Presque Isle City Council chooses new leaders

4 weeks ago

Jeff Willette will chair the Presque Isle City Council and Hank King will serve as deputy chair for 2025.

Willette and returning councilor Mike Chasse were each nominated for chair, with Willette winning by a 4-1 ballot vote. Chasse and King were each nominated for deputy chair, with King elected 3-2.  

In the first meeting of the new year, the council welcomed members elected in November and appointed several people to city boards and committees. City Clerk Kim Finnemore administered the oath of office to reelected councilor Craig Green, returning member Mike Chasse and first-time councilor Meg Hegemann.

Public hearings for a marijuana business license and a loan for the Presque Isle International Airport elicited no discussion and no public comments.

Steve Rusnack, owner of Full Bloom Cannabis in Presque Isle, requested a second license to operate in a new location on Main Street. 

The building that houses the company is being sold and the tenants need to move, Code Enforcement Officer Tim St. Peter said. Full Bloom is requesting approval for the new location. 

Councilors unanimously approved the request.

The airport’s ongoing terminal project carries a price tag of $52.6 million, 80 percent of which is funded by grants and the Federal Aviation Administration. The city considered funding the remainder, $12 million, with a United States Department of Agriculture rural development loan on the airport’s behalf. 

Airport Director Scott Wardwell said in November the loan would be completely repaid with rental income from airport tenants, including JetBlue and car rental agencies. The amount of the loan could change if new grant funding comes in.

Councilors unanimously voted to pursue the loan.

In other business, council members were elected to serve as follows: Aroostook Waste Solutions Board: Chasse. Audit Committee: King and Green. Finance Committee: Green and Hegemann. Presque Isle Development Fund Board of Trustees: Willette and Chasse. Downtown Revitalization Committee: King and Hegemann. Downtown TIF Advisory Committee: Green and King. Industrial Council Board: King.

As per the city charter, the following were reappointed: Richard Currier, city attorney; Kim Finnemore, city clerk; and Tim St. Peter, code enforcement officer, building, housing and electrical inspector, health officer and plumbing inspector. 

Kim Finnemore will serve as warden and Pam Palm as ward clerk.

Councilors voted to appoint these residents to city boards and committees: Larry Clark and James Quinn, reappointed to the Airport Advisory Committee; Dana Fowler and City Manager Tyler Brown, Aroostook Waste Solutions; Stuart Libby, reappointed to the Board of Assessment Review; Floyd Rockholt, Downtown TIF Advisory Committee; Elaine Sipe and Susanne Hews, with Nadeine Lamoreau as alternate, to the Library Board of Trustees; and Bruce Roope, Timothy Vernon and Sean Nordenhold, reappointed to the Planning Board.

AJ Cloukey was reappointed to the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee, with new appointees Denise Condon and Rene Coukey and alternate Harold Hull.

The following will serve in ex-officio roles: Brown, Wardwell and Presque Isle Industrial Council Executive Director Tom Powers, Airport Advisory Board; Elyse Kiehn and Laura Smith, Library Board of Trustees; Powers, Brown and St. Peter, Development Fund Board of Trustees; and Brown, St. Peter and Smith, Downtown TIF Advisory Committee.  

During a separate session, councilors approved the following to serve on the Presque Isle Industrial Council: King, city council representative; Margo Dyer, Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce representative; Ray Hews, director at large.

Vacant seats are available on several committees. Any interested resident should contact Finnemore at the city clerk’s office for information.

The next regular meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 5, at city council chambers.