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North Haven presses state ferry commissioner for clarity as mainland-berthing proposal remains years from any change
Summary
At its April 2 meeting, the North Haven Select Board pressed the state ferry commissioner about a proposal to have some ferry crews sleep on the mainland; the commissioner said the plan has been scaled back to a pilot, will take years to decide and that multiple legislative bills remain pending.
On April 2, 2025, the North Haven Select Board pressed the state ferry commissioner for clear answers after residents raised alarms that some ferry crews might be required to sleep on the mainland rather than on the islands they serve.
The question came during a lengthy discussion that included John Emerson, who identified himself as a former advisory-board chair and resident. Emerson and other islanders described unified opposition islandwide and said they had seen a recording of a March 28 mainland meeting in which a participant suggested the agency had "changed their minds." Emerson asked the board how to verify whether the ferry agency had in fact altered its position.
The board placed an unscheduled phone call to the State ferry commissioner (referred to in the meeting as "the commissioner"). The commissioner told the board the proposal had been "walked back" and that officials plan to pilot changes on Islesboro first. He said the process would be lengthy: "we expect that's going to take years so that will play out over the course of years probably at least two or three." He added he could not give a permanent guarantee that crews would always berth on-island, saying, "I will not give you that... I can't do that for all time."
Why it matters: island residents said keeping crews based on-island is critical for emergency medical service availability, school runs and preserving island routines and culture. Emerson told the board the community’s chief concern was reliability for EMS and other essential island services.
Board members asked whether any definitive decision had been made; the commissioner said the agency had discussed options but had not finalized a policy and was taking feedback into account. He also said about a dozen bills addressing ferry operations were pending in the legislature and that those measures could affect final outcomes.
The board discussed next steps including contacting legislators, making a public comment at the April 10 hearing, and drafting a letter. Several board members urged continuing visible, island-wide advocacy. No formal board resolution was adopted at the April 2 meeting; the commissioner characterized the effort as exploratory and said the agency’s focus would be on a measured pilot and further study.
The board plans to follow developments in the legislature and to coordinate with neighboring island communities on public testimony and outreach.
