By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

HARRISON — A greater law enforcement presence will be felt on Long Lake this summer.

Harrison, along with neighboring Bridgton and Naples, will look to hire a Deputy Game Warden to work a 40-hour schedule beginning in late May through Labor Day to patrol and enforce boating regulations on the popular lake.

Each town will be billed $6,600 individually to cover the salary, while the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will provide equipment, such as vehicle and boat. Priority coverage will be Friday through Sunday, with “flexibility” on the off days. Town officials will have deputy’s phone number, and the officer will check in with officials each week. There will also be three meetings of the group during the summer to “see how things are going.”

Town Manager Tim Pellerin told the selectboard last Thursday that IFW officials noted that the contracted service does not exclude the towns from present warden coverage, but instead adds another layer of law enforcement presence.

While the Deputy Warden has limited powers, the officer does have the ability to arrest.

Pellerin noted one potential roadblock is manpower. Due to Covid-19, there is no police academy for potential wardens to attend. IFW is presently down 19 positions, and faces the potential of five retirements this year. At the moment, IFW has two Deputy Wardens. Pellerin noted that IFW will make providing a Deputy Warden a “priority” if Harrison and the other two towns enter into the service agreement. It would be IFW’s first such agreement involving municipalities, Pellerin noted. Most similar contracts involve private lake associations.

Pellerin did point out that one citizen suggested that unless the towns hire a Game Warden, it would not be a “good deal.” Pellerin’s initial thought was whether a Bridgton Police officer could be trained in marine law and be available to address problems on the lake. When that idea faltered, the next question was whether IFW would assign full-time warden coverage of Long Lake. Of course, if IFW granted that request, the department would likely hear from 400 other communities asking for similar coverage, Selectman and former State Representative Rick Sykes said.

Pellerin and Selectman Rick Sykes both disagree with the citizen’s position.

“Though they (Deputy Wardens) have limited arrest powers, the presence of having a warden on the lake that can stop you and summons you is certainly a deterrent,” Pellerin said.

Sykes added, “I disagree with anyone who says this is not a full-time deputy position. He may not be able to arrest someone for OUI, but he’s certainly not going to say I can’t arrest you for OUI and go ahead. He’s going to say stay right here until a full-time warden comes to take you to jail. I think this is something that is needed. I see it on a regular basis the problems out there and the presence of a deputy will be a deterrent.”

Following a unanimous vote to enter into the contract, Board Chairman Matthew Frank said, “I think this is a big step forward.”

In other meeting news:

How were the dollars spent? How has SAD 17 spent Covid-19 relief funding and does the school district have any money left? Those were questions posed by Selectman Rick Sykes.

He wants to find out if the district has found any savings due to no in-person instruction at times, whether coaches received stipends despite sports programs being shelved due to the pandemic and if busing costs are down due to school closures and more students learning remotely.

Expecting Harrison’s overall valuation to rise due to the recent building boom thus a likely uptick in school tax, as well, Sykes feels town officials should be updated regarding SAD 17 financial matters. The hope is for local school board members to report back to the selectboard on a regular basis.

Busy year for FD and CEO. 2020 proved to be the busiest year since the Harrison Fire Department was founded in 1927. The department handled 367 calls, and faced a variety of challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The members of the Fire/Rescue Department handled these challenges with professionalism and integrity, meeting and overcoming each challenge as it presented themselves,” Town Manager Tim Pellerin reported.

Likewise, 2020 marked significant building growth. Some totals: 

• $19,735 permit fees collected of which $4,933.75 went to the state

• $735 in State of Maine subsurface wastewater fees were collected

• $1,635 in Town of Harrison administration fees were collected

• A total of 107 plumbing permits were issued in 2020

• Total building permits collected for calendar year totaled $29,822.12

• Total fees (building permits, plumbing permits, administrative fees and state surcharges) collected in 2020 reached $51,927.12.

“This is completely unheard of,” said Pellerin, referring to total fees collected in one year.

Offering help. Michael Dunn was curious where Harrison stood in updating the Comprehensive Plan. So, he asked. Dunn posed the question virtually last Thursday night.

He said the last time the plan was worked on was 2010, and it was one of five deemed “incomplete” out of 156 plans filed with the state.

“Is there a process in place if people are willing to help,” Dunn asked.

Pellerin said the current focus is creating a long-range plan out to 2030, which will incorporate aspects of the current Comprehensive Plan. Once the plan is developed, a public hearing will be held. Pellerin invited Dunn to meet with him regarding his interest in the Comp Plan and offered a chance to address any concerns or issues he might have.

Change in lighting. With an anticipated savings of 30%, the selectboard was in favor of replacing existing street lights with LEDs. The conversion will take about 10 weeks. While there is no upfront cost to convert 78 lights to LEDs, the town will enter a 15-year agreement with Central Maine Power.