DEXTER, Maine — Sex offenders will be barred from living within 750 feet of schools and parks in Dexter after the Town Council approved an ordinance on residency rules on Thursday.
The ordinance was discussed by the council at its Dec. 11 meeting and is based on state guidelines, Chair Marcia Delaware said.
“It gives a little more stricter policy,” Town Manager Trampas King said.
The ordinance comes after councilors said that state law is a bit vague on sex offender residences. Other Maine communities have similar ordinances in place.
The ordinance establishes a 750-foot distance between sex offender residences and areas where there may be a lot of children, such as schools and parks. Sex offenders already living within the 750-foot distance would be grandfathered in, but those looking to move in would not be allowed to do so.
Orrington approved a similar ordinance in 2023 after residents discovered that the town did not already have such restrictions in place.
