Dexter council approves pair of grants for police department

DEXTER — A pair of grants from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety for the Dexter Police Department were approved by the town council during a meeting on Dec. 11.

The first grant is for $12,901 to be used for dedicated patrols for speed enforcement and radar purchases. The second grant from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is for $7,000 to be used for dedicated patrols for occupant protection — seatbelt enforcement.

The town council also accepted another $2,000 in private donations for the Christmas for Kids Program.

In other business, the council voted to place a proposed ordinance on sex offender residency rules on next month’s agenda (the council is set to meet on Thursday, Jan. 8).

Dexter currently has no such rules in place and town officials feel the state rules are a bit vague. 

The ordinance establishes a 750-foot distance between sex offender residences and areas where there may be a lot of children such as schools and parks. Other Maine communities have similar ordinances in place.

Sex offenders already living within the 750-foot distance would be grandfathered, but those looking to move in would not be permitted to do so.

Councilors made appointments to seven municipal committees.

The board of appeals still has three vacancies, for a pair of 3-year terms and another for one year.

The Wakefield Committee, which oversees a scholarship for Dexter Regional High School, has two open positions for three years each.