Bangor Finance Committee advances tractor, trailer, roof, boiler and sewer purchases

[2:11] Wayne Mallar: After this one. [2:14] Carollynn Lear: Drop and then it's a council meeting. We do have, it looks like we do have audio now. Small miracles. You can hear that, right, Jeff? Are you able to hear audio through your phone? [Speaker C (unidentified): I'll] keep working on that video, but we'll get started with audio. Sorry about that. [2:57] Susan Deane: Sure. Good evening and welcome to the regularly scheduled Finance Committee meeting. It is Monday, October 5th, 2026 at 515 p.m. We apologize. We do not have video, but we are told we have audio. I am also Dean and chair of Finance. Around the table on the committee are Carson, Councilor Faloon, Councilor Beck and Councilor Mallar. We're also joined by Councilor Walker, Councilor Fish, and City Manager Carollynn Lear. We have bids and purchases on the agenda. First up is a compact tractor from Public Works. Do you have any approval? [3:44] Carollynn Lear: Yes. So this is an item where seven bids were received for the item, not going with the lowest bid because the lowest bid did not have bid specifications that matched what we had asked for. This was budgeted in the fiscal 27 budget, and staff is looking for committee approval. Do [4:10] Susan Deane: we have any questions regarding the compact tractor? [4:17] Wayne Mallar: I move staff approval. [4:20] Susan Deane: We have a second. Any concerns? Any concerns? Here's where we'll go with staff approval for the United A&G turf for $39,001. Next up we have a log loader trailer. Yes [4:44] Carollynn Lear: so this is another one where we're just looking for committee approval. Four bids were received ranging from 48 to 72,000, and in this instance staff is asking for approval to go with the low bidder for this item, again budgeted in 27. 27. [5:08] Wayne Mallar: I'm curious, it says Public Works would use the savings from another bid. What which bid are they using the savings from, like [5:19] Susan Deane: Maureen's gonna come up all [5:27] Carolyn Fish: of that stress and it just [5:28] Carollynn Lear: the savings is from the bid for the flex wing rotary cutter. We had thirty thousand on the flex for enroll to be covered, and in order to sixteen thousand eight sixty eight for it, they get eight sixty eight ninety nine, so remaining was thirteen thousand one thirty one [5:58] Wayne Mallar: I think in the future it'd be nice to notice so we would know where it's coming from. [6:02] Speaker C (unidentified): Okay maybe [6:07] Susan Deane: note that we would like to have a little additional information on those in the [6:09] Speaker C (unidentified): future would be wonderful. Thank you. Okay, another question about the, you know, both of these items [6:19] Michael Beck: this one, the previous item we just approved, were both for budget for forty thousand dollars. These are two separate items even though they came out of the same account number. [6:27] Carollynn Lear: Yes. Okay any [6:32] Susan Deane: Other questions? Entertain a motion. Staff recommendation. Second. Have a motion. We have a second to go with the committee approval on the log rotor trailer works united ang turn for forty eight thousand six hundred and fifty. Next up docs eleven and thirteen roof renovations at the airport. [6:57] Carollynn Lear: Yes, more roof work at the airport for this finance committee. For this item that received three bids and are looking to go with a low bid to roof systems of Maine was a low bidder. They also won the bid on several other roof projects at the airport that you recently approved and we do have positive experience with [7:23] Speaker C (unidentified): their work this [7:27] Susan Deane: one will have to go to full council presently about it's nice to see the local company being a little better Carson [7:37] Speaker C (unidentified): I could move staff [7:40] Daniel Carson: staff recommendation for the council. [7:41] Susan Faloon: Well, I just kind of have a question. I find it interesting that the bid came in at the exact amount that was budgeted. And I'm curious why that is like, do they do they know what our budget is when they bid? And what would they have? [7:57] Carollynn Lear: No,, Jose can come up, you'll see it. There's two account numbers here. I'll let Jose explain. [8:09] Airport Director: This is the airport director. So when the two accounts that are listed for it is because the amount that we budget was not sufficient and so we supplemented the amount of wind savings from a previous moving project that we had. So that's when the budget amount gets even to the amount that this bid has been awarded for. [8:36] Susan Faloon: So, once you saw the bids is that where you pulled you pulled that amount in and added up. Okay. All right. [8:51] Wayne Mallar: Complement. So, what I guess I understand what you're doing, but I don't it doesn't reflect it well here it because it says that the budgeted amount. The original budgeted amount was the fact it really wasn't. So the original budget amount was less, and you're taking it from somewhere else. I think it's important that 's explained, and it doesn't reflect that here. [9:16] Airport Director: And so the form in and of itself that is used for it doesn't have that type of arrangement. We're certainly happy to work with the finance department, the interim finance director, to make arrangements to the form to accommodate for that variance, because that's... I see your point but it just needs to be adjusted and it's not it's not that we're not going to approve [9:39] Wayne Mallar: it or anything it's just that it makes it easier less questions yeah so if we have a budgeted [9:46] Susan Deane: amount and then maybe an amended budgeted amount would be helpful council [9:53] Michael Beck: Back, I know in other projects where that's going to happen in other departments where it'll have the budget amount, the award will be more than the budgeted amount, but then it'll explain in the actual memo, know, you know, say where they took it from, where they took it from everyone. [10:11] Susan Deane: Is in agreement that a little additional info is always helpful when we make our decisions. Any other concerns? We have a motion on the table. Is there a second? We have a motion, we have a second. Any doubt? Seeing no doubt, this will be moved on to full count. Moving right along on, we have a boiler replacement across insurance center, so we received two bids for this work. [10:45] Carollynn Lear: With a high of 101,000 on a low of 76,000, staff is recommending that we go with a low bid. We have experience with this vendor at the cross center and this was a budgeted item. Any questions on this item being? [11:12] Susan Deane: None. Would I entertain a motion? Second. We have a motion, we have a second. We have a 38 people on this one. That's just going to give people we have it can. [11:29] Wayne Mallar: I ask a procedural question on this one. I'm curious, granted we got it for less than the budgeted amount. [11:37] Carollynn Lear: Now the difference goes where? So it will live in the department's capital account. Okay, and they theoretically have expenditures they could bring them to you for approval. Okay, but only. [11:54] Wayne Mallar: Capital expenditures, I mean, if they decided to go and buy several smaller items that we don't have purview over, they could buy it out of this. I'm looking for control, Councillor Mallar. That's so. [12:05] Carollynn Lear: Unlike you, I would have to double check about the cross-pollination. I don't want to give you an incorrect answer between capital and operating expenses, whether they could pull those over. I know it's addressed in the ordinance, but I'm not off the top of my head confident in. [12:22] Wayne Mallar: The answer, but I can get you. Yeah, I think, I think it would be important to know because this is the size of the amount of money. Any other questions? [12:37] Susan Deane: Now we've got the Kandusk extreme wall repair design and build. Yes, this one will also require. [12:45] Carollynn Lear: Full council approval and I think it probably is going to be of a bit more explanation given the amounts on the subject model, Director. [13:02] City Engineer: of engineering but two of our recommendations for you tonight. First is the industrial extreme wall repair with the design build contract. This is we brought a report to you back in April about the Hannibal Hammond wall that's failing and actually it's as the weeks go by it you know it's also shifted. So this is a design build award for going and contracting for three million eight hundred and seventy one thousand seven hundred twenty dollars which is in with our budget amount of four million dollars from the downtown tiff. We solicited this in rfp for design bill. We had three bidders, we scored the bids and then interviewed all three folks, all three contractors directors and we feel Gordon and for us to get this done and in our in the regional time let's also move it forward right now but this is only for you know 123 years old that wall and the plan is to use that module block so we can continue that so that's what we have in front of [14:14] Speaker C (unidentified): maybe after here well and this would need a recommendation to help us say [14:25] Susan Deane: i was impressed with the right i've been contacted it seems like they've really looked into all aspects of what needs to be done and they don't know how to do they've hired out for others to yes so they're [14:39] City Engineer: in the permanent process with us as well being in the stream so we do need army [14:45] Susan Deane: core permits and all that i'm a little worried because i think my garden is going to be affected [14:50] Speaker C (unidentified): by this one yes it will we'll put it back okay yeah that's that whole i'll still agree [14:57] City Engineer: we have any [15:03] Susan Deane: serious questions seeing none i entertain a motion recommendation second motion and a second any challenges seeing none and we will move into full council thank you waiting for the next yes stream sewer flow separation so this is in the mall area [15:32] City Engineer: we have what we call the kmr pump station it's behind wendy's services cogan road we have We have money that was available for this, $1.8 million to get capacity in that area. The pump station in itself owns less leg. So our goal is to instead of investing in a new pump station, just to go gravity in that area. So that takes away that pump station completely, which is better for us as a system. So the less pump stations we have, the better for maintenance and all of that. So this actually, I came to you guys, I think twice already. We have capacity issues that we were working on. We're boring underneath interstate. That was the first pot of money out of this ARPA funding. And then we had, Sargent was the one with the contract to support that boring. And then now this is, it's up by the old band building, Hannaford area. We're actually going to get capacity away from that pump station right now and upside the lines. So we have a few projects that have been laid in for a year or so, and this will get capacity for those projects moving forward. And it, spends the rest of the proper money that we have a deadline for within this year. So we are, we are recommending CNC Lynch, who we've had, you know, good experience with. And Bill, what amount was four hundred four thousand three hundred forty one dollars and [17:10] Speaker C (unidentified): fifty cents. Any [17:14] Susan Deane: questions? Thank [17:18] Susan Faloon: you. So this will get that ARPA money spent before the end of the year. Then it will get a check out the door in time. Yes, I'm [17:31] Carolyn Fish: sure there's a reason, but when I see other construction going on at the same site where we're doing construction, in this case the state's got the New York over by the bridge, and not right next to it, but very close, and just wondering how we could stretch these offer monies, even though they do need to be spent, but quickly I wondered if there had been any, you know, observation as to any partnership or what was going on out there where they could work collaboratively with us with our project to kind of stretch our dollars or our labor or our time or something. Yes, well, I mean, the state's not going to do sewer. I know it's two different things. I just didn't know if there was any creative way of looking at the work that was being done, you know, like extirpation, the first, the first phase [18:22] City Engineer: of this. Certainly we did, we used their board contractors, Sergeant is there, started for contractors, so we saved a lot of that, this, you know, for this phase it's, it's away from that area. We could have used Sergeant, but they've been on it, they weren't a little bit, their schedule same, so we wouldn't have seen sealant. I just wanted to make sure, thank you. We certainly do look at that stuff. Thank you. Any [18:56] Susan Deane: other questions? We are looking for a motion. I move staff recommendations. Second. The motion, we have a second. Any concerns? Any objections? Seeing none, we'll move this to the full council. Thank you very much. You're welcome. [19:17] Carollynn Lear: Now that it's approved, I'll know that Jeff and his deputy Eric have worked tremendously hard over the last two to three months to make sure that we spent every last cent of that 1.8 million in our books. It has not been easy to spend that. Won't have been ignorant. They've done a tremendous job, but [19:42] Susan Deane: It's excellent news we certainly don't want. And last on the agenda for bids and purchasing we have a telematic equipment Republic works. Yes, oh called, proactively called our director Dave. [20:02] Carollynn Lear: Telon up. So this is an item that was approved specifically in the budget, a purchase of the Samsara telematics system, and we're now looking for approval on the actual receipt of those items. [20:21] Speaker C (unidentified): Good evening. [20:25] City Engineer: safety law director of public works yeah so since there is we're in full motion with it that's installed in our vehicles it is going to be a very useful tool at this point our accident rate has gone down to about zero at this point hoping it's going to stay that way through winter activities our mentoring has gone up exponentially if somebody is failing to follow policy application and they get assigned a coach and they get coached right away a lot of good things going on with it 's all return On investment it's going to be a bit probably before we get through this winter activity to see what's really going to save us on those different activities or different preventing accidents and policy violations. Any questions? Any. [21:30] Susan Deane: Staff recommendation. Second. We have a motion, we have a second. Yes, hold on. So any objections? Saying no objections, this one will hold down. Thank you very much. Thank you. [21:46] Carollynn Lear: And last on the agenda we have a workout here in 71 Park Street. Yes, so this is a renewal dual of an existing workout agreement. So the one year agreement that just ended called for 600 quarterly payments and the terms of the agreement have been met for the past year and the property owners are looking for another year with those same terms. How's that interest rate is what for them? Oh gosh, I'm not sure what the current interest rate is. Janelle couldn't be here tonight, she actually is unwell. So if. We need to dig into this one, we can always defer it to the next finance meeting as well. [22:40] Wayne Mallar: Well now being our treasurer, I'm also curious about what's the expected payoff die. How many. [22:47] Carollynn Lear: Years have we got left? It would depend on the changing interest rate each year. Must be a guesstimate. All right, great. And actually like I said, we can wait on this one if you'd like those questions before answered before you consider whether to do another year under the same terms. One thing I wanted to bring up in the context of this conversation is whether council wants to continue to hear these one-year renewal for workout agreements every single year or if when you approve them the first time. If you would like to authorize staff, so long as the terms of the agreement have been complied with in the prior year, to renew on a yearly basis so long as the terms are complied with on the same terms. [23:52] Wayne Mallar: My opinion would be I don't want to see anyone work out agreements because don't we have an obligation to the taxpayers to redeem the property after three years? I think we should follow the rules. So you do, you will have a ones that are there now I can handle, but no means you will. [24:11] Carollynn Lear: We'll have revisions to the policy. You had discussed those with Assistant Solicitor Innes and our treasurer probably a couple of months ago, and they've been working on revisions to sort of tighten up the procedures that they use to determine when to bring a workout agreement for you versus bring a request to take property. I will say that the policy that they are putting together does not make it mandatory to take a property at the three-year Mark. It has more nuance in it and allows for sort of a consideration of what's in the city's best interest. [24:55] Wayne Mallar: I think we have to be aware of the taxpayers best interest also because the people that are paying the taxes are getting the benefit but the taxpayer, you know. [25:10] Michael Beck: As we're weighing this policy out, it would be helpful to hear the benefits of the work out agreements and the staff's opinion. I mean, if they're seeing success in getting the money they otherwise wouldn't have, that would be helpful to hear. But I understand what the previous speaker was saying, that other taxpayers see that we're cutting breaks, whereas they're working hard to get it paid, and it begs the question of the why aren't they coming in for the abatement process and those other programs are out there, so definitely worthy of a discussion. Yeah, you. [25:48] Susan Deane: Have to look at this one at 600 quarterly, that's 2400 a year, this is a decent workout agreement compared to some, but we've also seen where taxes have gone, you know, 17 years, certainly don't ever want to get into that situation again. Yeah, so it definitely, you know, will move us to see those revisions. Do I hear openness to the idea of. [26:15] Carollynn Lear: Permitting staff to renew once an agreement is approved by council in subsequent years without bringing them back to you, or do you still want to see them year after year? [26:30] Michael Beck: sure I guess the question I would have is what's involved in the process of renewing do they go back and review updated income or anything like that to make sure you know you know they secretly hit the lotto you know and unbeknownst to us you know they paid off that kind of thing and that's silly but I mean but in all seriousness you know if their income essentially has changed significantly change in the process I'm just curious yeah you know how that review is done what's involved i [26:58] Susan Faloon: Was gonna say I would be open to it, but you know, as long as that person is making progress and they're, you know, I think we would even allow another agreement if they didn't, that's right, complete the previous one anyway, right? That's right, yeah, as long as they [27:14] Susan Deane: ten make progress. Okay, I'm just kidding. Oh, sorry, Councilman. What happens if, or sorry, I need to [27:27] Susan Faloon: think about this question a little bit, like, you know, if somebody does this, but then they, you know, something happens at some point, and then we do end up taking the property, like, do we have any, the information on the average amount of time that the city holds on to that property, and if we ultimately end up, if it costs us more to take the property or to continue with these kinds of agreements, I don't know if there are any statistics on that, but it would be interesting, because I mean, if we take the property, we're not getting any tax revenue until we can sell it, and if it's not in sellable condition, then that's going to be a while. So I'm just curious if there were any stats on which way the city ends up being better [28:14] Carollynn Lear: off financially. Yeah. I mean, there would be stats because we charge our costs against the ultimate purchase price. So we would know whether we lost money or not. [28:24] Susan Faloon: Yeah, that would be good to know. So we kind of know, like, sort of in general, if these end up being more beneficial than just ultimately taking the property overall. Overall, and that might help kind of guide, you know, how it's going forward. Thank you. [28:40] Wayne Mallar: well I'm just curious this is in an estate has the estate been settled because if it has we're kind of oh it would have got reverted to so you know where do we stand if it's in an estate yeah you know if the estate has money in it would be logical that they'd be paying i think part of the will says they pay the taxes and things do and you know do we know that there was or wasn't i think it would be fair to assume [29:11] Carollynn Lear: That there's no money in the estate, but they didn't want to lose the property that their loved one owned, and so they're trying to redeem it in order to keep it. [29:28] Susan Deane: Councilman has a point there that it's not something living in the house. [29:32] Carollynn Lear: That's right. Well, actually, I don't know that we know that. I think this one we did, didn't we? I can't remember. The memo doesn't say. Yeah, and as I said, Janelle was going to be here, but she's sick today, so she'll have, I'm sure have all those answers at the next finance committee meeting, Dr. Carson. [30:02] Daniel Carson: To answer the question about whether or not we would still want to see the workout agreements, I think for me, the more impactful thing is a review of that policy and changes. I think the thing that I had noticed or focused on in a previous conversation was that there was a staff guidance section, and I, for me, thought that the approach was backwards to what would be more effective. And so I think if, for me, when I'm in a place where I'm comfortable with the policy and how it would be effectuated, then I would not have an issue having staff continue to work on those. One more comment on this, but this is to, I think, Councillor Mallar, an earlier question that you had, which was related to capital expenditures in the budget. I think according to our charter and state law, capital expenditures are in full force for up to three years until they're either expended or abandoned. They can be abandoned officially by somebody coming back to us or just by nature of something persisting for three years without having been expended. There's nothing in that paragraph that tells me that they would be eligible to take that appropriation and spend it on something else, because that appropriation was specific, is my, that's my initial answer to that based on what I was reading. Don't ask me like I'm an expert now, I'm just telling you what I was just reading. Okay, I won't. [31:43] Susan Deane: As far as this workout agreement, be comfortable moving forward, or do we need one? I'd [31:56] Michael Beck: like to see more information. How's it back? I'd make a motion to table this until the next finance [32:01] Susan Deane: second. Motion in a second. We will table this until we have a little bit more information on the process, and that will be at our next finance committee meeting. Do [32:15] Carolyn Fish: we have any more updates [32:17] Susan Deane: regarding finance? None today. Not today. Just was a good time to ask how they are. [32:24] Carollynn Lear: You can not. Great, if I'm being honest, I think our interim finance director has put in a ton of kind of effort to really dig into where the finance department is currently, and I personally, I personally feel more confident than I felt in the year I've been here, understanding where we are. But I think she has identified very fairly so that she really needs additional resources to catch up. And so we are evaluating what that looks like, whether it's hiring a contractor to provide professional services or to hire temps. I think one of the things that she's observed is that higher level staff in the finance department have been spending a lot of time doing work that should be done by more entry level staff. And so I think that we're leaning towards curing more entry level temps to do data entry and processing so that she and other higher level staff can focus on responding to the audit. And [33:42] Wayne Mallar: a follow-up question, how does the lack of an audit affect our bonding? [33:47] Carollynn Lear: So we really can't go out to bond in a competitive way until this most recent audit is completed. [33:56] Wayne Mallar: So with the new help, what would be the anticipated finalization of the budget? I know that's a wild question, but I mean, are we looking at six months, a year? I mean, how long? [34:10] Carollynn Lear: For the currently outstanding audit, not a year. Don't promise anything. Yeah, right, I think, I think December is hopeful and January is reasonable, which is not a great place to be. I don't want to say that as though that's a win. I mean, that's [34:31] Wayne Mallar: not a great place to be, and how does this affect next year's or the year that hasn't started, the [34:37] Carollynn Lear: audit that hasn't started yet? I mean, we can't, we can't start following on it until this one's [34:42] Michael Beck: completed. Yeah, okay, yes, just a follow-up as well as Archaea was giving counsel that updated spreadsheets showing how important. I haven't seen a report from them in a while. I just wonder if someone could pass a message to them if those were helpful and really could [35:00] Carollynn Lear: see those things. I like to see, and I want to say the last one you got, we were at like 59, nine percent, which I think there's been progress. We should be above 50, but we're certainly not near completion. I'll follow up on another update that [35:19] Susan Deane: would be helpful, I think, for everyone. Any other questions for City Manager Carollynn Lear? Seeing none, we will adjourn finance at 5:50 p.m. Next up is, I believe, business and economic development.