MACHIAS — The Machias Select Board voted Nov. 19 to allocate $100 for a raffle to encourage residents to complete the town’s comprehensive plan survey.
Residents who complete the town’s comprehensive plan survey will be entered into the raffle.
Town Manager Sarah Craighead Dedmon said only 146 residents have completed the survey, out of a population of about 2,000.
Residents can complete the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/MachiasCompPlan. Paper copies are available at the Town Office.
“We need this input, and we need people to tell us what they want us to do,” Select Board Chair Jacob “Jake” Patryn said. “That’s what we’re here for.”
The survey is a key part of the town’s comprehensive planning process and gives residents a chance to weigh in on housing, land use, public services, economic development, natural resources and more, according to the Machias Comprehensive Planning Committee.
The information collected is expected to guide policies and strategies in Machias’ new comprehensive plan, which serves as the town’s roadmap for growth, investment and preservation over the next decade.
All residents — year-round and seasonal — are encouraged to participate.
Residents are invited to attend Comprehensive Planning Committee meetings, held the first and third Monday of each month at 5 p.m. The meetings are open to the public, focus on specific chapters of the comprehensive plan and provide a forum for discussion, feedback and collaboration.
Craighead Dedmon also announced events planned as part of Machias’ holiday weekend Dec. 5-7:
- Wesley Tree Festival: Scheduled at the University of Maine at Machias throughout the weekend.
- Downeast Community Hospital Auxiliary Craft Fair: Planned for Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Santa Claus is expected from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- 2025 Parade of Lights: Set to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The parade route runs from Court Street to Broadway to Colonial Way, then east on Route 1 to cross the Machias Dike. Fireworks will follow downtown, according to a town newsletter.
The Select Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Dec. 3, immediately following a special town meeting at 5 p.m.
