The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About1994-12-06 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes �,n;cipal Operations Cca�mittee I Decc�nber 6, 1994 I i � � Councilors Present: Jim Tyler, Don Saucy, Pat Blan,cY�ette � I 1. Bangor Water District -- Quart�rly Update. '�, Representatives of th,e Bangor Water District appeared before the � �,n;cipal Op�rations Cce�mittee to update the Ccarmittee on various it�sn.s. The first iteqn was an update of the Bang�or Water Districts water supply plarLr�rg activities. Th�e District has be�az in negotiations with the Ororw-Veazie Water District and the PE'RC Facility reg��n� outstanding water supply cantracts. Through these ren,egoti.ations, Omno-Veazie's contxact has been reduced frcan 1.5 million gallons/day to .5 million gallons/day and the PERC contract has been rednced frcan 1 million gallons/day to .5 million gallons/day. �his i.s a result in a reduction of the anticipated levels of , actual contracted water usag+e frcan approxi.mately 7.5 million gallons/day to 5.9 mi.11ion gallons/day. At the present time, the Water District is ! atin under a State sed . oper g impo 6 5 NB� l�tation due to the silver char �.n Floods Pond. Fta.rthex negotiations will m�st likely result in additional reductions to both O�o�-Veazie and Hampden. The Water Di.strict is also conducting a review and study of future watex �' supply alternativ+es. Special attention in this study will be given to the possibility of d�veloping wells as an alt�rnative source of water for Bangor. The averall intent of these efforts is to ensure that sufficient relatively law-cost water is available to support grawth within the City � limits of the City of Bangor. District representatives also updated the CcBrmittee on the status of the ozone pmject construction. This pmject has b�n�fited frcen the relativ+ely mi.ld Fall weather and is currently n,earing the 50� ccenpletion mark. 95� of th+e projeat is undex Contract; and to date, th�e project a�rG to be proceeding at or belaw anticipat.ed b�udget levels. I • Finally, the Water District updated the Ccarmittee on its position and statements to tive PUC regar3i.ng its rule mzking on private fire protection. 2. Golf Course - Food and BevPxag�e Cor�cession E ,ipment. i Dale Theriault of Parks and Recreation presented this itc�n to the Ccermitt.ee. James V�c.��s, the con,cessionaire at the Golf Course, has provided information to Mr. Theriault indicating that he has lost approximately $5,000 per y+ear on the concession at th,e Golf Course. Mr. Varrlam;G � pmposed so�ne chang+es to hi.s lease which he hopes will allaw him to re�main in opPxation at th�e Golf Course. First, he has proposed that the City of Bangor eith�r accept his $8,000 worth of restaurant equipment or purchase this equigr�xit ar�d rebid the concession at the Golf Course as a fully operable restaurant. Should the City accept th+e equigrierit, Mr. Va�am;� � pmposed a paynient to the City of $1,500 per y+ear for the r�nainder of hi.s contract. After discussion, various m�nbers of th+e � Carmittee requested scerie additional infonnation regarding the finarvcial • status of the cor�ession operations at the Golf Course. The itc�n was , subsequently tabled to the next Municipal Operations Cce�mittee meeting. ' --____ _ ____ __-- _ � 3. Reside�y RPm�i rr.��n� for Ach�tission to the Nursing Facility. ; City Manager presented this it�n to the Co�rmittee. By way of ' • backgiround, the City Nursing Facility has had a long standing policy which required that Bangor residents be admitted to the Facility. Early this year as a result of so�r� changes in Nledicaid qualifications, a teqriporary waiver was provided to this policy. Th+e Nursing Facility has traditionally operat�ed at 98� occupancy. Given the tightening of Medicaid eligibility, this occupancy level had fallen off resulting in reduced Medicaid revetiues and an � increase in the requi.red lev+el of City subsidy. Sin,ce April, th,e facility has operated under an exparbded admission policy but has still ��n�ed belaw the 98� occupancy lev+el. The law point was in April, the m4nth in which the waiver was given with an occupancy rate of 92�. The highest occupancy achiev+ed since then was 97� in August. N1r�st of the Nursing Hcanes througlwut the Bangor area as well as the entire State have seen a s�milar decline in occuparicy rates. It was rec�xided to the Cormtittee that the Atimission Policy be revised to pravid,e for priority status to Bangor residents but permit the continued adimission of non-Bangor residents. The Corrimittee apprav+ed this rec�ation. i 4. Autlwrization to Raise Funds for a Wheel Chair E��;pped Van for the City Nursing Facility. City Manager presented this itc�n to the Cce�mittee. F�can time to time, the Nursing Facility is called upon to transport residents to various locations. T�is is curr�ntly done through use of the City Nursing Facility's vehicle -- an old police car obtained frcen the Nlptor Pool. When an ;*+�;vidual who cannot be re�rr.�v�ed. f�ran a wheel chair is required to be transported or wh,en mpre than on,e resicle�it requires transportation, the � • Facility has be�n renting a van frcam the Maine Action Coalition which is in v+exy poor condition. The wheel chair lift is manually operated and difficult to use, and the van rides very roughly. An eight passenger handicapped , equipped van w�uld cost approximately $37,000. T'h�e Nursing Facility Ac�ministrator is seeking penmission to do so�r� prelim�n�� feasibi.lity steps to detennine whether such a van could be d,�nated or the funds could be raised ' for it. The Co�rmittee had various questions including the numb�r of such trips required and other aptions which might be available. As a result, this it�n was tabled in order to allaw for this info�nation to be pravided. ! • 5. Privatization of Alarni Nlpnitoring -- Police L�e��-�nt. Chief Harrimzn presented this it�n to th,e Ccermittee. T'h,e City of Bang�r � currently imnitors approxi.mately 160 burglar ala�ns through a systc�n originally provided by Nlpsler Inc. A recent burglary at Canteen S�rvices in Bangor brought to the Chief's attention that the equigrient is antiquated ar�r1 is missing seve,ral essential ite�ns which had nev+er been installed. In ' addition, the need to monitor the alann syst�n cletracts frcan the ability of the dispatchers to handle oth+�r work including answ�ring 911 calls and the City has npt had a contract with Mosler Inc. for praviding this service for about 10 years. T'he Chief reco�rrr�nded that the Police Dep�nt cease pravid:ing monitoring services and notify all current users that th�y would hav+e until July 1, 1995 to mak,� alt�xnativ+e arrangc-�rnxits. , After so�rie discussion, Councilor Blanchette maved to amend the notice date to Apri.l 1, 1995. 2"hi.s was seconded by Councilor Tyler and appraved. • S�.ibsequently, the (�ief's proposal as amended was appraved by the Ccarmittee. 6. Agr�nt with Penobscot Job Corps Center -- Police Depari�nt. C�ief Harriman also presented thi.s it�n. Z'he Police Department has had an ag�nt with the Penobscot Job Corps for o�ver 8 years. Under the • agre�nt, th� Police T�T-t-m�nt agrees to render backup suppc�rt to the Job Corps Center to assist in th,e contirol and resolution of any Police situations. F'urther, the Job Corps agrees to reimburse the City of Bang�r for any costs resulting frcan such service. 7'he Chief rec�nd,ed that the Coanmittee apprave this agre�nt and recc�nme.nd it to the full Council. This I was don,e and the itc�n wi.11 appear on the ne� agenda. 7. Use of a Fortion of Bass Park as a Winter Snow Du� -- Public Works. Arthur Stockus of the Public Works Depa.rt�r�it presented this iteqn. Our annual current est3mated cost for r�naving snav, primarily frcen the Dcyraritawn area, is approximately $112,000. Much of this cost is di.rectly tied to the lenc�t.h of the haul which moust be made f�can the Dawritawn area to the Stearns Pit in Harnpden. In addition, the lavness of the I�aompden site along with wintPx weather often results in dang+�rous driving conditions. The Public Works Depzrtm�nt has been seeking an alternative site for snaw storage for a , period of t�me. Efforts hav+e been made to arrange for a snaw dim� in the old railroad yard located near the waterfront. 2'he ra;�,�cl has not been willing to agree to such a use. Public Works has also identified an area at Bass I Park adjacent to the existing parking lot that could be used for such a , purpose. Using this location, th,e City wauld potenti.ally be able to save approx�mately $50,000 avnx the course of an average winter in its snaw hauling and r�naval aperations. D�ug Clen,denning, resident of the area around Bass Park, appeared to object to this location. His pr;�*v concerns were the noise which th,e snaw rFsm�val aperation w�uld cause in his • n�eighborh+ood as well as limitations which mi.ght be applicable to this property under the Hass Will. After scarue di.scussion, th+e Cca�mittee requested that Erik Stiunpfel, City Solicitor, prepa.re a legal opinion on the legality , of using Bass Park for a snaw dim7p. �hi.s itc�sn was then tabled to the next Ccarm.ittee meeting. 8. Special City Council Election. The City Manager presented to the Ccar�r�ittee several alternatives • schedules which could be used for a specia7. election to fill Dr. Shubert's vacant position on the Council. Undex the Charter, na�ninating petitions imist be filed at least 60 days prior to the date of election. Schedules w� I pr�pared which wauld allaw for both a 30 and 60 day pexiod for ncenination papexs. T'he earliest date such an election could be held app�ars to be the middle of March. AftPx scare discussion, the Ccgnmittee rec�nd�d to the full Council that the date of the election be set for March 14, 1995. ' � _- -- _ _ _ _ !___