Board also dedicates annual town report to David Ashworth and sets date for deer management plan public hearing
Jan 31, 2026
TREMONT—At its January 20 meeting, the Tremont Select Board chose a potential site plan for the new proposed public safety building because the town’s public safety building committee could not come to a consensus on choosing a plan to keep the process moving forward in a timely fashion.
Select board member Howdy Goodwin had an excused absence for this meeting.
The Town of Tremont has been working with Hedefine Engineering & Design, Inc on a feasibility study for the potential new public safety building. The time frame for the work with Hedefine is tighter than normal due to grant application submission requirements for a grant that the public safety building committee has identified and is applying for.
There were five options presented and all of these options place the new building on land already owned by the town at the site of the current town office and highway garage. Option five would require the acquisition of a neighboring piece of property that the town has tried unsuccessfully to purchase in the past.
The select board fairly quickly landed on choosing option one. After discussion the board decided that option one could be modified to provide substantially the same spaces while separating the staff and administrative areas from the main building, while still connected by a vestibule, but with more parking independent of the existing town office and highway department parking. The design also allows for ADA parking and access much closer to the administrative portion of the new proposed building and removes parking from the apparatus apron.
The below plan is the modified option one that the select board voted to move forward with for Hedefine’s feasibility study. The vote was 3-1 with member McKenzie Jewett voting no.
DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The select board discussed a draft deer management plan that was based on a plan that has been previously approved by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for the City of Eastport. The Eastport plan was used as a draft by Town Manager Jesse Dunbar and has been modified based upon previous select board discussions and comments made.
Below is the latest modified version of the draft plan from the town’s website with the changed sections highlighted in yellow. The first yellow highlighted section cannot be filled in until after the public hearing has occurred.
Tremont Special Hunt Request Draft 01 20 2026
242KB ∙ PDF file
The select board voted to hold a public hearing on the draft deer management plan on February 17, 2026, at 5 p.m., in the Harvey Kelley Meeting Room at the town office.
PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING COMMITTEE
The public safety building committee has had three open seats for a while. At the time of the January 20 meeting, there was an open Tremont Fire Department representative seat, a Tremont resident at-large seat, and a seat intended to be filled by a member of the town’s planning board. All of the seats expire on June 30, 2027, once filled.
Prior to the January 20 meeting, two Tremont Fire Department members, Josh Reed and Amilie Blackman, had turned in applications for the fire department representative seat.
There was little discussion regarding the two applicants amongst the select board prior to board chair Jamie Thurlow making a motion to appoint Josh Reed to the fire department seat. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
There was discussion about the two remaining open seats and the consensus amongst the select board seemed to be that the at-large seat should be held for someone not involved with the fire department and that if no one from the planning board can be persuaded to fill the planning board seat then it too should be turned into an at-large seat if possible.
BASS HARBOR MEMORIAL LIBRARY BUDGET
The Bass Harbor Memorial Library’s budget has a proposed increase of $8,084.71 or 11.64% for a total budget amount of $117,312. According to Town Manager Jesse Dunbar’s manager memo, the increases are due to “modest increases to wages, and supplies, book storage in the attic, landscape work, and an art insurance appraisal” as well as the yearly fee for a new website.
After some further explanation by a library trustee at the meeting, the select board unanimously approved the increased budget request, which is an increase of 4% over last year’s amount, and which would come from the town’s general fund.
DEDICATION OF ANNUAL TOWN REPORT
Every year, the Tremont Town Report is dedicated to someone who has made a difference and had an impact on the community.
At the January 20 meeting, Chair Thurlow suggested David Ashworth who recently passed away on December 23, 2025.
“I have gotten to know him over the last year and a half or two years and he definitely dumped his heart and soul into EMS, fire, it didn’t matter what it was, anything to do with public safety,” said Thurlow.
The select board unanimously voted to dedicate this year’s annual town report to Ashworth.
The next meeting of the Tremont Select Board is scheduled for February 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., at the town office in the Harvey Kelley Meeting Room.
NOTE: Due to scheduling conflicts, I, Shaun, was unable to attend this meeting in person as I usually would. The town also had technical difficulties with its YouTube recording for this particular meeting and because of this, this article is shorter and less detailed than my usual coverage. My apologies.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Tremont Select Board Appears Ready to Try and Build Brand-New Public Safety Building
Proposed Tremont Public Safety Building Slowly Moving Forward
HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY
When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other.
We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going.
If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship.
It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.
Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.
Thank you so much for being here.
Founding member information can be found here.
Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.
You can help us keep bringing you and your community free, daily, local news from two humans who live here.
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlyDiscover more from Bar Harbor Story
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.