Ad Hoc Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee


In 2024, the Chebeague Island community voted during a June Town Meeting to amend the 2011 Comprehensive Plan after the Planning Board began working to update the comprehensive plan in 2015. It was during this amendment that the authors realized that the 2011 plan’s 136 goals could be synthesized and distilled into a more practical and straightforward 15 goal strategy that incorporated and addressed each theme. In passing this amendment, the community also encouraged the town to initiate the process of fully rewriting the comprehensive plan as soon as possible. It is a norm of the comprehensive planning update process to have an advisory committee that supports the updating of the plan.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) is to provide guidance, support, and feedback associated with the Town’s comprehensive plan process.

MEMBERSHIP: The Town is seeking engaged members of essential Town boards and committees that are interested in participating in the comprehensive planning process effort with the Chebeague Island community. The makeup of the committee is as follows:

  • 1 member of the Planning Board
  • 1 member of the Board of Adjustment and Appeals
  • 1 member of the Selectboard
  • 1 member of Fire & Rescue
  • 1 member of the Chebeague Island School Committee
  • 2 members of the community at large
  • Town Administrator (non-voting)
  • Island Institute Fellow Lorren Ruscetta (non-voting)

DURATION: The committee will be created in February 2026, and the charge expires on August 31st, 2027, or upon approval of the updated Comprehensive Plan by the state and adoption by community, whichever occurs first. At that time, the committee can choose to seek renewal from the Selectboard with an updated charge that is focused on the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.

TASKS: The tasks associated with the CPAC revolve around supporting the Island Institute Fellow regarding updating the comprehensive plan. These tasks include:

  • Provide feedback and support the development, administration, and analysis of a comprehensive plan community survey
  • Provide feedback and support to the Island Institute Fellow in reaching out to additional stakeholders (e.g., other Town Committees, non-profits, and businesses) throughout the island to understand their perspectives and priorities regarding the comprehensive plan
  • Provide feedback and support for additional community engagement opportunities, including but not limited to a visioning exercise, community presentation regarding survey and visioning outcomes, and presentations to receive community feedback on priorities, and comprehensive plan goals, policies, and implementation strategies
  • Provide feedback and support of the writing of the comprehensive plan chapters, tracking implementation of community and CPAC feedback throughout the process
  • Provide feedback regarding design elements of the comprehensive plan, including but not limited to a comprehensive plan logo, photographs, and color schemes for the comprehensive plan
  • Ensure that scheduled meetings are posted publicly, making certain that anyone who has feedback related to meeting agenda items are encouraged to participate

 

Does this interest you? If so, please fill out the following application and return to Town Office.

Ad Hoc Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Application