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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-04-20 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 5:15 P.M. City Council Chambers Via Zoom MEETING MINUTES BED Members Present:Fournier (C), Davitt, Dubay, Schaefer, Sprague Non-BED Members Present: Hawes, Nichols, Okafor, Tremble City Staff Present:Conlow, Emery, Krieg, O’Donnell, Saucier Chair Fournier called the meeting to order at 5:15 P.M. 1. Request for Banners – Pride Month a. Action requested: approval of staff recommendation to purchase a set of 13 pride progress banners to be displayed downtown in the month of June. The item will then move forward to City Council on April 26, 2021 for final approval. Councilor Davitt moves staff recommendation, seconded by Councilor Schaefer. Question about location of banner posts. Sarah Haas from HEAL joined the meeting and asked about doing flags (replacing the American flags). Ordinance prohibits it being on the flagpoles, yes.Councilor Nichols – the crosswalk – can it be the pride progress colors? Councilor Sprague asks about how this is different than flags, and why for the whole month of June. Councilor Schaefer notes that Bangor has a dark history with the equality and inclusiveness of LGBTQ+ community and she is in 100% support of this. Councilor Tremble asks about the total cost. $2,080. Roll call vote: Davitt yes, Dubay yes, Schaefer yes, Sprague yes, Fournieryes. 5-0 in favor, motion has passage. 2. C&L Aviation –Request for Extension of Development Agreement a. Action requested: approval of staff recommendation to approve the extension; the item will then move forward to City Council meeting of April 26, 2021 for final approval. Councilor Davittmoves staff recommendation, seconded by Councilor Dubay Roll call vote: Davitt yes, Dubay yes, Schaefer yes, Sprague yes, Fournier yes. 5-0 in favor, motion has passage. 3. Possible Modification to Land Development Code - Shopping and Personal Service District a. Action requested: feedback on draft language. Krieg gave an overview of the proposed change. Councilor Schaefer moved staff recommendation, seconded by Councilor Dubay. Roll call vote: Davitt yes, Dubay yes, Schaefer yes, Sprague yes, Fournier yes. 5-0 in favor, motion has passage. 4. Informational Updates: a. Buxton – we are beginning the third year of our three-year contract, and last week received our third list of matches. We are working on outreach to these matches as well as continued communication with previously- identified matches, relaying possible sites and relevant demographic changes. The match list includes very well-known national and regional businesses you would recognize. Councilor Tremble we should let the general business community know about the resource (via the Chamber?). b. Broadband – the RFP went live on the City’s website on April 14, and can be found here: https://bangormaine.gov/content/318/360/1271/default.aspx c.Federal funding request – City staff submitted a community project application for the 50 Cleveland Street commercial kitchen project to Congressman Golden’s office for consideration under the Financial Services and General Government category. Councilor Dubay asked how we would source the additional funding. The first $1 million would help do the kitchen portion and get it running, while staff continue to source funds for the rest of the project. Sprague expressed concern about not having a feasibility study or business plan completed for this project. Emery clarified the City would get it ready and look for partners to operate it, and several state and regional analyses indicate the need for a facility like this. Councilor Schaefer stated that government is not business and public interest and purpose may not always be the bottom line business case. Meeting adjourned at 5:51P.M.