PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle City Council had a packed agenda Wednesday night that included multiple appointments to various municipal boards for the city.
The council meeting held at City Hall began with the swearing in of new City Council members Hank King and James Carroll.
City councilors debated with Executive Director of the Industrial Council Tom Powers over the appointment of City Councilor Gary Nelson to the Industrial Council Board of Directors. People who own businesses in the Industrial Park are excluded from the Industrial Council in accordance with the Industrial Council bylaws, according to Powers.
City Council member Nelson owns Aroostook Trusses Inc. with his family in the Industrial Park.
“People have elected us and we in turn can put, I believe, any of us on [the Industrial Council Board of Directors],” said City Councilor Kevin Freeman. “Especially in the view of Gary’s situation where he has a tremendous investment on the [Industrial Park].”
Councilors Craig Green and Nelson were appointed to the Industrial Council after a three-way ballot vote with newly elected City Councilor Carroll. Members serving on the Industrial Council are President Scott Norton, Vice President Derik Smith, Secretary Treasurer at large Ray Hews, Frank Bemis, and Margo Dyer.
Freeman was reappointed as chairperson of the City Council and councilor Jeffrey Willette was appointed as deputy chairperson.
Core members appointed to the Airport Terminal Ad Hoc Committee were Airport Director Scott Wardwell, Operations Director Marty Kelly, United Station Manager Kellie Heu, and Airport Advisory Board member Larry Clark.
Extended Airport Terminal Ad Hoc Committee members are City Councilor Freeman, car rental representative Shelly Proulx, Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director LaNiece Sirois, along with a representative from United Airlines, Presque Isle Air Museum, and the Transportation Security Administration.
Airport Advisory Board will still be run by Airport Director Scott Wardwell and Powers, executive director for the Industrial Council, along with reappointments for Nate Grass and Charles Namur III. Re/Max County Real Estate Broker and Owner Leigh Smith was appointed to the Airport Advisory Board as requested by the Aroostook County Commissioners.
City council member Carroll was appointed to Aroostook Waste Solutions to serve alongside City Engineer Dana Fowler and the Interim City Manager Louis Cousins.
City councilors elected to the Finance Committee were Green and Freeman, while Carroll and Jeffrey Willette were appointed to the Presque Isle Development Fund Board of Trustees with Sarah Gardiner and Margo Dyer, who were reappointed.
Executive Director Powers will still serve on the Presque Isle Development Fund Board of Trustees.
Two councilors voted onto the Downtown Revitalization Committee were James Carroll and Hank King. Rod Cameron, Sean Nordenhold, Floyd Rockholt and Shawn Cunningham were reappointed to the downtown revitalization committee.
The two city council members appointed to the Audit Committee were King and Freeman. Council members Green and King were appointed to the Downtown TIF Advisory Committee with Finance Director Bard Turner.
City councilor Carroll was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees with reappointments of Amy Holland and Julia Bartley. Library Director Sonja Eyler and Finance Director Brad Turner will still serve on the Library Board of Trustees.
City councilor Freeman was appointed to the Recreation and Parks Board with reappointment for Linda Menard.
Reappointments made by the city councilors for City Hall included Kimberly Finnemore for City Clerk, Richard Currier for City Attorney, Tim St. Peter for Code Enforcement Officer, and Fowler, city engineer for Aroostook Waste Solutions.
Other reappointments included Frank Bemis and Michael MacPherson for Assessment Review Board, and for the Planning Board was Dave Perry, Ward Gerow, Richard Engels, and Timothy Vernon.
Karen Duncan and Carl Allen were reappointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
