Bangor council refers two ethics questions to Board of Ethics, approves custodial contract and several consent items

The Bangor City Council on Sept. 22 referred two separate questions about councilors' conduct to the city's Board of Ethics, approved a three‑year custodial contract for city facilities including Bangor International Airport, and passed multiple consent agenda items including grant applications and a special-amusement license renewal.

The council voted 6–0 to refer Order 25-282 — a request to the Board of Ethics to examine whether actions by Councilor Wayne Mala at an Aug. 14 Historic Preservation Commission meeting violated sections of the city's code of ethics — and later referred Order 25-283, which asks the Board of Ethics whether a councilor taking and circulating nomination papers for another may have violated the code. Both referrals were made for an advisory opinion; the Board of Ethics may conduct fact-finding and issue a written advisory opinion.

Council members debated and approved Council Order 25-264, a contract awarding custodial services to SJ Services, doing business as Star Janitorial and Integrated Services, for Bangor International Airport, City Hall and Public Health and Community Services facilities. Councilor Dan Trimble expressed concern that the successful bidder's lower cost would reduce pay or hours for existing local workers and questioned the adequacy of the contractor's allotted hours for cleaning the public health facility, saying, "If you give me 7 hours a day, I probably couldn't do a satisfactory job cleaning that." The motion passed on a roll-call vote of 5 yes, 1 no.

City staff told the council the incumbent was not the lowest responsive bidder; the recommended contractor was described in committee as experienced with large, multi‑facility custodial contracts. Funding for the contract was included in the fiscal year 2026 budget. Council discussion noted an optional task order for wheelchair services at the airport that would be a pass-through fee to participating air carriers if agreed by carriers.

Council also removed Order 25-279 — an easement request at the end of Gilman Road for Bangor Maine 1 LLC — from the consent agenda and postponed it indefinitely after a motion to do so.

The consent agenda, which the council approved earlier in the meeting, carried several items including: a municipal quitclaim deed for real estate at 194 Warren Street (25-272); a Parks & Recreation partnership with the Bangor Rotary to install signage along the Kanduskeag Stream Trail (25-273); a memorandum of agreement with licensed clinical social worker Karen Gardner for oversight of the HIV intensive case manager program (25-274); a subordination agreement related to 21 and First National Bank (25-275); a Community Care Medicine grant application of $243,225 (25-276); a housing stability services grant application to the State of Maine not to exceed $400,000 (25-277); acceptance of an AFSCME collective bargaining agreement for airport operations (25-278); and acceptance of donated trees from Bangor Beautiful (25-280). The council also opened and closed a public hearing and approved renewal of a special-amusement license for Main Tavern Inc., 152 Main Street.

Several residents asked the council to examine appearance and conflict-of-interest issues; one resident noted a prior court review of an earlier conflict allegation and said the court found no conflicts in that matter. The council did not make any final findings on the ethics questions at the meeting; both items were sent to the Board of Ethics for its advisory opinion.

Votes at a glance

- 25-264 (custodial contract with SJ Services / Star Janitorial): Passed, roll call 5–1 (Yes: Councilors Beck, Dean, Fish, Mallor, Fornia; No: Councilor Trumbo). - 25-279 (easement to Bangor Maine 1 LLC at end of Gilman Road): Removed from consent and postponed indefinitely. - Consent agenda orders (25-272, 25-273, 25-274, 25-275, 25-276, 25-277, 25-278, 25-280): Approved as presented. - 25-281 (accept and appropriate up to $730,000 from Maine DHHS for Public Health infrastructure): Referred to committee / passed first reading. - Special-amusement license renewal for Main Tavern Inc., 152 Main Street: Approved. - 25-282 (refer alleged Historic Preservation Commission conduct to Board of Ethics): Approved, 6–0. - 25-283 (refer taking/circulating nomination papers issue to Board of Ethics): Approved.

What this means

The ethics referrals will place the questions now before the independent Board of Ethics, which can investigate and issue an advisory opinion to the council. The custodial contract shifts service provision to a new, lower-cost vendor and prompted concerns about possible impacts on local workers and cleaning frequency at a public health facility; council discussion identified a $40,000 difference over three years raised during committee review and noted the public-health site would receive reduced hours compared with the prior arrangement.

The council did not adopt any policy changes at this meeting; it sent ethics questions for outside review and approved budgeted contracts and grant applications that staff may now implement or pursue.

Ending

The Board of Ethics will review the referred matters and report back with advisory opinions; the council will consider those findings when they are received. The council's next regular meeting is scheduled for a subsequent date on the agenda.