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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-04 Strategic Issues Committee Minutes ' Strategic Issues Committee February 4, 2002 � Minutes � Councilors Attending: Crowley, Allen, Baldacci, Farnham, Farrington, Nealley, Palmer, Rohman, Tremble Staff Attending: Barrett, Daniels, Heitmann, Dyer, McKay � Others: Clendenning ' 1. Review of Proposed Marketing Campaign — Bangor Auditorium/Civic Center Replacement � At a recent meeting, the City Solicitor was asked to evaluate the utilization of City funds for marketing use for the local option sales. Heitmann researched the � statutes and case law as well as consulting the Maine Municipal Association staff. A municipality may by statute expend monies for public purposes and the question becomes whether or not advocating for legislation with the municipal � financial resources is in fact a public purpose. With MMA concurrence, Heitmann concluded that the legislation, should it pass, would enable the City to utilize certain funds that would improve its economic base to be spent on athletic and , recreational facilities which is specifically provided for by Statute and also the improvement of the auditorium and civic center. Heitmann recommended and � the City Manager has prepared a Council Order authorizing the expenditure of these funds for this purpose. The Order also references the importance of the auditorium/civic center to the regional economy and providing a venue for � certain athletic events all of which may be supported and promoted through the use of tax dollars. ' Tremble felt this is a sensitive issue since it provides a mechanism for a local option tax which eventually will go the voters. Tremble felt more comfortable with a corporation being set up on a regional basis and thereby taking the ' control outside of the City of Bangor itself. Palmer said this is a statewide piece ' of legislation that will benefit the entire state and the voters will have the final vote. Baldacci said he didn't disagree with Trembie's thoughts on a corporation � but didn't think there was sufficient time to put it together. The credibility of the Ciry of Bangor is behind the legislation. It is the only way to fund an auditorium � without asking Bangor taxpayers to bear an increased property tax. Nealley agreed with Tremble's concept of the private corporation but this discussion relates to supporting a funding mechanism, or getting information out on the � funding for the auditorium. Nealley felt it is the City Council's obligation to get the information out to the people as to the best way to fund this project. Farrington said he would join in support. He said it is becoming more apparent � that this mechanism is necessary to the project and without it the auditorium could be forced to close. The public will decide if they want the local option sales tax. Palmer said this is a process to educate the voter on this issue. ' Farnham said this mechanism is used very successfully used in other states within the United States and is needed in Maine. ' Regarding private participation in the cost of a new facility, Barrett said that , under the City's Code of Ethics the City cannot ask people to contribute unless the Council were to adopt an order authorizing staff to do so. � In supporting Tremble's comments, Allen asked as the campaign becomes more active and additional funds are needed, can it be set up to draw in some of these � other parties. Barrett said only if the Council adopts an order for the City to raise funds for this purpose from other parties. Regarding Baldacci's comments about timeframe, Rohman said the City is under � the gun as it is with the upcoming basketball tournament and the end of the ' legislative session is scheduled for the end of March. By the time the ads are out, it will be the end of February. Crowley asked if the Council Order should include a statement that funds could , be accepted without the City aggressively seeking them. Heitmann said it can be done without adding the wording but there would need to be a subsequent � Order accepting donations. Crowley felt the people do not understand the proposed legislation with the caps, the time lines and the specific nature of it. Without an auditorium complex, the City will have to generate $30M in lost � economic impact in some other way. Crowley supports the proposal. Baldacci emphasized Nealley's comments about local control which need to be ' part of the debate and Bangor needs to have control of its future development. In response to Clendenning, Barrett said the City set up an account 18 months � ago for publicizing effort around Bass Park and its replacement. Those funds have been used to pay for some of the neighborhood meetings held, information � provided in questionnaires, mailings, videotape, etc. The account has a balance of $17,500. Nealley stressed that the citizens will have the opportunity to vote on the issue. � Crowley said that the Council seldom makes a decision that has 100% support of its community. ■ ■ Allen asked if the SCOFA Committee might discuss setting up a special account. Barrett said that if a third party raises funds, that party has to have legal status � and the SCOFA Committee has no legal status outside of the City. Heitmann stated that the legislation has two parts, and the City is dealing with part one — � whether it goes through the legislature. If it goes through the legislature, then there is a referendum. The Order under discussion relates to advocating the City's position with the legislature. It is not an effort to influence the election. � Heitmann suggested the SCOFA Committee decide if they would want to do something similar and an appropriate Council Order could be drafted to authorize City involvement in their group. Barrett said Bangor is not the only group � advocating for the legislation. Tremble clarified that he fully supports the local option tax as the best funding L mechanism. He asked if the marketing account for Bass Park was funded by taxpayer dollars. Barrett said the funds originally came from $150,000 in State Revenue Sharing II received last year. It was set aside and not put in the , , operating budget of the City. Funds from that source were provided for a variery of purposes including the skateboard park, the welcome signs, Bass Park land � use study, and marketing public information. Palmer said that the citizens voted the Councilors into office and they can choose � to not vote for a Councilor. Palmer expressed concern about the lack of a future auditorium. N A motion was made and seconded for approval of the Council Order. It will be placed on the February ilth Council agenda. � Daniels highlighted the proposed marketing cam�aign which will be a 3-4 week campaign commencing the week of February 11` . He indicated it is a broad � reaching campaign utilizing print media, electronic media and the City's web site. Each component of the campaign will bring individuals back to www.bgrme.org where a banner is located to provide all the associated information, how to take � part, how to contact legislators. Over 300 spots will be implemented on a variery of radio stations, ads in the print media (approximately $300/per ad), ads in the BDN Tournament section. There will be an information booth at the ' tournaments with support cards for individuals to complete. This information will in turn be given to the State Legislature. WABI-N will be involved in production of some ads. � Baldacci talked about free media opportunities in terms of radio talk shows, op ed pieces, and possibly using the other local tv media, etc. The Mayor has ' developed op ed pieces which have been mailed to regional newspapers. Daniels said that the tv media cost of advertising is extremely high during the tourney ' time, and WABI is the host tourney station. Daniels is working with the other area tv media. Allen would like to see the media area broadened for the campaign. She suggested using Councilors as well as former team champions � especially on the talk shows. On the support cards, she suggested using just the option to say yes. Dyer said the yes/no option was used because of the polling done last year at the tournaments. He felt something was needed to attract ' more people to physically come to a booth as opposed to just handing out the cards. He also mentioned the possibility of drawings each hour. And, to do so, the yes/no option was necessary. Based on last year's polling, the majority was ' in favor of the legislature. Allen suggested further a no option be provided with an opportunity to indicate why. Farrington mentioned providing cards at other sporting tournaments (swim, track-high school and university). Tremble felt it � was too complicated to go from a radio ad to the web site and to the legislature and suggested making it easier. Farnham asked if selling a souvenir piece of the , old auditorium floor to pay for a new floor is part of the funding mechanism plans. Dyer said it wasn't as widely successful the first time around as the City had hoped it would be. Allen asked about support cards being placed in area � businesses. Barrett said it couid be done at the individual businesses' discretion. Crowley suggested acquiring mailing lists from other organizations other than sports related; i.e. Bangor Symphony. In an advocacy role, Crowley suggested � each Councilor meet with Barrett and Umphrey in a consulting fashion as opposed to a committee setting to see who needs to be contacted. ' 2. Discussion of Penobscot County 7ail Space Needs ' McKay stated that the City owns the former Grant's Building on Central Street. ` There are three vacant upper level floors. StafF is preparing a RFP for use of that space. At the request of the County, that process has been started as the � County has an interested in utilizing some of the space for district and state Court systems or other County uses. At a recent County Commissioners meeting, the Jail Administrator talked of the need for additional space for ' prisoners. McKay asked the Committee for their opinions on using the Grant building for this type of use. Regarding the Slager Building on Union Street, it � has a deed restriction that limits the use to education. Building 487 on the Airport, which is in the center of the GE complex, is not a good location for a correctional facility. Palmer, speaking as County Treasurer, said the jail is over- � crowded. He said that areas located away from the current facility would cause transportation issues. Palmer said these would be low-risk detainees. Rohman asked if Gallant, the ]ail Administrator, felt this would be a long-term situation, � and McKay felt it would be long-term. Baldacci expressed reservations about a long-term situation. He would rather see the County and the State come back with a campus plan for entire area including the police department building. , Barrett said that staff is working toward a campus plan and has a proposal in place to expand the District Court building and to allow their Court expansion to go forward using at least one floor of the Grant Building with an aerial connector � for non-highly secure Court or counry functions. The City needs to hear back on the Court system expansion at this point to see if it is acceptable. Barrett felt , that the jail proposal needs to be looked at in terms of the City's plans for the entire building. He suggested that the City meet with the County to see if the jail proposal is something that could work in the Grant building. Tremble didn't ' favor the building being used as prison space but thought perhaps the County could move some of their office space into the Grant building. Farrington asked if the County would consider buying the building. Barrett said the County has � considered that possibility as part of an overall plan for Court expansion and county offices, but it is being held up because the Court system has not agreed on any offered proposal. The current proposal is to expand the District Court ' building and connect it to the GranYs building for support service use for the County and Court. From a Court standpoint, they are not happy with Cadillac Mountain Sports being in the building whereas the County is okay with it. ' Farnham said that in other states the local option tax is used to fund county facilities. Rohman felt that potential users of that building need to be able to � spin off the benefits to downtown. Nealley agreed with a campus like plan and to have tenants that will use the downtown. Allen said that it would be nice to move the County o�ces into the Grant building, and Barrett said it is an option � under consideration. Crowiey summarized the Committee's discussion: to accelerate the City's � approach with the County to help solve their problems, keep the Grant Building in the mix preferably not as a retention facility but more administrative, keep the Court and the County separate. A status update will be brought back to the ■ Business and Economic Development Committee in a month. � 3. Executive Session — Land Acquisition — Hiidreth Street , � A motion was made and seconded to go into executive session. ' After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to go out of executive session. � 4. Executive Session — Land Acquisition — Main Street/Dutton Street Area A motion was made and seconded to go into executive session. � After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to go out of executive session. � 5. Executive Session — Economic Development Proposal/Potential Land Disposition — Bangor Waterfront ' A motion was made and seconded to go into executive session. After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to go out of executive � session. 6. Executive Session — Contract Negotiations — Bangor Waterfront Master ' Developer A motion was made and seconded to go into executive session. � After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to go out of executive session. ' � ' ' � � � , , ,