Bangor committee approves airport lease, explores AI and business retention initiatives

[0:11] Joseph Leonard: all right you're live good evening everybody welcome to another business economic development committee meeting i am the chair of the committee counselor leonard other council members are counselors mallor fish balloon and oh thank you carson and then we also have councillor beck walker dean and council chair Haas. We also have Community Economic Director Anne Green as well. And first item on the agenda is we're going to be discussing the proposed lease with Angkor International Airport, the Varney Aviation. Okay, we are approaching the table. [1:02] Francis Robbins: The airport, sorry, I'm Francis Robbins, Assistant Airport Director. The leasing question with the tenant who's been in the property for many years, each lease is for a short-term period as required by the FAA grant assurances, and so we reached the end of all the previous extensions. The tenant wishes to remain, so we came to agreement on a new lease term and lease form that was provided in the packet. The new terms include a new way to calculate annual rent increase, and the starting rent increase will be $2,523.53 per month at the beginning of the structure as is typical for us is for an initial term of five years with two additional one-year extensions for that property. I [2:06] Joseph Leonard: didn't see any issues with the lease when I read it, Director Krieg. I don't know if you have any further input that you would like to provide, any councillors would like to provide any input or questions to staff. Yes, Councillor Maui, I'm just curious, did our legal department review the lease [2:24] Francis Robbins: sorry for the airport legal? Yeah, the lease is the standard form provided by the city's legal department, so they are, they actually drafted the initial police [2:39] Joseph Leonard: Okay, any further discussion? If none, I'll be looking to entertain an emotion, stock recommendation, motion and second, unless doubted that will have passage. Thank you so much. Next on the agenda, we have a couple of economic development initiatives. First one being a venture for with the Root Institute, and then we'll be talking about the AI Hub partner as well. Go ahead and take it away, Dorothy. Thank you. [3:14] Unidentified speaker (EMDC/Root Institute representative): A couple of exciting projects that we're working on. One is a collaboration with the Root Institute at EMDC. The Root Institute is a graduate program in three areas, life science, AI, and entrepreneurship. And they're connected with Northeastern University. They started a partnership with the Alfond Foundation, and we've been trying to bring them up from Portland and have more of a presence in Bangor. So EMDC has been working with them and us to have a presence in Bangor for their entrepreneurship program. I think this would be a really exciting connection for the city, you know, as a as a way to strengthen existing businesses. You know, there's a lot of programs for startups, you know, Startup Maine, Big Game, and there's a whole bunch of really great programs out there, but one of the aspects of economic development that previous councils have said to staff is, we want to see staff doing more with business retention. And so that's what this program is all about, it's more about retention of an existing business that wants to expand and to grow and to succeed. So I just wanted to, you know, do a check-in on that and make sure that this is still sort of up with the economic development strategy, business retention that the current council has. [4:54] Joseph Leonard: I found it to be a really enlightening read. I don't want to get into the AI Hub partner just yet, but did anyone have any questions regarding the venture for with the Root Institute at this time? I think it completely matches what the overall vision for the department is, but yes, Councilor [5:13] Michael Beck: Barrett. Just to help visualize it better, can you give like an example, let's say I'm a business owner in Bangor, how would I get connected to this, how would that look? [5:25] Unidentified speaker (EMDC/Root Institute representative): I was watching the process that they've been using for the weather during an Augusta, and they do a lot of outreach to the existing business community to try to find people that are interested in this program, in this type of collaboration. And they spend a good six to nine months just getting the people ready to go before. That's why they're starting now for next fall, because they take that time in finding those right connections. [5:57] Michael Beck: You follow up on that? Yeah, of course. So for example, if I've got a computer repair company and I'm struggling to find people qualified to do this work, can I reach out to the city and say, hey, is there a way to help find some people, put me on the list? Right, absolutely. Okay. Yeah. [6:15] Joseph Leonard: Awesome. Okay. Any other questions or discussion for staff? Did you want to talk a little bit about the AI Hub partner? [6:25] Unidentified speaker (EMDC/Root Institute representative): Yeah, that was the second collaboration with the Root Institute. There are three areas as life sciences, entrepreneurship, and AI, and the University of Maine has contacted me to try to be part of the collaboration with them to have an AI hub in Bangalore, book, which is great because, you know, one of the other strategies that we've been trying to work on is having more and more connections with Union Orono and bringing that development into Bangalore. So this program would really help kind of make those connections a little bit more solid. And again, bringing the Root Institute here because, you know, they just bring a level of, you know, the background of everybody that comes up. They just have, you know, they're world-renowned folks in all of these areas that are coming up to work with people here and just really elevate our business community. And actually, you know, you've talked a lot, Councillor, about, you know, AI in Bangor, and so this would, you know, be part of that, make those connections. [7:45] Joseph Leonard: When I was reading into this, one of the things I appreciated was a lot of the innovation with artificial intelligence is going to come from young folk because those are the people that are going to be most familiar with artificial intelligence. Just the other day, I saw a story about how this one, I think they were a grad student or maybe their undergrad, they use artificial intelligence through a large language model where they simulated data that was being collected through a large language model through traffic collection, data collection through traffic, and they were able to actually turn that into an application they then were able to sell. Sell. And so that's business cultivation at the end of the day, in a day and age where data is becoming more and more king in terms of what is the largest value that we have in the world right now. The accumulation and facilitation of qualitative data is going to be more and more important. And I think as a rural city, we have to use all these innovations to our advantage. And this is one that gives us the ability as a small city to attract young people while not really requiring all that much infrastructure to use it. So I was very excited to actually see this. I don't know if you had anything else that you wanted to add in addition, but I'm completely on board. [9:18] Unidentified speaker (EMDC/Root Institute representative): I just wanted to make sure that this again is on the path that the folks here was part of the strategy. [9:25] Joseph Leonard: own strategy. Does anyone have any other questions? Yes, Counselor Fish, and then Councilman. It's not [9:30] Carolyn Fish: really a question, just a comment that I think this is great. I think it's great for Bangor, and it's great. I know in the past of being in an incubative back in the day, incubative program myself for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and working with University of Maine and EMDC. This is a phenomenal partnership, and it's very exciting. So yeah, I'm, I think it's great for Bangor, and I'm in full support of it. [9:59] Michael Beck: Professor Beck? I was gonna say, in talking to high school students, a lot of them are asking the question, what's in Bangor for me? And I'm just wondering if there's an opportunity here to do some kind of pipeline from high school through to the program, one more thing to offer to high school students of, you know, this is an opportunity for you to learn and work in Bangor, and you might find that a lot of high school kids might get into this program if they can find a way. [10:26] Joseph Leonard: sounds like that 's a very good comment thank you for that counselor back any other thoughts or questions and i didn't see that we need a motion on this no actions okay unless you have anything further for updates or director updates i would entertain a motion to go into the executive session. Mr. Chair, presented to one MRSA, section 4056C, acquisition of real property or economic development for two items, and then we'll enter executive session. Motioned and seconded. We'll do a roll call vote. Councilor Malheur? Yes. Councilor Fish? Yes. Councilor Carson? Yes. Councilor Filun? Yes. And I will be a yes. We are in executive session. Okay, we are back from executive session, and I'll be looking for a motion. Mr. Chair, I'd like to move a staff recommendation on the sales for 45 Allen Street and 299 Essex Street. Second. We have a motion, we have a second. And unless doubted, that will move on. And that will conclude our business economic development meeting. It is currently 5.50 PM, but stay tuned. We have the Government Operations Committee up next.