DIXFIELD — The four-member Planning Board is stretched pretty thin these days, and they could use some volunteer assistance as they tackle developing a comprehensive plan for the town. 

Planning Board Chair Ken Hinkley, who serves with Grayson Child, Elizabeth Kelly and Greg Gagne, said on Sept. 23 that the plan needs updating. He said the comprehensive plan serves as a guide for the future of the town, and would also a valuable part of the town’s effort to be successful with grant funding. 

Kelly noted that with volunteers, they could divvy the sections of the plan into pieces, making the task easier. 

Anyone interested in helping develop the comprehensive is urged to contact the Town Office at 562-8151. 

Amy Ruzbasan, a former town planning board member who was not at the Select Board meeting, announced on Sept. 24 that she is taking a lead role “in coordinating a Dixfield comprehensive plan, because that will allow Dixfield to be competitive for millions of dollars in affordable housing and other federal and state grant monies.” 

She added, “I see my role as updating the roles and objectives of the 2007 comprehensive plan to be in compliance and completed in 2025. We need current facts and figures.” 

In other business at Sept. 24 Select Board meeting, Town Manager Alicia Conn said that, as of Sept. 23, they’ve received 177 responses to the police survey. 

“The majority has come through electonically through the (town) website. We taken some over the phone, some in person. We’ve had people print it out and bring it to us,” she said. 

The questions and answer choices are: 

What type of police coverage do you want in Dixfield?

 24 hours of patrol seven days a week.

 18 hours of patrol a day and six hours on call.

 No patrol, Oxford County Sheriff’s office on-call only.

Would you rather Dixfield continue the contract with Oxford County Sheriff’s office or pursue coverage with another town?

 Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

 A different town’s police department.

 I do not want police patrols.

 Comments.

The board voted to close the survey on Sept. 27. Conn said the results of the survey will be revealed during the Oct. 14 Select Board meeting. Then the board will decide what direction to take regarding future police coverage. 

The town’s contract with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office expired June 30, but it is still operating under it until a new agreement is reached. 

The Select Board met with the Wilton Select Board Aug. 5 in the East Dixfield Fire Station, “just to get a feel if Wilton would even entertain it,” Conn said. “They were willing to continue pricing it out and getting a little more information for us. And in the meantime, we’re going to reach out to our community and have the survey.” 

“We are trying to find the best solution for our community in terms of time, money and coverage,” she said. 

“We are facing a patrol increase of $109,000 from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, with no change in coverage,” Conn said in June. The cost would be $307,942 through June 2025, which is about a 40% increase. It would pay for 18 hours of patrol daily, with the remaining six hours on call. 

The Sheriff’s Office took over patrol in August 2020 after the Dixfield police chief resigned and there were no full-time officers. 

Conn updated the board regarding the special election to fill Select Board vacancy. 

She said one resident, Steve Donahue, took out papers for that post. Rick Davis resigned as he moved to Rumford. An ordinance in Dixfield says select board members must all reside in Dixfield. He was elected in June 2023. That term expires in June 2026. 

The special election will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 in the Town Office. Ballots are now available.