Puckett named city manager
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The City Council has appointed Deputy City Manager Martin Puckett to become the new city manager, effective Aug. 16.
Puckett will replace Jim Bennett, who resigned after about five years at the helm and who leaves Aug. 15 to take the city manager’s post in Biddeford.
Puckett is originally from Hancock and has more than 10 years of experience in municipal administration, including as town manager of Sangerville, Livermore Falls and the tri-town cooperative of Mapleton-Chapman-Castle Hill.
He has lived in Presque Isle for over five years and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maine.
Puckett also is a member of the Maine Municipal Association, Momentum Aroostook, the Crown Ambulance Advisory Committee, the Maine Municipal Employee Health Trust Board, and the International City/County Management Association. He also is a director of the Presque Isle Rotary Club.
Along with appointing a new city manager during their Monday meeting, the councilors also discussed several other issues.
They talked about a proposed City Hall Task Force to assist them with deciding whether to relocate municipal offices or renovate the current location. They opted to continue the discussion again at the next meeting to define the objective and scope of this citizens group.
The City Council also considered the relocation of the Presque Isle Recycling Center and went over a few potential spaces for the new facility. These spaces include Pallet Palace, the Converse hangar, a portion of the existing Public Works Garage on Missile Street, a build site opposite Acme Monaco on Cross Street, the launch pad behind the Converse hangar, and the Tater Meal Annex on Taxiway Drive. Councilors, however, wanted more information before making any final decisions.
The councilors also discussed a Home Buyers Assistance Program, and how such a program could attract potential homeowners to the city. They agreed to support the concept of the program, and they made a few recommendations such as the program should have an income eligibility factor, and also that there should not be any preference for current Presque Isle residents as opposed to new residents.
