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Council authorizes $1,696 from Keep the Faith Fund to help tenants of Penobscot Landing after Jan. 28 fire
Summary
City Manager Erin Herbig described the Jan. 28 fire at 75 White Street (Penobscot Landing), and the council unanimously approved $1,696.11 from the Keep the Faith Fund to assist displaced residents; the city reported most residents have returned and the fund balance before the expenditure was $51,323.
City Manager Erin Herbig told the council that a Jan. 28 fire at 75 White Street (Penobscot Landing), a 24‑unit apartment complex, displaced several residents and produced water and unit damage. The city coordinated shelter, Red Cross meal assistance and inspections; most tenants have returned and three units remain uninhabitable.
Herbig asked the council to authorize $1,696.11 from the Keep the Faith Fund (account G1‑2326‑00) to cover immediate needs for tenants who had no alternate housing. ‘‘It could have been so much worse,’’ Herbig said, praising city crews, Belfast PD and community partners.
Councilor Neil Harkness noted that the fund balance was $51,323 prior to the expenditure and urged renewed outreach for donations to replenish the reserve. The council voted 5–0 to approve the expenditure.
The appropriation is an emergency operational use of a locally managed charitable reserve and does not create a new recurring program. Council directed staff to consider reopening any associated GoFundMe or community donation avenues to replenish the fund.
