LUBEC — Resident Annie Sokoloski asked the Lubec Board of Selectmen on Wednesday to have the town take over care of the Lost Fishermen’s Memorial, the granite monument in a small park overlooking the Gun Rock breakwater and the Narrows between Lubec and Campobello Island, New Brunswick.
The memorial, installed in 2016, features two carved granite wave formations by Steuben artist Jess Salisbury and is engraved with the names of fishers lost “pursuing their livelihoods” at sea from 1900 to the present in the waters off Washington County and Charlotte County, New Brunswick.
The monument is now managed by the Lost Fishermen’s Memorial Committee, which maintains a small fund for upkeep. It became the center of controversy last summer after the committee initially declined to include fishermen Chester and Aaron Barrett, a father and son from South Addison who died when their boat sank off Trescott in January 2025.
Some committee members opposed including the Barretts on the memorial. After community backlash, the committee reversed course and voted last fall to add their names and to turn management of the memorial over to the town of Lubec.
Board of Selectmen Chair Carol Dennison said taking over the memorial’s administration is a priority, citing the recent death of Thomas West of Steuben.
Maine Marine Patrol crews began searching for the 63‑year‑old lobsterman late Tuesday, and his body was found Wednesday in Dyer Bay near his boat, Aces and Eights.
Sokoloski asked the board to form an interim committee to handle engravings, maintenance and events until the August town meeting, when voters will decide whether the town will take over the memorial.
The committee would have seven members, including two fishers and a Board of Selectmen member.
Harbormaster Ralph Dennison and Julie Keene would co‑chair the group, and members suggested rotating meeting locations to allow participation from neighboring towns.
PILOT letters signed, Fire Department ordinance
The Board of Selectmen signed four letters requesting payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, from Cobscook Shores, the Downeast Coastal Conservancy, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and The Nature Conservancy.
Selectman Dan Daley said the letters should come as no surprise.
“Every municipality up and down this seacoast is asking right now, begging for some support,” he said.
Selectman Mark Kelley added, “We ought to send one to Augusta.”
Selectman Dan Wagner suggested investing any PILOT revenue in a certificate of deposit and using the interest to support town projects.
The board also voted to advance a proposal for an ordinance on cost recovery for the Fire Department.
Modeled on an ordinance in Calais, it would give the town a way to recoup costs through hourly rates and flat fees when the Fire Department responds to car crashes or other emergency calls.
The ordinance allows billing “responsible parties” or their insurance carriers.
Funds collected could go into the general fund to help offset firefighters’ stipends or be earmarked for the Fire Department.
Kelley noted the town may need to replace a fire truck “in the next 10 years or so,” as Calais did recently.
The board voted to add the ordinance to the agenda for the August town meeting.
Short‑term rental fees
The Short‑Term Rental Ad Hoc Committee met April 5 and submitted its proposal for short‑term rental fees to selectmen Wednesday night.
Under the proposal, landlords who rent properties for 30 days or less would pay a $100 flat fee, regardless of residency.
When a landlord registers, the town would collect contact information and provide guidance on informing tenants about local emergency services and other resources.
There was discussion about how to use the revenue generated by the program, which Daley estimated at $10,000 to $12,000.
The board asked Chair Carol Dennison to look into whether the funds could legally be earmarked for the homestead exemption program or other needs.
Shellfish Committee, Scrivani Resigns
The Board of Selectmen voted to accept the resignation of Michael Scrivani as chair of the Shellfish Committee.
Selectwoman Joanne Case said she supported the motion “with regret” and read aloud from a plaque of appreciation that will be presented to Scrivani.
The board praised Scrivani’s extensive public service, noting his work on the Shellfish Committee, the Harbor Board, the Safe Harbor Committee and the Rogers Island Committee.
“He’s probably on committees that haven’t been invented yet,” Selectman Dan Wagner said. “That’s just the type of guy he is.”
The board voted to accept the nominations of Daniel Fitzimmons and Thomas Sprague to the Shellfish Committee. Fitzimmons’ son, Chase, also asked to join, and the board approved his nomination as an alternate.
During public comment, an audience member expressed frustration with the slow pace of the clam‑seeding program, noting that harvesters in other towns with seeding programs are seeing better productivity.
The Shellfish Committee voted earlier this year to pursue clam seeding, but members expect to be placed on the Downeast Institute’s waiting list because clam seed is in limited supply.
At a meeting earlier this month, the committee agreed to move ahead with a temporary, do‑it‑yourself seeding effort in which clammers will collect undersize clams and plant them in closed flats.
The Shellfish Committee is scheduled to meet again Monday, April 27, and expects to be joined by Heidi Laughton of the Department of Marine Resources, who will help the group secure the necessary permits.
