The Calais City Council has signed a letter requesting financial support for the Calais Regional Hospital, albeit with significant reservations and concerns voiced by multiple councillors. The action was taken at a council meeting on October 12.
     The letter, which will be sent to the state's congressional delegation, as well as to the director of services for the Veterans Administration, the administrative offices of Pleasant Point and Indian Township, and Governor LePage, was presented to the council for review by City Manager Jim Porter. The Veterans Administration and the Passamaquoddy Tribe have outstanding balances owed to the hospital, and the state also has an amount that is owed. In the case of the state, to which the hospital also owes money, the hospital is requesting that it receive the amount it is owed to provide it with funds for daily operations while paying installments of the amount it owes to the state. "It's a good effort on our part. The reorganization part of it should have been more than just services, but that's just me," Mayor Billy Howard said, referring to how the hospital has closed some of its services but kept the management intact.
     Councillor Scott Geel shared his reservations about to signing the letter. "I signed the letter, and I support trying to do what we can to save the hospital, because it's huge in this community, but I am wrestling with it," Geel said. "I think the current management, the board of directors, has waited too long for our input and our support. Way too long." He went on to add, "I hope, going forward, that they appreciate what we're doing and that they include us in their decisions."
     Councillor Artie Mingo said that the council and the community need to continue to press the hospital on how its management is organized. "We can't stop that push. That's got to change. We know that."
     "I still stand by my vote of no confidence," said Geel, who added that the hospital has not demonstrated what it is doing to become more financially viable except cutting services.
"We have nothing against the hospital and the staff, it's the management," said Mayor Howard. He said that none of the management has accepted any wrongdoing, a position that is worrisome because it indicates that similar situations may arise in the future.
     Porter advised the council that the hospital board has requested to meet with the council in executive session to share the hospital's future business plans. Councillor Marcia Rogers responded, "We don't need to know what their specific strategic plans are, but the community needs to know what their plans are. If we met in executive session, then we're saying the same thing they are," condemning the lack of transparency of the hospital.
     "They're trying to garner our support, but it's going to fall on deaf ears because the council has already made it clear how we feel," said Councillor Mike Sherrard. "We're not stopping the rhetoric, we're just loosening up a little bit until we get over this hurdle. Then we'll fight the next battle. I would like to have a meeting with them, but I don't want to discuss business. ... I would like to have a meeting with them and ask them if they have thought about changing the way the board is structured."

Licensing fees for industrial marijuana growing
     The council briefly discussed establishing regulations for commercial marijuana growing operations. Multiple councillors expressed that no operations should be within 1,000 feet of a school. City Manager Porter pointed out that such restrictions are already in place in the bill LR 2395, which is now being considered by legislators, and he added, "I'm not one to pass regulations if we don't need to." The sample state regulations also provide that 5% of collected taxes within a municipality hosting a growing or selling operation for recreational marijuana will go to that municipality. The state is assessing a total taxation rate of 20%. One percent of all taxes collected statewide from recreational marijuana will be divided between the participating municipalities.
     The council debated how much of a licensing fee should be required of such operations. Councillor Sherrard advocated for $500, while Mayor Howard suggested $250. Howard also added that, after his conversation with a federal officer, the officer made it clear that "if the feds push it, they will come in and take it."
     Police Chief David Randall said that enforcing recreational marijuana growing and selling regulations was not high on his list of priorities and that he did not think it was fair to charge both growers and sellers of recreational marijuana. "If it were [fair], we'd be charging pharmacies a licensing fee to sell their prescription drugs," Randall said. He said that only growing operations should be charged. Councillor Eddie Moreside motioned for a $250 licensing fee to be applied only to growing operations, and all councillors voted in favor. A public hearing will be held in the future to approve the fee.

Other business
     Calais is moving forward with its plans to expand the fiber optic network in town following Porter's discovery that any bond for less than $2 million does not require a town‑wide vote. At $1.6 million, the proposed bond will allow for the completion of the network within the city, with plans to incorporate connecting nodes outside of each residence temporarily tabled. A public hearing was held on Thursday, October 26, in regards to the proposal.
     Three bids were received for the Main and Poole Street pump station replacement project. Sargent Corporation of Stillwater had the lowest bid at just under $839,000. Some members of the council raised their concerns regarding Sargent due to the quality of the work on South Street, which required the company to come back and complete additional work. "I hate like heck to award another bid to them, based on South Street," said Councillor Sherrard. Porter said that, due to federal regulations, the city had to take the lowest bidder. The council voted to approve Sargent's bid.
     Lane Construction was awarded the bid to resurface the tennis courts at the Thomas DiCenzo Athletic Complex in the amount of $29,565. The resurfacing will take place this fall.
     The discussion about school consolidation, which will take place between the municipal councils and school committees of Baileyville, Calais and possibly Eastport, is now planned for after the November 7 elections.
     The council approved the purchase of a new computer server at the city building that will be capable of running Microsoft Windows Server 2016. The city currently runs Server 2008. The cost of the new server is about $3,000.
     The lights strung around the downtown streetlights have all been repaired and replaced by volunteers Richard Auletta and Michael Carmody.
     A vacancy on the planning board caused by the departure of Bill Barnett has been filled by Glen Gallina, who will be serving as an alternate.