PUBLIC HEARING – FEBRUARY 5, 2007
Ordinance: Sewer; Resolution PD Underage Drinking Grant.
Mayor Danderson opened the floor to public comments regarding the above noted subject matters at 7:30 p.m. There being no one wishing to speak for or against the subjects, Mayor Danderson closed the public hearing at approximately 7:31
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING _ MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007
Mayor Danderson opened the regular City Council Meeting at 7:31 pm. The pledge of allegiance to the flag preceded roll call. Present at roll call: Councilors Nelson, Danderson, Lafleur, Cusson, Roy and Grenier. Councilors Donovan and Poulin were absent. Also present: City Manager MacQueen, Ray Chagnon, Mark Evans, Ms. Laflamme from FCCLA and the press.
Minutes, Previous Meetings - Councilor Roy moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to accept the minutes of the 1/15/07 WS; 1/15/07 Regular Meeting; 1/22/07 Special Meeting; 1/22/07 WS; 1/29/07 WS. So moved, the motion carried.
Disbursements: It was recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims that all bills start date 1/16/2007; end date 2/05/2007 be paid for a total cash disbursement of: $2,344,594.03 Draft #1534. Councilor Nelson moved with a second by Councilor Danderson accept the disbursement summary and pay all bills as recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims. So moved, the motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: No public comments
1. Council Committee Reports. No reports.
2. Ordinance deleting Chapter 16, Utilities, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Berlin in its entirety and substituting the following new Chapter 16, Utilities in lieu thereof. (tabled 1/15/07)
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows:
Due to the length of the ordinance, it will not be included in the minutes. Copies are available for public review in the City Clerk’s Office.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to remove the ordinance from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to have the ordinance read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to have the ordinance read a third time by tile only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to pass the ordinance. Roll call resulted in unanimous affirmative votes including Mayor Danderson who declared the ordinance now passed.
3. Resolution honoring the service of Raymond Chagnon to the City of Berlin (tabled 1/15/07)
Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows:
- Whereas, Ray Chagnon has served his home City of Berlin on the City Council from 1979-1991 and from 2001-2006, a period of 17 years; and
- Whereas, Ray Chagnon has also served his community in other ways, including serving on the Berlin Police Commission from 1993–2003 and serving as Berlin’s representative to the AVRRDD including serving as the Chairman of the agency; and
- Whereas, Ray Chagnon always fulfilled his civic responsibilities with dedication, conscientiousness, competence, hard work, gentlemanly decorum and courtesy as well as a great sense of humor; and
- Whereas, Ray’s positive attitude and uncompromising principles have guided the City through tumultuous times; and
- Whereas, Ray Chagnon is greatly admired by his peers and respected by his constituents; and
- Whereas, the City of Berlin is a far better place for having had the long and dedicated service of Ray Chagnon; and
- Whereas, Ray Chagnon has chosen to reduce the level of his long involvement of service to his community in spite of the fact that his presence will be sadly missed. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Mayor and Council of the City of Berlin hereby recognize and honor Ray Chagnon for his many years of dedicated service to the City of Berlin and for setting a high standard of civic excellence and statesmanship. Be it further resolved that the Mayor and Council hereby recognize Betty Chagnon for supporting her husband throughout the years that Ray has contributed to the City of Berlin. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to remove the resolution from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to have the resolution read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to have the resolution read a third time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to pass the resolution. So moved, the motion carried and Mayor Danderson declared the resolution now passed.
4. Resolution increasing the Berlin Police Department=s Underage Drinking Grant (30-420-908-1000) budget appropriation for fiscal year 2006-2007 by Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-Five Dollars to be offset by additional grant revenues from the US Department of Justice of underage drinking details (30-364-602-0018).(tabled 1/15/07) Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows:
- Whereas, a resolution was previously passed which authorizes the Berlin Police Commission to apply for and accept grant funds from the US Department of Justice for underage drinking patrols; and
- Whereas, supplemental grant funds have since become available to conduct additional underage drinking patrols during the period of April 1, 2007 to May 31, 2007. Now therefore be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin, NH that the sum of Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-Five Dollars ($4,685.00) is hereby appropriated to the Police Department budget for expenses related to underage drinking patrols; and further that the above sum is in addition to all other previously appropriated funds for the Berlin Police Department Fiscal Year 2007 Budget. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to remove the resolution from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to have the resolution read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to have the resolution read a third time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Roy to pass the resolution. So moved, the motion passed and Mayor Danderson declared the resolution now passed.
5. Mayor=s Report:
- Proclamation: FCCLA week February 12-16, 2007.
- Council Committee Appointments. Mayor will discuss with Councilor Cusson before any appointment decision is made.
- Mayor Danderson met with members of DRED about a call center wishing to locate their business in Berlin. They are not telemarketers but a company doing call work for insurance companies and the like and would like to tap into Berlin’s job marked. The Mayor will meet with them again in the future.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to accept the Mayor’s oral and written report and place it on file. So moved, the motion carried.
6. Resolution appropriating One Hundred Nine Thousand Dollars ($109,000) from UFB to the Fy’07 budget line 01-480-905-0002 and authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with George E. Sansoucy who will provide up to date assessed values for the former mill property hydros and utilities in Berlin. (1st read)
- Councilor Grenier, at a minimum, wants to have a clarification to add the Board of Assesors to the resolution. Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on February 19, 2007. So moved, the motion carried.
7. Resolution appropriating Three Hundred Thirteen Thousand, Three Hundred Sixty-Three Dollars ($313,363) to the School Department updating the following Federal Project funding. (1st read)
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Lafleur to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on February 19, 2007. So moved, the motion carried.
8. Resolution authorizing an application to the “Safe Havens: supervised Visitation & Safe Exchange Program” for a three year development grant in the amount of up to Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000) (1st read-Rules Suspended) Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows:
- Whereas, the Department of Justice is offering grant funds to provide for communities to support the supervised visitation and safe exchange of children in situations involving domestic violence; and
- Whereas, the grant must be applied for by a unit of government; and
- Whereas, Coos County Family Health Services will be implementing the program on behalf of the City. Now therefore be it resolved that the City Council of the City of Berlin authorizes the City Manager to apply for a grant of up to Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000) for the planning and implementation of a "Safe Havens" grant in the City of Berlin. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to read the resolution a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to suspend the rules of Council to allow the resolution to move onto its final passage. Roll call resulted in unanimous affirmative votes with the exception of Councilor Roy who voted No. The rules were suspended.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to have the resolution read a third time by title only. Councilor Roy voted No. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Grenier moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to pass the resolution at this time. Roll call resulted in unanimous affirmative votes of Council with the exception of Mayor Danderson and Councilor Roy who voted no. Mayor Danderson declared the resolution passed.
9. Other. Nothing in Other
10. City Manager's Report
- Pulp Mill Taxes have been paid for this year.
- Dead River Channel Project.
- High School & Jr. High Projects. The students conducted a recycling survey and the results will be shared with Public Works Director Ernie Allain.
- Housing Inspections. Governor Lynch met with the State Deputy Fire Marshall on January 11 to discuss compliance about multi-family dwellings.
- Aver & Chamber. Aver received a $20,000 grant to hire consulting assistance to figure the future of both organizations and their respective roles in the City. Jim Wagner was hired by Aver.
- PSNH Meeting. The Police Department received a $240,000 homeland security grant to install wireless internet to link them with a laptop. The problem was to install these on the PSNH/Verizon utility poles but after meeting with PSNH, it was resolved.
- DES Public Meeting. Scheduled at City Hall February 27 to review/educate the public on the clean up project and the fish advisory.
- AVRRDD annual report attached.
- Primex Risk Management Training. March 1 at City Hall on Building & Maintaining a Positive Risk-Management Culture.
- City Manager's Time attached.
- Councilor Roy moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to accept/file the City Manager's Report as read by the City Manager. So moved, the motion carried.
11. Public Comments - Natalie Laflamme, FCCLA representative, reported the organization is action with many community projects. Ms. Laflamme thanked the Mayor and Council for bringing FCCLA attention to the citizens of Berlin.
12. Council Comments
- Councilor Grenier asked about the liability the city faces if a property has life safety code issues and is not shut down or the time it takes to fix the situation is not met if we are aware of the deficiency. It is definitely a gray area.
- City Manager MacQueen replied that the liability issue is shared with the State. Decisions with the Fire Marshall's office are a joint decision in an effort to clean up properties.
- Councilor Grenier would support the City Manager and City Attorney drafting some type of performance bond for about $25,000 assessed to out of town property owners in an effort to clean up buildings. As it stands now, the taxpayers foot the bill and the city loses.
- On another matter, Councilor Grenier reminded the Mayor and Council that last year they voted down the George Sansoucy agreement from the budget. They should have given Councilor Grenier more credence regarding the issue but he was blown off. Now the city is spending money from Unappropriated Fund Balance.
- Mayor Danderson replied that they gambled with that issue last year, and lost.
13. Adjournment
- There being no further business, Councilor Roy moved with a second by Councilor Nelson to adjourn the meeting. So moved, the meeting ended at 8:16 p.m.
A TRUE RECORD, ATTEST:
Debra A. Patrick, CMC
City Clerk
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