Dexter council approves grant for airport terminal building

DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council approved another piece of funding for a project to replace the terminal building and improve the site at the Dexter Regional Airport. A Department of Transportation/Federal Aviation Administration grant for just over $300,000 was formally OKed during a June 8 meeting.

Town Manager Trampas King said this is “the second grant of four that will do the terminal building, the access road to get to it, the apron in front of the building, and more.”

Earlier this year the council selected DP Porter Contractors of Hermon for the airport project. The business’ low bid was approximately $1.59 million. The terminal building costs would be approximately $1 million and other work includes driveway and parking area paving.

Last year the council agreed in October to a $25,000 purchase and sales agreement with the Dexter Aero Club for its terminal building. The transaction will enable a new 800-square-foot structure to replace the existing 50-year-old, 200-square-foot terminal building. 

The Dexter Aero Club rents space at its hangar, and would continue to do so at a to-be-built structure at the airport. The council has agreed to a 10-year lease at $100 annual rate with the group for an airport site.

In other business, the council approved a medical marijuana retail license for Delta Solutions. 

Last month, for the second time in 2023, councils amended the  ordinance on marijuana businesses. This came two months after permitting medical marijuana facilities and adult use marijuana products manufacturing facilities.

The latest ordinance adjustment changed the word “license” to “shall issue” to read “the municipal officers shall license no more than two (2) marijuna businesses.” The amendment is intended to clear up some inconveniences for the medical marijuana establishments. 

Under the March ordinance amendment the two types of facilities are now permitted, provided all necessary state and local authorizations and permits have been obtained. Previously both had been limited to marijuana extraction only. The extraction process removes active ingredients from the plant to create a more refined and potent form of cannabis.

In January the council renewed the medical marijuana manufacturing license for Delta Solutions, which wanted to do more than simply marijuana extraction, such as packaging, formatting, and edibles at its 399 Corinna Road facility. The business requested its ordinance to be amended to no longer say “marijuana extraction only.”

King also said the council is going to need to have some discussions with representatives from the First Universalist Church of Dexter, which is located right in the heart of town on Spring Street. 

“They are dwindling and they are asking for help to figure out what they can do with that church,” King said. “They have asked to work with us as much as possible.” The town manager mentioned church representatives have contacted the Dexter Revitalization Committee too.

King said the Unitarian Universalist Association church has about 16 members and they are looking at what financial help could be out there. He said he would hate to see the structure torn down and the site become a parking lot. 

The town manager said it would be too expensive for the municipality to take over ownership, but suggested a committee be formed to work with the church to explore options for the future.

“I think it’s an icon in our town, when you look at old pictures of our town that’s what you see,” King said, mentioning the nearby town hall and Abbott Memorial Library also appear in images throughout the history of Dexter.

Council Chairperson Andrew Bermudez said the First Universalist Church does have some structural issues that will need to be addressed. He mentioned in Dover-Foxcroft the aging Central Hall was refurbished into what today is the Central Hall Commons.

“It’s something we need to think about and if you have ideas, please run them by me,” King said.