Bangor council hears hours of public comment on homelessness, sidewalks

[1:24] Susan Hawes: Usually make a very obvious change, it says our lives, and of course whenever we go live, somebody different whenever we go live, like typically, normally Courtney comes up, oh, are you talking like your waist, you're not, are we live here, no, I am, I'm just waiting for you, should be alive, she came out from 701 right now, I know. Oh, hold on. Maybe we're not live. Okay, we are. Nice to see so many here. I expect some lively discussion and public comment, I'm assuming most of you are here for. So before we do that, we always start our meeting with Pledge of Allegiance. And I've asked Mike for to lead us. [2:40] Michael Beck: Thank you. [2:57] Susan Hawes: Mr. Furrow, okay, before I forget, we have a sign-in sheet on the podium, so if you are coming up to give public comment, if you would just list your name there in as legible as you can, we're trying to make sure we have spellings correct on different people that have spoken, so it is on the podium. All right, this is the portion of the meeting set aside for general public comment directly related to city business, for matters that do not appear on this evening's agenda. Public comment requires a person to state your name and whether you are a resident of Bangor. The city council has adopted a public comment policy that we will adhere to. Statements during public comment should respect the dignity and seriousness of the proceeding, and individuals will be restricted to speaking once. Obscene, truly threatening, or overly repetitive comments will be deemed out of order and will be interrupted and removed. Are involved. Topics that are considered out of order also include matters that are in litigation, individual employees or employee groups discussing matters for which complaint or grievance procedures are in place. Personal disputes between the speaker and another resident not germane to city business. Support for opposition to any candidate for political office and personnel complaints pertaining to individual city employees. There is a time limit of three minutes per speaker, and the total time allowed for general public comment regarding city business will be limited to no more than one hour. The public comment period is for, I'm sorry, I lost my place. I have this little thing dancing in front of my screen here. The public comment period is for city council members to listen and not to respond or debate with persons. If you do not live in Bangor or own property in Bangor, please allow those who do to have the opportunity to speak first. If you'd like to offer comment on any direct item directly related to city business not appearing on the regular agenda, you may approach the podium. Individuals who have appropriately pre-registered to give public comment via remote means will be given the opportunity to participate remotely. Alternatively, counselors may be reached by our email at counselors van gormain.gov a Link to the adopted public policy comment policy can be found on the city's website. And as a reminder, if people are speaking, it would be much appreciated if the rest of the gallery was quiet. It gets very loud when this small conversations here there and everywhere, so please refrain from that when there are speakers. With that said, before we begin with the actual public comments, we do have a proclamation Councilor Malheur. Thank you, Madam Chair. [6:25] Wayne Mallar: Bangor City Council, City of Bangor, Maine Proclamation proclaiming May as Older Americans Month. You can see why they picked me to do [6:35] Public commenter (Hamilton): it on the old one here. [6:37] Wayne Mallar: Whereas Older Americans Month is celebrated each year to recognize the contributions, resilient and vitality of older adults and whereas the annual observation was first established in 1963 to highlight aging trends and reaffirm commitments to supporting seniors and whereas the theme this May is champion your health, focusing on prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility by making informed decisions that support independence as cornerstones of healthy aging. And whereas this month serves to further recognize the achievements of older Americans, raise awareness about aging issues, and promote community programs that support seniors. Seniors, and whereas the observation holds particular relevance in Maine, which has more than 400,000 people aged 60 and over who contribute skills, talent, wisdom, and experience, and whereas our communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can participate fully with the highest level of independence and whereas older Mainers improve our communities through intergenerational relationships community service civic engagement and meaningful contribution to Maine's Workforce and Economy. And whereas Maine must ensure that as we age, we have the resources and support needed to stay involved in our communities, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity and connectiveness. And whereas it's important to recognize the profound impact of meaningful interactions and social connections on the well-being and health of older adults and caregivers in our community. Now therefore I, Wayne Mailer, by direction of Susan M. Hawes, Mayor of the City of Bangor, on behalf of the City Council, to hereby proclaim May as Older Americans Month and encourage the people of Bangor to promote programs that foster connection and support for older adults and build stronger Communities for All, given this the 11th day of May, 2026. Susan M. Haas, Mayor. I believe we have Tabatha Koso here. She's the Executive Director of the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, and she will be receiving it. [9:57] Public commenter: First off, I want to thank the Council for recognizing Older Americans Month in May. We greatly appreciate it. I know you have a lot of people here today in a big agenda, so I promise I would keep it short and sweet. So I just want to take a quick moment, as you mentioned, this is a great opportunity to realize the resources, services, and supports that are out there for older adults in the greater Bangor community. So I gave it to Carolyn, but there is a Healthy Aging Expo on Thursday to really highlight all these programs and services. Over 800 older adults attend the event and there's over 70 vendors that are vendors, non-profit social services right from the greater Bangor area that will be there to talk to people. So I would like to extend an invitation to all of you as well as all of our community to join us on Thursday at the Anna Hush Vine at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to celebrate older adults here in Bangor. Thank you. Thank you. [11:03] Susan Hawes: Okay. I think we are ready to begin with public comment. So please give your name. [11:23] Public commenter (Michael Norton): I guess I'll go first because it is age related. What I wanted to say, my name is Michael Norton tonight. I wrote 100 page teleplay this weekend for a game show on a major national TV network about Parkinson's disease. So I'm just going to pretend reading the first part of it for everyone, that I'm in a audio booth not on tv or anything. Welcome to the vaccinologist, a quiz show helping the world navigate toward a cure for parkinson's disease. Five contestants, four quiz rounds, opinion q a, second opinion round and research shuffle, then qualification where one of our five researchers tonight will qualify to the season finale with 11 other competitive researchers. And now our host, mr michael anthony norton. Good evening my name is michael anthony norton. We live in a world of extraordinary innovation and technology in areas such as automobiles, airplanes and spaceships and the web and television, in medicine and healthcare as well. This show extends that opportunity. When i came up with the title of this program, the vaccinologist, it was not long after that I had some reservations about that name myself. Some may attribute it to vacuums, whether from outer space or as components of our abortion practices industries. But since this show is of careful scientific and mathematical observation and fascination, perhaps the name works anyway. If we can work and entertain together as a web and television industry of consumers, perhaps we can in our lifetime have a vaccine for a neurological disease or disorder such as Parkinson's disease. Even though I have reservations as having to even refer to it as a neurological disease or disorder, when I know in fact that it is magnetological, which is why we have all worked so hard to bring you tonight's pilot episode and this inaugural season of the vaccinologist. Enjoy and now to a commercial break. Thank you [13:40] Susan Hawes: thank you Michael. Anyone else? My [13:49] Public commenter (Renee Hudgens): name is Renee Hudgens. I'm a 30 year old 30 year Bangor resident and I own three buildings here in town in a business. I wanted to say that I have first-hand experience with some of the downtown town and unhoused issues that are going on, as I own a building down there that had been vandalized in the last month, 4749 Main Street, that got hammered up on the pillars. That cost myself and my family that own the building over $10,000 worth of repairs, which of course my insurance will go up and on and on. So that's one facet. And also I wanted to say I'd like to know where my tax dollars are going in regards to the unhoused. And I'd like to see some public information given on the how many have been given housing and are back on the streets, how many have refused because of the rules of being clean, and are they able to get housing, how many are actual drug users, and do they want housing, or are they looking for a different way of society. We seem to be enabling, and my city has been held hostage. I used to be able to bring my daughter to the library. We have grandchildren now. I'm not allowed to bring them down there because it is hard to look at. I also do tours. I have one of the top real estate teams, and I do tours for doctors, as we need those health care providers to come to our fair area, and I have to avoid certain areas. And when I do, and I brought him down here today, a particular doctor who is coming from afar, they couldn't believe what it looked like, and that it, the situation that we're in. So we're gonna start seeing some of our higher-end rentals downtown. We have some beautiful buildings. There's some great lovely rentals down there that are gonna start getting hurt, and some of these landlords can tell you that, and businesses such as female-owned ones where they're scared to, you know, have their door open to do business because they have to lock it because somebody might come in that is not there to do business. So just wanted to vent my information out there. Thank you. Thank you. Hey [16:15] Public commenter (Joe Bowman): how you doing, my name is Joe Bowman. I am a property owner here in Bangor, and I'm going to try to talk in right at the same time, so I appreciate that the council's recognize that you are not composed of experts on homelessness and you're trying to address it. However, I am concerned about creating a locally recruited committee. Bangor hasn't had this problem that long. I come from a place that's had it way longer, and I really feel like going with locally recruited committee, you're just gonna hear what you want to hear, what you've already been saying, and it's just gonna be an echo chamber, which is something that I've heard quite often in these chambers just this week. The main wires showed a video showing all of the heavy trash, the narcan, these medical supplies that have been provided just left it scattered all over the place. Counselor Beck, counselor Falloon, I saw your public statements, I think it was in one of the newspapers, about having empathy, and I want to say I genuinely sympathize with helping with the situation of the homeless, but empathy does have limits. Many residents are no longer comfortable using public services and spaces that we pay for. We feel like they have been taken over. Public spaces are supposed to be for everyone, yet right now they feel often reserved for homeless and knowing drug users. Families deserve to feel safe in our parks and downtown. We've seen open drug roofs, needles, even people having sex in public. Businesses are struggling too. Joe's Market, where I live in the tree streets, had to remodel, lower all of the shelves just because of the risk of theft and other crime inside of that. And we have deteriorating schools. Fairmont School is having to close because of asbestos, and then when I started reading more about it, since 2019 the schools have needed to do major renovations, but we've been spending money elsewhere. Schools are our future. I believe the council wants to help, and it's not a lack of compassion, though, when people push back against losing public spaces that we enjoy. Continuing this path risks a stronger backlash in future elections. Sorry, we have already had one counselor making comments on an open mic that I think many of us disagree with. We don't need more people like that sitting up there with you. Residents are fed up, and many will support candidates who promise to clean up the city, restore safe places, and put local families to schools first. Bangor should work with proven experts from cities that have succeeded. Please consider the drug market initiative information that I sent to you. It is proven as a success program at scales larger than this, and even San Francisco is considering it now. Really, what I really just would like you to do is let's combine the compassion you currently use to govern with real enforcement and accountability. Thank you. Thank you, Mike. [19:28] Public commenter (Mike Farrell): Pearl from Bangor, I am a resident here, and I don't serve any non-profit, so I have nothing to gain by speaking in front of me like a lot of the people that will speak have something to gain. I want to talk about the sidewalks. Just in the name, it's a sidewalk, okay, they're being cluttered with people being on them. [19:49] Susan Hawes: You suffer. Can I just stop you for a second? That is going to be an agenda item, okay? So are you planning to stay throughout the whole meeting? I am. Okay, you'll speak again on that topic. You will speak on that topic when it comes up, okay? And also I'd like to talk about the [20:07] Public commenter (Mike Farrell): homeless. Okay, so whether people know it or not, there was a, there's a Supreme Court decision, City of Grants Pass versus Johnson. I'll say it again, City of Grants Pass versus Johnson, where the Supreme Court said you don't have to let a homeless encampment be in your city. It's just that simple, okay? It's that simple. Here's what we got. When good men don't stand up, and ladies, this is what we have. We have homeless cluttering our streets. We have people that show up from all over the United States. They come here, they receive funds, okay? Whether they're, they're criminals, not most states, if they're criminal they do not get funds. They come to Bangor because we write my check. So our homeless population is going to increase. If you look at stuff in front of the library and other different places, you have to say to yourself, what's going on here? Why are these people here? Why are they all over the place? Well, it's optics. There's certain groups in our community that want the optics. They thrive on that optics because they have agendas. The agenda is, hey, we're going to move them into another location. Hey, we can build them tiny homes. There's always an agenda. We got to look at what is the agenda. There is an agenda here and we really got to pay attention to it. So again, the City Grants Pass versus Johnson Supreme Court case, you do not have to allow them in our city. It's just that simple. Thank you very much. Thank [21:39] Susan Hawes: you. Hi. [21:44] Public commenter (Katie Coe): My name is Katie Coe. I'm a resident and a property owner in the city of Bangor. And where do they think the unhoused will go? Where, these are our neighbors. They live here. We need to help them. If we don't want them on our sidewalks, we need to give them a place to be where they are safe, healthy, and respected. To make it unlawful for them to be here just simply moves the problem to somewhere else, simply just like moving the encampments did. The only reason they are on that sidewalk is because you guys moved them off the railroad tracks. They were on the railroad tracks because you moved them out of the woods behind the Hope House. This is a problem that you have made and you can fix it. Give them a place to be. All [23:00] Public commenter (Philip Henry): right so good evening everybody and thank you for your service i appreciate it my name is philip henry i 'm a resident here bangor and my wife and i moved here in 2006 because for a few reasons number one was the safety of bangor the affordability of bangor and they had such great school systems and i'm i'm a data guy so i was just kind of giving some data for everybody to look at because we can all have emotions about what we feel like doing and in the end empathy is not enablement you know if my child, when I raised three kids, when they wanted more chocolate bars, I had to, I had to set the limit, because they would take whatever they can get. That's human dynamics. And so right now we're at a point where we need to make some difficult decisions to benefit the greater population of Bangor, and it's not helping, unfortunately, it's not helping most of you either. We're doing you a disservice by allowing you to live in this situation, because it's not fun, it's not fun to be on the streets, not fun to find homes, it's not fun to be cold, and it's not fun to be hungry. But we're not helping you and can help yourselves. And so if you look down the crime rate, the crime rate right now is Bangor's number one in Maine, two and a half times the state. Property crime rate is two and a half times the national average. The homeless rate per 10,000 is 126 to 142 based on the numbers, and that is about six to eight times the national average in a town of 30,000 people. Who burdens that, the taxpayer burdens it. And the people that are trying to, again, take their children to the library. When I was here, garage door open, front door unlocked, kids are running in, playing, hanging out. We cannot do that anymore. We have to lock our doors. We have to put security systems in. That's not fair to the people of Bangor. And then we talk about homelessness as if it's just this broad issue. It's not homeless. When you have 38 percent are affected by serious mental illness because we closed mental hospitals. Finding those individuals a home is not a solution to the problem. You can't, I mean, you can't just put someone that needs assistance, mental assistance, into a home and think they're going to survive. The chronically homeless, 33%. Substance use disorder. People that are addicted to drugs, 30% of the people on the street are addicted to drugs, but yet we hand them needles and we make it easy for them to continue to use drugs. If my friend has an alcohol problem, I don't bring over a bottle of whiskey first thing in the morning to make sure he doesn't have to go to the grocery store to get it himself. That is not a friend, that is not, that is not helping you to be able to continue this. So my, as I continue down this pass and then we think about the syringe policy, right, we have a one for 100 trade policy for syringes. Is that my time? It is your time, sir. Okay, thank you. Thank you. [26:13] Susan Faloon: I'll let you go. [26:17] Public commenter (Hillary Simmons): I'll let him go. Where you're leaving your, where the stuff's up there, go ahead. [26:22] Public commenter (Joe McCarthy): Good evening everybody. My name is Joe McCarthy. I'm a resident of Bangor. I'm not a business owner in Bangor. I'm not a property owner other than our house. We moved here in 2006 as well, coincidentally. I moved back here, I grew up here, went K through senior in high school in the Bangor school systems. This is a community I love dearly. We came back here by choice. I could have moved somewhere else from Boston. We came back here because we wanted to raise our three children in this community that I grew up in and that I love so much. I think one of the problems is so many of us have seen this slow but progressive deterioration of our community for so long, we don't see it anymore. If you come into this community from the outside, as one of the speakers said, and you're seeing this city through the eyes of someone who's here for the first time, and you're seeing it fresh through their eyes, it's shocking. I have friends in this community who, like me, have been here their entire lives. They're calling Bangor a ghetto. These are, These are teachers, these are coaches, youth coaches, these are retired law enforcement people. They look around this community and they can't believe either what it's become. These problems need to be addressed. And as my colleague or fellow citizen was saying, you can't just throw empathy at the problem. Empathy is not helping those who need the help and it's destroying the community that we live in. There's a better way to do this. I'm not gonna go through the stats on this page because I'm not as familiar with them as Mr. Henry is, but I'm here to say how saddened I am. My three kids are grown and gone now. My wife and I don't wanna leave Bangor, but the way that Bangor is trending, with tax increases, with deterioration of our community, with the encampments, the homeless problem, the needles, Councilor Mallar talked about over 400,000 Mainers, 60 and older, we've given away five times that amount of needles in the last couple of years. This is insanity. You guys need to, you are the leaders of this community. You guys need to take a hard look at what Bangor has become and the trend and where it's headed because people are not going to stay here. We're going to lose the tax base further. We're going to lose residents who contribute to all of the clubs and nonprofits and committees and things that go on in the city. Those contributors to our community are going to leave. They're already leaving, and it's going to continue and accelerate unless these problems are addressed with meaningful policy that benefits those that need it, as well as the residents who are paying the taxes here. [29:12] Public commenter (Hillary Simmons): You. Hillary Simmons, resident of Bangor. I'm here tonight because I believe our city needs more balanced conversation about homelessness. Compassion matters, helping people matters, but accountability matters too. Right now, many residents feel like conversations only focus on services and support while ignoring the impact that repeated bad behavior can have on neighborhoods, businesses, parks, and public safety. Most people understand that some individuals facing homelessness are struggling with job loss, mental health challenges, addiction, or difficult life circumstances. These people deserve respect and opportunity to get back on their feet, but at the same time, being homeless cannot make an excuse for destructive behavior. Residents in Bangor should not have to accept vandalism, threats, theft, harassment, drug activity, public intoxication, or unsafe public spaces as normal. Business owners should not have to clean up needles, human waste, or damaged property every morning just to open their doors. Families should be able to enjoy parks and sidewalks without feeling unsafe. Accountability and compassion can exist together. We can support shelters, treatment programs, mental health services, and transitional housing while also making it clear that laws still apply to everyone equally. If someone repeatedly breaks laws, threatens public safety, destroys property, or refuses available help while harming the community, there needs to be consequences. Bangor must protect those vulnerable individuals and law-abiding citizens and residents. I believe the city should focus on stronger enforcements against repeat criminal behavior, more support for addiction recovery and mental health treatment, clear expectations for behaviors in public spaces, protecting local businesses and neighborhoods, encouraging programs that help people become independent again instead of trapped in cycles of dependency. The goal should not be to punish punishment for being homeless. The goal should be restoring order, safety, dignity and responsibility for everyone, in our community a city works best when compassion is matched with accountability thank you thank you [31:41] Public commenter (Jody McDonald): I don't want it to take against my time but I also want to sign in because that's what you told us to do but I don't have a pen so I have the world's easiest name to spell what is it Jody McDonald M-a-c M-c I'll [32:01] Public commenter (Philip Henry): put my name here because I forgot [32:02] Public commenter (Jody McDonald): Got to follow the rules that's okay it's my OCD sometimes it's good for me thank you all right I am Jody McDonald I am a resident of Bangor and I come to you tonight because my faith in local democracy is waning I'm positive we already are discussing the same crises in our community tonight our response to a growing unhoused population ensuring that federal agents follow the law and complete community infrastructure that is failing while we drown in inequity this includes the new schools issues that are going at our last eating at our last meeting you were implored by your constituents to accept ordinance 26095 which was employee authority and immigration matters. Our Bangor Police proudly serve and protect our community. Our taxes support our local law enforcement and ICE as a federal entity is separate. In Councilman Beck's ordinance, the Bangor International Airport is clearly outside of city jurisdiction and we ask that you consider this. However, if this Council will only make a decision on whether there will be fallout instead of accountability ability for our community, the wrong people are sitting in these chairs. Not opposing gives permission for any sort of pattern to be continued to be as accepted. We also have rebuke at a particular councilman, and this is neither personal nor an infringement on his First Amendment right. All members are free to believe and say whatever you want as a civilian, but enroll as council member. Your words and opinions are on record to represent all of us. You are responsible in your role to behave in a decorum that represents Bangor and a cacophony of community voices request that this particular member abstain from votes and only votes that direct the impact the population that he deprecated nope a comment was made after the last meeting about too many redacted here those of us who do continually show up represent the demographic of Bangor and as our numbers continue to grow, that fact remains. We may range in our approach to find solutions for all of our community issues, but both sides nevertheless are asking you to be brave and do your job. We are experiencing identical crises to all large communities in America because our problems are not unique. What is unique is that in this room, our community can either grow or collapse. It seems like you are in the most impact of elected seats in our nation and it also seems that some of you are too stubborn or too scared to represent us to which I ask why would you be here thank [34:57] Susan Hawes: you my [35:05] Public commenter (Zach Patnaz): name is Zach Patnaz I live on Grove Street in Bangor good evening for months we have discussed the crisis of homelessness in Bangor as if the solution requires a massive new expensive request for request for proposal to bring in and outside constituents or to build something from the ground up. We talk about it as if we don't already have the tools in our hands to make an immediate impactful impact. An RFP process is slow, it's bureaucratic, and often leads to spending money on administrative overhead rather than the people who need our help today. We don't need a new study or a new third-party contract. We need to look at the map of Bangor and realize that the city is already one of the largest property owners in the region right now we have assets sitting underutilized or entirely vacant specifically the city owns several buildings in the vicinity of the airport that could be converted into low barrier 24-7 housing solutions furthermore the Parks and Recreation building that the department no longer wants instead of letting these buildings sit empty or waiting for a perfect developer to come Along we should use them to solve the housing crisis of our residents, not just not just at night but during the day as well as the night. Only shelter model is a half measure that forces people back onto the streets at seven in the morning, perpetuating the very cycle of visibility and crisis we are trying to solve. By utilizing our own square footage, we eliminate the need for costly new acquisitions and put our existing capital to work. Space is only half the battle. We need staff to manage it, but again we don't need to hire a new army of consultants. The opioid sediment fund has already provided for two case workers within the public health specifically for the HIV outbreak here in Bangalore. Those staff members are already on the city payroll, which they should be integrated, they should be integrating these roles directly into our housing response. If this isn't enough, the council has the authority to direct the city manager to move other staff from public health department as well. This isn't about doing more with less. It's about doing the right thing with that way with that. We already have we have the buildings near the airport. We have the parks and recreation building and we have the health professionals already in our building. Counselors the city of Bangor are tired of hearing that the process while the tax dollars are funneled into RFP that yield no immediate results. I'm asking you to instruct staff to stop the RFP cycle and instead present a plan to opt to opportunalize our buildings using our own staff. Let's use the assets we already own to solve the crisis we face. [37:45] Public commenter (Scott Pardee): My name is Scott Pardee and I'm a resident of Bangor. And I'm gonna talk about money along with everything else perhaps later. I'm here tonight to discuss numbers on a page, but I want to start by discussing the people behind those numbers. For the average resident of Bangor, there is no automatic increase in income. There is no department head they can go to and simply request a 5, 10, or 20 percent budget expansion to cover their rising costs. They have to make do with what they have. They have to prioritize, they have to sacrifice, and they have to live within their means. Right now, our municipal budget is moving in a direction that ignores that reality. We are seeing proposed wage increases that outpace the very citizens paying for them and capital expenditures on quote-unquote nice-to-have projects while our neighbors struggle with rising utility rates and incredible inflation. As a council, you are the stewards of the public purse. But let's be honest, none of you, nor I, have ever run a city department. You have not managed the Department of Public Works daily fleet maintenance. You haven't overseen the intricate staffing shifts of the police or fire departments. Because of that, you cannot possibly be expected to know which individual line items to strike. If you try to micromanage the cuts, you'll, you'll be met with a hundred reasons from staff why every single dollar is essential. But your job isn't to be departmental expert. Your job is to set the policy and the financial ceiling. The most effective way to achieve fiscal restraint is to put the burden of choice back on the professionals who run the city. The most effective way to achieve fiscal restraint is to put the burden of choice. Oh, I read that already. Sorry. The department heads know exactly where the redundancies are, and I was just redundant. They know which programs are underperforming and which capital projects can wait another year. By setting a hard ceiling, a mandate for a zero percent tax increase, you are not cutting services. You are instructing the staff to find the efficiencies that only they can see. Tell the staff, quote, this is the limit, this is all the taxpayers can afford, now use your expertise to bring us a budget that fits within the box, unquote. When we allow the budget to grow simply because it is easier than saying no, we aren't being kind to the community, we are being irresponsible. We need a budget that prioritizes essential services over beautifications and bike lanes. We need a budget that respects the financial ceilings of the working class. I urge the city council to stop looking for the cuts yourselves and instead give a clear directive to staff, the path to a zero percent increase. Let the experts do their jobs. That's what you, it's what you all keep saying, let the experts do their jobs, so that we can do ours, protecting a long-term economic stability, sustainability of Bangor. And I know that you will all not do this. Thank you, thank [40:57] Susan Hawes: you, my [41:02] Public commenter (Jacqueline Smallwood): name is Jacqueline Smallwood I live on Essex Street in Bangor I've lived in Bangor in the Bangor area for 40 years and I no longer recognize the city that's been called home for four decades I recently took time to read the Bangor's 2026 vision statement. The vision was to make Bangor a place where all residents are empowered to contribute to the growth of a community that encourages citizens to thrive across the lifespan. This vision emphasizes the fostering of social engagement, intergenerational activities, and a high quality of life. The key aspects of this strategy are strengthening Bangor's appeal, excuse me, as a relocation destination to reverse population declines and foster sustainable growth, to ensure all residents live healthy fulfilling lives and accessible community services, to use arts and culture to drive economic vitality and community engagement, to commit to safe reliable infrastructure sustainability and proactive professional public services. The city's goal is to improve its economic, social, and residential desirability. A city council's role should be to support the city's vision by acting in a non-partisan way as a primary policy making body, translating community goals into actionable laws, budgets, and strategic plans. Thank you to those who have been trying to keep us above water. How and when have we digressed to where we are today? It's become more and more obvious over the recent months and years that there is a well-organized, well-funded machine changing the very essence of Bangor. Rather than making us a community focused on economic growth and development, safety, health and well-being, we are becoming a hub for drug addicts and homeless people and all of the issues that ensue. When taxpaying citizens speak up, we're told that we're not compassionate. That we're just confused by the difference between genuine concern about safety and simply feeling uncomfortable with our current situation. I'm not confused, nor do I believe that this is an organic problem. This problem is being created one cleverly penned ordinance at a time and one handpicked special committee at a time. I learned last week that more homeless people are being transported to our city from Missouri,, South Carolina, Washington, and Oregon, onto our streets, our parks, our libraries. Why? I learned that Bangor has gone from 300 nonprofit organizations to over 1,200 nonprofit organizations in the last six years. I'd be very interested in learning more about these nonprofits and seeing attached line item budgets. From the outside looking in, it appears that the majority of time, money, and effort from this council is largely spent on homelessness drug addiction shelters assistance needle use methadone clinics evident that these problems just continue to snowball into spiral and will continue to overrun our resources in our city and [44:08] Susan Hawes: that is your time thank you good [44:15] Public commenter (Alex): evening susan angela carolyn susan joseph susan daniel and michael and all of you back there my name is alex i work as a recovery coach for the bangor community specifically for those that are homeless drug addicts and as you so eloquently put it i exist to get them off of the drugs so i've seen firsthand the effects of the encampment sweeps and i am a resident of bangor yes so i've seen firsthand the sweeping of the encampments on the entire population of bangor both the homeless and those that live here in houses and i can say with complete certainty that the results have been overwhelmingly negative. The overdose rates have gone up, mental health struggles have been exacerbated by a lack of rest, rates of theft among unhoused have increased due to a lack of secure storage space, and injuries that could be prevented by having the ability to rest somewhere have been made worse by what can only be compared to forced marches, similar to those that our native and Jewish ancestors have experienced in times past. You may find that to be an extreme comparison, but I would like you to reflect for a moment and think about whether or not signaling a specific group of undesirables and stripping them of their humanity is really any different. The unhoused community is not the only group of people affected by these encampment sweeps. Business owners complain about their storefront appearance. Emergency services are overrun with responses to calls about people existing outside as well as overdose responses. Caseworkers and medical professionals are unable to do their jobs well because they have no idea where to even find the people they are responsible for. And citizens complain about syringes around the city. All of these issues I mentioned tonight can be rectified by providing an area where the homeless are allowed to exist without the fear of being displaced. Overdose rates will go down because those who use will be using around people who know precisely what is needed to reverse an overdose. Syringes will be properly disposed of in designated disposal areas. Caseworkers will connect with their people to access services for mental health and medical assistance because they will not be spending their entire day just trying to survive. Police can respond to investigate actual crimes rather than spending all of their time telling people to move their stuff. Businesses will be able to operate without fear of losing sales due to what they call a bad image, and the hospital will see less burden because allowing people a safe place to rest will reduce the need to treat overuse injuries. Now that I've laid out some of the benefits of implementing this safe outdoor space program, I would like to address some concerns that naysayers have expressed with concrete proof that there is a desire among the homeless community to make this a respectable establishment. I have with me 35 different surveys from homeless individuals in Bangor that we took today. There are four questions on there. Would you agree to work with a caseworker for the entire time you lived in a sanctioned space? 100% of respondents answered yes. If Bangor approved this outdoor space, would you live there? 100 of respondents said yes. Would you be willing to participate in weekly meetings to facilitate proper use of the space? 100 of people said yes. This is going to be respected, and I plead you to allow it because it will make everyone in the city happy. Thank you, Angela. [47:36] Public commenter (Eastman): Eastman, I'm a resident in Bangor and also. So the homeless encampment is very well needed. [47:44] Susan Hawes: Can you speak into the mic, please? [47:46] Public commenter (Eastman): The homeless encampment is very well needed because there is no place for us to go. Everybody is complaining, we're on the sidewalks, we're here, we're there. Well, if we had a place to go, we wouldn't be there. We get treated like we're not even human, and that's not fair. Because I'm very sorry for the people that have had problems because of homeless people, but that's not all of us, you know. Some of us are just out there trying to survive, and the way we're treated is not fair. And yes, we have resources, and a lot of us are willing to work with those resources, but that's not all of us, and that's unfortunate. But the ones that do don't deserve to be treated like we're animals, you know. We have, we have a right to live too, so you know, you're all sitting here pointing fingers. When you point yourselves, because what are you doing to help? Thank [48:44] Susan Hawes: you. Thank you. [48:51] Public commenter (Adam Baker): Adam Baker, Bengal resident. All my words are my own and do not reflect any committee. I'm just here to speak out that everybody's asking or saying that we have a lot or we have too much empathy. I think we have a little too less of it. I think we need more of it. 's such a problem. I mean, I think the city of Banquers failed our homeless here for the past 20, 10, 20 years, and they just kicked the can down the road, and I am afraid that you guys will keep doing it again. But I just want to advocate. Thank you guys for being here. You were in my heart every single day. Every time I drive down or walk down Bangor, I don't think on the sidewalk what can we do to displace these people. I think what can we do to help these people, and I'm just so sick and tired of us not helping them. So I ask you for an outsource, a day space, an outdoor space, housing first, anything just to help these people. So thank you. Thank you. Hi [50:05] Public commenter (Robert Self / Brian McClellan): my name is Robert Self, and I'm actually unhoused at the moment. I wanted to touch base on something you said about the dad is, yes, I am, I'm a very good resident, and you were saying that the property crimes have gone up and stuff. I was just talking to deputy chief out there that said that 's not the case. The crimes have stayed the same, but the mental health resources and the issues that aren't addressed like mental health problems that unhoused where they have no insurance because they have no address to get stuff sent to all of that has gone down since 2024 and since then you've seen an increase in property crimes but we can't say that 's the homelessness we can't put it all on one entity because it's a lot more than that there's a lot more problems than that out there the unhoused is an issue but also the biasness of people sitting here looking down on the house unhoused when if they actually looked into the resources and the help that we need to get what we're asking it would help a lot more than shunning people like they're unwanted, because I feel like if my daughter was out here or if my sibling was out here, I'd do whatever I could to help them, not look down on [51:38] Susan Hawes: them. Thank you. Thank you. Hi [51:47] Public commenter (Danielle Sweat): my name is Danielle Sweat and I'm a Bangor resident and I am also homeless. I'm on board with the safe site for the campground, and I also lived at Hope Camp Hope, and I feel judged every single day being on the sidewalks, being on the tracks, being looked down on. If you guys want to address the situation, you guys can top the problem and look at yourselves as well, because we need your help to be housed or to be somewhere so we're not on the sidewalks or on the tracks or being judged, you know like we're less than because we're having to sleep on the sidewalk. You that doesn't feel good, you know. I mean, how to lay in the rain, you know, and have the cops make us move 10 times a night because we have nowhere to be. We need help, like we need a safe place so we are safe, okay, because some of us are getting hurt every day being out there. Some of us want help and we can't get it, okay, so please help us. Thank you [52:43] Public commenter (Jennifer Marshall): Thank you. My name is Jennifer Marshall and I'm a Bingo resident and I'm also homeless. I'm on the sidewalk, you know. I thought I had to write the speech out, but I've had this speech prepared in my head for a long time. I just want you to know that I'm very sorry for everyone that has had any problems with any of the homeless vandalisms or anything like that, but I want you to know that the people on the sidewalk in front of the park are not the problem. Most of us out there are the most Compassionate and the most respected. We respect the neighborhood and we respect it all of the surrounding areas around us. I go around the park picking up trash every day. I sweep the sidewalks every day. I pick up needles out of the parks every day and on the sidewalks and I collect them. I turn them in. I do my best to keep that part clean so the kids can enjoy themselves. I put up chalk so they can play in the sidewalk with chalk. I do everything I can. I love children and we all do and we're some of the most compassionate people. We're all friends and we all care about each other a lot and all we want is to have a safe place to go and not be looked down on because we're on the sidewalk. And the only reason why we're there is because we feel safe there is the only place and if you don't want us there, then give us a place where we can go and all of us are willing to do what we got to do to get there and get house and do what we have to do. We have caseworkers. I have had a voucher for a month now, and I've been looking for a place. I've been homeless for the last five years and only been housed one year out of it. And I managed to go through my whole year lease with that apartment, and I had lost my voucher because they didn't want to renew my lease. And then I ended up back on the street and in the same situation, having to struggle, moved around from place to place. I've been in every encampment that there has been, the Ballyab, 395, the train tracks. I've been to Camp Hope. I've been here. I don't want to keep moving around. I want a place where I can focus on getting what I need done and feel safe at the end of the day to rest my head and get some rest. I've spent countless nights walking around with no sleep because I keep getting told to move around when I try to sleep somewhere. somewhere. It's very tiring and I just want to get housed and I do have the desire to be clean. I am an addict yes but I don't want to stay one. I need some stability and we all do and we all need help. We're all asking to please help us and I'm sorry for everyone and I hope that you can change your mind on us because we're not all bad people. We're all homeless yes but we're hopeless we're losing hope every day that we're not going to get the help that we need but I hope that you guys can understand and see some good in all of us that are here today because we're the ones that need it thank you thank you hi [55:58] Public commenter (Evangeline White): my name is evangeline white i'm a business owner downtown thank you so much for sharing i think i wonder how many people here with very strong opinions have ever had to apply for a voucher or food stamps or main care or how much time they spent in a waiting room at dhhs i'd also like to wonder when you're behind closed doors do you think you look picturesque all the time when you're in your home do you always look sane or pretty you know addiction and mental health no economic bounds. I think people are confused about how close they actually are to homelessness. That's one crisis. One, you know, losing your job. It happens pretty fast. So I'm just turned 37. I'm a mother. I took care of my siblings out of foster care. I chaired briefly for Mabel Wadsworth. I work with rape response services to raise money for them often. I'm a contributing member of society. I was once homeless. I was homeless for a while and I was an addict. And if it wasn't for services, for us to collectively, I think there's a culture war blinding everybody right now because ultimately we want the same thing. Some people think compassion is a dirty word, but that's the vehicle that gets people, you know, whether your sensibilities are offended because it's an eyesore and it's not pretty and it looks like a ghetto, or your sensibilities are offended by human suffering, because everybody in this room bleeds red. We all have an expiration date and we all have feel the same feelings. They could win the lottery anytime, any day. You can lose your job, you can lose everybody you love in a in an instance and find yourself in the exact same place eventually want your community to support you. How would you like? I think we all want the same issue figured out the same way. You can't just make people disappear. People don't just go poof and then your town is pretty again. Human beings exist and compassion is what separates us from being human or being monsters. Compassion is not a dirty word. Thank you. [58:45] Public commenter (Tamra Mailman): Hi, before you ask, yes, I'm a resident of Bangor, proud resident of Bangor. My name is Tamra Mailman. I was housed, I was at Camp Hope. I am now homeless again because BRAP has lost their funding and my one-year lease was up and here I am again. I could simply make this easy and say where do you want us to go, like I could end it there, but I'm not going to. We're not just going to magically not be homeless because you don't want us to be and you don't want us to exist. We're here. Sorry that affects your Property value, I apologize. We have had issues in the past. I'm sorry we've had issues in the past. Yes we have, and cameras have failed. But there are those of us that are here tonight that are willing to do what we have to do to make it happen and to make it work. You guys just have to give us the chance. I know we've not, we people have ruined it in the past for us, but we can't, we can't look back. We have to go forward, and we're not given the chance. We can't go to sleep at night like y'all, y'all gonna go home tonight and go to bed. We're gonna lay down and we're gonna tell him hey move, hey move, you know. I have kids. I wouldn't want to bring my kids to the library. I understand that. I wouldn't want to, I wouldn't, but where are we gonna go? Where are we supposed to go if we don't have an encampment where we can go with resources in the community that we need to do something with ourselves? We're going to be at the library. We're going to decrease your property value, and it's just going to be what it is. It's illegal pretty much for us to exist, and you guys would have no idea how that feels. It sucks to wake up every day knowing your existence is pretty much illegal Eagle. A safe encampment is possible, and as Alex said, we did a survey today, and 100% of people all agree that we could do this if given the chance. I don't have much hope in that, but I really, I got my fingers crossed that you guys actually at least think about it. I don't have the time in three minutes to explain you how it will work, but if y'all gave us the chance to come and speak with you on a deeper level and explain how it could, you guys would be pretty amazed at some of the thoughts that us, you know, less than folks have. We're pretty smart. I probably delivered your mail. I was a post worker. I probably was in your surgical room. I was a surgical sterilization technician at Eastern Main Medical Center until my mom got cancer, and we could go on and on that too, but I'm one of y'all. I'm one of them, and you know what, being with them, that's where I'd want to be any day, because they know what it's like to live. So I gotta say, we just need a chance. Thank you, thank you [1:01:52] Public commenter (Willie Hurley): Good evening, counselors. My name is Willie Hurley. I'm a former Bangor resident. I currently live in Orono, and I work full-time Bangor for Needlepoint Sanctuary. So I'm here to second the idea of a safe outdoor space. There were many conversations that happened with Councillor Beck Falloon, and Carolyn Lear also attended these meetings where we talked collaboratively with unhoused community members about this idea. I emailed you guys a proposal, and what I will say is that this is a short-term solution to a longer-term problem, right? We need to seriously consider devoting a lot of resources to these issues, to the issues of housing, addiction, and mental illness within this community. I think we continually put up measures that don't really address the root of the problems and that don't go far enough, right? Like, it's good to have another warming center, but here we are in springtime and the warming centers are closed, and you know, we have this emerging encampment at Pierce Park, and it's creating division within our community, as I suspected it would many months ago, and every time of a post encampment sweep, right? Because it's where will people go, right? And so they're going to end up downtown. It's going to create division between the business community, the unhoused community, between the social service providers who are just trying our best to help people and actually aren't getting that much of a share of taxpayer dollars. Most of that goes to bombing foreign countries, actually. But that's a whole other topic. I wanted to speak a little bit about the question of accountability that came up a lot, because today we did a facilitated meeting where we talked about the idea of a sanctioned encampment, and accountability was what everyone was talking about. Everyone's talking about there's a lot of frustration within the unhoused community amongst each other about certain behaviors, maybe certain individuals, things that continually come up for people, and that was the question that comes up again and again and again. And it really surprised me when I started kind of bringing people together to talk about advocacy and the human rights of people experiencing homelessness, because accountability was the first thing that came up. The first thing that came up was that it's unacceptable that there are people shooting up in public parks, right? It's unacceptable that there's syringe litter around. And this is a sentiment shared by the majority of the unhoused community. And my invitation to you guys is to continue meeting with this community to collaboratively discuss solutions to this issues. And I'd also like to extend this invitation to the business community and the people here who are talking about empathy somehow being the problem. I invite you to come and have conversations with people directly because I know them very well. They're wonderful people with many wonderful ideas. [1:04:46] Susan Hawes: Willie could you well I'm done. Okay no I was just gonna say if you all can address the council please. They will in a minute. [1:05:01] Public commenter (Mick): Yes, sir. Hello. My name is Mick. I've been a banker resident since 2004. I've also invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in redeveloping downtown buildings to add more housing. And I also do have low income housing and that house people from homelessness on vouchers. And I continue to do that. I've experienced broken windows. I've, I've cleaned up bodily fluids. I've picked up needles. I've dealt with trash, I've dealt with people yelling at me and all these things, but I do have empathy. I want people that need help to get help. But here is the problem. My background is a finance guy, and you guys have a massive problem unless you look at it from 50,000 feet. The more resources you throw at something, and some things we should be throwing more resources off, but here's the problem. Bangor becomes the dumping ground for everybody else. We heard about people being bused in from Missouri and the Midwest. Guess what, how many shelters does Brewer have, none. What they do is just say get over to Bangor and they'll sort you out. I have no problem with the thousands and thousands and thousands of tax dollars that I pay on property taxes in Bangor helping people less fortunate myself, but I do have a severe problem with helping people that do not belong to my community. That's [1:06:20] Susan Hawes: It thank you. Hello. [1:06:29] Public commenter (Rich Trot): My name is Rich Trot. I've lived in this community, I'm a Bangor resident, lived here my entire life. I put three kids through or in the process of putting three kids through the school system, and I don't claim to know all the answers, but I guess I wanted to discuss the definition of help and that we can all clearly agree that there's a lot of people in our community that need help. I like I said, I don't know what the answers to that are, but I think what made this community this state this country Great is that we have people that lead with their heart, and we have people that lead with their head. And I think that we've been leading a lot with our heart because it makes us feel good, you know, to give out needles and create exterior toilets that are going to become, you know, drug dens, and there's all these different things that we're are trying because it feels good short term. But the reality of it is none of it's helping. And you know, everybody's made great points about there's people coming to this community because there's available resources. The more you make that available, the more people you're going to attract, further exemplifying the problem. It becomes systemic, and you can't solve it no matter how many resources you throw at it. For an example, you know, dealing with my kids and I'm trying to get them to clean their room and do all the things to become an upstanding citizen and be a good brother and sister and be good to their neighbors, sometimes it's not easy and I have to give them some tough love. Tough love is the hardest love to give, but sometimes it's required, right? You can't expect people to always do the right thing. Sometimes you have to push that along, right? So we've been really good at leading with our heart, and I commend you for that. But now I think it's time to lead with our head and maybe have some common sense resolutions that are gonna help the business people and the local community because they are the majority of the people that are here. And you need to make an effort that it isn't always gonna be the right answer for everybody, but it's the right answer for the majority. That's all I have to say. [1:08:38] Susan Hawes: Thank you. Hi. [1:08:42] Public commenter (Robert Self / Brian McClellan): Brian McClellan, resident, business owner. Hi. Well, something that seems obvious to me is that it seems like everybody in this room and in the hallway, it seems like everyone here wants to do the right thing, and it seems like there's a little bit of opposing views on how to do that. But really I don't think there's opposing views. The only reason it seems like there's opposing views is because we haven't got the right ideas put together yet. And really we don't have a homeless problem, we have an idea Problem, you know what I mean, and when it come and actually as far as homelessness goes, when you're wanting to fix a big problem, you don't, you don't attack the whole problem, you attack the problem in pieces. That's the only way to fix something like this. Like first of all, we don't see, well first of all, we don't see homeless, we see people that need help, you know. But we have to see the fact it has to be, hey get, it's nice to know you, what's your name, why are you homeless, you know I mean, because there's a, there's a lot of reasons for being homeless, and you know really whether it's like I'm, I have an addiction problem that's taken over my life, or I'm, I'm divorced and I've lost everything and I can't afford anything. The, those two problems you'd have to try to work of different ideas for, but the thing is we have an idea problem here in Bangor, and I think it seems like this really good people here, and not just by the patience of you guys having to listen to some of the things that have been said here, I think you guys are really wanting to do something for the city of Bangor, and I think, I think if we got together and came up with some ideas to fix the pieces, you know, like this problem, not homelessness, but why are you homeless, you know, let's, let's work with that. All right, if I put you in a program, would you be able to go through the program, and if you can't go through the program, and if you have an addiction, would you be willing to go to a detox center if I financed it, you know, you know what I mean, I don't know, I hear that this meeting goes on once every two weeks, is that thing, and I thank you for welcoming the community, but I think a lot of you have some good ideas, I've heard some good ideas, and sorry your time is up, thank you, good [1:11:56] Public commenter (Richard Chaucer): evening counselors, good evening counselors, my name is Richard Chaucer, I'm a, I'm a retired, I'm a former service member, and I'm a former member of the board of directors for the standing committee for the Main, for the DHS department, one of the members is now works for your city. Anyways, when I was homeless back in the 90s from the hospital state, I had nowhere to go, nothing to do, I didn't know what was going on. Well, I wound up turning to alcohol, which led me to drugs, which led me to losing friends i did not get sober i did not receive the help i needed until i entered what's called a pass program pick up assess shelter and serve i stayed there any money we had we put half into the account for when we were leaving in half for one for while we were there we have we were offered medical care real doctors mds not nurse practitioners trying to be i'm sorry we were all we were off we had medical doctors we had real counselors not ones from that are nami oriented i wanted to push a pill we had mental health doctors that dealt with the issues, dealt with childhood issues, dealt with, dealt with service issues. That's what my business was. I was also on a board of, worked, I worked my way up to Bangor, Maine. I was a representative for Homeless Forces for Justice. Now the issue we see here is we don't have services in place. We don't have them in place, guys. We don't. I don't know if it's because of finances or what. We don't have services in place. Second of all, it's getting ridiculous when I get back three and a four in the morning, I have to go pick up needles, and I have to see people cross at the library breaking into that thing using a phone. You should have some kind of a phone access for people to use phones, and this is ridiculous. The camping out in front of that, you know, the people know who that like who Pantin was, who Penn is. I'm not going to say. Do the research. [1:13:56] Susan Hawes: Thank you. Thank you. I'm sir, before you start, we have been going for an hour and we had set aside one hour for public comments, so we'll take yours and then we're gonna have to close it for this evening. Thank you. My name is Raymond [1:14:16] Public commenter (Hamilton): Hamilton. I'm resident of Bangor and been a homeless as well before. I was homeless, I was a professional tattoo artist for eight years, had my own home, car, everything, and then just like somebody said, everything lost it and blink of eye. My mom, my dad, my twin brother, daughter all passed away within a year, leaving me to have to sell everything just to build the bury them, and being in Bangor trying to survive, it's very hard when there's when the services aren't for everybody like this, but if you have HIV we got service for you or if you're this and this, but a lot of people don't get the help they need and we don't have the basic resources we need to take a shower, to be closed, to be clean. How are we going to get jobs if we smell like we smell? Nobody wants to go to interview looking homeless, but we can't get jobs because there's nowhere to shower, there's nowhere to get cleaned. We can go to the brick church, you know, twice a week, but we only can take one outfit. What are we supposed to do for the rest of the time? I've had multiple interviews the past six months and I'm highly qualified. I have a bachelor's degree, I've done a lot, a lot of services, and I still can't get a job at McDonald's because I'm homeless. You know, like we need help not just with, you know, the finding, you know, places to go, but with the meeting basic everyday needs, having food, the only shower building and all that, and we don't have it. And that's just, you know, something that she has to think about, you know, how are we going to do that so we can be become proper members of society, get a job, put back into the community, and be who we used to be? Because I was never, I was never, I wasn't homeless until four years ago after losing everything, and I'm looked down like I'm like I'm nothing. You know, people walk by and they don't see us, and the only time they see it's when something's going on. But not all of us do these bad things, break into places, leave feces and fecal matter everywhere. Not everybody's like that. There's some really good people in the homeless community who are trying, and we can't get the help we need because we don't have any way to look presentable. I know none of you would hire us if we came into your place looking for a job, even if we were highly qualified, because based off looks alone. So how are we supposed to survive and do that if we can't get out? Thank you, thank you. Okay. [1:16:27] Susan Hawes: Thank you all for coming. We do appreciate and hear what you've said. We do need to move on with the rest of the meeting, so we're going to do that now. Those that are not staying, feel this would be the time that if you want to make your way out you can, or you're welcome to stay. Drinking okay [1:17:23] Lisa Goodwin: I think we're probably good enough, Madam Clerk. Minister Bangor City Council regular meeting of April 27, 2026. 26-154, order authorizing the execution of a municipal bill of sale for real estate located at 10 A Street. 26-155, order authorizing the execution of a municipal quick claim deed for real estate located at 166 Balsam Road. 26-156, order authorizing the city manager to apply for a grant from Verse and Power Sponsorship Program in the amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars for the purpose of purchasing a track kit for a utility task vehicle for Fire Department. 26-157, order authorizing the city manager to apply for up to $150,000 from the Main CDC as part of a collaborative application to offer HIV, HCV, and STI prevention testing and referral to resources. 26-158, order appointing code enforcement officers, electrical and plumbing inspectors for the City of Bangor. 26-159, order authorizing the city manager to award a contract to Gordon Contracting Inc of Sangerville, Maine in the amount of 13 million 493,962 dollars for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of taxiways Alpha and Mike. Madam Chair, I move that [1:18:51] Susan Hawes: these consent agenda has be passed. Second. It has been moved and seconded that the consent and agenda have passage. Excuse me, is there any discussion? Seeing none, the consent agenda has [1:19:06] Lisa Goodwin: passage. Referrals to committee and first reading, Madam Clerk. 26-160, ordinance amending the code of the City of Bangor to create a standing committee on housing, first reading. 26-161, resolve authorizing the city manager to accept and appropriate 250 dollars from the Main Primary Care Association for providing an educational presentation about the Rose Program, first reading. 26-162, resolve authorizing the city manager to accept and appropriate eighty thousand dollars from Main General to implement outpatient early intervention services with respect to HIV disease, first reading and referral to Government Operations Committee meeting on May 18th, 2026. Move these items be [1:19:52] Susan Hawes: referred. Second. It has been moved and seconded that these items be referred to committees for first reading. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, the items will be referred. [1:20:08] Lisa Goodwin: Madam Clerk, 26-095, ordinance amending the code of the City of Bangor to establish chapter 46 employee authority in immigration matters. Councillor Beck. Madam Chair, I move to remove [1:20:20] Carolyn Fish: Move order 26095 for removal for indefinite postponement. We have already voted on LD 1971, and this comes up every week with a great deal of time commitment, and we already have LD 1971 we voted on with guidance for staff, and I request for removal from this from the agenda. [1:20:50] Michael Beck: To the point of inquiry that motion, the effect of that, city solicitor, would that be [1:20:54] Susan Hawes: to kill it, to kill it? I'm interpreting that as a motion to postpone indefinitely, which would be correct. Yes, sir. Was there a second? No. Second. Okay. There has been no, it was requested to be removed, postponed indefinitely, there has been no second to that. Do we need to, there's no second, if the motion fails, yeah, there is no second, so oh. He is up there, is he on? Okay, councilman, can you hear us? I can barely hear you. [1:21:59] Wayne Mallar: I will second the motion, I was unable to get your attention. Okay. [1:22:06] Susan Hawes: Okay. So it has been moved and seconded that this item be removed indefinitely. So we will do a roll call vote. Vote. [1:22:19] Lisa Goodwin: Councilor Beck? No. Councilor Carson? No. Councilor Deane? No. Councilor Faloon? No. Councilor Fish? Yes. Councilor Leonard? No. Councilor Mallar? Yes. Councilor Walker? No. Councilor Haas? No. You have two yes, seven no. [1:22:45] Michael Beck: Madam Chair, I move to postpone this item until the regular meeting of Wednesday, May 27. [1:22:51] Susan Hawes: SECOND IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO POSTPONE THE ITEM TO THE MEETING OF WHAT DATE I'M SORRY WEDNESDAY MAY TWENTY SEVENTH WEDNESDAY MAY TWENTY SEVENTH IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION COUNCILOR MELLOR DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT OH NO COMMENT JUST DIDN'T HAVE A HAND DOWN I GUESS GO [1:23:18] Michael Beck: ahead. Sure, I just want to say the reason for postponing this is that we just received some information from legal that we'd asked for, to have more time to review it and ask questions from legal, as far as the city solicitor, city solicitor, right, they gave us the work product with some comments in there for us to review, so this to give us time to review that, ask questions, and then pick this up on the May 27th meeting, that's [1:23:49] Susan Hawes: Memorial Day. Okay, so it has been moved and seconded, we will do yes. [1:23:57] Susan Deane: My question is, first I want to say I don't have any ethical objection to this ordinance, but I do have issues with the legality. So I appreciate the fact that city solicitors spent countless hours trying to come up with ways to make this more applicable and without any repercussions, but every time this comes up, the changes have been made and then there are additional changes. So can we discuss this prior to our actual council meeting, or does it just go with the changes to the meeting? Because I feel like it comes here and then the same thing happens every time. City solicitor, can that be [1:24:41] Susan Hawes: be discussed at a workshop or a committee before it goes to that meeting? It could be scheduled at the workshop or referred to a committee, but there's a motion to postpone on the table, but either one of those options is possible, to the workshop or to committee for further discussion. The item that's on the table right now is to move it to the May 27th meeting. I'm [1:25:16] Susan Deane: sorry, I don't, I don't mean to complicate this, but it's just that every time it comes up there's a change and we have really no discussion prior to, with no input from council. That's true. So I just wanted to try and figure out a way to do this more expeditiously and not waste everyone's time. Understood. I just [1:25:32] Public commenter (Katie Coe): wanted to make the note that our workshop agendas tend to be very full and not provide the most [1:25:40] Carolyn Fish: timely way to debate things, and so I think a committee meeting might provide more. I have [1:25:46] Susan Deane: one other idea. Could we get this sooner than later so we have some input prior to it being sent to council? If it was to come back, you know, a week later, so that we could all review it and maybe put some input in and not wait until the 11th hour. Are you saying you don't want it to go to a committee? I'd be okay if it wouldn't, as long as we can view it in a timely fashion and so that we could make some changes prior to it going to council, if that's a possibility. I'm [1:26:19] Susan Hawes: not sure, I'm just trying to figure this out. So legal has identified issues and sent it to all of council, and so those issues have been identified and proposed suggested changes have been made, but then there are other items that could come also, you know, the departments have weighed in, and so not everything has been right. It's my industry now, but [1:26:47] Susan Deane: all the departments have it in correct. Well, all the departments that was sent [1:26:51] Susan Hawes: to have weighed in. Mm-hmm. So it's, it's up to the council now. Okay, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be you know items worked on at a workshop or a or a committee meeting all right we have the motion to move it to the 27th and has been seconded is there any further discussion that's [1:27:40] Lisa Goodwin: all mail are you still with us yes okay we'll need to do a roll call though council beck yes councillor carson yes councillor dean yes councillor falloon yes councillor fish yes councillor leonard yes councillor maller yes council walker yes council hawes yes nine yes zero no okay [1:28:07] Susan Hawes: nine yes zero no know the ordinance 26095 will be postponed to the May 27th meeting next [1:28:18] Lisa Goodwin: item 26-137 ordinance amending chapter 257 sidewalks to add section 257-7 occupying blocking obstructing or partially obstructing a sidewalk or esplanade counselor fish Thank You madam chair I [1:28:37] Carolyn Fish: move ordinance 26-137 by substitution to replace it with the ordinance amendment that was recommended by the Advisory Committee on racial equity and [1:28:51] Susan Hawes: inclusion human rights excuse me point of order the procedure the proper procedure would involve a motion on the ordinance in a second and then the [1:29:06] Carolyn Fish: motion to amend by substitution I've got three processes here so okay I move for passage of 26 dash 137 ordinance in the this ordinance would amend the city code Chapter 257, Sidewalks, to include a new section, 257-7, Occupying, Blocking, Obstructing, or Partially Obstructing a Sidewalk or Esplanade. The original proposed change to the ordinance was brought forward because the police department has experienced issues with individuals storing material on sidewalks, esplanades, and especially in the downtown Bangor area. This has at times led to pedestrian stepping off the sidewalk onto the street maneuvering around a blocked portion of the sidewalks Esplanade the goal of the ordinance is to change what was to ensure that pedestrians are able to safely use city sidewalks and ensure they remain accessible at its meeting on April 13th 2026 the City Council referred the ordinance 26-137 a map not mending Chapter 257, Sidewalk Section 257-4, to require licenses to occupy, block, or obstruct a sidewalk, esplanade, or street to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity and Inclusion in Human Rights on for an advisory recommendation. The committee met twice to discuss the proposed change and any potential alternative. The proposed new section of the ordinance is meant to ensure both sidewalk accessibility, and consideration for those experiencing homelessness and their personal belongings in the spirit of inclusion and equity. The amended version would create a new section of the ordinance to address those concerned, hereby leaving Section 257-4 specific to licenses for construction purposes. The Committee voted 7-1 to recommend this amended amendment to the City Council on its meeting on May 6, 2026. [1:31:06] Susan Hawes: Second. Okay. Ordinance 26-137 has been moved and seconded. Is there any further discussion? We'll need to do another roll call. Were [1:31:20] Carolyn Fish: you gonna make a motion then? Okay. I make a motion. Sorry about that. I make a motion to accept 26-137 substitution to replace it with the ordinance amendment that was recommended by the advisory committee on racial equity and inclusion in human rights second okay [1:31:48] Susan Hawes: just a point of order that was a motion to amend not a motion to accept right motion to amend substitution okay it's better now the now the third one I [1:32:06] Michael Beck: make a motion I make a motion to point of order do we have to vote on the first Amendment and accept it and [1:32:15] Susan Hawes: then entertain the next Amendment I believe that counselor's intent was to make a motion to amend by substitution with an amendment. She didn't, it wasn't intended. It shouldn't have been a third motion. It should be incorporated into the original motion. Do you want to amend your motion to amend? Oh, why not? Sure. [1:32:43] Carolyn Fish: I make a motion to amend the amendment of substitution. Okay. Do I explain the strikeout, or just leave it at that? [1:32:54] Susan Hawes: Just explain the strikeout, yes. Okay. Proposed strikeout. [1:32:58] Carolyn Fish: The proposed strikeout is to just reduce a redundant and second statement in paragraph C that says, Enforcement, the police shall enforce this section. The first and preferred method of enforcement of a violation into this section is for the public police department to direct that materials be removed from the sidewalk or espionage by the individual who's placed the materials if that individual can be readily identified period and then striking in an access support-based engagement see above the reason for striking that was already identified in the second section of this that instructs the police to provide prior to prioritize support-based engagement prior to any penalties. So we're just striking the duplication of those last few words. Point [1:34:01] Susan Hawes: of order, as long as everybody understands what the suggested change to the recommended ordinance is, the second sentence of subsection C would end after the word identified period everything after that would be striked stricken and that had a second yeah so now we've got councilman mallor apparently has left so we may not have to do oh he's back he's back oh my goodness he's like he floated to the bottom okay never mind we still [1:34:45] Michael Beck: need to do a roll call counselor beck we're gonna have a discussion about before we go to the vote yeah just because i wanted to let folks know the reasoning for this we heard from the police because i know that the intent of the acre committee was to ensure that paragraph b was the first course of action we heard from the police that it is going to be the first course of action and so again that sentence that was added to ensure that is not necessary it's going to be a paragraph b is going to be the first course of action on this [1:35:29] Susan Hawes: any other discussion saying none point of order chair the discussion on the public might occur after this motion because after this motion there has to be another motion to move the ordinance as amended right so i my i would suggest that any public input be done after this motion after this one yeah sure [1:36:00] Lisa Goodwin: okay madam clerk counselor beck yes counselor carson yes counselor dean yes counselor falloon Yes. Councilor Fish? Yes. Councilor Leonard? Yes. Councilor Malheur? [Public commenter (Robert Self / Brian McClellan): Yes. Thank you.] Councilor Walker? Yes. Councilor Haas? Yes. Nine yes, zero no. [1:36:31] Susan Hawes: Okay so that was on the amendment so we now have to go back to the other. So there can be a motion to you can move the ordinance as amended in a second and then take the public discussion or you can take the public discussion before the motion it doesn't doesn't [1:36:55] Carolyn Fish: matter i move i move the ordinance to 5-7 as amended second okay it's been moved and seconded [1:37:06] Susan Hawes: so we will now do the public comment for this item now [1:37:17] Public commenter (Richard Chaucer): the mean potatoes does this ordinance mean that mean that I could still in camp out in front of that okay good because they're supposed to be a three feet three foot variance I had a friend come by couldn't get his wheelchair down there and I've been solicited by drugs by people wanting to sell me crap down there I'm a retired person I'm homeless for voices for justice I understand what we need is called a pass program pick up assess shelter and serve we i don't know if we have the body Here or not, everybody deserves a roof over their head. Everybody deserves an opportunity to get sober. And if they don't, if they don't want to use that to get sober, to get to the goals to live on their own, then that's when you have other means that are viable. I don't even know if they're written a solution number two. We have people that are getting out of abusive relationships, women, men, children, coming out of, coming out of the, what do they call that, adoption area, didn't become adults, and they're kicked down the streets, so they go to the street. We have people moving in here to the city because if you want to do drugs, do whatever you want, go to Maine, they'll give you everything you want. Now we need to change this. Now, how to change this is, I'm gonna bring this up again, if I was on the ground floor of a program, we have a 70% success rate compared to this DHS program. It's called PASS, pick up, assess, shelter, and serve. Bo Hill, you can call him now, he's still the director of it. We were located 1708 Prospect Avenue which is the heart I was assaulted earlier today earlier today out there talking to appear and I goes you don't know and he says step off the ego so he goes walk He'll step off that, I was standing on the top of the, what do you call that where the statue is, talking to a peer and he said, come down here. And I stepped down and he cold cocked me. Now that would never happen if I was back in where I was in a different area. And if we had the laws and legislature, that shouldn't even happen, shouldn't even be a prospect. We offered, what we offered was shelter for people. They could stay there as long as they want. There's an old YMCA building, we converted to it. It's at 1708, 1703 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland. Used to be the biggest ghetto whorehouse we had down there back in the day. Now, it's one of the success rates. We took in women, Thelma George is one of the programs. You can name it wherever you want. Took in women and children, helped them get back into school, get back with their education, get back to knowing what they do. Because when you get off of drugs and alcohol, we all know three days, three months is nothing. That's just to give me a little sleep time and get some more. We need three months to six months at least of a rehabilitation for it to work. Studies know this. That's your time, sir. [1:40:33] Public commenter (Scott Pardee): My name is Scott Pardee, and I'm a resident of Bangor, and I'm not going to talk to you about recovery. But I am going to speak regarding the proposed amendments to Chapter 257 of our City Code. While the language of this ordinance focuses on licenses to occupy or obstruct a sidewalk, let's be honest what we are really looking at. Removing the phrase for construction purposes from Section 257-4 is not about regulating scaffolding or ladders. It is a clear attempt to give the city a broad legal tool to clear the homeless from our sidewalks and esplanades. While I agree in principle that our public rights of way must remain safe and passable for all citizens, we cannot ignore the irony of passing, quote unquote, clear sidewalk rules while our shelters are closed for the season. If the goal is truly safety, why are we prioritizing the removal of a person's belongings over the creation of 20 of a 24 7 space where they can actually go? My primary question tonight is about how exactly, how does the council intend to enforce this if this ordinance passes? Does it mean our police officers will be taxed, tasked with issuing daily fines of 25 to 500 to people who have no income? Does it mean we are moving toward a policy of arrest for those who cannot pay those fines? If we use code enforcement to tag property, where is that property being stored and at what cost to the taxpayers? We've seen what happens when we move people without a plan. They simply move from French Street to Pierce Park or from the riverfront to our downtown doorways. Using Chapter 257 as a clearing tool without a designated city-owned day and night space is just suffering a crisis from one block to the next. I'm asking this council for a clear public statement on the enforcement protocol for Chapter 257. Will this involve Bangor police action? Anybody want to answer? Probably not. Will it lead to a cycle of arrests for obstruction? The citizens of Bangor deserve to know if we are shifting toward a policy of criminalizing poverty because we lack the political will to operationalize the buildings we already own. Let's stop using the city code to hide the problem and start using our assets to solve it. Any questions? Thank you. [1:43:11] Public commenter (Mike Farrell): Mike Farrell, resident of Bangor. I don't belong to any organizations. I don't make any money on this. I just want to let it be known right out front. Sidewalks, just in the name alone. Sidewalk. It's a place where people should be allowed to walk. There shouldn't be any obstructions on there except for construction they're doing that and they have to draw a permit. I get it, I understand, but a sidewalk is a place where people can walk freely, and right now if you go down to the library you're going to see a bunch of homeless camped out on the sidewalk. Now listen, I made choices in life, other people make choices in life, you know what, your choices in life dictate your what your outcome is going to be, okay. They've just got to clean up their act. How can we help them? I always hear this, okay, what are we doing to help these people? If you look at the 1300 non-profits that are here, if you took their money that they get from the federal government, because that's not free money, we all pay taxes, that's tax money, the legislators could potentially open up Dorothy Dix and the one down to Augusta and provide a means for these people to get off drugs, clean it up, clean themselves up, and the other thing that I never heard before is look for a job. Only one person mentioned it. Look for a job. And that's what it's all about. Listen, if people clean themselves up, get off drugs, get off alcohol, get the mental health treatment that they need, these nonprofits could provide all the funds and resources. I can tell you there's a ton of money being spent on them. It equates to like $4 billion just in this area and a bunch of other areas. It's 4 billion. They make up almost 20% of the employment. I talked before about optics, okay. These people are in the library, they're in places that people go and visit, it's all about optics, okay. If the optics look bad then somebody else is going to push another agenda. What you're trying to do right now, a homeless encampment, okay, that's what the whole deal is all about, they're trying to push another agenda. People got to wake up and understand what's going on, okay. You do these things and you push something else. And now you got a homeless encampment where there's no laws, no rules and regulations, people can do what they want. We abide, we're a country and a system in our Constitution of law and order, and you have to follow the law. If you don't follow the law, what do we have? We have a lawless society. I've been to multiple countries, I'm retired military officer, I've been to multiple countries and I've seen what a lawless society is, and I'm telling you right now none of you ever want to go there, okay. It's Bad, it's, but we're heading in that direction, and it's got to stop. There's also a legal phrase called the taking clause under Article 5 of the Constitution. Your solicitor can look it up, and I'm telling you, if this is pursued, there will be a class action lawsuit against the city and the people that want this. I can tell you right now, it's probably going to happen. So it's called the taking clause. Thank you very much. Thank you, Jody. [1:46:15] Public commenter (Jody McDonald): McDonald's still Bangor resident. This will be super quick. I think it's really gross that you're putting human beings in something that was historically for construction. Most of the conversation tonight has been surrounded on our neighbors who need assistance of some variety or another. I find it very offensive that a solution to this turns our police needing to have even more on their plate. They are meant to serve and protect our community. Absolutely, this is just so different, and I'm just so disappointed that we're putting this down in something where it's about permits, etc., as opposed to, it's very clearly going off a very particular population. These people are our neighbors. We heard many of them speak tonight. I don't want to treat them like they need a permit. We need a solution, but that's icky, and [1:47:17] Public commenter (Renee Hudgens): i'm on the opposite table i'm a law-abiding citizen and when i see the panhandling happening to me that is against the law because in my day it would have been called loitering and i actually been watching shift changes down there 12 30 one leaves one comes and they greet each other and they leave there 's a business going on these corners and you all know it and we need to have permits that's step one of maybe helping get through this and our police have had their hands tied because they're not able to do anything. This would allow them to do something, because in other cities they can. So we need to add permitting, and actually I've been so driven by this, as I see them on the corner, I'm rolling down my window, and I'm telling them to get a job. And one young fellow said, I can't, I'm disabled. Well, if you're disabled, I'm sure there's services of all these thousands that we have here to get those services, but let's give them a hand up, not a handout. [1:48:28] Public commenter (Evangeline White): I really liked what you said earlier about being creative. I think if we all spend a little bit more time getting to know each other, like all different class levels, but I remember I grew up on Long Island in New York. I remember in 1999 when Mayor Giuliani did this when he did the sidewalk sweeps. I'm just wondering if everybody's prepared for the fallout of what's going to happen when there's no place for houseless people to go. And this is giving the green, you're emboldening police officers to start confrontations with people existing on sidewalks. I don't think it's gonna be pretty. And also your tax dollars are also going to the prisons that you're going to the jail. So it's like, do you want your, how do you want them to be spent in a endless cycle of people not getting help because you don't get help in jail. The other thing, somebody made a comment earlier about giving their buddy who's trying to get sober a bottle of booze in the morning. Giving people clean syringes is like giving a person with a drinking disorder a cup. Drugs are not being handed out or given to people. It's, it's disease control, it's public safety also. So before the needle exchange came when I five or six years ago I did a lot of downtown cleanups and there were syringes everywhere. Since on sidewalk this has to do the sidewalk. Since then, since the harm reduction, there's and there's a place for those syringes to go, there's a lot less on the streets. So I think people are seeing something that they can't really relate to if they grow up a certain way. If you've never been homeless, if you've never had to seek help, I implore you to call and try and get help and see how easy it is or how almost impossible it is. There's I think for Section Eight there's, it's seven years for a wait list on Section Eight right now for housing. It's like over 12 months those vouchers, there are barely any. And then if you want to get help for a detox that's usually a six month wait. Call 411, get those, get those numbers and see how long, pretend you have a drug problem and call and try and get a medical bed for medical detox and to get into a free where you go to get sober, yeah, and just see how long it takes you. It's time's up. Thank you, just I'll say something. [1:51:38] Public commenter (Robert Self / Brian McClellan): Quick more as a question. From what I understand, I think the rule that you're putting together is more of a, it's more of a passive law. It's more, it's not like something that's going to cause anyone to be arrested. It's more move along because we want to keep the sidewalk safe. And again, it's it's a, it's also passive in the area that they could just move up on the grass, and it's more or less keeping the sidewalk more clear. I don't think it's, oh I didn't know that part either. Okay, but I think I think again it's the whole thing that it's it's just trying to find just trying to find little answers to try to fix certain problems like and there 's a problem with safety you know if you know mothers with children have to step off the curve and then back on again you know we have to admit that 's a little bit of a problem let's try to figure out i think that's what that's what some people are saying is like let's try to figure out a way to make everyone safe including the homeless and yeah and let's just try to find an idea that would fits everybody [1:52:50] Susan Hawes: thank you I [1:52:53] Public commenter (Michael Norton): just wanted to say real quick, you can't, we can't quantify this financially at all. If you do not show the people the costs of technologies like YouTube and Zoom workspace that the city pays for, if you don't reveal that to us, we're all doomed because then they have every right to disable every one of us anytime they want. Thank [1:53:21] Public commenter (Richard Chaucer): you. Good thing for, I forget when I was talking about the password, sir. You've already spoken, I'm sorry, back again [1:53:28] Susan Hawes: No,, no two bites of the apple. Sorry, Hillary [1:53:35] Public commenter (Hillary Simmons): Simmons resident Bangor. I just have a question in regards to, so what you're stating in this is you're adding support based engagement. The city shall prioritize support based engagement prior to civil penalties, when feasible and appropriate. Is that what I'm understanding you're adding that language to this ordinance? Okay, so is this only for the unhoused? What about the citizens and taxpayers of Bangor? Are you going to be following that or you're going to be enforcing by the police and giving us civil penalties? How do you treat one differently than the other? If you are okay with giving the taxpayers and the citizens of Bangor a fine, how is that acceptable and not giving it to someone else? I think that's called discrimination [1:54:34] Public commenter (Jacqueline Smallwood): And I'd like to just say regarding the sidewalk fairness, I've sat at a restaurant a few months ago and literally watched a drug deal take place six feet from where we sat. It sends a message to every family, every kid, that dealing drugs is okay on the streets. I don't think I could do it. We called the police and they didn't come until they had already left. And then they sat on the bench and they smoked their crack pipe. It's not what I want my kids seeing. I don't want the message sent to my kids that doing drugs is okay. And I also feel with the needles, to your point with the, if my kid is a drug addict, I'm not gonna give him a clean needle or her a clean needle to help the problem. They need, they need help and I'm not discounting that these people need help, they truly do. But we're, we're bringing more problems in, we're in, they do need a place to go, but it's, it's so two-sided what we're seeing. I couldn't go on the sidewalk and sell drugs, I would be picked up. But yeah, we sat there and watched it, we called the police and nothing happened, and it sends a message to every family, every kid, that drugs are okay, so [1:56:03] Susan Hawes: Voter [1:56:06] Public commenter (Nikki Farnham): Card name. Then I am Nikki Farnham, Bangor resident, former city council member, and current library board chair. And as you know, the library has been mentioned several times tonight, and Ben Treat, the library director, has been in front of you several times lately sharing the observations of conduct and behavior inside and outside the library. So I'm here again letting you know that the library is very concerned. And as you know, our staff is wonderful and they have huge hearts, and at times they get Compassion fatigue, you know. So know that they are there, and I wish I was here or when Ben was here speaking, he would have said how wonderful the staff is and continues to be as we work through this situation. He would have mentioned all the great things happening in the library beyond the books, you know, the teen space and the children's area, the technology help, the library of things, the research help, the people that are in there getting technology help and learning to use all the resources of The library, which are available to everyone out and around the label library. Come on in and use the resources and all the things available that the staff have in the library for the library purpose. So we just encourage you to implement and enforce near term solutions along the way to the long term goal. Hi, [1:57:45] Public commenter (Katie Coe): I'm Katie Coe, a resident and homeowner in the city of Bangor, and we have a problem. People are sleeping on the sidewalk. Nobody wants to sleep on the sidewalk. It's freaking uncomfortable. Telling them that they can't sleep on the sidewalk does not solve the problem of they have nowhere to go. Passing this treats a symptom. Treat the actual problem. Make an account for them. I'm, folks have said a lot of things, and the only thing that I want to say about some of the commentary that I've heard is that people that are not sober also deserve a place to live. People that are using deserve to have a safe place to rest. Harm reduction means keeping them safe, alive, until they can get sober. And we need to be doing all we can as a community to help our neighbors. I understand that local businesses are struggling. I hear a lot of people saying they want to move out. If that actually reduced the cost of housing in the city, that would actually be a blessing, because then people could afford to live here. I am incredibly frustrated that housing prices are being put over people's lives. These are people. Keeping them alive, keeping them safe is very important. That's [1:59:31] Susan Hawes: All I have to say, thank you. Hello. [2:00:08] Public commenter (Lee Chick): Hi there, I'm Lee Chick, Bangor resident. Thank you for your service to the city of Bangor and taking the time to listen to all our different viewpoints. I truly hope that all the people who are unhoused or have issues with substances are able to find a solution, and it will take somebody a lot smarter than me to figure out what that means. I'm here in my myopic view of that of a trustee of the library, and I'm gonna engage in a football metaphor and pile on to Nikki's comments a few minutes ago. In my view, anything that we can do to make Ben Treat's job at the library easier and to make the access of our patrons to the library easier is something that is worth doing, so I support the proposed ordinance and thank you. Thank you. Yes. [2:01:19] Susan Hawes: Can [2:01:28] Public commenter: You hear me? Hello, can you hear me? Yeah, okay, great. About the homeless issue, should take note of we got in this problem and where the homeless issue comes from. Look at the root cause. We have an enemy who's extincting our people. They're doing it on purpose. They're sending us to wars against each other in the Ukraine and they're sending us to war in Iran for them, the Israeli government, Zionists and Jews themselves. They do want to extinct us. [2:02:08] Carolyn Fish: Council chair, point of order. I don't think this is relevant discussing. Okay, so [2:02:25] Susan Hawes: We have moved and seconded the amendment so now we have to there's already been a motion and a second on passing the of the proposed ordinance as amended and we and that there's been public comments of it I don't know if there's any more discussion but then vote that's okay all right All right. It has been moved and seconded to pass Ordinance 26137, Ordinance as amended. We've heard public comment, so it's now time to vote. [2:03:11] Michael Beck: Sure, go ahead. Sure. I just wanted to say that this is actually probably one of the more difficult votes I've had, simply because, you know, there's two sides of the issue. Where can't people be, and then where can people be? Looking at this ordinance first, I say thank you to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights. They spent two meetings wrestling with this and brought us this. A lot of work, a lot of thought. They heard from all kinds of community members, you know, discussion among themselves. So my thanks to them for their hard work, and I know this was not an easy decision to come to. for my part when we first during first reading i objected because i didn't like the idea that it was changing the construction ordinance but what's been brought before me today gives its own section that covers the loophole that you know there's if it's not construction it's not utility what about the other items and it's just unfortunate that you know anyone who's gone to pierce park and i've gone there plenty of times i talked to people there i mean we know what materials we're talking about. We're talking about people's survival gear and their world possessions, but we also have the issue of the passability of sidewalks. So that said, this is a loophole that I think that needs to be closed. I appreciate ACRE's work in putting in the support-based engagement. My reading of this is that if I, who is housed, was to block the sidewalk walk while I'm cleaning the garage, I'm not going to get fined right away. The police will just say, hey, move your stuff. And you know what? If I'm having a bad day and I look like I'm in crisis, I hope they offer me a resource or offer me something to straighten that out. But the bottom line is, that we're all going to get the equal chance to be warned. And also, I appreciate the inclusion and the pointing to the property policy, because I just know there'll be a situation where it's not that people don't want to move when they're told it's where do I go, where do I take my stuff, and to have an opportunity for them to not lose their belongings while also keeping the sidewalks clear. And once this is disposed with one way or the other, I hope we move back to the to the question of where do people go, and we work on that issue. You thank you council. [2:05:41] Susan Hawes: Beck. [2:05:46] Lisa Goodwin: Yes councillor Carson, yes councillor Dean, yes councillor Falloon, yes councillor Fish, yes council Leonard, yes councillor Maller, yes council Walker, yes council Hawes, yes. Nine yes, zero no, okay. [2:06:09] Susan Hawes: Ordinance two six one three seven nine, yes, zero no, it does have passage. [2:06:17] Lisa Goodwin: Next item 26 dash 150, ordinance amending city of Bangor code part one administrative legislation chapter 23 boards committees and commissions section 35 through 38 respectively to modify membership election of officers and meetings quorum for the downtown parking advisory committee. [2:06:37] Joseph Leonard: Thank you, Madam Clerk. This ordinance proposes to make amendments to the membership, officers, and meetings of the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee. This request stems from conversations with the current council liaison, myself, Councillor Leonard. The committee serves to make recommendations regarding parking in the downtown area. The proposed changes include, one, removing the chair to be the appointed councillor to the committee. It is more typical for the counselor to function as a liaison to the committee. An at-large resident of Bangor is offered to replace this position to keep the committee membership at an odd number. 2. The language of the election of the officers was then added. 3. Required votes to pass votes of recommendation were added. This can be a point of confusion and has needed modification for other committees. This item was reviewed and recommended for passage at the Business and Economic Development Committee meeting on April 6, 2026. Madam Chair, I make a motion to pass Ordinance No. 26-150. Second. [2:07:46] Susan Hawes: It has been moved and seconded for passage of 26-150 Ordinance. We will have, is there a discussion? [2:07:57] Joseph Leonard: I can just say a little bit on this, if you don't mind, Chair. No. So a reason why we're doing this is because this is the only committee where a counselor also acts as the chair. It's very irregular. And because of that functionality, if the chair is unable to make that meeting, then the committee cannot conduct business, unfortunately. Unfortunately. And so this was a very oddball committee that has been this way for a number of years. And I've been on this committee before I was a counselor. And we actually ran into this issue multiple times when our council chair was unable to make the meeting. In fact, actually, we've had a another meeting a couple of weeks ago that I was supposed to attend, but it was also the same night we were doing a budget workshop as well. So this is going to be very helpful to the committee members so that they don't ever have to worry about the schedule of just one of their members. So I think this will really help the parking committee immensely to not only conduct business but also further assist and grow our parking needs in the city. So I'm very happy to support this. Any [2:09:12] Susan Hawes: other discussion? I don't have to. Yes, I [2:09:26] Public commenter (Michael Norton): just wanted to say this is not the Michael J. Fox Foundation, because their chairman today is no longer on their voicemail reception computer system. Andrew J. O'Brien, the chairman, suddenly May 11th, is no longer part of that organization. So maybe it's kismet, Joe. I don't know. But I know this is not Michael J. Fox Foundation. Councilor Beck? Yes. Councilor Carson? Yes. Councilor Deane? Yes. Councilor Faloon? Yes. Councilor Fish? Yes. Councilor Leonard? Yes. Councilor Malheur? [2:10:28] Lisa Goodwin: Councilor Malheur, are you there? He was there. [2:10:49] Wayne Mallar: Yeah, this is Councilor Malheur. I vote yes. I couldn't hear no one. Councilor Walker? [2:10:56] Lisa Goodwin: Yes. Councilor Haas? Yes. Nine yes, zero no. Ordinance [2:11:02] Susan Hawes: two six one five zero nine, yes, zero no. It has passage. Next item. [2:11:10] Lisa Goodwin: 26-151, resolve authorizing the city manager to accept and appropriate seven million eight hundred and fifty two thousand three hundred and twenty dollars in FY 23 bus and bus facilities competitive grant for the construction of a workforce development training center and the rehab of the cold bus barn facility for the community connector. Council Carson. [2:11:31] Daniel Carson: Thank you, Madam Clerk. This resolve will accept an appropriate federal grants funds in the amount of $7,852,320 in full year 2023. Through a bus and bus facilities competitive grant program for the future construction of a workforce development training center and the rehabilitation of the cold bus barn facility. These funds are critical for the infrastructure needs of the community connector as the cold bus barn was built and originally owned by Dow Air Force Base in the 1960s. The project will include the addition of a new training center and office space onto the existing building and also rehab the old bus storage facility used to store buses and vans. Additionally, this project will add electrification infrastructure to the cold bus barn facility to meet future need. This project will start this summer and is expected to take approximately 18 months. The local share of the grant is 20%. However, the main Department of Transportation has agreed to fund 10% or up to 1 million, leaving the remaining 10% funded by the community connector and its partners. Funding has been set aside through the budget process in anticipation of this cost. This item was reviewed and recommended for passage at the Finance Committee meeting on April 22, 2026. Madam Chair, I move passage of council resolve to six dash 151. [2:13:09] Susan Hawes: Second, it has been moved and seconded for resolve to 6151 to have passage. Is there any discussion? Question saying. None, yeah, he's when counselor. [2:13:31] Lisa Goodwin: Back, yes, counselor Carson, yes, oh counselor Dean, yes,, nine, yes, zero, no, nine, yes, zero, no, resolve 26151 has passage. [2:13:54] Susan Hawes: Message that brings us to the end of the agenda. Is there any further business? No, okay, that's the question as. [2:14:10] Daniel Carson: Always, it's great to be present with so much robust public comment. I think actually this is the first time since I've been on the council where the hour was up before everybody was done, and so if you're still here and you haven't had the opportunity to share your comment, I just want you to know that you can email us, and it was mentioned at the beginning, but at counselors at BangorMaine.gov, we certainly do read all of the emails that come through, and so if you have any more to share, I look. Forward to being able to read that. Thank you, madam chair. [2:14:45] Susan Hawes: Here. Thank you. Councilman Maller. Good evening. [2:14:51] Michael Beck: Well, there. Council back. So I share a statement. The entire community mourns the loss of a true pioneer and dedicated public servant Gerald Talbot. The first black person elected to the main state legislature. Gerald didn't just break barriers. He built bridges and his life's work was defined by an unwavering commitment to justice, equity and the fundamental belief that Maine could and should be a better place for everyone and beyond his historic achievements in the State House and his leadership with the NAACP Gerald was a man of immense character and kindness we are a stronger more inclusive community because of his courage and his legacy I want to extend my deepest condolences to the Talbot family and I thank you for sharing him with us my thoughts and prayers are with you as we honor a life exceptionally well lived good night bangor that's our dean hello [2:15:49] Susan Deane: everyone thank you for still being here i do appreciate all of your input wanted to mention this saturday may 16th is the big dig and for those of us that have gardens downtown you will see us out and about we will be beautifying the downtown so i hope you enjoy our efforts in the coming weeks so thank you very much again for being here good night bangor council leonard my condolences to the talbot [2:16:12] Joseph Leonard: family and thank you all for being here tonight I appreciate all your voices [2:16:16] Susan Faloon: have a good night council flew thank you I also want to thank everyone for being here I also want to thank the I think we had roughly 60 people who completed an application to be on the committee on homelessness and like you I mean, we haven't made final decisions on that, but I just wanna say that the knowledge and the experience in that group just really has me feeling good that we are going to be able to come up with something long-term that's gonna help the city. And I know that so many people think nothing is being done and government just moves slowly. And I do feel your frustration. For the folks, I wish some of the other folks were still here. I mean, I'm never going to apologize for having empathy. But I have empathy also for the businesses who are impacted in a negative way. So you know, that doesn't go one way. And if you happen to see a news clip or, read something in the news, you didn't get my full statement. And having empathy doesn't mean no accountability. We do have laws and they do need to be enforced. And I think that there has been some maybe confusion or misunderstanding about what to enforce and how to enforce those laws. And I think some clarification on that is warranted. I think the ordinance that we passed tonight with the sidewalks is going to provide some clarity to our police. And, you know, we do need to be very clear as a council what we want them to enforce. force. And I think, you know, we're making our way toward that and making some progress. And I also wanted to note that what's going on at our library is not just happening in Bangalore. I asked this question recently to Ben Treat, and libraries are public places. They're safe public places, and everyone should be able to go there, not perform, you know, certain behaviors, of course, but this is happening at libraries across the nation. So it's not just us. Thank you all for being here, sticking with us. It's truly appreciated. The emails, they do get read. We don't, we can't always respond. Most of us are working all day and then we jump into meetings for four or five hours at night, so we can't respond to all of them. There's just not enough time in the day, but it's truly appreciated and they are red and good night Bangor council Walker. I appreciate all the public [2:18:57] Daniel Carson: comment as usual and as mentioned before anyone that didn't get a chance to speak certainly email [2:19:05] Public commenter (Jennifer Marshall): us. I know for myself, I speak for myself, I do read all of the emails and take things into consideration [2:19:12] Carolyn Fish: and good night Bangor council Fish. Thanks everyone for coming. Good to see the new faces. All perspectives are welcome, need to be heard, so I thank those that came tonight and with that good night Bangor any [2:19:30] Susan Hawes: comments from staff? Lots of shaking of the head. How about back here? None. Thank you all for coming. We will see you next meeting.