Agnieszka “Aga” Dixon
Attorney
Agnieszka “Aga” Dixon
Attorney
Phone: 207.253.0532 Fax: 207.772.3627 Email: adixon@dwmlaw.com
84 Marginal Way, Suite 600 Portland, ME 04101-2480
Assistant: Gabrielle Barber Email: gbarber@dwmlaw.com
About
Aga Dixon has a diverse practice serving municipalities, schools, nonprofits, and Tribal Nations on a broad range of land use, energy, public finance, and climate change issues.
Aga represents landowners, environmental nonprofits, and local governments on the full spectrum of land use, conservation, land management, planning and zoning matters. A former senior land use planner, she brings unparalleled insights to her clients. She regularly conducts legal reviews of significant and controversial development projects, prepares local ordinances to address emerging land uses and state and federal laws, assists clients with public proceedings, renders legal opinions, litigates land use matters, and advises officials daily on all manner of municipal budget and land use issues—including housing law (LD 2003) compliance, solar development, mineral mining, aquaculture, harbor management, floating structures/houseboats, short-term rentals, dangerous buildings, recovery residences and Fair Housing Act compliance, and municipal regulation of medical and adult use cannabis.
Aga has substantial expertise in energy law and assists public sector clients with reaching net zero goals and lowering their energy costs by negotiating renewable energy power purchase agreements and net energy billing credits agreements, solar leases, and related transactions. She enjoys advising clients on issues and opportunities presented by new State and Federal legislation affecting governance and budgets.
Aga also advises school clients on emerging topics in school law, including the creation and operation of education service centers and compliance with federal award/grant administration rules. She provides Tribally-Controlled Schools with stem-to-stern legal guidance and representation on school construction projects involving 638 grants and PL 100-297 construction funding, as well as post-construction issues and audits, serves as bond counsel, and advises public sector clients on all aspects of public finance (including tax-exempt bonds, equipment lease purchase financing, borrowing and budgets, procurement, and energy/air quality improvement projects).
When she is not lawyering, Aga enjoys spending time in nature – biking, hiking, camping, sailing, and paddling – with family and friends.
Education
University of Maine School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2013
Dartmouth College, B.A., cum laude, 1999
Judicial Clerkship
Hon. Ellen A. Gorman, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Representative Clients & Matters
- Served as special counsel to the Town of Columbia Falls with the evaluation of a proposed land annexation and development project known as the Flagpole of Freedom Park, which was proposed to include the world’s tallest flagpole and observation tower, 55 memorial walls, a 4000-seat amphitheater, a village composed of six living-history museums, hotels, restaurants, shops, and housing. Over 12 months, she worked in close collaboration with municipal officials to prepare a Code of Ordinances—a user-friendly zoning framework that creates simple and predictable processes for development that is appropriately sized for the Town.
- Successfully litigated a case before the Maine Law Court (MSAD 6 Board of Directors v. Town of Frye Island, 2020 ME 45), which ultimately prevented the Town of Frye Island from withdrawing from MSAD 6. As a result, the school district avoided the loss of roughly $1.5 million in annual assessments that support the school budget and education.
- Advised several Tribally Controlled Schools (including the Laguna Department of Education), municipalities, quasi-municipal districts, and other public entities on Federal (including ISDEAA) award/grant administration, procurements, and audits, and negotiated complex, multi-party PL 93-638 and PL 100-297 construction contracts between owners, contractors, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- As a former land use planner, Aga coordinated regulatory reviews of significant and controversial development projects for the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (formerly, “LURC”), including a five-year administrative review of the largest land development and conservation project in Maine’s history.
- Assisted many municipalities in drafting ordinances and moratoria governing emerging land uses such as aquaculture, medical and adult use marijuana business establishments, short-term rentals, metallic mineral mining, and solar farms.
Recognition
- Edward S. Godfrey Leadership Award
- Maine Law Alumni Association Award
- Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation Fellowship
Memberships
Maine State Bar Association
Member
Maine Municipal Association
Member
Regional Organization of Municipal Attorneys
Member
Community/Public Service
Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation
Vice President
Past Presentations
From May 21, 2024
Maine Building Officials & Inspectors Association (MBOIA) Spring Code Conference – Housing, Right to Food and Growth Management Updates
From November 7, 2023
Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) – Smart Planning for Electrification
From November 7, 2023
Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) – Legal Year in Review (Maine)
From November 21, 2024 9:00 am
Maine State Bar Association – Legal Year in Review: What’s Happened in 2024 and What’s to Expect in 2025
From July 21, 2021 9:00 am
2021 Maine School Finance Summer Institute (Virtual!)
For 2021, we are taking our School Finance Summer Institute virtual using Zoom, a cloud-based video-conferencing service. The Institute program has been designed with busy educators in mind.
From May 24, 2021 9:30 am
Davis-Bacon… and Eggs
From October 4, 2019 12:00 pm
Maine School Business Officials 6th Annual Law Seminar
From July 24, 2018 11:00 am
2018 Maine School Finance Summer Institute
From November 9, 2017 12:00 pm
Maine School Business Officials 4th Annual Law Seminar
From September 22, 2017 12:00 pm
Current Hot Topics in Sign Regulation
From September 8, 2017 12:00 pm
A New Take on School Consolidation: The Budget Bill Reforms and Other Critical Developments in School Law
From October 21, 2016 12:00 pm