HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-07 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes • Municipal Operations Committee
Meeting Minutes
October 7, 1997
Councilors Attending: Pat Blanchette, Nichi Farnham
Staff Attending: Edward Barrett, Bob Farrar, Erik Stumpfel, Joe McNeil
Others Attending: Roxanne Saucier, BDN
Meeting convened at 5:01 pm
1. Nomination to Board of Directors - Municipal Review Committee
There are three positions on the board of directors of the Municipal Review
Committee expiring in December. The M.R.C. is soliciting nominations for
membership to the board. Bob Farrar indicated to the City Manager that, should
the Council wish to nominate him, he would be willing to serve for another 3-year
• term. Bob explained that Bangor is the largest contributor in terms of tonnage to
the MRC and it is important to have someone from Bangor serve on this
Committee. The Committee nominates Bob Farrar to the Board of Directors of
the Municipal Review Committee.
2. Update - Bus Operations
Last year it was suggested that on a quarterly basis the Committee be briefed on
the Bus operations. Joe McNeil prepared a summary, detailing some of the major
areas that have been worked on recently. Many of these are the recommendations
from the Crikeliar Report that was done recently on the entire Bus system.
Bus Purchases: Joe McNeil explained that the two replacement busses for
Hampden and Brewer should be here in late October. Bangor has purchased three
busses. The bids have been put together and are at the Bureau of Purchases in
Augusta. Joe recently found out that they will be bidding out one bus and asking
for two additional busses. This is because they can only ask for so much capital.
The FDA has a cap on their purchases, but it doesn't stop the City of Bangor in
going ahead and getting two more busses. The purchase order will be issued
through the City.
S
• Monthly Bus Pass: The monthly bus pass has been a successful program. In the
first two months, there were approximately 4,200 extra rides provided compared
to the two months in the previous year and revenue is up 4.6%. The pass are
priced at $30 per month, unlimited rides.
Bus Schedule: The current bus schedule is being replaced by a new easy to read
schedule. The schedule will include a fold-out bus map. There will also be new
maps for both of the key locations at the University of Maine and the shelter
downtown.
Route Expansion: Holiday service was added. Columbus Day will be the first
holiday. Orono, Bangor, and Brewer offer the holiday service. Hampden has
decided to try it on a trial basis. Staff is recommending that no change to the
current Mt. Hope Route be made, but service be extended from Pickering Square
to Shaw's on Main Street. This would enhance service without disrupting current
ridership within the current budget. Councilor Blanchette asked that staff make
sure that the Bangor House residents and the new residents of the Freese building
receive the new schedules as they could potentially be the biggest ridership. Bob
Farrar explained that staff intends to continue studying the Mt. Hope run. Because
there is no money for this current year, staff will look at these options over the
• next several months and will come back with a recommendation and include any
monies that may be needed. Councilor Blanchette asked if staff had spoken to Roy
Daigle and the owners of the Bangor Mall to see if they are interested in helping to
fund this study because it is an asset to them. Bob Farrar stated that as staff gets
into exploring options, they will follow up on this idea.
Route Identification - Marking: Telephone poles are painted with a bright ring so
that people know where the bus will stop. There is a lot involved in this and staff
didn't get to this year. Councilor Blanchette recommended that Joe coordinate
with Cpt. Gallant and the Penobscot County Jail and see if inmates can be used to
do this painting.
Committee recommends that the Mt. Hope run remain the same and that the
Shaw's run be added to the schedule.
3. Sale of Cemetery Lots in Pine Grove Expansion
Tabled.
•
• 4. Request to Modify License - Use of 335 Broadway
This is a request to modify an agreement that the City currently has in place. A
year ago, the City entered into an agreement with Patrick Audet, Jr. and Patrick
Audet Ill to use a City owned lot on 335 Broadway as an additional to their
parcel. They paid the cost to have a fence put up and cleared it out. The Audet
property has since been sold to Mr. Reno Pelletier and he would like to take
assignment of that agreement but is concerned about the amount of the license fee
that is charged (approx. $600/year). Ben Birch, City Assessor worked up the
valuation of the lot, either as a stand alone or as an addition lot, which turned out
to be $6,100 and 10% was asked for. Mr. Pelletier would like to modify the
agreement and is offering $150 per year for the use of the property. This would
cover the taxes for the assessed land value. Mr. Pelletier explained that he is not
using the land for business purposes, but the use would be for his tenants as part of
the driveway that would allow them access to Broadway without having to back up
into the street. Councilor Blanchette asked if there was a reason why the City
was keeping this lot. Ed Barrett explained that the lot is adjacent to the park and
at some time that whole section of Broadway will have to be re-thought.
Councilor Blanchette stated that she felt it would be in the City's best interest to
accept the $150 per year fee and that the City can terminate within 30 days if the
land is needed for something. Mr. Pelletier is agreeing to keep the property
• maintained and kept up. The Committee approved the modification to the
agreement.
5. Codification of City Ordinances - Overview of Initial Draft Code
Erik gave the Committee a first look at the first draft of the Codification from
General Code Publishers. Erik explained that there are a few titles that he would
like to change and a few chapters that he would like to rearrange. The way this is
worked out, there are four chapters that consolidate the more archaic ordinances.
These include Chapter 101, Animals; Chapter 161, Health st Sanitation and
Chapter 220, Peace 8.1 Good Order. One of the recommendations, which Erik
agrees with, is to break the Juvenile Curfew Ordinance out into a separate chapter.
Erik asked department heads to review the ordinances relating to their departments
and send him any proposed changes that they may have. This gives the City an
opportunity to do a full review of all the ordinances and make comprehensive
changes to them. Councilor Blanchette feels that this is something that the whole
Council should have a chance to express their opinion on. Erik suggests meeting
with the publishers and working through their book of recommendations. One
organizational change that Erik would make is to just have a single chapter on the
City Council so the rules, meeting ordinance, and ordinance on ordinances would
• all be in that same chapter. The recommendation is to bring this up after the
new Council is seated.
• 6. Executive Session: Legal Issue
Erik Stumpfel updated the Committee on the Cable Agreement with Frontier
Vision. Frontier Vision requested some changes to the most recent draft
agreement. Erik incorporated these changes and was informed that this agreement
is acceptable to Frontier Vision. The agreement is for Bangor but has been done in
a way that it will work for each of the 14 towns in the area consortium. The
consortium wants an area wide network which would link all of the towns into one
municipal network. One of the trade-offs proposed was a 15 year franchise
because it would require a lot of capital expenditure and to amortize it over a
longer period might make it more attractive. There is also a provision on future
upgrades which requires the grantee to incorporate new technologies as they
become available, if economically feasible. It also allows the City to conduct a
review anytime between year 7 and year 10 to make sure that this has been done.
Frontier Vision will also be required to maintain the public access channel and
when the upgrade is complete, they need to provide three channels which allows
the subscriber to segregate one each for governmental, educational and general
public access. The agreement also allows that if those channels are being utilized
often, Frontier Vision is required to allow up to two additional channels, one of
which can be designated for municipal use by the City. Erik reviewed other
• aspects to the Cable Agreement with the Committee.
•