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Councilors press to reactivate Van Air board, review properties and lease records
Summary
Staff updated the committee on Van Air—a nonprofit operator of the Bangor Innovation Center—and councilors requested a property list, lease/income and expense records and plans to reconvene the board and schedule a site tour.
City staff presented a status update on Van Air, the nonprofit that operates the Bangor Innovation/Banker Innovation Center and holds several parcels. The executive manager told the committee Van Air has recently secured a tenant (a University of Maine spin-off), used modest funds for maintenance and signage, and has struggled historically to convene a board quorum.
Councilors asked for a detailed list of Van Air properties, information on lease revenue and related expenses, and questioned how expenditures were approved while the board was inactive. The executive manager said approvals were coordinated with staff (Anne) and that most expenditures were routine maintenance (plumbing repairs, lawn care, painting, signage). Councilors and staff discussed that the entity retains Foreign Trade Zone operator status and that past activity had included temporary international storage and trade facilitation.
Committee members encouraged reconstituting the board and requested staff provide property and financial summaries. Councilors also requested a tour of the innovation center; staff agreed to schedule tours (Wednesdays preferred) and to resume board meetings after the budget season.
