Sugarloaf on the hook to pay back 150k

[loafman207]

https://themainemonitor.org/sugarloaf-tax-dispute/

“Franklin County is asking Maine’s largest ski resort to repay roughly $150,000 in taxpayer money that officials say was improperly charged for an infrastructure project that fell apart.

At a March meeting, commissioners voted to ask their attorney for paths to recoup more than $150,000 from Sugarloaf after the county administrator suggested commissioners “lawyer up” in a dispute that is straining the county’s relationship with one of its largest private employers and main attractions.

The county agreed in 2020 to subsidize a project by Sugarloaf that would have dammed the south branch of the Carrabassett River at its source, Caribou Pond, which lies in a small, wooded basin about six miles south of the resort’s entrance.

The dam would have created a reservoir for the resort to use as a water source for snowmaking. More artificial snow for warm winters would mean a more consistent tourism trade. Snowmaking is increasingly important for the bottom lines of ski resorts across the northeast as climate change makes weather patterns less stable and predictable.

In 2023, County Administrator Amy Bernard said Sugarloaf officials told her the project, which would have required construction deep in the woods along a dirt road that intersects with the busy Appalachian Trail, was no longer happening as planned.

But they kept charging the county anyway. She also found Sugarloaf had charged for expenses dating back to 2018, well before the agreement was made. Officials from Sugarloaf and from its parent company, Boyne Resorts, did not respond to Monday requests for comment.

SUBMIT
In late 2024, the county sent Sugarloaf an invoice for about $222,000, which would recover funds spent before the agreement was made and some money Bernard said was not related to the dam project. The resort has paid back around $69,000 despite repeated requests.

“I’ve asked them too many times [for repayment] for me to feel comfortable saying, ‘we’re just going to sit on this,’” Bernard said in March.

Sugarloaf had already contacted lawyers about the county’s requests, and she said the county should do the same. At her recommendation, commissioner Tom Saviello of Wilton said the county should pursue repayment “aggressively.”

Commission chair Bob Carlton, whose district includes Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, said on Monday that the resort had been “cooperative” in paying back some of the funds in the past.

“Now we just have to figure out how to move forward,” he said.

Whatever happens with the money from the Caribou Pond project, the county may hesitate to support Sugarloaf’s parent company, which operates 10 ski resorts across the continent.

“I wouldn’t recommend having a future project with Sugarloaf after this experience,” Bernard said. “Two years of asking them to pay money back seems excessive to me.””

Can we say we’re surprised?

[essslsclsact]

What is the other side to this dispute? There is usually two sides to these issues.

[High Ball]

Anyone know why this project just seemed to die ? I could have missed it, but I don't think there was any formal communication on this.

[heavysquad3]

What is the other side to this dispute? There is usually two sides to these issues.

They spent the money on planning and permitting?

Anyone know why this project just seemed to die ? I could have missed it, but I don't think there was any formal communication on this.

Only beavers are allowed to build dams in Maine

[bigelow]

I have no idea what the payment arrangements between the county and SL were.

Some of the details have left my head, but there were a lot of moving parts to making the project viable. I believe the road above the gate was one of the factors, it is in tough shape and expensive to bring it up. There was also something about the dam was outside of the CV town limits which limited the ability of the Town to provide funding assistance. And as always, permitting. There was potential for MTB trails up there if the project moved forward, so the bike club was tuned into progress back then

If you have time on your hands I believe you could follow along in the old Town meeting minutes.

[SpillwayEast]

It seems more often than not things gets messy when govt gets involved funding projects for private entities. Similar is going on in Eliot with TIF stuff with the founder of Shipyard..............do they even brew in maine anymore?

[gondicar]

Shipyard..............do they even brew in maine anymore?

While **Shipyard Brewing Company** is historically rooted in and headquartered in **Portland, Maine**, where it brews its small-batch and experimental beers, the majority of its large-scale commercial production is handled through a network of partnerships and multi-state facilities.

Depending on the volume and where you purchase the beer, it is actually brewed in a few different locations:

### 1. Portland, Maine (Small-Batch & Pilot Brews)
Shipyard maintains its original presence and public tasting room on the waterfront in downtown Portland (at 27 Hancock Street).

* **What's brewed here:** This location features a 5-barrel pilot brewing system. It is used exclusively for crafting small-batch, limited-edition releases, and testing out new recipes (such as their "Discovery Series") before they scale up.

### 2. New England Regional Production
For the massive volume required to supply the regional and national market (including staples like Export Ale and Pumpkinhead), Shipyard relies on high-capacity manufacturing.

* **New Hampshire Facility:** Much of their primary large-scale production and packaging transitioned to a massive multi-million dollar co-packing and contract brewing facility developed in Hooksett, New Hampshire. This facility handles high-volume brewing and canning alongside various other beverage brands.

### 3. Florida Production (The Southern Market)
Because Shipyard has a massive footprint and a dedicated following in the Southeast, shipping heavy liquid all the way from New England isn't logistically or environmentally ideal.

* **Brew Theory (Orlando, Florida):** Shipyard operates under a strict contract-brewing and licensing agreement with Brew Theory, a specialized 12,000-square-foot contract brewing facility in downtown Orlando. Brew Theory replicates Shipyard’s exact recipes to produce, package, and distribute their portfolio specifically for the Florida and southeastern markets.

### 4. International Production (The UK Market)
Shipyard is incredibly popular overseas and has historically ranked as one of the top-selling American craft beer brands in the United Kingdom.

* **Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (United Kingdom):** Rather than brewing the beer in the U.S. and shipping it across the Atlantic, Shipyard has a long-standing licensing and trading agreement where their flagship beers are brewed directly in the UK to ensure freshness for the British market.

So, while the heart, history, and experimental "pilot" brewing remain firmly in Portland, the actual pint or six-pack you buy at a store is most likely brewed at a high-capacity partner facility in New Hampshire or Florida.