Finance committee advances custodial contract for airport, city hall and public health to full council

The Bangor City Finance Committee on Sept. 3 voted to forward to full council a staff recommendation to award a three-year custodial services contract for Bangor International Airport, city hall and the public health and community services department to the low bidder, Star Janitorial and Integrated Services of Danvers, Mass.

The committee packet said eight bids were received and reviewed; staff told the committee the bid total for the three-year package was within the amounts approved through the annual budget process. The staff presentation said the recommended vendor has "substantial experience overseeing large complexes and multimillion dollar custodial contracts, including presence at municipalities and airports in New England."

The award recommendation includes an option for bidders to provide wheelchair-assistance services at the airport if the air carriers agree to contract terms; staff said the wheelchair option would be a pass-through cost billed to participating carriers. "The decision was not made based off of the wheelchair services," Airport Director Esther Vega told the committee. "It was solely made on the cleaning, services."

Local service provider Lipsy Construction — represented at the meeting by company president Warren Wilson — urged the committee to consider the company’s long record at the airport. "We've been at the airport ... for 28 years," Wilson said, and emphasized his employees' tenure and training at the facility. Wilson said his company offers a 2% discount and described a multi-decade relationship with the city’s facilities.

Committee members questioned whether the 2% local discount was reflected in the bid comparison and whether other bidders offered similar payment discounts. Staff said a detailed, line-item bid tab showing per-location and per-year breakdowns was posted on the city website and available on request. Committee members also sought clarification on whether the wheelchair service would return to the committee; staff said the wheelchair option was part of the winning bidder’s proposal but that the cost would be a carrier pass-through rather than a city-funded expense.

A motion to move forward with the staff recommendation was made and seconded and carried at committee, with the item sent to the full city council for final award. The committee roll call included recorded votes for named members in the public minutes (Haas: no; Dean: yes; Trembl: no); the committee clerk recorded the motion as carried and the recommendation forwarded to council.

The committee’s discussion highlighted a tension between selecting the lowest responsive bidder and retaining established local contractors with long-term community ties; several members said they supported the staff’s evaluation of qualifications but expressed reluctance about displacing a long-serving local company.

If council approves the award as forwarded, staff said the contract would reflect the three-year scope presented in the packet and the wheelchair-assistance option as a pass-through to air carriers. The full council will take up the item at a subsequent meeting, per the committee’s action.