Town sets shredding event for May
Apr 23, 2025
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank.
MOUNT DESERT—In a quick meeting that lasted just under 30 minutes, April 22, the Mount Desert Selectboard heard a quick update on proposed deer hunting legislation, set a paper shredding event and approved a special amusement permit for the Asticou Inn as well as a liquor license.
Selectboard Chair John B. Macauley and member Martha Dudman were absent. Vice Chair Wendy Littlefield ran the efficient meeting.
DEER HUNTING UPDATE
Town Manager Durlin Lunt gave a quick update on proposed state legislation, which could potentially allow deer hunting in island towns. That legislation was introduced earlier in April by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor).
However, in order for deer hunting to occur on the island, even if the legislation is passed, towns would have to approve it.
“The bottom line is the department reiterated that nothing can happen without the legislative body of the town approving,” Lunt said.
For Mount Desert that legislative action would have to occur at town meeting.
The earliest that could be is in May 2026.
“If you take a look at the geography of the town and how little open space there is,” Lunt said of deer hunting, it does not seem like there would be many areas for it to occur within Mount Desert.
A state wildlife official explained this in April 16 testimony during the legislative public hearing on those potential changes proposed in LD 1438, HP 947.
Nathan Webb, wildlife division director of Maine’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told the few legislators that attended their committee meeting that because of state law the commission can’t lift bans on deer hunting in Mount Desert Island towns without each town indicating that it was in favor of that ban.
The department doesn’t know with certainty and data that the deer density is higher on the island than in the rest of Hancock County, but Webb believes that might be true.
Some deer hunting does occasionally occur on the island. Individual permits are issued to MDI land owners to address serious conflicts, Webb said.
LIQUOR LICENSE AND SPECIAL AMUSEMENT PERMIT FOR THE ASTICOU AND COLONEL’S RESTARUANT
The board unanimously approved Timothy Harrington and Asticou Investment Holdings’ request for a special amusement permit and their request for a liquor license for the Asticou Hotel, which is located at 15 Peabody Drive, Northeast Harbor.
Story Litchfield said that in the past the music has been stopped at 10 p.m., and the business has been good about that, but wondered if there could be some checks and balances.
Littlefield wondered about the new configuration of the area and if the music for weddings would still occur when there is housing and other buildings now on the location after the restoration. Lunt suggested putting conditions that synched on its business hours. The special amusement permit was approved for the operating hours until 11 p.m.
There is no noise ordinance in the town, but conditions can be placed on permits.
A liquor license for the Colonel’s Restaurant at 143 Main Street in Northeast Harbor was unanimously renewed.
A Maine community picnic at Suminsby Park on May 26 was also approved.
SHREDDING EVENT
there was discussion of a Sustainability Committee Shredding Event for the residents of the Town of Mount Desert proposed for Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., at an estimated cost of $950 to the town, which would be for filling the truck and personnel. The shredding would occur at the town garage.
The town usually shreds materials in January. The town may also shred things as well at that event. Town Clerk Claire Woolfolk said her shredding costs tends to be approximately $150.
“I’m just trying to kill two birds with one stone,” Selectboard Secretary Geoffrey Wood said after he suggested that the town might be able to shred documents as well.
The cost estimate is for up to 8,000 pounds of shredding on site.
“I think it’s a nice service to try,” Littlefield said.
APPOINTMENTS
The board appointed multiple seasonal dock hands and boat launch operators as well as Robert Parlante to a refuse position at the rate of $26.49 per hour increasing to $27.72 per hour after successful completion of a six-month probationary period.
OTHER ACTIONS
The board authorized approximately $5,000 for an electrical hook-up at the Seal Harbor Pier. It also accepted an unconditional gift in the memory of Stuart Burr, a former firefighter to the town’s fire department. That $100 gift came from Merle and Joan Bragdon.
The town waived Acadia National Park’s rental fee to use the Seal Harbor fire station’s community room on April 29, which is has traditionally done.
It approved up to $30,000 to allow the fire chief to resurface the truck apron and community room parking area at Mount Desert Fire Station #2. It also allowed funds for seasonal portable toilets and the digitization of records (approximately $10,530) that are historic.
“These records include several accounts of Wharf Licenses & Fish Piers, Town Orders, Bills of Sales, Sewer Accounts, and other various town notes and records,” Woolfolk wrote in an April 11 memo. “In addition to the preservation of the books and paper records, they will be digitalized in accordance with the Historical Preservation project.”
*Cover image via the Asticou Inn
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Resolve to Change MDI Deer Hunting Rules Draws Mixed Response
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