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LUBEC — Concerns about damage to Lubec’s commercial pier caused by the Ocean Provider earlier this month resurfaced at this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting, along with discussion of short-term rentals and an incident involving an unauthorized border crossing by a town resident who was later apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents with help from local residents.
Selectman Daniel Daley led the meeting in place of Chairwoman Carol Dennison, who was absent because of illness.
Daley read a letter from Jennifer Robinson, Cooke Aquaculture USA’s compliance officer, who apologized to the board, the Harbor Board, Harbormaster Ralph Dennison and Lubec residents for the damage caused by the collision. Robinson also pledged “more timely communication in the future.”
The Ocean Provider, a steel‑hulled vessel about 80 feet long and owned by Cooke Aquaculture Inc., serves the company’s fish farms on both sides of the border in Cobscook Bay.
During public comment, Planning Board member John Nielsen read a sample of the many questions he said he received about the Ocean Provider collision during the board’s meeting last week.
Audience concerns at that meeting centered largely on how the incident was handled, especially the reporting process, which several attendees said appeared to show “favoritism” and an effort to minimize damage to Cooke’s reputation.
Nielsen said some of the questions he received included: “Was the U.S. Coast Guard notified? Was the Marine Patrol notified? Does the Board of Selectmen approve of the way this was handled?”
A Coast Guard representative reached by telephone said federal regulations give boat operators five days to report collisions of this type to the nearest Coast Guard unit. After a report is filed, operators are asked to complete additional documentation, and marine inspectors are dispatched to assess the damage.
The telephone number listed online for the Belfast Marine Safety Detachment has been disconnected, but the current number for reporting incidents is 207‑664‑3951.
Nielsen told the Board of Selectmen that questions about reporting protocols and oversight are central to enforcing Lubec’s new aquaculture ordinance and will become even more important once the Lubec Safe Harbor project is operational.
Reached later by telephone, Nielsen said marine accidents pose a significant threat to clamming and other fisheries in the area.
“I lost my livelihood to the Exxon Valdez oil spill (in Alaska). So did my wife,” he said.
Daley said Wednesday night the Ocean Provider is operated by a subcontractor of Cooke Aquaculture, and Cooke told him this contributed to the company’s delay in reporting the incident to the town.
Representatives of Cooke Aquaculture had been scheduled to attend Wednesday’s meeting but did not appear, which Daley said might have been due to the inclement weather.
After multiple attempts to reach the company, Monitor Local received a text message Friday from Cooke Aquaculture saying its representatives “politely decline” to comment further.
Daley also reported an incident at the border crossing Sunday night in which a Lubec resident may have driven through the Campobello port of entry without stopping for passport control. He said the individual was pursued by a Border Patrol or customs officer to the Shore Thing restaurant on County Road, where local residents helped the officer take the suspect into custody.
Monitor Local reached out to the U.S. Border Patrol for more information, but the agency did not respond in time for publication.
Concerns about the impact of short‑term rentals on the town also surfaced Wednesday night, including higher rents, a reduced housing supply and parking problems in the downtown area.
The Board of Selectmen discussed assessing a fee on short‑term rentals to help address the concerns and pointed to ordinances in other coastal Maine communities – including Stonington’s 2023 Short‑Term Rental Registration ordinance — that limit rentals or impose impact or permitting fees.
Lubec voters rejected a proposed land use ordinance last year.
Public Works Director Dickie Huntley said the radiant heating system in his department’s 6,000‑square‑foot building has failed, leaving the facility without heat since Feb. 20. Citing the urgency, the Board of Selectmen voted Wednesday night to accept the only bid received so far so repairs can begin immediately.
The bid from Dead River Co. totaled $23,000.
Town Administrator Suzette Francis said donations to the Senior Fuel Fund have begun coming in again. Several new anonymous contributions, including one for $10,000, have brought the fund’s balance to $16,350.
In early February, Francis told the board the fund had just $4,450 remaining, which she said was enough for about 12 deliveries of propane, wood or gas.
This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from The Monitor, sign up for a free Monitor newsletter here.
