Harpswell Select Board agrees to open Mitchell Field dinghy rack to public, sets July 15 application window

The Harpswell Select Board on a consensus vote said it will open the dinghy rack at Mitchell Field to the public and begin accepting applications on July 15, after a lengthy discussion about who should have priority, liability language and whether to replicate the town’s Potts Point permit system.

The discussion was prompted by Darcy Coocher, the harbor master, who said she wanted guidance about whether the town should store racks, open them to everyone, or issue permits similar to the Potts Point policy. "I had recommended we store them for the season," Coocher said, adding that she found an existing 2022 policy the board might follow. She told the board the policy could be left as-is, modified, or aligned with Potts Point’s permitting process.

Parks and Recreation Director Katie Neil urged the board to consider access and safety. "If we have a dinghy rack, there should be some sort of language about liability and who is monitoring them," Neil said, and urged the board to prioritize increased public access for residents who lack shore frontage.

Board members debated whether mooring holders should have priority for rack spaces or whether the slots should be allocated by lottery. Select board members noted the new all-tide launch at Mitchell Field changes the access dynamics that existed when the rack policy was adopted. "With the launch there, it should be open to the public," one member said; another argued for giving mooring holders priority so they can reach their boats.

The board directed staff to mirror the Potts Point application language that includes a liability waiver and to use a lottery/application system that gives priority tiers to Harpswell residents, resident taxpayers, and then non-residents—consistent with the Potts Point approach discussed by staff. They set a $25 initial fee as a starting point and discussed sticker-based enforcement to identify permitted craft.

The board asked staff to post the application information online and on social media, with an application window to open July 15 and run for two weeks. Members also discussed expanding rack capacity at other launch points if demand requires it.

Next steps: staff will draft the application, copy Potts Point’s liability language into the Mitchell Field materials, create a public notice with application dates and fee information, and return to the board with the finalized application and related logistics. The board signaled intent to proceed but did not adopt a new ordinance; the changes will be implemented through the permit application and policy language drafted by staff.