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Harbor committee adopts 25-cent-per-foot slip rate increase
Summary
After debate about matching a nearby private marina, the committee approved a 25-cent-per-foot across-the-board increase to summer slip rates and discussed seasonal-rate options; members said modest, regular adjustments help keep pace with costs.
The Mount Desert harbor committee approved a 25-cent-per-foot increase to summer slip rates after debating whether to match a larger nearby private marina’s recent increases.
One member proposed matching Great Harbor Marina’s new per-foot prices; others argued for a smaller, measured step. After discussion and an amendment proposing half the difference, the committee settled on a uniform 25-cent-per-foot increase and approved the motion by voice vote.
Members noted that the town does not currently offer a seasonal rate and that matching private-marina pricing exactly would raise seasonal costs substantially because the private marina uses a defined-season price (May 1–Oct. 31). Committee members said a small, predictable annual adjustment would help the municipal marina keep pace with rising costs while preserving the harbor’s public-service mission.
“Those are expenses,” one member said in arguing for a meaningful increase. Another member noted the town’s enterprise agreement requires rates to be subsidized relative to private operators.
Next steps: staff will implement the 25-cent increase for the coming season and continue to explore whether to add a seasonal pricing option.
