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Residents urge support for poetry festival funding; speakers raise concern over litigation venue change
Summary
During public comment, residents asked the council to fund the Belfast Poetry Festival and to provide a modest budget for the Belfast Poet Laureate position. Other speakers and an attorney for property owners criticized a lawyer’s letter that said the council "agreed" to moving local litigation to Portland and urged the council to keep related litigation in Waldo County.
Several residents used the public‑comment portion of the June 18 meeting to press the council for support on cultural programming and to question recent litigation handling.
Maya Stein, identified herself as a writer, poet and the current Belfast poet laureate, told the council she had submitted two requests for the upcoming budget: funding for the Belfast Poetry Festival (entering its 19th year) and modest funding for the poet laureate position, which historically has been honorary and unfunded. "I don't sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. I go after it with a club," Stein said, describing the festival’s volunteer base, expanded family programming and the need for city support to keep events accessible.
Later in public comment, Corinne Spitfire and attorney Kim Irvin Tucker raised concerns about litigation strategy involving Nordic Aquafarms and related parties. Spitfire said a lawyer’s letter representing Nordic mischaracterized the council’s role by stating the transfer of cases to Portland occurred "with the agreement of the Belfast City Council." Tucker, representing local property owners, said moving cases out of Waldo County would impose practical burdens on residents and questioned the rationale for favoring the business docket in Portland. Tucker asked the council to seek clarification from city legal staff and to stay engaged in local litigation decisions.
Councilors acknowledged the comments and, where applicable, asked staff to note the public comments in the record for upcoming hearings or follow-up with legal staff on the venue concerns.
