ROCKLAND — In a vote of 1 to 4, Rockland City Council members rejected the Rockland Festival Corporation’s request to have its 2015 $14,000 Lobster Festival fee waived.

Those fees include park rentals for Harbor Park, Buoy Park, and Mildred Merrill Park. Setup for seven days (one day excused) at $250 per day equals $1,500. The Lobster Festival for five days at $250 per day equals $12,500. Tear down for two days (one day excused) at $250 per day equals $250. Combined, the fees total $14,250.

Councilor Will Clayton was the only council member to support the fee waiver, based on the affect that the Festival has on the community.

“I think the Lobster Festival is a different entity, a different breed, than any of the other ones that we have down there,” he said, at the council’s May 11 meeting. “The amount of volunteerism that we have, and the stories that go behind it is pretty incredible. If the majority of the councilors don’t vote for it, I hope at least we’ll honor Mr. [Brian] Plourde’s ideas to discuss and deliver, maybe something else.”

The other members of the council, however, spoke of finances.

In past years, the Rockland Festival Corporation fees have been waived, but with hints, suggestions and outright conversations by council members of how the Festival could donate the $14,000 park rental fees back to city projects.

Councilor Larry Pritchett mentioned past years in which he suggested to the Festival organization that it could contribute the $14,000 to a harbor project, or something to that effect. This course of action was never taken.

“I think the days of fee waivers, in my mind, should be largely over,” he said. “Try to phase them out in a responsible way.”

Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf said: “Going back, when people do research and get the actual history of the Festival, there has been a fair amount of quid pro quo. And that includes when Rockland went in on Mildred Merrill Park and took out a bond. There was some money that was given also from a harbor fund. That was $10,000. And then the Lobster Festival agreed to pay the $60,000-plus bond in lieu of their fees being waived. That contract has since ended. And I think all the council is looking for is to get to get things back on track.

“We are a business. We are here to do what we can for our taxpayers. We are in budget season. We are looking at cutting library. We are looking at cutting recreation. We are looking at cutting harbor. We have got a list of fees that I am accountable to the taxpayers of Rockland for.”

Brian Plourde, president of the Maine Lobster Festival, spoke from the podium during the public forum portion of the meeting. He expressed both the Festival’s desire to have the fee waiver reinstituted, and to enter into partnership with the city.  

“We like to think we give back to the community in everything that we do, with everything that we raise, and our goal is hopefully we can reach some kind of agreement with regard with the fee waiver where we’d like to participate with the city, in a joint venture and projects,” he said. “If there is something that we feel that you feel, as well that we can work together on, we’d love to be part of that discussion to see if we can do something to continue to improve communities that we live in, work in, send our kids to school in. 

“We feel that our economic study that we did a couple of years ago shows that we are a very viable part of the community. The $5.2 million that we brought to this community in 2012, we feel has increased since.”

During the same meeting, councilors addressed fee waiver requests for Rockland Main Street’s Summer Solstice, but for the opposite reason. The Summer Solstice party, June 20, 3-8 p.m., will shut down Main Street as well as close parking there.

Gordon Page, executive director of Rockland Main Street Inc. requested the $400 fee waiver part of his appeal to the city be postponed while he and his executive committee consider rescinding it.

According to Page, the Solstice event “brings hundreds of families to the downtown area,” and because of the revenue generated, the organization has donated $9,000 back to the city in the past. That money has helped fund the harbor trail project and bicycle racks, which will be installed this month.

MacLellan-Ruf called Page’s request outstanding.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody come before us and say, ‘You know what, we’re going to rethink requesting a fee waiver.’ I can’t even tell you, outstanding. Thank you Mr. Page.”

Related Stories:

• Maine Lobster Festival gives back in 2015

• Rockland Lobster Festival hopes to keep city rental fee waiver intact

• Lobster Festival makes big donation to Thomaston Fire Department

• Rockland Main Street, Inc. earns national accreditation

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.