Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Shoppers visiting downtown Presque Isle on Nov. 16 won’t have the usual traffic to deal with, thanks to a decision by City Council to close a section of Main Street to allow shop patrons easier access for the annual event. Representatives from the Downtown Revitalization Committee were on hand at the Nov. 5 meeting to request Main Street be closed to through traffic for a few hours on Nov. 16 to allow customers to cross the street more freely, rather than be at the mercy of through traffic.
“We simply want to close a section of Main Street from 6 to 10 p.m. on Nov. 16 to allow people to shop and cross Main Street easily,” said Billie Brodsky, a DRC member.
City Manager Tom Stevens said he’d spoken with City Solicitor Hugo Olore and it was determined it was up to City Council to grant or deny the request.
“I asked the city solicitor who has the legal authorization to close Main Street. He said it was usually City Council,” said Stevens.
Following a brief discussion, councilors voted 6-0 (Ron McPherson was absent) in favor of closing Main Street from Academy St. to State St. for the specified four-hour period on Nov. 16.
Other issues recently addressed by City Council included:
• Approved Grant-In-Aid Program, Trail Grooming Agreement and Land-Use Permit to the Presque Isle Snowmobile Club;
• Approved proposed changes to the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library Charitable Trust Investment Committee policies and procedures;
• Approved consent agenda of City Council meeting minutes of Oct. 1; warrants 39 and 40 totaling $884,254.79 and written departmental reports for September;
• Approved an application for a license for nude entertainment for KBS Enterprises, d/b/a Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center, 116 Main Street;
• Approved a permit for pole locations by Maine Public Service Company for four poles on Airport Drive, Plan IR73600;
• Approved appointment of Linda Gordon to Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and appointment of Linda Smith as a representative for the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce to the Presque Isle Development Fund Trustees;
• Accepted bid of $2,800 for the Presque Isle Police Department’s Iroc Camaro made by James Camp Sr., of Portage. Motion passed 5-1, with Don Gardner, who bid on the car himself, abstaining from the vote; and
• Approved consent agenda of City Council meeting minutes of Oct. 15, 17, 18, 22 and 24 and Nov. 1 (primarily for budget meetings); and warrants 41-43 totaling $2,647,214.66.
City Council will hold its next meeting on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Sessions are open to the public and the public is encouraged to participate. For more information, call 764-4485.
