PRESQUE ISLE – Everyone on the City Council on Monday evening agreed that they wanted to help make “the Star City shine,” especially in the midst of a major downtown revitalization effort.

But funding the drive to brighten up the downtown sparked lengthy debate during the more than two-hour meeting, as councilors considered whether or not to apply for a 2008 Municipal Investment Trust Fund grant that could net the city up to $706,000 to use for downtown improvements.

Much of the debate centered on the fact that if the city receives the full $706,000, it would have to contribute a 50 percent match. Councilors eventually voted 6-1 to submit an application and come up with any potential matching funds by using existing municipal funds and seeking a 10-year loan. Some councilors objected, however, saying they felt city money could be better spent elsewhere.

City planner James Francomano told councilors during the meeting that the grant program had not been funded since 2004 and might not come along every year. This year, only $1.5 million is set aside for the entire state.

If the city secures the full amount of funding, it would use it to enhance the Braden Theater and Northeastland Hotel area and rear parking lot west of Main Street. The move would allow the city to make pedestrian improvements on Main Street while enhancing pedestrian linkages between off-street parking areas and Main Street sidewalks and crosswalks.

Councilor Mel Hovey said that while he had no doubt the project was important, he noted that there are other projects – such as repairing local roads and fixing City Hall – that also are vital.

“Is the downtown our first priority or do we have other priorities?” he asked other councilors.

Councilor Ron McPherson said he had received several phone calls about the issue, and noted that callers felt the city should put money into road repair.

Councilor Jennifer Trombley disagreed, saying she felt the grant would improve the downtown and reach out to affect other areas of the city because the tax value of properties in the downtown would increase if the area is revitalized.

“I really think this is in the best interest of the city overall and I’ll support it,” she said of submitting the grant application.

Councilor Ed Nickerson also said he felt sprucing up the downtown would benefit the city as a whole.

Sandy Gauvin, a member of the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, encouraged councilors to apply for the funding.

“We [the committee] have done all this work and you have been outstanding in supporting the downtown committee,” she said. “But if we don’t have the money to follow through with this, why did we go forward in the first place?”

Cathy Beaulieu, who operates Wilder’s Jewelry in the downtown, agreed.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime,” she said, noting that more businesses are opening in the downtown and business owners are investing more money in the area.

Most councilors speculated that the city would not get the full $706,000 award, since there is only $1.5 million to be spread across the state. Councilors agreed, however, to submit the application, with only Hovey opposed.

jlbdn@ainop.com

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