PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On Friday, Sept. 12 more than 40 municipal and county officials gathered at the Presque Isle Country Club for the inaugural Community & County Collaboration: Stronger Together! event. The first-of-its-kind regional summit was the result of several months of planning between the County of Aroostook and the City of Presque Isle, with a shared goal of fostering dialogue, strengthening relationships, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in local governance.
The event brought together elected leaders, city and county managers, law enforcement, EMS personnel, department heads and tribal representatives from across the region. The wide-ranging agenda focused on improving municipal and county-level services through collaboration and innovation.
Featured speakers included: Jim Gailey, Cumberland County manager; Cathy Conlow, executive director of the Maine Municipal Association; Ryan Pelletier, Aroostook County administrator; Craig Green, Presque Isle city councilor and local business leader; and various staff and department leaders from the City of Presque Isle.
Discussion topics covered: regional service models from other counties and states; opportunities for regionalization in Aroostook County, including assessing, administrative functions, EMS and law enforcement; challenges and successes in inter-municipal collaboration; and the future of shared services and strategic partnerships in rural communities
“This event was a strong step toward building the relationships and trust necessary to move regional cooperation forward,” said Presque Isle City Manager Sonja Eyler. “We’re proud of the turnout and the meaningful conversations that took place.”
Organizers hope to make Community & County Collaboration: Stronger Together! an annual event, with the aim of continuing the momentum and expanding participation across the region.
