Quick takes from the Aug. 22 Bridgton Select Board meeting:

Making gains. Planners continue to make progress on drafting an ordinance to address the state’s recently passed LD 2003, which requires towns and cities to increase housing density allowed in their zoning ordinances to create more affordable housing.

PB chair Deb Brusini noted the group will hold another workshop on the third Tuesday in September, this time including legal counsel.

“In a very optimistic view, if we keep it simple and don’t run into a lot of snags, we would hope sometime in October to have a draft that we could either have another workshop on or go to public hearing (...or two). If there’s heavy interest and we need to make changes, those changes can be made in December, January, and we can have another hearing in January, February and have things to you folks no later than early March,” Brusini said. “We’re targeting to try and get it to you in February.”

Brusini noted that people from the public attended the workshop last week.

“It wasn’t a lot, but they were very active. So, the board’s very grateful for the folks that came and participated. I think the two public hearings would be really good because LD 2003 is a bit confusing. How it fits into our current land use is even more confusing. But we’re trying to keep it straightforward and simple and not roll a lot of other things into it that could wait,” she added. “It’s important to remember that it needs to pass. If it doesn’t pass the legislative body (the town votes it down), then it’s going to default to the state regulations. I haven’t looked recently, but one of those regulations had the state handling appeals. I don’t think we want that. So, it’s important to get good input from the town and make sure we keep it straightforward so that it passes in June.”

Riding for Vets. Lonnie Girard, president of the Lake Region ATV Club, gained permission to hold a benefit charity ride at Five Fields Farm in South Bridgton the last Sunday in September.

“Normally, the Poker Run we do every other year, but this year we have an opportunity that the proceeds go to a local charity This year, they’re going to go to a place called House in the Woods, which is in Lee, Maine, for veterans to be able to go back into the outdoors. Hopefully, we raise enough money to send two veterans for a week up there,” Girard said. “We would like your consent to be able to have a Poker Run. It’s all on the trails. Nothing is going to be in town or on town roads or anything like that.”

The request was unanimously approved.

Resignation. Greg Bullard resigned as a member of the Community Development Advisory Committee. He served on the CDAC for five years, Selectman Bob McHatton reported.

Police news: Public Safety Administrative Assistant Grace Gendron was sworn in as a reserve police officer.  Officer Gendron will continue to manage the duties of the office and the PD lobby but now has the authority to swear to court documents, take minor reports of crime at the PD window, hold and manage the checks of prisoners in the cell block, and many other minor administrative law enforcement duties.  To complete her reserve certification status, Officer Gendron will train a minimum of 80 hours while supervised by a Field Training Officer learning the daily duties of a Bridgton Patrol Officer. 

Officer McKenzie Lee was sworn in as a full-time patrol officer. He has started his nine to 12 weeks of field training time and will likely attend the next police academy in January. Prior to this, Officer McKenzie served in the United States Marine Corps. 

Officer Jake Hammond has started his 18 weeks of training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  He will graduate in November. 

Officer Charles (Charlie) Deshensky has started his training as a reserve officer.  Prior to joining the BPD, Charles was a certified officer in New York, where he served as a firearms, taser and police bicycle operations instructor.  The public will likely see him on the BPD bike patrol at events like Music on Main.

Final comments: After hearing Lakes Environmental Association executive director Colin Holme speak on the need for a harbormaster and a mooring ordinance, Select Board member Carrye Castleman-Ross recognized the work LEA does to protect one of the town’s vital resources — our waterbodies. Hearing just 16% of people who own shorefront property in areas served by LEA are members of the organization, Castleman-Ross encouraged others on the water to “pony up a pretty nominal fee” and join LEA.

“For the amount of work that LEA does to help keep our lakes pristine and keep property values high for people on the lakes, it’s a very small price to pay,” she said. “I would encourage everyone to consider joining LEA to support all the hard work that they do.”