HOULTON, Maine — Approval of updated hangar rentals for the Houlton International Airport, as well as discussion of opening rentals at the John Millar Civic Center were on the agenda for the Houlton Town Council meeting for Monday, Dec. 28.
The council approved increasing rental fees for the airport hangars for aircraft, which vary depending on the size and duration of the rental. Single-engine aircraft fees were increased to $130, $680 and $1,260 for one month, six months, and one year, respectively. Twin-engine fees increased to $175, $900, and $1,700, respectively. This replaces the previous rates of $100, $500 and $900 for single-engine, and $150, $750 and $1,500 for twin-engine aircraft. The new fees take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
The council also debated whether to expand current rental policies for the John Millar Civic Center. The arena is open to rentals from Houlton residents, but has not been made available to residents of other areas in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“If a Houlton person calls, and they’ve got 12 people from Presque Isle, we’re not going to rent it because a Houlton person called,” said town manager Marian Anderson regarding the current policy on civic center use. “If they’re Houlton people, we will rent it unless the council directs us otherwise.”
Haley Nickerson, supervisor for the civic center, joined the town council meeting via zoom to explain the current situation regarding the civic center’s finances and policies on how to properly distance from each other inside the facility.
Nickerson said that with the current policies in place, the center is bound to be operating at a loss for the foreseeable future.
“The civic center is an expensive facility to run, and we’re bringing in less revenue this year than typical,” she said. “So unfortunately we will be operating at a loss.”
Councilor Dennis Harmon spoke in favor of continuing to open up the civic center.
“We’re not identifying people as they enter the town lines, what zones they came from, and they’re shopping in our restaurants, they’re going to our stores and things like that,” Harmon said. “The risk is worth it to me.”
Town councilor Eileen McLaughlin cautioned that with an indoor facility, it remains difficult to fully prevent the spread of the virus.
“You can only disinfect so much, without a good filter aeration system,” McLaughlin said. “I think the more we can reduce it so it doesn’t get into the school system, the better.”
Ultimately, the council agreed to defer to the current policy regarding the civic center, though said it would be amenable to opening it up more if a possibility arises in the near future.
