Yesterday afternoon I attended a “ public” meeting with approximately 20 people called by the Camden Select Board to “take stock of the Tannery parcel” as was reported in the Penobscot Bay Pilot.  

The discussion needed to address what to do about a $ 200,000 federal grant the town accepted in August 2018 for clean up and redevelopment of the parcel into a park and year round farmers market.

The deadline to use these funds was September 2021 but since action was not taken by the town they have received an extension to September 2022, at which time, if the town has not fulfilled its requirements the money must be refunded back to the government. $45,000 of it has already been spent on various consultants.

Needless to say, the Select Board, Town Manager Audra Caler,  and town Planning and Development Director Jeremy Martin are under pressure to disperse these remaining funds for the purpose intended in a time period of nine months.

We expected this meeting to address this situation in a timely manner but many of us were shocked as the Select Board segued into a discussion of how the grant should be used, such as low income housing or cleaning up the river.

Audra Caler explained to them that project would require a lot more time and focus than what is in front of them,  all the while, dismissing the fact of what the specific grant is about, remediation of the property for a park and farmers market.

Many of us left shaking our heads when the meeting was over. Had they not understood the task at hand? What was so difficult to understand?

A dedicated group of community members have been meeting, joining committees, writing letters about this very situation over the last six years. We had a plan for the property, an architectural drawing to define the use of the property, raised some funds for the park, made decisions that were all dismissed when the new town manager, planning and development director and Select Board arrived.

Our plans were all but thrown out the window, dismissed as just a “bubble” (per Audra Caler) not a real plan. In other words, a big slap in the face.

Meanwhile, they proceeded to make plans of their own that did not include this grant other than using it for other purposes they deemed more necessary, ignoring the grant and its deadlines.

So here we are, under extreme pressure not to misuse taxpayer money by the threat of paying back the already spent money that so far has not yet accomplished the purpose of the grant.  And even so, the Select Board was discussing to the very end of the meeting, what else could be done with the property.

So here I am writing this letter to inform the people of Camden what has really transpired.  There is much more information on this process if you are interested. Contact me for the finer details.

Thank you for your time.

Eleanor Masin-Peters lives in Camden