ROCKLAND – The City of Rockland hinted at a negative opinion of a permit-fee waiver for the People’s Sculpture Race, which took place in August. However, the owner of Rotary Pizza, who happened to be at the same Wednesday, Sept. 6, agenda-setting meeting, offered to be a sponsor to the future annual event.

Though promoted as a community event free to participants, organizer Kim Bernard and her team incurred costs associated with advertising, police presence, and insurance.

“I felt like this was worthy of requesting city council for a waiver because it was a free community event organized by about five volunteers simply for the sake of bringing something to the community,” Bernard said to council. She also said she’d bear the cost if needed.

“In looking at this as being an annual event, I’m also recognizing that I’m establishing a precedence going forward for next year,” she said.

The City required Bernard to compensate a minimum of four hours for two police officers stationed at intersections along the race route. That bill came to $447.12 despite only needing the services for an hour and a half.

Mayor Will Clayton said: “To be perfectly blunt, these are one of the things that I don’t generally waive the fees for.”

Clayton said that in this case, the fee is being paid out to something specific, as opposed to other fee waivers that aren’t charged for a specific reason. 

The fee waiver request would have gone to vote at the Monday, Sept. 11 regular city council meeting had an alternative solution not been found. 

Ari Hecht, of Rotary Pizza, attended the agenda-setting meeting in defense of an outdoor entertainment license being reviewed by council. During the pizza establishment’s grand opening, neighbors called police more than once regarding the loudness of a band playing.

The restaurant and its stage abut a residential neighborhood near Union and Rankin streets.

As a result, council questioned Hecht about the frequency of music events, and the hours the music will occur.

“All [questions] are totally valid,” Hecht said at the meeting.

“First of all, I’d like to apologize,” he said. “It was over the top.”

Hecht said the band for the inaugural opening, Saturday, Aug. 12, played electric instruments, and the staff at the event weren’t aware of the excess loudness until Hecht mentioned it.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of oversight,” he said. “From my perspective, it was way too loud. I made a mention of it, and 10 minutes later the police came.”

Hecht said he wants a venue that works well with the neighbors. He also wants music that’s not rock or heavy metal, but acoustic and ensembles.

“Anything from classical to Shakespeare,” he said.

In other city news:

Effective in 30 days, Broadreach Family and Community Service has a new venue of operation in a currently unused room of the Rockland Public Library.

At the Wednesday, Sept 6, agenda-setting meeting, City Council approved a lease allowing the organization to use the room at the Rockland Public Library known as the “Teen Scene” or “Mural Room.”

According to its website, Broadreach Family and Community Services has provided educational, health and social service programs for the residents of Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln counties in Maine for more than 30 years. 

At the same meeting, Councilor Valli Geiger referred to Kiwanis Park as “the ugliest park in the City.” In fact, one or two people have proposed relocating the playground equipment to the newly identified McDougal Park on Broadway and abandoning the Warren Street park all together.

Others disapprove, according to Parks Commission member Michael Thibodeau from the public podium. Instead, a request has been made for a fence around the perimeter to stop people from walking through the park.

“I am in agreement that that was what the park is for,” said Thibodeau. “For people to be able to walk through.”

The Warren Street park, adopted by the Kiwanis Club, was once home to the only city basketball court. Nowadays, some, such as Geiger, question why anyone would want to go there.

For now, the question for future consideration is what kind of fence [not chain-length Clayton and Geiger maintained], how tall [maybe something like Mildred Merrill Park, as considered by the Parks Commission], and for how much [Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Tom Fence have been questioned in this very early-starting project].

 Sarah Thompson can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com