by the commission, formerly part of Sec. 8-30, added Subsec. (p) providing for a liberal interpretation of the right to appeal and the appeal procedure and providing that an appeal shall be considered a civil action, and added Subsec. (q) allowing an appellant additional time to take the appeal if the appeal has failed to be heard on its merits because of certain defects and providing that Sec. 52-592 shall not apply to appeals taken under this section; P.A. 90-286 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “The appeal shall be taken” with “The appeal shall be commenced by service of process in accordance with subsections (e) and (f) of this section” and to replace “The appeal shall be commenced and returned to court in the same manner as prescribed for civil actions brought to that court” with “The appeal shall be returned to court in the same manner and within the same period of time as prescribed for civil actions brought to that court” and amended Subsec. (i) to replace requirement that the board transmit the record within 30 days “after the appeal is served” with within 30 days “after the return date to court”; P.A. 91-219 amended Subsec. (i) to require that the record include the written decision of the board rather than the board's findings of fact and conclusions of law; P.A. 92-249 amended Subdiv. (2) of Subsec. (a) to include the chief elected official of a municipality in the definition of “board” re hearings under Sec. 22a-250; P.A. 99-238 amended Subsec. (b) by adding reference to new Subsec. (r), and added new Subsec. (r) re appeal of aggrieved person to set aside decision or action of board for noncompliance with requirement of notice of content, giving, mailing, publishing, filing or recording of hearing or action taken by board within two years of the date of such