BELFAST — The Belfast City Council will hold its regularly scheduled public meeting Jan. 17, 7 p.m., to address an agenda that includes the Belfast Skate Park, memorial benches, proposed City zoning amendments, and new firefighter safety equipment, among other topics.

One of the first agenda items on Belfast City Manager Erin Herbig’s agenda is a request from Parks and Recreation Director Norm Poirier to accept $17,000 raised by the Skate Park Committee. The funds were raised during a Halloween themed event, the Spooktacular Showdown and Hoedown, which took place Oct. 29. The event included live music, dancing, food and drinks. 

Funds raised during the event, held at the Belfast Boathouse in Steamboat Landing Park, will be added to the Skate Park Design/Construction Capital account, which has a current balance of $22,370.40, according to the report.

A request from the RSU 71 senior class to use the Boathouse for the 2023 senior ball is next on the agenda. The event would take place June 2 through June 23, to allow for set-up and clean-up. The group is requesting to use the space free of cost. 

Parks Director Poirier is requesting that the request be granted by the Council. 

The Council is being asked to consider a memorial bench request which was written by an area resident Adrienne Boissy, who wants to honor her family. If approved, the bench would be installed on the east side of the Footbridge. 

Memorial benches come with a cost of approximately $2,000, according to the request, which includes the bench and a memorial plaque, which would be paid by Boissy. 

Poirier is requesting that the City purchase two benches for a total of $4,000; one for Boissy, and the second for a future potential sponsor, the request states. 

During the meeting the Council will also consider possible tax foreclosure waivers.

“The 2020 tax lien foreclosures mature at the end of the business day, January 23, 2023. Currently there are 15 real estate tax liens outstanding and in risk of foreclosure if not paid on or before the 23rd. The City Finance Director Theresa Butler has been reaching out and will continue to keep in contact with these taxpayers from now until the date of foreclosure,” the request states. 

Another request on the agenda is by the Economic Development Director to have the Council authorize the submission of an application to the Firefighters Grant Program and to commit matching funds.

The grant program is one of three that constitute the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency’s, “focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards.”

According to request, $324 million in funding is available under the program, with 2,000 awards expected to be made. 

The Grant Program reportedly has three activity categories, including: Operations and Safety; Vehicle Acquisition; and Regional Projects.

The request is to have the City submit one application to the program under the operations and safety category. The following items would be purchased if the funds were granted: 20 self-contained breathing apparatuses, one rapid intervention rescue pack, one fit testing machine for a respiratory protection program, and one compressor fill station to refill breathing air bottles. According to the request, the current total cost for the listed items is $400,000.

Additional information regarding the grant is available to read in Herbig’s report. 

Belfast’s Airport Manager Kenn Ortmann is requesting the Council enter into an agreement with Thomas Fowler, P.E. LLC, to, “assist in implementing a plan to allow for the construction of new hangars at the Belfast Municipal Airport.”

The request comes following discussion at the Council’s Nov. 15, meeting. Completion of the contract is estimated to cost $4,130 for consulting services, in addition to $125 of reimbursable expenses. It notes that the FAA, “considers the construction of hangars a revenue productivity activity, so no FAA funding is available for the project.”

A public hearing of proposed amendments to City Code of Ordinances is also scheduled for the meeting.

There are a total of 12 proposed amendments Chapter 102, Zoning, including amending the language to reflect zoning district changes, revisions to many nonconforming standards, and rural affordable housing units, among others. 

A complete list of the amendments and additional details are available to review in full in Herbig’s report. 

Immediately following the public hearing, a first reading of the proposed amendments is scheduled to occur. The first reading allows the Council to discuss, amend, table, or approve the proposed amendments ordinances. 

Project Planner Wayne Marshall will be available at the meeting to answer any questions. 

A second reading of the proposed amendments is scheduled for the Council’s Feb. 7, meeting. 

The Council meeting will conclude with a general discussion of housing in Belfast. 

In the signing of Council Orders, Herbig paid tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., following observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 16. 

“May we confront our challenges with an open heart and an open mind, and may we place more emphasis on the qualities that unite us rather than those that divide us. Like Dr. King, our words and actions inform the next generation of leaders that will guide our community, our state and our nation,” Herbig’s statement reads, in part

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com