HOULTON, Maine — Some cable television subscribers in Houlton will see an increase in their bills this coming year.
Cathy Donovan, general manager of Polaris Cable, informed the Houlton Town Council Monday evening that the basic cable package will be going up $2 per month to $58.25. The “limited” package rate of $24.50 will not be affected. There will also be no additional charge, other than the $2 increase, to the digital package.
“The reason for the increase is because the price of programming continues to go up every year,” Donovan said. “We have not approached the residents of Houlton for a rate increase since April, 2013. Since then, we have experienced a 15 percent increase (in costs) in 2013 and last year, a 16 percent increase. Next year, it looks like it will be a hard year for (additional) rate increases.”
Donovan said the senior citizen discount, which is unique to Houlton, will remain in place, but only for those customers who currently receive it. The rate will not be available for new basic subscribers.
Additional changes may also be in the works as Polaris Cable is in the process of being sold. Back on May 30, a major cable company approached Polaris Cable and expressed interest in purchasing the Houlton establishment. That company has since been revealed to be Time Warner Cable.
Donovan said she expected the transition to take place “very soon” as they have signed a purchase agreement with Time Warner Cable. Houlton Town Manager Butch Asselin asked if the senior discount was likely to continue once the transition happens. Donovan said she could not speak for the other company, but added senior discounts were not typically offered by larger companies.
According to the Time Warner Cable website, programming packages start at $19.99 per month for the first 12 months.
Sand issue
Public Works Director Chris Stewart updated the council on an issue his department has experienced with the sand being used on roads this winter. Stewart said he has fielded a number of complaints from the public about the material being used on the roads.
Stewart said by the time he came on as the new public works director on Oct. 20, the town’s salt-sand mix had yet to be purchased. The town traditionally purchases its road mix from Steelstone Industries of Houlton.
Last year, the town also experienced complaints with the type of material used, as it contained a small amount of ledge. That material caused some vehicles to suffer tire punctures due to the sharp nature of the ledge.
This year, the town opted to go with three-quarter inch bank run gravel, which contains some fairly larger pieces of rock.
“I tested the material two or three times,” Stewart said. “I took a shovel and went through the pile and there was not a lot of three-quarter-inch material in it at that time. It all depends on which side of the bank they are digging. Did I make a mistake by getting this (material)? I don’t know that. It is a little big … probably too big for the roads. Next year, we will look to get something earlier.”
In other agenda items, the council:
• Awarded a bid of $24,800 to Leo Hogan for cleaning and maintenance of the Visitor Information Center. Hogan was one of four individuals to bid on the job.
• Approved a liquor license renewal for Capital Pizza Huts, Inc. located at 136 North St.
• Approved a letter of approval for the Houlton Lodge of Elks to operate games of chance through Dec. 31, 2019.
• Accepted the resignation of Butch Asselin as police chief, effective Jan. 5. Asselin has been serving as both town manager and police chief since July.
The next meeting of the Houlton Town Council will be Monday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m.
