Residents urge restraint on taxes, press council on flag etiquette and PFAS at Brunswick Landing

Several residents used the public-comment period at the March 16 Brunswick Town Council meeting to press the council on taxes, flag etiquette and contamination concerns at Brunswick Landing.

Jim Trusiani asked how many ongoing legal actions the town is defending and raised a question about whether Town Hall Way and Morse Street are public or private roads; he said the Sewer Department is obligated to address a collapsed public road. Multiple residents, including Chris Teel and Shaun Hogan, told the council they expected members to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and framed it as a matter of respect for public servants. Several speakers—among them Brenda Day and Kathy Thompson—expressed opposition to the proposed budget increase, calling a cited 9.7% tax rise unreasonable and urging a review of nonprofit funding requests.

Public commenters also raised environmental concerns about PFAS. Ralph Keyes and Joel Widenor said testing and advisories are insufficient at areas tied to Brunswick Landing; Christine Foster noted that the developer’s testing reportedly found PFAS in soil piles. Those concerns echoed the staff briefing later in the meeting on Brunswick Landing environmental conditions.

Carolyn Ecklund, identified as president of Tedford Housing, spoke in support of Tedford and of proposals that would continue nonprofit services. Others addressed local road conditions, citing poor MaineDOT grades for Bath Road and Thomas Point Road.

The comments were delivered during the public-comment period; the council did not take formal action on the issues raised during that portion of the meeting. The council proceeded to staff reports, public hearings and business items later in the same meeting.