The Bristol Select Board will not reform the town’s comprehensive plan committee to address needed edits to the draft plan and will instead enlist the services of the Midcoast Council of Governments in Damariscotta.
The Wednesday, July 17 decision brings to a close weeks of discussion between the select board and former members of the committee about what entity should take the lead on addressing the draft’s compliance issues identified by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
“I think it makes a lot of sense that the select board take the lead on this,” said Bristol Select Board member Kristine Poland. “And then people who attend the meetings can participate in any way that they feel that they would like to, rather than singling out individuals to take the process forward.”
The Midcoast Council of Governments, the organization who will facilitate the edits, is a voluntary association of municipal and county governments that aims to promote cooperative efforts and coordination with state and federal planning.
Select board members have discussed how to address the needed edits since their July 3 meeting. Former comprehensive plan committee member Steve Jorgensen said if the board members took the lead on facilitating the edits, then the plan would have the best shot of succeeding at the state level and with town voters.
“You need to run this, we can help, if you need us to do pieces of this, but it needs to be owned by the select board,” Jorgensen said.
At the close of the July 3 meeting, the board directed Town Administrator Rachel Bizarro to contact Midcoast Council of Governments to get advice. Bizarro reported at the July 17 meeting that she has talked with the organization’s senior planner, Max Johnstone, about setting up meetings to address the state’s feedback.
“Their role would be basically a facilitator, for at least part of the process,” said Bristol Select Board Chair Chad Hanna.
Bizarro said the organization will help facilitate meetings between town committees to go over feedback and then to help schedule public hearings if necessary.
While that schedule is being put together, Johnstone is reviewing the draft comprehensive plan and the feedback from the state, according to Bizarro. Early comments from Johnstone suggest editing the draft will be a straightforward process, she said.
Former comprehensive plan committee member Jaime Doherty urged the select board to keep in mind that there are certain datasets within the draft that will age out of relevance and will need to be redone if too much time is taken with the edits to the plan.
“I would encourage you to ramp up the clock,” he said.
Hanna said the board intends to meet the 90-day timeline set forth by the state to make the needed changes to bring the draft into compliance.
“Our goal is to meet whatever dealing we need to meet,” Hanna said.
Jorgenson suggested exploring a short-term extension with the state in case the editing process goes beyond the 90-day, Oct. 30 deadline.
A town’s comprehensive plan is a document that helps guide municipalities toward a collective vision including conservation, land management, housing, and more. While it is not a legally binding document, towns with a plan approved by the state receive priority consideration when applying for specific grants, funding, and become eligible for funds the town otherwise wouldn’t be.
Bristol’s draft has been in the works since 2021 when the town formed a comprehensive plan committee after voters approved $60,000 at the annual town meeting to fund the effort and hire consultants to assist with its development.
The town’s draft comprehensive plan was sent to the state on April 3. Providing feedback on the draft, Tom Miragliuolo, senior planner with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Municipal Planning Assistance Program, said in a letter there were “missing elements that will need to be added or corrected before we can find the plan to be consistent with the growth management act.”
For more information about the draft comprehensive plan, go to bristolmaine.org/comprehensive-plan-committee, email info@bristolmaine.org, call the town office at 563-5270, or visit the town office, at 1268 Bristol Road, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The next Bristol Select Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the town office.
