BANGOR, Maine — There was little in the way of disagreement at Wednesday night’s Bangor City Council meeting as councilors showed overwhelming support for the final price tag for the Cross Insurance Center, reserve funding for an airport overflow parking lot and a public resolve supporting a November referendum effort.
Councilors voted unanimously, 9-0, to approve the final cost of $65 million — initially projected to be approximately $3.7 million in annual debt service — for the civic arena and events center already named the Cross Insurance Center, which is scheduled to open on Labor Day weekend next year.
Councilor Joe Baldacci publicly commended Bangor Finance Director Debbie Cyr for her “dedicated, tireless” work and foresight while selling $56.5 million in tax-exempt general obligation bonds last July. That move, which eliminated much taxable debt, saved the city about $750,000 off 2010 projections and means total annual debt service will not exceed $2.9 million. Another factor was the $3 million Cross Insurance Agency has agreed to pay the city over 15 years for exclusive naming rights to the arena.
The council also voted overwhelmingly, but not unanimously, to appropriate $240,000 in airport reserve funds to pay for the construction of an overflow parking lot for Bangor International Airport.
The recommended site is located along Maine Avenue between Godfrey Boulevard and Griffin Road. BIA Director Tony Caruso said the offsite lot is needed to handle what he called increased seasonal demand for parking by air passengers, particularly during winter months. There is a lack of sufficient area for expansion at the existing parking area adjacent to BIA’s terminal building.
Councilors voted 8-1 to approve funding for the lot, with Councilor Jamie Gallant the lone dissenting vote. Gallant cited an upcoming comprehensive study of the city’s Community Connector bus transit system hub. The $31,250 study, which was approved unanimously, will be funded by the Maine Department of Transportation and will determine the best plan to modernize and organize the city’s bus system. Gallant said he thought it best to wait until the study is completed before building a parking lot, especially if the best location for a new hub facility was determined to be at or near BIA.
Bangor’s council also passed an ordinance to merge the city’s Community Advisory Group into the Public Health Advisory Board with an 8-1 vote. Councilor Charlie Longo cast the only “no” vote, saying he felt drug-related issues might get lost in the shuffle despite the fact that current CAG members also serve on the PHAB, and those who don’t can join.
The last item on the agenda took up most of the council’s time, despite the fact that it was a resolve and had no practical effect or impact on city governance. Councilors approved a resolve brought up by Baldacci to support an affirmative vote on the November referendum question seeking to allow the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Maine.
Because it was a resolve, no roll call vote was taken as a matter of protocol and established procedure.
The unanimous support of the resolve was preceded by a Bangor native’s emotional speech before the council. Kara Pelletier, who returned to Bangor to live after moving away, told councilors she is a lesbian who is engaged and hopes to be married in December. She wiped away tears while thanking councilors for their expression of support.
I once mentioned the seats weren’t included, and was told I didn’t know what I was talking about . They bragged about the price tag now they are changing it. People have short memories Where does the other 7 millon dollars come into play. They story didn’t say. and the council don’t want people to ask. Rein in spending, thats what Our Mayor said when he ran for office. We are now more in debt then the total history of Bangor combined.
We don’t have a mayor.
When you get to city hall they all are.
We don’t have a ruling class either. But you’d almost think we do.
People also have poor reading skilz now a dayz. From the link you provided in your other post…
““Then we’ll have the total cost, which will be close to an initial estimate of $65 million. It may be a little more, it may be a little less,” said Bangor City Manager Cathy Conlow.”
I guess we have found the missing strawberries Lt. Cmdr Queeg.
So now $7 million is a “little” more. Stretch! Stretttttttccchhh!
The story above doesn’t say where the additional money is going. I would say 7 millon for someone to design the arena(as in the link) is a little excessive.. Where is the breakdown of this additional money and where is it s going? Was that done in ex session.. as for reading skills I’m not diverted by shiny marbles.
Just wondering push do you know the items that a City Council can meet in Executive Session are?
That 7 million is part of the pre-construction of the building. Believe it or not the building has been completely redesigned 2 or 3 times, that costs money. Also it’s money that’s already been paid out, from before the bond sale. That 7 million was paid out of the city from the Hollywood Casino revenues for the past several years. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Break it down. itemize please.
Here, call this number 992-4205 and ask the City Managers office for the
figures. They are a public record and available to everyone.
$65M has been the price tag since they scaled back from the original $80M proposal. At some point, you are going to have to let this go, Red. They aren’t going to tear down the NEW arena so just deal, man. Btw, I’ll buy you a beer on the BA demo day if you are around, I will be there. It’ll be a sad but necessary day. One I’ve hoped for for decades. Thanks to all that made it possible.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2011/08/04/news/bangor/groundbreaking-for-bangor-arena-unaffected-by-downpour/ This story claims they had a guarantee on the most this arena would cost including the demo of the old building. 58 millon plus change.. This looks strange to me.
The story you refer to also states that the final cost for the architectural services had not been decided, but that, all told, the cost would be about $65 million.
I think that 7 millon is a little much for that. Check the price of the seats and I bet thats where most of the money went.. which would make the first story a fib.
From the story found when you click on the link you provided.
“On Monday, the Bangor City Council approved a guaranteed maximum
price for construction of the arena — and demolition of the auditorium —
of $58,594,619. It now is awaiting a guaranteed maximum price for
architectural services.
“Then we’ll have the total cost, which will be close to an initial
estimate of $65 million. It may be a little more, it may be a little
less,” said Bangor City Manager Cathy Conlow.”
Great stuff. Moving forward. Compliments to the City Council and Debbie Cyr. The demo of BA will be a sad day, but also a day to move Bangor forward. There have been many good things moving this fine city forward and the people responsible need to be thanked. Don’t look back!
Oops, see above, comment should’ve gone here.
Once again, no action on Bangor’s drug problem, high number of sex offenders, nor the increasing crime rates. The city councilors seem better at spending taxpayers’ money than they are at protecting those same taxpayers.
You said it! I can’t believe they devoted most of the meeting to watching some woman blubber about wanting to marry her same-sex partner. If Baldacci would come down off his high horse for 2 seconds he might remember that a single pharmacy in Bangor has been robbed FOUR TIMES this year alone. My mother lives right around the corner from that Rite Aid. The drug and crime problem in Bangor is bad and getting worse by the day.
OnePercent is right. The council has no business frittering away time on useless “resolves” that try to dictate what issues their constituents should support morally.
If you had actually attended the meeting, you would have seen that a) the council did talk about the increase in crime, and specifically mentioned the Rite-Aid robberies and b) the resolve in question was only one small part of the agenda. The “blubbering woman” took less than 2 minutes of the council’s time.
If you’re going to criticize what happens in your city, perhaps you should attend a meeting and provide input on the topics that are important to you. Public comment is welcomed and encouraged on every topic on the agenda.
The resolve thing is a little dumb to me. I don’t disagree with what was talked about but I do not think the city’s 9 officials should be able to to choose what Bangor supports morally and ethically. That is part of the voting process that we all have; Bangor’s support of it will be decided on voting day, not by this crew.
No suprise here. Maine is the least religious state in the Union. Its typical to see decisions made based on emotions
Since for most, the SSM resolution is a civil issue, it was an appropriate resolution.
Maybe it’s come time for me to put a double wide trailer on my lot in Glenburn and sell my four properties in Bangor to some brainwashed fools. What say you Terence? Good idea? Then I wouldn’t care what happens. Could come in and enjoy the concerts and parking areas.
Can anyone out there explain the breakdown of where the additional 7 millon for the Arena is going.. The BDN hasn’t said where it was going in it’s Story. Please help. itemized expenses PLEASE!!!
Nope I guess no one can.
Here, call this number 992-4205 and ask the City Managers office for the figures. They are a public record and available to everyone.
When I win a council seat, I would like to make the taxpayers money avalible to myself and skip the middle man.. I would tear down all the blited properties on the cities dime and sell them to my company for 2 dollars each..
The revenue stream from hollywood slots belongs to the taxpayer. not the Chambers who have found a way to spend all of it.. The city may tell the people the slots revenue stream is for an arena, but I didn’t vote to approve that.. Let the Arena stand on it’s own and see if it makes money. enough to pay it’s own bills. The old one was paid for and couldn’t pay it’s own operating cost. LOL.
OK push let’s take your post a line at a time.
“When I win a council seat, I would like to make the taxpayers money avalible to myself and skip the middle man.. I would tear down all the blited properties on the cities dime and sell them to my company for 2 dollars each..”
If you believe that OK.
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“The revenue stream from hollywood slots belongs to the taxpayer. not the Chambers who have found a way to spend all of it..”
Last time I checked a) Hollywood Casino was a taxpayer too and in more ways then one, b) the property tax money paid by Hollywood Casino goes into a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) account that can only be spent for certain things and c) the Chamber did not and does not have a say in how property tax or TIF accounts are spent. That is the purview of the City Council.
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“The city may tell the people the slots revenue stream is for an arena, but I didn’t vote to approve that..”
Well if you didn’t vote that is your OWN fault push. Citizens against the new arena successful forced the city to hold a referendum on the arena and the citizens that voted approved the new arena overwhelmingly. If you didn’t vote one way or the other you have no one to blame but yourself.
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“Let the Arena stand on it’s own and see if it makes money. enough to pay it’s own bills.
And we will find out and the city has done everything in its power to make this arena a success. They have named a private events company to promote and attract acts and shows. This company is national company with the skill sets to make this arena a success.
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“The old one was paid for and couldn’t pay it’s own operating cost. LOL.”
Sometimes a 60 year old building with corrugated steel siding and a HVAC plant of the same age just no longer makes sense to continue to operate.
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I don’t expect you to agree with one word I posted above. And ignoring facts about the process of the arena approval process just makes you look very, very silly.