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

Click here to read the agenda for this meeting.

City Manager Updates

City Manager Lear presented several key updates regarding municipal operations and legislative changes:

• Sidewalk Obstructions: Following councilor concerns, the city will launch a public outreach and enforcement campaign to address cars blocking sidewalks, which is an ordinance violation punishable by fines of $25 to $500 per day.
• Council Parade Participation: To increase public engagement, the council discussed participating more formally in five annual parades: Memorial Day, Pride, Fourth of July, Veterans Day, and the Festival of Lights.
• State Budget Impacts: The Governor signed a supplemental budget increasing the Property Tax Fairness Credit to $1,000 for taxpayers under 65 and $1,500 for those over 65.
• County Jail Funding: Support was expressed for LD2232 (link), which would provide $4 million in one-time stabilization funding for county jails.

Proposed FY Budget Highlights

The City Manager introduced a budget focused on baseline services, council priorities, and long-term strategic growth.

• Personnel & Benefits: The budget includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for non-bargained positions and an estimated 12% increase in health insurance costs. It also accounts for $313,000 to implement state-mandated paid family medical leave.
• New Positions: Recommendations include a staff accountant for financial oversight, a second downtown patrol officer, additional firefighters for the Central Fire station, and transitioning a seasonal park ranger to year-round to assist with homeless response.
• Technology Modernization: A major multi-year project is proposed to implement a modern digital system for finance and human resources to replace manual, paper-based processes.
• Housing & Redevelopment: The budget suggests funding for an Affordable Housing Fund, a Quality Housing Provider program (for sprinkler installations), and a Vacant Property Program to return dilapidated buildings to the tax roll.

Legal Department & Ethics Update

• Vacant Buildings: The City Solicitor reported that for the first time, the number of vacant properties has decreased, with 67 properties removed from the list since early 2024.
• Ethics Board: New procedural rules were adopted to modernize the board’s operations.
• Bangor Mall Litigation: The city has recouped nearly $39,000 in sewer repair costs from the owners, but the owners have not yet submitted a remediation plan and face over $1.1 million in civil penalties.

Parks and Recreation Facilities

The Parks & Recreation Director discussed the replacement of aging facilities, specifically regarding Sawyer Arena and childcare centers.

• Project Strategy: The council reached a consensus to break the project into smaller components for discussion in upcoming workshops.
• Funding Alternatives: Councilors suggested exploring private-public partnerships for the ice arena and seeking federal grants specifically for the childcare component to reduce the burden on property taxpayers.

Regular City Council Meeting

Click here to read the agenda.

The following bulleted list contains the item numbers and titles from the April 13, 2026, Bangor City Council agenda, grouped by category:

Consent Agenda

All items had passage without objection.

• 26-122 ORDER: Authorizing the Sale of 10 Hersey Avenue in the Amount of $25,000 to Back 40 Builders LLC.
• 26-123 ORDER: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 44 Mount Desert Drive.
• 26-124 ORDER: Authorizing the Sale of 75 Fourth Street in the Amount of $14,950 to Back 40 Builders LLC.
• 26-125 ORDER: Authorizing the Sale of 117 Fourth Street in the Amount of $17,900 to Back 40 Builders LLC.
• 26-126 ORDER: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 611 Broadway.
• 26-127 ORDER: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 825 Broadway.
• 26-128 ORDER: Authorizing the Execution of a Municipal Quitclaim Deed for Real Estate Located at 829 Broadway.
• 26-129 ORDER: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept $2,050.64 in Funds, as Result of a State Criminal Forfeiture.
• 26-130 ORDER: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept $6,032.50 in Funds, as Result of a State Criminal Forfeiture.
• 26-131 ORDER: Authorizing the Purchase of a 7,000 Gallon Jet A Refueler from SkyMark Refuelers LLC in the Amount of $428,850 for Use at Bangor International Airport.
• 26-132 ORDER: Authorizing the Purchase of a New Ambulance From Autotronics for the Amount of $471,703.
• 26-133 ORDER: Authorizing the City Manager to Apply for Funding from the Department of Transportation Small Community Air Services Development Program in the Amount of $500,000 To Improve Air Service.
• 26-134 ORDER: Authorizing the Purchase of a Vehicle Wash System from Maintenance Tech Inc. in the Amount of $430,186 for Washing All City Vehicles.
• 26-135 ORDER: Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness for a Syringe Waste Program in the Amount of $60,300.
• 26-136 ORDER: Appointing Members of the Voter Registration Appeals Board.

Referrals to Committee and First Reading

• 26-137 ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 257, Sidewalks, Section 257-4, to Require Licenses to Occupy, Block, or Obstruct a Sidewalk, Esplanade or Street (First Reading).
  • This item was pulled out for discussion by my request.
  • Outcome: I motioned to refer to the ACREIHR Committee (Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights) which passed following a 6-3 vote. Item will be discussed by ACREIHR on April 28, 2026 before being sent back to Council.
• 26-138 ORDINANCE: Moratorium Ordinance on Data Centers in the City of Bangor (First Reading).
  • Pulled out by request of Councilor Faloon.
  • Councilor Faloon motioned to waive second reading. Passed 9-0.
  • Ordinance passed 9-0.
• 26-139 ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 165, Land Development Code, District Map to Re-Zone a Portion of Property Located at 355 Maine Avenue from Government & Institutional Service District to Shopping & Personal Service District (First Reading and Referral to Planning Board Meeting on April 21, 2026).
  • Referred to Planning Board with 9-0 vote.
• 26-140 RESOLVE: Accepting and Appropriating $80,000 from Maine General Medical Center to Implement Outpatient Early Intervention Services with Respect to HIV Disease (First Reading).
  • No objections.

Unfinished Business

• 26-095 ORDINANCE: Amending the Code of the City of Bangor to Establish Chapter 46, “Employee Authority in Immigration Matters”.
  • Postponed to April 27, 2026 by a 5-4 vote.
• 26-118 ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 165, Land Development Code, to Comply with New State Laws, LD 1829, LD 427, and LD 997.
  • Passed with 9-0 vote.
• 26-119 RESOLVE: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $426,533 for the Rural Health Transformation Program Nutrition Education Program from the University of New England.
  • Passed with 9-0 vote.

New Business

• 26-141 ORDER: Appointing Election Clerks.
  • Councilors Hawes, Mallar, and Beck has a conflict of interest. (Family members on the list.) All three councilors left the room for the discussion and vote.
  • Item passed 6-0.
• 26-142 RESOLVE: Ratifying City Applications for FY27 Congressionally Designated Spending for City Police, Airport, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation Projects.
  • Passed 9-0.

A little more detail on that sidewalk ordinance…

I had the item pulled out because I wanted to discuss my objections to the item as proposed.

The Proposed Change

The ordinance sought to amend Chapter 257, Section 257-4 of the Bangor City Code.

• The Current Law: Specifically requires a license to occupy or block a sidewalk “for construction purposes”.
• The Amendment: Proposed removing the phrase “for construction purposes” from the title of the section.
• The Goal: This would effectively require a license for any obstruction or storage of materials on a sidewalk, giving police and code enforcement broader authority to clear items.

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Ordinance History Lesson

I argued that the ordinance was never meant to be a general “clearing” tool. I traced its history to show it was strictly a construction-related regulation:

• 1968 Origin: Introduced to control individuals performing work on buildings abutting public rights-of-way.
• 1986 Revision: Responsibility was moved from the City Engineer to Code Enforcement because it was understood to be a construction issue.
• 2019 Clarification: The words “for construction purposes” were added specifically to avoid confusion with new 4G/5G utility permitting laws.
• The Legal Argument: I stated that because the chapter and section headings are for convenience and not part of the legislation per §1-8(A) of city code, simply removing those words while leaving the rest of the construction-related language intact would have “zero legal effect” and would fail in court.

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The Debate: “Safety” vs. “Optics”

The public and the Council were sharply divided on the true intent and impact of the change:

Arguments for the Ordinance (Safety & Access):

• Navigability: Proponents, including the Downtown Bangor Partnership and the Library Director, argued that groups of people, smoking, baggage, and tents make it difficult for the elderly, families with strollers, and those in wheelchairs to use the sidewalks.
• Business Impact: There were concerns that people “fear running the gauntlet” to enter the library or downtown shops, turning a “safety issue” into an “experiential issue” for regular users.

Arguments against the Ordinance (Targeting & Rights):

• Targeting the Unhoused: Many residents called it an “out of sight, out of mind” policy designed for “aesthetic cleansing” rather than safety.
• Vagueness: Critics pointed out that without specific definitions for “materials,” the law could technically apply to someone setting down groceries, a baby carriage at a parade, or a student’s backpack.
• Constitutional Concerns: Opponents argued the broad language could violate First Amendment rights (protesting) and Fourth Amendment rights (unreasonable seizure of belongings).

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Final Outcome

While at least one Councilor and others argued the city needs a “fair and balanced” approach to ensure the safety of all citizens—including the elderly and disabled—the Council ultimately agreed the current draft was insufficient.

• The Referral: I moved to refer the item to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights (ACREIHR) to start from scratch and develop a thoughtful policy that includes a “tag and bag” system for seized property.
• The Vote: The motion to refer to ACREIHR passed 6-3, with Councilors Fish, Mallar, and Hawes voting “no”.

§257-4 added in 1968.

The words “for construction purposes” didn’t appear in the original amendment, as the language of the section made it crystal clear this was for construction purposes.

§257-4 amended in 2019 to add the words “for construction purposes”.

When a new section, §257-6, was added – Council added the words “for construction purposes” to avoid confusion with the new utility permitting section.