Election: June 13, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Bridgton Town Hall (North High Street)

Absentee Ballots are now available; inquire on the town website or town office.

POSITION: Bridgton Planning Board

Vote for 1

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Current Bridgton Planning Board member Charles “Ken” Gibbs is seeking re-election for another three-year term.

He is being challenged by Angela “Angie” Cook.

The News posed the following questions to candidates, whose answers appear in alphabetical order:

Q. Why did you decide to run for office?

Cook: I love this town and the people. I want to see positive growth.

Gibbs: Being a retired educator with editing and language skills along with having been a member of the Planning Board in Sturbridge, Mass., it seemed that volunteering for the Bridgton Planning Board would be a position in which I could effectively perform a valuable community service. I had previously volunteered to serve on Bridgton’s Land Use Committee, which spent almost three years translating the vision in the current Comprehensive Plan into zoning. Serving on the Planning Board was an obvious next step; so, I ran for an alternate position, stepped up to a full-time position, and next ran again successfully for a three-year position.  

During these years, I gained an intimate knowledge of the town’s ordinances and became familiar with the protocols of the Planning Board. I am running for another term in order to use the experience I have to insure Bridgton maintains its innate appeal to residents and visitors, while attracting appropriate commercial development.

Q. What strengths do you feel you would bring to the job?

Cook: I have experience in business and community, and I feel I have strong leadership and communication skills.

Gibbs: First and foremost, I offer my experience in interpreting fairly and reasonably the extensive rules and regulations inherent in the Land Use Ordinances that oversee development in Bridgton. I have no agenda in my decision-making other than desiring to preserve the best qualities of Bridgton — its lakes, its forests, its small-town flavor with its vibrant shops, galleries, restaurants, and other businesses. I am not adverse to compromise, I listen carefully to public comments, I assiduously read each application before the board, and I scrupulously try to avoid any bias. Having spent many years examining difficult literary passages in the classroom, I don’t mind spending hours reading and re-reading town ordinances and pouring over the details on an application to be sure that I can arrive at an opinion that benefits both the residents and the commercial interests of Bridgton.

Q. What do you see are the two biggest challenges of the job, and how what would be your approach to dealing with them?

Cook: I feel the two biggest challenges are balancing the needs and interests of different businesses/residents, navigating complex regulations and policies, and ensuring that the town’s growth and development align with the community’s values. My approach would be to prioritize transparency, communication, and collaboration with all businesses/residents to ensure that we are making informed and equitable decisions that benefit the community as a whole.

Gibbs: First, Bridgton is updating its Comprehensive Plan. Since the updated Comprehensive Plan will contain a community-generated plan for managing future growth in Bridgton, this is a truly significant document. At present, I’m the liaison for the Planning Board to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Task Force and am looking forward to continuing to contribute to this important project.

Second, Bridgton is in the midst of unprecedented growth, both commercial and residential. The state has complicated matters by instituting LD2003, which mandates changes in Bridgton’s zoning in order to encourage housing that is affordable. As a result, the Planning Board has an extensive to-do list that must be accomplished in a short length of time. Our Land Use Code must be partially revised to make our zoning consistent with state rules. There is much work to be done, work which I am presently a part of, in order to guide Bridgton into the future without discarding the best qualities of its past.

Q. Finish the following line, “If people vote for me, they will get…”

Cook: …A dedicated and passionate representative who will work tirelessly to make our town a better place to live, work and play.

Gibbs: …They will get an experienced Planning Board member who will work hard to make certain that Bridgton continues to be a town we can “love always.”