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Resident presses select board over repeated deadline extensions and town loan for trailer compliance
Summary
During public comment a resident said the town was giving money and extensions to a noncompliant property and demanded consistent enforcement; the board said staff arranged a loan (not a grant) as part of a compliance plan and will revisit enforcement in January.
A resident used the public-comment period at the Dec. 18 Chelsea Select Board meeting to press the board over a years-long code-enforcement dispute involving a trailer and alleged missed compliance deadlines. The resident said the town was providing financial relief despite repeated missed deadlines: "we've got $10,000 of town money going to put sewer after these people when they literally haven't done anything," the resident said during public comments.
Board members said the item was not on that night's agenda but agreed to hear the concerns. Officials clarified that the town had issued a notice (from the town attorney) that the resident and others had described in some conversations as a "court order;" staff said the notice was not a court order but a municipal compliance notice that could lead to court action if ignored. The board also told the resident that a plan had been made — described by staff as a loan to be repaid, not a grant — intended to bring the occupant into compliance rather than to pursue immediate eviction.
Planning and code-enforcement staff provided updates on related properties. For 10 C Mills Road, staff reported no substantive progress: the foundation is incomplete, the septic system had not been installed (frost conditions impeded winter work), and debris remained on site; the item will return to the January agenda for further action. For 79 Marine Lane, the board authorized staff to begin legal ADK action (court process) to seek a demolition order to remove unsafe mobile homes and clear the property.
The board emphasized its stated goal of securing compliance while avoiding evictions immediately before holidays. Staff and board members also noted that extensions are sometimes granted when property owners show progress or engage in remediation plans; the resident objected to what they characterized as inconsistent enforcement. The board directed staff to place the enforcement items on the January agenda for follow-up and to continue pursuing court remedies where voluntary compliance is not achieved.
Next steps: the enforcement updates for 10 C Mills Road and 79 Marine Lane will be on the January Select Board agenda; staff said they will pursue court-ordered remedies where necessary and will report back on the loan terms and repayment plan for the compliance loan.
