City Council gives green light to construction
On Monday the Presque Isle City Council approved the total budget that includes construction costs and financing for the future Presque Isle Community Center. The agreement will allow the councilors and city staff to officially begin planning and construction for the long-awaited project.
Council members shared their opinions concerning the community center payments. Presque Isle City Manager Jim Bennett said that as a result of a recent $1.5 million donation, the revised budget for the project now sits at $9.2 million. He recommended that the council approve a payment schedule that would be the most beneficial to Presque Isle taxpayers.
“We’re recommending that we take money collected from donations and apply that to annual payments of $460,000 by 2021. That would make it equivalent to taxpayer dollars of $285,000 for a 57-cent tax rate,” Bennett said. The tax rate will not go into effect until the year 2018 and Presque Isle residents would not have to pay the additional tax for the center until the building was open.
In addition to the community center budget, council members approved the signing of a contract that will allow the construction of the community center to include a multi-purpose room, important gym equipment and landscaping. This will keep the total cost of construction below $7.7 million.
Council member Mike Chasse mentioned his desire to move forward with the project.
“Overall, we’ve kind of split the difference as far as giving the community what we promised and trying to keep the project in the affordable realm,” Chasse said. “If we wait until next year, it’s just going to be more money and we’re just going to push construction into winter.”
The discussion ended when the council approved a plan known as bound anticipation notes that secures short-term construction financing during the build out that will allow financing to go into effect after construction is completed. Councilor Peter Hallowell expressed thanks for the people who have donated money or volunteered their time to the community center project.
“I really do appreciate the time, the sacrifice, all the people who think they’re doing the greatest thing for the community in the long term,” Hallowell said.
In other business, councilors voted to let the lease on the former MPG building expire and to not move the city offices to that location on Parson Street. Councilor Craig Green described a loss of $100,000 in potential revenue due to potential buyers for the current City Hall building backing away from the deal. He and other councilors agreed that delaying the sale will allow the council to continue looking at other location options and make a better plan for a future municipal headquarters.
