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Council reviews state bills; signals support for airport warehouse bond, transportation coordination and EMS billing changes
Summary
City Manager Deb Lohrey briefed the council on several bills at the April 14 workshop and said the city planned to support LD 351 for an airport warehouse, LD 1451 on coordinated community transportation and a bill to allow billing for non-transporting EMS responses.
City Manager Deb Lohrey summarized several pending state legislative items at the April 14 Bangor City Council workshop and indicated the city would provide testimony or support for multiple measures affecting local infrastructure and services.
Lohrey asked the council whether it would support LD 351, a senator‑sponsored bond to finance a warehouse for goods and partners at Bangor International Airport; she said city staff "assume we will all wanna support that" and planned to provide testimony in support. The council did not register opposition on the record during the workshop.
Lohrey also described an act to strengthen local authority to enforce dangerous and nuisance building provisions. Councilors and staff discussed an element of the draft that referenced a 24‑hour correction period from notice; Councilor Fish asked whether 24 hours was reasonable in hardship cases. Staff noted the 24‑hour period was already in the existing statute and that the bill clarifies which local officials (municipal officers, building officials, code enforcement officers, local health officers or fire chiefs) may invoke the statute.
On transportation, Lohrey described LD 1451, an act to strengthen coordination of community transportation — a priority for the city and the Community Connector — and said the council registered no objection. The manager also briefed the council on a proposal to allow ambulance services to bill for non‑transporting emergency medical services when crews render care but the patient is not transported, and the council indicated support for that change as well.
Lohrey updated the council on LD 901 (the Ben Moore Mall matter), saying the Maine Housing Authority opposed the original eminent‑domain approach and referred the senator to the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank. City staff plan to meet with the land bank and the senator later in April to pursue redevelopment options.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about penalties and enforcement and whether local hardship cases would be treated differently. Staff said they would examine the statute language and follow up with legal staff as needed.
