HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-09-07 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes Municipal Operations Committee Meeting 9/7/95
Councilors in attendance: Bill Cohen, Pat Blanchette, Jim
Tyler, Don Soucy
Item 1. Council Appointees -- Penobscot County Budget Committee.
Commentary: The City Manager indicated that a request had been
received from Penobscot County regarding the City's intentions as
to appointments to the County Budget Committee for the coming
year. The letter from the County indicated that it is standard
practice for budget committee members to serve two-year terms.
Councilors Tyler and Popper had been appointed to this committee
last year. The Manager contacted both of these Councilors who
indicated a willingness to continue to serve onthe committee.
The Municipal Operations Committee recommends reappointment of
Councilors Popper and Tyler to the Penobscot County Budget
Committee.
Item 2 . Proposed Resolve in Support of Preserving National and
1 Community Service Programs .
Commentary: The City Manager indicated that the individual
410 requesting that the City take action on these programs was not in
attendance and could not be contacted to informhim of the change
in date for consideration of this item. The item was recommended
to be tabled. The Committee tabled the item.
Item 3 . Council Order 95-306 Directing the City Manager to
Develop an Issue Paper on the Pros and Cons of
Instituting a Per Bag Charge for Residential Trash
Pickup and the Adoption of a Mandatory Recycling
Ordinance.
Commentary. The City Manager introduced this item to the Council
by indicating that it had been amended at the last Council
meeting to remove the element calling for instituting a per bag
charge for residential trash pickup. The revised and amended
order would be on the Council agenda this coming Monday.
Councilor Blanchette indicated that she felt any report resulting
from this activity should go to the Recycling Committee in order
to allow it to provide information and comment for the full
Council . This was generally agreed to by the committee. The
City Manager then asked whether the committee would like the
issues paper to also address the concept of a bag limit which
could be placed on residential collection. The Manager reminded
the committee of the report which had been done last summer which
indicated that a very significant number of residences placed
four or less bags out for curbside collection. Committee Chair
Cohen requested that this item be included in the issues paper
which would be done for review by the Recycling Committee and
Municipal Operations . The Committee recommended that the Order
go forward to the City Council but that it be specifically
amended to indicate that the issues paper would go to the
Recycling Committee for discussion prior to any formal item
coming back to the City Council.
Item 4 . Minimum Sewer User Fee.
Commentary. This item has been carried forward from a previous
Municipal Operations Committee meeting. Brad Moore, of the
Treatment Plant, introduced the item by indicating that the City
currently has a minimum charge based on 1200 cubic feet of water
used. He further indicated that the Water District, which had
previously used 1200, has reduced their minimum to 900 as a part
of their overall rate revisions including their gradual movement
from a declining block rate system to flat rates . Mr. Moore
indicated that a review of a number of accounts using the minimum
or less indicates that reducing the minimum to 900 cubic feet
would require an approximate 2% increase in overall rates in
order to make up the revenue that would be lost. After
considerable discussion, it appeared to be the consensus of the
committee that the minimum charge should remain at 1200 cubic
feet. The committee did indicate that this issue should continue
to be discussed as we review other rate issues regarding the
sewer utility.
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