Bangor councilors OK $7.7M for city needs

BANGOR – After a public hearing Monday night that drew no comment from the public, city councilors unanimously voted to borrow $7.7 million to fund various community needs. The money would be raised through the sale of general obligation bonds and notes

The bulk of the $7,757,100 million would be used to build a new police station, Finance Director Deborah Cyr said during the hearing. That money, however, won’t be spent until a replacement plan is in place.

Located on Court Street, the current police station was built in 1940 to house the jail and county offices. It no longer meets the police department’s needs.

The city is still in the process of deciding where the new station will be built. Some sites that have been considered are the current location at 35 Court St., a vacant city-owned property on the corner of Exchange and Washington streets, the former National Guard armory on Main Street, and an unspecified property that city officials are keeping under wraps pending further investigation.

The rest of the money would be applied to the city’s vehicle replacement program, for which $607,100 is earmarked, and for the city’s $150,000 share of road projects conducted by the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System, or BACTS.

In other business, the councilors awarded a $284,340 contract for the construction of a deicing fluid collection system for Bangor International Airport to Lane Construction.

The aim of the project is to collect deicing fluid from the aircraft parking ramp on the civilian side of the airport during the winter months, according to the council order to that end.

The deicing fluid will be collected and piped into the city’s sanitary sewer system for treatment at the wastewater treatment plant. The project includes a 5,000-gallon storage tank, an oil-water separator, a flow measuring device and valves to control the flow.

Councilors also rezoned two city-owned parcels on Union Place.

As part of the Union Place Neighborhood Conservation Project, the city in recent years has acquired six properties at the corner of Hammond and Union streets.

Now that the area has been cleaned up and is ready for reuse, city officials are getting ready to solicit proposals from developers.