PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle will require people keeping chickens in city limits to obtain a building permit for a coop.
Meeting on April 5, city councilors passed the amended chapter 16 of the Land Use and Code Development for non-commercial livestock.
People who want to build a chicken coop or rabbit hutch will have to pay around $25 for a building permit administered by the Code Enforcement Officer. No public hearing will be necessary.
“The only thing we were ever told by the planning board was there was going to be a $250 license, we weren’t told any of that other stuff,” said Carolyn Lyford, a Presque Isle resident. “If we had been told that we probably wouldn’t have felt so against everything.”
City council members were updated on plans from resource development and public information officer Kim Smith of the solar eclipse happening in Presque Isle on April 8, 2024.
Kim Smith, the city’s resource development and public information officer, is pursuing a grant to market the April 8 2024, solar eclipse to invite visitors to Presque Isle.
“We know that people will trickle in slowly, and if you remember from the last presentation we are expecting 10,000 to 40,000 people to show up for the [ eclipse],” Smith said.
A committee has been formed and is creating events around the celestial event, along with plans to minimize traffic. Viewing areas will include the General Aviation Terminal yard, Gentile Hall parking lot at University of Maine at Presque Isle, Riverside Park, the Northern Maine Fairgrounds and the Aroostook Centre Mall.
“We are making great progress and I think this is going to be an excellent opportunity for Presque Isle,” Smith said.
In other business, the council approved the establishment of a land bank authority for Presque Isle. Councilors Kevin Freeman and Craig Green volunteered for the Municipal Land Bank Authority board. The purpose of the land bank is to deal with issues with titles or deeds, and open land up for development.
Councilors approved lodging establishment licenses for The Northeastland Hotel and Hampton Inn, as well as Clark’s Lodge, which has code violations that must be addressed by the end of May.
Lodging licenses were also approved for Martin’s Manor Rentals LLC properties at 227 State St., 5 Exchange St., 42 Winter St., 72 Houlton Road and 240 State St. Code violations at all properties must be addressed by the end of May.
The 10 consent agenda items were passed by city counselors with one being the discontinued MSAD #1 staff annual membership fee for materials being taught in classes to the library if the staff lived outside of Presque Isle. The warrants totaling $2,114,712 were approved by city council members from their consent agenda.
Councilors approved a facade loan of around $25,000 for Chris Morton, owner of KHM Music at 412 Main St. Morton will use the money to replace the crumbling brickwork and old, cloudy and leaky windows.
The city council also voted to approve the renewal of marijuana licenses for Royal Leaf Apothecary and Full Bloom Management LLC.
Around 10 goals for 2023 were reviewed by the city council with some including the creation of housing opportunities to address shortages and future growth, as well as development of the new city website, to be created by government website designer Revize.
Presque Isle emergency responders earned the Maine EMS Stork Award, given to first responders who participate in the non-hospital delivery of a baby. Fire Chief Darrel White presented the awards to Capt. Winston Reed, Mike Morrow, Jon Stokely and Sam Littrell.
