PUBLIC HEARING – July 6, 2009
Mayor Bertrand opened and called to order the duly advertised and scheduled public hearing to accept public comments at approximately 7:29 p.m.
1. Resolution 2009-25 Authorizing the Police Commission to Apply for and Accept $42,032 for from the USDOJ for Specialized Police Equipment. No public comments.
2. Resolution 2009-26 Authorizing an Application for a $500,000 CDBG Grant to Continue the Neighborhood Revitalization Project:
Andre F Caron, Housing Coordinator for the City of Berlin presented the following:
This evening you will shortly have the task deliberating on the approval of Resolution 2009-26 which authorizes an application for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to continue the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Project (BNRP). The continuance of this project is vital to the revitalization of Berlin neighborhoods.
As documented in a study conducted by AHEAD of Littleton, our neighborhoods are in need of $10,000,000 in repair, much of it unseen to the public. While the BNRP has expended over $200,000 and scheduled to spend over $300,000 to complete the revitalization of 25 buildings affecting 34 living units, it has only illuminated how badly we need to continue. The current program has started to make a dent in this need and is especially focused on residents living on low fixed incomes. This grant application will allow us to continue aiding people who live in unsafe and many times drafty homes with the financial and building expertise needed for them to live in a safe and warm home.
We ask for your support in passing this resolution.
In addition, we request that the Mayor and Council reaffirm and readopt the City’s Housing and Community Development Plan. The City’s Housing and Community Development plan in addition to continued development, has as a policy that the involuntary displacement of households from their neighborhoods shall be minimized with numerous short and long term goals related to housing and neighborhood development.
We also request that the Mayor and Council review reaffirm and readopt the Residential Antidisplacement and Relocation Plan. We do not anticipate any displacement as a result of this project but should the need arise; the City will comply with the Residential AntiDisplacemnt and Relocation Assistance Plan. The planned rehabilitations will be accomplished without the need to relocate residents.
3. CDBG Progress Public Hearing for the Neighborhood Revitalization Project funded in part by a $350,000 Community Development Block Grant.
Andre F Caron, Housing Coordinator for the City of Berlin presented the following:
As a requirement of our $350,000 Community Development Block Grant known as the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Program, a formal public progress hearing must be held to answer any question or receive any public comment germane to the project.
The Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Program is coming to a close and is seen by many parties to be a very successful endeavor. To date we expended over $200,000 in our local community, have contracted for over $288,000 in work and have worked on or working to complete the revitalization of 25 buildings affecting 34 living units. In our original CDBG application we committed to revitalize 25 living units, an objective we exceeded by 36%.
In completing these repairs we found that the need for this program is greater than anticipated, the buildings in poorer conditions and the applicants in much need for this type of assistance.
This work could not have been done without the tremendous help from Kathy McCosh of Tri-County CAP who not only acted as the general contractor but also, to date, has added another $30,000 to the above funds. Another major partner in this endeavor is Janice Gingras of USDA-Rural Development who also contributed an additional $17,000 to the project.
I want to also thank the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee who met monthly and helped guide the project through the maze of issues encountered to date. The members include Dave Morin (Chairman), Pam Laflamme, Mary-Jo Landry, Maurice Pelchat David Wood, Ronald Beaudoin, Janice Gingras, Kathy McCosh, Cathy Conway and Alison Findsen.
We are currently seeking to re-allocate any left over administrative funds to continue helping the individuals that have signed up to date. We currently have a backlog of 40 applicants with no funds to complete the work and therefore will apply for another CDBG Grant to continue this worthwhile program
Does anyone in the public have any comment or questions? Does the Mayor or any of the Councilors have any questions?
4. Community Revitalization Tax Relief – Scott & Heather Gregory DBA Winterland Marketplace
Andre F Caron, Housing Coordinator for the City of Berlin commented that he would encourage more people to apply for this tax relief incentive. This program is a great opportunity to help our downtown and to revitalize the City of Berlin. He asked for Council support.
There being no one else wishing to speak for or against the subject matters, Mayor Bertrand closed the public hearing at approximately 7:38 p.m.
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING – JULY 6, 2009
Mayor Bertrand called the regular City Council Meeting to order at approximately 7:38 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.~ The pledge of allegiance to the flag preceded roll call. Present: Councilors Remillard, Landry, McCue, Lafleur, Evans, Goudreau and Cayer. Councilor Poulin was absent. Also present: City Manager MacQueen, Pam Laflamme, Andre Caron and the press.
Minutes, Previous Meetings
Mayor Bertrand requested that an amendment be made in the Regular Meeting Minutes of June 15, under City Manager’s Report, first section “Neighborhood Stabilization Program Updates” to strike the entire last sentence. Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to accept the minutes of the 06/15/09 WS; 06/15/09 amended Regular Meeting minutes and 06/22/09 WS. So moved, the motion carried.
Disbursements:
It was recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims to pay all bills dated 6/18/09–6/30/2009 for a total cash disbursement of $3,082,879.84 Draft #1594, year end.~ Councilor Goudreau moved with a second by Councilor Remillard to accept the year end disbursement summary and pay all bills as recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims. So moved, the motion carried.
Councilor Goudreau moved with a second by Councilor Remillard to accept the new year beginning disbursement summary start date 7/01/09–7/08/2009 total cash disbursement of $525,908.44 draft #1595 and pay all bills as recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims. ~So moved, the motion carried.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: No public comments
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Council Committee Reports. No Reports.
2. Resolution 2009-25 Authorizing the Berlin Police Commission to apply for and accept Forty-Two Thousand, Thirty-Two Dollars ($42,032) in grant funds from the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, for the Berlin Police Department Justice Award Grant and appropriating such funds to the Police Department for the purpose of the grant. (Tabled 6/15/09)
Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as Follows:
Whereas the safety of Berlin’s citizens is imperative; and
Whereas funds are available for specialized equipment for enhanced police services; and
Whereas the Berlin Police Department increasingly relies on the integration of emerging technologies and equipment to improve jurisdictional capabilities to deter and prevent criminal activity; and
Whereas the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs will provide $42,032.00 in grant funds to the Berlin Police Department for the purpose of purchasing specialized equipment to enhance law enforcement capabilities.
Now therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin, NH, that the Berlin Police Commission is authorized to apply for and accept funds from the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs for the Berlin Police Department Justice Award Grant. Further, that upon receipt of the $42,032.00 grant, it shall be appropriated to the Berlin Police Department for the purpose of effectuating said grant. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to remove the resolution from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to have the resolution read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to pass the resolution. Roll call resulted in unanimous affirmative votes of Council including Mayor Bertrand who declared the resolution, now passed.
3. Resolution 2009-26 Authorizing an application to the Community Development Block Grant Program for a Five Hundred Thousand Dollar ($500,000) grant to rehabilitate and revitalize properties within the City of Berlin and continue the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Project. (tabled 6/15/09)
Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as Follows:
Whereas, a housing revitalization assessment completed in five targeted areas by the Berlin Housing Coordinator and AHEAD Inc. (Affordable Housing, Education And Development) of Littleton, has identified and documented a need to assist homeowners in making repairs to their homes and the documentation shows that 35% of the properties assessed were in need of some repairs; and
Whereas, the City is eligible, community wide, for CDBG funds based on data from Census 2000 documenting that 54% of Berlin residents are of low to moderate income levels; and
Whereas, the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Project has been very successful in helping rehabilitate over 30 living units and the project has already received more applications for these services than the current $350,000 CDBG grant and the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Project can fund; and
Whereas, all grant proceeds will be deposited with the City Treasurer and any additional use of the funds beyond the scope of work as listed in the application shall require prior approval of the City Council.
Now Therefore Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as Follows: The City Council hereby adopts/re-adopts the attached Housing and Community Development Plan and the City Council hereby adopts/re-adopts the attached Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan. Be it further resolved that the City Manager is authorized to sign and submit an application to the Community Development Block Grant Program for a Five Hundred Thousand Dollar ($500,000.00) grant to rehabilitate and revitalize properties within the City of Berlin and continue the Berlin Neighborhood Revitalization Project. Further, that the City Manager is authorized to receive said grant and do all things necessary to effectuate it, and the grant proceeds are hereby appropriated, in addition to all other funds, for the purpose of the
grant. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to remove the resolution from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to have the resolution read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to pass the resolution. Roll call resulted in unanimous affirmative votes of Council including Mayor Bertrand who declared the resolution, now passed.
4. Community Revitalization Tax Relief Decision for Winterland Marketplace (tabled 6/15/09)
Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Lafleur to remove the subject matter from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Lafleur to grant the tax relief for a period of five (5) years and that the public benefits for this relief are: it enhances the economic vitality of downtown and it promotes the development of municipal centers; and to authorize staff to proceed with the application process and second, to fulfill the requirements of signing the covenant. So moved, the motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
5. Ordinance 2009-06 amending the Code of Ordinances by deleting in its entirety the existing Chapter 17 Zoning and Land Use and substituting in lieu thereof a new Chapter 17 re-numerated to be consistent with the existing Code of Ordinances of the City of Berlin. (1st read)
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to have the ordinance read by short title only due its length and to have copies available for public review at the City Clerk’s Office. So moved, the motion carried.
- Councilor Lafleur moved with a second by Councilor McCue to table the ordinance and schedule a public hearing on July 20, 2009. So moved, the motion carried.
6. Resolution 2009-27 accepting a grant of Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred Dollars ($13,200) from the Neil and Louise Tillotson fund of the NH Charitable Foundation for the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce. (1st read)
- Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Remillard to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on July 20, 2009. So moved, the motion carried.
7. Resolution 2009-28 authorizing an application for an Economic Development Community Development Block Grant of up to Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000). (1st read)
- Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Remillard to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on July 20, 2009. So moved, the motion carried.
8. Resolution 2009-29 authorizing the acceptance by the City of Berlin, on behalf of BIDPA, of the donation of the former Rite Aid Drug Store parcel and building at 145 Main Street in Downtown Berlin to be improved and leased to multiple business tenants pursuant to the Chapter Laws of 1925 and RSA 162-G. (1st read)
- Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Goudreau to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on July 20, 2009. So moved, the motion carried.
9. City Manager’s Report
BOP Signed Contract
Signed contract, dated June 26, received from the Bureau of Prisons for the sewer connection and improvement project. The amount of the contract the BOP is willing to pay for is $8.5M. The project is larger than this and we will have to either pare it down to the amount we have available or find additional funding sources. We will look at phasing the project so we don't build more than we have funding for.
Assessing Update
Letters went out on a random basis to a number of citizens from the City’s assessing contractor. Avitar will schedule appointments for an interior review of properties. Citizens who received a letter like the attached are asked to call 752-5245 between Tuesday, July 7, 2009 and Friday July 10th 2009 between 8:30am to noon and 1pm to 4:30pm to arrange an appointment.
Part-time Employment Agreement
I have entered into a temporary part-time employment agreement with Blandine Shallow to provide Finance Director services to the City on a basis not to exceed 34 hours each week. The agreement makes clear that it is not a permanent fulltime position subject to the NHRS and that either party may terminate it at any time with 120 days notice to the other party. I have had quite a few conversations and some correspondence with the NHRS since April on this matter and on some of the notices they have put out. From everything I can determine and everything they have relayed to me, it boils down to the requirement that the retired person work no more than 34 hours per week.
Rotary Park Boat Ramp Grant
We received an acknowledgement that the application for a boat launch at Rotary Park made it through the first step of the funding process; however we are waiting to hear if Congress allocates funding.
Letter of Intent
We submitted letters of intent which were due by July 1st to North Country Council which is the starting point for the NH DOT for Transportation Enhancement funding for the Hutchins Street Project. The part of the project that would be eligible for this funding is about $400,000. Our request to Senator Shaheen's office for $1M toward this project is still under consideration by both the House and the Senate.
Fire Station Grant Application
Stimulus funding is now available to fund building new fire stations or re-building existing fire stations. This week, we will apply for $5M in funding from this source to see if we can obtain funding to remodel and expand the existing fire station at the existing location. As you might imagine the competition for these funds among municipalities will be fierce and again you get points for being shovel ready which we are not. However, we have a lot of things going for us on this one as well and we intend to go after it.
Second Mill Site Tour
A second mill site tour was given on June 23rd. This time the tour went inside the boiler structure to view its inner workings as well as look at the grounds.
Library News
The Children’s Summer Reading Program, “Summertime and the Reading is Easy” is in full swing. This is a 6-week summer reading program that includes a Ranger visit, Fire Department tour, Guest readers, Clif Book presentation and closing party.
Ladder Cart.
The Barnstable, MA. Fire Department reported they have a ladder cart that belongs to Berlin New Hampshire in their museum. The Museum is closing and they want to return items to their original owners. We are looking for paperwork to prove the ladder cart originally belonged to the Berlin Fire Department.
The Future of Success
A forum on the future of success was held at WMCC last Wednesday evening hosted by the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Conservation Fund, the Mahoosuc Initiative and the Appalachian Mountain Club. It reviewed the close to three million that has been received in grants by the Mahoosuc initiative to obtain easements over the Dillon land which makes up most of Success for the purpose of preserving the land from other types of development. One of the purposes of the forum was to take input from people who are familiar and have interest in Success. From my perspective, I think Berlin needs to explore whether there is any possibility of getting some type of link between Berlin and Sunday River which is only 8-10 miles away from Berlin as the crow flies.
Thunder in the Mountains and Car Rally
As the Council is aware from the presentation at the last work session, Thunder in the Mountains and New England Car Rally are both the weekend of July 18-19.
Source to the Sea
The Androscoggin River Watershed Council sponsors an annual canoe trip down the Androscoggin River. Paddling events will be held 7/09-8/23 from the source to the sea. Events are open to the public with one of these being at the Heritage Park on Saturday, August 8th. Attached is information on this canoe trip.
Cleveland Bridge Mowing
Kim Lambert who does much of the summer mowing around town volunteered to mow the Cleveland Bridge area for the 4th of July without charge. Kudos to Kim.
Building Permits Required.
We have put the following blurb on our web site and are trying to publicize it since many people are not aware when a building permit is required and when it is not. Building Permits are required for:
- Swimming Pools over 24 inches deep; Fences over 4 feet; Siding; Commercial Signs
Building permits are also needed for the normal structural, plumbing, electrical or mechanical changes that people make to their homes and buildings. If in doubt contact the City Code Enforcement Officer, Joe Martin at 752-1630
AVRRDD Expansion
On June 25, 2009 the City was notified by the AVRRDD that they are seeking to expand the footprint of the Mt. Carberry landfill by 28 acres.
Legislative Matters
The State has adopted its budget pretty much along the lines we expected. The City is shorted approximately $1.1 M in funds it should have received in this State budget. We have already anticipated that in our budget. What we did not anticipate was the Governor's deferral of 20% State Aid Grant Funding (SAG) for wastewater treatment projects such as the BOP project. That will be harder to deal with.
Public Works/WWT Report
Attached
Manager Time Off and Time Keeping Attached
I will be leaving for Ohio on Wednesday and returning on Sunday. Pam Laflamme will be Acting Manager in my absence. My time keeping for the month is attached.
Councilor McCue inquired about the status of the burned out Main Street property. City Manager MacQueen replies the 155-B process is running its course. The bid for the wall work did not cover work being done.
Andre Caron, Housing Coordinator, added that he spoke to the owner (Mr. Kandel) who will allow the City to do anything they want to do. Mr. Caron is reluctant to do anything until the 155-B process is finalized.
Mayor Bertrand asked the City Manager if the contract we sent to the Bureau of Prisons has a specific timeline?
City Manager MacQueen replied it is included in the agreement. They plan to temporarily hook-up in the Industrial Park sometime in December. It realistically might not be completed until 2011-2012.
Mayor Bertrand next asked how the city officially would give input about creating an eastern link from Success to Berlin?
According to the City Manager, they first need to establish if there is any type of physical connection.
Mayor Bertrand concluded that what happens on the Success Property could potentially restrict Berlin. An eastern link to Berlin should be pursued now to secure future transportation needs.
Councilor Evans moved with a second by Councilor Goudreau to accept the City Manager’s Report and place it on file. So moved, the motion carried.
10. Public Comments - No Public Comments.
11. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilor McCue shared a bit of trivia. On Wednesday, at five minutes and six seconds after 4:00 a.m. the time and the date line up ie: 04, 05, 06, 07…
12. Mayor’s Report No Report
13 Adjournment:
There being no further business before the Mayor and Council at this time, Councilor Cayer moved with a second by Councilor Evans to adjourn the regular meeting. So moved, Mayor Bertrand declared the Regular Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:28 p.m.
A True Record, Attest:
Debra A. Patrick, CMC
City Clerk
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