The onset of the coronavirus pandemic caught Gardiner in the midst of an ambitious multiyear initiative to bring the zoning code, comprehensive plan and other planning documents into better alignment, and to hone their language to be more reflective of development and land-use issues that confront rural municipalities. Despite the necessity of conducting meetings virtually, work on those fronts has not abated. And Town Supervisor Marybeth Majestic says that recent experience has reinforced her belief that volunteerism and hands-on citizenship are key to the success of the process as it continues post-Covid.
What do you believe will be the most difficult challenge that the Town of Gardiner is likely to face in 2021, and what needs to be done to prepare for/cope with it?
Pressure on land use. Gardiner is a community that welcomes newcomers and visitors, but is fiercely protective of our homes and neighborhoods and all of the grand and fragile natural resources that exist within our boundaries. The Gardiner Town Board has been diligent in fostering and supporting our planning board to have the tools, education and support needed to respond fully and professionally to land use. The town board has been updating local codes as necessary and ensured that our comprehensive plan guides decisionmaking. We have catalogued progress against the 2004 comprehensive plan, and we have allocated funds over the past several budgets to enable an update to the plan.
2021 will be the year the Gardiner comp plan is updated, and we will use an approach that maximizes the skills and interests of the many residents who volunteer. It is important to the Town of Gardiner to ensure innovative land uses and economic opportunities that offer the potential for our community to craft the necessary balance we seek.
On the positive side, are there any specific opportunities that you foresee coming up in 2021 that the town could take advantage of?
Early on in the pandemic, it was not so easy to see the opportunity that lay in the crisis. Covid-19 made everyone feel helpless, but the willingness of our residents to step forward to help others – whether it be delivering food to those in need and helping out in our local food pantry to recognizing the needs that exist within our fire and rescue departments, library and town – we have recognized, once again, that Gardiner’s greatest assets are our residents. Throughout the pandemic, our citizens have risen to the occasion, and through their participation, we will be able to achieve more.
Pre-pandemic, it was on our radar to modernize our comprehensive emergency management plan and, while we do so, create understanding among taxpayers that our emergency services are volunteer. To be proactive on this front, rather than reactive, the town board needs to do an analysis of costs, should we be forced into paid emergency services.
In what ways has coping with Covid-19 been a “teachable moment” for town leaders, and what are your most meaningful takeaway lessons from it?
I believe that, from my experience, I and other town leaders have a new appreciation for the town’s role in emergencies: how tangible and vital municipal leadership is in times of crisis. Of course, this emergency is unlike any we have had before, and I am proud that members of our community respected the protocols essential to keep us all safe. It levels the playing field; more than simply wanting not to get sick, so many were truly motivated by protecting others and not just themselves.
Living through the pandemic, the town has recognized the need to keep our employees and residents safe, and we have taken measures at the town hall to do so. My most meaningful takeaway lesson from the pandemic is that Gardiner will rise to the occasion. Our dedicated employees and volunteers have kept town business functioning, and for that I am most grateful.
How might the “new normal” turn out an improvement over the “old normal”?
Making room for volunteers to make the best use of their skill sets, interests and needs is fundamental to our use of the term “community”: creating understanding of the roles and responsibilities that come with volunteering. For example, town-appointed committees have substantive ethical and practical responsibilities to the Town of Gardiner. Self-organized groups may operate as they agree upon amongst themselves, and may interact with the Town on specific projects as agreed upon. There is more than one way to support volunteerism, and I expect that our “new normal” will be a more inclusive and active community.
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