LIVERMORE — At their Feb. 27 meeting, selectpersons discussed the process for updating the comprehensive plan.

Selectperson Scott Richmond said he thought a plan had been created in the early 2000s. A June 14, 2008, article in the Sun Journal reported the plan was adopted June 12, 2008, at the annual town meeting.

Resident Joel Gilbert shared that he is president of the Jay/Livermore/Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is looking at economic development and other ways it can help the three towns, he noted. Jay and Livermore Falls are working on comprehensive plans and the chamber could be an asset in Livermore, he stated.

Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments [AVCOG] can help towns get greater community involvement, Gilbert said.

The first step in the process is to request updated data from the state for revisions to the plan, he said. Erica Bufkins, AVCOG land use and transportation planner, could do that, he stated.

Part of the process is sending out a survey which AVCOG can help with, Gilbert stated. The plan committee would include 12-15 people who would break into smaller groups to address specific areas then work to compile everything, he noted.

The survey could be available at local stores, at the June elections, Chair Mark Chretien said.

“The plan helps to set the town up to receive funding for roads, for other projects that the town’s working on,” Gilbert stated. “If you have a comp plan and process in place, [AVCOG] will basically prioritize your grant requests.”

“Am I doing what the people of the town really want me to do, am I focusing more on what they wanted 100 years ago,” Selectperson Joshua Perkins, who also serves on the Planning Board, asked. “It is a hard thing to think about because we don’t get a lot of involvement. We get very little feedback until after the fact.”

Gilbert serves on the Jay Comprehensive Plan Committee, has spoken with a few people who might be interested in serving on a similar committee in Livermore.

“A comprehensive plan is a long-range planning document … that identifies the goals and desires of a community over the next 20+ years,” according to information provided by AVCOG. It articulates, commits to a clear vision, provides context for development decisions, and identifies need for new or amended ordinances and regulations, it noted.

The plan establishes the framework for future growth by serving as the basis for zoning, subdivision and land use ordinances, can also provide guidance for establishing laws, polices and programs to achieve implementation of community goals, it continued.

“The process takes some time,” Gilbert noted. There are a bunch of different topics covered in the plan, such as historical resources, economics, housing, transportation, water resources, public facilities, and land use, he said.

“AVCOG has received some grant that they would help to write the transportation, which is pretty key,” he noted. “That actually has to do with the roads and the condition of the roads.”

Chretien said Livermore is far behind on road work.

It costs about $500,000 per mile, Richmond said.

“People want their road fixed, don’t want their taxes to go up,” Perkins said.

Bufkins could help facilitate some meetings, Gilbert said. The process could take 14 months or longer, he noted. The cost could range from $1,000 to $2,000 or higher, depending on consultants, he stated.

“We are members of AVCOG,” Chretien said.

Retired people have knowledge, those 35 to 55 is an age group to get committed to working on the plan, he noted. “People in Livermore don’t want ordinance restrictions,” he stressed.

Perkins suggested asking seniors at Spruce Mountain High School what they would like to see their town look like in the future. It would look good on their resumes, he noted.

Chretien asked Gilbert to return to the board once Jay’s process is a bit further along. Having Bufkins attend a board meeting was also suggested.

“If she could come with that packet from the state, that would be great,” Gilbert said.

“We need to do something, see what the interest is,” Chretien added.

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