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Committee forwards Downtown Bangor Partnership budget and annual report to full council
Summary
Director Lundy reported growth in downtown businesses and summarized the ambassador program's activities; the committee unanimously recommended the Partnership's proposed budget to the full council and asked staff to include activity heat maps and detailed category spreadsheets for the public hearing.
The committee unanimously agreed to forward the Downtown Bangor Partnership’s annual report and proposed budget to the full Bangor City Council after Director Lundy highlighted downtown business growth and the ambassador program’s work.
Director Lundy said a longevity study shows downtown retail and restaurants outperforming national averages, that the ambassador program has matured in its third year, and that volunteers and ambassadors are addressing litter, needles and other public‑space issues. Councilors asked for clearer public reporting on activity — including heat maps and category‑by‑category spreadsheets showing ambassador interventions — to demonstrate the program’s impact.
"If you're not seeing them, that usually means they're engaged doing something at the end of the day," the committee chair said when council members noted the ambassadors were not always visible.
The committee approved forwarding the recommended budget to full council (vote 5–0) and noted the statutory requirement that the council hold a public hearing on the spending plan at its next meeting.
What’s next: Staff will include requested heat maps and detailed activity spreadsheets with materials for the required public hearing at the full council meeting.
