Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Bangor public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
15 issues with high priority
Councilor Mallar ethics training
The council was scheduled to discuss an Ethics Board decision stemming from a complaint about Councilor Wayne Mallar's conduct at an August 2025 Historic Preservation Commission meeting. No outcome or record of the discussion is available.
Downtown floor area ratio removal
The 4.0 floor-area-ratio limit downtown is outdated and blocks infill projects — including one developer's plan to add stories to an existing building. Councilors debated whether a height limit should replace it; Chair Carson wants more data plus input from the Fire Department and the airport before deciding.
Airport Security Checkpoint Expansion
Bangor International Airport is getting a $12 million security checkpoint expansion. The money comes from passenger facility charges and airport funds, not property taxes, and officials say ticket prices won't go up.
Pickering Square median plantings
Two more asphalt medians will be rebuilt with granite curbing and planted with 14 trees next spring, adding greenery and some stormwater absorption to the parking lot.
Manufactured home park flexibility
Parks built after 1971 have had to meet strict new-park standards, blocking homes from going on vacant lots. The proposed fix extends flexible standards to all parks existing as of January 1, 2026.
PrEP access planning via NIH ARISE grant
Bangor's HIV outbreak has exposed gaps in PrEP access. The grant brings Johns Hopkins expertise to plan better delivery through the city's two public health clinics — and it costs taxpayers nothing.
Kenduskeag Stream retaining wall failure
A failing retaining wall along the Kenduskeag Stream near Hannibal Hamlin Mall is getting replaced for about $3.87 million — construction runs through fall 2027.
Penobscot County jail overcrowding
A speaker laid out the case for a new county jail: built in 1869, capacity for 157, and $2.14 million a year spent boarding inmates elsewhere.
Ethics training following Board of Ethics finding
Councilors confirmed two ethics code violations by Councilor Mallar over comments caught on a live mic during an ethics board break, rejected a third, and punted the penalty/training question to the ACRE committee. Councilor Mallar will get to speak in his own defense before a final order.
Sawyer Arena aging infrastructure and ice shortage
The rink's 30-year-old chiller is failing and its boards are bowing due to deteriorating cement — a full fix means replacing the cement floor and boards. Ice time is so tight that high schools and youth hockey are squeezed, and a second rink could grow learn-to-skate and figure skating programs.
Proposed VA hospital and growth boundary change off Stillwater Avenue
The VA picked a site partly outside Bangor's growth boundary for a new veterans' clinic. Moving the boundary would clear the way for a rezone — but once the zoning changes, any future owner could build something else there.
Matured tax lien policy needs updating
A taxpayer eleven years behind on property taxes prompted a broader conversation: should the city engage struggling homeowners earlier instead of letting delinquencies run a decade or more? Councilor Carson says working with people still living in their homes is better for everyone, and a policy revision is in the works.
Sewer infrastructure bonding (KMart and Perry Road pump stations)
Bangor is looking at $11 million in new borrowing — bonds and a state loan — for pump station upgrades and sewer separation work tied to CSO fixes. The money heads to committee before any final vote.
103 Maine Avenue bond purchase for public health
The council took first reading on up to $1.4 million in bonds to buy the 103 Maine Avenue property — tied to a disputed right of first refusal involving Northeast Pain Management's hoped-for purchase. Residents demanded a cost-benefit analysis and answers before Finance Committee review Sept. 21.
$50,000 Climate Rebate Program for Home Energy Upgrades
About $200,000 sits in the Climate Action Fund, and staff proposes using $50,000 to rebate weatherization, heat pumps, and possibly solar — tiered so lower-income households get more. Councilors asked to focus on home heating (not bikes), explore plug-in solar for renters, and find ways to avoid upfront costs for fixed-income residents.