Bangor council hears water rate case, airport crash update

The Bangor City Council held a Wednesday workshop after a storm delayed the meeting, hearing a Bangor Water District presentation on a proposed 10.5 percent rate increase and a city manager update on Sunday's fatal plane crash at the airport. Councilors also discussed a state bill on shelter funding and agreed to draft their own letter rather than sign onto a multi-city letter.

Key points

• Bangor Water District representative Chuck Harris presented a proposed 10.5 percent rate increase filed with the Public Utilities Commission, which would raise the minimum quarterly bill by $6.84 to $71.95 and take effect April 1, 2026 if approved.
• Councilor Wayne Mallar pressed Harris over a water district billing software change that disrupted the city's sewer billing, asking who bears the extra cost; Harris said the file transfer did not work as expected despite testing.
• City Manager Carollynn Lear reported that six passengers and crew died in Sunday evening's plane crash at Bangor's airport, that the airport remained closed with federal investigators on scene, and that counseling is available to first responders.
• Councilors agreed to send an official message of support to airport staff and first responders, with comments routed through airport director Jose Saavedra.
• Lear briefed councilors on LD 2124, which would shift 1.8 percent of county real estate transfer tax revenue to the Maine State Housing Authority shelter subsidy program; councilors opted to draft their own letter rather than sign a service center coalition letter.
• Councilor Michael Beck suggested routing ongoing talks with the unhoused community through a proposed standing committee on homelessness and affordable housing rather than directly through the council.

Next steps

• Lear will draft a city letter on LD 2124 for council consideration, including a request that paying counties receive back what they contribute.
• Lear will coordinate a water district plant tour for councilors and aggregate council messages of support for airport staff through Jose Saavedra.
• Councilors will consider interest in continued meetings with the unhoused community, with a draft standing committee proposal expected at Monday's GovOps meeting.
• The council entered two executive sessions, one on a personnel matter under 1 MRSA section 4056A and one under 1 MRSA section 4056E.

Read the full transcript