Peaks Island Council — Portland, ME
Date: 2026-01-28
Time: 18:15

‘


 Peaks Island Council Monthly Meeting
 January 28, 2026, at 6:15 PM
 In person at the Peaks Community Center
 and online at meet.google.com/zdh-xdto-tpg.



CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
TREASURER’S REPORT
PUBLIC COMMENT (3 minutes per speaker.)
COMMITTEE REPORTS & UPDATES
  ● Environment & Sustainability
  ● Executive - Budget Process
  ● Ferry Services And Access
  ● Housing & Zoning
  ● Paper Roads
  ● Parking
  ● Parks, Recreation, & Waterfront
  ● Safety Committee
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
  ● Motion to Adopt 2026 Publication Schedule. (KR)
  ● Motion to recommend 3 sites for the Island Institute Shore Corp Stewardship program, that
 will offer Natured Based Strategies for coastal erosion. (LG)
  ● Motion to Excuse JB Absences. (KR)
  ● Motion to Recommend City Council Amend Chapter 28, Code of Ordinances. (KR)
  ● Motion to Recommend City Council Amend Rules of Procedure. (KR)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  ● P.I.C. Budget Workshop - Tuesday, February 17th at 6:30 PM

ADJOURNMENT



 NEXT Regular PIC Meeting – February 25, 2026

Peaks Island Council
 MEETING MINUTES
 Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 6:15 p.m.
 Hybrid ZOOM/in-person meeting in the Community Center
 NEXT Regular Monthly PIC Meeting
 January 28, 2025
CALL TO ORDER: 6:18 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present: Laura Glendening, Fred Somers, Scott Mohler, Karsten Rees, Norm Proulx, Shelagh
Reiser, Jess Burton

Absent: Bill Patnaude

Number of Audience Members (AM) in attendance: 5 in person, no wifi for zoom attendees

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Unanimous approval of minutes from November 22nd PIC meeting with a correction to the
snow ban ticket fees.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Somers expressed appreciation for Scott Mohler’s service as president of the council for the past
year. Burton expressed thanks to Shelagh for her service on the PIC. New councilors Jerzy
Sylvester and Jonah Bradenday joined the PIC.

TREASURER’S REPORT
Somers said the only change was the purchase of additional needs-based tickets, but Bill Patnaude
was not present, so the Treasurer’s Report was not available.

PUBLIC COMMENT (beginning of meeting)
No public comment.

COMMITTEE REPORTS & UPDATES
• Executive Committee –
 Glendening said the Maine Island Coalition has a meeting in Augusta at the end of January or
 beginning of February. Current Peaks Island representative is Ellen Mahoney, appointed by the
 council. Karsten Rees said he would like to go to the meeting to also represent Peaks Island.

• Environmental and Sustainability
 Glendening attended the meeting on December 15th for the working group on Climate Change
 and Sustainability actions associated with the Peaks Island Assessment. Detailed information
 about what was discussed at that meeting are available on the PIC Google drive:
 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QmS0Rv2hC_6LCYOvBtIauTVxup6t1yjf




 PIC December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes, DRAFT. Page 1
 Glendening also showed sea level rise maps for various weather scenarios that were included in
 the Peaks Island Assessment. Glendening said that Seashore Avenue will be rebuilt as it was
 before the January 2024 storms because of FEMA requirements, but there are grants for
 alternative analysis of what changes can be made to improve the long-term sustainability of
 Seashore Ave.

• Parks and Rec Committee
 Sarah Michniewicz said she spoke to the neighborhood prosecutor regarding the boat on ferry
 beach, and the agreed upon date of removal is June 1st. The boat owner is planning to remove
 the boat before that. After June 1st, fines would begin to accrue.

 Glendening said that there are 20 miles of working waterfront remaining in Maine and 16 miles
 are dedicated to commercial fishing out of 3478 miles of coastline in Maine. Glendening said that
 PIC should be aware of supporting commercial fishing on the island.

 Rees said that the zoning ordinance does not allow commercial vessels to be parked on city
 owned land in a recreational and shoreline zone. Ferry Beach is city owned land in a recreational
 and shoreline zone.

• Ferry Service
 Rees said that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) did an informal investigation of the car ferry
 rate change and will not open a formal investigation at this time. But they directed CBL to look at
 the effect “rate shock” has on lower income riders. The PUC Order can be accessed on the PUC
 webpage for this case, which contains all the filings and public comments for the
 case: https://mpuc-
 cms.maine.gov/CQM.Public.WebUI/Common/CaseMaster.aspx?CaseNumber=2025-00160

• Housing and Zoning Committee – ReCode Zoning survey
 Rees said the Housing and Zoning committee filed the application to get a hearing before the
 Planning Board. The Planning Department is evaluating the application for the Land Use code
 amendments. Rees said that eventually there will be a hearing at the planning board, the planning
 board will then make a recommendation to the city council.

• Safety Committee –
 Glendening said this new committee has not met yet. Glendening got in touch with Caity Hager
 about the alert systems. Information about signing up for community alerts is in the PIC Google
 drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QmS0Rv2hC_6LCYOvBtIauTVxup6t1yjf
 Proulx asked if the Safety Committee will consider installing a four-way stop at the corner of
 Island Avenue and Welch Street. Glendening said the committee is still developing what issues
 they want to take up.

• Paper Roads
 Norm Proulx said the committee has developed a list of criteria for developing a map of paper
 roads on Peaks Island. Proulx said the map will show which paper roads are continued and which
 are vacated. The map will be available on PIC website. Next step is to get a quote from a map
 maker. Glendening asked Proulx if he has been working with John Giles from Public Works.
 Proulx said the committee has not been in contact with John Giles. Glendening will give Proulx
 John Giles’ contact information.


 PIC December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes, DRAFT. Page 2
• Parking
 Reiser said that the island police approved the wording of the island parking guidelines. It has
 been posted on NextDoor. Hard copy notices will be posted at the library and PIC kiosk. It was
 also sent out in PIC newsletter.

 Reiser is trying to set up meeting with CBL garage representative but has had a hard time getting
 in touch with them. Reiser suggested that the new chair of the PIC Parking Committee should
 also attend that meeting with CBL garage representatives.

• Golf cart
 No update.

• Election Committee
 No update.

OLD BUSINESS - none

NEW BUSINESS
 • Election of 2026 officers
 Sylvester nominated Karsten Rees for Chair, Proulx seconded. Rees said he is excited and
 honored to do it. Unanimous approval.

 Rees nominated Jerzy Sylvester for Vice Chair. Glendening seconded. Sylvester said he
 would be willing to do it. Unanimous approval.

 Proulx nominated Laura Glendening for Secretary. Somers seconded. Glendening said she
 would be happy to do it. Unanimous approval.

 • Set 2026 meeting schedule
 Rees moved to adopt the meeting schedule of 4th Wednesday every month except
 November 18th and December 16th. Sylvester seconded. Unanimous approval.

 • Golf cart regulatory changes
 Sarah Michniewicz spoke about the golf cart ordinance amendment to lift the cap on the number
 of golf cart operators on the island. Michniewicz said the golf cart ordinance amendment does not
 change the number of rental golf carts on the island. Michniewicz said the city’s Sustainability and
 Transportation Committee passed the amendment unanimously so that it came before the full
 council, however, the full city council voted to postpone approval of the golf cart ordinance
 amendment. Michniewicz proposed an amendment to the amendment to include several changes
 clarifying language. City council voted to postpone approval. During this delay, Michniewicz is
 now asking PIC for their input on the amendment to lift the cap on the number of golf cart
 operators.

 Rees pointed out that some cap would be necessary because if homeowners wanted to rent out
 their golf carts, the number of golf cart operators could potentially be equal to the number of
 people who own golf carts.

 PIC December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes, DRAFT. Page 3
 Reiser said that some golf carts are rented out as part of the vacation house rental. Michniewicz
 said the amendment didn’t speak to that situation. Sarah said she asked if a golf cart could come
 with a wedding package at Jones Landing, and the City Manager said that wouldn’t be allowable.

 Reiser said that the two current golf cart operators have invested significant time understanding
 and addressing community concerns about their business.

 Proulx said he doesn’t see the advantage of raising the number of operators. Somers said that
 the ordinance stipulates competitive bidding if one of the current golf cart rental operators stops
 running, but the city finds that mechanism difficult to administer.

 Burton said that in May 2025 PIC voted to cap the number of golf carts at 45 rental carts, and at
 that time the city was planning to use a wait list to award a rental golf cart license if one of the
 current rental businesses stopped operating.

 Rees said that PIC was also opposed to increasing the number of operators but didn’t make a
 motion at that time.

 Note – from May 2025 PIC meeting minutes:
 Somers moved that PIC convey to the city council that we are opposed to increasing the cap
 on the number of golf carts from 45. Mohler seconded the motion. Motion passes
 unanimously.

 AM said the City Manager has full authority to increase the cap from 45 carts to 50 carts but
 asked PIC for their preference. A second issue was how the license to operate a rental golf cart is
 awarded, and the amendment proposed creating a waiting list of people who want to operate a
 golf cart rental business, and if the city increased the cap on the number of golf carts, the new golf
 carts would go to the person on the wait list.

 Michniewicz said the ordinance is going back to the city council for a vote in January, but it seems
 that more conversation needs to happen before a vote proceeds but an indefinite postponement
 would mean the issue couldn’t be voted on by the council in this year. Michniewicz is going to talk
 to city staff to determine the best way forward.

● Rees made a motion for PIC to authorize the Housing and Zoning Committee to spend up to
  $500 to post two notices about the upcoming Planning Board hearing regarding Land Use
  Code Amendments. Glendening seconded. Burton proposed increasing the amount up to
  $565. Proulx seconded the amendment. Motion to amend carries unanimously. Amended
  motion passes unanimously.

● Snow ban parking – postpone discussion to January

• Zoom subscription

 Glendening said that a current councilor needs to take over the Zoom subscription, maintain the
 Zoom account, assume payment for the Mailchimp account. A willing councilor can sign in to the
 PIC Mailchimp account and update the payment method with their credit card information.
 Glendening said the city recommends moving to Google Meets instead of Zoom. Rees said he
 would be willing to migrate PIC from Zoom to Google Meets and he will follow up with Peter
 McLaughlin about his outstanding credit card charges for Zoom.

• Committee Chairs

 PIC December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes, DRAFT. Page 4
 PIC determined committee chairs as follows:
 Ferry – Fred Somers and Rees Karsten co-chair
 Housing and Zoning – Rees Karsten
 Paper Roads – Norm Proulx
 Environmental and Sustainability – Laura Glendening and Jess Burton co-chair
 Parks and Rec – Jonah Bradenday
 Safety – Jerzy Sylvester
 Parking – no chair, but Shelagh Reiser and Mike Richards are on the committee

 Glendening asked chairs to send her meeting dates so that it can be published in the PIC
 newsletter.

PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.

Sylvester made a motion to adjourn. Burton seconded. Motion passed unanimously.



ANNOUNCEMENTS/UPDATES

Next PIC Meeting: Wednesday, January 28, 2025, at 6:15 pm in the community room and on
Zoom.

Meeting Adjournment: 7:46 p.m.




 PIC December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes, DRAFT. Page 5