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Bristol board agrees to pursue ordinance overhaul and seek state grant help
Summary
The Planning Board voted to begin a townwide cleanup of zoning, shoreland and subdivision ordinances and to pursue available state grants and technical assistance. The board asked Midcoast Council of Governments planner Mike Martone to scope the work and help apply for funding.
The Bristol Planning Board voted to move forward with a comprehensive effort to update and consolidate town ordinances, after a presentation from a Midcoast Council of Governments planner who outlined a phased approach and potential grant support.
Planner Mike Martone told the board the work could be grouped into three priorities: statutory changes required by recent state law, reorganizing and clarifying the town’s ordinance text (definitions, standards, and organization), and administrative/process improvements for staff flow and board review. He said the state offers a small HOP grant — roughly $10,000 — that towns can use to fund statutory-change drafting and related work.
"You can get up to $10,000 to basically pay to have the to fund basically those ordinance changes," Martone said, describing the grant focus and how technical assistance could lower the town’s direct costs.
Board members expressed broad support for pursuing the statutory updates and for cleaning and consolidating the town’s codes to make them easier to use. The chair cautioned the Planning Board should coordinate with the Select Board, the CEO/code enforcement officer and the appeals board so roles and workflows are clear.
The board voted to authorize planning staff and the MCOG planner to scope the project, identify grant opportunities, and return with a draft scope and budget. Members emphasized they preferred refining existing local language where possible rather than discarding the town’s history; nonetheless, they agreed a streamlined, single-source code would be easier for residents and staff to use.
Next steps include a scope of work from MCOG, assistance locating grant opportunities, and a follow-up report for the board and town administrator; the board recommended avoiding substantive bylaw discussion over email and to review drafts at public meetings.
