BAR HARBOR — The Bar Harbor Town Council Tuesday night appointed two new councilors to replace Vice Chair Gary Friedmann and Councilor Kyle Shank, who have both announced they’re stepping down from the panel.
The remaining members of the council approved the appointment of warrant committee Vice Chair Meagan Kelly and Randy Sprague, a past member of that same committee. Both are business owners who were born in Bar Harbor. Kelly is co-owner of the Lompoc Cafe. Sprague owns Randy Sprague Heating and Plumbing. He was in the graduating class of MDI High School in 1973 and vice chair of the town’s warrant committee in the 1990s.
“I am quite excited to serve on the council,” Sprague said after the meeting. “I was born in small town Bar Harbor and have seen it evolve into tourist-town Bar Harbor. It was inevitable as more people learned of our beautiful island. I enjoy the many visitors to our town. I also have a deep desire to see the townspeople benefit from our visitors, and not be hurt by the influx.”
Kelly was re-elected to the warrant committee in June 2024, after first being appointed to it in 2018. She cannot serve on both committees, and the warrant committee will need to appoint her interim replacement.
“The experience has been rewarding and educational,” Kelly said last year of her time on the committee. “Now, as a business owner in this town, I am fully committed to Bar Harbor and our community. I would like to be a voice for the service industry workers in this town, and the residents who live here year-round.”
No other potential candidates were brought forward during the meeting. At least one resident who said that they expressed an interest reported never being contacted.
According to Council Chair Val Peacock, there wasn’t a formal process for soliciting interest in the council vacancies. She said, “There were a few emails and folks who reached out individually to councilors.” She was unsure of the exact number.
After more than a decade on the Bar Harbor council, current Vice Chair Gary Friedmann announced his resignation to focus on his new position in the state Legislature via a Jan. 15 press release from the House Democratic office.
Friedmann’s departure came on the heels of Shank’s resignation. Shank announced during the Jan. 7 council meeting that he is stepping down from his position. He and his family are moving to Pennsylvania for work and family reasons.
Friedmann’s council term was to end in 2027. Shank’s term was to end in 2026. In June, voters will elect councilors to finish those terms. Both Kelly and Sprague can run for those seats if they choose to. Shank’s term is for one more year; Friedmann’s is for two years. Both Earl Brechlin’s and Matt Hochman’s terms are done in June. They can also choose to run again. There will be four seats up for grabs in June.
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here. Disclosure: Shaun Farrar of the Bar Harbor Story is on the town’s warrant committee
