[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6587227,"mediaKeyId","5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04","parentId",5671227,"title","Lawyer urges Bangor to confirm compliance after Supreme Court ruling on tax-acquired-property proceeds","audioSeconds",84,"startMs",3180000,"endMs",3264000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04&start=3180&end=3264","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04/thumbnail_3180000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6587227/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Lawyer-urges-Bangor-to-confirm-compliance-after-Supreme-Court-ruling-on-tax-acquired-property-proceeds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587227-45ac3f04b5b7756907dd1f8ea4b9ad1d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192883&Signature=BWPin6shS1C3L8nTD67Ad-L4HEm5LcCmZFI12vHKOgH1V8Gkye4ZLWMWr9nHGnMitoB-P5oIREa1PMV9GKsQ1oK0c46v0kZLbhBg7yNTD8OpomIeX0xKYwPzsxJM1GjCS-kjN0S~B7~wlz1pTwliS~pEH3UyGPEb0~DJRQpmJRac~-US5v~ymBQnRImrmzG57sit-6U3cIIYADbxo1qhkybQzEnnABV2XhGpPezuGBbNbNrKJ4LDi5NZYvwvTAgWlf-l~xI6CoQJQqMcfsWzZUEP4pxgXao6pAOtZP8X2IYZNgZnWSUoC9pTQdbTFh0aZmgKMR-HmkvIeVFwbRKa-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Bangor Maine","date","2025-08-25T22:59:08Z","article","Jacob Leonard, who identified himself as an agent for a family restaurant and an attorney, urged the council to confirm Bangor’s compliance with changes in state law governing tax-acquired properties and surplus proceeds.

Leonard referenced the U.S. Supreme Court decision Tyler v. Hennepin County and Maine statute 36 M.R.S. §943-C, which he said requires municipalities to provide notice before disposing of tax-acquired property, list property with a licensed broker to seek fair market value, and return any surplus proceeds to prior owners. He told the council that failure to comply “exposes Bangor to lawsuits” and asked that staff confirm and publicly report whether the city’s handling of tax-acquired properties complies with §943-C.

Leonard also cautioned against excluding elected councilors from participating in votes as a response to other controversies, saying broad exclusion would raise representation concerns. The council did not record an immediate directive or vote in response; Leonard asked the council to direct staff to confirm compliance as a proactive measure.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council 8.25.25","oneSentenceSummary","An attorney urged the Bangor City Council to direct staff to review the city's handling of tax-acquired properties to ensure compliance with state law enacted after Tyler v. Hennepin County and Maine statute 36 M.R.S. §943-C.","taxTitle","Bangor City, Penobscot County, Maine","taxId",2586,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587233,"Neighbors urge cap on recovery homes after ninth facility proposed near Fifth and Cedar",56,360000,416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04&start=360&end=416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04/thumbnail_360000.jpg","/articles/6587233/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Neighbors-urge-cap-on-recovery-homes-after-ninth-facility-proposed-near-Fifth-and-Cedar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587233-50cdbc6be9135b19c5d8b517df29f0df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192883&Signature=iEXetYCSuBkvIWHRI1Aj79HIf-Xx6nBQNdU7QX~LnWfYALAot83xqnAqAs8e58TBwFtWL3-ivop-a74a28HjBJA6hupXwDTJV~g626hi3Cgu1AgZa3DKLHwXGeg7j2BoeHprTxZUqtQMhhXXFfpsG86hyp24iYIWddGH4UIj8hxCW8RD3FRRtThBG~O7Q67c~v94EqAehdQgvQWT6UAG6vzT64gYS1Pa7llXkiCqEy~4U3F~le4q1qBGVGLov1DfMnDt3UJqZOZxudUT0hkCsasox4kLfsQ0nNfkR6pwKyaSFD-k7HsK2cUoUkzUSVhfcFGmeGWXFH8qYL8QFcUymw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents of a Bangor neighborhood urged the City Council Monday to enact limits on the number of recovery residences in a single area after they said a property at 168 Cedar Street was purchased for use as another recovery home.

Leslie Burgum, who identified herself as a resident of Bangor, said about eight drug-and-alcohol recovery centers already exist near her address and that children’s pickup for school occurs at Fifth and Cedar, directly across from 168 Cedar Street. Burgum said the recently purchased property sold for $150,000, “way below market,” and described the neighborhood as one where families are investing in home improvements and where another recovery house would “greatly downgrade the value affecting tax income to the city.” She said residents were “not opposed to recovery houses” in principle but oppose further concentration in that neighborhood.

Burgum asked the council whether there should be a cap on the number of recovery residences in a single area. The remarks were submitted during the initial public comment period; no council vote or referral on a cap was recorded during the meeting. The council accepted her written materials for the record.","Residents told the Bangor City Council that a property at 168 Cedar Street was purchased to become another recovery home in an area they say already contains eight recovery centers; speakers urged a cap on the concentration of recovery services near homes and a school pick-up location.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587237,"Homeowners accuse Historic Preservation Commission of ethical lapses, seek ordinance changes",426,478000,904000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04&start=478&end=904","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04/thumbnail_478000.jpg","/articles/6587237/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Homeowners-accuse-Historic-Preservation-Commission-of-ethical-lapses-seek-ordinance-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587237-6aae031db63bae12a1c9c39ce90b5809/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192883&Signature=TxsBVknPD2lwwaXqfKhh2--lePQ9RxAz19DzDuUC1MgjLc-~WVWC5C9XDWEoQH-~~P-CtcG7RDXEK~vnoAd6U86h9DOQt37~RhmNlYfpZemTpRFdZaX1NMrlPHo569dxkXp9F1Jh4XHKkHl2~JyBQWqbnWvlOyjSbJafa8vSM-r5hgQtPinkbPt2yC8Gzuqfe9uTgdtiAoazFWMc7QgAekkhg4ndp-zJ6K0HpsF-IpiwBudhtpQQTQQvDkREg~o1RKSsad~LF-IMlcUPCFsCBcrNBfGJwWSnuVYOPcgSAzyvow-J-r5cc2LmFoyFlIs5PRyAE5ucDon6BidIGNrLgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several Bangor residents urged the City Council on Aug. 25 to review the operations of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and consider amendments to the preservation ordinance after repeated denials of a certificate of appropriateness.

Edith Dyer and her husband, Steve Farren, described a multi-month process in which the HPC denied their application to replace a deteriorating slate roof with a slate facsimile. Farren said they were denied at the HPC in November, appealed to the Board of Appeals and lost, and were later advised by the city to submit a new application to be considered de novo. He said an insurance company required roof replacement by June or insurance would not be renewed.

Farren and Dyer alleged procedural and ethical problems at the HPC. They said Councilor Wayne Mellor appeared at an HPC meeting and urged the commission not to hear their case, and they alleged that commissioner Matthew Weitkamp is a part owner of Blackstone Restoration, which had presented to the HPC and commented on the condition of Farren’s roof. Farren said the commissioner’s failure to recuse created a conflict of interest and that the commission’s requirement of four affirmative votes, combined with absences and recusals, effectively required unanimity in practice.

Contractor Rick Violet told the council that a subcommittee had surveyed owners of historic properties and proposed amendments to the preservation ordinance to balance historic concerns with economic reality. He cited an estimate for a slate replacement on 18 West Broadway at $1,225,000 and said that cost is “unsustainable” compared with assessed property values.

Speakers asked the council to consider mechanisms to replace HPC members who do not attend regularly when a greater-than-majority vote is required and to adopt the proposed ordinance changes included with written comments. No formal action or vote on HPC procedures or ordinance amendments was recorded at the meeting; the speakers’ materials were accepted as part of the public record and submitted to the council for future consideration.","Property owners told the Bangor City Council during public comment that the Historic Preservation Commission required unanimous votes and ignored conflicts of interest in denying a certificate of appropriateness for a slate-roof replacement; they presented proposed ordinance amendments to ease economic burdens of preservation.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587240,"Council approves consent agenda including $22 million FAA grant application, stormwater contract, and transit grant application",20,1006000,1026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04&start=1006&end=1026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04/thumbnail_1006000.jpg","/articles/6587240/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Council-approves-consent-agenda-including-22-million-FAA-grant-application-stormwater-contract-and-transit-grant-application","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587240-8dc91d2806edffccc782dc4afb096196/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192883&Signature=Gm5Dw3PFQk920keMBDqDn141V80A30KWlBaYtRmBGIAZs2xDh6yBgcZ3FoXSlDoW2RP-QOwPdny6xligN8yp5yA9Pp3s-Zqbi7Gv5JoQtIJPUuK8wjecxd8UKVa~XtvsSE7EHfGiYSgTBKDfDtMmT6CNaXgjVsagKr83Tz-VYsqPo76Fj5yoF~nYrFanfoll2CRXgDB6QTQTuuDoFSh6PBe~DZKwjfMpbJF3EdiGQq9UYr2i8N4kGsCfdhhTbYkQLN4zaSTK98rRzqvdyS1EP2AY6Sw4kpjHRaKSAYMFfvLLUQW8os0BX8msKAbm0YI9qtatceIJ4xATsQhrMGQ5fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bangor City Council approved its consent agenda Monday, authorizing the city manager to pursue several grants and contracts and referring two ordinances for committee review.

On the consent agenda the council approved an order to allow the city manager to apply for the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport terminal program grant in an amount not to exceed $22,000,000; authorized the city manager to execute a contract with Sargent Corporation for maintenance work on the Bangor International Airport stormwater system in the amount of $382,700; and approved a resolve authorizing staff to apply for a Maine Department of Transportation discretionary transit funds competitive grant for FY2026 in the amount of $468,682. A council motion moved and a second was recorded and the consent agenda passed without roll-call objection.

The council also referred two items to committee and took first readings: an ordinance amending chapter 228, article 5 (safe zones) and an amendment to the land development code (section 1165-105) to allow specified conditional uses in rural residential and agricultural districts. The referrals were moved, seconded and referred to committee at first reading.

These items were listed on the council’s published agenda and passed as part of the routine consent process; no separate public debate was recorded on those items during the meeting.","Bangor City Council approved the consent agenda Aug. 25, authorizing a Federal Aviation Administration grant application for up to $22 million, a $382,700 stormwater maintenance contract at Bangor International Airport, and a $468,682 transit grant application.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6587246,"Bangor council votes 6-2 to censure Councilor Joe Leonard over remarks about a city employee",1974,1122000,3096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04&start=1122&end=3096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5671227-2c25e58287f26d965ed08447d9d5ed04/thumbnail_1122000.jpg","/articles/6587246/Bangor-City/Penobscot-County/Maine/Bangor-council-votes-6-2-to-censure-Councilor-Joe-Leonard-over-remarks-about-a-city-employee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587246-b772fdafb632767017cb7d68067fab6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192883&Signature=TGlz-RL7YOj0pkav8Pm6ohFLpIK~3FJcf-y8FoLvZEa3mLQ2Y~XM8kcRYsm62m~aY0yvgRJ5Y3g33XU0eQQFs0ef1m7NW~1zGk7jokM2WqqNM9DSHdCL3ZxR54cvjQ8DluYgOERN5P2jkJN8pCCvUo6nu-Y3C2yGvrBu0RL60Tb0FP3f1WY5gBUMj69-CX6wfEgHImcZn45z8~LGWaKtlg5-jo9SGehr4X7NAcWuYnkP4hLcZNuW7IZkW802RqWPgAPQTkdfirBa8MlbE3kUBfDykbzX8sUjNChhjnqQaUuMQ3Uy9fEakp03mtJ9lV2adLL5IR9rHo~z~ORr~6qc~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bangor City Council voted 6-2 Monday to adopt an order censuring Councilor Joe Leonard for public remarks he made on May 7 during a council budget workshop about a city personnel matter.

The censure order, moved by Councilor Fournier, said Leonard’s remarks deprived a city employee of confidentiality guaranteed under state law and exceeded the scope of a councilor’s authority, which the order says is reserved to the city manager. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Councilor Beck — no; Councilor Dean — yes; Councilor Fish — yes; Councilor Fournier — yes; Councilor Haas — yes; Councilor Mallor — no; Councilor Trumbo — yes; Councilor Pelletier — yes (6 yes, 2 no). Councilor Leonard did not cast a vote on the measure because it was brought against him.

The council debated whether the procedure satisfied the city code’s requirement for a hearing. Councilor Beck argued the action should have been noticed and handled as a separate quasi-judicial hearing, saying, “I wish this had come to us through a hearing,” and moved to postpone to the Sept. 8 meeting; that motion failed. The city solicitor told the council that notice of the meeting had been provided and that the hearing would occur as part of the current meeting.

Public commentators were sharply divided. Several speakers backed Leonard, saying he was performing oversight. Hillary Simmons, a resident, said, “Councilor Leonard did not do anything wrong. He made a statement that the finance department had lied.” Others, including members who cited staff confidentiality and state law, urged support for the censure. Councilor Trumbo summarized the concern about staff protection, saying the vote was intended to uphold employees’ rights and the law.

Leonard addressed the council before the vote, apologized for the tone of his earlier remarks and said he would have handled them differently but declined to retract the substantive issues he raised. He also said he had filed an ethics complaint alleging improper behind-the-scenes communications among council members.

The censure order references the city code of ethics (chapter 33) in describing standards of conduct for councilors and cites state confidentiality protections for personnel matters in explaining the rationale for sanctioning Leonard. The council did not impose a further penalty beyond the formal censure.

The measure concludes the scheduled business for the evening; the council reopened public comment for unrelated matters after the vote.

The council’s roll-call transcript and public comments reflecting both support for and opposition to the censure are on the record with the city clerk.","The Bangor City Council voted 6-2 on Aug. 25 to censure Councilor Joe Leonard for public remarks about a city personnel matter that the council says violated confidentiality protections under state law and the city's code of ethics.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawyer urges Bangor to confirm compliance after Supreme Court ruling on tax-acquired-property proceeds

Neighbors urge cap on recovery homes after ninth facility proposed near Fifth and Cedar

Homeowners accuse Historic Preservation Commission of ethical lapses, seek ordinance changes

Council approves consent agenda including $22 million FAA grant application, stormwater contract, and transit grant application

Bangor council votes 6-2 to censure Councilor Joe Leonard over remarks about a city employee