ANR process does not require a public hearing.