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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-06-14 Government Operations Committee Minutes Government Operations Committee June 14, 2011 MINUTES Councilors: Blanchette, Bronson, Gratwick, Weston Staff: Farrar, Hamilton, McNeil, Cammack, Bostock, Higgins Others: Larry Cossar, EMCC CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made and seconded to approve the Consent Agenda items. Councilor Blanchette read each item. 1. Resolve 11-196 Resolve, Accepting and Appropriating $47,726 in State of Maine Grant Funds on behalf of the Healthy Sebasticook Valley Healthy Maine Partnership Through Prevention Strategies Maine CDC required this year that Healthy Maine Partnerships fall entirely within a single public health district. Prior to this decision, Healthy SV has been split between two public health districts and serving towns contiguous with the Bangor Region Public Health and Wellness Healthy Maine Partnership at Health and Community Services. Healthy SV will continue to serve six towns in Penobscot County that aligns with their historical service area through this subcontract agreement with Bangor Health & Community Services. 2. Resolve 11-197 Accepting and Appropriating a Grant from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the amount of $370,923 to Respond to Public health Issues through the Healthy Maine Partnership Grant This is a continuation grant to fund public health related issues for the July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 year. Topics included in the grant funding are: tobacco use, substance use, nutrition, physical activity, emergency planning, and chronic disease, among others. The Consent Agenda was approved unanimously. REGULAR AGENDA 3. Proposed Memorandum of Agreement between Eastern Maine Community College and BAT Community Connector/City of Bangor Concerning the Purchase of Student and Staff Rides McNeil noted that EMCC and BAT Community Connector have reached a tentative agreement for the College to pay a lump sum for one year of rides for students and staff. The agreement is similar to an agreement that has been in place for several years between UMaine and BAT Community Connector. Load data surveys were completed to count the number using the service, potential increases based on the ridership increases over the years and an agreement was developed. The College reviewed and agreed with it, and the City’s Legal Department approved the agreement. The students will be able to ride the system free for a fee, which will be billed to the College. The fee will be paid up front and adjustments can be made as necessary through the contract’s life. Gratwick spoke about the $18,000 fee to be paid by the College. McNeil noted that an inflation factor was built into the agreement due to expected growth. The term of the agreement is July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. Weston asked if there is an actual headcount. In order to do so, McNeil said that an electronic measure would be very expensive in the vicinity of $10,000 per unit. A motion was made and seconded to approve staff recommendation. The vote was unanimous. McNeil said the new larger buses have been received and have been monitored on all assigned runs as to how they navigated through their routes. There was one problem area that being the Center Street route that goes up Spring Street and across Newton to access Center Street. There are passengers that board between Cumberland and Division Street. He proposed to look at continuing down Harlow Street, by the new Senior Citizen housing complex (there have been several requests for service there and staff has met with them), going up Kenduskeag Avenue, crossing Jefferson, Division Street to Center Street. Surveys will be taken and, if the decision is made to make the change, ample notification will be provided throughout the system. Responding to Weston, McNeil said that Fleet Maintenance is stripping the BAT decals from the buses and two vehicles are completed. The advertising wrap on the new buses looks great but the wrap is obstructing the words Community Connector, and Weston asked if there is a plan to reposition it. McNeil said the intent is to reduce the wording size of Community Connector. Responding to Blanchette, he noted that it does cover the window but it is transparent. It is not on the curbside of the bus. 4. FY2010 Homeland Security Grant Program Funding and Proposed Expenditures Cammack noted that the City has been notified that it has been awarded a total of $362,745 from Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to improve preparedness and response capabilities for Homeland Security events. The City does not apply for these funds. Because Bangor is considered a metro community, a formula is used by which MEMA takes a certain percentage of the yearly funding coming to the State and splits it up between the metro communities. This year, MEMA would like a percentage of it to be used for law enforcement terrorism. Cammack and Gastia have proposed purchases to be funded through the grant, and each purchase was outlined in a memo provided to the Committee. If the list is approved by Committee, a Council Resolve will be prepared to accept and appropriate the funds. Bronson expressed support. He did ask for additional information as to the SRT vehicle. Gastia said the SRT vehicle has been downgraded from what the department originally looked at. It needs to be capable of transporting 10-14 individuals with all gear, places to hang the gear, places to place equipment so that the crew is not on and off loading each time. The current vehicle requires the on and off loading as it serves as the Emergency Services vehicle for the bomb team. In response to Gratwick, Cammack said that the department is trying to bring Public Works up to the standard that is required for NIMS. Regarding the rescue boat, Gratwick asked what potential fires might there be given the fact that the waterfront is different than it was in 1911. Cammack said if a vessel catches on fire in the river the Department is really limited on what it can and can’t do. There is not much that could be done from shore on either side of the river. Cammack noted the presence of a cruise ship and other vessels which could present an issue for the Department. He noted a trawler that burned in the river a few years ago. The Coast Guard was available at that time but, realistically the Coast Guard is two hours away. Cammack said the rescue boat would be docked at the City docks and would be maintained in an area whereby it could be put in the water during the times of year that the City docks are not in place or when ice is present. The inflatable boat will still be available. Responding to Gratwick, Cammack said with the increased waterfront activity it would be helpful to both Fire and Police to have some ease of access closer rather than to drive to Hampden or Brewer. Blanchette noted that the Army Corps had objections to the City placing a ramp way for easy access over the cap that is on the coal tar. Farrar said that the package in its entirety will go to Council for approval to accept and appropriate the grant. As the various pieces are purchased or procured, depending on their funding amount and level, some will come back to the Finance Committee for further review and approval. A motion was made to accept and appropriate the entire grant funding as presented. Gratwick opposed the vote because of the inclusion of the rescue boat. Bronson noted that this is federal money being used. Gratwick said it was a philosophical issue. The vote was 3 in favor, 1 opposed. Gratwick felt the money could be spent on other IT communications. Blanchette spoke of the need to obtain every piece of safety equipment for the City’s arsenal. 5. Amendments to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy Farrar said that this particular policy deals with safety sensitive positions at BAT Community Connector and Fleet Maintenance. The City also has a Federal Department of Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing policy and a Federal Aviation Administration Drug and Alcohol Testing policy. The policy under discussion was adopted in 1995 and it was revised in 2006. In July 2006, the entire policy was rewritten and it was approved by Council. Prior to a scheduled FTA Program Audit this summer, the City’s Policy has been reviewed and several changes have been recommended to bring the Policy into compliance. The State of Maine, as the recipient of federal funds, hires Precision Compliance to assist sub-recipients (BAT being one) to review their policies in advance of the FTA Program Audit to review necessary updates. When the FTA reviewers are here, the City’s policy will be compliant. Precision Compliance has proposed a series of amendments. Farrar, Dawes and McNeil have reviewed them and find the revisions are in keeping with the current law. Many are housekeeping changes in terms of dates, the list of positions to be tested has been revised, new descriptions of what occurs with a test refusal, new observed testing requirements, new language dealing with tampering with specimens, a revised percentage of employees who need to be tested for the drug and alcohol portions. All of the amendments reflect changes made by the Federal Government in the past four years. In response to Gratwick, Farrar said Affiliated Healthcare Laboratories is hired to do the random selection. They notify the designated employee representative (Harry Courtois, Labor Relations Officer) early in the month of the actual employees who have been tested. Courtois coordinates a testing date for each of those employees. The employee’s supervisor is notified the morning of the test date. The employee is not aware of the test until the supervisor finds the employee at his/her worksite to let them know they are going for the test. It is clearly unknown to the employee in advance, and the selection is done off site on a random basis through a computer generated program by Affiliated Healthcare. Farrar and Gratwick continued to discuss the success of the testing policy. Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments, which are included in the attached policy. A motion was made and seconded to approve staff’s recommendation. th The item will go to full Council at their June 27 Council meeting. The vote was unanimous. Adjourned at 5:35 pm.