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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-07 Government Operations Committee Minutes Government Operations Committee Monday, July 7, 2014 at 5:54PM City Council Chambers MINUTES Council Members: Civiello, Baldacci, Plourde, Graham, Durgin, Sprague, Blanchette. Councilor Durgin was asked to be a voting member. Staff Members: Conlow, Farrar, Johnston, Comstock, Nicklas Others: School Committee Chair Caruso, School Business Manager Kochis, Media Representatives, approximately 12-14 citizens regarding Item #4 NOTE: Due to equipment failure with the local government access channel, it was not possible to broadcast nor record the meeting. Thus, these minutes are a summarized version of the meeting. The meeting was called to order by Chair Civiello at 5:54 pm. 1. Byrne/Justice Assistance Grant – Police Department Deputy Chief Brad Johnston explained that the grant was for $25,229 and would be shared with the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department. Bangor will receive $13,244 and will receive an additional 5% ($1,260) to administer the grant. No local match is required. Bangor will use the funding to purchase equipment to enhance traffic control efforts and for optics for patrol division firearms. It was moved by Durgin, seconded by Graham and voted unanimously to recommend approval to the Council. 2. Authorizing for the City Manager to Execute certain Agreements / Memorandums of Understanding Healthy Maine Partnership Program. A. Memorandum of Understanding with Sebasticook Valley Health as Fiscal Agent for Healthy Sebasticook Valley B. Sub-Recipient Agreement with Mayo Regional Hospital as the Fiscal Agent for Piscataquis Public Health Council. C. Sub-Recipient Agreement with Katahdin Shared Services as the Fiscal Agent for Partnership for a Healthy Northern Penobscot. Jamie Comstock from Health and Community Services explained that these three Understandings / Agreements need to be place with the various providers under the Healthy Maine Partnership Grant program. These are routine documents that have been in place previously and the fiscal agent relationships are being renewed. It was moved by Baldacci, seconded by Durgin and voted unanimously to recommend approval to the full Council. 3. Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Memorandums of Understanding for the Partnerships in Community Health Grant applications with Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and Healthy Communities of the Capital Area. In order to apply for these grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, MOU’s must be in place between the applicant organization and other partners. These three year grants would be used to decrease tobacco use, increase access to healthy food and beverages, increase physical activity and increase chronic disease management supports. Ms. Comstock explained that in order to apply for these grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, MOU’s must be in place between the applicant organizations and the other participating parties. The applicant organizations are Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and Healthy Communities of the Capital Area. Bangor is a party to each grant. The grants would be used for to decrease tobacco use, increase access to healthy food and beverages, increase physical activity, and increase chronic disease management supports. The EMMC grant is for $1.5 million over three years; the Healthy Communities of the Capital Area grant is still be finalized in terms of the amount. It was moved by Baldacci and seconded by Durgin and voted unanimously to recommend approval to the full Council. 4. Discussion of the process for a City Charter Amendment that would provide for Line Item Veto authority of the School Department Budget by the City Council. Councilor Civiello has asked that this item be included on behalf of several citizens to determine if there is any Council interest in pursuing such an amendment. Please see the attached background memorandum from City Solicitor Heitmann. Councilor Civiello opened the discussion with several comments: this issue was coming forward at the request of several citizens; the Charter is outdated in this area and needs to be updated; this would provide another tool for the Council to use during the budget process, if needed; it would provide oversight of the largest city department; and it would provide more options to have more thorough discussions. Councilor Durgin indicated that the Charter had just been reviewed by the Charter Review Committee in 2009-2010 and that that issue was discussed. The Committee was unanimous in its opposition to changing the Charter to provide the Council line item veto authority over the school department budget. And the then seated Council adopted the Committee’s recommendation not to change this section. He stated that the School Committee has duty to present their budget to the Council, and the Council may accept or reduce their proposed bottom line. He is opposed to moving the discussion forward. Councilor Graham indicated he was unsure of the end goal of the discussion. The School Committee is elected to oversee the School budget. Is it necessary to fix the Charter, or is it the process that needs review? He asked why the Council needed oversight; can’t the School Committee do its job? Councilor Baldacci would like to see a more specific proposal, he was unsure of the line item categories that would be included, how they would be established. Councilor Sprague indicated that the School budget had considerable vetting – school board workshops and meetings, Council workshops, meetings and votes, and a final vote by the public. The citizens elect the School Committee, if they disagree with the budget they prepare/submit, then the public can elect other representatives to the Committee. To reduce the school budget would require drastic steps, he was not sure if the public would support those types of reductions. Gary Capehart stated that he liked the idea of a line item veto. The Council looks at the entire budget, and it would be good to have an outside (Council) review of the school budget. Steve Sleeper had prepared remarks which he read. A copy is attached. Paul LeClair had prepared remarks. A copy is attached. Donna Wright complimented the school department on only a 1% expenditure increase. She asked if there were 6-8 items that were problems, couldn’t those be pulled out of the budget for further discussion. She thought that approach might help. Al Dravidzius asked for more discussion, and more open discussion. He was not asking for a decision to be made today. He was asking for leaders to listen. Suzie Pope noted that the School Committee’s role is to advocate for their budget. The Council has budgetary review obligation for all citizens. The line item veto concept takes into account all residents’ ability to pay. Warren Caruso, Chair of the School Committee indicated that he appreciated all the concerns expressed. He noted that the Bangor School System is a top producer, a model system, and is highly efficient. He noted the School Committee’s budget process is open; it starts in the fall and continues through the spring with various workshops, forums, hearings, the Council review process, and a public vote. He stated the real problem was in Augusta, and the funding they have taken away. He asked if there had not been a tax increase due to the School budget, would the discussion tonight would be occurring? He finished by noting that people move to Bangor for the school system. Councilor Graham noted he was still not sure about the proposal. The Council has the ability to set the bottom line appropriation. Perhaps the issue is how to bring forward concerns to the governing body, the school committee. Councilor Durgin again noted the Charter review process recently undertaken, and indicated that it was not necessary to change the Charter. The proposal for a line item veto places the Council in the position of having the say. He noted that perhaps there needed to be more openness between the Council and school committee during the budget process. He suggested that the state needed to know the local burden their decisions have created. The Council had discussion about what the next steps might be. Assistant City Solicitor Nicklas explained that the next step, if desired, would be for an Order to be placed on the next Council agenda that would set a date for a public hearing on a line item veto charter amendment. If the Order was passed, then wording would need to be developed for the proposed amendment. The Public Hearing and proposed Charter Amendment would need to be held and voted on by Council no later than September 4th in order to make the ballot for the fall election. Without calling a Special Council meeting, this could be accomplished at the August 25 regular Council meeting, or before. When asked by a Councilor Durgin, Mr. Nicklas replied that the other method to place a Charter amendment on the ballot was through the citizen initiative process, whereby citizens would gather a required number of signatures for the proposal to be placed on the ballot. Councilor Baldacci indicated that there was justifiable frustration with taxes and that he was willing to have more discussion. Councilor Blanchette suggested that all Councilors in attendance be polled to see whether there was majority support at this point to move the item forward, as a Committee vote might not be reflective of the views of those Councilors in attendance. After further discussion about the procedure on how and whether to move forward with this proposal, it was moved by Councilor Baldacci, seconded by Councilor Plourde, and voted 3 in favor (Baldacci, Civiello, Plourde, and 2 opposed (Durgin, Graham) to place an Order on the July 14 City Council agenda to set a date for a public hearing on a charter amendment providing the City Council with line item veto authority over the budget presented by the school committee. With no further business to come before the Committee, it was moved and unanimously voted to adjourn at 6:50 pm.