March 20, 2023

Dear Rangeley Board Of Selectman,

I am OPPOSED to the Chapter 34 Ordinance.

Chapter 34 is a mistake, not just because it is heavy handed, but because it was developed as a reaction to coffee-shop gossip and a misguided FaceBook rant about out-of-towners. We know now that there haven’t been “hundreds of complaints” but ONE single complaint in over 18 months. It was a lie, but who can argue with something that could help people be ‘good neighbors’?

So after reviewing the ordinance, I am wondering where that ‘good neighbor’ part went? It seems the Chapter 34 committee somehow lost sight of that goal, settling instead for just telling private home owners whether or not they are allowed to rent.  Why does policing rental insurance make us better neighbors?  Do only rentals have problems with trash in the yard?  What about noise? Why is it so important to redefine residential homes as “rental businesses” or “rental units”?  Renting is a legal ‘residential use’ and not either of those two things.  I don’t see how passing this solves any of the problems people complained about. It only adds bureaucracy and control.

Even worse, the process of pursuing the ordinance has harmed the community.  The Chapter 34 discussions on video have been toxic and have injured the ‘warm and fuzzy’ relationship between the town and property owners. There is now distrust.  While 88% of us may not have a vote at the ballot box, it would be a mistake to think we don’t have a vote. The property owners of this town do a lot of the giving and caring in this town, and those relationships need to be protected.

What am I talking about?  I learned this past weekend that if Chapter 34 is not stopped, one of the largest land owners in town will close their land to the public.  His holdings are significant enough that it would close down the Rangeley Trail System for snowmobiles/ATVs, including many thousands of acres of hunting & fishing.  At first I was against this, but then I realized that he is 100% justified.  He just voted.  I suspect that his vote is going to count a lot, and I will be encouraging other land owners to vote the same way if Chapter 34 becomes town policy.  Chapter 34 is a direct attack on property rights and represents crossing a ‘red line’ that property owners will not stand for.

Now since I care deeply about the town of Rangeley, I would like to offer the Selectman Board a way out of this mess.  We have organized Free Rangeley Owners Group (FROG) to promote good relationships with neighbors, responsible renting practices, and to offer a mechanism for healthy complaint resolution.  For us, it is an opportunity for self-governance.  I would like to ask the Selectman Board to terminate Chapter 34 and let the Free Rangeley Owners Group organize owners and help them be good neighbors whether they own or rent.

There is no path forward for Chapter 34.  It would be better to recognize that now and pivot towards healing the damage that has been done.  Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

C. Scott Keith