LEWISTON — City councilors for the second time declined to take action on a resolution Tuesday that would establish an assessment of the ongoing needs of people affected by the mass shooting on Oct. 25, 2023.
The proposal, introduced Feb. 17 by Ward 2 Councilor Susan Longchamps, calls for the city to coordinate with community partners to develop a survey or similar assessment of outstanding needs and financial burdens of those affected by the attacks.
Eighteen people were killed and 13 injured in shootings at Schemengees Bar & Grille on Lincoln Street and Just-in-Time Recreation on Mollison Way.
The resolution states that assessments would be voluntary and conducted “in a manner that is respectful and mindful of the privacy, dignity and well-being of all participants.” Its purpose is to inform future discussions and collaboration about how to address hardships, the resolution said.
The resolution’s Feb. 17 tabling was due to legal uncertainties surrounding the collection of sensitive information that could be subject to Maine’s Freedom of Access Act.
City attorneys Martin Eisenstein and Michael Carey have since sent a memo to City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath confirming concerns that there is no statutory exemption allowing the city to withhold names and personal information of participants in such a survey if a public records request were filed.
“Except as otherwise provided by statute, a person has the right to inspect and copy any public record,” the attorneys wrote, adding that the city would be forced to prove justification for denying a records request.
The attorneys suggested the council authorize a third-party organization specializing in conducting interviews with people with trauma to conduct the assessment and report conclusions back, leaving respondents anonymous. Those efforts would require funding and a clear definition of an “affected individual,” they said.
Kaenrath shared that one such organization, Maine Resiliency Center, would be giving a presentation at the March 17 council meeting on services they provide and how they may be able to help conduct an assessment of ongoing needs.
The council expects to vote on the resolution after the presentation.
The resolution comes as community members call on the city to investigate fundraising efforts following the shootings. Many have said victims’ families and survivors have financial needs still unmet more than two years after the shootings despite millions of dollars raised in support.
Some $6.6 million was collected or raised and distributed through the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund, with $4.7 million going directly to those affected and $1.9 million going to community nonprofits.
In 2024, the Attorney General’s Office reviewed fundraising and distribution concerns and determined there was no evidence that Maine Community Foundation, the nonprofit tasked shortly after the shootings to help administer the fund, mishandled donations. The foundation has been transparent about its process and details it on its website.
Longchamps reiterated that the resolution does not call for an investigation into the fund, but rather for an update on any ongoing needs for victims’ families and survivors of the mass shooting.
