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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-13 Government Operations Committee Minutes Government Operations Committee � February 13, 2002 Minutes Council Attendance: Tremble, Palmer, Allen Staff Attendance: Barrett, Chalila 1. Consent Agenda A motion was made and seconded to accept the two Consent agenda items. Extension of Lease. City of Bangor (Park Woods) leases 8 units to Acadia Healthcare for our Shelter Plus Care Program. This Order would extend the lease on a monthly basis and increase the rental amount from $170 per month to $200 per month. Council Resolve 02-106. This Resolve will appropriate $11,000 of Federal Drug forfeiture funds for the purchase of ten mounting brackets and docking stations � (including installation) for police patrol vehicles. These will allow for the installation of laptop computers which were purchased late last fall. 2. Cable Television U�date and Discussion Gary Crosby, General Manager of Adelphia Cable Television, met with the Committee to discuss a variety of topics including an update of their services and products, networking efforts in the downtown area and citizen requests for Canadian programming. Mike Gleason addressed the Committee with his request for Canadian (CBC) programming. He had contacted Adelphia but has not received a response. He feels it imperative for Maine citizens to know what is going on in Canada, Maine's most active trading partner. Charlie Birkel addressed the Committee. He indicated his satisfaction with the Adelphia Company but expressed concerns over specific billing charges and programs. Birkel asked what authority Adelphia has to charge a franchise fee of $1.77/monthly and then the fee is returned to the City of Bangor. Barrett said the authority is established under federal regulations that set a maximum franchise fee of 5% and is included in the City's Franchise Agreement with • Adelphia. The proceeds go into the City's General Fund and covers a variety of costs associated with the City operating it's local government channel, the � educational channel to be operating in the future, and administering the franchise, working with the cable company, etc. The Franchise Agreement is approved by the City Council. Birkel referred to a letter he sent to the City Manager and Adelphia regarding the Canadian programming. He received a response from the City Manager and read portions of it. Rea Cote-Robbins addressed the Committee. She is a former Waterville resident where CBC was available. She ofFered to start a petition, if that was the appropriate route. Gary Crosby said that Adelphia does respond to its mail indicating that mail received runs from 100-350 a day. He said it could be that there is a backlog on responses. Crosby indicated there is French programming on the international side, and he assumed that the request is for CBC programming on the basic cable service. Gleason said the request is for both CBC tv and radio in both French and English. Tremble asked Crosby to review the process that is required to obtain the requested programming. Crosby said that the present meeting is the first place to start. Crosby said he has had a few requests for French programming but not a lot of requests for the CBC. Gleason asked how the French programming is � listed in the cable tv guide. Crosby indicated it is listed as N 5. Betsy Arnizen, David Cagavant, Dwight Rideout and Anita Tassel all addressed the Committee. Councilor Allen agreed with comments ofFered and suggested that perhaps New England News (Channel 65) be replaced with Canadian programming. Crosby said that Adelphia has been in Bangor for 2-3 years and has spent considerable monies to add programming including the international programs. He is not sure if he can continue to put some types of programming into Adelphia's broadcasts basic versus the basic plan. He felt comfortable in saying he could probably add it to the basic plan. Adelphia has been busy rebuilding the cable systems and trying to build a fiber optic network throughout the state and will probably take another 18-24 months. Most of the channels being requested are not fed by satellite. There is a company that has picked up these channels in New Hampshire and have created a microwave link to parts of Maine. This type of feed is dependent on atmospheric conditions and doesn't always provide a quality picture. As the fiber link is finished going from Lewiston-Auburn up to Bangor and points north, Adelphia will have the opportunity at that point to transport programming and services not currently � being offered. Crosby feels that Adelphia has put together a good channel line up for the community. In order to bring in a channel from Quebec or Montreal � that is not on satellite, there are only two ways to do so—one is to rent or lease a direct telephone line and digitize the product which would most likely double the cable monthly bill—and another option is by microwave which would be more cost effective. Crosby said he would check into this and report back with the City. To add this to the satellite would cost Adelphia approximately $20,000 plus a monthly cost per customer. Crosby came to the meeting with the understand- ing that it was French speaking programming that was being requested. Gleason has been told that many of the channels offered by Adelphia are offered because Adelphia is paid by the channels and then paid by the homeowner to receive the channel. Crosby said that is false information and Adelphia is not paid by the channels. He indicated there isn't a problem with the request but there is a logistical and cost issue. Crosby will look at bringing CBC in as basic side, not a premium side. Tremble asked if an updated explanation could be placed on the Government Channel indicating the City will update interested parties as the information becomes available. After looking at the technical issues, Barrett asked Crosby to contact the City and the City will contact those who have provided their names and addresses. � 3. Proposed Amendments to the General Assistance Ordinance, Section 134, Subsection 28E of the Cit r�of Bangor Code, Burial Health and Welfare Director Chalila discussed proposed amendments to the City's General Assistance Ordinance related to burial costs. Gary Smith of Brookings and Smith was in attendance as well. The changes being recommended by Chalila were not supported by Smith, whose major issues were with State Statutes. Chalila's recommended changes are: 1. Increase the total paid for an earth burial from $1,000 (without a liner) to $1,340 (without a liner). 2. Increase the amount paid for a liner (when one is required by the cemetery) from $200 to $345. 3. Maintain the amount paid for a direct cremation at $1,000. Gary Smith told the Committee he had no problems with the increases recommended by Chalila but that his concerns are that families of individuals are expecting him to do things he can't because of how long it takes to process • applications through the system due to provisions of the Maine State Statutes. Chalila talked about the responsible relatives and it needs to be determined if . they are responsible for paying all of or any part of the funeral expenses. If a responsible relative refuses to assist, then the City denies assistance. Smith also talked about assets of the diseased. The state has a system whereby there is a county administrator who takes charge when there is a death and there are no remaining relatives to oversee disposition of assets. When there are limited assets to cover the cost of the funeral, the county administrator is not interested in seeing to the disposition of assets. The monies go to an account and remain unclaimed property that goes back into the state treasury. In the meantime, no one can sign for the cremation, there is an apartment to clean out and the landlord can't do anything but put it in trash bags which ends up at the funeral home. The Maine Municipal Association is attempting to resolve the problem. Smith is concerned with treating individuals with dignity. Chalila said that the change in extending the scope of liable relatives was made by the legislature during the last major recession. The amount of money for general assistance was decreased in the area of burials that municipalities were doing and seeking State reimbursement. Smith has contacted the State Attorney General's office. Smith becomes responsible for providing a vault and grave and he feels it should not be his responsibility. The only avenue is to have a legislative change. A motion was made and seconded to approve the dollar changes as outlined by Mary-Anne Chalila. A Council Ordinance will appear on the upcoming Council agenda to reflect the ordinance changes. Chalila will continue to work with MMA � on changing the Statutes and will keep Smith involved. Palmer recommended that Lee Umphrey, Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator for the City, get in contact with Gary Smith and to work with the Legislative Delegation. 4. Request to Restrict Smoking within 100 Feet of Health and Welfare Entrances Health and Welfare Director Chalila discussed a recommendation by employees to ban smoking within 100 feet of the entrances to Health and Welfare. It was an informational item only and did not require Committee action. Tremble asked if there was a citywide smoking policy. 2. Continuation of Cable Television Discussion Crosby discussed Adelphia's upcoming work in the downtown area to upgrade their system. Adelphia is working with downtown businesses to obtain permission to place cables in their basement area. Adelphia has offered to do this at no cost to the properry owner. If the owner still refuses, at some point if a new owner wants the service, Adelphia will bill the new properly owner. After the concrete is poured, the service will not be free. Crosby went through the list of businesses who have been contacted and their responses. � • Construction will consist of open trench (take up sidewalks), placing vaults and conduits, 48-52 vaults will be colored and flush with the sidewalk, work will commence in mid-April for approximately 2�/2 months, all areas will be restored to City standards, it will benefit downtown business and residents for cable tv and internet servers. Adelphia will work with the City Engineer in the working schedule to accommodate traffic schedules. The City requires nightly cleanup for any construction work. � �