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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-24 City Council Minutes MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—NOVEMBER 24, 2025 Meeting called to order at 7:00 PM Chaired by Council Chair Hawes Councilors Absent:None Meeting adjourned at 8:01 PM PROCLAMATION Proclaimed November as National i�eterans and Military Families Month PUBLIC COMMENT Joe Bowman wanted to see remote participation restored Scott Pardy spoke regarding the unhoused community. Hilari Simmons felt there needed to be programs for the unhoused along with accountability for actions. Jason Drake stated there was a drug problein on Hudson Street that is being ignorec� He owns a business in Penobscot Plaza and his staff does not feel safe to park in the back of the building. CONSENT AGENDA ASSIGNED TO ITEMNO. COUNCILOR *Explanatory Note:All items Zisted in the Consent Agenda are considered routine and are proposed for adoption by the City Council by one motion without discussion or deliberation.Any member of the public may request that the Council remove an item from the Consent Agenda for discussion. An item will only be removed if a City Councilor requests its removal to New Business. Councilor Beck requested Council Order 26-020 be moved to New Business. MINUTES OF: Bangor City Council Special Meeting of November 3,2025, Organizational Meeting of November 10,2025 and Regular Meeting of November 10,2025, Government Operations Committee Meeting of October 6,2025 and Finance Co`nmittee Meeting of November 17,2025 Action: Approved 26-012 ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed FALOON for Real Estate Located at Il James Street Action: Passed 26-013 ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed WALKER ' for Real Estate Located at 183 Parkview Avenue Action: Passed 26-014 ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed CARSON for Real Estate Located at 536 Union Street Action: Passed Page 1 MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—NOVEMBER 24,2025 CONSENT AGENDA ASSIGNED TO ITEMNO. COUNCILOR 26-01 S ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a 1Vlunicipal Quitclaim Deed MALLAR for Real Estate Located at 745 Hammond Street Action: Passed 26-016 ORDER Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed LEONARD for Real Estate Located at 1818 Ohio Street Action: Passed 26-017 ORDER Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Collective DEANE Bargaining Agreement between the City of Bangor and AFSCME Council 93,Representing Ramp Attendants and Shift Leads Action: Passed 26-018 ORDER Accepting the Director of Engineering's Report and FISH Ordering Discontinuance of a Portion ojMiller Street, Westerly of Hildreth Street Action: Passed 26-019 ORDER Accepting the Director of Engineering's Report and LEONARD Ordering Discontinuance of a Portion of Gilman Road, Northwesterly ofStillwaterAvenue, West End of Gilman Road Action: Passed 26-021 ORDER Authorizing an Amendment to the EmploymentAgreements FISH of City Assessor Philip Drew and City Clerk Lisa Goodwin Action: Passed 26-022 RESOL VE Ratifying the City Manager's Action to Apply for a DEANE Passenger Facility Charge Application to the Federal Aviation Administration for Collection of$16,449,413 to Provide Funding for the Transportation Security Administration Terrninal Security Screening Checkpoint Expansion Action: Passed Page 2 MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—NOVEMBER 24, 2025 REFERRALS TO COMMITTEE AND FIRST READING ASSIGNED TO ITEMNO. COUNCILOR 26-023 ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 165,Land Development Code,District DEANE Map to Re-zone a Property Located at 38 Blue Hill East from Urban Service District to High Density Residential Action: First Reading and Referral to Planning Board Meeting on Decenzber 2, 2025 26-024 ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 165,Land Development Code,District FALOON Map to Re-zone a Property Located at l95 Thatcher Street from Industry and Service District to Urban Industry District Action: First Reading and Referral to Planning Board Meeting on December 2,2025 26-025 ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 165,Land Development Code,District WALKER Map to Re-zone a Property Located at 557 Hammond Street from Contract Urban Service District to Urban Service District without Contract Conditions Action: First Reading and Referral to Planning Board Meeting on Dece`rzber 2, 2025 26-026 RESOLVE Accepting andAppropriating$16,449,413 in Passenger BECK Facility Charge Funds to Expand and Relocate the Transportation Security Administration Terminal Security Screening Checkpoint Action: First Reading UNFINISHED BUSINESS ASSIGNED TO ITEMNO. COUNCILOR 26-009 RESOLVE Accepting a$7,500 Donation from Fidelity Charitable on BECK Behalf of the Lise and Myles Striar Charitable Fund to Provide for Bangor Residents In Need of Assistance through the Department of Public Health 8c Community Services Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Passed Page 3 MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—NOVEMBER 24, 2025 NEWBUSINESS ASSIGNED TO ITEMNO. COUNCILOR 26-020 ORDER Accepting the Director of Engineering's Report and Ordering BECK Discontinuance of a Portion of Pushaw Road,Northeasterly of Finson Road Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Motion made and seconded to amend by substitution to replace ExhibitA (map) with the ExhibitA (map)that has been provided to the Council. Motion to Amend Passed Motion made and seconded for Passage as Amended Passed as Amended 26-027 ORDER Authorizing a Commission on Cultural Development Grant of LEONARD $I,S00 to BangorAuthors'Collaborative for the 4th Annual Bangor Authors'Fair and Literary Festival and the Holiday Literary Kick-Off Party Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Motion Doubted Tjote: 8—I Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon, Fish, Leonard, Walker,Hawes Councilors Voting No:Mallar Passed 26-028 ORDER Authorizing a Commission on Cultural Development Grant of FISH $3,000 to Bangor Symphony Orchestra for the Music& Wellness Program Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Passed 26-029 ORDER Authorizing a Commission on Cultural Development Grant of CARSON $2,500 to Penobscot Theatre Company for the Production of Two Plays(Almost,Maine and Darker the Night,Brighter the Stars) Action: Motion rnade and seconded for Passage Passed 26-030 ORDER Authorizing a Commission on Cultural Development Grant of FALOON $I,S00 to Robinson Balletfor the Production of Play! Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Passed Page 4 MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING BANGOR CITY COUNCIL—NOVEMBER 24, 2025 NEW BUSINESS ASSIGNED TO ITEM ND. COUNCILOR 26-03I ORDER Authorizing a Commission on Cultural Development Grant of LEONARD $2,000 to Some Theatre Company for the Purchase and Installation of New LED Stage Lighting Equipment Action: Motion made and seconded for Passage Motion Doubted Vote: 7—2 Councilors Voting Yes:Beck, Carson,Deane, Faloon, Fish, Leonard, Walker Councilors Voting No:Mallar,Hawes Passed ATTEST: � Lis J. Good an,MMC, Ciry Clerk Page S �: A Call to Action: Embracing the Service Community in Bangor (3 Minute Speech to Bangor City Council) Good evening, esteemed members of the City Council. I am here tonight to discuss a visible, complex, and deeply human issue in our city: the concentration of our homeless population in specific areas. I want to frame this concentration not as a problem to be moved, but as an expected outcome of necessary services, and to urge this Council to accept this reality and, together, strategically figure out how to make it work for the benefit of all our citizens. What is a "Service Community"? (1 Minute) A "service community," in the context of homelessness, is a geographic area—often the downtown or a central district—where the essential support structures for people experiencing homelessness are intentionally or historically concentrated. It is a hub where all the necessary, life-sustaining resources converge. • It is not a choice,but a necessity. Homeless individuals gather here because this is where they can efficiently access multiple, critical services. • In Bangor,this hub includes places like the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Hope House, various warming and day centers operated by organizations like Brick Church and The Well, and key points of transportation and public access. • These are the locations for hot meals, a bed for the night, showers, case management appointments, addiction treatment, mental healthcare, and vital government assistance like General Assistance. They are also often where low-cost accommodation is historically located. The very success of our local service providers in building a network of support guarantees that people in need will gather near them. It is the natural and logical result of providing help. Why They Gather Here in Bangor (1 Minute) Our neighbors who are unhoused gather here for three fundamental, logistical reasons: 1. Efficiency of Survival: When survival is a daily struggle,you must minimize travel time and cost. Having the shelter,the soup kitchen,the day center, and the healthcare provider within a short walking distance is a matter of life or death, especially in our harsh Maine winters. They need a central hub to access the coordinated care that moves people toward stable housing. 2. Safety and Community: This concentration is also where they find their community, their social network, and a greater degree of visibility and perceived safety. They gather near the resources and near others who understand their experience. 3. Daytime Access: Many shelters, like the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, require guests to check out in the morning. This means people must spend their day somewhere safe, .� . warm, and close to resources—driving them straight to the day centers and public spaces within the service community. This congregation is therefore not an act of defiance, but an unavoidable act of human survival in response to the very system we have built to help them. A Path Forward: Acceptance and Integration (1 Minute) Councilors, we have two paths: We can attempt to disperse this community, which would only make survival harder, scatter essential services, and strain police and emergency response as people move to less visible, less safe areas. Or, we can choose the intelligent, compassionate, and strategic path: to accept the service community model and commit to making it a functional, integrated part of our city. I urge you to adopt a policy that recognizes and plans for the concentration of services and the population they serve. This means: • Accepting the footprint of the service community and focusing city resources—from code enforcement to sanitation and public safety—to proactively manage the environment,rather than reactively trying to push people away. • Committing to partnership with our non-profit service providers to strategically enhance resources within this area, ensuring adequate daytime space, public restrooms, and clear pathways to permanent housing. • Seeing this as an investment—not a cost. A well-managed service community is an expression of our city's compassion and a vital step toward reducing homelessness for the entire region. The cost savings alone will be displayed at our next meerting. Thank you.