FEBRUARY 2010 Monthly Report
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City of Lewiston, Maine FEBRUARY 2010 Monthly Report INSIDE THIS Council Attends Planning Retreat MONTH’S REPORT: On February 21, 2010, Lewiston Mayor/City 3. Community- City Administrator...3 the Lewiston City Council, Council “Two-Year Goals Oriented Deputy City Administrator…5 Ed Barrett & Phil Nadeau & Objectives” Government Assessing…6 gathered for a planning City Clerks…7 1. Comprehensive Identify neighborhoods Code Enforcement…9 retreat. Stephen P. Community Development..12 Pecukonis, a consultant Planning with existing concerns. Economic Development…16 and trainer for HRD Encourage neighborhood Adopt a riverfront plan. Energy Czar…19 Associates, was selected meetings with city Finance Department…20 Review, update, and participation. Identify Fire Department…22 to be the facilitator. simplify existing plans; look priority issues and Human Resources…24 for action items. Identify Information Technology…25 As a warm-up activity, the develop action plans. Library…26 Councilors shared their plans/sections that require Learn about “Anaheim” Police…27 “Public Service Odyssey,” most immediate updating. model. Aggressively Public Services…37 what experiences led Link plans to budget reach out to citizens who Public Works…45 process. Recreation…51 them to their current may be impacted by city Social Services…54 service on the City actions. 2. Economic Council as well as their Development “Desired Legacy,” what 4. Respond to Budget they would most like Review current commercial Pressures SPECIAL POINTS people to be able to say zoning near Exit 80. Adopt OF INTEREST: about their service on the changes to commercial 5. Housing Council once it is over. zoning to support economic There are plans to have development. Establish Compile & update The group moved into an small business start- housing information/plans the Kennedy Park Pool exercise of brainstorming House complete by June up/support program. and present to City possible areas of focus 1st…(pg 51) Support grant funding for Council. City Council that local government arts community. Participate walking tour. could devote time, Fire Prevention Clerk in “Mobilize Maine”. Review Debbie Morin will be the energy, and resources to citywide parking Overall the day was Admin Secretary for new over the next two years. requirements. ID Lewiston’s viewed as valuable time LA 911 Director…(pg 23) The following is the result strengths re: economic spent and a great of this exercise: development. success. Page 2 Library Sewer Repair The sewer service at the and buckets. Although we contractor. They also used library was interrupted in did not find the blockage many innovative ideas the month of February. on the inside, we were that saved having to dig The following is reported able to pinpoint the up the entire street and by Mike Paradis, Director location in the street. We sidewalk. The job wasn't a of Public Buildings: were also able to install a lot of fun because there clean-out, which is were over ten feet of Did you know… The timing of this project required by code and will solids in a 6 inch diameter hasn't been ideal for the be very helpful in the clay pipe. I have attached The Fire Department City, especially future should this a sketch completed by answered 107 calls considering the budget situation arise again. Butch Boucher to help you in the month of problems we are now better understand the February? facing, but with the help The exterior sewer repair problem; the X's are solid of several City divisions was completed by Butch waste material in the pipe. (pg. 22) we were able to complete Boucher, Marcel Lauze, the repair at a minimal Roland Levasseur, Mike cost. When I asked for Robitaille, Keith Martin, assistance with this Tom Freitas, Nathan problem, I was Landry, and Ron overwhelmed by how Bastien. The crew quickly and eagerly they prepared as much as all responded. possible on Friday to minimize overtime on . Sunday. They were able to expose the sewer service in the sidewalk. In-house staff saved money and To minimize the cost, the prevented the need The interior excavation Maintenance Division crew for an inspector work was completed by decided that they would supervising work the Highway Division complete the clean-up completed by the crew which included On Sunday, the after the construction was outside Marcel Roy, Jon Elie, crew started at 6:00 A.M. done. The crew included contractor. They James Norton, Reggie and finished at 4:00 P.M. Jay Arnold, Dave Saucier, Poussard, Tim Cavanagh, As asked, we did check also used many Dan Thibault, and Gilbert Ron Morin, Bob Bolduc, with local contractors to Ringuette. They were also innovative ideas that Bert Cote, Hubbie see if they could do the involved before the saved having to dig Affo, Andy Parker, and work more cost project because they had up the entire street Mike Bernier. The effectively. The quotes to continually clean the and sidewalk. work completed inside the ranged from 13,500 to back-up before we closed library included removing $25,500. To date, the down the library a four-inch concrete slab project has cost about bathrooms. and hand digging a hole $10,000. The trench in that was about 6 feet the street and wide by 10 feet long by 10 sidewalk restoration will feet deep with shovels be completed in the spring for under $3,000. In- house staff saved money and prevented the need for an inspector supervising work completed by the outside Page 3 City Administrator’s Report Orientation Activities During February, I continued working to become familiar with the issues facing Lewiston, meeting with Key staff and others with an interest in Lewiston, and touring City facilities. Specifically, site visits included the Police Department, the Recreation Department and Multi Purpose Center, and the Library, met with a number of citizens and citizen groups, including the residents of Oak Park, attended the open house at the Community Policing Office, the ribbon cutting for Birch Street Senior Housing and the new Bangor Savings branch on Lisbon Street, and spent time with Lucien Gosselin and others associated with the Growth Council. I also had the opportunity to meet with representatives of each of the City’s bargaining units, both to introduce myself and to review with them the projected issues we will be facing in the coming year’s budget. Projects and Major Issues • Council Retreat. Assisted in handling the logistics for a successful day long Council planning session, summarized the results, and distributed the final list of priorities throughout the City. • Budget Preparation. Budget reviews were held with a variety of City Departments as a part of the process of developing a proposed budget for the coming year. This included reviewing departmental proposals on reducing their budget submissions. • Parking Garage. This remained a major issue and required gathering and providing additional information to the City Council and several meetings with representatives of Bates Mill LLC. • Casino Proposal. A referendum proposal was negotiated with representatives of Great Falls and approved by the Council to appear on the June ballot. Following-up on a Council inquiry, worked with the City Attorney to determine, first, that the City Clerk was required to complete validation of signatures on the initiated referendum on this question and, second, that the Council had the authority to not place the initiated language on the ballot due to its technical deficiencies. • Spring Cleanup. Worked with various City staff to redesign the City’s traditional spring cleanup program and to publicize the revised program through local media, selected advertising, and information provided through the Lewiston School System. • Continued to work with Mark McComas on the City’s neighborhood stabilization program, specifically through investigating whether funds available through this program might be used to renovate substandard properties currently owned by the City. This effort is on-going and may result in an amendment to our program to authorize such efforts. • Cooperation with Auburn. Met with Auburn staff to review the status of operating budgets for both communities and to discuss areas of additional possible cooperation. Agreed to schedule meetings where staff from both communities would review the budgets of joint agencies prior to finalizing them for Council consideration. • Presented 5 Year Capital Improvement Program, which was approved by the City Council. Page 4 At the end of the month, the following major issues were pending: • Purchase of Railroad Alley • Marijuana Dispensary location regulations • Proposed Budget for FY2011 • Status of Beech Street Bridge • Status of Pettingill School Page 5 Deputy City Administrator’s Report ¾ Ed Barrett and I have had several discussions with Glenn Aho and Laurie Smith in Auburn regarding the possibility of other joint ventures. If there are any possibilities that could be pursued as part of the ongoing budget discussions in both cities, we want to have something developed soon. Regardless of the prospects for getting things done for the FY 2011 budget, we are certain that there will be other possibilities to bring forward to both city councils for public discussion. ¾ We have undertaken the process of investigating how we can better utilize the internet for online credit card transactions. The hope is that we can bring a system online in July that will not require funding through the city budget and be supported by fees paid by users. More to come. ¾ On February 23rd, the City Council approved the details associated with a city claims process that will allow residents of the White, Bardwell and Newman Street neighborhoods to appeal their insurance claim denials from the Maine Municipal Association and their home insurance company for sewer/stormwater backup damages resulting from rain events July 2, 2009 up to the present date.