Bangor City Cultural Commission members and community volunteers discussed next steps for a proposed historical marker and kiosk in Pickering Square and asked city staff to follow up on signage and website fixes that left a linked Paul Bunyan audio file inaccessible.

The discussion centered on who would lead a proposal, funding sources and technical details for the kiosk. Community members and commission volunteers said archival photos and an obituary for George Washington Pickering were located and provided for use in the exhibit, and recommended rescanning low-resolution images where possible to improve print quality.

Commissioners and members discussed funding options including seeking grant support and potential placement in a future city budget. The group agreed the next procedural step is to prepare a proposal and, if needed, invite Tracy (city staff) to a commission meeting to clarify logistics and cost estimates so the commission can decide whether to seek grant funding, include the project in the city budget or pursue a hybrid approach.

A related, recurring problem noted by volunteers and commission members: the Paul Bunyan kiosk installed earlier used a QR code that routed visitors to bangormaine.com, but the specific audio/video content intended to play at that link was not present. Commission staff agreed to follow up with city website staff and with Tracy and to test options for reliably hosting the audio. Commission staff said the commission’s web permissions are limited and that an embed (audio player) or a reliable redirect could be viable solutions; staff will coordinate with the city’s web team and Tracy and report back at a future meeting.

Commission members also raised maintenance questions tied to sign materials because existing plaques are metal and adding stickers is not clearly feasible; staff agreed to check options with Parks & Recreation and the web team.

The Pickering Square conversation included updates on other public-works elements tied to the plaza. The city engineer reported the Pickering Square installation timeline is progressing and that at least one art installation box may be installed in October; members requested a site visit if staff can complete an early installation. Staff said they will notify the full commission if an early-install walkthrough is possible.

Staff also reported that a public restroom unit for Pickering Square has been completed and is staged for installation; staff will coordinate timing and an opening event and will notify the commission once dates are confirmed.

Commissioners described potential next steps: assemble a project lead or small working group to draft a scope and budget, solicit cost estimates (including a quote request to DaVinci Signs, which had worked on past projects), and, if desired, pursue grant funding or include an appropriation in next year’s budget. Staff said they will invite relevant city staff to a subsequent meeting to clarify permissions, website options and funding pathways.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the project at the meeting; members agreed to follow up with staff-level contacts and to return with a more detailed proposal and cost estimates for committee review.