As a member of the Comprehensive Plan Task Force, I urge residents not to approve the plan.
We overwhelmingly heard that the future land use plan needed to be changed. They want you to think that they’ve changed it, but instead they incorporated recommendations from the very thing we heard the most pushback on — a different document called the “Housing for Harpswell” report. It is only briefly referenced in the plan and this report received no public input before being adopted by the Select Board.
This is just one example of the lack of transparency that has taken place throughout this process. I joined the task force about halfway through its process in hopes of changing that; I don’t feel I was successful.
Furthermore, at one of the last meetings, it was decided to recommend limits on short-term rentals in town. Based on the massive pushback received by the short-term rental task force and because the ban has received no public input, I refuse to get behind something that was so contentious and was overwhelmingly rejected by residents.
While some progress was made in other areas, the lack of transparency and meetings between the chair and town staff without the rest of the task force should raise major concerns with the public.
This is one of the reasons I decided to run for selectman. I think the town can do a better job at involving the public and getting public input, and offering a hybrid option for all committee meetings to allow those who cannot attend in person to still be able to have their opinions heard. Harpswell is a very diverse community and the town deserves to hear from anyone and everyone that wants to be heard. I want to make that a much easier process for the public.
Matt Gilley, Cundy’s Harbor
