HOULTON, Maine — The town has said goodbye to one tenant at the Houlton International Airport and welcomed a new one.
Councilors voted 5-0 Monday evening after an executive session, to approve a lease agreement with Dexter Cowperthwaite, doing business as Westar Logistics, Inc., to operate a trucking facility at the Houlton International Airport.
According to Houlton Town Manager Eugene Conlogue, the town previously had an agreement with Chad Walton, doing business as AKTEM, to lease space at the airport. That lease dates back to June, 2008. The intent of the lease was to have a multi-use facility that included a manufacturer of offices and residential homes from storage containers; a trucking company; and the Twenty2 Vodka Company.
Today, only the trucking company remains at the industrial park.
Coinciding with the lease agreement, the town agreed to accept $15,000 as full settlement of the Shiretown Development Corporation mortgage from AKTEM Inc.
Councilors also learned Monday that the Civic Center Advisory Committee, which includes councilors and members of the public, has yet to hold a meeting this winter season.
The panel was originally created to find ways to increase the use of the Millar Civic Center.
“It’s too bad because ice time is really almost over,” council chairman Paul Cleary said. “We probably only have another month (of ice time) left and this committee has not met once to discuss anything going on up there. Basically, the only thing the committee can do now is start planning for summer and fall use.”
The ice at the Millar Civic Center typically comes out in mid-March.
“It’s too bad that we put together this advisory board and it’s there to help,” Cleary said. “We have a lot of people with knowledge on different things and we have not met. It’s crazy.”
Cleary suggested that this group, along with many other subcommittees, needed to start meeting more regularly to do their jobs.
In other agenda items, the council:
• Approved an application for a special permit for catering off premises to Shiretown Health Club/Shiretown Motor Inn for Feb. 8.
• Named Conlogue as its appointed representative for the Maine Service Centers Coalition and councilor Sue Tortello as the alternate.
The next regular council meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.
