Government operations committee ratifies staff applications for CARES and Homeland Security grants

Bangor City’s Government Operations Committee on Monday, Aug. 4, ratified staff actions to apply for several grant opportunities, including a CARES grant intended to fund staff for a one-stop public health model, a Homeland Security application to support fire and police training and equipment, and a separate Homeland Security application to purchase IT security keys.

The CARES grant application — described by Jen Guderman, director of public health — would pay personnel costs that a previously discussed Gilead grant cannot cover. “Gilead is a drug manufacturer, and it’s part of their requirements that they can’t pay for staff time,” Guderman said. The CARES grant “allows for that,” she said, and would be used to support the one-stop shop model she has presented to the committee.

Committee members asked about amounts and sequencing. Councilor…