Raymond Select Board elects Char as chair, says short-term rental ordinance will be reconsidered

Char was elected chair of the Raymond Select Board by voice vote at the June 16 meeting and the board signaled it will reconsider a recently defeated short-term rental ordinance known as Article 28 (referred to in public comment as "question Z").

Public commenter Gracie Lovett, who identified herself as living on Lovett Road, said the article drew substantial attention at the polls. "Given that, yes, 52% of the voters voted no and voted it down, there were 39% that voted yes," she told the board, and she pressed town leaders on next steps including whether a registry and additional data collection would be implemented.

Chair Char responded that the item "definitely needs to be reconsidered" and said the issue is broader than short-term rentals alone: "it's not just people at short-term rentals — it's neighbors and conflicting with neighbors," Char said, arguing the town should take a more holistic approach to neighborhood conflicts.

A different select board member said they would favor a pared-down ordinance that required registration and retained some compliance incentives. The board did not adopt a specific rewritten ordinance on June 16; Char said officials will take time to consider options and legal ramifications. The transcript does not record a formal direction to draft a particular replacement ordinance.

Board members also praised outgoing chair Kayla for her service and agreed to pursue training: Char said they brought a Robert's Rules book and expressed support for board training, and another member separately recommended partnering with MMA for general board training.

The board scheduled a special business meeting for June 23 to handle items (including reappointments) and adjourned its regular meeting to begin a goals workshop.

Actions and procedural notes: The meeting used voice votes for officer elections; the transcript indicates Char assumed the chair but contains inconsistent references about who holds vice-chair and parliamentarian roles. The record of the vice-chair/parliamentarian assignments is ambiguous and the board indicated those details will be clarified at a future meeting.