Bangor Cultural Commission to revise restroom-art RFP after single bid disqualified; staff outlines procurement and funding options

The Bangor City Cultural Commission discussed next steps for a public-restroom art request for proposals after staff reported a single bid was disqualified and recommended using alternatives to the city's formal public-bid process.

Sarah McQuillan, assistant in the Community and Economic Development Department, told the commission: "So, there was only 1 bid received, which unfortunately had to be disqualified because it wasn't submitted correctly." She said finance staff advised that the commission "don't have to go through the city's public bid process" for this project and that the commission could instead use a call for submissions, direct outreach to schools or artists, and the commission's own communication channels.

The change would give the commission more flexibility to reach high-school and college art programs and community organizations; commissioners suggested reaching out to local schools, Bangor Beautiful and other partners to encourage student and teacher participation. Commissioners emphasized a desire for a fair process for applicants even if the procurement path is informal.

Commissioners also discussed how the stipend should be structured. Staff recommended paying stipends per project rather than per individual artist so that a teacher-and-student group or a multi-artist team would receive a single project stipend. As one participant summarized, groups would need to "propose a joint project" to receive a single award for both restroom faces, rather than the city assigning separate sides to different artists.

Members raised a timing concern: without moving quickly on the procurement and clarifying procedural questions, the commission may not be able to publish the RFP and receive submissions in time to install the work this year. Sarah said she would seek prompt clarifications from finance and follow up with the commission.

The commission agreed to stand up an ad hoc committee to advance the RFP once staff has answered procurement questions; members said they would use a Doodle or meeting invite for volunteers. Several commissioners volunteered to help gather contact information for local art departments and teachers.

On related topics, staff and commissioners also discussed the commission's grants cycle and city funding. The grants committee plans to vet applications received by the April 1 deadline and bring recommendations to the May commission meeting for a full vote. Commissioners said they will survey recent grantees about whether to move to a single annual grant cycle in future years.

Anne Krieg, director of Community and Economic Development, briefed the commission on a separate change to tax-increment financing (TIF) rules. "Last month, the city council, voted in the ability to use, TIF funds for, you know, cultural investments or public art, things like that," she said, adding: "The statute changed because you used to not be able to do that." Krieg said city staff have set aside roughly $15,000 in the staff budget that could be proposed to the commission next fiscal year but that the TIF amendment must be approved by the state Department of Economic and Community Development before specific programs can be implemented.

Staff also said finance policy generally prevents staff from contacting disqualified bidders to explain the reason for disqualification, although Sarah said she would try to determine whether the one disqualified bidder had any school connections in case direct outreach was appropriate.

Short administrative items included a corrected ledger notation (a $104 newspaper-ad charge reduced a reported total from $7,960.60 to $7,896.60) and an update request for a canoe plaque sign; staff said they had not yet received an estimated time of arrival from the sign company.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of February minutes as written — outcome: approved (motion and second not specified; chair called for "All in favor" and the motion carried).