ROCKLAND — American Cruise Line is seeking a contract that would pay for construction of a new dock at the Rockland Public Landing. The dollar signs attached to the proposal are seen by some as financial relief for burdened taxpayers. The Harbor Management Commission is saying the proposal is a bad deal. Yet, despite the reactions by the HMC during an unexpected special meeting requested by the City Manager sandwiched inside a holiday week, Council still plans to discuss the topic in its January Council meetings, and a date is being considered for a public workshop on cruise ships in Rockland. City Manager Tom Luttrell is aiming for Jan. 14, however, that date is contingent on a few factors, including receipt of input from the State and Rockland Maine Street.

ACL wants to pay up to $3 million to construct a new dock at the Public Landing with unlimited access to its passengers, and to have priority of that dock for 30 years. It wants the City to maintain and to pay all future costs for the dock throughout those three decades, with required maintenance being completed within 180 days, as stipulated in the proposal.

The scheduling of this sudden, special teleconference meeting, Dec. 30, 2025, produced some bad feelings among those who follow Harbor Management, who believed that the City is trying to sneak something past them. In rationalizing their position, the City Manager said he wanted HMC input inorder to provide a response to the ACL, and Mayor Adam Lachman and Councilor Nicole Kalloch wanted HMC input on the future of the harbor prior to beginning their new Revenue Commission.

“There’s no money going to the City [in this proposal],” said HMC Chair Sam Ladley, himself retired from 35 years in the cruise ship industry. “As soon as we sign that paper, we’ve lost money.”

Currently, any money that is a result of the cruise ship industry is deposited into a harbor account, according to Louise MacLellan-Ruf, who wasn’t able to attend, but sent a letter to be read aloud. That money cannot be used for residential tax defrayments.

Ladley said that the only money going to the City would be the $40,000 for dockings. Harbor Management is making close to that amount now, according to him. Councilor Kalloch pointed out that Harbor revenue is technically off by $48,000, but Ladley is confident that the proposed increase in docking fees would cover the current shortfall.

“What they are really doing is trying to get a fixed price at today’s rates for 30 years,” said Ladley.

HMC had already decided this winter that it wants to do a pro-rated, progressive docking fee. Until now, everyone had been charged $2.50 per foot to dock at the town landing, according to Ladley. HMC has proposed to graduate that so small boats pay $2.50, with larger boats paying more. ACL would pay $6.50 per foot.

“What they [ACL] are proposing would already cut that,” said Ladley.

The city doesn’t need a new dock, according to HMC member Katie McKinlay. And, according to Ladley, there’s also a clause in the proposed contract stating that if things in Harbor Park look like they are going to interfere with the ACL boats – the ability to load buses and things – that ACL can veto anything that’s being done in the park.

“So what happens in a few years when we decide to rebuild the park?” he said. “For one year, that park’s going to be a demolition zone because we are going to add three feet and rebuild it.”

After signing this ACL contract, can you tell ACL that Rockland needs one year to rebuild? Can ACL say no, you can’t?

“In the contract, they have the right to say that, and shut us down,” said Ladley.

HMC and the City agree that American Cruise Line has been a great partner to Rockland through the years, yet that partnership has been formed on negotiation, compromise, and balance.

Harbormaster Molly Eddy had a conversation with ACL a few years ago, reminding them that this dock also shares access with weekend boaters. When she told them that the City actually loses revenue when ACL comes in because the smaller crafters see a full harbor and turn away, the ACL response was: “You should probably raise our rates.”

“And we didn’t,” said Eddy. “And that was two years ago.”

Rockland is known for its diverse harbor. Fishermen, cruisers, recreational sailors. Businesses and vehicle-driven customers in the vicinity continue to voice opposing opinions on whether cruise ship days are the best small business revenue days. Some businesses gain, some stay neutral. The HMC reminds that not all passengers come ashore, and others acknowledge that some locals simply hate the idea of any cruise ship in the harbor for any reason whatsoever.

Yet, new infrastructure is needed. At the time of the meeting, the toilet in the Harbormaster’s Office was frozen. The two full-time workers (harbormaster and assistant) are doing double or triple duty, with only mid-summer help from college students. A new part-time clerk position is in the works, but there is no space for that new employee to set up. Not at the Harbor office. Not at City Hall.

Trash disposal and real bathrooms for tourists are always on the list of needs.

Another attendee to the special meeting provided comparison data between Bar Harbor and Rockland. Bar Harbor has a population 2,000 fewer than Rockland. It is chosen by passengers and others as the most popular, most desirable port in the continental United States.

“As a result, they have been incredibly successful in attracting a robust cruise industry,” said the attendee.

In 2022, arguably Bar Harbor’s high year before the legal problems began, Bar Harbor had 292,212 scheduled passengers. An estimated 250,000 came ashore. Rockland, in that same year, had 5,000 passengers, and about 4,200 came ashore. Bar Harbor had about 174 scheduled cruise ships. Rockland had about 24.

“So, even with some changes and some modest growth, please keep in mind that the situation in Rockland is really really different,” she said.

Said Tom Luttrell: “Last year we proved that the City really can handle cruise ships. We don’t want to become a Bar Harbor…. But I think there is a sweet spot that is good for Rockland. And I think that’s what the City needs to look at to help offset some costs in the harbor, but also to bring revenue in, but not overwhelm the harbor, the residents, Downtown, and businesses.”

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com