Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce joins group suing the town over cruise ship visits

BAR HARBOR, May 26, 2023 - The local chamber of commerce, which receives taxpayers support, has joined APPLL Maine, the group of businesses actively suing the town over its cruise ship visitation cap, Chamber President Gary “Bo” Jennings confirmed this week in an email responding to questions from the QSJ.

He also confirmed the chamber accepted the Association to Preserve and Protect Local Livelihood’s application for membership in the chamber.

“The Chamber Board did deliberate for a few months on joining APPLL (and if it was something we should do), in which we ultimately did, in support of their Bar Harbor Welcomes All campaign,” stated Jennings, who is running for Town Council. Jennings is the manager of the Side Street Cafe on Rodick Street.

“The Chamber Board made it clear to APPLL that the Chamber is not affiliated with the lawsuit, as the suit was filed several months before we joined. We were assured by the APPLL Board that the Chamber is not a part of the lawsuit.  The Chamber Board also noted (during our vote to join APPLL's Bar Harbor Welcomes All efforts) that we would be evaluating our membership quarterly, as a checks and balances to a new organization.”  

Asked if he felt conflicted as a candidate, Jennings stated, “The ethics ordinance, as well as potential/perceived/actual conflicts of interest, are both at the forefront of conversations with (and between) candidates.  I do not feel conflicted as a candidate, as I support Bar Harbor Welcomes All. 

“I even told the APPLL Board, when they presented this campaign, that I was mad they came up with it first.  That would be an amazing campaign for Visit Bar Harbor!  But more importantly than that, Bar Harbor Welcomes All should be the town slogan. The town is a welcoming place for all regardless of race, religion, physical ability, gender preference, or means of arrival, and we should always work to remain as such.

“APPLL is trying to wrap itself around the American flag,” said Charlies Sidman, who successfully led the citizens petition drive resulting in a new ordinance capping daily cruise visitors at 1,000. Sidman is now running for town council.

One elected town official said the “Bar Harbor Welcomes All” campaign is a “red herring,” typical of Right-Wing tactics to manufacture issues - in this case to suggest racial and gender discrimination.

Another, council member Joe Minutolo, said Bar Harbor has always been a welcoming community. “We had a Black Lives Matter sign in front of the shop for years and only removed it when the letters got too faded,” said Minutolo, who owns a bike shop on Cottage Street.

Sidman said the cruise ship visitation issue is solely about the inability of the town to manage the record volume of tourists and has nothing to do with the ethnicity and gender of the visitors.

The board vote to join APPLL was 7 in favor, 2 opposed and one recusal, said Chamber Director Everal Eaton. The chamber did not formally inform its membership of its actions, Eaton said. “We’re not hiding anything, but we haven’t sent out any communication” about the vote.

Jennings stated, “Concerning the lawsuit itself, any new council member would not be directing the suit in any form or fashion.

“Since I am not a part of the lawsuit, I will be able to step in and serve all residents by enacting the results of the suit.  I have also stated publicly that if elected, I would step down from the Chamber Board. 

“I understand that it may be tough for some people to make the distinction between supporting an organization's campaign and a lawsuit they filed. I acknowledge that difficulty. In the end, some people may not believe me. All I can do is be honest, and leave it up to the voters to decide.”

Voters at the annual town meeting June 6 will get a chance to decide whether to continue their support for the chamber, including an extra $17,400 in FY24 which the Warrant Committee recommended for adoption but not the town council.

Three Warrant Committee members are loud, public supporters of cruise ships, including one, Eben Salvatore, who is a named plaintiff in the suit against the town and operates the passenger tender service for hotelier Ocean Properties.

If voters reject the Warrant Committee recommendation of $83,260, they will then vote on the council recommendation which breaks down as the following:

Fourth of July events, $15,760

Village Holiday Decorations, $6,000

Seaside Cinema, $1,500

Wayfinding Services to control foot traffic from cruise ships, $42,600.

The chamber board is dominated by businesses which directly benefit from the cruise ship visits. APPL Maine’s board is made up principally by restaurant owners in the direct walking path of the cruise ship passenger tender dock.

The chamber has several non-profit members which also receive town support. Another member is the Islander, the weekly newspaper.

The United States Chamber of Commerce is the largest lobbying group in the country with a reputation for supporting conservative Republican causes.

The Chamber of Commerce was an opponent of the Obama administration during Barack Obama's eight years in power.

During the 2010 campaign cycle, the Chamber spent $32 million, 93 percent of which was to help Republican candidates, according to Wikipedia. The Chamber's spending out of its general funds was criticized as illegal under campaign finance laws. In a front-page article titled "Large Donations Aid U.S. Chamber in Election Drive", The New York Times reported that the Chamber used contributions in campaigns without separating foreign and domestic contributions, which if true would appear to contravene prohibitions on lobbying by foreign nations and groups.