Castine Select Board Approves Food Vendor, Weighs Off-Neck Fire Station

The Castine Select Board approved a new mobile vending application for Salt and Cedar Kitchen and discussed food truck policy and a possible off-neck fire station during its September 29 work session. Residents from Wilson Point Road pressed the board on fire protection and insurance concerns, and the board agreed to hold a future work session with fire department leadership.

Key points

• The board approved a mobile vending unit application for Natalie Griffith's Salt and Cedar Kitchen, with Amy Guthoff seconding and both Guthoff and Dan Beder voting aye.
• Town office staff reported the extended Wednesday hours until 5 p.m. are working well, with late-day traffic picking up after a slow start.
• Board members discussed whether to create guidelines for selecting food trucks as applications increase, and agreed to seek public feedback on the town's food truck offerings.
• Wilson Point Road residents said roughly 45 homes sit outside the five-mile radius from the fire station, leaving them classified as unprotected by insurers, and one resident said his insurer refused coverage over the distance.
• Board members said they lacked information on logistics, staffing, and cost, and agreed to gather more data before deciding on any off-neck fire station.
• The board reviewed a recent infrastructure presentation that identified about $30 million in town needs, with member discussion of prioritizing projects during the budget cycle.

Next steps

• Schedule a special work session with Fire Chief Stearns and other fire department leadership to discuss off-neck fire protection.
• Invite an insurance industry representative to a future session for perspective on ratings and premiums.
• Gather more information on how other towns handle similar coverage gaps before the next work session.
• Seek public feedback on food truck offerings, possibly through a survey or email comments.
• Reach out to congressional candidates to invite both to a public meet and greet in Castine.

Read the full transcript