Bangor council sets April 17 deadline for homelessness committee applications

The Bangor City Council met in a workshop April 6 to discuss how to handle a surge of applicants for a homelessness committee, with 23 applications received so far. Councilors agreed to review applications before interviews and set a deadline, then went into three executive sessions on the immigration ordinance, a Farm Road property matter, and Bangor Mall litigation.

Key points

• Councilors agreed the personnel committee should review all applications before scheduling interviews, given the volume of applicants.
• Councilor Mallar proposed that all councilors review applicants and submit a checklist of preferred candidates to a three-member group to decide who gets interviewed.
• Councilor Beck suggested an organizational meeting to review applications, set criteria and questions, and possibly invite the anchor committee for input.
• Councilors settled on Friday, April 17 as the application deadline, with an organizational meeting planned for the week of April 13.
• The council voted 7-2 to enter executive session on the proposed employee authority and immigration matters ordinance, with Councilors Leonard and Beck opposed; Beck said the ordinance should be debated openly given public interest.
• The council voted 9-0 to enter executive session on permitted use of 99 Farm Road, with Councilor Beck abstaining from the yes votes noted, and 9-0 on developments in Bangor Mall litigation.

Next steps

• City Clerk Lisa Goodwin will work with the city manager to schedule an organizational meeting for the week of April 13 to review applications and draft interview questions.
• Applications for the homelessness committee will be accepted until Friday, April 17.
• The personnel committee will review applications in executive session and decide which applicants to interview.

Read the full transcript