Dixmont, ME Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Dixmont's shoreland ordinance is the posted instrument that says what happens to a complaint. Section 16(I)(2)(b) directs the Code Enforcement Officer to investigate all complaints of alleged violations of the Ordinance, in addition to conducting on-site inspections to ensure compliance with permit approvals. This provision does not prescribe a complaint form, a filing deadline or a hotline. A report goes to the Code Enforcement Officer, who under Section 16(A)(1) is appointed or reappointed annually by July 1st.

Scope matters. Section 3 limits the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance to land within 250 feet of the normal high-water line of great ponds, 250 feet of the upland edge of a freshwater wetland, and 75 feet of a stream. Dixmont has no general zoning ordinance, so a complaint about a use outside those distances does not fall under this section. The Site Plan Review Ordinance carries its own enforcement clause in Section 5, which also names the Code Enforcement Officer or the officer's agent as the enforcer.

What the officer does with a finding is set out in Section 16(I)(2)(a). The officer notifies the responsible person in writing, naming the nature of the violation and ordering the action necessary to correct it, including discontinuance of illegal use of land, buildings or structures, removal of illegal buildings or structures, and abatement of nuisance conditions. A copy of each notice goes to the municipal officers and is kept as a permanent record. Section 16(I)(2)(c) requires the officer to keep a complete record of essential transactions, including violations investigated and violations found.

If the notice does not correct the problem, Section 16(I)(3) directs the municipal officers, upon notice from the Code Enforcement Officer, to institute legal or equitable actions, including injunctions and fines. The municipal officers or their authorized agent can also enter administrative consent agreements to eliminate violations and recover fines without court action. Under Section 16(I)(1), any violation of the Ordinance is deemed a nuisance.