[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6709549,"mediaKeyId","5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca","parentId",5387708,"title","Bangor council approves airport grant, fire training contract and consent agenda; several items referred for first reading","audioSeconds",36,"startMs",1694000,"endMs",1730000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca&start=1694&end=1730","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca/thumbnail_1694000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6709549/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Bangor-council-approves-airport-grant-fire-training-contract-and-consent-agenda-several-items-referred-for-first-reading","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6709549-7599fbb32fb117dd2dd651abee890367/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440273&Signature=Xlr1FYaXHccZRToCYW~nfScUtv3u0DUbsczd6jknbaX2p87sKaVc8t5Z6jIMsspPqEIvml44GiYwHhOB1TBZU-ghmweLnULBEjox3GqeVXOwjaIdsDJJ1TEMT82wFdO5b66SpLmQz63ND0WNfyFgZWXmMX5OhY8NCevck2k7kvJpRrZ1WsbEKzjJPxPZKOka8shq-wdY0mn6d2b7L5pcyPhSfaFHxxQskRR6PqNY~Y1djRoZQXBCaGCD9s2N-PlmUOV36sgFkj3Ov84Eov7H4NTnDSdXALFQtwQ84OOkkwxoPcvrvcow7Pov-ZvwB9abvAPQMDeM0uMBu7~zXw6wsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Bangor Maine","date","2025-07-15T11:37:17Z","article","The Bangor City Council on July 14 approved a resolution to accept an airport improvement grant, authorized a contract to build a live-fire training facility, passed a consent agenda of routine items and referred several rezoning and grant items to committees for first reading.

The council voted to adopt resolve 25‑236 to accept and appropriate an airport improvement grant. Councilor Trimble moved the passage; a second was recorded. During the motion the grant amount was read aloud as $404,180,853 from the Federal Aviation Administration with a $12,654 contribution from the Maine Department of Transportation; earlier materials on the docket listed the FAA amount as $480,853 and the MDOT amount as $12,654. The council announced passage of the resolve during the meeting.

The council also authorized order 25‑237, a contract with Forge Fire Company to construct a new live-fire training building for $679,000. Council discussion noted that the city had previously voted to accept $679,000 from the Maine Fire Protection Services Commission for the project and that the vendor required a signed contract to hold a spot in its building queue to meet a projected completion date of May 1, 2026.

The consent agenda was moved and seconded and announced as passed; it included: appointing nominees to various boards, authorizing the city manager to execute a contract with CNC Lynch Excavation LLC for the Fourteenth Street Walkway and White Pathway project, parking map updates near City Hall, execution of a storm drain easement for the Sunset Avenue housing development, and a ratification of staff action to apply for $1,500,000 in Federal Transit Administration grant funding for a community connector bus and ADA paratransit vans.

Several items were taken on first reading and referred to committees or boards for further consideration: two rezones (509 Investigate Avenue and a portion of 1017 Union Street) were referred to the Planning Board for its July 15 meeting; a resolve to accept and appropriate $1,706,934 from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services for an overdose prevention and naloxone distribution program was referred to the Finance Committee on July 21; $160,045 in funds from the Maine Department of Public Safety Office of the State Fire Marshal for Public Safety Wellness Reimbursement was referred to the Government Operations Committee on July 21; a resolve amending council resolve 25‑201 to reduce the Bangor School Department appropriation beyond the minimum statutory target (referencing 28 MRSA) was referred to the Finance Committee on July 21; and an airport improvement grant (AIG number 90) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for preliminary design work at Bangor International Airport was referred to the Business and Economic Development Committee on July 21. The AIG amount listed earlier in the packet was $480,853 from the FAA and $12,654 from MDOT; the record contains an inconsistent readback of the FAA amount during floor discussion (see clarifying details).

A motion to waive separate-day reading for resolve 25‑236 was approved by roll call, 7 yes, 0 no. The roll call recorded votes as: Councilor Beck — Yes; Councilor Fish — Yes; Councilor Fournier — Yes; Councilor Haas — Yes; Councilor Mallor — Yes; Councilor Trumbo — Yes; Councilor Dean (chair pro tem) — Yes.

The meeting concluded after passage of the new-business order authorizing the fire training facility contract and routine closeout remarks from councilors and staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council 7.14.25","oneSentenceSummary","At its July 14 meeting the Bangor City Council approved an FAA airport improvement grant resolve and authorized a contract for a live-fire training building, passed a consent agenda of routine items and referred multiple ordinances and grant accepts for committee consideration.","taxTitle","Bangor City, Penobscot County, Maine","taxId",2586,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6709539,"Residents say waterfront-fence murals were installed without required review; councilors say they will follow up",1314,613000,1927000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca&start=613&end=1927","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca/thumbnail_613000.jpg","/articles/6709539/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Residents-say-waterfront-fence-murals-were-installed-without-required-review-councilors-say-they-will-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6709539-dd8433f4e2fe855f5a5ab3e1c0c32e82/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440273&Signature=JkD5YqITbtg27nsD2HQn7kzfYwiyzPLT4QSsf1-4Pbc30vrI57IzUmwYQ6HPDPaPHnqL9T8BXPI3RieWCqYfTonqzPBe3wTdsdndqqsbaggZJziA73SabgZyjfmpf~rGqo1V~9DR~GzDUc0o1JHxEjarb~Wr2mjA1oHLUfPPdUWMMmnQ2IakzAw4klgOPM2szi4uwxvCKn6L3bTfLnXhhXwImm5mVUoANq-9Hmbeao5BYWUl2yfh-xhiqogC4beEM8YmLeYfzngp6ox6AB~PTq3BoDdBmRdOLU3PnZk0HmId9JrfR7ju4tSOdMytK14o1H5Or9o5~aw4U19ZUUraTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During public comment at the July 14 Bangor City Council meeting residents raised concerns that mural panels installed on the waterfront concert fence were painted and displayed without the full review required by a lease amendment and commission process.

Suzette Furrow, introducing herself as a Bangor resident, said the murals are part of a proposed third amendment to a 01/2019 waterfront lease and that the amendment required waterfront to coordinate with the community and economic development department and to have final mural designs reviewed and recommended by the Commission on Cultural Development and approved by the city council. Furrow said the murals currently on display were painted by local artists (reported as about 20 artists and paid a $450 stipend each per earlier committee discussion), but that the full set of designs had not been posted on Bangor Beautiful's website and had not been fully reviewed by the cultural commission as required by the lease amendment.

\"These paintings were approved by violation of the contract without being reviewed,\" Furrow said, and suggested the council consider a motion to rescind the previous approval or to refer the matter for an internal review or possible legal action for breach of contract.

At least one council member said they shared the concern and requested follow-up. A councilor noted that while the waterfront organization had worked with the city and that some artwork appeared appropriate, the process as it was followed did not appear to match the committee-level review described in the contract amendments and that staff should look into whether required reviews occurred.

The council did not rescind any approvals during the meeting. Councilors asked staff to follow up and to report back on whether the cultural commission's review requirement and the lease amendment's approval steps had been observed.","A resident presented concerns that murals installed on waterfront concert fencing were approved in violation of a lease amendment requiring review by the Commission on Cultural Development and final council approval; councilors said they would investigate the process and review.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6709544,"Residents urge Bangor council to restore longer, earlier public comment; councilors agree to review process",1726,237000,1963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca&start=237&end=1963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5387708-9f0d1f5dc44c1d2ec544751ffb0e19ca/thumbnail_237000.jpg","/articles/6709544/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Residents-urge-Bangor-council-to-restore-longer-earlier-public-comment-councilors-agree-to-review-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6709544-6d182d204f3503f81dff0a033eeb531f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440273&Signature=KJnotp1tEHEPy9v35U88l8q7BtONASQqYRb2UXcv~vK4IHHoVNEsJiJs7mtBQ8ia5vbluTKdkCamHZCbhBgkGsLtyKAXv9LABVfECp74NHCu76F0TV3~ruzimj6RZAOdNPBaoTNP~8C~jeSgE7nLtIE0SLWaMF77pn4UMjVxsOO9G-fnDR-Q~3NzykMscCrlhZ8nXMcDHUcXZ74ZsSKmulqYzUX9HfflBmYSSATSETeVdlHFt262ClCf1kLWEaiq6fkwSZyb-kQBRWNLsWpuwqB-RKCQIq9oRkacZ0TN7DYQLrkwLXJyiXGeLNXbkAih67frSBM2BaLhPtppUkGxug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the July 14 Bangor City Council meeting several residents urged the council to restore the previous public-comment format and time allotment, saying a recent change has limited participation and reduced transparency.

\"To disenfranchise the public by limiting this crucial avenue for direct communication is frankly abhorrent,\" said Scott Party, identifying himself as a Bangor resident, during the opened public-comment period. Party said the council previously reduced the morning public-comment period from one hour at the start of the meeting to 15 minutes and that moving much of public comment to the end of meetings has discouraged attendance.

Party told the council that many residents are unwilling to wait through long agendas to speak at the end of meetings and called on the council to \"restore the public comment time to its previous length of 1 hour and return it to the beginning of the meeting.\" He described the change as having eroded trust in local government.

Other public commentators raised related concerns about transparency and consistent application of ordinances and contractual processes. After public comment, multiple council members said they had heard the complaints and would examine the city's public-comment process. One council member asked staff to evaluate how the revised policy has been working and to report back; another councilor said it may be appropriate to consider returning to the prior schedule if the review shows the change has discouraged participation.

The council did not take formal action to change the public-comment policy at the meeting; council discussion that followed the public-comment period directed staff to review and report back to the council.","Multiple residents told the council that a recent cut in allotted public comment time has discouraged participation and eroded trust; the councilors present said they would review the public-comment policy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bangor council approves airport grant, fire training contract and consent agenda; several items referred for first reading

Residents say waterfront-fence murals were installed without required review; councilors say they will follow up

Residents urge Bangor council to restore longer, earlier public comment; councilors agree to review process