Lobster Truck Permits Back on Southwest Harbor's Future Agenda
Harbor committee vice chair expresses displeasure over handling of interim policy
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SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Southwest Harbor Select Board agreed to put the policy for how lobster trucks are granted permits on its next agenda.
The decision came after a lengthy discussion and explanation during the select board’s February 11 meeting that had Harbor Committee Vice Chair Corey Pettegrow expressing displeasure at how the new interim policy was handled and had the new town manager issuing an apology for not including a harbor committee recommendation in the select board’s packet.
“I’m trying to do what’s right for the town. I’ve been here four months and I’m learning as I go,” Town Manager Karen Reddersen said.
Discussion about the policy, the harbor committee’s role in town, and the town’s conduct policy for officials dominated most of the 90 minutes of the public meeting.
The end of the meeting involved an executive session to discuss appointees. After leaving the session, which was not open to the public, Chair Carolyn Ball motioned to direct the town manager to seek legal counsel to discuss personal issues related to appointees. It was seconded by select board member Noah Burby and passed unanimously.
INTERIM LOBSTER BUYER PERMIT POLICY
At the select board’s January 14 meeting, Harbormaster Rob Leavitt reviewed approaches throughout the region about how lobster buyer truck permits are issued and the structural assessment of the Manset pier.
The commercial vehicle load weight on that mixed-use pier should not exceed 20,000 pounds, he had said. This was according to an engineering study that some harbor committee members said they saw only an edited version of.
Because the pier shouldn’t hold more than 20,000 pounds, Leavitt had recommended that the number of permits not currently increase.
However, the harbor committee’s recommendations were not included in the select board’s packet when it made that decision. The select board agreed to review it again at its February 25 meeting.
According to the interim policy, permits would be annually approved by the select board. They would be for the calendar year. The board approved the draft policy and approved the permits to the three companies (Northeast Seafood Company, RDR Wholesale, and Seal Cove Lobster Company d/b/a Seal Salt Lobster).
“This was targeted. There was no other weight limits put on any of the other permits, the barges, the boom trucks, the boat trailers” that use the location, Pettegrow said Tuesday night.
“That’s is why I just said to you that we need an overall policy…. It’s not harming anyone,” Ball said. “We can establish a weight-limit policy that is writ large.”
One person stands to benefit, Pettegrow responded, because they own a lobster buying dock.
“This is the last thing the fishing community needs right now. We lost MDI Lobster. We’re relying more than ever on the town facilities,” Pettegrow said.
“We’re asking you to develop an overall policy,” Ball said of the harbor committee’s duties.
“In the 20-plus years, this has never been an issue. It doesn’t pass a smell test,” he replied.
CONDUCT POLICY
Early in the meeting, Ball went over the town’s conduct policy that governs town committee, board, and select board members. It was adopted in 2022.
The board went through the procedures one by one and Ball asked the members to discuss any item.
“Does it seem clear?” Ball asked about the second point. That item focuses on discussion taking place through the chair and not between board members or to the public.
“It’s a challenge,” Vice Chair Natasha Johnson said to laughter. Later on in the meeting, as members of the harbor committee and public interacted with the select board it proved to be a bit cumbersome for dialogue. It is, however, a policy in most town councils and select boards in the area.
Policy point #3 focuses on how communication should occur.
It reads, “Members conduct should remain calm, professional, communicating effectively, listening and respecting other’s ideas and not get loud, interrupt, yell, swear, use sarcasm, bully, harass, or ridicule others.”
“I’ve definitely seen members of this board not following that policy. We should be respecting all the citizens the way they respect us,” select board member Chapin McFarland said.
There was no comments on most of the procedural points other than those and the absences policy.
Ball said that there should be consistency checked between town documents with the number of consecutive unexcused absences constituting a resignation. In most committee’s bylaws it is three. In the volunteer handbook it is four. In the conduct policy it is three.
Town Clerk Jennifer Lahaye also said each committee has to have its members trained on Freedom of Access trainings. According to the State of Maine’s website, “The public’s right to information about government activities lies at the heart of a democratic government. The Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) grants the people of this state a broad right of access to public records while protecting legitimate governmental interests and the privacy rights of individual citizens. The act also ensures the accountability of the government to the citizens of the state by requiring public access to the meetings of public bodies. Transparency and open decision-making are fundamental principles of the Maine Freedom of Access Act, and they are essential to ensuring continued trust and confidence in our government.”
Approximately 26 people attended the meeting in person and on Zoom.
APPOINTMENTS
Sustainability Committee:
The board appointed Kate Pickup-McMullin, Scott Preston, and Nancy Weingarten for the Sustainability Committee for terms effective until June 30, 2025.
BIENNIAL MUNICIPAL RECYCLING REPORT
The town’s biennial municipal recycling report, which is required by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is due April 30. Reddersen, being new to the position, could not find an earlier copy.
“I hunted around and I couldn’t find anything,” Reddersen said.
She asked the board for a discussion about the report and guidance on completing this report.
Kenneth Rozsahegyi said the report to satisfy recycling numbers might be in the EMR report, which it is required to file. It may be able to be filed in lieu. Reddersen will work with the sustainability committee about this.
MOORINGS
The board also had a general conversation about potentially lowering the mooring rental fees. Those fees had been raised last year. Potentially using the DOCKWA application to help relieve the harbormaster’s workload was also discussed.
APPEALS BOARD MEETING
In a quick appeals board meeting, February 12, board members approved minutes from November 8, 2023 and tweaked and approved minutes from January 27, 2025. There had been no meetings in 2024.
That January meeting had focused on Joey Feliciano’s Acadia Views subdivision, a six-unit project. The board had heard an appeal from Roseanne and Michael Guerette, who have land that abuts Feliciano’s property. The appeals board had sent the project back to the town’s planning board after the board found that the planning board didn’t follow stormwater standards laid out in the town’s land use ordinance. Eaton Peabody’s Andrew Hamilton represented the Guerettes’ appeal.
The project had originally been granted a stormwater waiver in October.
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