Upcoming meet the Select Board candidates scheduled.

Carrie Jones

Apr 21, 2026

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware.

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SOUTHWEST HARBOR—In under four minutes last week, the Southwest Harbor Select Board scheduled a public hearing on whether or not to extend a moratorium on tobacco stores in town.

Select Board Member Natasha Johnson recused herself from discussion and abstained from voting. She has previously said that she feels more comfortable abstaining because she co-owns The Meristem, a cannabis store in Southwest Harbor.

On August 12, 2025, the Select Board had placed an ordinance on a moratorium on tobacco stores on the November 4 ballot.

“That type of establishment wouldn’t be permitted and built, if the voters decide that’s not what they want, based on this language of this ordinance,” Town Manager Karen Reddersen had said in August.

The voters did just that in November 2025, passing the retroactive moratorium 448-304.

Since then, there has been a new code enforcement officer hired.

“Obviously, we’ve had a transition within our code enforcement office and, you know, with that transition and having a new employee, you know, with lots, you know, on his plate as well. I’m certain this is important, but we haven’t been able to finalize any of those details at this point,” Reddersen said during a select board meeting last week.

The original worries about tobacco stores being built haven’t been addressed in the six months of the moratorium.

“The moratorium referenced a need for land use ordinance updates as well as concerns regarding the proximity of schools and potential adverse environmental and public health effects,” Reddersen said during a select board meeting last week. “The moratorium ordinance referenced that the town needed to study land use and other regulatory implications of the operation of tobacco specialty stores within the town, and to consider what additional or different locations, approvals, and performance standards, if any, might be appropriate for such facilities.

“This work continues to be ongoing and has not been completed to date. It has suggested that the problems giving rise to the need for this moratorium ordinance still exists.”

The ordinance runs through May 3. The extension would be for 180 days.

The board voted 3-0 to schedule a special public hearing on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 6 p.m.

The moratorium does not ban the sale of tobacco or vapes in regular stores and businesses.

The wording of the moratorium states that a reason for the moratorium is that “tobacco products have been demonstrated to pose significant risks to public health, including increased risks of cancers, heart disease, and lung disease.”

It also speaks to the addictive nature of nicotine, which is used in many tobacco products and writes, “so-called ‘vape’ products are becoming increasingly popular among young people who may not have a history of tobacco use.”

“It makes sense to me that we’ve not developed any further language to address the issue,” said Select Board member Dan Norwood. “So it makes sense to me that we extend the moratorium to give us time to get that done. And that may be even something we can get some guidance from the Musson Group on as well.”

Earlier in the meeting, the attending board members unanimously approved a proposal to hire the Musson Group, a local, third-party, ordinance specialist firm, to conduct comprehensive updates to the town’s land use and subdivision ordinances.

The project is meant to address state-mandated housing updates, a citizens initiative on soil testing, and other regulatory complexities.

The funding totals $38,125, with $33,500 coming from state grants and $4,625 from the town’s code enforcement officer’s account.

The Musson Group has already begun work on the Citizens Initiative to meet the November election timeline and will coordinate with all stakeholders to ensure compliance and community input.

“There’s just a lot of things that they want to take, as you can see from the proposal, to work with all parties involved, to make sure all voices are heard, to make sure that we’re complying with the law, to make sure that it’s meeting the best needs of the town,” Reddersen said.

“I’m really excited that for this opportunity as presented,” Johnson said.

Select Board Chair Noah Busby had an excused absence.

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