OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Lewiston City Council Meeting Summary - January 5, 2026

City Council — Monday, January 5, 2026
BodyLewiston, Maine
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, January 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:13:06

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

As a city councilor.

0:04

For the city of Lewiston.

0:07

According to the laws of this state.

0:09

According to the laws of the state.

0:11

And the charter of the city of Lewiston.

0:13

And charter of the city of OSCE.

0:15

So help me God.

0:16

Congratulations.

0:17

Thank you.

0:25

Congratulations to our new council.

0:31

Director Roy.

0:36

And Administrator Kenrath.

0:38

Okay.

0:44

I'll let you two introduce yourselves and uh take it away.

0:48

Do you just move the mics uh very close to you?

0:50

That'd be great.

1:04

And if you can uh if we can uh please refrain from speaking in the uh council chambers if you need to talk, just head out to the hall and then silence your cell phones.

1:13

We we have enough stuff going on without having to hear those.

1:16

So yeah, thank you.

1:19

Please proceed you two.

1:21

All right, uh good evening, uh mayor and council.

1:23

Uh Brian Camrouth, city administrator.

1:25

Tracy Roy Finance Director.

1:27

And we are here this evening to kick off the FY27 budget process.

1:32

Uh, I think officially with the presentation of the uh LCIP.

1:36

The LCIP is a five-year capital planner for the city of Lewiston for fiscal years 27 uh to 31, and we're going to be focusing in a little bit more on fiscal 27 or upcoming budget year in this presentation.

1:50

Um this is um the initial piece of this.

1:52

Obviously, we'll have more discussions later, um conversation, uh time for more questions.

1:59

Uh and I'll also note there's uh one particular item in this presentation for FY27 uh commitments that uh from the police department we will be having uh a presentation on that proposal probably at our next meeting uh in January.

2:14

This is on um take home vehicles for officers, and we're gonna have a more in-depth presentation uh on that at our next meeting, probably our next meeting, maybe the first of February, but likely the next meeting, um, to talk more in detail about that and why it may make sense for for Lewiston.

2:30

So to kick us off, um we have uh for uh the five-year capital plan about 239 million dollars uh in projects, overall projects, and 224 million of that is from city resources um or taxation.

2:46

So uh our proposed use uh of local sources uh for fiscal 27 uh totals about 42 and a half million.

2:55

So just really quickly, city bond issue um is a little over 24 million of that, city operating budget is only 168,000, school bond issue, 9.5 million, uh water bond issue 2.9 million, water operating budget, a little under 600,000, sewer bond issue, 2.3 million, sewer operating budget 542,000, sewer impact fees 100,000, stormwater bond issue about 1.6 million and stormware operating budget 125,000.

3:27

So proposed uh bond issues uh for 27 uh totals about 41.1 million uh on the city side uh 24.7 on the school side nine and a half million, water two point nine, sewer two point three, stormwater uh one point six.

3:44

And the other years you see obviously in the on the slide.

3:49

So we're outstanding uh debt issued and authorized um as of December twenty thirty-first of twenty-five uh on the city side we have about fifty uh and a half million, uh school side about sixty um point five million, water twenty-two million, sewer nineteen million six and ninety-five thousand, uh stormwater uh about thirteen and a half million, and authorized but unissued debt uh about fifty million, so a total of two hundred and seventeen million four hundred and forty thousand.

4:20

So debt service as a percent of the FY26 operating budget on the city side, it was just over uh 14% at 14.3 percent on the school side, uh 7.8 percent, and a total there of 10 percent uh overall.

4:37

So you see our outstanding uh general fund debt.

4:40

Um you see the interest in red, uh the principal in blue for 26.

4:46

Uh it's been up slightly from past previous years, but certainly down substantially from you see 2005 on there when we were up towards 100 million uh in total, we're just under 16 million now.

5:00

And I think during our audit presentation, Tracy, our auditor will also give us some comparisons to other communities where they are with uh total outstanding debt.

5:08

And I think my guess is we'll be uh in pretty good shape uh comparatively to other communities of just under 60 million.

5:17

Uh so debt management.

5:20

Um we lowered our debt authorization limit to uh 80 percent.

5:24

We do refinance debt when possible.

5:26

Uh we move recurring expenditures into the operating budget when possible, as you know, and of course, using unallocated fund balance uh after requirements are met.

5:36

Uh is another option.

5:37

Uh this will not be available this year unless the council wants to go to 10% limit.

5:43

So that is one limiting factor for this year.

5:47

So future year uh debt service requirement, uh city general fund, uh FY26, uh about six and a half million, and you see trending uh down uh over the next five years to fiscal year 31, about 4.3.

6:06

So now we're gonna get into some of the actual uh projects that are part of the FY27 capital improvement program.

6:13

So I'll just run through these uh quickly.

6:15

Again, we're gonna talk about these in more detail uh in the coming weeks and months.

6:20

Um note is the city share uh projects in red are proposed to be funded through bond issuance.

6:28

So uh transit committee.

6:30

Um there's a bus support equipment, um hundred thousand in total cost, fifty thousand city resources they are assessing.

6:38

There's twenty thousand toward the citywide reval, economic community development, riverfront island implementation, uh 3.3 million, continental Mill TIFF, Lowell Street Development TIFF, a million and eight hundred and fifty thousand respectively.

6:54

Uh citywide wayfinding project, uh hundred thousand there.

6:59

Uh fire department, Lisbon Street Fire Station Replacement Project, um about 7.7 million on the city resources, it's about 7 million.

7:09

Under planning and code, we have the comp plan implementation, $50,000 there.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Personnel Matters█████████████14%
Public Engagement██████████11%
Municipal Charter██████7%
Capital Improvement Projects█████5%
Public Safety█████5%
Community Engagement████4%
Surveillance Technology█1%
Public Health Awareness█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Lewiston City Council Meeting Summary - January 5, 2026

The City Council of Lewiston conducted its regular meeting on January 5, 2026, marking the installation of new council members and the kickoff of the FY27 budget process. The evening included a workshop on the Local Capital Improvement Plan (LCIP), the swearing-in of new officials, election of council leadership, and extensive public testimony regarding the residency of Councilor Iman Osman, leading to a vote authorizing an independent investigation into his qualifications.

Consent Calendar

  • The council unanimously approved (7-0) ten items, including authorizations for the city clerk and administrator to sign various municipal documents (bingo games, liquor licenses, utility permits, liens, banners, deeds) and orders regarding electronic notification of special meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Privacy and Surveillance: Beth Ames (Ward 3) expressed serious concern and opposition to the installation of Flock automated license plate readers, citing potential Fourth Amendment violations, data security risks, and lack of police policy oversight.
  • Disaster Fund Allegations: David Jones (non-resident) expressed strong opposition to the handling of shooting relief funds, stating he believed millions of dollars donated to victims' families were misappropriated by non-governmental organizations with no connection to the incident, and called for a full investigation.
  • Somali Community Support: Ephrah Sait Esse (Ward 2) spoke to correct misinformation, stating that Somali residents are hardworking citizens who contribute to the city through taxes and employment, and are not recipients of government-given cars or benefits. Mahidin Libar (Ward 5) expressed full support for Councilor Osman, emphasizing his deep local ties and role as a community coach and leader.
  • Support for Councilor Osman: Multiple speakers, including Martin Chartrand (Ward 5) and Jay Zimmerman (Ward 5), expressed support for Councilor Osman despite allegations, citing his knowledge of Ward 5 issues and the condemnation of his home as a reason for his residence status.
  • Opposition to Councilor Osman: David Jones and Lisa Jones expressed opposition to Osman's eligibility, arguing that living in a condemned building without a certificate of occupancy constitutes a violation of charter requirements and that investigating his residency is a necessary step for accountability.
  • Gun Violence and Safety: A speaker identified youth gun violence by rival gangs as the greatest threat to the community, contrasting it with comments made about other demographics.
  • Public Health Officer Request: Matthew Eggwern (Ward 4) expressed support for the creation of a dedicated public health officer with a health sciences background to better coordinate community health responses.

Discussion Items

  • FY27 Budget and LCIP Presentation: City Administrator Brian Camrouth and Finance Director Tracy Roy presented the Local Capital Improvement Plan (LCIP). They noted a total of $239 million in five-year projects, with $42.5 million proposed for FY27. Camrouth highlighted critical projects including the Police Department's $5.2 million take-home vehicle initiative (to be detailed at the next meeting), Library HVAC upgrades ($48,000+), and various infrastructure repairs. Roy clarified that while Water, Sewer, and Stormwater projects are funded by enterprise funds, they still count toward the city's 80% debt authorization limit, placing the current plan $28 million over the limit.
  • Election of Council President: Councilor Chitam was nominated and unanimously elected (7-0) as City Council President for the term ending January 4, 2027. Councilor Najene expressed support while calling for increased transparency and accessibility.
  • School Committee Appointment: Councilor Harriman was nominated to serve on the School Committee through January 2027. Councilor Martell and several public commenters expressed opposition and expressed a lack of confidence due to Harriman's previous censure regarding the use of the Signal app to hide messages. Councilor Roy expressed concern regarding the time commitment. The motion passed by a vote of 4-3.
  • Board and Committee Appointments: The council appointed representatives to the 911 Committee, Airport Board, and various other boards with a unanimous 7-0 vote. However, public comment and internal debate were intense regarding the Lewiston Area Public Health Committee:
    • Megan Parks: Appointed (6-1) despite opposition from Andrew Jones who cited her blocking constituent emails. Melissa Dunn argued context matters regarding safety.
    • Joseph Philippon: Appointed (4-3) despite opposition from Andrew Jones, Councilor Longchamps, and others regarding his past separation from the Police Department and use of Signal. Supporters argued his qualifications and community service outweigh his mistakes.
    • Lisa Jones (Voter Registration Appeals Board): Appointed (5-2) despite opposition from Councilors Harriman and Osman regarding her past disruption of meetings. Legal debate ensued regarding whether the state statute requirement to "shall appoint" was binding, with officials noting the council is not legally compelled but it would be bad practice to reject a party's nominee.

Key Outcomes

  • Debt Authorization: The FY27 LCIP is approved in principle as part of the budget process, though it exceeds the 80% debt authorization limit by $28 million, requiring specific council attention.
  • Independent Investigation: The council voted 6-1 to authorize the City Attorney to retain an independent investigator to prepare a report on facts relating to Councilor Osman's qualification to represent Ward 5 following a resolution passed in December. The investigation is limited to residency/qualification issues, not the pending criminal indictments. Councilor Longchamps explicitly suggested Osman resign until cleared, while Councilor Najene emphasized the investigation is necessary for transparency.
  • Public Safety: The council authorized a second executive session to discuss real estate acquisition/disposition and economic development issues.
  • Future Agenda: Councilor Nagy proposed future discussions on clarifying conflict of interest policies for RFPs, MOUs, and contracts.
  • New Business: Councilor Harriman proposed amending downtown no-smoking ordinances to include areas adjacent to Oak Park residences based on resident complaints.

Meeting Transcript

As a city councilor. For the city of Lewiston. According to the laws of this state. According to the laws of the state. And the charter of the city of Lewiston. And charter of the city of OSCE. So help me God. Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations to our new council. Director Roy. And Administrator Kenrath. Okay. I'll let you two introduce yourselves and uh take it away. Do you just move the mics uh very close to you? That'd be great. And if you can uh if we can uh please refrain from speaking in the uh council chambers if you need to talk, just head out to the hall and then silence your cell phones. We we have enough stuff going on without having to hear those. So yeah, thank you. Please proceed you two. All right, uh good evening, uh mayor and council. Uh Brian Camrouth, city administrator. Tracy Roy Finance Director. And we are here this evening to kick off the FY27 budget process. Uh, I think officially with the presentation of the uh LCIP. The LCIP is a five-year capital planner for the city of Lewiston for fiscal years 27 uh to 31, and we're going to be focusing in a little bit more on fiscal 27 or upcoming budget year in this presentation. Um this is um the initial piece of this. Obviously, we'll have more discussions later, um conversation, uh time for more questions. Uh and I'll also note there's uh one particular item in this presentation for FY27 uh commitments that uh from the police department we will be having uh a presentation on that proposal probably at our next meeting uh in January. This is on um take home vehicles for officers, and we're gonna have a more in-depth presentation uh on that at our next meeting, probably our next meeting, maybe the first of February, but likely the next meeting, um, to talk more in detail about that and why it may make sense for for Lewiston. So to kick us off, um we have uh for uh the five-year capital plan about 239 million dollars uh in projects, overall projects, and 224 million of that is from city resources um or taxation. So uh our proposed use uh of local sources uh for fiscal 27 uh totals about 42 and a half million. So just really quickly, city bond issue um is a little over 24 million of that, city operating budget is only 168,000, school bond issue, 9.5 million, uh water bond issue 2.9 million, water operating budget, a little under 600,000, sewer bond issue, 2.3 million, sewer operating budget 542,000, sewer impact fees 100,000, stormwater bond issue about 1.6 million and stormware operating budget 125,000. So proposed uh bond issues uh for 27 uh totals about 41.1 million uh on the city side uh 24.7 on the school side nine and a half million, water two point nine, sewer two point three, stormwater uh one point six. And the other years you see obviously in the on the slide. So we're outstanding uh debt issued and authorized um as of December twenty thirty-first of twenty-five uh on the city side we have about fifty uh and a half million, uh school side about sixty um point five million, water twenty-two million, sewer nineteen million six and ninety-five thousand, uh stormwater uh about thirteen and a half million, and authorized but unissued debt uh about fifty million, so a total of two hundred and seventeen million four hundred and forty thousand. So debt service as a percent of the FY26 operating budget on the city side, it was just over uh 14% at 14.3 percent on the school side, uh 7.8 percent, and a total there of 10 percent uh overall. So you see our outstanding uh general fund debt. Um you see the interest in red, uh the principal in blue for 26. Uh it's been up slightly from past previous years, but certainly down substantially from you see 2005 on there when we were up towards 100 million uh in total, we're just under 16 million now. And I think during our audit presentation, Tracy, our auditor will also give us some comparisons to other communities where they are with uh total outstanding debt. And I think my guess is we'll be uh in pretty good shape uh comparatively to other communities of just under 60 million. Uh so debt management. Um we lowered our debt authorization limit to uh 80 percent. We do refinance debt when possible. Uh we move recurring expenditures into the operating budget when possible, as you know, and of course, using unallocated fund balance uh after requirements are met. Uh is another option. Uh this will not be available this year unless the council wants to go to 10% limit. So that is one limiting factor for this year. So future year uh debt service requirement, uh city general fund, uh FY26, uh about six and a half million, and you see trending uh down uh over the next five years to fiscal year 31, about 4.3.

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