HOULTON, Maine — Thanks to ongoing efforts between the town of Houlton, the Aroostook County Commissioners and the Maine Tourism Association, the Visitor Information Center should be funded for 2015.
According to Houlton Town Manager Butch Asselin, the Maine Tourism Association has agreed to give $30,000 to the town to use for the center, while the Aroostook County Commissioners are providing an additional $15,000.
“We are still working out the details and we will have to make a trip to Augusta to do that,” Asselin said. “We have to negotiate the terms of the town receiving the money.”
Asselin said he expects to do that some time after Jan. 1.
“This is very welcome news as the VIC is such an important link to the tourism industry in The County,” said Jim Brown, a member of the board of directors for the Maine Tourism Association and owner of Rideout’s Lodge in Weston. “Regardless of where people are traveling from when they stop in for information or just a travel break, travelers are greeted by professional and informative staff whose jobs are to ensure that the traveler is provided with as much information as possible for area attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping and cultural history. The VIC is also a wonderful resource for the people of Houlton and the surrounding area given its location, picnic tables, free WIFI and a safe place to take a walk (with or without a dog!).”
The town owns the land and building as long as it continues to maintain it as a tourist information center. Should the town wish to no longer fund the Visitor Information Center, it would have to purchase the property from the state.
The town first assumed responsibility of the VIC back in 2011 when the state of Maine decided it would no longer fund the rest area. Rather than see the building boarded up, the state offered the property to the town, with the caveat that it keeps running the tourist center.
Any amount not covered by the funds received from the two agencies will be the responsibility of the town. The Houlton council has expressed an interest in using funds from its TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district to cover some of those expenses. The town presently has budgeted $41,600 for the rest area. However, Asselin said the facility is in need of capital improvements and renovations, which the town is responsible for financially.
“Some of the roof needs to be re-shingled and the picnic table areas need some work,” he said. “Hopefully, we will be able to use some of this money for that.”
“Houlton is a gateway to all parts of northern Maine for people traveling from New Brunswick or any other part of our state,” Brown said. “The staff make a positive impact on each and every person who stops by; and this does the town a lot of good in that it brands Houlton as a friendly and enjoyable place to visit and patronize. Whether any particular traveler spends time in Houlton after a particular stop is not always as important as the town making a lasting impression which will cause people to look at our area favorably and one where they would like to see, again – and spending time (and money).”
Brown added the funding should not be counted on as a long-term solution for the town.
“It is a one year commitment – but a very important commitment nonetheless,” he said. “I raise this point as it is imperative for the town of Houlton to seek alternative sources of funding in the event that the town council does not or will not approve funding for 2016; and beyond.”
The town has sent written requests to surrounding communities asking for their assistance in funding the center, but so far none of those other towns have endorsed their request.
“What we really need to be focused on is the sustainability of the visitor’s center for the future,” Asselin said. “We want to set up a committee to review what we want to do with that property and to talk about the future of the facility.”
