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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-08-19 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes • Municipal Operations Committee Meeting Minutes August 19, 1997 Councilors Attending: Don Soucy,Mike Aube,Pat Blanchette, Tim Woodcock Staff Attending: Edward Barrett,Ron Heller,Randy Harriman, Jeff Cammack,Bob Farrar, Harry Courtois,Erik Stumpfel 1. Council Order "Prohibiting the Use of the Paul Bunyan Statue for Ceremonial or Informational Purposes" The Committee needs to determine whether our statues and monuments should be allowed to be used at all. If it should be allowed,then the appropriate conditions for their use should be determined. Guideline A: Not permit their use for any purpose. Such an approach would recognizes that other alternatives are available including the banner which is permitted across Main Street near Bass Park. • Guideline B &C:Would permit use under certain conditions. The major differences are that B would restrict use to non-commercial events at Bass Park which provide one of a number of specified benefits to the community where C would also require that the event be multi- day and that it be sponsored in whole by either non-profit or governmental organizations. 2. Resolve, Supporting Continuing Efforts to Join Penobscot Regional Dispatch If Bangor joins the Regional Dispatch Center it would provide more than 1/2 of the workload at the dispatch facility. Currently,the facility employs 11 dispatchers and would add 6 more if Bangor joined. Bangor dispatchers would be given first priority. The Fire Department employs 4 dispatchers and the Police Department employs 6. Supervisory positions are still open until October in order to give Bangor dispatchers equal opportunity to apply for the positions, but Bangor would have to sign on by October 1. The City would expect to save$50,000 to $60,000 after start-up costs in the first year. The second year it could be as high as $120,000. Sgt. James Owens of the Bangor Police Department feels that to move dispatchers into another building would have a negative effect on the Police Department's ability to do its job. • Police Chief Randy Harriman stated that he would like to wait until this time next year and see how things are running. • F • Numerous other representatives of the Police and Fire Department spoke in opposition to regional dispatch. A resolution to continue pursuing membership in the Regional Dispatch Program will be considered by the City Council at Monday's meeting. Before Bangor can officially sign on, it must negotiate with the Police and Fire Department unions 3. City Representation on Committee to Study Future Location of the College of Bangor The University will conduct a study of available options regarding the future location of the campus of the College of Bangor. A committee is being organized to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each option. The College of Bangor Review Committee will be comprised of representatives of the University and general community and will review cost, bonding, parking, space for current programs and future growth, impact on enrollments, impact on the community, potential for support from the City, Legislature, University of Maine System, Congress, federal development agencies, etc. The Committee will consider renovations of current facilities (King Report); building a new Lewiston-Auburn College type facility on the current site;building a connecting facility between the YMCA and chapel (plus renovations to the YMCA and chapel); selling the campus to the Airport,City,etc., and relocating the College of Bangor to downtown Bangor, EMTC or other Bangor area locations; and other options. • Councilor Joe Baldacci was recommended to be the City representative and City Manager Edward Barrett was recommended to be the Airport representative. 4. Maine Municipal Association-Proposed Slate of Officers Each year the MMA member communities have an opportunity to vote for officers,executive committee members and advisory committee members. An order will be on the agenda authorizing the City Clerk to cast Bangor's ballot for the slate as prepared. The order also appoints Council Chair Patricia Blanchette as a voting delegate, and Edward Barrett as alternate voting delegate to the MMA Annual Meeting which will be held in Bangor on October 8-10, 1997. Recommended and approved by Committee.