Four candidates are running for two open seats on the Rockport Select Board. Three are competing for two three-year seats, and one is running for a one-year term that opened up when James Annis stepped down last winter for health reason.

The three running for the two open seats are Denise K. Munger, Delores Michelle Hannan and Tiffany Ford. John Viehman is the only candidate running for the one-year term.

Elections take place June 11 at the polls at annual town meeting.

Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their positions on issues. Here, candidate Michelle Hannan responds:

 

Please provide a brief biography of yourself, explain why you decided to seek a seat on the Select Board, and what you are hoping to accomplish.

I am a lifelong resident of Rockport. I grew up on Union Street and moved to West Rockport in 1986.

I am a 1990 graduate of Camden Rockport High School and graduated in 2020 from the University of Maine at Presque Isle with my bachelor’s in business administration after a 30-year pursuit, while working full time in the financial services industry.  My family roots in Rockport go back to the 1940s when my grandparents (Gagne) purchased their first home on Mechanic Street and then lived on Pascal Avenue, and later in West Rockport.

Growing up in Rockport was special and that is why I have never left! I live with my husband Bob in West Rockport.

I previously served on the Select Board from 2020-2023 , acting as Chair in 2022 and 2023. I took a brief step back to deal with some personal health challenges but am ready to serve my community again.

I am active member of the community, participating in the Keep Rockport Beautiful Committee, the Rockport 125 Celebration Committee, and First Responders Appreciation Luncheons for our First Responders in Knox County.  In addition, I have been part of the Maine Lobster Festival as a volunteer for the last 30 years.

My mission and my priorities are simple: Be mindful of expenses, continue to support our residents to ensure they have the appropriate services, and ensure we are investing and taking care of the resources we have today, to avoid costly repairs and updates in the future.

Rockport has been my home for 52 years and my goals is to continue to serve the community in a fair and open manner. I also look forward to working with our community members and our neighbors in Camden and Rockland to help collaborate more on common issues.  
 

What are Rockport’s greatest strengths, and how do you hope to support them?
I feel our greatest strengths have always been our residents. We are a diverse group of people, many with roots that run generations deep that only want the best for the town. We have retirees that have chosen Rockport for its beautiful harbors and safe community, and we have working families that really want to be able to stay in Rockport for generations.

We want Rockport to continue to operate as it has in the past. We know we need modern equipment and services, but we also want to be able to continue to afford to live here.  We have a great group of leaders in this town who have also grown up in Rockport or who have invested a significant amount of time here that have the town’s best interest in mind.
 

What are Rockport’s greatest issues to address?

Affordable housing continues to plague Rockport. It is nearly impossible for a working family to be able to afford a house in Rockport and rentals seem to be non-existent. We need to look for ways to make development easier and more attractive in Rockport to help ease this challenge. We also need to continue to look for ways to decrease tax burden on our residents. We need to maintain what we have built and question all additional expenditures to avoid continued tax increases.

Rockport has a $33,667 million project proposal on the June 11, 2024 Town Meeting Warrant to construct a wastewater recovery facility on the Pen Bay Medical Center campus, and extend the sewer line on Route 90 to the intersection of Route 17.

On the ballot as well is a citizen initiative that opposes the aforementioned project; instead, a group of Camden and Rockport residents has been advocating that the two towns convene a citizen-led task force representing both towns to study the costs and benefits of continuing to work with Camden on wastewater treatment. They suggest a municipal collaboration, citing Midcoast Solid Waste, the public school system, and the two-town police department as cooperative examples of.

What is your position on this issue?

I would like nothing more than to have open dialog with Camden and tried that from the very start when I was the Chair.

Rockport has been put in a very difficult position and we have been advised we can no longer use Camden’s system. Mediation did not provide the desired outcome and we are in a very tough situation with the clock continuing to tick.  There have since been changes to the Select Board members on both sides and I believe we are all reasonable people that can have discussions.  I would like to help foster those discussions and help get us to a solution that works for all involved.  

Our wastewater users should not pay the same rate as a Camden user, we need to find them some relief in these exorbitant quarterly bills, and we need to work together. 

The wastewater task force did a great job in looking for options for the town. We are very fortunate to have a great group of volunteers that are looking for solutions to a very daunting and expensive task. It is a big expense which hopefully can be covered with some grants, but we need to look to Rockport’s future and the ability to grow.  Route 90 expansion could help lead to additional affordable housing options and continued business growth.

We will not be able to accomplish that without our own system or improving the relationships and growing and investing in Camden’s system. I am open to any options, but we need to be realistic and not wait much longer to act.
 

There was initial discussion this past winter of placing ordinance amendments before voters that would regulate short term rentals in Rockport. Do you want to institute STR regulations, and if so, what would they look like?

I do not support Short Term Rental restrictions. As a Rockport property owner for over 30 years, I do not believe additional municipal rules and scrutiny is the answer to affordable and employee housing. Many of the short-term rentals in Rockport are homes owned by families for generations that will never be rented full time. Property owners should maintain the flexibility to utilize their property as they wish with the financial assistance needed to maintain their family’s legacy by offering their home for rent on a short-term basis.

The voters clearly told us before that they did not want Short Term Rental restrictions and from speaking to many of them, I know their opinions have not changed. 
 

As a Select Board member, how will you help ensure all villages (Rockville, Glen Cove, Simonton Corner, West Rockport and Rockport Village) all receive equal attention and investment by the town? 

I have a unique perspective. I have grown up in this community and I currently live in West Rockport. It is absolutely at the top of my mind for every investment to consider how it benefits everyone, not just those that reside in the village of Rockport. We need to continue to balance the investment and potential increases to taxes and the impacts that it has amongst everyone, regardless of how much in taxes you are paying. Any increase in taxes is a financial burden, especially to those living paycheck to paycheck or are on fixed incomes.
 

What is your opinion of the draft Sewall Transportation Infrastructure Study for Rockport that proposes concrete suggestions for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety in Rockport Village, and building a pathway to the Camden Hills Regional High School? Do you support these infrastructure improvements, and investing in them?

While I think this is an important initiative, it is going to take some major funding commitments from Maine DOT or private donors.  Living on Route 90 I can attest that it is not safe for pedestrians to walk or bike and providing a pathway to the High School would be a great asset, but I don’t think it is something the town can heavily invest in now with the other significant projects underway.

In an era of drug overdoses, mental health emergencies, retail theft incidents and increased reliance on public safety resources, how will you, as a Select Board member, work to keep your town safe?

We absolutely have to invest in our police and fire departments. These are tough jobs that are increasingly getting harder and harder to fill.  Local agencies are offering sign on bonuses and higher pay, and it is a very competitive environment. We ask our men and women to put their lives on the line every day and to save lives, yet we pay some of them less than what they could make working a retail job. 

At budget time there is always a lot of scrutiny on expenses and overtime and salaries, yet if we were in an emergency situation we would pay anything for a positive outcome. Emergency Services is a big topic of discussion and let’s face it, it is a tremendous expense. We have to continue to look at opportunities to collaborate, but we have to protect our residents.
 

Are Rockport’s land use ordinances and current zoning districts effectively ensuring sustainable growth in town?

There have been a large number of changes to our zoning and land use ordinances over the past few years, but I think there is still room for some further improvements.  We need to make it easier to build business in Rockport and the Economic Development Committee is committed to understanding what it will take to make this happen.  

We also need to make it easier for landowners with larger tracts of land to understand options for potentially dividing their lots which not only benefits the owner financially but also benefits our town by providing additional development opportunities.
 

How do you see Rockport fitting into the greater regional economy and culture?

We need to look for opportunities to bring more business to Rockport to help with our overall tax base and help decrease expenses to our residents. We need to make it easy to do business here.  There has also been a lot of great work done in activities and events to bring our neighbors to our beautiful harbor and Opera House.  I would love to see this continue.
 

What is the importance of local government, and how do you see yourself, as a Select Board member, in it?

Local government is a critical component, but it is imperative to have people on the Select Board that do not have personal agendas. The Board needs to be comprised of people that are truly representing the residents, listening, and making decision based on the best outcome for all.

What municipal committee(s) would you like to be a liaison to, and why?

All the committees are valuable, and I am pleased to serve on any of them. Some of our existing members have been engaged in their committees for several years and there is no reason to disrupt that unless they are looking for a change.

Camden and Rockport now share a police chief and an assessor. Are there other cost-sharing arrangements that Rockport could do, with Camden or other towns, to spread the staffing responsibilities; e.g., share a planner? Public works director? Harbor Master? Police, fire and EMS?

We have had a lot of these discussion in the past and I think there is always opportunity for collaboration, while ensuring appropriate support and representation. The sharing of a Police Chief  and Assessor have been a great examples. I think to do more of this, we need to work on improving relationships further. 

How will you advocate for the Rockport taxpayer as you shape and govern a municipal budget, and juggle various interests that request municipal funding throughout the year?

We need to focus on priorities including investing in our existing infrastructure to avoid costly repairs in the future.  We must be mindful of expense as we can’t do it all at once.  Sometimes we may need to say “No for now” until we are in a better financial position in the future and can revisit.
Free space! Is there anything else you'd like to say to the voters that we haven’t considered?

I would very much appreciate your consideration. I am committed to our community and hope to represent you.