Brunswick Town Council Meeting – September 15, 2025
Brunswick Town Council Meeting – September 15, 2025
The meeting began with an executive session for real estate/economic development, resumed for public comment and official business. Key topics included housing growth, PFAS contamination, a land-use moratorium, and naming of town-owned properties. The council voted on several ordinances and resolutions, all passing unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent agenda, which included routine items and approvals.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sean Hogan (resident): Presented data showing 380 dwelling units approved from 2022–2024 (equal to the prior 10 years' total of 372) and 398 units under consideration in 2025. He called for a moratorium or a comprehensive impact analysis on growth.
- Haley Bernier (resident): Expressed health concerns from PFAS contamination, urged oversight of pipe conditions during MIRA's EPA consent agreement, and requested a task force.
- Brenda Day (resident): Opposed rural housing developments on Brackett Road, Moody Road, and Route 1. Cited tree-clearing, drought, and infrastructure strain. Questioned the town's commitment to climate goals versus development.
- Emily Schmidt (CPUSC chair, Recreation Commission): Corrected the record on the McCoy Woods vote: 8 of 9 members (not 12) supported 80 acres of development, and Steve Walker abstained (not dissented).
- Greg O'Donnell (resident): Argued Opal Estates and Garnett Ridge developments violate 250-foot setback requirements from a high-value freshwater wetland.
- Ellen Lahay (Brunswick Indivisible): Announced a "No Kings" rally on October 18 and a candidate forum at the library.
- Susanna Rowe (resident): Supported a moratorium on rural subdivisions, especially those requiring numerous permits, to allow thorough review.
- Patty Dunning (resident): Highlighted wildlife corridors and urged respect for the comprehensive plan's protection of wild areas.
- Jennifer Navarro (resident): Detailed a "pattern of abuse and neglect" including Bowdoin College's tax exemption ($146K paid on $278M in property), PFAS contamination at Thomas Point Road, and inadequate public engagement.
Discussion Items
- Manager's Report: Julia Hense reported on August financials (excise tax above budget, revenue sharing below), the 2025 tax commitment (mill rate 100% certified ratio), the Main Street project nearing completion, and the upcoming RAB meeting October 9.
- MIRA Report (Dan Stevenson): Outlined his background, transparency initiatives (notification system), the ACLF cleanup at 1.8 million cost, EPA consent agreement, root cause analysis by end of October, airport master plan update, a proposed annual music festival, road infrastructure study, Stark Building expansion, and hiring a new CFO (Heather Neal).
- Village Improvement Association (Jane Millett): Described plans to repair and potentially expand the gazebo on the mall, including ADA accessibility. The council holds sole authority over the mall. Structural assessment expected in early October.
- Polling Location Change (Fran Smith): The polling location will move from Brunswick Junior High to the Brunswick Rec Center for the November election, following resolution of accessibility issues.
Key Outcomes
- Stop Signs at Pleasant Hill Road & Barbo Drive (Item 118): Unanimously approved an all-way stop after a fatal accident. The council also noted ongoing speed limit reviews requested for Pleasant Hill Road.
- Concealed Handgun Permit Fees (Item 11): Unanimously approved fee increases: regular application from $35 to $50, renewal from $20 to $35, aligned with state statute.
- Hunting Restrictions on Town Properties (Item 12): Unanimously repealed an ordinance allowing hunting on Sturgeon Lane/Lindbergh Crossing properties and added Old Bath Road, Fitzgerald Recreation Area, and McCoy Woods to the list where hunting is prohibited.
- Junkyard and Auto Graveyard License (Item 121): Unanimously renewed the license for Brunswick Auto Recycling.
- Naming of Town-Owned Properties (New Business): After debate on process, the council unanimously approved naming the combined 229.6 acres (former Navy and Maine Gravel Services) as Francis and Mahitable Houston Park, retaining the 66.2-acre Captain William A. Fitzgerald Recreation and Conservation Area, and naming the 42-acre water body Crooker Pond.
- Perimeter Trail Grant (Item 123): Unanimously authorized a resolution to apply for up to $250,000 from the Maine Trails Program for phase one of the Brunswick Landing perimeter trail.
Additionally, the council noted the cancellation of Item 124 (no details given) and a series of road closures and water main repairs.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the September fifteenth, twenty twenty five Brunswick Town Council meeting. I am calling the meeting to order. All counselors are present. And Clerk Smith was the meeting properly known. Yes, it was wonderful. Our first item of business is to go into executive session per one more SA section four five six F and C confidential rec well, actually real estate property or economic development. Any discussion on the motion? I'll call the role. Yes. Councillor McDonald. Yes. Counselor Wilson. Yes. And the chair votes yes, and we will adjourn to executive session and return at six thirty. Good evening once again. We are resuming the meeting, and I'm glad to see the room has filled up in our absence. Hey, the meeting, folks. I want to remind everyone to please silence their devices and please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which one nation under God. We have our uh one adjustment to the agenda that I know of. We are canceling item one twenty-four. Some new information has come forward on that item. Any other adjustments to the agenda, please. Seeing none, are there any announcements from the council? Counselor Watson. I just want to announce that uh as of today, TV three has put out video on demand as well as on TV three three videos. One is an interview with Councillor, excuse me, Representative Dan Ancles about the legislative acts on Mirror that have taken place and that discussion. There was a second with Dan Ankles on the how mirrors bringing Bruns Brunswick reconnecting Brunswick as one community as opposed to a bifurcated community. And uh the third one took place this weekend is the uh American Legion's nine eleven ceremony, which was in conjunction with the BDA community uh barbecue. Thank you. Oh one more thing. Uh for veterans especially as well as families of veterans. Friday starting about nine o'clock, uh the uh veterans administration togas will be at post twenty, and they'll be having uh last information with approximately forty-seven different vendors there to serve veterans and family. The TOGUS will be there to help process any uh veterans who want to be processed to get into the program. Uh this is uh the first time the VA has provided this type of service in the area. I'm quite proud of Post 20, and uh as I'm the commander being able to do this for the community. Thank you. I appreciate that. Uh uh Counselor Shedd. Yeah, I'd like to thank the Parks and Rec department. Um we've had a flagpole on the mall for quite a while that hasn't had a working flag on it, and they got on top of that and got the lights fixed and the cord fixed and put a new flag up there. So I just wanted to thanks to our department for getting on it this last week. And it was a rather complicated project, so I want to appreciate the effort they put into it. Thank you. Other announcements. I thank you for that. Uh because I neglected to acknowledge the rec department and what they do do for this community. Uh they were very much involved with the nine-eleven ceremony, as they are with anything that takes place on that mall. As well as the uh barbecue. So what they did was just phenomenal.
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