Asticou Working With Town About Construction Traffic
Mount Desert Progressing on Seal Harbor Comfort Stations
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden.
MOUNT DESERT—The Mount Desert Selectboard made quick work of its agenda, June 17, with a meeting lasting less than 30 minutes.
Despite the shortness of the meeting, the board efficiently appointed a new employee and a new committee member, renewed liquor licenses, and paid multiple town bills.
Selectboard member Rodney King was concerned about cars parked on the road near the Asticou, which is undergoing construction. The inn on Peabody Drive in Northeast Harbor will have 82 renovated rooms including 15 standalone harborside cottages and 17 “spa suites” with terraces. It is slated to reopen this summer.
According to the police department’s press releases, Sgt. Soren Sundberg is working with the Asticou to manage parking at the construction site after receiving complaints about vehicles being unlawfully parked.
The vehicles really shouldn’t be parking on the sidewalk, King said and he was concerned about cars parked near the intersection creating a potentially hazardous situation for drivers turning their vehicles onto the road and potentially having to go into the oncoming lane.
“Is there any way that if they have to park in the road, they can be down the road some?” King asked.
Mount Desert and Bar Harbor Police Chief David Kerns said the department has been working with the Asticou.
“They’ve been very receptive to our needs,” he said. “They’ve been delayed on the paving because of the weather.”
Once the paving is done, he thinks that the Asticou can get people’s vehicles back in the parking lot.
“I’m hoping to get them off the road completely,” Chief Kerns said.
SEAL HARBOR COMFORT STATIONS
During public comment Howie Motenko asked about the Seal Harbor comfort stations, which were damaged in the severe 2024 winter storms and need replacement.
“They got wiped out 18 … well, whatever it is ...16 months ago, and they haven’t been replaced since,” Motenko said.
The comfort stations are at the town wharf.
“I don’t know what else to say about it. It just seems disappointing,” Motenko said.
“They have been purchased and we do have them at the town garage, and I’m waiting on some work to put in the concrete slab,” Public Works Director Brian Henkel said.
Henkel wants to be able to bolt them in so they don’t blow over if they can’t get them out in time in case there is another event. He also has an electrician still coming in. He apologized for the time it took.
“Try to find an electrician to come to your house,” Vice Chair Wendy Littlefield said. “It takes a lot of time.
Henkel said that if the town left the same building in place it would have been a problem in future storms. There have been FEMA delays, he said, because of that process for the funds. He spoke to contractors related to the project earlier on Monday.
“It takes a lot of time and I do think Brian’s been pretty straightforward,” Littlefield said.
“It is all still moving forward,” Henkel said.
“I understand how it’s been frustrating,” said King. “It’s been over a year.”
“I would love to have it wrapped up very very soon,” Henkel said.
In November 2024, the selectboard members quickly approved work at the Seal Harbor pier, authorizing $3,466.00 for the prep work to allow MCM Electric to install a new pole at the Seal Harbor Pier. They authorized MCM Electric $4,880.00 to install the new power pole at the Seal Harbor Pier.
At the time, the board also approved the sale of the comfort station structure on the pier to King for the sum of $1.00. King was not elected to the board at that time.
THE NONPROFITS THE TOWN GIVES TO
Motenko asked about the process of town donations to third parties organizations and how on the form it asks organizations if they are 501C3, which are charitable organizations. “That was the intent, I think, of those third party consents was to give money to those charitable organizations.”
“I thought there was a procedure,” he said, and he wanted to enlighten everyone to the procedure and the reason that question was on the form.
Then, he said there is the process of applying and making a case for funding before the town, he said. One group, he said, filed as a 501C6. Town staff looked to the internet to help clear up the definition of a 501C6.
According to DonorBox there are major differences between the two types of nonprofits, writing, “The IRS states that to be tax-exempt, a 501(c)(3) must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more exempt purposes. These purposes are limited by the IRS to the following–
Charitable,
Religious,
Educational,
Scientific, and literary,
Testing for public safety,
Fostering national or international amateur sports, and
Preventing cruelty to children or animals.”
The organization also writes, “A 501(c)(6) organization is an association of persons having common business interests. The organization’s purpose must be to promote their common interest and improve business conditions, not to engage in a regular business for profit. 501c6 organizations include the following –
Business leagues,
Chambers of Commerce,
Real estate boards,
Boards of Trade, and
Professional football leagues.”
APPOINTMENTS
The board appointed Norman Gray to the Buildings & Grounds position at the probationary rate of $28.67, increasing to $30.18 after six months.
Martha Dudman was chosen as the selectboard’s liaison to the LUZO Advisory Committee.
The board appointed Allen Kimmerly to the comprehensive planning committee.
The board also approved the town assessor’s 2025 valuation update.
LIQUOR LICENSE RENEWALS
Michael Boland’s liquor license for COPITA (Choco-Latte, LLC) 102 Main Street, Northeast Harbor and Katherine M. Conley for Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant 12 Main Street, Seal Harbor were both approved.
OTHER BUSINESS
Verrill Law-Bangor was added to the list of approved town counsel.
PAYING BILLS
The town paid Omega Security Group $4,483 for replacement of three security cameras out of the Marina Security Cameras. The balance in that budget line is just above $14,000.
The board also approved paying Coastal Energy $22,180 for replacement of the boiler in The Yachtsmen building out of the Northeast Harbor Marina. That budget line has approximately $111,582 in it.
It also paid G.F. Johnston $8,000 to solicit a request for qualifications “from engineering firms qualified to design, bid, and manage the reconstruction of the Northeast Harbor Commercial Pier.” That money is coming out of the Northeast Harbor Marina Cap Improvement Reserve, which has a balance of $111,582.93.
The board approved spending $15,970.09 to the Town of Bar Harbor for all costs associated with the telephone system upgrade in the Mount Desert Police Department.
It approved a contract with low bidder, Wellman Paving, to pave $238,162.50 and further authorize additional expenditures of budgeted paving funds for additions and revisions to the paving contract not to exceed $420,000.
It approved a quote from Maine Equipment Company for repairs to the 2017 Heil PT1000 packer truck in the amount of $19,248.08 with funds coming from account4051500-24581 Refuse Truck Reserve with an approximate balance of $31,158.02.
The board authorized a debt service payments due July 1 to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in an amount not to exceed $1,662,500. It also transferred from reserve portfolio to general operating account in the amount of the audited interfund liability amount of $1,536,367.12 for the fiscal years ending in 2023 and 2024.
The board also authorized $200,000 to be used from the “Capital Gains Reserve Account #400-24202 to reduce the 2025 – 2026 tax commitment in accordance with article 40 passed at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting.”
GIFTS
The board accepted an unconditional gift to the Mount Desert Fire Department in the amount of $100.00 from John Favour in memory of Stuart Burr.
OTHER THINGS
It approved a contract amendment with SolarLogix to preserve the tax credits on two solar array installations through a "Safe Harbor Plan."
LINKS TO LEARN MORE AND HOW YOU CAN BE MORE INVOLVED
The selectboard minutes/meeting viewing is here.
Volunteer for a Town of Mount Desert Board or Committee
Here is your chance to become more involved with your community!
The Town of Mount Desert seeks volunteers for its boards and committees: The Planning Board meets twice a month to review Conditional Use and Sub-Division Applications; the Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of Assessment Review meets as needed (rarely) to address appeals; and the Warrant Committee meets during budget preparation to review the articles of the Town Meeting warrant and publishes recommendations to the Town for action on them. These are just a few of the many opportunities that await your participation.
Click on “Boards & Committees” for more information and submit an application to the Town Clerk today.
JUNETEENTH
There will be NO GARBAGE COLLECTION on Thursday, June 19th. Thursday will be collected on Friday. No change to the rest of the week.
TWICE WEEKLY REFUSE COLLECTION HAS BEGUN
Twice weekly refuse collection begins Monday, June 9, 2025 and continues through to September 8, 2025.
The year-round collection schedule is on the town's website (and includes the twice-weekly pick up).
REMINDER: The complete holiday refuse schedule, can be found in the “yellow” section of the Town of Mount Desert 2024 Annual Report.
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