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Home My WebLink About1996-09-04 Community and Economic Development Committee Minutes CONIMUNITY&ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, September 4, 1996 @5:00 PM • MINUTES COMMITTEE . PRESENT: Councilor Chris Popper, Chair Councilor Pat Blanchette Councilor Charles Sullivan STAFF PRESENT: Councilor James Tyler Councilor Timothy Woodcock Edward A. Barrett, City Manager Rodney G. McKay,Director of Community&Economic Development T.J. Martzial, C.D. Housing Resources Coordinator Stephen Bolduc, Economic Development Officer John Lord, Planning Officer • Dan Wellington, Code Enforcement Officer OTHERS PRESENT: Jean Rosenberg, Snow Hill Corporation Eric Johns, Snow Hill Corporation Linda Johns, Snow Hill Corporation • The meeting was called to order by Committee Chair, Councilor Chris Popper, at 5:00 PM. Councilor Popper stated that Rod McKay had requested to take Item#3 out of order. A motion was made and seconded to approve this request. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#3 -Building Lease - Snow Hill Corporation Steve Bolduc, Economic Development Officer, introduced to the Committee the management team of Snow Hill Corporation who is requesting a lease agreement on Building #278 as well as the parking area at Florida Ave. and Maine Ave., for manufacturing of flat panel displays for the electronics industry. Jean Rosenberg made a presentation explaining what the company's product is, how it is engineered and the demand for it by major companies such as 3M, Babcock, etc. Staff welcomed this new business to Bangor and recommended approval of the lease agreement to the Coinmittee. With no questions from the Committee, a motion was made and seconded to approve the • Lease Agreement as presented. So voted. Rod McKay fiirther stated that in the near future an announcement to the local media and community of this new business venture will take place. ' � " � 2/ � AGENDA ITEM#1 -C.4. 96-357, Amending Chapter X of the Laws and 4rdinances of the City of Bangar-Property Maintenance Cade Dan Weliington, Gode Enforcement Officer,presented to the Committee the most recent edition af the BOCA Praperty Maintenance Code for 1996. This code pravides rnunicipalities with the means of regulating minimum heatth and safety for existing buiidings and structures. Staff recommended approval. A citizen from the audience asked Staff if it would be possible to be updated on changes to these laws when, for example,they receive their tax bills. City Manager Ed Barrett repiied that up until this year the tax bills that were used by the City did not enable enciosures. A new farmat as of this year will enable enclosing notices of various new programs that are availabie relating to property tax paym.ents,payment plans, etc. He further stated that in the future such inforrnation as changes in the BOCA code could be included in a brief format. Also, improved contact with landlords regarding changes ta codes is an area for improvement by the City; currently,the City is communicating with oil burner businesses in bringing thern up-to-date with the changes iz�the code. � A motion was made and seconded to recomrnend approval of tkus amendment as presented to the City Council. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#2 - Garland Street Lot-Dispositian Rod McKay stated that recently the Habitat far Humanity organizatian in Bangor has contacted the City looking for a parcel of latt�d on which ta build a home for a qualifying family. They have a patential corporate donor who will be contributing 213 to 314 of the money to build a house if they can secure a lat soon and begin construction right away. Rod indicated that the City has worked with Habitat for Humanity in the past and the only site the City has availabie is located on the corner of Garland and Pearl Street{between Pearl and Fruit Streets). The lot is zoned single farnily and falls short of required footage for 2 single family house lots. Ta make it 2 residential building lots,the zaning wauld have to be changed to URD-2 and some variances might sti11 be required. After a brief discussion, it was the consensus af Staff and Committee to initiate the necessary contract zone change application to permit 2 single family home lots. The parcel would then be offered to Habitat for Humanity for their housing project{s). A motian was made and secanded to donate this parcel to Habitat for Humanity as discussed. Sa voted. � 3/ • AGENDA ITEM#4 - Building Improvements -278 Florida Avenue Staff presented to the Committee (as a companion to Item#3) a Resolution fo�`funds for repairs and improvements to 278 Florida Ave.,the building where Snow Hill Corporation will be locating their business. The funds will be provided by the Community Development Block Grant Program and the City's Business Development Assistance Program. A motion was made and seconded to approve this Resolution as presented. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#5 - Sign Ordinance Amendment Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington presented to the Committee a housekeeping amendment which will add a setback requirement for the free-standing signs in the Neighborhood Service District(NSD). A motion was made and seconded to recommend passage of this amendment as presented to the full City Council. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#6 - Code Enforcement Update • Mrs. Verceles, a Bangor landlord, spoke to the Committee regarding her concerns with the City's Code Enforcement Department's lack of personal communication respective to inspecting her apartment house. She stated that she was never notified nor aware that they intended on doing an inspection of one of her apartments until She received a letter from Code Enforcement stating that their inspection showed that there were 31 code violations in the structure. She indicated that 2 months earlier she was told there were no violations. She further stated that she invested$5,000 in repairs in the previous months to correct damage done by tenants. Her contractor(s) abide by the current code regulations. She disagrees with the Code Enforcement Department's inspection report. Dan Wellington of the Code Enforcement Dept. stated that he is aware that Mrs. Verceles has had destructive tenants and that many of the violations over the last 6 months may have been the result of tenant abuse. However, it is not Code's duty to place blame, only responsibility; that the law is very clear in that the landlord has the responsibility to maintain the dwelling up to code standards. Dan stated that Code Enforcement would like to establish a working relationship with Mrs. Verceles in order to show her and her contractors exactly where the specific violations are. City Manager requested that both Dan Wellington and Mark Marquis of the Code Enforcement Department meet with Mrs. Verceles go through the list of violations so that it is understood. He further stated that he is aware the City's violation notice is not ideal; that a better • format is pending upon purchase of newer computer software programming. The intention of the notice is to have the opportunity for Staff and the landlord to meet to discuss whatever violations there are and work on resolving them. ' � ` � 4/ � Mrs. Verceles replied that she did not mind meeting with Dan but that due to the personal insults from Mr. Marquis directed to her, she did not wish to meet with him. Councilor Popper indicated to Mrs. Verceles that if she felt she received insults that these should be directed to the City Manager and that he would address the problem. AGENDA ITEM#7 -Planning Update John Lord stated that a zone change request to change the configuration of acreage on a parcel of land located on Union Street next to Godfrey Blvd. was brought before the Plaruiing Board at last evening's meeting. The Planning Board has recommended this zone change to the C&ED Committee. Secondly, a follow-up item pertaining to a request from downtown businesses to encourage the use of off-street parking facilities has been in the planning stage by City Staff. They have designated several areas around the downtown where additional permit parking could be available for a period of 3 months. This will be an experimental program with Staff keeping track of the use during this time period. These areas will be designated by "special permits". A motion was made and seconded to recommend to the full City Council the "special • permit" parking areas as presented. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#8 - Community Development Residential Rehabilitation Loan- 83 First Street, 4 units T.J. Martzial, C.D. Housing Resources Coordinator, presented to the Committee a request for a rehab loan for the property at 83 First Street, 4 units in all. � A motion was made and seconded to approve this request as presented. So voted. AGENDA ITEM#9 - Community Development Residential Rehabilitation Loan- 226 Hammond Street, Demolition T.J. Martzial, C.D. Housing Resources Coordinator,presented to the Committee a request for funds to demolish the property at 226 Hammond Street. The owner proposes to, after demolition,to landscape and fence the area. This loan will be secured with the owners primary residence. A motion was made and seconded to approve this request as presented. So voted. i , 5/ � AGENDA ITEM#10 - Community Development Residential Rehabilitation Loan- 1 Whitney Street, Single Family This item was not ready for presentation. AGENDA ITEM#11 -Economic Development-EXECUTIVE SESSION This item was tabled until Monday, September 9th City Council meeting. With no further business at hand, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:00 PM. • � •