Brunswick Town Council Meeting - November 3, 2025
Brunswick Town Council Meeting - November 3, 2025
The Brunswick Town Council met on November 3, 2025, with all councilors present except initially Counselor McDonald, who later participated and voted. The meeting included public comments, reports from the town manager, state representative, and advisory boards, and new business items including a public hearing on parking restrictions and an emergency moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases. All votes were unanimous.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Steve Walker (900 River Road) expressed support for preserving large rural forest blocks in Brunswick, noting that the town's commitment to rural planning has protected hunting traditions. He opposed a request for dead-end road and density waivers, arguing that granting them would divide the largest forest block and harm rural character and climate resilience without addressing affordable housing.
- Jim Trusani (149 Main Street, Brunswick) criticized the town's priorities, stating that road maintenance spending is misallocated (e.g., $500,000–$700,000 on Crussy Road) while other roads are neglected. He also questioned transparency, claiming the town has not disclosed legal defense costs for appeals and that the town was misled about ownership of the fire station project.
- Peter Countway (resident for 15 years) reported that a town contractor cut down a mature birch tree and heavily trimmed maples on his property without notice, within the 25-foot road zone but also beyond. He requested a process for homeowner consultation before such work.
- Marie Garzon (via Zoom) expressed concerns about the mobile home park survey, stating that offering only an online option excludes many residents who lack technology or literacy. She urged the town to ensure broader participation to inform the study.
Manager's Report
- Election Reminder: Voting is Tuesday, November 4, at the recreation center (220 Neptune Drive). Absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on election day.
- Mobile Home Park Survey: Approximately 1,200 notices mailed October 23; online survey with paper copies available at the clerk's office or by calling the town manager. About 16% return rate as of the meeting. The survey is open until November 17. Director Costello noted that ambassadors are helping distribute paper copies, and landlords will be interviewed separately.
- Community Connect Registration: Rental property owners must register units in the fire department's online database by January 31, 2026, to avoid late fees. The registration is free and intended for life safety.
- Trash and Recycling Routes: New routes started November 3; maps and street lists are available on the public works website.
- Brunswick Landing/Brunswick Executive Airport: The airport master plan meeting was held October 25; recording available. The MIRA board meeting on October 29 covered Pool Fire Services' root cause analysis. The next Restoration Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for February 26, 2026.
Reports
- Representative Poppy Arford (State House District 101) presented a legislative update, focusing on the government shutdown's impact on food insecurity and heating insecurity. She highlighted the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits (EPTC) for health insurance under CoverME.gov, which will cause premium increases of up to 435% for some enrollees. She noted that a state bill (LR 2902) to fund EPTC was not approved but may be appealed. She urged collaboration and provided resource handouts.
- Village Review Board (Phil Carey): The board reviewed and approved 16 applications in the past year, including additions to Morning Glory Natural Foods, solar panels on First Parish Church, and new windows for the Maine State Music Theatre. They are seeking an ordinance amendment on substitute materials and anticipate applications for the J&J Cleaner and 7-Eleven sites.
- Planning Board (Bill Dana): Chair Dana clarified the board's quasi-judicial role, noting that ex parte communications are prohibited. He explained the two-stage review process (sketch plan and final plan) and that the zoning ordinance, not the comprehensive plan, is regulatory. He addressed waivers, stating that they are identified early but cannot be decided until final plan review. The board uses outside consultants when needed.
- Melissa Focusado (Director of Community Health, MaineHealth Midcoast Hospital) reported on food resources. She recommended calling 2-1-1 or using findhelp.org to find food. She announced a new food pantry at Midcoast Hospital's Parkview campus (open Mon/Wed 10-2) and a "Food is Medicine" program (free 15-week class with cooking education and food bags). She emphasized the importance of supporting Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program and noted increased need due to SNAP reductions.
Discussion Items
- Item 139 – Parking Restrictions on Jordan Avenue: Assistant Town Manager Jay Astill presented a proposal to add parking restrictions (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) on Jordan Avenue from Charles Court/Wadsworth to Maine Avenue/Edwards Field to improve safety during school drop-off and pickup. The council voted unanimously to set a public hearing for November 17, 2025.
- Item 140 – Emergency Moratorium on Mobile Home Park Lot Rent Increases: Director Costello presented a revised moratorium, exempting parks where tenants rent homes rather than lots. The moratorium would last 180 days, halting all lot rent increases (including those previously notified) to allow completion of the mobile home park study. Violations incur a $200 fine per lot per day, plus refunds. The council voted unanimously to set a public hearing for November 17, 2025.
- Item 141 – Appointments to Boards and Committees: Vice Chair McDonald presented the appointments committee's recommendations: Lauren Arford (Zoning Board of Appeals, 3-year term), Nick Livsey (Zoning Board of Appeals, 3-year term), Sean Hogan (Personnel Board, 3-year term), Ben Gaines (Housing Committee, 3-year term), and Iris Rays (Conservation Commission, student member, 1-year term). No recommendation was made for the Planning Board. The council voted unanimously to approve the slate.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved the consent agenda (routine items) with a unanimous vote. No specific items were listed.
Key Outcomes
- Public hearing set for November 17, 2025, on Jordan Avenue parking restrictions (Item 139).
- Public hearing set for November 17, 2025, on the emergency moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases (Item 140).
- Appointments approved for five boards/committees (Item 141).
- All votes were unanimous.
Meeting Transcript
No, it's in this code. Good evening and welcome to the November Third, Twenty Twenty Five Meeting of the Brunswick Town Council. All counselors are present except for Counselor McDonald. Town Manager Hensley. Was the meeting properly noticed? Yes, it was. Now I am resuming the meeting. Please silence your devices and let's stand for the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Are there any adjustments to the agenda from the council? I have one. And representative Arford will be making a presentation tonight. We are moving her to the manager's report right after the Brunswick landing, Brunswick Executive Airport update. Are there any announcements from the council? Councillor Watson. Actually, I have a couple. And I uh I'm not sure, but I do want to announce that uh there are plans to present it live on TV three. That if if that all works out, that'll be the first time that we've done a live presentation. The second one I'm I'm very pleased to do, although it comes from a very unfortunate situation. Last Friday afternoon there was an incident at the Legion Post in which one of my post members, my Americanism officer, was transported by emergency to main med, and he's in the uh surgical ICU unit uh seriously injured. And uh actually we almost lost him. I want to this happened Friday afternoon. He was found in access of twelve hours later by a patrol officer with the Brunswick Police Department, Officer Page, I believe her name is. Um, I have an announcement that actually will be made by our communications and administration manager, Deb Young. Thank you. Um I think Sandy just wants me to talk about our new newsletter. Uh, we have a newsletter that went out on the first of November for our first time. It's called the Brunswick Buzz, and you can sign up for that under our website. Um it's gonna have lots of different information in it from hopefully every department out there, including when the town hall is going to be closed, we're gonna work on road closures, etc. Um, and again, you can sign up for that under our website. And thank you to our communications team. This is long awaited and much appreciated. Um we now have our public comment period. Are there people who would like to speak to us on non-agenda items? Steve Walker, 900 River Road. Um, today marked the start of the 2025 General Firearms hunting season. And I feel it's important to note that Brunswick, unlike other coastal Casco Bay communities, and especially unlike other main communities with populations over 20,000 people, still has impressive blocks of undeforunde forest land, some of which exceed 1,000 acres in size, where this main tradition can continue within our municipal boundaries. This is especially important in years like this when supplemental family nutritional needs are so important. The fact that we still have lands to support local hunting is not by happenstance, but rather in large part due to a commitment that Brunswick made more than 20 years ago to enact the first of its kind rural planning effort focused on protect protecting our large rural forest blocks from poorly planned sprawl. Unfortunately, despite these protections, our largest forest block in northwestern Brunswick is being threatened by a reckless request for dead end road and density waivers that'll in effect divide this block in two. Granting these waivers will forever sacrifice not only rural traditions and rural character, but also change forever some of our most resilient lands in the face of climate change, all while doing nothing to address the current affordable housing concerns. For your reference tonight, I'm passing out images prepared by the main department of inland fisheries and wildlife that illustrate the distribution of forest blocks in the region and that clearly show what has been lost in towns to our south and nearby. Um and what Brunswick can be proud of to have valued and preserved to date. That's just to give you more of a um landscape perspective, and I need to run to a parent teacher conference, so I'm just gonna hand these to Councillor Wilson to distribute. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for those comments. Jim Trusani, 149 Main Street. Uh 208, Brunswick, May. I want to spend a few minutes of my time talking about priority and liability in this town.
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