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Home My WebLink About2005-01-11 Government Operations Committee Minutes � i Government Operations Committee � Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. City Council Chambers Minutes ■ Councilor Attendance: gar ett FDarErarCCammack, Comeau,W inslow � Staff Attendance: Randy Bragg (Carpenter &Associates), Dawn Gagnon (BDN), Others: Tom Higgins (Fire Dept.), Alan Kochis , 1, Acadia Hospital Request-Buo Yhe Departme Qeof HealtG and Human Serv'pesl has requested that the City app y , Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for a grant designed to help implement a network of physician providers in our region who are trained and willing to provide Buprenorphine treatment for opioid addiction. A similar effort last year ' was unsuccessful, but there continues to be interest in such a program. The request and Council Order from last year were provided for background information purposes. Additional information provided from staff: Basically this is the same grant they applied � for last yea ied for and rece ved by the Stat pand hecState receivedr nd cat on that the e grants app Fe ommendation from the Committee to'the fulSCouncil to pply for this grant was made, � moved, seconded and voted. 2 Destruct ondFu'nds f The City of,Bangor3s e g'ble to ece vetc�s de able uMd ng from � the Department of Homeland Security to assist in dealing with catastrophic incidents. � The Fire and Police Departments have prepared a summary of their needs,which can be paid for with these grant funds. Chiefs Cammack and Winslow presented their plan for these gra I cat onspro�Cessu A summary of the p oposed expend�es was providednt proposal/app� Chiefs Cammack and Winslow reported that a portion of the funding is from FY 03 —we also have funding for FY 04 but we are discussing FY 03. Brief summary of specific items identified were: 1) security systems for the five stations; it was proposed to put in a swipe card system at each station with one computer available to use via fiber optics, the server being maintained by Jeff Courtney. Jeff believes that this should be on a separate se aea us hthere is a system wherece eryoneen the truck can'pl g m o andn all of the app put headphones on so everyone can hear the full radio transmission. It was propose to outfit the three engines and the ladder so they will aortable power1generato s1and ae system to hear what is happening with the call; 3) p replacement generator�ad nngradi s�o allownfo�n e ope ab I typssues h eidr'v ng; 4)II allow updating and upg 9 Emergency Sheiters for Emergency Operations—identified/earmarked Iong-term options being Cohen, Downeast, Doughty schools to put in power to be able to maintain for any length of time. The base will shut down if the emergency involves the military. Alan Kochias fielded questions; 5) Medical aspect of the SRT team —equipment needs were outlined along with a three-day tactical paid class. It was nurchasetof a port Ibletl'ghting department have volunteered to perform this function; 6) p unit, similar to those used at the Masonic Hall fire; 7) Comm1 command module component; a contribution toward upgrading the County's Information Technology 1 Isystem; a review committee at the county level has approved the use of remaining 03 monies (County pool) for the purchase of this system, with a shortfall; other comrriunities � have contributed towards this purchase; Chief Winslow provided an overview of PCLES—the records management and computer-aided dispatch system used—the database. The software currently in use is outmoded or incompatible. � It was recommended to proceed with completing application and making presentation to Augusta and then proceed with the Finance Committee. So moved and voted. � 3. Dakin Pool Bath House Renovation- For some time, staff has been concerned about the condition and safety of the bath house at Dakin Pool. During last year's budget process, Council requested that staff develop an estimated cost to replace the structure ! � so that discussion could occur regarding the future operation of Dakin Pool. Council expressed interest in reviewing this issue prior to the FY05 budget process and the normal late spring opening of the facility. A memorandum from Parks and Recreation � Director Comeau, along with an evaluation of the current building from Citys General Liability loss control consultant and an estimate from Carpenter Associates to replace the structure was provided. ' Frank Comeau reported on the Safety issue of Dakin Pool—structural deficiencies have been sited in the past and the recommendation was made to either repair or replace it. � Carpenter Associates recently inspected the structure and (see report) have determined it not economically feasible to renovate the building. They noted the pool equipment is located in a confined space and should be relocated to ground level. It is Carpenter � Associates recommendation that if the swimming pool continues to operate the existing bathhouse be demolished and a new 1300 sq. ft. masonary building that meets current safety and handicap requirements be constructed at an estimated cost of $300K. It is their assumption that renovation to the existing structure would be $300k without the � useful life of a new structure. Recent attendance at the pool has shown a steady decline. The average daily attendance in 2002 was 53. In 2003, it was 35 per day and last summer it was on the average of 151/2 per day, while the new Pancoe Pool averaged , 416 per day. It is difficult for the staff to propose the expenditure of$300K as the attendance is declining at Dakin Pool. Pancoe Pool has taken over as the main attraction of our swimming community, with over$50K in revenue last summer. One � future option the council may want to consider is to replace the Dakin Pool with a splashpad in Broadway Park at an approximate cost of $100-125k. Splashpads have become popular around the country, requiring no supervision since they are fully � automated. Randy Bragg, of Carpenter Associates, entertained questions. City Manager Ed Barrett commented on points to consider; namely, the swimming season begins before the new budget year ends and there are considerable start-up expenses with � opening pools; staffing issues need to be considered as there are a limited number of certified lifeguards who are in high demand in this area. The council asked what the lifespan of a splashpad is and what it might require for startup and supervision. It was noted that it does not require supervision for splashpads and the life expectancy is 10-15 � years; equipment can be replaced; the water is on a timer so it is not running 24 hours per day—the timer is set,rypically 10 a.m. —6 p.m. Broadway Park is not operated as a supervised park—the park does have a lot of usage and a splashpad would be an � attraction. There is no depth to a splashpad—the water would provide heat relief and add beauty to the area. This is an option to be at the Broadway Park location as a replacement for Dakin Pool. Is there a liability concern? It would be similar to an � unsupervised playground. Does the bus route that would normally go to Dakin Pool go by Broadway Park to enable the swimmers who went to Dakin Pool to go to Broadway Park to use the splashpad? Yes, it is on a bus route. � 2 � It was noted that Pancoe exceeded its operating budget by $5k primarily because it � operated more hours than anticipated and we had a larger crowd and needed more guards on duty. The operating budget is close to $80k—last year's revenues were close � to $50k. It was recommended, moved, seconded and voted to recommend to the Council that � Dakin Pool be closed. Additionally, it was noted that demolition of the old Union Street Pool and bath house is � estimated to be a winter project and costs will be minimized by utilizing City staff. 4. Request to Amend Mileage Reimbursement Rate for City Employees- At the last meeting, a recommendation was made to increase the current mileage reimbursement , rate from 33.5 cents/mile to 40.5 cents/mile for employees using their personal vehicles for City business. The Committee requested additional information, which is was provided, before taking final action. � The estimated cost to meet this recommendation is$5-6k per year. Six (6) of the largest ten (10) communities in the state do follow the approved IRS reimbursement rate. Other , communities range from 28-37.5 cent reimbursement rate. The State of Maine is at 32 cents per mile and moved to 34 cents on Jan. 1 and the U of M was at 32 cents and moved to 34 cents. Bangor was at 33.5 and did not make an adjustment last year—iYs � been 18 months since the last adjustment in Bangor. Approximately 73 City employees were reimbursed last year for using their vehicle in the course of performing City duties. It is a savings for the City to not be in the position to provide vehicles for all employees � and to reimburse as necessary with a reasonable reimbursement rate which takes into account depreciation, wear and tear, maintenance, and gas. It was recommended to move to 40.5 cents and to incorporate the language that would allow the IRS to adjust that rate, or compromise between current rate and 40.5. There was discussion of how I the rate compares with the country. The impact of changing the rate to 40.5 cents would be $5-6K. It was moved and voted to increase to 40.5 cents per mile reimbursement and to recommend that the Council change the City's Personnel Rules and Regulations ' to adopt the IRS standard for mileage reimbursement. 5. Applicants for Special Committee on Land Use Policy Governing Medical Facilities � (Executive Session: 1 MRSA§ 405 6a)-As required by the Council Order establishing the Special Committee, the Council Chair consulted with the Government Operations Committee concerning appointments to the Committee. � At this time, the GOC moved to go into Executive Session, taking no action. The meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. � r j 9�_,.,,.05 r � 3 �