A Cumberland councilor raised a complaint at the Aug. 25 council meeting about a homeowner in the Crossing Brook contract-zone who has rented a property and is nearing a two-year limit in that zonea restriction the contract-zone agreement places on short-term rental occupancy.

Vice Chair Eads described the case as a local resident matter: a household with a mother and two children is renting a Crossing Brook home and "it's coming up on 2 years in which we, the town, have said, according to the ordinance, you've gotta go." Eads asked the council how it wants to proceed.

Town Manager Matt Sturgis recommended a confidential staff briefing and said it "might be best if Mr. Longley and [staff] sit down with the council, probably do an exec session next month," to review the contract-zone agreement and any enforcement steps. Sturgis and councilors noted that contract-zone agreements and some older municipal agreements include time-limited rental provisions; they emphasized caution to ensure any enforcement respects procedural due process.

Council action and next steps
Councilors agreed to hold an executive session with code enforcement and the town attorney to review the specific contract-zone terms and any compliance options; the council also directed staff to prepare an anonymized summary for a public workshop about rental policy and enforcement so the council can consider broader policy changes without discussing confidential details in public.

Why it matters
The issue highlights a recurring tension in municipalities across Maine: preserving neighborhood character and owner-occupancy expectations in older contract-zone communities while also balancing housing availability and the needs of lower-income or subsidized tenants. Councilors said they want to avoid ad hoc enforcement and instead asked staff to return with legal guidance and suggested policy options, including whether contract-zone restrictions should be revisited in light of housing needs and enforcement practicality.

Ending
Staff will arrange an executive session involving code enforcement and the town attorney, prepare an anonymized briefing for the council and schedule a public workshop to consider policy options on rental restrictions and enforcement.