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.
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• 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.
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