Warrant Committee Almost Agrees With Council Budget Recommendations
MDI YMCA and Island Explorer Discussed
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden.
BAR HARBOR—One $15,000 difference between the town council and warrant committee budget recommendations caused the warrant committee to not officially recommend the town council’s budget, 10-3, Monday night. The voters will approve or amend the budget at the town’s June 3 town meeting.
It all came down to the MDI YMCA’s ask. There were no members of the public present as the town’s warrant committee looked at differences between the town council’s budgets and the warrant committee’s recommendation.
The council had allocated $180,000 in its budget. The YMCA had asked for $200,000, up from $150,000, a 33% increase. The warrant committee subcommittee of public works was not comfortable with the Town Council’s recommen Spldation.
“They hadn’t explained why they needed that much excess funds and help,” Brooke Blomquist, member of the warrant committee and public works subcommittee said.
The committee determined that it would like to see from the Y what else it was doing to increase revenue and worried about the 33% increases being an ongoing trend. In FY2024, the town had funded it at $107,000.
At a past meeting, the warrant committee had recommended a 3% increase to $154,400.
Warrant committee member Vicky Smith said her recommendation was because the Y never specified why it needed that increase.
“I think they needed to explain to us,” Vicky Smith said.
That rejection of the town council’s $180,000 carried 12 to 2. Eben Salvatore, a YMCA board member abstained. Steven Boucher, also a YMCA board member, was absent. Those voting for the town council’s recommendation were Carol Chappell and Barbara Dunphey.
The next motion was to recommend a 10% increase to $165,000.
“It’s a generous compromise,” member Kevin DesVeux said.
“Our rationale was closer to the council number, but not the council number,” Allison Sasner, subcommittee chair, had said earlier.
A majority of the warrant committee agreed. Only Chappell voted against. Salvatore, again, did not vote.
The council had a similar back and forth over the YMCA’s request at its March meeting. That discussion had began with Councilor Matthew Hochman saying he was in favor of $175,000.
“Once you start getting into that atmosphere,” of amounts that the relationship needs to be examined, including the YMCA’s memorandum of understanding with the town, Hochman had said. He said that the town should look at what the relationship is with the agency and see what the appropriate level is.
That sentiment was echoed by Chappell, but for the Island Explorer, not the YMCA.
ISLAND EXPLORER
Chappell moved that the town engage the Island Explorer, which she called “an important asset to our community,” about the budget and request further details about its funding model, detailed information about contributions from other towns serviced, and further description of services.
“The first topic would be Bar Harbor’s possible future reduction of funding sources due to reallocation of revenue within the budget. The second is a request that further details be addressed in future applications. Additional details include Island Explorer’s funding model, detailed information about contributions from other towns serviced to determine if allocation of the Island Explorer’s expenses are being shared equitably through the region, and further description of services provided by the Island Explorer,” she said.
Chappell said she was speaking for many residential taxpayers who are worried about raising property taxes. The budget impacts those taxes.
It was a given, she said, that the budget began with $6 million in debt service for past infrastructure bonds and the schools. She said the challenge is how to continue to provide services while also decreasing the taxpayer burden. She also mentioned the decrease of cruise ship visitations and resulting decrease in revenue.
“We need to scrutinize our spending levels,” she said.
Blomquist said the Island Explorer service is not just for tourists, which was one of Chappell’s point. Blomquist said during her first year living on Mount Desert Island, she gave her car to a friend who needed it more and constantly used the Island Explorer bus.
“It’s not just for seasonal workers and tourists,” she said.
Blomquist added that she parks her car and uses the Island Explorer as much as possible and so do many seasonal workers.
Dunphey wondered about the allocation of the cost with Bar Harbor being over 90% of the support amongst the towns that use the service.
Salvatore said that the Island Explorer is funded entirely by parking revenue and cruise ship revenue so currently taxpayers do not fund the Explorer.
Chappell countered that the parking funds used to support the Island Explorer could be used in other areas of the budget and therefore offset property taxes.
Earlier in the night Salvatore said that he didn’t believe the $1 million from the parking revenue’s fund balance, which is helping to keep the tax burden down was sustainable.
“We can’t do this every year,” he said. Eventually, he said, that balance will be zero.
Chappell said that using it for tax payer relief is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds at this point.
Committee member Jeff Young also said that by using the money for tax relief, it makes the money unavailable for parking solutions. Young was the sole vote against the revenues recommendation of the budget.
Secretary Louise Lopez said it would be interesting to see if the Acadia Gateway opening in Trenton would impact revenue and decrease parking congestion in town.
“The only change was good,” Secretary Louise Lopez said, speaking on behalf of education subcommittee Chair Robert Chaplin. The state subsidy for the school was higher than expected.
The committee unanimously recommended that that the warrant committee adopt the adjustments for the increased state subsidy.
Salvatore asked about school delays, early releases, and half days and if there were positive budgetary outcomes for that. Lopez said she did not know.
“There’s no reason why we can’t ask them,” she said about whether there was a drop in expenses when children were being let out for half days and how many times that happens a year.
The warrant committee unanimously adopted the school committee’s recommendations for the budget with that revision for the increased state subsidy.
The general government subcommittee recommended and then the warrant committee recommended the council’s recommendation for the transfers in and out of the municipal funds. It passed unanimously.
For expenses it also recommended that the cooperating agencies line be adopted the same as the council’s recommendations. The general government subcommittee was comfortable with the differences, which included increases to the Northern Light Homecare and Hospice and Bar Harbor Historical Society.
The votes were separated because Shaun Farrar did not vote on the Bar Harbor Historical Society because his step-daughter, who is currently deployed, does contract work with the society and had been employed by the nonprofit in the past.
MDI HIGH SCHOOL BUDGET
The committee encouraged all the public and especially the people in the town leadership to attend the high school’s annual budget meeting. It will be voted on at MDI High School, 6 p.m., April 2.
“We do hope that all the island communities become more engaged in paying attention and coming and attending,” Lopez said.
BUDGET ALREADY MOVED FORWARD AT COUNCIL LEVEL
Last week, the councilors also adjusted the budget and added it to the town’s warrant. The fiscal year budget begins in July after the budget is approved by voters in June at town meeting. Voters can also tweak the budget from the floor.
The main changes to the $30 million budget came from the cruise ship fund. Councilors approved its reductions in revenue from $909,725 to $367,073. They also approved a decrease in expenditures by roughly $25,000, from $778,176 to $752,004.
Other revenues decreased from $15,705,640 to $15,174,316, which did not impact the overall municipal expenditures of $30,590,532.
The harbor funding within the town’s capital improvement program was also increased by $16,000. That money is from cruise ship revenue. A portion of the cruise ship fund balance (money unused from other years) of $384,931 was used. Approximately $791,000 of the parking fund balance was also used.
PROPOSED LAND USE ORDINANCES
At last week’s warrant committee meeting, the group discussed the proposed land use ordinances but did not yet make recommendations. Planning Director Michele Gagnon presented the multiple ordinances at that Monday night meeting.
The next day, the town council held public hearings on the amendments. Chair Maya Caines and Councilor Earl Brechlin were absent.
No members of the public spoke to most of the amendments, which including amendments to the ordinance that deal with offensive language, timeframes and phasing, multifamily-1 and multifamily-2, short-term rentals, and fire protection.
One woman worried that changing the front setbacks in the Salisbury Cove Corridor would create strip development on Route 3, which she called a high-speed road.
“I think the deeper the setbacks, the faster the traffic is allowed to go,” Maureen Donnelly said.
In many zones there are setbacks which are set to certain feet that are a distance from the road. Development is not allowed within that setback. The proposal is to have both the Ireson Hill Corridor and Sailsbury Cove Corridor have the same set back distance.
THE PROPOSED CHANGES
GRANDFATHER vs LEGALLY NON CONFORMING
“I think it was a surprise to a lot of people” that the word “grandfathering” or the phrase “to grandfather” was related to racism, Gagnon said.
The word was flagged by a town attorney four years ago. It does not make it illegal to use the term or infringe on freedom of speech, she has stressed. It merely takes the language out of the town’s land use ordinance and replaces it with the term “legally non-conforming.”
“The amendment would remove the term ‘grandfathered’ to refer to legal nonconformity, as it is unnecessary and inappropriate. The term ‘grandfathered’ is from a period in American history where laws existed that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans,” according to the town’s webpage. “There are more appropriate terms, already in the ordinance, that describe the same concept.”
SALISBURY COVE CORRIDOR FRONT SETBACK
According to the town’s webpage, “The amendment would reduce the minimum front setback requirement for lots with frontage on Route 3, located in the Salisbury Cove Corridor district, as measured from the center line of Route 3, from 150 feet to 75 feet. Consequently, the minimum front setback for all lots in the Salisbury Cove Corridor district would be 75 feet regardless of frontage location. There are only two “corridor” districts outside of the downtown: Salisbury Cove Corridor and Ireson Hill Corridor. These two districts are in close proximity, in designated Growth Areas per the 2007 Comprehensive Plan, and have lots with frontage along Route 3. However, the Salsbury Cove Corridor district minimum setback is double for lots with frontage on Route 3 when compared to its neighboring district, Ireson Hill Corridor. The amendment would make the minimum front setback requirement of the Salisbury Cover Corridor district consistent with the minimum front setback requirement of the neighboring Ireson Hill Corridor district which is 75 feet.”
TIMEFRAMES AND PHASING
During the warrant committee meeting, member Eben Salvatore asked if it was clear enough in the town’s language that the time frame includes the appeals process which can last more than 12 months.
Gagnon said she’d look at that.
According to the town’s website, the amendment would:
“Allow more time for a project to commence once approved by the Planning Board (or per 125-108 M., by the Code Enforcement Officer or the Planning Director as delegated authority for the Planning Board) from six to 12 months. This timeframe would start on the date of approval.
“Allow more time for the project to be deemed substantially complete from 18 to 24 months once started.
“Delete the requirement to record a notice at the Hancock County Registry of Deeds upon determination that an approval has expired.
“Require the developer to demonstrate to the Planning Board why a phase development approval should be considered by submitting a comprehensive and detailed phasing plan proposal to show that the size and/or complexity of the development are better suited to a phased approach.
“Allow the Planning Board to consider approving a phase development for a project when public facilities are lacking as long as the developer provides a town-approved plan to provide adequate public facilities.
“Extend the maximum length of the phasing period from three year to four years.”
MULTIFAMILY-1 and MULTIFAMILY-2
“The amendment would clarify that the uses known as multifamily I and multifamily II are not intended to be separate, detached single-family buildings on the same lot but structures that contain multiple separate living units for residential use such as but not limited to triplex, quadplex, and town houses,” according to the town’s webpage. “The portion of the definitions that have been interpreted as allowing separate, detached single-family buildings on the same lot would be deleted.”
SHORT-TERM RENTAL LANGUAGE
“This is really a clean-up activity,” Gagnon said, which would get rid of language that no longer applies.
According to the town’s website, the amendment would:
“Remove obsolete language including the transition clause that was needed when the cap on VR-2 was introduced in 2021 but is no longer necessary.
“Remove the definition of vacation rental which is a term that is no longer necessary because we use the terms short-term rental, vacation rental-1 and vacation rental-2.
“Remove the definition of homestead exemption property and of nonhomestead exemption property because these terms are no longer used.
“Remove the ‘length of stay’ language from the definition of Vacation Rental-1 and Vacation Rental-2 and, instead, would address ‘length of stay’ as a stand-alone matter. The minimum length of stay would not change.
“Refine the definition of primary residence and place the determination of adequate proof of Primary Residence in Chapter 174 Short-term Rental Registration.”
FIRE SUPPRESSION
“The existing Land Use Ordinance language requires that subdivision lots that have access to a public water supply be at least 500 feet from a fire hydrant. The amendment would increase the distance from 500 feet to 1,000 feet,” the town reads.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE:
June elections
Annual Open Town Meeting: Votes on municipal and school budgets
June 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Conners-Emerson Gymnasium
Budget information page
A Citizen's Guide to Town Meeting, Maine Municipal Association, 2022
Town Election: Election of officers, votes on Land Use Ordinance Amendments
June 10, 2025
Polling Place: Municipal Building Auditorium
Poll Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The following offices will be elected by the voters at the June 10, 2025 Town Election:
Bar Harbor Town Council Two seats – Three-year term, one seat - Two-year term, and one seat - One-year term
Superintending School Committee Two seats – Three-year term
MDI High School Trustee One seat – Three-year term and one seat - One-year term
Warrant Committee Five seats – Three-year term and one seat - Two-year term
Nomination papers will be available in the Town Clerk’s office beginning Monday, March 3. Deadline for filing nomination papers with the Town Clerk is Friday, April 11, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Call 207-288-4098 for more information.
Write-in candidates: Any qualified resident interested in being considered a write-in candidate for the town election must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the Town Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 6. The candidate must meet all the other qualifications for the office, and must receive a minimum of 25 votes to be elected.
NOTE: Shaun Farrar is an elected member of the Warrant Committee. My daughter is who he referenced in his recusal from the Bar Harbor Historical Society vote. While we are married, we do not always agree on things.
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