BANGOR, Maine — The City Council sent a clear sign Monday night that it’s the end of the road for a Bangor couple that owes $133,074 in mortgage and tax payments.
The City Council voted 8-0 (Councilor Sue Hawes was absent) to direct the city manager to take possession of the 110 Pearl St. property occupied by the family of Jennifer and Peter Brown. There was nary a word of disagreement as the council voted to begin the eviction process after repeated failures by the Browns to make their mortgage payments and pay their taxes.
While the vote to evict was dispensed with quickly, a change in the city’s drinking curfew was debated heavily and delayed by two attempts to add amendments to it before councilors passed it 5-3.
The new curfew, which went from downtown merchant suggestion to council order in less than a week, would extend by two hours a 21-year-old 10 p.m. curfew for consumption of alcohol outside in downtown Bangor.
“I have nothing against it, but my sense is the system is not broke, so don’t fix it,” said Councilor Geoffrey Gratwick, the lone member of the council’s business and economic development committee to vote against it last week when it was recommended for approval 4-1.
The midnight drinking curfew was suggested by downtown business owners who thought a later cutoff would be a boon to businesses that offer outdoor seating, especially with more downtown activities lasting later in the evening.
The change will allow downtown restaurants and pubs that legally use sidewalk space to serve patrons alcohol or food to do so until midnight through Oct. 15.
“I think this is a positive motion,” said Councilor Joe Baldacci. “I think it’s worth a try and I think downtown Bangor is a much more vibrant and active community than it was 10 to 15 years ago and this is a good thing. If it doesn’t work, we can always come back and fix it.”
Councilor Pat Blanchette said she worried about downtown noise levels increasing from people partying outside.
“I think allowing drinking outside later into the evening will affect the peace of downtown residents who may want to go to bed before midnight and get some sleep,” said Blanchette. “I also think it’s a safety and crime issue.”
Councilor Ben Sprague, who lives downtown, disagreed with that notion.
“I don’t think it’s a safety issue as downtown Bangor is very safe, especially compared to other cities of similar size,” he said. “I got 70 email responses from constituents after I notified them of this and all of them were positive.”
Councilor Charlie Longo was perturbed that the council order did not include wording that gave it one-year probationary status as he said had been agreed to in committee.
“I question the validity of the committee system and how it works,” said Longo. “I will have to withdraw my support on this because I only supported it on the basis of a trial period.”
“The midnight drinking curfew was suggested by downtown business owners who thought a later cutoff would be a boon to businesses. . .”
“‘. . . the system is not broke, so don’t fix it,’ said Councilor Geoffrey Gratwick, the lone member of the council’s business and economic development committee to vote against it. . . ”
So after all the positive feedback, and clear support from businesses saying this will spur growth, Gratwick still can’t put aside his liberal ideology to vote for this common sense proposal? Disappointing.
Businesses aren’t in business for the greater good of society. They are in business to make money, and that can be done without a conscience.
How will extending the curfew help the Bagel Shop, Rebecca’s, Mexicali Blues, Cyber Data, or for that matter any of a number of businesses besides the ones that can now serve the public later in the evening? How will it help the people that live in the vicinity of down town?
I applaud the councilors that questioned this decision, as well as Longo’s sunset proposal.
Idle Indulgence- I think you don’t see the big picture here. We are becoming a solid destination. As the downtown and the waterfront continue to grow and become more and more vibrant, the people who visit us need amenties. If we have concerts, events, nightlife going on outside and inside, we had better keep up with the times and not hold people back when they want to enjoy life downtown and on the waterfront. Tourist, people attending events, will stay longer when they have those outdoor amenties, as well as inside. The ‘al fresco’ style has swept the nation, and can you honestly say you want to be inside in the summer? It’s stuffy sometimes. So we need the things that people (who come here to be entertained and hosted, who dine and lodge, who spend money in our economy) are attracted to. Bangor is on the rise as an entertainment sector, so the city can’t be quiet. It has got to be loud, exciting loud. Todays midnight is like the 90’s 10pm. People are out later. The city stays alive, which is a great sign. Stay alive with us! Stayin alive… Stayin alive… haaaa ahhhh ahhhhh ahhhh …… Stayin’ allahhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhh aaaaaahhhhhh….. Sorry, where are the Bee Gees when you need them? :)
Funny! I’m sitting here typing this, but, . . . I should be dancing, yeah!
You make some very good points. I am in favor of progress, and I am excited about the changes coming to Bangor, but there are always trade-offs and it is not simply common sense as suggested by WhoIsPete. The opposing side has legitimate concerns, which shouldn’t be dismissed in the name of economic development. We make our decisions as a community, not because business says it will be good for us.
I support the change in curfew, but I would have liked Longo’s Sunset provision. It would have encouraged taverns to monitor their patrons. Business can not be trusted to act in the best interest of society. “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Oooo la la la la, Oooo la la la la” Where are Joni Mitchell or the Counting Crows?
We want the Canadian tourist, who are used to smoking as well as southerners, they do that outside with a drink. The restaurants need that drink money, as our mild winter just killed tourism. This was a no brainer for the restaurant business.
You’re doing some jive talkin’ about the nightlife in Bangor, but how deep is your love?
I wonder if John Travolta ever visits Bangor? lol
A very nice rendition T!
What does being liberal have to do with this? I am very lieberal and I think it is a great idea. Why is it so many people need to put what theys see as a negative label on any other people that don’t agree with them? frankly, restraining the right of people to consume alcohol seems more like a conservative trait then a liberal one. Just saying.
Gratwick, Longo, and Blanchette need to go. If you’re further to the left than Baldacci on an issue, you have serious issues. Not to mention, this issue deals with business growth, and in these times, that should be their priority.
I disagree. This is a bad idea. I’m not sure why Councilor Baldacci equates drunks with ‘vibrancy’. Very few positive things happen at a bar after 10 pm.
Most bands start at 9, when was the last time you were in a bar, jeez. Entertainment, meeting with friends, meeting new people, lots going on, maybe you just are not the bar type, or frequent the dives. the downtown bars are very nice.
Its the closet drinkers who have a problem with serving suds later….
Longo is so immature, but I can see how a trial run for a year would have been nice for this. But if it doesn’t work out and they have lots of problems, they can always change it back!
Ms. Blanchette, the longer we let law abiding citizens having a drink stay outside, the shorter the nite is for all the dopeheads running the streets causing the real problems with noise and crime in Bangor.
Confusing article. Why is the city of Bangor getting involved with this couple’s mortgage company?
I didn’t understand why the city of Bangor knew about the mortgage. I do know, that mine was escrowed. I don’t know how that worked, I just know my mortgage company paid my taxes and on time! When the city takes your house for back taxes and the bank owns it, maybe that is how they know? Their is a leinholder. Can’t sell it to make money on those back taxes. Guess now the bank has to pay the taxes or give the property to the town.
My daughter has no credit, we bought her car, because she wasn’t 18 and of course wouldn’t of had credit anyways yet. She holds down 2 jobs, and is 20 years old. She went to the bank to see about a house she liked, its older and abandon. $40,000. We talked to bank and explained that my dad has a brand new furnace to put into it and he will do the work, ect… We have a plan, and will back her. The house has been sitting for sometime. They won’t finance her, they told her to go get some credit cards!!! Something we have told her NOT to TOUCH!!! To build her credit. We were so angry. We told her we will help her build a house, just a log cabin kit. Forget them. Let them keep paying the taxes on these places. Her rent that she has been paying for the last 2.5 years is over $500 plus all her untilities. These banks should make these homes that need work, rent affordable and let these places go.
If she has no credit, as you say, of course a bank would not give her a mortgage. Maybe she should build some credit through a credit card. She could pay the balance every month and not pay interest.
Honestly, I don’t understand how you can be mad at a bank for not giving a mortgage to somebody with NO CREDIT.
Giving credit that a bank would not give is what got the city in this mess in the first place.
If you had missed previous articles, I can understand your confusion. The City held the mortgage to the property. Between lack of tax payments, rehab loan payments and mortgage payments it all totaled up to the nearly $134,000. The current owners had been given MANY chances to make good and did not do so.
because they borrowed money to fix up the home( which they inharited) and only paid a handful of payments over five years. so they are the mortgage company. If you go back and look this is about the 3rd story about them.
the city assumed the mortgage when they could not pay. These people must have a bit of influence, they have been living of the city for years now.
Poor Longo, out voted again. How long is this pout going to last?
I perfer people with moral convictions, over criminal politicans
And who are you calling criminal on the council? I think Mr Longo hates not geting his own way.
Restaurants are closing left and right. Waterville just lost another great icon. Glad to see that Bangor is doing what needs to be done to throw the restaurants a small lifeline. Every penny counts right now.
I think it’s a good idea to bring more tourism dollars to our local downtown area. I don’t think their will be a problem. Just think, the police wouldn’t have to go all the way to Judy’s to arrest folks, their right around the corner. :) Sorry, bad joke
The city manager is taking possession of the delinquent house on Pearl Street? Great. Maybe she’ll finally do something to earn that six-figure salary of hers. Like pay the taxes.
They forgave a Bangor company of 3 years of past property taxes last night.
I think the city manager is MIA. I have even forgotten her name.
I assure you, that’s just the way she likes it.
The first issue, the folks on Pearl Street. The city operates on the tax payers money and most of all the tax payers do not want to be paying for these folks, any longer. They have taken advantage of the system way to long. Out they go. Maybe they will be better renter’s as now they will have to pay. On the extended drinking hours, that is what people do, in downtown area’s that offer entertainment and food. The business offer’s a service and do not need their hands tied. Good for the vote. If I wasn’t so old, I would love to be able to take advantage of the extended hours. As we age, we sometimes forget about what entertainment was. I always said I would rather pay a lot more for one drink in a nice place than several cheap drinks in a not so nice place. Besides, I would rather see folks out enjoying themselves than stuck in someone’s house with some sort of party and all that is out there, today. Believe it or not, this makes for a better and safer environment, for the younger folks. All over our country the downtown is the hub bub of the city as it has been or should be unless of course, Urban renewal destroys everything. Great decisions, this time.
So heavy drinking is entertainment.. Drinking is the only form of entertainment Bangor has to offer.. I’m Glad your proud of that Conley.
Hey Pat, people don’t have to live downtown if they so choose. Also one more thing, the sooner Charlie Longo is voted off the council the better we all will be.
You got my vote, and Mr Longo does not!
I think noise could become an issue, but it is a downtown. Cities are up all night, not everyone works 9-5. How about the person trying to sleep during the day for their night shift?
As for safety, they are also a patron to a business, they are not walking down the street with a drink in hand.
The problems as stated start after 1pm, when alcohol is no longer served and people have to leave so there is a rush of people onto the street with no safe place to go but home. If someplace was open there would be a chem free place to go, which could be safer than the street, and safer than an after hours party some place.