HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-06-02 Finance Committee Minutes FINANCE COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
June 2, 1997
411
Councilors Attending: David Leen, Jim Tyler, Joe Baldacci, Charles
Sullivan
Staff Attending: Edward Barrett, Debbie Cyr, Mary-Anne Chalila1:
Anne White, Erik Stumpfel, Bob Ziegelaar, Joe
McNeil, Dave Pellegrino, Jim Ring, Brad Moore,
Jeff Cammack
Other Attending: Mr. and Mrs . Standley, John Wallo, Roxanne
Saucier
Convened at 5 :00 p.m.
1 . Executive Session: Poverty Abatement
The hardship abatement from Allen L. and Arline A. Standley for property
located at 289 Pearl Street was denied. In order to facilitate the sale
of the property, the Committee authorized the substitution of a personal
guarantee of the taxes due and directed staff to discharge the taxes and
negotiate the terms and conditions of the note with the Standleys .
•2 . Bids:
a. CSO Modifications and Kenduskeaq Pump Station (Engineering and
Wastewater Treatment Plant)
Interstate Engineering Corp. of Salem, MA ( $527, 000)
Interstate Engineering Corp. was the mechanical subcontractor on the
Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade project and they come well
recommended. Approved recommendation
b. Accounting Services (City Nursing Facility)
Baker, Newman and Noyes of Portland, ME ($5,550 not to exceed
estimate)
This is for the medicaid/medicare cost reports that are done. Baker,
Newman and Noyes was the most competitive proposer. Approved
recommendation
c . Floor Drain Separation Project (Airport Department)
Campbell Construction Company ($106 , 700)
This is to install drains that separate oil and anti-freeze from water.
This is an EPA requirement. Campbell Construction is very well known for
their sewer work. The project was a little higher than expected and the
recommendation is to do just the floor drains and not some of the piping
that was originally anticipated. Approved recommendation.
4'3 . Earthwork - Railroad Yard Site Remediation - Engineering Department
Jim Ring has been able to negotiate a good price for delivering and
spreading good quality topsoil, and grading the 10, 000+ c .y. of fill that
is currently on site. Approved.
4 . Influenza Vaccine Purchase - Sole Source - Health & Welfare Department
4It
yeth Lab is the only lab that manufactures this product. Last year the
___ rice was $1. 95 per dose for 3, 000 doses returnable. The recommendation
is to do the same thing this year at $1 . 87 per dose. Approved.
5 . Council Order 97-235 Acceptance of Funds for the Purchase of a New
Transit Bus for the City of Brewer
Brewer has money set aside in their reserve account and want to purchase a
bus . The City of Bangor would be acting as Brewer's agent in this case.
Approved.
6 . Council Resolve 97-236 Accepting and Appropriating Various Department
of Housing and Urban Development Grants
The City acts as the agent to apply for, receive and monitor the
expenditure of funds under the McKinney Homeless Act. These funds are
being awarded to Spruce Run, the Greater Bangor Area Shelter, and Hope
House. Approved.
7 . State Training Grant - Fire Department
In March of this year, Chief Cammack applied for a Grant from the LEPC
(Local Emergency Planning Committee) for hazardous materials training.
After approval from them, it went on to the SERC (State Emergency Response
Commission) and they also approved it. The total grant is $17, 160 . The
Money will come from SERC. LEPC is responsible for paying the contractor
pan completion of the class and to the City's satisfaction of covering
all the objectives .
A letter dated May 7 was sent to the City Council regarding Training
Technologies, the agency that has been contracted through the LEPC to
supply the training. The proprietor of that business is Bangor
Firefighter, Allen Nygren. Before getting involved in making the proposal
and putting everything together, Mr. Nygren checked with the City
Solicitor on the specifics of a City employee bidding on City contracts .
In this instance the contracting agency is not the City of Bangor but is
LEPC, which is a county-wide agency. It was requested that LEPC submit a
grant for us for this training. They would be the contracting agency that
signs the contract with Training Technologies, but that training would be
received for us . The class that is being used is a class that the
International Association of Firefighters have developed and Mr. Nygren
has gone over this and gone beyond. He has attended the Train the Trainer
classes put on by the International Association of Firefighters . Mr.
Nygren has taught this same training for Burgess and Associates who in the
past was the only private organization that did this training other than
Maine Fire Training Education. Maine Fire Training Education does provide
this service, but at approximately double the price. Mr. Nygren has
agreed to come in and teach it to all four crews and Chief Cammack
recommends Training Technologies to the Council . Approved recommendation.
.8 . Donation of Surplus Equipment to Hudson Volunteer Fire Department
This equipment involves some old Scott Air Packs that used to be the Fire
'--- Departments that were transferred to the WWTP for use when staff went into
confined spaces, sewers, etc . This equipment is now obsolete and of no
use to any department in the City. The overall value of the equipment is
-0- unless you have some other like equipment in which you could use the
parts . The Hudson Volunteer Fire Department has asked that the City
("donate the 3 packs . Approved request.
9 . Discussion - Insufficient Funds Checks
A chart was put together showing the number and dollar value of
insufficient fund checks and their disposition. This was done after a
discussion about whether or not the City should expand where credit cards
would be accepted. The amount of returned checks is relatively small due
to the steps the City could take if a tax check were returned. Liens
could be placed on the property or a vehicle registration could be
revoked. The Committee feels comfortable with the current procedures .
10 . Review of April Financials
The Committee gave good feedback for the new format.
General Fund Revenues : Tax revenues are down because of a tax decrease
and also a couple of large taxpayers who are either under workout
agreements or have not yet paid. Demand notices have gone out, and
Treasury will be calling every tax account that owes over $4, 000 .
Miscellaneous Revenues : Miscellaneous Revenues are above budget, but
behind last year. A lot of this reflects year-end accounting issues
involving the School Department. Similar changes, especially in the
School Department, also created what looks to be a shortfall in charges
•for services, but it reconciles in June with the reclassification.
Government expenses are down. Part of this is because of the prior year
workers ' comp cases that were settled which included most of our older
outstanding cases .
Public buildings and services are down because the winter was not as bad
as usual .
Police and Fire are up. All the retroactive pay increases were done as a
result of contract negotiations .
Other agencies are up. The Maine School for the Arts will be reflected
this year. An additional $20, 000 was given to the Convention and
Visitor's Bureau. County taxes were also slightly higher.
The Bus : Charges for services are running about 44% over last year.
Sawyer Area: Rents are down due to another facility opening in Brewer.
Airport: Net is off 1 . 1 million as the result of an increased
depreciation expense and increased capital outlays .
Sewer Fund: Charges for services are up.
Nursing Facility: Revenues continue to decrease as a result of the low
�ccupancy rate . Salary and fringes are up. There as a budgeted increase
of about half of this increase and also a significant increase in the
workers comp premium.
Bass Park: Expenditures are up over last year. Contractual services are
up $103, 000 . A lot of this is due to increased advertising expenditures .
illhGolf Course: Net is off $45,000 . Last year there was a debt service
payment that got reflected in the general fund by error and was corrected
at year-end.
Meeting Adjourned at 5:43 p.m.
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