Resident asks board to explore freshwater beach testing; cites Maine Healthy Beaches program

A resident asked the board to consider water-quality testing for the town's public swimming areas and to research how inland Maine towns handle routine sampling. Mark Borge said he researched Maine's Healthy Beaches program, which monitors coastal public beaches during the season, and noted that some inland towns perform similar testing. "Many inland towns in Maine test water quality of public swimming areas, but it's not a statewide mandate," he said, and listed examples including Auburn's Lake Auburn and several other inland communities. Board members asked staff to look into a policy and operational model rather than decide immediately whether to start testing. Selectmen noted legal, logistical and budgetary constraints: testing requires timely laboratory processing (samples may need transport and analysis within six to eight hours), and the board should consult legal counsel and the health officer on a formal policy before committing resources. The board directed staff to research existing programs in similar towns, consult the health officer and legal counsel about liabilities and practical arrangements, and report back for a budget-year decision. "Let's do a little bit of digging," a selectman said; staff agreed the coming budget cycle is a reasonable time to evaluate costs and staffing if the board decides to proceed. No formal policy or testing program was adopted at the meeting.