Confusion over three zoning amendments on the Special Town Meeting agenda, all indefinitely postponed by voters, has people calling the Planning Board with a lot of questions.

The amendments were presented by Brad Saunders, a land planning consultant hired by several landowners and a development within the Bay Club, but according to the agenda, the Planning Board brought the changes to the Town Meeting floor and supported them. Each amendment dealt with an aspect of the existing cluster subdivision bylaw.

A letter read by Town Administrator Mike Gagne from Planning Board secretary Tammy Ferreira also stated that the board had voted unanimously to support the amendments.

But Ferreira and Planning Board Chair Thomas Tucker say that’s inaccurate.

“This was not proposed by the Planning Board whatsoever,” said Tucker.

The Special Town Meeting agenda was posted Oct. 3. Ferreira said Gagne asked her for a letter, dated Oct. 8, and she erroneously typed that the Planning Board had voted to support the bylaws when in fact their unanimous vote was to close the public hearing about the bylaws and send them to Selectmen for review.

“It’s just a typo,” she said. “I was in a rush that day. I submitted the letter real quick to Mike. It’s my error. I wish I had picked up on it before the meeting. Now it’s become this big huge ordeal.”

She added, “It should have said the Planning Board voted in favor to close it and forward it to Town Meeting.”

Gagne said the Planning Board should have been aware that its name was on the Town Meeting agenda in advance of the meeting. He said the documents were sent to him with the bylaws in late summer, reviewed by Town Counsel and returned stating they were sponsored by the Planning Board.

The Special Town Meeting agenda was published before Ferreira’s letter, which Gagne said was required by law to be read at Town Meeting.

Had the bylaw been sponsored by someone other than a town board or town official, it would require 100 votes from registered voters, he said.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that no Planning Board members were at the meeting.

“I don’t know why everyone thought we should be at the hearing,” said Tucker. “We met three times in September. Basically we wanted a Monday off.”

Tucker and Ferreira also said voters had plenty of opportunities to learn about the bylaws in advance of Special Town Meeting. A legal ad announced the hearing as did the Planning Board’s agendas. Saunders gave a lengthy presentation on the proposed changes. The meetings were televised and are available on the town's website at mattapoisett.net.

Regardless of who technically brought the bylaws to Town Meeting, the majority of voters approved motions to indefinitely postpone them. And one thing is for sure: if it reappears on a future Town Meeting agenda, it's unlikely to have the Planning Board's name on it.