Bangor council rejects Project HOPE funding, extends data center moratorium

The Bangor City Council voted 8-0 on Sept. 28 to reject a resolve that would have accepted $300,000 in state housing funds and matched it with $126,000 in opioid settlement money for Project HOPE, a housing navigation program. Councilors also unanimously extended a moratorium on data centers by 180 days and approved $7,000 in opioid settlement funds for the Together Place.

Key points

• Council Resolve 26-253, funding Project HOPE with Maine Housing money and a $126,000 opioid settlement match, failed 8-0 after a motion to postpone it to October also failed 5-3.
• Councilor Beck said he could not support the funding source and wanted a transparent discussion about opioid settlement funds reclaimed from the HIV program; Councilor Faloon said she disliked turning down $300,000 in state funding but could not back the proposal.
• Councilors Deane, Faloon, Fish, Leonard, Mallar, Walker, Carson and Beck voted against Project HOPE; Deane, Faloon and Leonard had voted to postpone.
• The council voted 8-0 to extend the data center moratorium by 180 days, with Councilor Beck saying more time is needed to develop regulations for the rapidly evolving land use.
• The council approved Resolve 26-272, appropriating $7,000 in opioid settlement funds to the Together Place, on a 6-1 vote, with Councilor Mallar opposed over third parties seeking money outside the budget process.
• Public comment was dominated by Project HOPE, with speakers split on whether opioid settlement dollars should fund housing rather than recovery services, and several residents criticized the committee process.

Next steps

• Project HOPE funding discussions are expected to continue, with Councilor Deane saying she hopes another funding source can be found.
• The data center moratorium extension gives the city 180 more days to develop land development code amendments.

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