HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-08 Municipal Operations Committee MinutesMunicipal Operations Cowninee
Meeting Mmmes
September 8, 1998
Councilors Attending: Michael Crowley, Michael Aube, Nichi Fambam, Gerry
Palmer, Teo Tyler, David Each
staffAbend'mg: Edward Barrett, Erik Stumpfel, Bob Farrar, Mary -Anne
Chahla, Joe McNeil, Arthur Stockus, Don Gross, Jerry
Hughes, Jim Ring, Nom Hohmann
L 8-339 Revise and Codify the Occurrences of the City of
Barmor
Erik explained that the item that will appear on the Council Agenda as an ordinance
amendmmn which will reflect the substantive changes of the ordinance codification. This
ormsacoe will adopt this book by estimates. The book contains all of the City ordinances up
through May 28, 1998. It time not repeal anything time since then. They are expressly
preserved and will be included mthe first wpplemem that will be received from General Code
Publishers, what Count] would be adopting is the book including the language in the
ordinance and including a disposition table which will be added when the book is put
together. An importam prospect of this process is that the City coliseums me now on
computer discs.
In addition to adopting this, there are issues that go along with the adoption. One relates to
sale of the Code volumes. The contract war for this project is $17,1N which includes the
wmputm soft the di the codification process and 100 espies tithe code. Thermal
per code is approximately $150 not including the cost of mafftime. Additional volumes can
be purchased fin $108 each including A changes to the date that they areordered. Thereis
an amus] update service thin can be done in periodic inscaWaems. Snffrecommends doing
this quarterly. This is put in the contract at $2000 per year, based on an estimated 100 pages
of changes. If they are given a list of the people that have the code, they will send the
changes in pre -addressed envelopes. A subscription rate can be charged for this update
service.
Erik weskit We m place an addressed order on the Council agenda authorizing the City Clerk
to sell copies of the Cade at $I50 pm sec and $35 for the =net subscription service. Erik
would also like to send out to a couple of public agencies, including the Bangor Public
Library, ore copy each to the Penobscot Comby Law Library m Bangor, the Maine State Law
Library in Augume, the Supreme Judicial Court's Law Library and the University of Maine
Law School Library both in Portland mad the Mame Mneeipal Association in Augusta Jt'the
Council is agreeable, Erik would like to include them on the armang update service at the
City's con. He would also litre to have 'k dozen available to exchange with other
municipalities who have codified than ordinances an that they can be swapped on a straight
Municipal Operations Meeting
September 8, 1998
Page 2
exclump bads in that smffcm assemble a number of complete municipal codes from Maine
inthem-househbrary. Staffrewmmendsapproval. Rewmmendmionapproved.
8
Mary -Anne ChaWa, explained that Healthy Families u a program that came together through
the the Parent Child Alliance and Sean Famloth. It is based on a program where intensive
visiting; sav'm= are put imp high risk £amities to by and prevent than from becoming abusive.
The original program was a pilot funded by the smte. A Want was put together which was
awarded in other parts of the state but not in Bangor. Healthy Families bas come up with
enough money, to fund a small pilot progam on the west aide of Merger with avery limited
m�mbadfemities Cor dre ne#yea. The progmmw8l purchase% hours aweek oftime from
one ofthe public health nurses. The families came through Family Practice and ate referred
to the SCAN teem a Bastem Maine Medical Center who will deter me which families go
into the progmm TNs would be the only program inthe state whae a nurse is used as
opposed to a good -neighbor type of person. Councilor Parnham sand if the families pay
Jim? Mary -Arne explained that they have received a grant from the Parent Child Alliance to
purchase these services Connector Farmers asked what they would be looking bur during this
cum? Mary -Anne explained that the individual will go m several times a week and will work
whir that pe a tthrough all of the problems of being a new potent so that the parent doesn't
became frustrated, lose control and end up being an abuser. Nchi asked how they choose
which parents to visit? Mary -Arae answered that thea is a form that is filled out when the
individualgoesm Family Practice. We aneumsive questionoave that is filled out whenthey
go to Family Portico for OBGY .. This hSormstion then goes W the SCAN team and they
identify who is a risk of child abuse. This pilot will be for that time pregnancies. There
would be no wet to the City. Recommendation approved.
3. igimlate-Downtown Cinnde Bus Concept
Parke Clemens of Republic Parking has spoken previously to Councilors Baldacci and Palmer
abomhe possibility ofthe City implementing a shuttle bus in the downtown area Bob Fanta
and Joe Melia then me with the Councilors to ducuss the concept. They have developed
preliminary information for the Committee to give an idea of what a potential downtown
shuttle bus loop might look as. It would be a fixed loop system that would loop around to
He various parking areas which would essentially run on 15 minute cycles. For planning
purposes acd in order to put together an estimated budge, a 7:30 am- 5:30 pm- Monday
through SaMday schedWedwasusa. It works well on l5 mitmte increm u became k ties
&Othemhab ssestlradreWmed=Whthedowmownpahoggamgebub. Adriverwent
out and did the 15 minute loop and it was sandy achieved.
Municipal Operations Meeting
September Br 1998
Page 3
Stafflooked attwo approaches. Thefirstwo dbedatthe Cityw uldacquvetheWse
run a. A lease purchase amagement over a 3 year period would be an annual cost of
$64,000. If there is federal reimbursement money available, the annual amount would drop
to 353,000. These figures do not contemplate any revenues because staB'is not certain that
this program is intended to be a revenue generator and if so, there is no reliable way to
estimate who might use the service.
For the second scenario, staff contacted a local vendor who has busses and drivers available
and for comparison purposes asked for an approximate amount of what he may charge to
provide this service. This cost would be approximately $90,000 per year. If this were Put
out to a formal bid process, this number would be subject to change.
Staff also looked at the issue of an automotive trolley. A trolley is rat necessarily suited to
resting ayear round type ofoperation and the lease purchase arrangement for a trolley isn't
as beneficial to the City.
Councilor Aube asked what the logic was regarding the oases on layover being awned by
participating communities when requesting that they might not want to do the route? Joe
explaved that these busesphysicaey could not do the loop because ofthe'n size. Councilor
Aube's coram was not knowing what the demand is for this service. Bob commented that
one thing seffwill do is go back and look at the numbers from 1989-W when a downtown
shuttle was run while the Parking gunge was bang both, from the Gasworks and Waterworks
to downtown Pd Batrett commemedtloutthu was ant very heavily used. It maybe difficult
to find our what the demand for this smite is. Fd suggested that if this is going to be done
with the intent of making mobility in the downtown ares easier, it would be done without a
fee oraverynamorun charge so that itwould become a movements item. Councilor Aube
fret that it may make more now for Republic Parking to do a study of what the torten[
demand is. Councilor Palmer commented that the concept to some degree, is really a
demand that is there but the question is if it will be attractive to the public. Unfortunately
there is no experience to base it on. Guy it is that one aspect that will be important to the
concept is if it is an eMerammers based vehicle rather than just Ind transportation,
Councilor Palmer asked in terms of the route, if the entire loop can be done in 15 minutes?
Joe McNeil explained that they did the loop four different times on a Friday afternoon and It
took approximately 13 minutes. Councilor Palle spoke for Councilor Bellotti and
indicated that he raluested the Bangor Cans Corporation and others to look at this plan and
see what ther concept is and also what the use will be. Councilor Tyler commented that he
ageed that it is difiiadt to rill what the level of demand was on this and how In get a handle
on measuring it. One observation is that it is herd enough to get residents to even perceive
the We system as a method of commuting downtown. They do not use it. The majority of
the people using the Bus service are those who do out have other transportation. Councilor
Palmer feels that this shuttle needs to be totally different from the Bus system. There win he
advantages to moving individuals from parking lot to parking lot. There= special events
Municipal Operations Meeting
Septeraoer 8, 1998
Page 9
when parking is at a premium He would &a to hear more from tha baaficiaries of this
savice, not only there using h but the people who will benefit economically from there being
a shuttle. Councilor Fambam felt then fimn the City's paspecft a it could been sees as ahead
of its time until there is more of a draw downtown. Business owners should be looking at
ways of getting people to their stores, Urml there is a lm of feedback where people are lady
inconvenience, should the City get imobred m this? Staff wasdnemedtogatheradd'nioral
information end review this proposal with other ir¢erested groups.
n
Don Gross explastal that the City offered to provide food service to the College only if they
were unable to End a private coaster to provide who they needed. They didn't find such
firm, and selected the Nursing Facility to do it Don explained thin it is something they would
him to try for a semester. There would be benefits in doing this. It is anticipated that there
will be positive revenge derived fiom this operation. The numbers given were estimated.
Food services were not operated least year and the number of students bas increased from 2
years ago. The only cog would be labor and materials. The uWities end facility cons are
paid by the University. There would be ma overtime involved for staff and possibly one
additional person will need to be hued.
Questions were raised by the public whether m not the City should be involved in type of
service. Would it be taking away from the private sector?
Ed conmgente that the Chy+s rdatonship with University College is of differem nmure than
if the City were dealing with larger corporations, etc. The City is trying to support this
operation in terms of its corrugation and growth and development and providing a mom
complete life arpedeace there. The City also shares the campus with University College and
Ed stated again that if there had been a private sector party that they were acceptable for
UCB to provide this service, the City would not have supplied it. There is more involved than
the CNF being involved in this service. The CNF and the City are attempting to use then
resources in order to make the campus a more viable operation.
Committee recommended that staff prepare a budget amendment. The CNF will begin to
Provide this service to see bow it goes and wlE report back to the Committee.
5. Rennes for City Coursed to Wave Npqfism Policy at City Nursing Forifi
Don Gross explamed that there are ongoing problems with getting enough CNA gaff. There
is a star ofapresent fial-time employee who is mterege in working some 3-I1 p.m. shifts.
They would be working opposite shifts most of the tines. Don is asking to waive the
Nepotism Policy. Bob Fanar explained then in cina m osams where them is full -tine
Municipal Operations Meeting
September 8, 1998
Page 5
employee and ver other part-time seasonal employee, the City Council must give approval
to hire. Committee approved request.
6. Pint Colon Day
Bm Ring explained that for a year the Recycling Committee and sniff members have been
looking a various options for aging a program for collecting a variety of household
materials. As a result they have tentatively scheduled a paint collection day for October 3.
It will be a drop off program with residents needing a Permit. This willbe a collabora ion
with the University of Maine's hazardous waste pick ups. The University would cover the
trmsportaflon costs. The only City involvement world be volumeersat Public Works. Erik
Stmnpfel asked, given the recent involveinem with the Portland -Bangor Waste Oil Company,
what would the disposal plan be for thu? Arthur explained that this mmerial would be m&ed
with a fuel and than bound. There will be no landfilling. Erik felt that there should be a
woman assurance as to what the actual disposal of the matainl w81 be ant where the burning
would occur. All this information will be provided prior to this taking place. Committee
approved.
With no further business to discuss, the woofing adjourned.