A number of Eastport property owners questioned Eastport city councillors at the October 21 council meeting about their decision to authorize the city manager to pursue the purchase and sale agreement with Perry Marine & Construction (PMC) for the property at 16 Deep Cove Road. The property where the Boat School is located would be bought for a sum of $300,000 with various contingencies, including deeding a portion of the property to the school and deeding access to the pier and ramp for a number of users.
     Business woman Merilyn Mills said, "It doesn't make sense to me to sell the pier and ramp for what appears to be below market value." She echoed a number of people who voiced their support of the Boat School and the transfer of a specific section of the parcel to the nonprofit, but who felt that either the rest of the property should go out to bid or that at the very least the ramp and pier should be retained by the city for use by PMC and the public. David Gholson said, "My concern is that they city is selling off an asset where just the ramp and pier alone would cost as much as the purchase price."
     PMC has agreed to compensate the city for the loss of the pier and ramp with a $75,000 cash donation as well as transfer of title to a portion of land at Deep Dove that it is buying from Paul Thompson and Butch Harris. Both resources would be used by the city to build a floating pier and ramp much like the one presently at Lubec. Council President Robert Peacock explained that he had helped build the Lubec facility and that at the time it cost $40,000. Eastport resident William Altvater told the council, "The ramp alone is worth well over the $300,000. ... A floating ramp compared to that is a joke." He added, "Are you kidding me? You're giving away that to get this?"
     Property owner George Kurzon told the council, "I don't think enough attention has been paid to have the property evaluated for its best value and best use." He questioned why the city had not consulted with an international realtor specializing in such properties. "This may be the best deal you could get, but I don't think you've explored all the possibilities. ... Certainly that pier is a very big asset and I don't think you should give it away."
     Along with those questioning the deal, a number of people in the audience spoke in favor of the purchase and sale agreement with PMC.
     At the start of the council discussion about the property, Councillor Mike Cummings asked Dennis Mahar, the city's attorney, to check a part of the city's charter, which he felt specified that a property had to be placed out to bid. The property where the Boat School is located has not been advertised, with the reason given in the past by the council that it was not a taxBforeclosed property and thus did not have to be. The section of the charter questioned by Cummings states in part, "He shall conduct all sales of property belonging to the city... only after such sale has been authorized and advertized by the city council." Mahar told Cummings that the charter section in question did not pertain to the matter at hand because it was specific to the duties of the city manager and not specific to the duties of the council for selling property. The charter is available online at the city's website and does not appear to have a section dedicated to a set procedure for the disposal of city property.
     After a lengthy discussion by the public and the council, the council moved to vote on the PMC contract. Councillors Paul Critchley, David Morang and Peacock voted in favor, Cummings voted against and John Miller was absent. The closing will take a few weeks in order to work through the deed and title transfers, but it must take place no later than October 28.

Other business
     Two public hearings will be held at the Wednesday, October 12, city council meeting at 6 p.m.: the parking ordinance amendment and the Communities for Maine's Future grant.
    The wastewater treatment plant continues to struggle with new issues. The sludge that had been slated for spreading at the airport was found to have high levels of toluene, which is commonly added to gasoline, used to produce benzene, and used as a solvent. The Department of Environmental Protection is working with the city to track down the source. However, the good news reported by City Manager Jon Southern was that the city may be able to use a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant as a match for a $2 million grant. "If that works, we could get the whole plant rebuilt."
     The police department received 35 calls for service in August as opposed to 38 received this time last year.      There were no building permits issued, but Code Enforcement Officer Robert Scott noted that legislation has changed the new building code requirements to be applicable only to communities larger than 4,000, rather than the previous number of 2,000. He pointed out that there are no municipalities in Washington County that meet the threshold, resulting in a number of people, who had trained to become third party inspectors, with no prospect of work in the county.
     The Public Works Department is requesting that property owners who are going to place fences, rocks or other fixed items on their property take into consideration the path of snowplows as well as accumulated plowed snow.
     Eastport Police Chief Frank Gardner was appointed as the assistant harbor master.