Bangor City Council Meeting Summaries for December 8, 2025

Disclaimer: The views I express here are my own and should NOT be construed as speaking for the City of Bangor or the City Council of Bangor.

City Council Workshop

You can read the meeting agenda here.

Bangor Housing Authority Update

Bangor Housing provided an overview of the agency’s current projects, shifting strategies, and specific needs from the city.

• Organizational Mission: Bangor Housing describes itself as being in the “people business” rather than just the housing business, with a primary goal to reduce or eliminate generational poverty for over 200 residents.
• Development Projects:
  • Senior Housing: Fifty units are under construction at the end of Sunset Avenue, with a second “brother-sister” project of 50 units planned for the same land. The strategy is to move seniors into these units to free up single-family homes for young families.
  • Home for Good: A project located at 55 Cleveland (extending toward Main Avenue) will provide 30 permanent units for the chronically homeless.
    • Services: It will include 24/7 on-site services provided by Preble Street.
    • Design: The single-story building will feature 400 sq. ft. efficiency apartments designed for line-of-sight monitoring to ensure safety and prevent unauthorized guests.
    • Timeline: Construction is slated to begin mid-2026 and finish by mid-2027.
• Operational Changes:
  • Voucher Programs: The agency administers over 400 housing choice vouchers, representing a $4 million annual investment in local landlords.
  • Divestment from Public Housing: They are moving away from traditional public housing (Section 9) toward private-based ownership with project-based vouchers (Section 8). This allows them to borrow against assets for upgrades, such as a planned $3 million loan for Griffin Park improvements.
• Specific Requests to Council:
  • Traffic Calming: Requested traffic calming measures on Davis Road near the splash pad and opportunity center due to speeding concerns.
  • Board Membership: Requested the Council appoint board commissioners from surrounding towns (Herman, Hampden, Glenburn) to fill vacancies, as allowed by state statute.
  • Infrastructure: Noted a need for sidewalks on six or seven streets within the Capehart neighborhood.

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Railroad Encampment & Homelessness Response

The second half of the workshop focused on the impending closure of the railroad encampment and broader strategies for the unhoused population.

• Encampment Status:
  • Deadline: The target date for clearing the encampment remains December 19.
  • Railroad Involvement: The railroad has expressed safety concerns regarding snow and proximity to the tracks and is expected to formally request the removal of individuals.
  • Environmental Concerns: The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) contacted the city regarding trash and waste entering the river.
• City Preparations:
  • Storage: A Conex box is being delivered to store residents’ belongings; staff and case managers will assist with inventory and storage appointments.
  • Capacity: There are approximately 80 individuals currently using warming centers, with a total city capacity of 160, indicating adequate bed space is available.
  • Support Services: The city is providing bus tickets, van transportation, and pet boarding for those relocating.
• Council Discussion & Concerns:
  • Cleanup Costs: Councilors expressed that the railroad should bear the financial burden for cleaning the site, as it is their private property and they have been uncooperative in the past.
  • Anxiety Regarding Deadline: Councilors voiced concern that the December 19 deadline is too close and may cause trauma for the estimated 42 residents living there.
  • Sanctioned Encampments: The Council discussed the possibility of a “sanctioned location” with amenities (water, electricity, sanitation) to prevent the cycle of moving people without resources.
    • Potential Sites: Sites discussed included the Bird Sanctuary, Coe Park, Camp Hope, and Bass Park, though each has significant drawbacks regarding neighborhood impact or past trauma.
  • Day Space: There was a consensus on the urgent need to invest in “day space” to supplement overnight warming shelters.
  • Engagement: City staff and I have begun meeting directly with encampment residents to include their input in the process.

No decisions were made on the encampment at this time. (It was decided later at the December 12th Special Meeting that the closure date would be delayed to a date uncertain.)

Public Comment Discussion Skipped

Due to time constraints the agenda item about Public Comment duration was skipped. This item was discussed and voted on later at the regular meeting.

Regular City Council Meeting

You can read the meeting agenda by clicking here.

General Public Comment

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to public comment, primarily regarding the City’s plan to sweep (close) the homeless encampment located near the railroad tracks on December 19th.

Opposition to Encampment Sweeps

• Humanitarian and Safety Concerns: Numerous speakers urged the Council to stop the sweep, calling it “inhumane and cruel”. Speakers warned that sweeps displace people into more precarious situations, separate them from service providers, and have previously resulted in deaths. One medical professional noted that Bangor is currently in an HIV outbreak and warned that sweeping the encampment would worsen the spread by making testing and treatment harder to access.
• Lack of Planning and Resources: Speakers argued that 11 days is insufficient time to house the approximately 40 residents of the encampment, noting that even those with housing vouchers cannot find placement that quickly. Gabby, a resident of the encampment, stated she has a housing voucher but fears losing contact with her caseworker if forced to move.
• Community and Survival: Current residents described the encampment as a community where people look out for one another, citing instances where residents saved lives by administering Narcan during overdoses.
• Calls for Sanctioned Encampments: Several speakers, including those with experience in harm reduction, advocated for a “sanctioned encampment” or low-barrier resting space. They argued that high-barrier shelters (requiring sobriety or forbidding pets/partners) do not work for everyone. Others warned that sanctioned camps must be properly resourced and not just rule-bound institutions.
• Opposition to Sanctioned Encampments: One resident argued against sanctioned encampments, suggesting they institutionalize homelessness, drain resources from real housing solutions, and eventually become unsafe.

Other Public Comment Topics

• Regional Burden: A resident argued that Bangor is unfairly carrying the burden for the region’s homeless and jail overflow, damaging the city’s reputation, and urged the Council to demand more help from neighboring communities.
• Zoom Access: Residents requested the reinstatement of Zoom for public comment, arguing that removing it punishes those with disabilities, lack of transportation, or illness.
• Parkinson’s Vaccine: A resident requested $10 million in city funding to support a Parkinson’s vaccine summit.
• Neighborhood Issues: A resident expressed frustration over a “drug house” on his street and the lack of police intervention.

Consent Agenda

• Minutes: Bangor City Council Regular Meeting of November 24, 2025
• Order 26-032: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 74 Hammond Street
• Order 26-033: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 360 Center Street
• Order 26-034: Authorizing the Purchase of Private Property at 354 Ohio Street
• Order 26-035: Authorizing the Execution of a Leasehold Mortgage and Security Agreement between Penobscot Community Health Center and Maine State Housing Authority
• Order 26-036: Authorizing the Purchase of Two Tandem-axle Cabs and Chassis with Dump Body and Plow Equipment from Freightliner of Maine
• Order 26-037: Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for up to $2,200,000 in Grant Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s FY2025 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program Grants for Permanent Supportive Housing and Support Services
• Order 26-038: Authorizing the City Manager’s Appointment of David Teelon as Public Works Director and the Execution of an Employment Agreement
• Resolve 26-039: Ratifying Staff Action if Entering Into a Memorandum of Agreement with Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness for the Purpose of Securing Office Space for the Intensive Case Management Program
• Resolve 26-040: Ratifying the City Manager’s Application for Up to $50,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds to Support the Integration of a Nurse Practitioner Within the One-Stop-Shop Program

Council Discussion: There was no specific discussion or debate on the individual items within the Consent Agenda. The items were read into the record, moved, seconded, and passed without objection. Later in the meeting, Airport Director Jose Saavedra offered a staff comment congratulating David Teelon (Item 26-038) on his selection as Public Works Director, and Councilor Carson echoed these congratulations during closing comments.

Referrals to Committee and First Reading

• Resolve 26-041: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $243,225 in Grant Funding from the Cole Foundation to Support a Community Paramedicine Program
• Resolve 26-042: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $625 from Maine Health Access Foundation for Bangor Public Health and Community Services’ Time and Effort to Provide Technical Assistance (First Reading)
• Resolve 26-043: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $150,000 in Grant Funds from Maine Department of Health and Human Services for an Overdose Response Program (First Reading and Referral to Finance Committee on December 15, 2025)

Council Discussion: There was no discussion on these items. They were moved for referral to committee and first reading and passed without objection.

Unfinished Business

• Resolve 26-026: Accepting and Appropriating $16,449,413 in Passenger Facility Charge Funds to Expand and Relocate the Transportation Security Administration Terminal Security Screening Checkpoint
  • Council Discussion: I introduced the item, with the executive summary explaining that the funds come from a Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) paid by passengers to improve airport infrastructure. It also noted the current charge is $4.50 per passenger. The item had been reviewed and recommended by the Finance Committee on November 17, 2025. There were no objections or further discussion, and the resolve passed.

New Business

• Public Hearing: Application for Special Amusement License of Timber Kitchen LLC d/b/a Timber Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bass Park Boulevard
  • Council Discussion: The public hearing was opened. No members of the public approached to speak. The hearing was closed, and the license was approved without Council discussion.
• Public Hearing: Application for Special Amusement License of BEV, Inc. d/b/a Hilton Garden Inn, 250 Haskell Road
  • Council Discussion: The public hearing was opened. No members of the public approached to speak. The hearing was closed, and the license was approved without Council discussion.
• Order 26-044: Amending the City of Bangor’s Public Comment Policy
  • Council Discussion: This item generated significant debate regarding the timing and duration of public comment.
    • Councilor Leonard introduced the order, noting it allocates up to 60 minutes at the start of meetings for comment (up from 15), while retaining the Chair’s discretion to alter time limits.
    • Councilor Faloon opposed the change, expressing concern that people attending for specific agenda items would have to wait too long if general comment ran for an hour at the start.
    • Councilor Deane also opposed the change, stating a preference for the previous method where the Chair used discretion rather than a fixed 60-minute block.
    • Councilor Carson supported the policy because it explicitly retains the Chair’s discretion while allocating the time.
    • I supported the change, citing significant negative feedback I received from the public when the policy was originally restricted. I shared my opinion that there was no wrong answer to either side of this issue, stating: “I’m here for the whole time no matter what”.
    • Vote: The Order passed with a roll call vote of 5 to 4. Councilors Beck, Carson, Leonard, Walker, and Hawes voted Yes. Councilors Deane, Faloon, Fish, and Mallar voted No.
• Order 26-045: Extending the Opioid Settlement Funds Advisory Committee Through June 30, 2026
  • Council Discussion:
    • I introduced the item, with the executive summary explaining the committee needs more time to score grant applications (closing Dec 1, 2025) and make recommendations.
    • Councilor Mallar asked for clarification to confirm the committee is only acting on grants submitted by December 1st and has no other new assignments. This was confirmed as correct.
    • I expressed a hope to discuss creating a standing committee in the future to handle ongoing opioid settlement issues.
    • Councilor Walker asked if the funds would be delayed until June. It was clarified that funds will be released once applications are reviewed (likely January), and the June date is just to ensure the committee has time to complete its work.
    • I requested a “wrap-up report” from the committee on what went well and what didn’t. Staff confirmed this is the plan.
    • Vote: The order passed without objection.

Councilor Comments

• Councilor Faloon: Thanked the public for attending and speaking passionately. She emphasized that the Council deeply cares about the people at the encampment and does not wish to cause harm.
• Councilor Walker: Expressed appreciation for the attendees and the numerous emails received. She voiced support for bringing Zoom back for meetings. She also insisted on setting a specific date for a meeting regarding the homeless encampment before the 11-day deadline, noting that “11 days is not a lot”.
• Councilor Mallar: Thanked the Bangor High School JROTC for their respectful presentation at the Pearl Harbor Day event. He noted it was a cold but great event.
• Councilor Fish: Thanked everyone for speaking but wished those with opposing views had also attended. She concluded that there is no perfect solution that will make everyone happy and stated she would be praying for the homeless.
• Councilor Leonard: Wished everyone a good night.
• Councilor Deane Echoed the congratulations for David Ton as Public Works Director, noting the city is lucky to have him given the snowy start to winter.
• Councilor Beck: I echoed the need for an additional workshop on Monday to discuss the encampment. I expressed a sense of “deja vu” regarding the closure, fearing it will end in tragedy like previous sweeps. I advocated for a “safe outdoor space” model to set-up an eventual successful exit to housing, rather than just a short-term emergency fix.
• Councilor Carson: Thanked the speakers and looked forward to strategic discussions. He gave a “shout out” to city workers, specifically public works and airport staff, for keeping the city safe during the snow and ice.

Chair Closing

• Chair Hawes: Praised the holiday parade, the city decorations, and the tree. Addressing the meeting’s main topic, she acknowledged the public’s desire for a plan. “We do have to really roll up our sleeves and work with the city staff and come up with a plan of how we’re going to execute this because without a plan, we got nothing.”