Bangor rules on 1st of 60 applications for $16M in COVID-relief funding
Bangor ostensibly approved giving $415,000 in pandemic relief funding to one local organization — though city councilors discussed eight requests for funding — in the city’s first wave of federal COVID-19 relief awards.
The Bangor Area Recovery Network requested $415,000 to support renovating the nonprofit’s Recovery Community Center. The building, which was built in the 1950s, has an inefficient electrical system and isn’t accessible to those with mobility limitations.
The renovation project, estimated to cost $495,600, will include a complete overhaul of the electrical systems, installing solar panels, and updating and expanding the heating system, according to the application. The community center’s interior renovations will expand the space and enhance the safety and accessibility of the building.
The award is the first the council approved from the 60 applications the city received in May, which were all asking for a piece of the $16.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding the city has left to give. Those applications were evaluated and ranked by the Heart of Maine United Way last month, then passed along to councilors for a final decision.
The city previously set aside $4.2 million of its original $20.8 million in pandemic relief funding for a few local organizations in partnership with the county. The rest of the money must be earmarked by 2024 and spent by 2027.
Though councilors agreed Wednesday to dole out funding to support their proposal, they can’t officially approve the awards until their next city council meeting on Monday.
Wednesday’s workshop was the first in a series of weekly meetings councilors will have to evaluate and make decisions on the top 25 ranked applications divided by their “area of emphasis,” meaning what issue the proposals seek to combat. Wednesday’s meeting focused on the housing and substance use proposals.
Councilors did not reject any of the seven other applications that were considered Wednesday, but some had additional questions on certain proposals or wanted to explore funding a proposal using other pots of money the city has in its arsenal.