[0:00] (gavel banging) Call to order

[0:04] of the select board meeting of November 18th,

[0:06] 2025. Please stand for the Pledge of

[0:10] Allegiance. (chair creaking)

[0:14] I pledge allegiance to

[0:16] the flag of the United States of America.

[0:18] And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under

[0:22] God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for

[0:26] all.

[0:27] Maybe there was a little snow on that one.

[0:30] (laughs)

[0:31] (laughs)

[0:31] Poked my eye out here.

[0:32] Where is Bob? I think he was back (laughs) home.

[0:35] I didn't realize it.

[0:37] Well, thank you. Hmm. All right. First item of business.

[0:40] (paper rustling) Do we have a motion?

[0:44] Yes.

[0:46] (laughs) Give me a second.

[0:49] (laughs)

[0:50] Yeah, we're going to... Where the heck is it? Here we go.

[0:54] Uh, motion to move into executive session per MSI

[0:58] Title 1, Section 405 (6)

[1:01] (A) .

[1:05] Personnel.

[1:06] Personnel.

[1:08] Second.

[1:09] All in favor?

[1:10] I was reading to get out of executive session.

[1:12]

[1:12] I didn't read them to move out.

[1:14] For those of you watching at home, Dan Hardin is, is, is away and will not be,

[1:18] not be attending.

[1:22] (coughs) Yeah, nice to meet you.

[1:24] Yes,

[1:26] it is. I'm sorry, Paul. All right, we're back. We're back. All right.

[1:30] We're back. Can I have a motion?

[1:32] Motion to go out of executive session.

[1:35] Motion

[1:35] Second.

[1:36] All in favor? Mm-hmm. One-nothing.

[1:40] All right. (paper rustling) Oh, sorry. All right.

[1:44] Action items following executive session.

[1:48] Move to approve the appointment of

[1:51] ... Fill in the name.

[1:54] Oh, Ashley Millet.

[1:56] (laughs)

[1:58] I'm sorry.

[1:58] As community development director.

[2:01]

[2:01] I'm sorry.

[2:02] Second.

[2:03] All in favor?

[2:05] Ashley, can you step up to the mic and just give us a ...

[2:08] (clears throat)

[2:09] People on the TV a brief, brief overview. That's right.

[2:12]

[2:12] Absolutely. Well, good evening, uh, chair members of

[2:16] the board. Thank you so much for having me here this evening.

[2:20] Um, I'm very excited to be here. Um, just a little

[2:24] quick bit about me, um,

[2:26] I have a very strong background in economic development,

[2:30] recreation, community services.

[2:32] Um, so I'm very excited to be starting this position and lend

[2:36] some of my expertise to this community.

[2:39] Um, I have family here in the community and I'm looking forward to,

[2:43] uh, contributing in the best way that I can.

[2:45] So thank you guys so much for having me. Really looking forward to it.

[2:49] Welcome.

[2:50] Thank you very much.

[2:51] Welcome, Ashley.

[2:51] Thank you.

[2:56] (paper rustling)

[2:57] And Ashley is starting right in. (laughs) Cool.

[2:59] (laughs)

[3:00] To say, to say the least. She's, she's starting before she even started something,

[3:04] you know? (laughs)

[3:04] That's true.

[3:07] Well, all right. Approval of minutes.

[3:10] Move to approve the October 28, 2025, select board

[3:13] minutes.

[3:15] Second.

[3:16] All in favor?

[3:18] One-nothing.

[3:20] And again, for those who just came in, Dan Hardin is not here tonight.

[3:23] He's taking a well-deserved

[3:25] vacation. (paper rustling)

[3:29] All right, number six, committee liaison reports.

[3:32] Open Space Committee. I, I am the liaison with the Open

[3:36] Space Committee, so I just want to give a few highlights from

[3:40] a, uh, the recent meeting that they had.

[3:44] I won't talk about everything that they talked about because

[3:48] then it would be too long.

[3:49] (laughs)

[3:51] But the, the, the key items that I did want to mention,

[3:56] one related to Pondicherry Park, and there's a few,

[4:00] there's a few pieces to that. And the

[4:03] first one that was discussed was to

[4:07] simplify,

[4:09] potentially simplify, the involvement of

[4:13] both the Open Space Committee and the Pondicherry Park Stewardship

[4:17] Committee. And I believe the intent is to have

[4:20] a joint meeting in January before those two committees

[4:24] and see if we can't, see if we can simplify

[4:28] that somewhat since

[4:31] we have

[4:33] (clears throat) two committees, and, and I know

[4:38] that's under discussion. Hmm,

[4:42] uh,

[4:43] also talked about access to the, to the Ham Complex Bridge, and people

[4:47] are happy with the signs. So we seem to have

[4:52] gotten through that issue and we have signs up, and

[4:56] that seems to be working. Um,

[5:00] the ... They also are trying to put a

[5:04] placeholder in, I guess, ahead of time for the

[5:07] '26/'27 budget for some work that needs to be

[5:11] done at, at Pondicherry relating to trails

[5:15] and, and access improvements. So I, I, I

[5:19] think when we do get the budget together, and Don- Mm-hmm.

[5:23] I don't know if they come directly to you or they come to Georgina.

[5:24] Well, they'll get, they'll come to us. Yep.

[5:26] Mm-hmm.

[5:27] I wrote that down. That, that they are probably gonna be looking for

[5:30] $50,000. So just

[5:34] early, early warning on that one. Yep, I appreciate that. Okay.

[5:37] In my notes. Um, the second thing that was talked about at

[5:41] length was Solid Point

[5:45] Beach. (clears throat) And, you know, access issues

[5:49] down there, uh, concerns about whether it was

[5:53] really, truly

[5:55] as accessible as it could be in terms of the road, in terms of

[5:59] parking, in terms of really the-...

[6:03] citizens and taxpayers of Bridgeton getting the most use

[6:06] that they could out of it. Um,

[6:10] and I, I think that that's a to-be-continued item

[6:13] around, like, long-term thoughts

[6:16] around whether there might be some changes down, d-

[6:20] down there and, and try to get some input from people about what they think

[6:25] is possible and what's, what's the best use of that

[6:28] beautiful space down there. So, that

[6:32] ... Those, those were the two key items

[6:36] that, that, that I pulled out of that meeting that I wanted to

[6:38] share. And the next one-

[6:42] Paul, before you go on, can I ask, um, a

[6:46] little bit more, uh, what they're

[6:50] looking to do down there or what they'd like to see happen down

[6:53] there? Seeing that's really not

[6:58] ...

[7:00] It's an enterprise fund.

[7:02] It's?

[7:03] Enterprise.

[7:03] Yeah. No, I understand that. Um,

[7:07] so anyways, what, w- w- what's this committee looking

[7:10] at?

[7:12] I, I think the, the kind of shorter term thing is, is

[7:17] access for, for people down there would, that I,

[7:21] you know, it's hard when you walk down that little

[7:25] trail in the woods kind of thing, um-

[7:28] Well, it's sort of like a mini Pondicherry Park walkway,

[7:32] you see? (laughs)

[7:33] (laughs) It's, it's very mini.

[7:36] Yeah.

[7:36] I think, I think the mini part of it is holes the best.

[7:40] (laughs)

[7:42] Then, then I think long term, I mean, I, it-

[7:44] I mean, they're looking for handicapped, they're looking for dogs.

[7:47] They're looking for ... I mean, what are they looking for?

[7:49] Well, I don't ... Uh, I don't, I don't think anyone was looking for dogs.

[7:52] That's good.

[7:54] (laughs)

[7:54] That's good.

[7:55] Mm-hmm.

[7:55] They might go there, but ...

[7:57] So yeah, I, I ... Again, the short term is more access

[8:01] and, and, and the longer term, it, you know, it's

[8:05] how do the citizens of Bridgeton or the taxpayers of

[8:08] Bridgeton get the most use out of that particular property down

[8:12] there?

[8:12] Mm-hmm.

[8:13] So, again, it's a, it's, it's very much a

[8:16] to-be-determined kind of thing and-

[8:19] Okay.

[8:19] ... collect people's thoughts.

[8:24] Does Rebecca work with Scott in her finance position

[8:28] like Jenna did?

[8:30] Yes.

[8:30] Okay.

[8:33] All right. Um, Eco Maine.

[8:36] Maybe, Carrie, you could talk a little bit about Eco Maine and give us a-

[8:40] Okay. Well, we've been mentioning, um, for the past few years the,

[8:44] um, soon-to-be-mandated implementation of extended

[8:48] producer responsibility, which is

[8:52] going to, um-

[8:54] (clears throat)

[8:55] ... reduce recycling fees and tipping fees for

[8:58] recycling for member towns of Eco Maine.

[9:01] And that is a state program. Um, it has, it

[9:06] started in Europe. Vermont was the first state in America to implement

[9:10] it, and it makes large packaging

[9:13] producers, Amazon, Pepsi, all the big

[9:16] corporations, have some measure of reimbursement to

[9:20] towns for their cardboard and, um,

[9:24] packaging recycling. So that's gonna require some work.

[9:27] They've offered to do outreach. We can have a workshop or question-and-answer

[9:30] session. They'll probably reach out to Forrest or the public

[9:34] services director also to explain to them what's needed. There are ...

[9:38] You know, there's some extra work on that side, but

[9:41] ultimately, it is going to result in towns getting some

[9:45] reimbursement for the cost that we are now paying to

[9:49] send all that cardboard to Eco Maine.

[9:51] There's going to be some corporate reimbursements.

[9:55] It's a little convoluted to explain, but they're going to send an emissary out

[9:59] after the holidays to give us a real more academic overview

[10:03] of it. This is just distilled.

[10:05] (clears throat)

[10:05] But another big thing we've done is, um, the Eco Maine board

[10:09] voted unanimously to raise the recycling rates

[10:13] based on that implementation, balancing the

[10:17] tipping cost for recycling. Hasn't been implemented yet,

[10:21] but they are building a $30 million recycling

[10:24] upgrade at the Eco Maine facility on, in, on Blueberry Road in,

[10:28] um, Scarborough. And that was necessary because the, it was

[10:32] outdated. And it's gonna run cleaner, and it's gonna be just a better

[10:37] project all around. And another thing we've done is added three

[10:41] new member towns, Sanford being one of them, which adds

[10:45] a lot of population to the Eco Maine community.

[10:49] And Eco Maine works a lot like our wastewater program does.

[10:52] The more members we have, the lower the fees are for each

[10:56] town. So we're having, we're growing for member towns, and we have a lot

[11:00] of satellite auxiliary towns stepping onboard too.

[11:03] And to improve the Eco Maine services is just a benefit to

[11:06] everyone.

[11:09] It probably would be good if they (clears throat) did send someone

[11:13] for the, maybe the first, first meeting in January, because

[11:17] I ... And, and I know they, they sent this

[11:20] note. It wasn't clear to me if, if, if they've

[11:24] already borrowed that money and are paying it back, 'cause it sounds like from this

[11:28] note that they've borrowed the money and the rate that they're going to

[11:32] start charging

[11:34] incorporates the, I guess, debt repayment

[11:39] and-

[11:39] This is confusing. I understand that the money, the $30 million

[11:42] bond that we voted on is for the new recycling

[11:46] facility. They're using what, I, I hate to

[11:50] say projected revenue because it is gonna be an implemented

[11:54] program, and it does work for reimbursement.

[11:57] But they are expecting those revenues that come back to

[12:01] balance out the......

[12:05] increase in member town's responsibility to Eco Maine for

[12:08] now, so they could cover that bond to build that facility.

[12:12] But yeah, they will ... Kevin will come out.

[12:14] The CEO will come out and explain the-

[12:15] Yeah. That, that would be

[12:16]

[12:16] good. ... Yeah. ... or something so specific. Because it is a lot.

[12:18] You know, there's, there is a lot to it.

[12:21] Right. And, and, and particularly, it seems like it's a sh- sh- short term.

[12:24] (paper rustles) I'm not ... Again, I know we're good to have him come on.

[12:27] I'm not sure, 'cause I'm not sure when we're going to

[12:30] see the reimbursements, but that,

[12:33] you know, the memo from them talks about a new rate that is

[12:38] ...

[12:38] $25 a time higher than it was before-

[12:41] Right.

[12:41] ... so you might want to look into it.

[12:42] And, and not only, not only is it a significant increase in the rate, it ...

[12:45] It also seems to discourage recycling, in that

[12:50] they've moved the, the rate we pay to the same rate we

[12:54] pay for, for trash. So it would seem like

[12:58] it's a little counterintuitive as to how rec-

[13:01] recycling is gonna be encouraged if they've raised the rate to

[13:06] the same rate

[13:08] as, as the, uh, trash

[13:12] was.

[13:13] So ...

[13:14] So, so I hope, uh, the money comes in from that fund better

[13:18] than, um, the money from the marijuana

[13:21] revenue sharing,

[13:24] which we have still yet to

[13:25] see. (laughs)

[13:29]

[13:29] (laughs) We lack of.

[13:31] Yeah. That, that-

[13:33] It's, it's legal. It's the law, but it's not appropriate.

[13:36] (laughs)

[13:38] Is the ... Is the member

[13:42] ... Is the, uh, member rate the same as

[13:46] ... I mean, is the owner rate the same as the

[13:49] contract members?

[13:52] No. And one of the benefits of being an all-in owner is, th- this is

[13:56] a nonprofit. We all, as member towns, have a

[14:00] share in

[14:02] Eco Maine. So we have a voice. Every member town

[14:06] has at least one rep, and that is based on the percentage, the population, so

[14:10] Portland has four. Most of the smaller towns, Bridgeton included, have

[14:14] one. Currently that is me. And we have had some

[14:18] workshops on EPR, and I know it is a little bit confusing,

[14:23] but he's gonna come out and explain it more to us.

[14:25] As far as the, the rate increase, I understand that it probably does

[14:29] discourage recycling, which is unfortunate, but that was the

[14:33] way to raise money to get the improved recycling system,

[14:36] because the one they had was not, was not passing certain

[14:40] emissions, new upgraded em- emissions

[14:44] requirements, standards. And it, it just had to happen,

[14:47] so. I'm not-

[14:48] Uh,

[14:48] let me- ... trying to be obtuse, but that's really what I can say right now about it.

[14:51] We'll have him come out,

[14:54] explain.

[14:55] Uh, I think my, my question was, is

[14:58] the owner members

[15:01] and the contract members, are the contract members paying

[15:05] the same fees

[15:07] as the owner members?

[15:10] So if we're paying 110, what's the contract member

[15:14] paying?

[15:15] I don't know.

[15:16] Okay.

[15:22] I think, I think we will have some maybe detailed questions-

[15:25] Yeah,

[15:25] me too. ... when, when, when, when they come out.

[15:27] Again, I think particularly for budget purposes,

[15:31] we're gonna need to know

[15:34] the, the, you know, where the rubber meets the road.

[15:36] (laughs) What, what, what is it gonna cost us next year and will we have,

[15:40] will we have any additional revenues in next year that, to help

[15:44] reduce that burden? 'Cause otherwise, it, it

[15:47] again, it's a significant, significant increase,

[15:51] uh, not only on the re- the recycled, but also

[15:55] on the, on the regular trash.

[15:59] Um, this is, this is not just Bridgeton that's asking these questions.

[16:02] Every-

[16:03] Oh,

[16:03] Every member town is asking the same questions, and that's why they've offered to

[16:06] send someone out. I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna really distill the bullet points of

[16:10] Bob's question. Member towns have a long-term, 30-year standing

[16:14] agreement, and they have advantages to lower tipping fees.

[16:17] So the member towns do pay lower per-ton tipping fees

[16:21] than commercial and non-member contracted towns.

[16:25] For example, the previous rate of a member town was 88 doll-

[16:28] $88 per ton, while the commercial haulers would pay

[16:31] $130. And it goes on to be a little more descriptive.

[16:34] The contract town fees, meaning towns like Fry Island,

[16:38] Fryeburg, Brownfield, they have negotiated prices that

[16:42] are negotiated subject to market fluctuations.

[16:45] They can be higher and less predictable long term.

[16:47] They're not locked in because they aren't full-time member towns, subjected to

[16:51] contract renewals depending on external factors like landfill

[16:55] capacity. Um, short-term contracts may seem cheaper

[16:58] initially, but the benefit to being a long-term member pricing is higher

[17:02] than the ownership model. Contract towns don't have a seat on the Eco Maine board

[17:06] or a direct say in the tipping fees.

[17:08] And I don't know any specific prices right now, but that's just a general overview

[17:12] of it.

[17:13] Thank you.

[17:14] Sure.

[17:16] All right. We look forward to

[17:19] having someone come.

[17:20] Yeah.

[17:20] Give us, give us all the, all the glory details. There you go.

[17:23] Sounds good. Sure.

[17:24] (clears throat)

[17:26] All right. It's not quite 5:30, so we're gonna skip

[17:30] through number seven and come back to it, public hearing at 5:30.

[17:33] We're gonna skip through eight. Action items following public hearing,

[17:37] we're gonna move to nine, awards and other administrative

[17:41] recommendations, which we have none on the schedule

[17:44] here. 10 is new

[17:47] business, and we have nothing

[17:50] there. And-

[17:54]

[17:54] Bye. ... we move on to number 11,

[17:58] business licenses and events requiring board

[18:01] approval.It

[18:08] is odd.

[18:09] Do you want me to just start reading them-

[18:10]

[18:10] Yeah. ... individually and we'll just go through it?

[18:12] Yeah.

[18:12] Move to approve a victualler's renewal permit for Mainely Melts Bad Dog

[18:16] LLC at 257 Main Street, Suite 2.

[18:21] Second.

[18:22] All in favor? One-nuthin'.

[18:25] Move to approve an adult-use marijuana store renewal permit for Rugged Roots

[18:29] LLC at 1 Beaver Creek Farm Road.

[18:34] Second. All in

[18:37] favor?

[18:40] Just for,

[18:40] Three f- three, four-

[18:42] Just, just, Mr. Chairman-

[18:42] Three in favor, one abstained.

[18:44] Mr. Chairman, just for TV land,

[18:48] um... Where did I go here? I

[18:51] lost it. Uh, this is a adult-use marijuana

[18:56] store renewal. Just didn't want them to think it was a restaurant

[19:00] or a truck or something of that nature,

[19:02] so...

[19:04] Okay.

[19:04] Just reading along. That's all.

[19:10] Okay. (clears throat)

[19:10] Are we good? Move to approve a victualler's renewal permit for Player Sports

[19:14] Bar at 224 Portland Road.

[19:16] Second.

[19:18] All in favor?

[19:20] One-nuthin'.

[19:23] Move to approve a mobile food truck renewal permit for Beacon Bar &

[19:26] Bistro.

[19:28] Second.

[19:29] All in favor? One-nuthin'.

[19:32] Is this new? It says it's up at Sports House.

[19:35] What's that?

[19:36] It, it says it's up at Sports

[19:37] House. It's a new location.

[19:39] It's gonna be seasonal?

[19:39] They've been, they've been to Music @ Main, but now they're gonna, now they're

[19:42] gonna be up at Sports House for the, uh, ski season.

[19:46] Great.

[19:48] Move to approve a victualler's renewal permit for Magic Lantern at Nine Depot

[19:52] Street.

[19:53] Second.

[19:54] All in favor? One-nuthin'.

[19:57] Move to approve a victualler's renewal permit for Nouria at 443

[20:01] Portland Road.

[20:02] Second.

[20:03] All in favor? One-nuthin'.

[20:07] (whistles)

[20:08] And we probably-

[20:09] You've done a great job of seconding only, uh-

[20:12] (laughs)

[20:13] (laughs)

[20:13] We got, we got 10 minutes for public comments on town

[20:17] business. Are there any

[20:20] public comments on town business?

[20:22] Each speaker may be limited to three minutes.

[20:25] I'm starting you on the clock, Al.

[20:27] All right. (laughs) Rugged Roots, quick question.

[20:31] Is it recreational or medical or both?

[20:35] There's no definition here of what they're selling.

[20:38] Are they recreational or medical or both?

[20:41] Adult use.

[20:41] To sell-

[20:42] Adult use doesn't cover that. It just doesn't...

[20:44] It, it's like saying I'm wearing pants.

[20:46] You

[20:47] retail- You paying the owner?

[20:48] ... retail store.

[20:50] It's a retail store? Okay. I just was curious, that's all,

[20:53] because I didn't know either way.

[20:56] I, I, I think they've eliminated the term recreational.

[20:59] I believe adult use is the

[21:01] new term for recreational.

[21:04] Okay.

[21:05] But,

[21:05] All right, thank you.

[21:10] Any other public comments?

[21:12] Yeah, so their state license says adult-use cannabis

[21:15] store.

[21:16] So you need a one now as far as you have?

[21:20] Okay.

[21:21] All right. Uh, any other public comments?

[21:24] For what's my soul, no public

[21:27] comments.

[21:28]

[21:28] All right. We still have time probably for project updates.

[21:33] Yeah.

[21:33] Project updates? Any project updates?

[21:37] Uh, let's see. We had a leak going

[21:40] for I don't know how long, um, at the Highland

[21:44] Dam. And we heard

[21:48] about it, addressed it. It was going to be

[21:51] included for next year even though we have monies in it for this year's budget and

[21:55] we moved it forward and we just finished it up.

[21:58] So I was pleased that that was... It was fairly

[22:01] sizeable, so. Actually it was finished up today.

[22:04] So that's the only project I have there.

[22:07] Um, another thing I was gonna mention, with

[22:10] GD Cogg's, um, help and

[22:14] Credere,

[22:15] um, Associates,

[22:18] next Monday, they will be going over to

[22:22] the Memorial School. Um,

[22:26] I have permission with Andy Madura to go in with him and take a look

[22:30] to start the phase one, um, movement

[22:35] as we move forward working with the school,

[22:38] um, to

[22:40] hopefully transfer

[22:43] property to us. Now, that's, uh...

[22:45] Don't, don't say that's tomorrow, but

[22:48] the 24th they will be going in initially and we've been working with

[22:52] some good people, including the school, and we are getting

[22:56] closer than when you first directed me to pursue this, which I thought was

[22:59] impossible. (laughs)

[23:01] (laughs)

[23:01] Good news.

[23:02] So I-

[23:03] All right.

[23:03] Now, now, now I'm just tempering this by saying, you know,

[23:07] we, we seem to have cleared most of the hurdles, but I'm very pleased that

[23:11] we're starting that process with the help, wi- with some good people to,

[23:15] um, start the phase one environmental thing again, so that's good.

[23:18] Nice.

[23:19] So that's the, the only update on that other project that I have for

[23:22] you.

[23:23] All right. I'm gonna skip select board comments and discussion

[23:27] items for now because there's no telling how long Bob will go with that.

[23:30] (laughs)

[23:31] Oh, Jesus.

[23:31] Um, maybe we have time for the town manager, deputy town manager's

[23:35] report. If, if you hurry.

[23:37] Sure. Yeah, I'll hurry. I'll, I'll talk fast.

[23:40] So I did want to make a note, and Sean you might be able to chime in on this.

[23:44] If you get a separate email that's not from the Town of

[23:48] Bridgeton asking for quite a bit of money,

[23:51] disregard. You pay your fee at the office.

[23:54] Um, if you have any questions, take and, um, talk with one of the

[23:58] clerks at the office. We are working with, um, Chris Sanborn, our IT

[24:02] individual. Um, we've targeted the email that it

[24:06] has, that it's being sent to. Um, and

[24:10] so hopefully that, that will be

[24:12] resolved.So I wanted to put that out

[24:15] there. From the Town Clerk's office, thank you to everyone

[24:19] who voted, 2,888 voters cast ballots on

[24:23] November 4th. Our election staff did an outstanding job under

[24:26] pressure. The article on sewer rates for laundromats

[24:30] passed. Full results are available on the elections page of our

[24:33] website. Second quarter taxes were due November 15th.

[24:37] If you've not paid, please call our office for updated interest

[24:40] amounts. Snowmobile registrations for the season are now

[24:43] available. Please bring your previous registration or last year's sticker

[24:47] number when re-registering. We are experiencing a

[24:51] seasonal increase in general assistance applications.

[24:55] GA is a last resort, income-based program that covers basic

[24:58] necessities per the GA ordinance.

[25:02] Applications are accepted Monday through Thursday, 7:30 to 5:00

[25:06] PM. To ensure timely processing, please bring all required

[25:09] documents and check whether an administrator is available when you drop

[25:13] off your application. Incomplete applications cause delays and cannot

[25:17] be reviewed until all documents are received.

[25:20] For heat-related concerns, please check first with Opportunity Alliance for local

[25:24] resources. From the Bridgeton Recreation: November concluded our

[25:28] fall youth athletic season with a strong finish.

[25:31] Youth soccer was the last of our fall sports to wrap up with a

[25:35] successful fifth and sixth grade day-long tournament

[25:39] at the Ham Complex on November 1st.

[25:41] This season had excellent participation from players, volunteer

[25:45] coaches, officials, fans, and lot of positive

[25:49] feedback from families. Winter program is already underway

[25:53] as Lake Region youth traff- travel basketball teams began

[25:57] practices and had their first weekend of games.

[26:01] At the end of the month, we will host a youth basketball clinic and

[26:05] meetings at the Lake Region High School to help youth athletics and families

[26:08] prepare for the season, reinforce expectations, and support skill

[26:12] development. Earlier this month, Leslie and Kat attended

[26:16] the Women's Coaching Youth Sports Workshop in

[26:19] Biddeford with other female volunteer coaches.

[26:23] The trained focus was not only on coaching skills but on

[26:27] strengthening female participation in youth sports, both on the court

[26:31] and field, as well as on the sidelines.

[26:34] Building on that m- momentum,

[26:37] former Bridgeton Recreation summer staff members and now

[26:41] basketball players, Melissa Mayo and Ava Smith helped us film a

[26:45] lighthearted youth basketball promotional video, which is currently

[26:49] circulating across our social media platforms.

[26:52] Our early childhood programming has been seeing impressive

[26:55] engagement. Toddler playgroup reached record attendance as families

[26:59] moved inside the colder months. The week's

[27:03] session featured musician Vanessa Jones, who performed songs from her new

[27:07] album, Full Circle: Gentle Songs for Children, giving families a unique

[27:11] arts-focused experience. Looking ahead, Festival of Lights

[27:15] on December 6th brings a full roster of community programming

[27:19] coordinated by Bridgeton Recreation, supported by the Magic

[27:23] Lantern, local organizations, and other town departments.

[27:26] Our events throughout the day include the craft fair at Stevens Brook

[27:30] Elementary School with over 40 vendors-

[27:33] Ahem.

[27:33] ... a Merry Makers workshop, Festival of Trees viewing, and the

[27:36] inaugural Chili Cook-Off. At the Magic Lantern, we are

[27:40] presenting two performances of A Visit from Saint Nicholas at

[27:44] 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM, directed by Bob Sawyer and presented in

[27:48] memory of John Potter. Character visits and photos with

[27:52] Santa will also take place during the afternoon.

[27:54] The evening rounds out with two major community favorites: the

[27:58] Festival of Lights Parade with this year's theme Frost and

[28:02] Flame, and our tree lighting at Bridgeton Community Center.

[28:06] More festive surprises and events are being finalized by the minute.

[28:09] We anticipate strong turnout and increased foot traffic for local

[28:13] businesses and a full day of activity for community members across the

[28:17] region. From the Bridgeton Code Enforcement for the month of October

[28:21] 25th, there were three new residentials,

[28:25] six remodel permits, seven additions, eleven tree

[28:29] removal, one sign, three miscellaneous, one roof mount

[28:33] solar array, two garages. For plumbing permits, there were 13 internal

[28:37] plumbing, five septic permits, and three

[28:40] connection to town sewer. Total per- project costs were

[28:44] $3,084,728. Total

[28:47] permit costs for, um, total permit costs were

[28:51] 8,827. From Public Works, decorations

[28:55] are going up this week and should be done before Thanksgiving.

[28:58] Heating will be taken care of at the transfer station this week

[29:02] in the store. New cemetery and parks employee starts on Monday.

[29:06] Welcome Alex Johnson. New transfer station attendant started

[29:10] last week. Welcome to David Walter.

[29:13] Cemeteries will be closed on December 1st, so please have

[29:17] residents remove all personal belongings prior to

[29:20] that date. Until next time, be safe and be

[29:23] well.

[29:25] I have a question.

[29:26] Oh, wow.

[29:27] Exactly 5:30.

[29:29] Excellent.

[29:30] Um, may I just ask a question? Ho- how did they solve the heating issue and what's

[29:34] going in? That's very exciting to learn that.

[29:36] Do you want to talk or do you want me to talk? We brought in patio heaters.

[29:39] Great.

[29:40] Yes.

[29:41] That is a very nice gesture.

[29:42] Yes. How many we brought in?

[29:44] Four.

[29:44] Four? Good.

[29:44] Four patio heaters-

[29:45] Good.

[29:45] ... that'll be set up in the transfer station store.

[29:48] That is great.

[29:49] Mm-hmm.

[29:50] When I was there with you and saw my breath, I had enough.

[29:52] (laughs)

[29:53] (laughs)

[29:53] And she has a smile on her face-

[29:55] Well, I hope so.

[29:56] ... in there 10 hours it goes.

[29:56] We, we ... I can't believe it took so long and I just wanted to do the best we

[30:00] could.

[30:01] Yeah. Yeah,

[30:01] No, I ... Thank you. You were there.

[30:03] He deserves

[30:03] it. You witnessed ... Well, you've been through it, but yeah, (laughs) it was ...

[30:05] No, that's ... They, they have a great team there.

[30:07] Yes, they do.

[30:07] Yeah.

[30:08] Yep.

[30:08] Yeah. Thank you for asking that.

[30:09] Mm-hmm.

[30:09] Sure.

[30:10] I have a question.

[30:10] (laughs)

[30:11] I hope, I hope nobody buys 'em. (laughs)

[30:14]

[30:14] Well, that's, that-... concern. (laughs) They had one in a box and

[30:17] I, I said, "Get it out of the box."

[30:19] Yes.

[30:20] You think Linda's gonna-

[30:21] Yeah.

[30:21] ... let that out of the building?

[30:22] Right.

[30:23] No.

[30:23] Not on your life.

[30:23] No. Nope, not now.

[30:25] Do you want to do the public hearing in the after or you want me to do this real

[30:27] quick?

[30:28] Sure.

[30:29] You want to do this quick?

[30:30] What, what?

[30:31] My, my notes. We can do it after the public hearing.

[30:33] Uh.

[30:34] It's not a lot.

[30:35] Go ahead, go ahead. You want-

[30:36] Okay. Uh, manager's notes, uh, real quickly since we've last seen each

[30:40] other. Um, I wanna congratulate Sergeant, uh, uh, Josh Muse

[30:44] for his retirement. Um, the trick or treat event

[30:48] ... Boy, Halloween seems such a long time ago.

[30:50] Um, had over 1000 trick or treaters and I want to thank Leslie and Kat

[30:54] for their efforts in making it work very well.

[30:58] Um,

[31:00] I continue to work with, um, our auditors, uh, Ron Smith and

[31:03] staff. Um, he will be here December

[31:07] 9th

[31:08] to give us an update. I, uh, I've asked him to, um, give

[31:12] me in writing updates before

[31:14] they show up and he's, he said that it would be not a, no problem at all doing

[31:18] that. Um,

[31:23] I, we have been working, um, with specialty services, um, with

[31:26] Darcy and, um, at the community center and, and

[31:30] we've, um,

[31:32] solved our heat issues, which I'm very relieved for everybody and

[31:36] it was an inconvenience and, um, we did our best to, to get things moving

[31:40] forward. She's very happy.

[31:42] Um, let's see. Since our last meeting and, uh,

[31:46] Georgianne mentioned a couple of these things.

[31:48] We interviewed and hired a deputy, a finance director, a deputy town

[31:52] clerk, uh, new employees at the transfer station and,

[31:56] uh, public works and of course, um, with your support, um, we

[32:00] sup- we, uh, hired a community development director.

[32:03] So we've been kind of busy with those things.

[32:05] Some of them have been pretty vacant for a while here so it's just, um...

[32:08] Um, last evening, I think you heard when, when I talked to you earlier about

[32:11] attending the, uh, GP Cog, um, regional meeting.

[32:14] It was outstanding. Um, it was great to hear

[32:18] from everyone else and, and I don't mean this except that I

[32:22] do. It's good to hear they have the same struggles

[32:26] as we all do (laughs) and the same concerns on the issues.

[32:30] Uh, we will be working together in the future to share services.

[32:32] We'll be having meetings. Actually s- chief and I spoke today about it.

[32:36] Spoke with the other chief about it as well and I look forward to, uh, the

[32:40] enthusiasm with trying to work together and, and saving, um, the

[32:44] region some, some money for everyone and, and continue

[32:48] our services. So, um, that's all I have, Mr. Chair.

[32:51] All right.

[32:55] I did want to add to the rec department sales, I have a bus trip for-

[32:58] Yep.

[32:59] ... Gardens Aglow on December 15th-

[33:02] 15th.

[33:02] ... I'm gonna go away.

[33:03] I think so.

[33:04] That's the date, or maybe it's-

[33:05] No.

[33:05] ... December 12th. December 12th.

[33:07] It's December 12th.

[33:08] December 12th, so the Friday, December 12th, so-

[33:10] Yep. Yeah, they're excited.

[33:12] You might want to look for that.

[33:14] Yep.

[33:15] Um, all right. We can go back all the way to

[33:18] number seven for the public hearing at

[33:21] 5:30. And

[33:25] open the public hearing for the new liquor license

[33:29] to Morning Glory Diner at 78 Portland

[33:33] Road.

[33:36] Accept comments either for, against or

[33:39] neutral.

[33:42] Well, I'll be happy to read the motion, but Brittany's here, maybe she wants to

[33:45] step up and

[33:47] give us a little overview of what her plan

[33:50] is.

[33:52] I don't see her.

[33:53] I'm-

[33:53] She's right there.

[33:54] ... enthusiastically ready to read this.

[33:55] (laughs)

[33:56] (laughs)

[33:56] Her there? Oh, hi.

[33:56] If we wanna go ahead and pass it and then congratulate her.

[33:59]

[33:59] Move to approve a new liquor license to Morning Glory- We gotta end the public

[34:02] hearing.

[34:03] Oh, end that public hearing.

[34:05] End the public hearing. Now the motion.

[34:07] Move to approve a new liquor license to Morning Glory Diner at 78

[34:11] Portland Road.

[34:13] Second.

[34:15] All in favor? Four, zero.

[34:19] Congratulations. We love Morning Glory.

[34:22] We do. Thank you.

[34:24] You do an outstanding job, you all.

[34:28] Thank you.

[34:29] All right.

[34:30] Yep.

[34:30] Open a hearing for the special amusement permit renewal for Main

[34:34] 4H Magic Lantern at 9 Depot Street.

[34:38] Comments for, against or just comments?

[34:41] Anyone? Going, going, gone. All right, we're

[34:45] going to close that hearing

[34:49] and look for a motion.

[34:52] Move to approve a permit renewal for Main 4H Magic Lantern at 9

[34:56] Depot Street.

[34:58] Second.

[34:59] All in favor? One other.

[35:03] All right. Open the public hearing on the

[35:07] special amusement permit renewal for Players Sports Bar

[35:10] at 224 Portland

[35:12] Road. You know the drill, comments

[35:16] for or against (laughs) or just comments?

[35:21] Hearing none, close the hearing. Take the

[35:25] motion.

[35:26] Move to approve a special amusement permit renewal for Players Sports Bar at

[35:30] 224 Portland Road.

[35:32] Second.

[35:34] All in favor?

[35:36] One other.

[35:38] All right. Open the hearing for the automobile

[35:42] graveyard/junkyard renewal license for Ovitz

[35:46] Cars located at 730, 730

[35:50] Portland Road.

[35:52] Move to approve an automobile-

[35:54] Oh, any com- I gotta wait. Any comments for, against, just

[35:57] comments? Close-

[35:58] I see all these people just roaring to get up here like-

[36:01] Close the hearing.

[36:03] Move to approve an automobile graveyard/junkyard renewal permit for

[36:06] Ovitz Cars located at 730 Portland Road.

[36:10] I'm sorry if I did not pronounce his last name right.

[36:14] Second.

[36:15] All in favor? One

[36:18] other.So

[36:26] leap back around to,

[36:29] I think we're up to sl- number 14.

[36:32] Mm-hmm.

[36:33] Select board comments and discussion items.

[36:37] Select board comments.

[36:40] Um, did you go with a ... Bye. Did you go with a split

[36:44] system heating and cooling at the Community Center or just a

[36:47] furnace?

[36:48] No, a furnace is in, we- we're gonna, uh, well, they're, they

[36:52] have to build a new furnace. And then

[36:56] the, um, the air will be worked on

[37:00] later, which will be, um, heat pumps

[37:04] and

[37:06] we are looking for some funding for that too.

[37:08] But we will be responsible for the furnace,

[37:13] which is s- 73 years old.

[37:16] Yeah, it's about time. Ca- can't heat with a cracked furnace.

[37:20] No.

[37:20] Nope. Well, talking about the Community Center, tomorrow is

[37:24] their weekly senior lunch and it is a

[37:27] Thanksgiving feast tomorrow.

[37:30] Oh.

[37:30] So I would encourage anyone who wants to come out and have a nice community

[37:34] meal with an amazing group of people, it is senior lunch,

[37:37] but you know, head on over for turkey and

[37:41] dressing and all the fixings, so happy

[37:43] What time is that?

[37:44] That is at noon.

[37:45] Noon.

[37:45] Okay, perfect.

[37:46]

[37:46] And, uh, thank you as always to the volunteers there and a happy

[37:50] Thanksgiving to everyone. And I would like to wish a very

[37:53] happy birthday to one of my favorite Bridgeton

[37:56] residents, Miss Ava LaBarge turned 20

[38:00] years old today. She is the daughter of Mitzi and Jeff

[38:04] MacGyver LaBarge. Happy birthday, Ava.

[38:08] We love you.

[38:10] That's all I've got.

[38:12] I did make the mistake of going to the Community Center today to iron out my dates

[38:16] for my AARP taxes and the turkeys were

[38:20] cooking, and I was just dying of

[38:22] hunger. (laughs)

[38:24] (laughs) Yeah.

[38:29] I have, um,

[38:33] none tonight.

[38:37] Well, all right, comment quickly.

[38:40] (laughs)

[38:41] (laughs)

[38:41] Um, I have nothing.

[38:47] I would just like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

[38:50] And also note that the Community Center on both Saturday and

[38:54] Sunday of Ladies' Day weekend has a

[38:58] breakfast

[39:00] offering of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and

[39:04] I, I believe it was a very reasonable fee.

[39:06] I forget exactly what it was. So if people are

[39:10] out shopping, and I think it starts at 8:00 in the morning really, so,

[39:14] uh, it's either from 8:00 to 10:00 or 8:00 to 11:00.

[39:19] It's a good opportunity to have s- have some food before you go shopping.

[39:23] Great. Yeah, and a selection of four homemade scone

[39:26] combinations. I had breakfast there for it last year and it was

[39:30] great.

[39:34] Oh, we already passed you, sir.

[39:36] (laughs)

[39:37] We already passed you, congratulations.

[39:39] Yeah, you're all approved, Ovide.

[39:42] You're all approved.

[39:43] Yes.

[39:44] Okay?

[39:45] Thank you for keeping all those junk cards (laughs) in

[39:47] order.

[39:52] (laughs)

[39:52] I'm still here. Don't come get me yet.

[39:55] (laughs)

[39:55] No, no.

[39:56] (laughs)

[39:58] All right, and we're all the way to number 16.

[40:02] Mm-hmm. Okay.

[40:03] Mm-hmm. Wow.

[40:05] Move to approve treasurer's warrants 32, 33,

[40:09] 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,

[40:13] 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.

[40:18] Uh, you've been busy.

[40:20] You cannot imagine how long it took me to sign off on all of those warrants.

[40:23] I, I knew it, I looked at them all too.

[40:24] Yeah.

[40:25] Sure.

[40:25] I'll second that.

[40:27] All in favor? Four-nothing. Uh-oh, that means a lot of

[40:31] signing, doesn't it? (laughs)

[40:34] Yes, it does. That's a good point.

[40:36] Yes, it does.

[40:36] Mm-hmm.

[40:37] All right, the dates for the next meeting, uh, December 9th,

[40:41] which is our regular meeting. We are not having this, as we

[40:45] discussed at the last time, we are not having the meeting that

[40:49] would fall very close to Christmas.

[40:51] And so the meeting after that is the January

[40:55] 13th meeting.

[40:59] And there it is. Make the best motion of the

[41:02] night. No one wants to make

[41:06] it, Nope.

[41:06] It was-

[41:06] We're all so happy to be in.

[41:08] Adjourned.

[41:09] (laughs) Adjourned. All right. Second.

[41:12] Second.

[41:12] All in favor?

[41:13] Yeah.

[41:14] Four-nothing. Meeting adjourned.

Bridgton Select Board 11-18-2025

Transcript