Council restores Bangor Public Health to opioid grant slate after debate over process

Councilor Haas presided over a March 2 special workshop where the Bangor City Council voted 7-1 to restore Bangor Public Health to an advisory committee's recommended slate of opioid-settlement grant awards.

A member of the opioid advisory committee told the council the panel met 15 times, reviewed 32 applications and initially recommended 19 awards. "The final recommendation that's before you passed by a vote of 3 to 2," the committee member said, noting the split grew out of a decision to remove Bangor Public Health from the slate even though that application ranked among the higher-scoring proposals.

Why it mattered: Councilors said the change raised questions about whether applicants were being excluded for reasons unrelated to their proposals. "I voted no because we were disallowing an applicant based on who they are, not on the content of the application," a committee member who voted no said, describing the disagreement over whether prior receipt of opioid-related funding should have been a disqualifier.

Details: Committee members said Bangor Public Health had applied for just under $50,000 to fund a nurse for 12 to 15 hours a week at the Wabanaki one-stop shop to provide primary and preventive services for people affected by substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. The committee member who presented the memo said some applicants were removed after an MOU-based review found their projects did not qualify; another member said one applicant stepped out of the running when Bangor Public Health was added back into the slate.

City solicitor David reminded the council that the settlement funds "are funds that came from the city's inclusion in the opioid litigation" and that although the memorandum of understanding limits uses to approved purposes, "how which approved uses that you spend the money on is up to the city." He said the committee's work is advisory and the council retains final discretion.

Motion and vote: A councilor moved to amend the recommended slate to put Bangor Public Health back into its prior position; the motion was moved and seconded and the chair called roll. The amendment passed 7-1, restoring Bangor Public Health to the slate the council will consider at its next meeting. A later proposal to give first consideration to the Wabanaki application in a future round was raised but withdrawn after clarification that it would not guarantee funding.

Accountability and next steps: Councilors pressed for clearer coordination among grantees and stronger reporting. The committee member said contracts drafted by the city solicitor will require recipients to sign a memorandum of understanding and report data back to the city. Staff said they will order the amended slate for the next council meeting agenda so the full council can act formally on the awards.

The workshop adjourned at about 5:56 p.m.