Lubec students initiate recycling program
Eastport City Councillor Colleen Dana‑Cummings took the audience of residents attending the December 9 council meeting by surprise at the very end of the meeting when she announced her immediate resignation from the council. While her current term ends on December 31, she had been elected in November to begin a new three-year term on January 1.
In a letter of resignation she cited anonymous phone calls with "inquiries and complaints" about her business, Bay City Garage, that generated visits or phone calls from the Department of Environmental Protection, the city's code enforcement officer and the state electrical inspector, all during the week of December 1. "I firmly believe the phone calls/visits are because I am on the council. I believe it is retaliation. I am my own person and have not always voted as others have. Because I have expressed a difference of opinion our business is now under attack," she stated in the letter.
While the inspectors found nothing wrong and "were satisfied with what they found and left," Dana‑Cummings explained that, with a "bulls-eye" on her business, "I can no longer risk or put my employees in a position of not getting paid. If I was shut down for something they would have lost out. They would be the ones to suffer." She added that she pays a mortgage to former garage owners Jim and Carolyn Lowe that could also be put at risk. "They all count on us being in business." Trying to keep her emotions under control, she told her fellow councillors and residents, "I am sorry to all those that supported me, but I have to consider what is best for Bay City Garage and our employees."
The city's attorney, Dennis Mahar, will research next steps for the council. Because Dana‑Cummings was to fill a new term, he will need to determine if the position is filled by the ballot winner of the next highest number of votes collected in November or if there is some other process that the council must follow.
Fuel bid heats up
The bulk of the council meeting was taken with a variety of city business interests, but one particular point about putting gas and diesel fuel out to bid generated significant discussion, including from Water Cummings, husband to Councillor Dana‑Cummings. "I have some concern about the bid coming up [in the agenda]," he said, and explained that when he calculated out costs of city vehicles purchasing fuel off‑island, the amount of fuel used to get back and forth to Route 1 gas stations, vehicle wear and tear and labor lost to travel time did not end up saving the city money. "There has been no cost analysis done," he said.
Cummings stressed the importance of his own business, Bay City Garage, to the local economy. Relating that some people ask why his gas pump charge is higher than that of gas stations off‑island, he added that the business has to pay a surcharge on fuel for the distance off Route 1 and also cannot take advantage of large volume sales because of the community's size.
Councillor Rocky Archer explained that the city had appeared to be following a process of placing things out to bid, and so he felt that this bid should follow that example. However, he suggested that the request be for diesel only, to fill the fuel tank now at the public works garage. Council President Mary Repole commented, "My understanding is that the tank is for emergencies, nights and weekends only" and not to be used all the time. When asked, City Manager Elaine Abbott said that she preferred to see city employees not leave the city for gas. In response to Cummings' point about a cost analysis, Archer noted that the city needed to receive quotes first before numbers could be put together. Dana‑Cummings made the accepted motion to put out a request for quotes to fill the diesel tank. After the unanimous vote, airport manager Steve Trieber, a volunteer in the position, suggested that if it were possible, the airport and city might split a fuel load delivery if that helped get the cost down.
Other business
Trieber will redraft a hangar lease agreement for the council's consideration. He will also look at one of the city's 2006 police cruisers that the council is considering putting out to bid for a minimal amount. While the cruiser has high engine use and miles, Councillor Gilbert Murphy thought it would pass inspection. Trieber suggested that the cruiser might make a logical choice as an airport courtesy vehicle. Currently his personal vehicle is used for this purpose, and he felt it wouldn't last long into 2016. In addition, Trieber asked that the airport fuel charge card capacity be increased to include certain types of government fuel cards. Pointing to the recent search and rescue operation, he noted that jet fuel refueling had to take place in Bar Harbor because the specific type of government fuel card was not accepted. Abbott will research the issue.
The city accepted the budget committee's five‑year capital program and the recommendation to proceed with taking out two short‑term loans for a project at the former Cony Park landfill site and the airport. The council approved taking out a $34,750 short‑term loan from The First to finance a design and bid package for the landfill work, which will be about a $250,000 project, Abbott said. The city must match the cost with 10%, or $25,000. Of the loan package, the city manager explained that the city's share will be 10%, or $3,475, but that the state reimburses the rest at $5,000 per quarter, which will take about six quarters to pay back. Dana‑Cummings stressed that the site of the landfill had originally been donated to the city for the pleasure of the residents as a park and hoped that the city would return it to a use of that kind in the future. The council did not take action on the airport project financing.
A deer management workshop will be held on Wednesday, December 16, at 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., depending on which time the city manager can coordinate with the state wildlife biologist. The meeting will be held at the police station at the former A&P building in the downtown.
The council appointed: Steve Collins to the planning board; and Sarah Talbot, Michael Morse, Ken Brown, Robert Chaffey, Owen Lawlor, Chris Brown, Jenie Smith and Don Dunbar to the downtown committee.