Carolyn Fish

Homelessness, addiction, and recovery

Speakers cited $10,000-plus vandalism repair costs and growing taxpayer burden from services, though the city took no financial action tonight.

Winter warming shelter funding

Up to $105,000 in federal CDBG funds, not local tax dollars.

Councilor Mallar ethics training

No direct cost beyond staff time for the required training.

Downtown floor area ratio removal

No direct cost to the city; the change could unlock private investment and more downtown housing.

Winter warming shelter capacity gap

Roughly $115,000-$116,000 from CDBG, foundation, and other non-tax sources.

Airport car rental facility and transit director funding

Up to $65,000 from the city's undesignated fund balance.

Remote council meeting participation

Sewer infrastructure bonding (KMart and Perry Road pump stations)

About $650,000 a year in combined debt service, covered by sewer fees rather than property taxes.

103 Maine Avenue bond purchase for public health

Up to $1.4 million in bonds, with a tax levy to cover principal and interest.

Kenduskeag Stream retaining wall failure

$3.87 million, within the anticipated budget.

Airport Security Checkpoint Expansion

Funded by passenger fees and airport funds — no hit to property taxes and no ticket price increase.

New Planning Fees for Developers

Small offsets to the city budget; developers pay roughly $1.22 per notice letter and state-rate stormwater review fees.

Special amusement permit public hearing requirement

Applicants would save the $126-$150 yearly public hearing advertising fee unless a department flags problems.

Tax workout agreement policy review

The agreement yields about $2,400 a year in back-tax payments; policy changes could affect future tax collections.

Historic preservation and park designations

Could affect renovation costs for owners of historic properties, depending on how flexibly materials are interpreted.

Project HOPE homeless housing funding

$426,000 total for the pilot year, with $126,000 coming from the city's limited opioid settlement funds.

Yellen Pines supportive housing credit enhancement agreement

Staff recommends giving back 75% of the new tax value for 30 years; Councilor Fish estimates that could cost the city $20-40 million over the district's life.

Direct city applications for MaineHousing warming grants

A tank fill of about 250 gallons now runs roughly $1,500.

Surveillance and civil liberties concerns

Immigration ordinance and conflict-of-interest dispute

Supporters and opponents both cited federal funding at Bangor International Airport ($27M FAA runway funding) and potential liability exposure.

Consent Agenda (Minutes, Orders 26-297 through 26-300)

First Readings: Orders 26-301 and 26-302

Ordinance 26-293: Remove Floor Area Ratio from Downtown Development District

Resolve 26-294: $823,851 for Nourish ME Nutrition Education Program

Resolve 26-295: $6,000 Johns Hopkins NIH ARISE Grant for PrEP Access

Special Amusement Permit: Scoreboard Social LLC d/b/a Benjamin's Restaurant & Pub

Special Amusement Permit: Penobscot Theatre Company

Order 26-303: End Remote Public Comment

Order 26-304: New Planning Fees

Order 26-305 (Amended): $105,000 CDBG Funds for Warming Shelter and The Well

Order 26-306: Ethics Finding Against Councilor Mallar and Training Requirement

MINUTES OF: Bangor City Council Regular Meeting of October 14, 2026

Approval of July 15, 2026 meeting minutes

07/15/2026

Approval of Meeting Minutes – October 6, 2026

Adoption of Findings & Decisions for 511 Maine Ave and 6 Bangor Mall Blvd

FAR removal from Downtown Development District — recommended to council

RH Foster — completeness determination for 1187 Union Street

RH Foster — land development permit granted with conditions

Meeting Minutes – October 6, 2026

Ordinance 26-293: Remove Floor Area Ratio from Downtown Development District

Order 26-303: End Remote Public Comment

Order 26-305 (Amended): $105,000 CDBG Funds for Warming Shelter and The Well

Order 26-306: Ethics Finding Against Councilor Mallar and Training Requirement

Motion to enter executive session (1 M.R.S.A. § 405(6)(A)) on two personnel matters

Recommend removing Zoom remote public participation from council meetings

Hated punishing the public for two bad apples despite the disruption

Motion made and seconded to Postpone Indefinitely

Motion made and seconded for Passage

Motion made and seconded for Passage

Motion made and seconded to postpone to the October 5, 2026, Council Workshop.

Motion made and seconded for Passage as Amended

Motion made and seconded for Passage

Motion made and seconded for Passage as Amended

Motion made and seconded for Passage

Motion made and seconded to postpone to the October 5, 2026, Council Workshop.

Motion made and seconded to Postpone Indefinitely

Resolve 26-253 — Project HOPE funding ($300,000 MaineHousing / $126,000 opioid settlement match)

Ordinance 26-270 — Data center moratorium extension

Resolve 26-272 — $7,000 opioid settlement funds to the Together Place

The Together Place took accountability, hired a financial advisor, and reduced its request from $63,000 to $7,000.

Order 26-274 — $1.4 million bond for 103 Maine Avenue

Good value; allows health department expansion and reduces the future rec facility budget.

Order 26-282 — Yellen Pines Affordable Housing TIF, development program, and credit enhancement agreement

Stingy about city property; $11 million could be better spent on rehabilitation and recovery, and no guarantee residents will be Bangor residents.

Resolve 26-253: Project HOPE funding postponed

Does not want to reopen the CDBG annual action plan; wants the advisory committee on homelessness to weigh in.

Order 26-251 — $4,455,000 general obligation bonds for KMart Pump Station

Order 26-252 — $6,575,000 Maine Municipal Bond Bank loan for Perry Road Pump Station

Resolve 26-253 — Project HOPE funding ($300,000 MaineHousing + $126,000 match)

Passage

Motion to suspend rules to add Together Place to the workshop agenda

Not prepared to move this quickly; concerns about Together Place's fiscal responsibility and the opioid funding process.

Motion to enter executive session (three matters)

Motion to Suspend Rules to Consider Resolve 26-245

Council Resolve 26-245 — Commitment to Civility, Procedural Order and Public Trust

Motion to Amend Ordinance 26-222 by Substitution (Legislative Committee)

Ordinance 26-222 — Legislative Committee Duties (Final Passage)

Ordinance 26-237 — Ethics Code Amendment (120-Day Deadline and Council Response Procedure)

Order 26-242 — Credit Enhancement Agreement, Bangor Housing Development Corporation, 205 Corporate Drive

Order 26-243 — Affordable Housing TIF District, 205 Corporate Drive

Order 26-244 — Ethics Violation Finding Against Councilor Wayne Mallar

Ordinance 26-222 — Legislative Committee duties (postponed)

Ordinance 26-223 — Manufactured home park flexibility (passed)

Motion made and seconded to amend by substitution with the language presented on May 26, 2026

Motion made and seconded to Postpone Indefinitely

Fund library budget as presented (incl. $90,000 social worker)

Wanted to weigh the $90,000 against what other departments were denied

Fund all critical and high-priority new positions (incl. 8 firefighters)

Committed to supporting the budget only if all eight firefighters are funded

Sign letter to Senator Collins supporting federal public health funding

Keep Greater Bangor Area Realtors Hayford Park accessible play equipment donation on tonight's agenda

Postpone Ethics Board decision on Council Order 25-282 (Councilor Mallar)

Election of Chair Pro Tempore

Consent Agenda (Items 26-183 through 26-189)

Ordinance 26-178 — Temporary Sales of Food and Merchandise

Resolve 26-179 — $685,221 HUD Grant for Rental Assistance

Order 26-209 — Bangor Center Development District Implementation Assessments