Votes at a glance: Bangor council approves grants, EV charger funding, property lien takings and new public comment policy

The Bangor City Council on Feb. 10 approved a series of orders and resolves covering grant acceptance, electric vehicle charger funding, tax‑lien property takings and a written public comment policy.

Key approved items included: the consent agenda (several items, passed without objection); Resolve 25‑059 accepting $40,000 from Efficiency Maine toward Level 2 electric vehicle chargers at Pickering Square (total project cost $59,523 with $19,523 from the city’s climate action fund); Resolve 25‑060 accepting $150,000 from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services for an overdose response program; an order amending the downtown tax increment financing (TIF) district development program to add eligible project costs including public safety facilities, environmental improvements, credit enhancement payments, affordable housing and broadband; Order 25‑071 adopting a written public comment policy for council and standing committee meetings; Orders 25‑072 and 25‑073 directing the city manager to take possession of properties at 299 Essex Street and 450 Ohio Street because of matured tax, sewer and stormwater liens and unresolved code violations; and Resolve 25‑066 accepting $1,500 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program for installation of an EV charger (consent agenda item).

Several items were referred on first reading to boards or committees, including rezoning of 861 Broadway and grant acceptances referred to the planning and finance committees.

Most items were approved by motion and second and recorded as passed “without objection” in the meeting minutes; formal roll‑call tallies were not read into the record for every item. The finance and government operations committees had previously reviewed and recommended many of the grant and funding items.

Details and dollar amounts included in the meeting record:

- Efficiency Maine EV charger grant: Resolve 25‑059 authorizes acceptance and appropriation of $40,000 toward a $59,523 project to install two Level 2 chargers (four ports) at Pickering Square Parking Garage; the city’s climate action fund covers the remaining $19,523.

- Overdose response grant: Resolve 25‑060 authorizes acceptance of $150,000 from the state Office of Behavioral Health to support an overdose response team; the item was recommended by the government operations committee.

- Northern Border Regional Commission grant (first reading and referral): Resolve 25‑069 accepts $500,000 for construction costs for the Bangor Central Kitchen project (referred to business and economic development committee).

- Property lien takings: Orders 25‑072 (299 Essex Street) and 25‑073 (450 Ohio/Ohio Street) direct the city manager to take possession of vacant buildings with matured tax, sewer and stormwater liens after staff attempts to work with the owners were unsuccessful; code enforcement had cited violations and placarded the buildings.

- Public comment policy: Order 25‑071 adopts a written public comment policy for council and standing committee meetings; sponsors said it clarifies time limits and expectations and was revised following committee review.

Where the record is silent: some motions were moved and seconded on the floor but the meeting minutes do not list individual vote tallies or the names of the mover and seconder for every consent item; where the record did not specify, the meeting minutes record the item as passed without objection.

The council also opened and closed a public hearing on the TIF amendment and moved the amendment to passage after no members of the public approached to comment during the hearing.

The meeting concluded after brief final remarks and adjournment.