Bar Harbor's Climate Plan Is a Go, Tourism Task Force Being Revised
Water and Sewer Rates Likely to Go Up
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.
BAR HARBOR—At its December 17 meeting, two documents that could impact the town’s future faced the Bar Harbor Town Council and both involved task forces.
The councilors took no action on an outline that created a tourism task force, instead, asking for revisions. They accepted the newest version of the Climate Plan, which was created by members of the Task Force on the Climate Emergency.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Chair Ezra Sassaman and Vice-Chair Ruth Poland talked about the origins of the Climate Emergency Task Force, which occurred after the town made a climate emergency declaration in November 2019 after a youth-led Climate Emergency Action Coalition (CEAC) urged the town to do so. The task force began in 2020.
The task force’s responsibilities include exploring climate solutions for the town and community, as well as developing a climate action plan. The plan has recommended goals and looks forward to a joint workshop with the council in January about implementing the goals in the plan.
The original plan, passed in 2021, focused on reducing municipal emissions.
“We knew that we were going to want to add things that the community could add to this vision,” Poland said of the working document, which is not a mandate, but a living document of actions that the task force members believe can be achieved.
Poland gave a list of the goals that the task force had achieved since 2021. Those goals included adding a sustainability coordinator to the town’s payroll. The person in that position was let go soon after former Town Manager Kevin Sutherland resigned. The council and subsequent town managers have not refilled that position or that of a communications coordinator. Councilor Maya Canes had been the communications coordinator. She was then elected to the council.
Other goals included updating and reviewing and adopting the climate plan, pursuing a competitive electricity provider, integrating the climate plan into the upcoming 2035 Bar Harbor Comprehensive Plan, and having public input.
The new version of the plan adds the areas of sustainable local economy, resource consumption and waste, climate adaption and resilience, and land use. Each area has an overarching goal, municipal actions to achieve that goal, and community-wide actions. Those community-wide actions are not mandates for community members, but just about education, Poland said.
Sassaman gave a summary of the task force’s recommendations for 2025. Those included prioritizing emission reductions revealed in municipal waste and energy efficiency audits, increasing rooftop solar on municipal properties, continuing to embed the newest climate action plan into current municipal projects and exploring a green revolving fund to support climate projects. He also discussed potential funding sources for each aspect of the plan.
The 19-page plan is included in the Town Council packet for the meeting. It focuses on nine strategies and lists goals and actions for each. It also has graphs for town CO2 emissions.
Councilor Matt Hochman thanked the task force for the passion and energy.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Hochman said.
The task force, which has vacancies and also constantly reaches toward student involvement and representation, keeps extensive amounts of reporting and documents on a shared Google drive. It organizes tasks, keeps files on open action items and prioritized lists as well as files about resources, funding opportunities and outreach.
Vice Chair Gary Friedmann agreed with Hochman’s assessment, praising the task force and saying that “this is a very hard working group.”
The group typically meets two times a month and has done so for the last 18 months.
Friedmann called the Climate Plan well-thought out and crafted with community feedback and refinement.
“It’s a really solid guide, I think, for our town,” Friedmann said.
He said that the plan does commit the town to taking these things seriously and try to find viable and cost effective way to accomplish these objectives.
Council Chair Valerie Peacock said that there are things happening already in town projects and plans that fit well with the updated climate plan. She also wanted it to be thought of as the town works toward a Sustainable Tourism Task Force, saying that it feels like the climate plan can help focus and motivate the council and town to continue to do the work that they are doing.
The council received and placed the Climate Action Plan on file unanimously.
TOURISM
On the agenda was the possibility of creating the Tourism Management Task Force and adopting bylaws.
“We’ve been talking about this one for a while,” Peacock said and said that the concept has been swirling around multiple conversations.
The goal was to create a framework for the task force, which generally establishes the task force’s objective and composition, said Planning Director Michele Gagnon.
“I’m ready to see it get started,” Hochman said. He said his only concern was about the composition of the task force. He wanted there to be more representation from the local community than of the specialized experts, which had been a criticism of the Cruise Ship Committee.
Gagnon said that it is a task force, not a committee and therefore typically people can not be residents of the town. It could be a group that functions by consensus rather than votes.
To not allow representations from non-residents worried her in that it would be harder to create a balanced approach, which she said is the town’s responsibility when looking at the issue. It would be the town’s Appointments Committee’s duty to see that the task force is balanced. It would only be an advisory group that comes up with ideas.
Canes said she thought it was a great document and was worth it to remove CLIA, who she didn’t think of as a key stakeholder group. She also agreed with Peacock’s statements earlier in the meeting about integrating the Task Force on the Climate Emergency’s voice into this task force focused on sustainable tourism. Creating a requirement of how much of the committee is Bar Harbor residents would be helpful, she said. She also suggested being mindful of members of the task force and possibly not have anyone on it who was currently actively involved in litigation against the town.
Friedmann said his concern was also about the composition. He said he felt that appearances matter and it was about more than getting multiple perspectives. To get traction for the voters, the task force needs to look like it’s representative of the town, he said.
He said he supported Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce representation, but not representation from the Maine Office of Tourism or CLIA. He thought that the committee should be entirely comprised of Bar Harbor residents. He did not think NGOs should be included as members though the task force could ask questions of them.
“We need a very strong local representation,” Councilor Joe Minutolo said.
Some of the language in the outline pointing at the moratorium felt too narrow Peacock said, and she’d prefer for the language to be more grounded in the comprehensive plan.
“There’s a challenge that we have around what Gary’s bringing up around this perception of bias that a certain group of people can’t do the work in a way that we would perceive it to be fair or balanced,” Peacock said. “The issue that I have with it is that so much of the things that control—or the work that needs to happen—to actually make changes or have something happen in this tourism space is outside the control of the town.”
Tourism is an entire ecosystem of how people come to Bar Harbor or how they behave in the town, she said and she worried about potentially excluding “the people who are going to be the ones who actually help us to make this work happen” from the process or having ownership of the process. That, she worried, might make nothing happen in the tourism sphere, which is very far-reaching and complicated.
“All of us are part of the problem and all of us are part of the solution,” Peacock said.
Brechlin said he saw the task force as a group with a longer range. He talked about understanding why Acadia National Park wasn’t on the task force, but wanted involvement from the park in an ex-officio status at least.
“That’s the reason millions of people come here,” Brechlin said.
During public comment, Charles Sidman cautioned that the town doesn’t want to reprise the Cruise Ship Committee. Voting members should be residents of the town, he said. He suggested that most of the composition shouldn’t be designated to institution and make sure that two-thirds of the members do not have a business affected by tourism and no perception of a conflict of interest.
Chamber Director Everal Eaton said the chamber stated its support last year. “Recognizing the shifting tourism landscape, particularly in gateway communities to national parks and popular destinations, proactive planning remains crucial. Tourism is, and will remain, a cornerstone of Bar Harbor’s economy. A robust, data-driven Tourism Management Plan is not merely desirable; it is essential for our continued prosperity. Such a plan, developed through inclusive dialogue and incorporating diverse perspectives, as the current outline looks to propose, holds the potential to significantly benefit our community.”
He added that the chamber’s mission is “to advance the interests and prosperity of our members while facilitating relationships that build strong communities and promote responsible tourism. We firmly believe a well-crafted plan will amplify tourism’s positive impacts—job creation, economic contributions, and the development of year-round businesses—while mitigating potential negative consequences. This balanced approach will enhance the experience for both residents and visitors, ensuring the long-term sustainability of our local economy.”
The formation of a task force, he said, is a “crucial first step toward a comprehensive plan that garners broad community support.”
OFFICERS APPOINTED
The councilors confirmed the manager’s appointment of statutory officers. Peacock congratulated Michael Gurtler for his new position and at the end of the meeting recognized outgoing CEO Angela Chamberlain who has resigned effective at the end of the year and is taking a job in Tremont.
Animal Control Officer – Scott Pinkham
Assessor – Steven Weed
Building Inspector – Michael Gurtler
Civil Emergency Preparedness Agency Director – James Smith
Code Enforcement Officer – Michael Gurtler
E-911 Coordinator/Addressing Officer – Steven Weed
Electrical Inspector – Michael Gurtler
Local Health Officer – Michael Gurtler
Local Plumbing Inspector – Michael Gurtler
Registrar of Voters expiring January 1, 2026 – Elizabeth Graves
Shellfish Warden expiring March 30, 2025 – Christopher Johansen
Tax Collector – Elizabeth Spear
KING FOUNDATION GRANT FOR EXTRICATION TOOLS
The councilors accept a King Foundation grant for the fire department to purchase vehicle extrication equipment and rescue tools.
Vice Chair Gary Friedmann wanted to thank Fire Chief Matt Bartlett and anyone involved in applying for the grant for their proactive work.
The grant allows the department to purchase $38,000 of vehicle extrication equipment and rescue tools. The Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation has awarded a grant in the amount of $15,000 to the Town of Bar Harbor, to be used by the Bar Harbor Fire Department for the purchase of vehicle extrication equipment and rescue tools.
The current equipment is twenty years old and gas-powered. The replacement will be battery-powered and rechargeable.
COOPERATING AGENCIES
Two agencies were hoping to be considered as cooperating agencies in the town’s upcoming budget process. An approval wouldn’t mean that the councilors approved the amount of requested funding, but allowed the agencies to be part of the process. If not allowed into the process that night, then the agencies could only be involved in the budget process via a call to do so on the town meeting floor.
Hancock County SPCA Director Eric Allvin was asking for the SPCA to be an agency and to receive $2,000 in funds for the pet food pantry, which supplies food for families in need for their animals. Currently, the SPCA is helping three families in Bar Harbor. Costs for pet food is rising, he said, and there are less donations coming in.
Other funds are going to help spay and neuter animals for a program where the cost is split three ways between the owner, the vet, and the SPCA. The SPCA did 150 of those operations last year. The SPCA is reaching out to all the towns in the county for support.
“Every animal that crosses our threshold costs us about $900,” he said.
“I think we have a plethora of cooperating agencies that we’re funding right now,” Friedmann said.
Brechlin said that it was important to him that the agency does a lot of fundraising and that there is no other agency doing the Hancock County SPCA’s work in town.
The request passed 5-1 with Friedmann against to include SPCA of Hancock County as a new cooperating agency in the upcoming budget.
H.O.M.E., Inc. in Orland was also offered as a potential new cooperating agency in the proposed FY26 budget. The agency was not in attendance. It asked for $8,400. Bucksport gives $7k. Ellsworth gives $3,750, Friedmann said. He said he loved the agency and thinks it’s incredible.
However, when it comes to Bar Harbor’s budget, he said, ”We need to take a harder look at cooperating agencies.”
Canes said that allowing the designation wasn’t a guarantee about the amount of money that the agency would receive, and said that she would rather not give them an extra lift for a request on the floor at the town meeting. One person is enough to help, she said.
Others disagreed. Friedmann moved that the motion to include H.O.M.E not have passage. That passed 4-2. Brechlin, Hochman, Minutolo, and Friedmann voted for H.O.M.E. to not be included. Peacock and Canes voted in opposition.
STANWOOD PLACE
The council held a quick public meeting on the order of the proposed road discontinuance of Stanwood Place at the request of Mount Desert Island Hospital.
Brechlin said talk in the town has been consistently about preserving community. Quality healthcare that’s actually independent comes from the MDI Hospital, he said.
The hospital is requesting the discontinuance of the road within its campus so that its $44 million update and expansion can occur. Brechlin said that’s an important part of community.
Friedmann said that the council has been receiving emails concerned that the town was potentially giving away its land to the hospital and comparing it to a land sale with the Black Friar Inn. He asked Town Manager James Smith to explain the difference in the situations.
“The town does not have a deeded title to this strip of land. What we have is a presumed right of way,” Smith said.
That makes it different from the sale of a small strip of land that the town had the title to the deeded parcel to the Black Friar Inn. The road, he said, is a public access and asset (in the infrastructure to the hospital) and also a public liability. The town will also likely be gaining some on-street parking on Main Street due to a decrease of curb cuts.
WATER AND SEWER BUDGETS
The council scheduled public hearings on an amendment to Chapter 201, Water, for adoption of FY25 budget and on an amendment to Chapter 165, Sewers, for adoption of FY25 budget.
The rate study for the water budget is ongoing but close to completion, said Finance Director Sarah Gilbert. The water rates would likely go into effect after the Maine Public Utilities approved them and after public hearing.
“A residential household that uses 1,200 cubic feet of water with the current rates would pay $132.84/quarterly,” Gilbert said of the sewer rates, Wednesday. “With the new rates, that same 1,200 cubic feet, the user would pay $145.44/quarterly.”
Friedmann said that he was concerned about the increases and the impact to residents. He also asked about the ramifications of drought on the town’s water source.
Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt said it was not a problem. When water isn’t flowing over the dam at Eagle Lake, that’s when they pay attention.
“This is going to hit some of our tax payers and rate payers pretty hard,” Friedmann said, especially in the context of the rest of the budget.
He asked about how the rates are born. It was said that there was no water rate increase in eight years. There has been sewer rate changes. Much of those increases are linked to expenses related to operating and treatment including an interest payment related to the infrastructure bond.
In late 2022, former town manager Kevin Sutherland said that the town had started the approval process with the Public Utilities Commission for rate increase approvals in 2024.
In late 2022, there were 1,854 metered customers in Bar Harbor. Of those 1,372 are residential. About one-fourth of all customers were seasonal. Customers receive quarterly bills from the town, which in 2001 purchased the Water Company.
The system can handle 2,400 gallons a minute. There has been more than $9 million in infrastructure improvements since 2001, and the system handles 365 million gallons every year. In that 365 million, there was often a 20% loss from broken mains, hydrant flushing, and firefighting.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
https://www.barharbormaine.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/3523?html=true
https://www.townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=37&id=56481
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