The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Maine Town Documents Maine Government Documents 2015 Annual Report of the City of Ellsworth for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Ellsworth, Me. Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/towndocs Repository Citation Ellsworth, Me., "Annual Report of the City of Ellsworth for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015" (2015). Maine Town Documents. 6810. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/towndocs/6810 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine Town Documents by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Annual Report for the City of Ellsworth, Maine Fiscal Year 2015 July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 CAN YOU IDENTIFY THESE ELLSWORTH AREA LANDMARKS? (SEE PAGE 106 FOR THE ANSWERS - NO PEEKING!) 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 5. Front Cover: Mural in Council Chamber painted by local artist Philip Frey. City of Ellsworth Annual Report—Fiscal Year 2015 1 David Cole, City Manager 1 City Hall Plaza ♦ Ellsworth, ME 04605-1942 Phone (207) 669-6616 ♦ Fax (207) 667-4908 www.ellsworthmaine.gov To the Citizens of Ellsworth; Since joining the City of Ellsworth this past August, I’ve come to more fully appreciate every- thing that makes Ellsworth a truly special place to live, work and do business. There are tremendous op- portunities within our reach, which can be best realized by working together -- businesses, government, non-profits and citizens – through a culture of community partnership. This theme came through loud and clear in the City Council’s 2015 visioning process which incorporated the views of over 300 people representing a diverse range of interests. This collective vision was captured in the city’s new Vision Statement, which sees Ellsworth as an “economically, socially and culturally vital, year-round commu- nity”, providing an “exceptional place for business, leisure and life”. Such a vision builds on the community’s distinguishing assets, including its Downtown and Riv- erfront, close-knit neighborhoods, commercial districts, and abundant recreational amenities. It also looks to the future, and building a diversified economy that takes advantage of this existing platform to leverage new opportunities in a changing world. Indeed, the community will probably look back to 2016 as a transformational year for Ellsworth with the long awaited conversion of the former Lowes building by Jackson Laboratory. JAX is investing approximately $120 million to convert the Lowes building into a state-of-the-art mouse production facil- ity which will provide research mice to labs all over the world, and employ 230 people at full build-out. In partnership with the Ellsworth Business Development Corporation, the City is already building on its new association with this world-class bio-science organization with the rollout of the Union River Center for Innovation, which will open its doors in early summer. This 5,000 square foot “Incubator” facility located on Water Street will seek to nurture the start-up and growth of small business ventures in bio-science, information technology and other areas of innovation. The City’s new broadband fiber line will support such innovation at the Incubator facility as well as through-out its three-mile route. We recognize as well that economic development and our quality of place are also dependent on building housing stock that meets the diverse needs of a changing population. With shifting demograph- ics , efforts are underway to better understand the marketplace in Ellsworth, including the 55 and older market, millennials, and workforce needs, among others. Offering the right mix of housing opportunities is key to our future progress and will continue to be a priority focus. The City is working with the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Ellsworth Association to focus on bringing new services, restaurants, cultural and recreational opportunities to Ellsworth’s Down- town, waterfront, and commercial districts. With change comes opportunity…. Ellsworth is poised and pre- pared for both. We are fortunate to have a strong, forward thinking City Council, experienced and dedicated staff, and interested and engaged citi- zens. We invite you to join us at the monthly City Council Meetings or visit our Facebook Page and Website for important information on City business, meeting dates, agendas, events, important tidbits and much more. TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Can You Identify These Ellsworth Area Landmarks? PAGE Inside Front Cover City Manager’s Report 1 Table of Contents 2 Federal & State Representative & Local Government Contact Information 3 Annual Report Letters from Senators and State Representatives 4-7 General Information and City of Ellsworth Contact Information 8-13 Committee, Elected Officials, and Appointed Officials Listings 14 COMMISSION, COMMITTEE & PARTNERSHIP REPORTS: PAGES 15-21 Chamber of Commerce Report 16 Harbor Commission Report 17 Historic Preservation Commission Report 18-19 Housing Authority Report 20 Recreation Commission Report 21 CITY DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS: (Knowlton Park Photo Gallery Page 22) PAGES 23-70 Assessing Department Report 24-25 City Clerk Report 26-27 Code Enforcement Report 28 Economic Development Report 29-30 Facilities Department 31 Finance Department Report 32-33 Fire Department Report 34-39 General Assistance Program Report 40 Harbormaster’s Report 41-42 Library Report 43-44 Planning Department Report 45-46 Police Department Report 47-53 Public Works Department Report 54-56 Registrar of Voters Report 57-58 Technology Department Report 59 Transfer Station/Recycling Center Report 60-61 Wastewater Department Report 62 Water Department Report 63-67 Watershed Steward Report 68-70 ELLSWORTH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT REPORTS: PAGES 71-84 Superintendent’s Report 72-73 Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School 74-75 Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction Report 76 Ellsworth High School Report 77 Ellsworth Adult Education Report 78 Hancock County Technical Center Report 79 School Department Employee Earnings Report 80-84 CITY DATA: PAGES 85-123 Tax Lien Balances 86-105 Personal Property Tax Balances 107-111 City Employee Earnings Report 112-117 City Council Action Report 118-123 AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORTS: PAGES 124-138 Municipal Government in Maine—How it Works! Inside Back Cover City Council Photo Album Back Cover 3 City of Ellsworth Annual Report—Fiscal Year 2015 Federal and State Representative & Local Contact Information (as of 12/31/2015) Federal Representatives State Representatives Senator Susan Collins (R) Governor Paul LePage (R) 413 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Office of the Governor Washington, D.C. 20510 1 State House Station 202-224-2523 Augusta, ME 04333 Local: 202 Harlow St., Room 204 207-287-3531 Bangor, ME 04401 Email: www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/ 207-945-0417 citizen_services/ideas-suggestions.shtml Email: www.collins.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email Senator Brian D. Langley (R) Senator Angus King (I) 3 State House Station 188 Russell Senate Office Building Augusta, ME 04333 Washington, D. C. 20510 1-800-423-6900 (202) 224-5344 207 287-1505 (Augusta, ME) 1-800-432-1599 Email: [email protected] Email: www.king.senate.gov Rep. Louis J. Luchini (D) (District 38) Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R) House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District 2 State House Station 426 Canon House Office Building Augusta, ME 04333-0002 Washington, D.C. 20515 1-800-423-2900 202-225-6306 207-287-1400 (Voice) 207-287-4469(TTY) Fax: 202-225-2943 Local: PO Box 1311 Local: 6 State Street Suite 101 Ellsworth, ME 04605 Bangor, ME 04401 207-664-4699 / [email protected] 207-942-0583 Email: [email protected] Fax: 207-942-7101 Website: Poliquin.house.gov (Maine Legislative Internet Web Site: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house District Attorney County Government Matthew J. Foster, Esq. Hancock County Commissioners 70 State Street 50 State Street Ellsworth, ME 04605 Ellsworth, ME 04605 207-667-4621 207-667-9542 Hancock County Courthouse located at: 60 State Street Ellsworth, ME 04605 (207) 667-7141 City of Ellsworth Annual Report—Fiscal Year 2015 4 Dear Friends: It is an honor to represent Maine in the United States Senate. I am grateful for the trust the people of our State have placed in me and welcome this opportunity to share some key accomplishments from 2015. Growing the economy by encouraging job creation was and remains my top priority. The tax-relief bill signed into law at the close of last year contains three key provisions I authored to help foster job creation and provide small businesses with the certainty they need to invest, grow, and, most important, hire new workers. Another provision I au- thored that became law last year gives a boost to both Maine’s economy and traffic safety. This provision permanently changed the federal law that previously had forced the heaviest trucks onto our country roads and downtown streets, rather than allowing them to use Maine’s federal Interstates. In addition, I was glad to help secure another significant award for the University of Maine’s deepwater offshore wind initiative, which has the potential to advance an emerging industry and create thousands of good jobs in our state. Maine’s historic contributions to our nation’s defense must continue. In 2015, I secured funding toward a much -needed additional Navy destroyer, likely to be built at Bath Iron Works. Modernization projects at the Portsmouth Na- val Shipyard that I have long advocated for were also completed, as were projects for the Maine National Guard. I was also deeply involved in crafting the new education reform law to better empower states and communities in setting educational policy for their students. The law also extends a program I co-authored that provides additional assistance to rural schools, which has greatly benefitted our state. A $250 tax deduction I authored in 2002 for teachers who spend their own money on classroom supplies was also made permanent last year.