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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-02-17 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes • Municipal Operations Committee Meeting Minutes February 17, 1998 Councilors Attending: Timothy Woodcock,Nichi Farnham,Michael Crowley,�oseph Baldacci, James Tyler,David Leen Stai�Attending: Edward Barrett, Gail Campbell, Erik Stumpfel, Dale Theriault, Frank Comeau, Animal Control Officer Others Attending: Dennis Marbie,Royce Day,Fred Vardamis, Channel7 Meeting Convened at 5:01 p.m. l. Applications Received for 1998 Subordinate Committees Gail Campbell informed the Committee that 2 ads were placed in the newspaper. A number of applications have been received and Gail would like to know if she should run another ad or meet and consider some appointments that don't need interviews. Gail ran down the list of vacancies and number of applicants received: • 1. Board of Assessment Review: 2 openings, 1 applicant 2. Board of Ethics: 1 opening, 6 applicants 3. Nursing Facility: 6 openings, 3 applicants 4. Fire&Discharge: 4 openings, 2 applicants 5. Harbor Committee: 2 openings, 1 applicant 6. Historic Preservation: 3 openings, 3 applicants 7. Housing Authority: 1 opening, 2 applicants 8. Parks&Rec: 4 openings, 7 applicants 9. Planning Board: 3 openings, 9 applicants lO.Recycling: 2 openings, 1 applicant 1 l.Water District Trustees: 2 openings, 4 applicants Ed Barrett suggests that the process get started. The Committee agreed that interviews should be set up. Gail will set up the interviews for Tuesday, February 24 beginning at 5 p.m. and will continue at the next Municipal Operations meeting. 2. Lease of the City Animal Shelter This issue came before the Committee back in January from Dirigo Search and Rescue looking to lease the City Animal Shelter so they can move out of the Essex Street recreation center and turn it over to the Police Athletic League. Mr. Martin has not � responded to the City Solicitor so it is not known if the proposed lease is acceptable to Dirigo. Lla1e Theriault commented that he though the lease was acceptable because it is basically the sarne as they had at the Essex Street facility. P.AL did rneet with Dirigo and � because of the ice starms, things have moved a Iittle slower than anticipated but Dirigo stated that they would be arQund until the end of March. Erik pointed out that under "utilities" in the iease it states that the Lessar provides utiiiries but that should read Lessee. This will be put on Monday nights agenda. Pat Pinkharn(Ai�imal Control Of�cer) addxessed the Committee cornmenting that she is upset with this decisian. She stated that when the City closed the shelter down, they were going to keep it in tact far ane full year, to see if it would work out with that the Humane Society. Pat stated that it is not working out. The Humane Society was suppased to provide an office for the Animal Control Officer,which they will, but at an astronamical price. They were also supposed to euthanize that the animals that were taken ta them. , Ed Barrett exptained that the City found themseives in a position where there were 2 tenants that were not capable of getting along. He was not totally camfortable with daing this, but it seemed to solve the immediate problem. In regard to the issue of euthanizing wild animals, it was in that the cantract that they do not have to. The City did meet with that the Humane Society in Decernber to see how things were going. At that tirne, that the general consensus was that there were nat many problems. Since then, the issue of wild animals has came up. Gaii Campbell explained that the State Veterinarian said that the City is abligated to capture any undamesticated animal that is a threat to public health. Ed Barrett suggests that the City hire someone to do that work. Gai1 explained that the . City previausly had a contract with a veterinary clinic and the charge was appro�umately $15.00 per animal. Erik explained parts of the lease with Dirigo to that the Gomnnittee. They inciude a ane year term, annually renewable for after February 28, 1999. A.f�er the first year, either party can ternunate on 30 days notice. Atsa, they wauld need written permissian to make any fixed impravements to the property and the improvements are not allawed ta impair its usefulness far re-use as an animal shel#er. Councilor Crowley asked if it is passible to share space? Can an office for a City employee be located there? Ed feels that there is space at the armory that can be used or space here at City Hatt that Pat could work aut of. That the bigger issue is whether that the long term arrangement with the Humane Society is gaing to work out. Councilor Crowiey asked if this daesn't work out, is the building on Maine Avenue sufficient or would the City be looking at some longer ternn solution ta the problem. Ed explained that it is a marginaiiy workable building and can functian in this capacity. Erik explai.ned that as a Committee, that the lease can be approved or it can be referred to full Council. Cauncilor Crowley recammends appraving the Iease with Dirigo Rescue. Cauncilor Farnham secanded that the mation. 3. Resalve, Calfing Upon that the State of Maine to Increase Funding for Emergency Shelter Services for that the Homeless Information was provided ta Councit rega.rding#his resotve. This resalve wauld support � the recommendations of the inter-agency task force with two special emphasis. One is cal.ling upon that the state to increase funding for homeless shetters and ernphasizing sections of the report that deal with issues of substance abuse and mental health, which are = tied in with other issues in that the comrnunity.  "(��. � Dennis Marble- Greater Bangor Area Shelter: Mr. Marble explained that a law was passed last year that initially had a$2 million allocation tied to it, which died on appropriation. The law strengthened the inter-agency task force and mandated it to come out with a report, which is now actively on the table in the legislature. There is a work session scheduled for Thursday to carve out in specific terms an LD based on that report. One of the things Mr. Mazble noted was a special concern about that the shelters working with that the mental health system. They are attempting to maintain a safe, simple program and not take on additional responsibilities if there are community and state resources in place to do those specific jobs. Mr. Marble showed that the other agencies and entities they work with as needed and also a listing of that the agencies and staff equivalent positions who come to the shelter on a weekly basis. The whole model is about doing needs assessment, setting goals and then developing a plan. He personally, as a tax payer, is very appreciative of the task force report and what it is trying to do, which is a needed relationship between that the Dept. of Mental Health and that the Shelter. He has � been told by a number of people that the Bangor setup is better than any other region in tha,t the state. A lot of places don't have that the resources that Bangor ha.s. Ed Barrett explained that one of the concerns that the City has is that many of the individuals who end up being homeless are people who have either substance abuse or mental health issues. Some of those have been in and out of the system for years. Mr. Marble commented that the last calendar year tracked was 55%. Ed continued that it is a concern that the community has that there are a number of individuals who end up in the � shelter because of these problems and he is only receiving tha,t the clients who have found it impossible to work it any other way to find shelter. The kind of people who are being dealt with at the shelter are individuals who are long-term chronic patients of that the mental health/drug/alcohol abuse system. Councilor Baldacci commented that the City shouid follow up on the Quality Improvement Council. There are some vacancies on this Committee and Joe feels it would helpful if the City had input on this Council. Mr. Marble wanted the Committee to know that his impression is that this is not BMHI driven. There is a good working relationship the community. Committee recommends that this be put on the Council Agenda. 4. Appointment of City Representatives to the NIMA Legislative Policy Committee The City has two representative positions on the Legislative Policy Committee. One position is held by Councilor Woodcock and the other was held by Charlie Sullivan. Councilor Aube has indicated interest and the recommendation is to appoint 1Vlike to take one position and Ed Barrett will take the other position. Approved recommendation. 5. Councilor Ordinance 98-84 Targeted Residential Pickets � This ordinance would revise the current targeted picketing ordinance and bring it into compliance with recent court decisions. The primary change in the amendment is to add some language. The ordinance does not prohibit targeted pickets on the sidewalk or esplanade of the public right of way opposite the residence. Erik added a phrase"if the , picket is lacated at least 50 feet distance from the exterior praperty line afthe targeted � residence." If the amendment is adopted and complies with the court decisions, the Council needs to make a deternunation about the size ofthe protected zane. The goal of an ordinance of this type is ta protect individuals who are the target of a picket directed at them in their home. Three hundred feet is toa large an area. Erik put the figure 100 feet in the amendment because the proponents of the ordinance at the hearirtg indicated that this nurnber satisfies their interest. The smallest frontage requirement for a single family residence in Baz�gar is 50 feet. Erik's suggestion is 50 feet on the low side and 100 feet on the high side. In Bangor, mast of the City was built in the 1900's and although currently the standard street width, in a residential s�bdivision, for new construction, is b0 feet, there are many locations where the street widths are 50 feet, 40 feet or considerably Iess. E�ik handed out the index ta the street bo�k that is maintained in the City Engineer's . office that lists every accepted street in the City of'Bangar with a right-of-way. Erik hightighted streets that are 50 feet ar less and less than 50 feet in width. The language added would allaw pickets to take place across the street as long as they were at least 50 feet distant. This would require a street with more than SO feet. At some poi�t, if they are on one af the streets that is 2Q feet ar less, a picket across the street is going to be mare invasive of residential privacy than a picket which accurs at even 10 feet outside of the property line next door. Erik re-worked the definition of targeted to rnake is clear that a statiQnary picket can also be ta.rgeted. � � Deana Partridge(31 French Street}: Ms. Partridge is a represen#ative of the Bangor CURES Froject and it is their pasition that the Cauncil pass a targeted residential picketing ardinance that appl addresses the harassment and intimate nature that this activity generates toward specific individuals. As a group, they do not object ta anything in the current draf�. They would like to have the ground rules on the bc�oks. � Couneilor Baldacci's concern is that he doesn't knaw haw effective fihis ardinance is and sees a continual court battle. If the City does not have this ordinance, what regulations are in place currently regarding picketing? There are nane unless a picketer goss on ~ private property or obstruct traffc. 7oe is questioning the effectiveness af trying to regulate this. The wording in#he revised ordinanee still seems to border on the first amendment issue. The Committee tabled the issue until the next xneeting after more information has been gathered. With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at b:23 p.m. � MOP2-17.98