On June 10, voters in Camden will consider two candidates — Bobbi Oxton Blake and Christopher Rheault — seeking to fill one open Select Board seat being vacated by current Chair Tom Hedstrom. That seat carries a three-year term.

Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. Here, Christopher Rheault discusses his position on various topics.

Please provide a brief biography of yourself and explain why you decided to seek a seat on the Select Board.

I was born in Rockport and grew up there and in Camden. After college I taught in our local schools before spending a few years living down south outside Portland. I have worked in education and the nonprofit realms, as well as having a small business in boat maintenance. In town, I have served on the Planning Board for four years and was on the ZBA prior to that. I enjoy classic cars and getting outside with my dog.

I am running for Select Board because I think we have great potential as a town to tackle the challenges we face. We have a deep bench of talent and resources to be a leader in the state of Maine. I am running because I want to work with our community to find the solutions and be part of stewarding Camden into its next chapters with strength. I believe my qualities of calm, open mindedness, and history in this town as resident and participant will be strong additions to a successful town government. 

What do you understand is the job of the Select Board? 

The Select Board serves several functions, the most obvious being to represent the interests of citizens and be the governing body. This means listening to people in town, working with town staff to find solutions for current issues. However, it is also the job of the board to look forward and chart the course the town will take in coming years. We are fortunate to have highly qualified staff and committees with generous citizens who put in countless hours researching and drafting plans and ordinances, huge resources which can guide the Select Board in its findings and decisions.

Are there any pressing issues facing Camden today that need to be resolved? If so, how would you like to see them resolved?

There are several pressing issues which face Camden and the Midcoast region. Our storm and wastewater systems are aging and need continued investment. The entire Bay View Street section of town to the Yacht Club is facing imminent threat from sea level rise and storm surge.

Available workforce housing is another issue we need to address.

Our harbor infrastructure will require a public private partnership to use modern technology in wave attenuation and other steps to raise and protect public and private property.

We can take further steps to incentivize property owners to increase housing through an increase of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and converting single residence dwellings into multiple units. Property tax credits for those who offer units at below market rates is something I think we should explore.

We are at the cliff's edge with these issues and now is the moment to find solutions. We can be leaders if we take the initiative now.

What are Camden’s strengths?

Camden’s greatest strengths are its natural assets, both in terms of geography but also inhabitants. It is a very special place which attracts an engaged and diverse community. Add to that a bustling downtown with thriving theater space and a fantastic library. These facilities in town combine with the Snow Bowl to make the town a hub of activity. We have a strong downtown full of locally owned businesses, an increasingly rare thing.

How will you protect the Camden taxpayer as you govern a municipal budget and juggle various interests that request municipal funding throughout the year?

This is perhaps the toughest challenge the Select Board faces, as it is for any governmental body. As a town we want to maintain the level of services we all agree to, from plowing roads to maintain our parks we agree to certain priorities. But those services come at a literal cost, and it is not reasonable to expect reduced budgets. We have a strong process in place with our budget committee and town staff who are highly competent and work to keep spending as low as possible. 

But we live in a rapidly changing world. This year’s budget sees a big increase because we now need full time firefighters on staff, we cannot rely on volunteers as we did in the past.

While we do not have an in-person town meeting, the ability of all citizens to participate in the budget process is an important part of the democratic process which supports fiscally responsible budgeting. I think we should be focusing more on the long term projects which we know are coming be it infrastructure or energy costs, the town can do more to prepare for major expenses.

Is Camden doing enough to work with neighboring municipalities to research and implement shared resources to reduce the fiscal load on taxpayers?

We are on the right track with a renewed agreement between Camden and Rockport over wastewater, but there is much more we could do to share services and expenses region wide. Sharing a police chief is a good start but it makes more sense long term to look at shared police force for example.

Our emergency services already offer mutual support so having one shared department seems a logical next step if an equitable solution can be found.

With wastewater, I think we could be looking at the potential for a regional wastewater system, from Camden to Thomaston. The reluctance to yield some autonomy over decisions is not a good enough reason to find cost savings and improved quality of service.

We can also gain much from collegial relationships with our neighboring communities, I already have good relationships with city councilors in Rockland and Select Board members in Rockport and other neighboring towns. Keeping those relationships open and friendly is essential.

What is your opinion of the Megunticook River restoration project?

Like many people I am glad that we will finally have a vote and hopefully be able to move forward. This has been a long drawn-out issue and we need to focus on more impactful items.

That said, after looking at all the facts and reports, I think it does make sense from a fiscal and environmental standpoint to remove the dam. Keeping it will obligate the town to a very expensive maintenance program for a structure which has no actual function anymore.

From an environmental standpoint it is the literal first step moving upstream to work on river restoration. The removal of the seawall at Harbor Park will also be a major step forward in harbor resiliency, depowering a lot of the storm surge coming into the harbor.

A free flowing, healthy river can only benefit our community. Beyond Montgomery Dam we need to focus attention on the East and West Dams which maintain the lake and protect the town

Like many in town I also look forward to closing the book on this question, which has been increasingly divisive in town. We are more than this one issue and have much in common with our neighbors when looking past this question. 

What would you like to see take place at the Camden Snow Bowl over the next 20 years? 

I have been a skier at the Snow Bowl my entire life, so it is no surprise that I am big champion of the facility. The Snow Bowl is an enormous asset to Camden and is a major factor for us having a busy downtown all winter long.

The opportunities for outdoor experience made possible to school children is enormous, with Fourth Grade program and efforts of Ragged Mountain Ski Club.

Looking ahead, the facility has huge potential to be a four season venue, with hiking, paddling and mountain biking all playing their part. These developments need to be done with sensitivity to the neighbors and environment, and to this end I support a dedicated board of trustees, like the library.

We will need to make investments: the lodge is beloved but doesn’t serve its purpose well. It may be possible to modify the existing structure, but investments will need to be made. Recent budget votes indicate that there is strong support from people in town for the Snow Bowl and investment there.

How do you see Camden positioned in the larger regional Midcoast economy?

Camden is a major draw for people in Midcoast Maine and Knox County. Our traditional tourism draws are boosted by the concert events and international events which are hosted here. Many folks come to town for a concert and spend the night in hotel after dinner locally. These offerings bring people from afar to the area as well, many who fall in love and choose to move here permanently. 

Does Camden have enough fully accessible (i.e., park and then walk onto shore) public access to the ocean?

Not yet, but we are making strides. The boat lift at Hosmer Pond, the beaches on Megunticook River and Lake all have some access. But our ocean shoreline is steep at many of our parks and access points. The proposal for Harbor Park with dam removal has access which would address some of these challenges.

In the 2017 Camden Comprehensive Plan, the town said: “The space available for business and industry has decreased and there has been a greater reliance on tourism and hospitality to provide jobs. These two changes are closely related and are the greatest challenges facing the Town moving forward. We have to ask, “how do we create well paying, quality year 'round jobs to encourage young people to move to town and raise their families while still being very supportive of the tourism industry?”

Is this question still relevant to Camden?

This question is always relevant. During and after COVID, we saw many families move to Maine and Camden and stay. Industry as we knew it historically will not be a part of Camden in the future, but we are a town full of small businesses and individuals who work locally and globally.

Our commitment to education attracts families, venues like the Snow Bowl and our parks remain very attractive. What we need to focus on is making it possible for the people who work here to live here. Housing costs remain out of reach for many. To clarify, when talking about housing what I mean is the small house or apartment which is in budget for many of the people who work in town. This where ADUs and multi-unit conversions can really come into play. 

Camden has been governed by a five-member select board for decades (it once was a three-person board) but has occasionally and informally discussed moving to a council form of government. What is your opinion having a select board vs. a council form of government?

I think the current format serves us well. Camden is still a small town and is served best by a select board and public vote. I do think we could explore bringing back a version of town meeting: one which might not have final vote but would be an annual gathering of all citizens to have a conversation about our town. We are still a small town where a conversation in the Reny’s parking lot can have impact at a Select Board meeting.

What we can do a better job of is communicating with citizens to inform them of events and proposals. The better informed people are the more comfortable they are with decisions being made.

What do you think is the responsibility of a Select Board in balancing opinions and facts when making decisions?

Facts and process must lead the way. All voices and opinions should be heard of course, but we should not be basing decisions on opinion alone. Several issues which came before the Planning Board while I served on it were very hotly debated, but we focused on the information presented and the process as outlined in town ordinance.

When we are having conversations about vision for town, opinion is a natural part of the conversation; we can find agreement of opinion about priorities and goals. But when we are making decisions the facts, the law, and our town processes must be the guiding principle. I always keep an open mind, I can and have changed my opinion when presented with new facts and perspectives, and I would bring this approach to the Select Board.

Free space! Please add any additional thoughts you would like voters to consider.

In a time when people are giving up on elected officials, giving up on government, I see local town government as the best place to make a difference. Here is where we join with neighbors to find common ground, at our local level is where we recognize that we all benefit from a fully functioning plow crew or fire department.

I recognize that under the surface lay many deep chasms. We have a lot of work to do in the coming years, from the challenges of sea level rise and what that means for our businesses on Bayview Street, to the investment needed in our roads and sewers. These are complicated problems, but there are solutions if we start planning for them now.

In my time on the ZBA and the Planning Board, I have had the opportunity to work through some meaty issues, and I am proud of the work we did. Particularly I am proud of our efforts for thinking long term and hearing every voice. A diverse community will have many ideas and opinions, and a successful community listens to them all and finds consensus.