HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-08-19 Government Operations Committee Minutes
Government Operations Committee
Monday, August 19, 2013
Immediately Following the Special City Council Meeting-5:10pm
City Council Chambers
MINUTES
Council Members: Baldacci, Blanchette, Civiello, Longo, Durgin, Nealley, Sprague
Staff: Farrar, Conlow, Lucas, Rindy Fogler
Others: Media
1. Referral – Council Resolve 13-272, Authorizing the City Manager to
Accept and Appropriate $391,990 in Shelter Plus Care Funds from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the period 9-
1-2013 to 8-31-2014.
Moved, seconded and approved to recommend approval to the full Council.
2. Fire Department Presentation – Emergency Response Plans.
Chief Lucas stated that the City of Bangor has numerous travel routes that pose
a danger to transporting hazardous materials. Everyone in the Fire Department
has been trained in hazard material operations. It’s a very specific type of
training and we share a regional resource with the City of Orono’s Fire
Department and we contribute a sum of money annually to their Hazardous
Response Team. In this joint regional resource each fire department involved is
in charge of different duties. We just found out that through the State there is
more training that is fully funded that our fire fighters will be going through in
the near future.
Chief Lucas also explained our relationship to both the State (MEMA) and Federal
(FEMA) program in regards to Hazardous Material. Chief Lucas stated that the
Chief, as appointed Director, can contact MEMA directly to utilize them as a
resource. If the incident is on a larger scale MEMA can in turn directly contact
FEMA at the federal level.
Baldacci suggested that we use the Government Channel for a 10 or 15 minute
video for citizens about our plans if a Hazardous Material Incident occurs.
3. Discussion of SAFER Fire Grant Opportunity.
Chief Lucas explained about the $320,000,000 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire
Fighter and Emergency Response) Grant that has just come about again. The
opportunity to apply for this grant has just opened and is only open for about a
month. This would supplement our costs. Our goal would be to get 4 fire
fighters to balance out our crews. It would fund these employees for 2 years.
We would have to keep our numbers of employees the same during this 2 year
period whether someone retires, resigns, or separates from employment.
Councilor Blanchette asked if we apply and we are awarded, at what point can
we refuse the grant if we decide not to use it. Chief Lucas stated you can refuse
the grant up until the hiring of new employees. The grant money is just for
staffing.
Councilor Longo moved staff recommendation to write the grant, Councilor
Blanchette seconded and approved.
Councilor Civiello asked what number of retirees is the Fire Department looking
at? Chief Lucas stated it is an unknown but could be a third of the department.
City Manager stated that by bringing these new people on, they could be ready
when and if there are retirements so we’d be ahead of the game. Plus we do
not have to maintain the new hires after the expiring of the grant in two years.
Adjourned at 5:45pm