The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2026-03-09 26-107 Ordinance 26-107 MARCH 9, 2026 �� CITY COUNCIL ACTION yi,�'`�'�' p� Council Meeting Date: March 9, 2026 �`��,� � rY�� Item No: 26-107 � �-- � .;� �".�f^� ,��,;� .� Responsible Dept: City Manager �"��p��.'�'�� Action Requested: Ordinance Map/Lot: N/A Title, Ordinance Amending the Code of the City of Bangor to Create a Standing Committee on Homelessness Summary During City Council's annual priority setting session in December, City Council selected addressing homelessness as its top priority for the coming year. In subsequent discussions, Council coalesced around the creation of a standing committee to help advise Council on its approach to addressing homelessness. This standing committee would include a mix of experts in homelessness, individuals with lived experience with homelessness or housing instability, peer municipalities, and community members impacted by homelessness issues. Supplemental expertise would be provided by the City's Homeless Response Coordinator and other experts from the City's Department of Public Health &Community Services, Community & Economic Development, School Department, and Public Safety. The Committee's initial charge is to create a strategic plan for the City's response to homelessness that is data driven, evidence informed, and that considers regional and structural coordination. Following completion of this initial charge, the Committee's mission is broadened to more expansively consider issues impacting homelessness including better regional and structural coordination, identifying and quantifying gaps, recommending sustainable funding strategies, reviewing state legislative proposals, reviewing and providing feedback on items coming before Council and community stakeholder engagement. Committee Action Committee: Government Operations Meeting Date: March 2, 2026 Action: Recommend for passage For: 5 Against: 0 Staff Comments &Approvals o�� City Manager City Solicitor Finance Director Introduced for: First Reading 26-107 MARCH 9, 2026 CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE �,��w'� ..��,��p, �`' ��a "�� '''� Date: March 9, 2026 ��' � � ; .,,.�� -� �� Assigned to Councilor: Fish �,� ��7�WlV F["�. ORDINANCE, Amending the Code of the City of Bangor to Create Standing Committee on Homelessness BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR AS FOLLOWS, THAT The Code of the City of Bangor is amended as follows: t r 3 r s, i s n issi ns Article VII Advisory Committee on Homelessness & 23-47. Committee establishment; membershia; and mission. A. There is hereby established the Advisory Committee on Homelessness. The Committee's initial task will be to create a strateaic plan for the City's response to homelessness that is data driven, evidence informed, and that considers reaional and structural coordination. After the completion of this initial task, the Committee will broaden its scope to include more broadly developina and advisina Council on strateaies and policies to prevent and end homelessness. B. The Committee shall consist of nine reaular votina members appointed by the City Council. All members shall be at-larae members. The Council shall work to include members with a wide variety of perspectives and interests on the Committee, such as, but not limited to: (1) Local service provider(� with experience manaaina shelters or other housina types for the unhoused population in Banaor. (2) Local service provider(� that provide direct service outreach to the unhoused population in Banaor. (3) Local service provider(� with experience providina mental health treatment or support to the unhoused population in Banaor. (4) Local service provider(� with experience providina treatment, includina medication assisted treatment� recovery, or harm reduction services or support to individuals that are unhoused and with substance use disorders. (5) Representatives of Northern Liaht EMMC, St. Joseph Healthcare, and/or Penobscot Community Health Center. (6) An individual that is a landlord with experience workina with individuals utilizina housina vouchers. (7) A Banaor business-owner impacted by the City's homelessness crisis. (8) Representatives of Penobscot County and/or surroundina municipalities. (9) Other experts in homelessness response or associated areas that Council believes contributes to the work of the Committee. C. The City shall solicit interest in Committee membership throuah a public application and nomination process. Applicants will be interviewed and recommended for appointment by the Personnel Committee and appointed by the City Council. 26-107 MARCH 9, 2026 D. The City Council recoanizes that solutions to homelessness must be informed by those who have lived it. Therefore, in makina appointments, the Council and the Personnel Committee shall consider applicants with current or past lived experiences of homelessness or housina instability as disclosed throuah self-identification with a non-bindinclaoal of at least three Committee members with lived experience. E. To ensure Committee recommendations are operationally viable, staff from the followina Cit� departments shall be assianed to serve as permanent Ex-Officio (non-voting) technical advisors: (� Public Health,�2) Community & Economic Development,�3) Public Safetx, and L) School Department. F. The Council Chair shall annually appoint a member of the City Council, as a non-votina member and a liaison between the Council and the Committee. This term shall expire on the first Monday in November followina the reaular City election, at which time the Chair for the ensuina vear shall make a new appointment. Anv liaison appointed mid-term shall onlv serve until the ne� such Mondav in November. § 23-48. Residency; salaries and compensation. Reaular members of the Committee shall be selected primarily on the basis of the auidelines outlined above� but preference may be aiven to appointina members who are residents of the City of Banaor and/or have lived experience with homelessness or housina instability. Committee members shall receive no compensation for their service. § 23-49. Terms of office. A. For initial appointment, Council shall appoint three representatives for a term of one year, three representatives for a term of two years, and three representatives for a term of three years. Thereafter, the term of each reaular member shall be for three years or until their successor has been appointed. B. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner for the unexpired term. & 23-50. Officers. The Committee shall annuallv elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Secretary from amona its votina members. § 23-51. Meetings; quarterly report; quorum; cause for removal. A. The Committee shall meet at least monthlx, but more frequent meetinas may occur. B. Beainnina three months followina the date of the first Committee meetinq, and quarterly thereafter, the Committee shall prepare and submit to the City Council a report outlinina its activities durina the precedincl calendar quarter. C. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the Committee's votina members and recommendations shall require at least five affirmative votes to pass. § 23-52. Mission. A. The Committee's initial charae is to create a strateaic plan for the City's response to homelessness that is data driven, evidence informed, and that considers reaional and structural coordination. Critical components will include specific strateaies for homelessness prevention, encampment response, and other necessary Cit�policies needed to effectively address homelessness within the City. The Committee shall submit a strateaic plan for Council review and adoption not later than twelve months from the Committee's first meetina. B. Followina the completion of the Committee's initial charae, the Committee's mission is to: (1) Consider and recommend ways to ensure better reaional and structural coordination on homelessness� which may include evaluatina the policies and ordinances in surroundina municipalities and at the county-level, advocatina for a fairer reaional sharina of investments, and evaluatina how the City can 26-107 MARCH 9, 2026 better alian with state-level efforts. (2) Recommend a sustainable municipal fundina strategy for the City's response to homelessness� includinq, but not limited to,�planninQ for chanQes to state and federal fundinQ to the existinQ voucher system, researchina and presentina creative and non-traditional fundina mechanisms, and reviewincl opportunities to leveraae existina and future City investments. (3) Review state leaislative proposals that impact homelessness and make recommendations to Council reaardina leaislative proposals that the City should consider supportina or opposina. The Committee may also make recommendations to Council reaardina leaislative proposals that the City should consider seekina sponsorshi� (4) Review, consider, and provide feedback on all items that Council refers to the Committee for this purpose. (5) Proactively enaaae the City's diverse community stakeholders to incorporate broad community input into the recommendations made to Council Additions underlined, deletions st�� IN CITY COUNCIL MARCH 9, 2026 COrd 26-107 First Reading � �.� ,�..� � �� :,w�,�N � ��.� . � ��;�� ,, CITY CLERK IN CITY COUNCIL MARCH 23, 2026 COrd 26-107 Motion made and seconded for Passage Vote: 9—0 Councilors Voting Yes: Beck, Carson, Deane, Faloon, Fish, Leonard, Mallar,Walker, Hawes Councilors Voting No: None Passed � �.� ,�..� � �� :,w�,�N � ��.� . � ��;�� ,, CITY CLERK