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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-05-06 Government Operations Committee Minutes Government Operations Committee Monday May 6, 2013 5:15 p.m. City Council Chambers MINUTES Council Members: Blanchette, Baldacci, Civiello, Durgin, Longo, Sprague, Longo Staff: Farrar, Hathaway, Willette, Yardley, Heitmann, Conlow Others: BDN, Mike Aube, Jon Farley, Glenn Ross, Amy Richard, Lucy Quimby 1. Overview of Vocational and Housing Support Grant and Work Ready Program. At the request of Councilor Civiello, representatives will be present to discuss the Grant and Program. Invitees include Michael Aube and Jon Farley from Eastern Maine Development Corporation; Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross and Amy Richard from Maine Pretrial Services. Sheriff Ross summed up the grant program by stating it is basically an educational program that will help stop the high rate of recidivism by offering work training programs and peer navigators to help keep them stable with things such as making sure they are seeing their doctors and keeping up on their medications. Amy spoke of the components of the grant program. The idea is to get them vocational training and treatment support to help the repeat offenders before they are re- incarcerated. The program will direct people to any help services they need and that are available to them such as housing. Also, they are being monitored by this program by checking in a few times a week to make sure they are on the right track. Housing seemed to be a topic of concern and the cost it may impose on tax payers. Sheriff Ross stated that this grant money is only for educational purposes, not housing costs at all. They will educate people how to find housing services, not find actual housing for them. 2. Update – Bangor Trails Committee Representatives of Bangor Trails will update the Committee on their plans and activities. Director Willett stated this year they are planning and Bangor/Brewer trail ways event. nd June 2 there is an event planned to walk trails from Bangor to Brewer. The Committee would like to have this event tied in to the unveiling of the Continuity of Community Sculpture to help showcase Bangor Trails. Lucy Quimby of the Bangor Land Trust was in attendance. A list of things that have been worked on since 2006 was handed out. Lucy updated everyone on the wonderful help the City staff and Councilors have been. Councilor Sprague stated that when you work on projects you don’t see the great importance of some things until you look back. He feels the trail systems and the work done for Bangor Trails will be very highly valued. The link between communities such as Bangor, Orono and Brewer is a great thing to help spread the word and get people active and enjoying the outdoors. Councilors congratulated Lucy and the others who’ve worked so hard on this. Great work! The Trail System is a great asset for Bangor. 3. Discussion and Review of Synthetic Drug Concerns and Proposed Ordinance. Concerns regarding the sale and use of synthetic drugs have been raised in the community. The Legal Department has been asked to review and provide an approach to deal with this issue at the local level. City Solicitor Norm Heitmann opened the discussion about removing synthetic drugs off the shelf, namely “spice” as a proposed City Ordinance. Baldacci says he spoke to a store owner and his major concern was that this ordinance should be uniform for all businesses. Councilors talked about the possible ordinance and the benefits it could bring to the City as well as possible down falls. How will the City monitor it, etc. Store owners were commended for volunteering to remove these synthetic drugs from their shelves. Councilors believe this is a move in the right direction. City Solicitor Heitmann suggests the Council move on this before the legislation goes through. Councilor Blanchette moved for first reading to full Council and Councilor Longo seconded. So Approved. 4. Referral – Council Resolve 13-139, Authorizing the City Manager to Accept and Appropriate $334,211 in Shelter Plus Care funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The purpose of the grant is to provide rental assistance to qualified individuals and families living in Penobscot County for the period April, 2013 to March 31, 2014. Director of Health and Human Resources Shawn Yardley described Shelter Plus Care and benefits of its help with lowering the costs of the General Assistance Program. Councilor Longo asks if there are any other communities in Maine or New England using this program? Yardley states that Bangor is the only one that manages this program itself as a municipality. Director Yardley stated we have about 120 families/people using this program. Councilor Gallant moved and Councilor Blanchette seconded to recommend passage to the Council. So approved. Adjourned at 6:35 p.m.