Stop fining property owners who are improving their homes. Fill our potholes

Just learned that a neighbor who is adding a new master suite to her house now has to present her plans to the Belmont Planning Commission for their personal scrutiny. The cost for this pleasure of having her plans scrutinized? $8000. And this is not including the costs for building permits! One more thing....the Planning Commissioners get to tell her what plants to plant and where. 
Another neighbor whose tree lost a huge limb that fell onto the sidewalk and street in front of his house couldn't just have the tree pruned without a getting a tree permit. He had to get an arborist to vouch that the tree was a safety hazard, go to City Hall, pay for a permit....only to be told that the tree inspector was on vacation for three weeks.
Elect Charles Stone, Eric Reed and Warren Lieberman to the Belmont City Council. They want to reform these costly bureaucratic ordinances.