Liquor license vote postponed at Penobscot’s special town meeting
The town may pursue acquiring the Hatch-Hutchins Cemetery through eminent domain
Oct. 13, 2026
By Lydia Hart
PENOBSCOT — On Saturday, Oct. 10, Penobscot held a public hearing and special town meeting to discuss several potential changes, including granting business owner Jamie MacNair a liquor license, which would allow for the opening of the town's first pub. But that issue was removed from the meeting docket because of problems with the posting.
Removal of liquor license vote
A two-part issue was revealed before the town hearing regarding the approval or dismissal of the liquor license.
The first was insufficient wording about the liquor license process in the article revealed to the public. By law, the town must use specific wording from the state statute in the written warrant article, said Harold Hatch, the chair of the Penobscot Select Board.
“Number two was, you have a public hearing, and then you have to have a minimum 10-day waiting period before you can vote on it,” he said.
While the town was planning to originally vote directly after the Oct. 10 meeting, Hatch said they now must schedule an additional public hearing, along with proper wording of the state statute, and then wait the minimum period before anyone can vote on the license.
The town and MacNair are in talks to reschedule the public meeting, and the public will be notified once the meeting is officially rescheduled.
The Hatch-Hutchins Cemetery
The Hatch-Hutchins Cemetery in North Penobscot only has nine people buried in it. Photo by Lydia Hart.
The town of Penobscot owns one cemetery, the Bay Cemetery, but it no longer has any available plots. To resolve the issue, the town of Penobscot would like to acquire the Hatch-Hutchins Cemetery in North Penobscot through eminent domain.
Hatch clarified to meeting attendees that the cemetery in question has not been on the tax rolls since at least 1890. No one has been buried in the cemetery for more than a century, according to the town’s cemetery record.
The town voted to grant the Select Board permission to pursue acquiring the Hatch-Hutchins Cemetery, which is located in North Penobscot along Rte. 15.
