Summary of the regular City Council Meeting held on May 27, 2026 in Bangor, Maine.
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.
Click here to read the meeting agenda. For the official minutes of this meeting you can see it starting on page 16 of this PDF on the City’s official website. Click here.
Items below are listed with timestamps so you can jump to the portion of the meeting recording you are interested in.
Attendance
[00:06:27] Roll call: 8 councilors present, 1 absent (Councilors Beck, Carson, Deane, Faloon, Fish, Leonard, Mallar, and Hawes were present).
Proclamation
[00:06:57] Councilor Faloon read a proclamation honoring George Hale for more than 70 years of service to Bangor-area broadcasting. Hale accepted the honor with brief remarks.
Public Comment — approx. one hour [00:11:37 – 01:12:12]
This was an unusually long and heavily attended public comment period, almost entirely focused on homelessness, public drug use, the HIV outbreak in Penobscot County, and the city’s proposed low-barrier day center. Roughly 20 residents and stakeholders spoke. Recurring themes and notable moments:
- [00:11:37] A resident argued the proposed low-barrier service center should be approved immediately using existing opioid settlement funds rather than debated further.
- [00:13:45] A person who is currently unhoused described conditions on the street and safety concerns.
- [00:16:37] A city pool supervisor described finding needles near parks/pools and staff training in Narcan administration and overdose recognition.
- [00:19:49] A member of ACT UP Bangor described the HIV cluster (43 identified cases) and announced a June 5 vigil at City Hall tied to federal HIV-funding cuts.
- [00:22:52]–[00:34:04] Several residents (including a letter read on behalf of an out-of-town inn guest) described encounters with open drug use and homelessness downtown and near the public library, and their impact on tourism, families, and quality of life.
- [00:37:31] A resident criticized spending on the Downtown Ambassador program, ARPA-funded homelessness staff positions, tent-city cleanup, and needle cleanup costs, and objected to a proposed property tax increase.
- [00:44:17] A resident distinguished “homelessness” from open drug use/public disorder and questioned how a day center would change public behavior.
- [00:47:01] A local mental health worker pushed back on framing of unhoused residents in circulating videos and argued for continued engagement/harm-reduction work.
- [00:48:24] A Needlepoint Sanctuary co-founder argued for a “housing first” approach and against incremental measures like the proposed day center.
- [00:54:17]–[00:58:10] Needlepoint Sanctuary’s executive director announced the organization’s board voted (May 18) to end its syringe service pilot at the Park Street/Unitarian Universalist Society location effective 5 p.m. August 31, 2026, shifting syringe services to its Ohio Street office while continuing testing/recovery/wraparound services on Park Street on Tuesdays. He cited pilot-program statistics: 1,679 service encounters, 4,461 doses of naloxone distributed, 156 reported overdose reversals, and the launch of a PrEP program with Maine Family Planning.
- [01:05:47]–[01:08:37] Representatives of Together Place recovery center and a Milo Area Council outreach worker described recovery outreach efforts and upcoming volunteer park cleanups (June 15).
- [01:09:03] A downtown business owner closed public comment with remarks on compassion and how visible homelessness is perceived.
[01:12:12] Public comment closed. Councilor Faloon then requested removal of Council Order (CO) 26-167 from the consent agenda so it could be heard separately under New Business.
Consent Agenda [01:12:55 – 01:15:57]
Moved, seconded, and passed 8–0 by roll call (26-167 removed and heard separately below):
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| 26-163 | Municipal bill of sale — 10 I Street |
| 26-164 | Municipal quitclaim deed — 14 Manners Avenue |
| 26-165 | Collective bargaining agreement, AFSCME Local 926-06 (Airport Airfield/Building Maintenance) |
| 26-166 | Acceptance of tree donation, Bangor Beautiful Inc. |
| 26-168–26-173 | Six Commission on Cultural Development grant awards (AIGA Maine, Bangor Ballet, Bangor Beautiful, Bangor Community Theater, Bangor Historical Society, Maine Academy of Modern Music) |
| 26-174 | $397,286 contract, All States Construction — chip seal placement |
| 26-175 | 5-year contract extension, Oak View Group — Cross Insurance Center operation |
| 26-176 | $1,818,607 contract, Street’s Landscaping & Lawn Care — FY2027 paving program |
Result: 8 yes, 0 no — passed. [01:15:36]
Referrals to Committee & First Reading [01:15:57 – 01:17:42]
Moved, seconded, passed 8–0:
- 26-177 — Ordinance amending Ch. 148 to designate Broadway Park, Chapin Park, and Davenport Park as historic sites (→ Historic Preservation Commission, June 11)
- 26-178 — Ordinance amending Land Development Code §165-31 on temporary food/merchandise sales (→ Planning Board, June 2)
- 26-179 — Resolve ratifying $685,221 in HUD grant funds for the Bangor Rental Assistance Program (→ Gov Ops, June 1)
- 26-180 — Resolve to accept $41,328 from the Maine Cancer Foundation for a 30-day alcohol reset challenge program (→ Gov Ops, June 1)
Result: 8 yes, 0 no — referred. [01:17:42]
Unfinished Business
26-095 — Ordinance establishing Ch. 46, “Employee Authority in Immigration Matters” [01:18:06]
- Councilor Fish moved to postpone indefinitely, citing the council’s prior enactment of LD 1971 and a preference to let staff proceed under existing guidance. Beck – No, Carson – No, Deane – Yes, Faloon – No, Fish – Yes, Leonard – No, Mallar – Yes, Hawes – Yes (4 yes, 4 no — motion failed.) [01:18:49–01:19:10]
- Councilor Beck moved to postpone to the June 22, 2026 regular meeting (to allow further legal review) was then made and passed 8–0. [01:19:30–01:20:32]
26-160 — Ordinance creating a standing Committee on Housing [01:20:57]
- Councilor Deane explained the ordinance stems from the council’s December 2025 priority-setting session and was unanimously recommended by Gov Ops on May 4.
- Councilor Beck spoke in support, noting the significance of the step for housing/homelessness work.
- Passed 8–0. [01:23:02–01:23:22]
26-161 — Resolve accepting $250 from the Maine Primary Care Association (ROSE program presentation) [01:23:43]
- Unanimously recommended by Gov Ops on May 4.
- Passed 8–0. [01:25:08]
26-162 — Resolve accepting $80,000 from MaineGeneral for outpatient early intervention services related to HIV disease [01:25:29]
- Funds cover HIV testing, rapid referral to care, case management, education, and partner services (April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027); recommended by Gov Ops on May 18.
- Councilor Beck noted this brings MaineGeneral’s total contribution to $160,000 and said he wants a future conversation about how this relates to opioid settlement fund allocations.
- Councilor Mallar raised a question about how staff were paid for services performed before this authorization/appropriation was in place. [01:27:32–01:28:14]
- Passed 8–0. [01:32:02]
New Business
Public Hearing — Special Amusement License, House LLC d/b/a Penobscot Pour House, 14 Larkin Street [01:32:24]
- Hearing opened (roll call 8–0), no public speakers, hearing closed (roll call 8–0).
- License application passed 8–0. [01:34:08]
26-167 (pulled from consent) — Order authorizing the City Manager to endorse a 90-day extension of the option to purchase land off Maine Avenue (Bangor Housing Authority) for a permanent supportive housing facility [01:34:29]
- Recommended by the Business & Economic Development Committee on May 18.
- Councilor Faloon moved to amend the order to correct the name of the entity involved; amendment passed 8–0. [01:36:36]
- Order passed as amended, 8–0. [01:37:17]
26-181 — Order appointing nominees to the Advisory Committee on Homelessness [01:37:17]
- Councilor Deane summarized the committee’s origin (created March 23, 2026), its broadened mission (regional coordination, funding strategy, legislative review, stakeholder engagement), and the selection process: over 50 applications, interviews conducted by the Personnel Committee May 2 and May 5 (including a Saturday session).
- Councilor Beck thanked staff, particularly the city clerk, for the volume of work involved.
- Extended public comment followed, including concerns that the committee’s membership doesn’t sufficiently represent housed-but-struggling residents, taxpayers, and working renters [01:42:28], and questions about accountability/case-management structures for people exiting homelessness [01:40:23].
- Councilor Mallar stated he would vote no because he was unavailable for the Personnel Committee interviews.
- Passed 7–1 (Councilor Mallar voting no). [01:48:43]
26-182 — Resolve establishing a “Vision Zero” resolution to eliminate traffic-related deaths/serious injuries by 2036 [01:49:05]
- Councilor Leonard outlined the Safe System approach tied to the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program; unanimously recommended by the Infrastructure Committee on May 18.
- Passed 8–0. [01:51:29]
