Tag: town council

Uncategorized

Warrant Committee Makes Its Recommendations to Lower 20% Tax Rate Hike

Suggests increased parking funds to pay for new school, multiple 7% cuts, no immediate funding for Higgins Pit solar array CARRIE JONES FEB 28, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—During a joint Tuesday night meeting, the Warrant Committee submitted three pages of recommendations to the Town Council as it creates the budget for the next fiscal year meant to alleviate a potential 20% tax rate increase for … Continue reading Warrant Committee Makes Its Recommendations to Lower 20% Tax Rate Hike

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Warrant Committee Recommends Not Funding Higgins Pit Solar Array, Tweaks Library Funding Recommendation, Using Parking Money To Help With School Bond

Warrant Committee and Town Council Meet Tonight To Talk Budget CARRIE JONES FEB 27, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—The Warrant Committee met for over six and a half hours Monday night, ending just before 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. During that marathon meeting, the committee members waded through the budget recommendations that it will give to the Town Council this evening, February 27. “We set a record,” … Continue reading Warrant Committee Recommends Not Funding Higgins Pit Solar Array, Tweaks Library Funding Recommendation, Using Parking Money To Help With School Bond

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Approximately 23% of Bar Harbor Roads Are in an Unacceptable Condition

However, only 2% of roads currently need to be reconstructed CARRIE JONES FEB 25, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—Potholes. Long cracks in the asphalt. Subsurface issues. Heaves. Bar Harbor roads sometimes look like they’ve been hard used. Poor road conditions typically require reconstruction. Detours are created. Drivers seek alternate routes—sometimes through neighborhoods—Traffic congestion can increase. The Bar Harbor Town Councilor received its own state of the … Continue reading Approximately 23% of Bar Harbor Roads Are in an Unacceptable Condition

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Bar Harbor Resident Pleas For Lower Budget

If nothing changes, property owners face 20.2% tax rate increase CARRIE JONES FEB 22, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—The plea came near the end of a 4.5-hour marathon Town Council meeting Tuesday night. “I don’t know how it’s going to come down, but it’s got to come down,” said Carol Chappell, who chairs one of the Warrant Committee’s subcommittees, speaking as a private resident before the … Continue reading Bar Harbor Resident Pleas For Lower Budget

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Bar Harbor Task Force Advocates Going Ahead with Higgins Pit Solar Project

Town accepts $220k flood water grant, will start talking about fee schedules CARRIE JONES FEB 11, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—Move forward with the Higgins Pit solar energy project? Check. Keep the renewable energy credits (RECs) it will generate? Check again. Last week, the town’s Task Force on the Climate Emergency declared its support for a proposed solar array project and for keeping the credits it will create … Continue reading Bar Harbor Task Force Advocates Going Ahead with Higgins Pit Solar Project

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Town Manager Hopes to be Arbitrator in Town Budget Process

Bar Harbor’s proposed municipal budget shows 8.9% increase CARRIE JONES JAN 24, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—Employee benefits, solid waste, and multiple bonds have combined to increase the proposed Bar Harbor municipal budget’s general fund’s overall spending for municipal operations by 8.9%, an increase of $1,141,909. “This has been a difficult budget to construct, as it is the first budget to assume the debt service costs … Continue reading Town Manager Hopes to be Arbitrator in Town Budget Process

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Potential Changes to Bar Harbor Housing Rules Head to Public Hearing

Another potential amendment hopes to fix inconsistency about residency voting requirements on boards and committees CARRIE JONES JAN 20, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—At its January 16 meeting, the Town Council unanimously moved five potential amendments to the town’s land use ordinance (LUO) to February 20 public hearings. The amendments deal with allowing additional housing uses in rural developments, trying to rid the ordinance from inconsistencies. … Continue reading Potential Changes to Bar Harbor Housing Rules Head to Public Hearing

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Legal Fees and Solid Waste Lines in Bar Harbor Budget Running High

Warrant Committee and Town Council Budget Workshops Begin Next Week CARRIE JONES JAN 19, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—As the town’s months’ long budget process is set to begin, Finance Director Sarah Gilbert told town councilors at their January 16 meeting that for the first half of FY 2024 (July-December), the town is at 49.1% of its expected expenditures in the budget. The only departments ahead … Continue reading Legal Fees and Solid Waste Lines in Bar Harbor Budget Running High

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Several Councilors Worry Over Higgins Pit Solar Project

Costs and lower production dominate discussion SHAUN FARRAR JAN 18, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR––According to Town Council Vice Chair Gary Friedmann, the concept for the Higgins Pit solar array came along eight years ago. It has been a long road to get the project where it is today, including having to change a section of the town’s land use ordinance to allow ground-mounted solar, and … Continue reading Several Councilors Worry Over Higgins Pit Solar Project

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment
Uncategorized

Bar Harbor Sees at Least an Estimated $1.3 Million in Storm Damages

Fire Chief Expects FEMA and MEMA Visits CARRIE JONES JAN 17, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor Fire Chief Matt Bartlett said that the town has an estimated $1.3 million in damages thanks to the January 10 and January 13 storms that brought massive storm surges, wind and flooding to coastal communities on Mount Desert Island and throughout Maine. Bartlett said that the town’s damages costs … Continue reading Bar Harbor Sees at Least an Estimated $1.3 Million in Storm Damages

Unknown's avatarcarriejonesbooksLeave a comment