With news about police officer shootings grabbing headlines, the Damariscotta Police Department got a little safer Wednesday night.

The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen approved a Department of Justice grant to purchase additional bullet resistant vests for its full-time officers.

Previously, the officers on duty had reused vests owned by Chief Ron Young. Now, with the aid of a $1,952 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, the department will be able to purchase five vests for the town's full-time officers.

Young said the vests will be required equipment for officers on duty.

“We have three of four vendors coming in to do fittings, and (the officers) will select what's most comfortable to them,” he said. “Any additional costs, they will have to pick up.”

The town previously approved a matching grant for the vests in 2015.

Another letter for

the pawn shop

Although the Monday, Sept. 14, Damariscotta Planning Board meeting ended on a vague note in regards to Maine-ly Pawn's future plans, the town's plans are more straightforward.

Town manager Matt Lutkus said that should Maine-ly Pawn continue to violate the planning board by having goods for sale stored and showcased outside, it could lead to a court date with the town.

“At Monday's planning board meeting Maine-ly Pawn's application was again incomplete,” Lutkus said Wednesday, Sept. 17. “As a result, we will continue our enforcement.”

Earlier in the year, Code Enforcement Officer Stanley Waltz sent a letter to Maine-ly Pawn to inform the owner, Mark Hoffman, that the business was in violation of the town's code by displaying and storing goods outside.

Hoffman was directed to obtain a conditional use permit, which would have allowed the shop to continue selling goods such as buoys, boats and vintage ads outside.

Hoffman, in interviews and during previous planning board meetings, said he felt he was being unfairly targeted and felt that one of the conditions of the permit — to keep his wares stored behind a fence — would negatively affect his sales.

Later in the summer, the town retracted Waltz's letter and instead had town attorney Jenny Villeneuve draft a letter to Hoffman to let him know that he was in violation and that the town would take action against him should he not apply for the conditional use permit.

Hoffman did fill out the permit and alert his abutting neighbors within the time frame granted by the town. Lutkus said the letter sent by Villeneuve was one of the first parts of building a legal case.

Now, another letter is likely to be sent, Lutkus said.

“(Hoffman) had been put on notice warning him that if he doesn't comply, we will go to court,” Lutkus said.

Lutkus said the process will parallel the appeals process, so Hoffman could go to the board of appeals.

Selectman George Cosgrove asked if the incomplete application, which wasn't filled out entirely during an Aug. 31 meeting and was merely lacking distance measurements during the Sept. 14 meeting, was intentional.

“Is this just a tactic to keep doing what he's been doing, or has (Hoffman) not been properly informed by the town on what he needs to do?” Cosgrove asked.

Selectmen’s Chairman Robin Mayer said she wasn't sure, but the directions were included on the application.