ROCKLAND – During public comment at the Aug. 11 Rockland City Council meeting, several members of the public called for the council to vote against repealing pay-per-bag so that the issue could come to referendum and be decided by the voters, as a recent petition that drew more than 700 signatures requested.

The council voted unanimously against repealing pay-per-bag. They will place a referendum vote on the November ballot at their meeting in September.

Councilor Eric Hebert said he still supports pay-per-bag, but that it is now time to pass the issue to the voters. The council was in general agreement that it is up to their constituents.

Councilor Frank Isganitis said he also thinks pay-per-bag is the answer to the growing deficit at the transfer station. He compared the pay-per-bag system to having electrical and water meters on a house.

Councilor Elizabeth Dickerson explained that, although she is an environmental politician, she is against pay-per-bag because of the financial burden it places on citizens.

She added that concerns over closing the landfill have led to “crisis thinking” on the council, and they need to calm down and work out a better solution to the city’s trash and recycling problems, beginning with stronger and equal enforcement of the mandatory recycling ordinance.

Dickerson added that she has already heard people dumping trash in the woods near her house.

Hebert encouraged citizens to find out the facts for themselves in preparation for the vote.

YES ON LIMITS TO BUILDING HEIGHT

The council also voted on a moratorium on new and expanded buildings taller than 50 feet in the downtown area. In the moratorium that area is defined as south of Park Street and Park Drive, east of Union Street and north of Pleasant Street.

The language of the moratorium suggests it is a temporary measure until the city council can draft and adopt new zoning ordinance amendments for the area to address concerns about building height.

The council voted 3-2 in favor.

Hebert said he would vote against the measure because it seems unnecessary, and the word moratorium has negative connotations.

Isganitis agreed and added that Rockland is land scarce.

Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf said she would vote for the measure because it originated with the Comprehensive Planning Commission and they recommended it.

Human waste the polluter at Snow Marine Park

Acting City Manager Tom Lutrell updated the council on the recent tests from Snow Marine Park. Species tests came back positive for human waste both where the storm drain dumps into the harbor and in the drain in the middle of the park.

The storm drain that runs into the harbor had been contaminated by sewage runoff from three houses on Mechanic Street. This issue has now been repaired.

Lutrell said they are not sure yet how the waste got into the middle of the park but they have made several repairs and will do more tests to see if those fixed the problem. Until then the park is still closed.

Thank you, Dan Flanagan

The council voted unanimously to commend Edward “Dan” Flanagan for his 18 years working for the Recreation Center. Recreation Department Director Rene Dorr spoke about the decades of service Flanagan has given to the children of Rockland.

In addition to his commendation, Flanagan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recreation Department.

The council voted 3-2 in favor of an amendment to the Tillson Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District policy that would allow the council to negotiate Credit Enhancement Agreements (CEAs) with developers and project coordinators.

A CEA is a contract that allows the city to return to a developer a percentage of the new property tax value that their improvements create in order to help fund those improvements and other benefits that the business brings to the city, like job creation and capital.

The property tax on the original value of the property before the developer began improving it still goes to the city. Only a percentage of the added value is “sheltered” and can be returned over the lifetime of the CEA agreement.

Dickerson and Mayor Larry Pritchett voted against the amended policy change.

Dickerson expressed concerns over the lack of a clear limit on how high a percentage of new tax money the council might agree to return over the term of a CEA.

A line limiting the average percentage to 65% or lower was struck from the new policy in an earlier vote.

Isganitis and Hebert both countered that such language would bind the hands of future councils, and they should trust that those councils would act in the best interest of the city, as the new policy guides them to do.

No more dumping snow in Rockland Harbor

The council voted in favor of prohibiting all snow dumping by private citizens and the city into the harbor. The ordinance will go into effect in 30 days. A new snow dumpsite is under development.

The council voted down a bond repeal and replacement to fund repairs to Old County Road. This vote leaves an older bond ordinance for 1.6 million dollars or less in place.

The city has applied for additional funding from the Maine Department of Transportation. The council is also considering dividing the project into sections to be completed over several years.

The council voted down a cost of living increase in the salaries of the City Clerk and the City Attorney, with Pritchett, MacLellan-Ruf and Dickerson voting against.

MacLellan-Ruf admitted the vote was difficult to take with both staff members in the room, but said that they had to start looking at ways to cut the budget.

Hebert, who voted in favor, said that the salary increases had already been budgeted for this year.

The council voted to accept monetary donations and books from citizens and the Friends of the Rockland Public Library. They also accepted a donation from the Adas Yoshuron Synagogue in lieu of taxes and noted the synagogue’s regular generosity to the city.

The council voted to increase the maximum levels of general assistance the city can provide to households.

The council voted in favor of increasing the per passenger fee for cruise ships visiting the harbor from 2016 on to $8, a $1 increase.

They also voted to allow the police department to use excess funds and funds from asset forfeiture to buy a new detective vehicle.

The council voted in favor of amending the parking ordinance for Tillson Avenue to make the three angled spaces closest to the doors of the new public restrooms into 15 minute spaces, so that people needing to stop by the restroom quickly would have a place to park.

That amendment will go to a public forum on Sept. 8 at the next city council meeting.

The council voted to issue permits and licenses to Old Granite Inn, Time Out Pub, the American Legion and Joe’s Taxis.

After brief discussion the council voted to issue a lodging house license to Brunswick Rooms without restrictions, recognizing that the establishment is no longer a “disorderly house” and does not need additional conditions on its license.