Residents urge workshops on dam relicensing; committee hears economic and ecological concerns
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Summary
Multiple residents asked the committee to convene workshops after a recent feasibility report about local dams; speakers raised potential tax-base losses, fisheries impacts, and the need to coordinate with dam owner BlackBear Hydro and state/federal regulators before acting.
Several residents used the public-comment portion of the Finance Committee meeting to press the city for more study and public engagement about local dam relicensing and potential removal.
Jared, a long-time resident, asked whether the council had considered the three scenarios in a recently released report by the Downeast Salmon Federation and a partner organization, and urged workshops to clarify the city's levers and public opinion. "I don't think that removal of the dam... is gonna be the best venture to go," he said, noting fisheries, trucking businesses and the tax-base implications if large parcels change ownership.
Charlie said the city did not request the report and recommended a workshop to explore what authorities and options the city actually holds, including a conversation with BlackBear Hydro (the dam owner). He emphasized that hydropower contributes to the city's renewable-energy mix and is also a large taxpayer: "Hydroelectricity is wildly important to our renewable energy mix... it is also one of our largest taxpayers," he said.
Roger Gilly urged deeper historical and economic review of Grama/Graham Lake dam proposals, emphasizing that removing dams could return land to private owners, affect eel fisheries and local businesses that rely on dam-related operations. He also raised water-infrastructure concerns — asking whether a leaking line on Bridal Avenue had been fixed — and pushed the city to clarify whether leaks are on private property or in public mains.
Why it matters: Any change to dam operations could have ecological effects (fish passage and eel fisheries), legal and permitting implications (state and federal relicensing), and material fiscal implications if large taxable parcels leave the tax base or if businesses connected to dam operations are affected.
Next steps: Committee members agreed the topic merits a workshop series; Charlie said he will reach out to BlackBear Hydro for an update and staff will explore scheduling dedicated public workshops to surface technical, legal and community impacts before any policy decisions.