PUBLIC HEARING – October 4, 2010
Mayor Grenier opened and called to order the duly advertised and scheduled public hearing to accept public comments on the below noted resolution at approximately 7:27 p.m.
- Resolution 2010-40 Authorizing application to the EPA for $200,000 for Asbestos Studies.
Andre Caron, Housing Coordinator, strongly recommends that the Mayor and Council pass this resolution. In the past, they have applied to acquire money for contaminants and removal and over one million dollars has been spent recently in the city.
There being no one else wishing to speak for or against the above noted resolution, Mayor Grenier closed the public hearing portion of the meeting at approximately 7:29 p.m.
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING – OCTOBER 4, 2010
Mayor Grenier called the regular City Council Meeting to order at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.~ The pledge of allegiance to the flag preceded roll call. Present: Councilors Remillard, McCue, Danderson, Evans, and Cayer. Councilors Landry, Rozek and Poulin were absent. For the record, Councilors Landry and Rozek informed the Mayor prior to the meeting that they would be absent tonight. Also present: Pat MacQueen, Sue Tremblay, Andre Caron, citizens and the press.
Minutes, Previous Meetings
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to accept the minutes of the 9/20/10 WS & Regular Meeting and 9/27/10 Special Meeting/Work Session. So moved, the motion carried
Disbursements:
The Committee on Accounts/Claims recommends paying all bills dated 9/23/10–10/06/2010 for a total cash disbursement of $2,031,333.56 Manifest #1626.~ Councilor Remillard moved with a second by Councilor McCue to 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.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Council Committee Reports – No Reports
2. Resolution 2010-40 Authorizing an application to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant for the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) to provide for Phase I and Phase II assessments of potentially contaminated properties. (tabled 9/27/10) Resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows:
Whereas, contaminated properties are known to exist within the City of Berlin; and
Whereas, the City can use these funds to assist in the economic development of contaminated properties by funding Phase I and Phase II studies; and
Whereas, the City or other entities needing Cleanup Grant Assistance under United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program must have Phase I and Phase II studies completed; and
Whereas, the City of Berlin can start to address the remediation process of contaminated properties by funding Phase I and Phase II studies. Now therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Berlin as follows: That the City Manager is authorized to sign and submit an application to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant for the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000).
Further, that the City Manager is authorized to receive said grant, if awarded, and do all things necessary to effectuate it and the grant proceeds, if awarded, are hereby appropriated, for the purpose of the grant. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after passage.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to remove the resolution from the table at this time. So moved, the motion carried.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to have the resolution read a second time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to read the resolution a third time by title only. So moved, the motion carried.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to pass the resolution. So moved, the motion carried and Mayor Grenier declared the resolution passed.
NEW BUSINESS
3 . City Manager’s Report
CIP Review
Because most of the early CIP is in the bond issue and because other things were getting the way, I was thinking of this year foregoing the CIP process that we have carried out every year. However, I decided to try to get it in on a somewhat abbreviated basis so this week meetings with all the Departments are scheduled for its review and update. Hopefully, we will have it to the Council for the meeting on the 18th.
12th Street Bridge Project
The project is moving along as planned with all asphalt having been removed on the first day it was closed. 80% of the cement that needs to be removed has been removed. They are waiting for delivery of the new expansion joints and hope to start pouring cement in the next couple of weeks. So far, there have been no surprises to delay the project.
Hutchins Street Realignment
Mike Perreault and I met with HEB last week to review the planning and design of this project which we hope to construct this coming summer. HEB will be providing us with a contract to moving forward with the design. NHDOT has been up to learn more about the project and walk the site. At the moment the major delay is waiting for EPA to provide data about subsurface contamination which we all need to know before moving forward. We hope to have this data in the spring hopefully in time to be able to move forward with the project in the remaining construction season.
I&I
We just received the environmental study approvals from RD and NHDES for the I&I work to be completed on the sewer line from the Armory Pump Station to the Dairy Bar and on the east side. Getting all of the work done this year is obviously tight and heavily weather dependent. Wet weather is what we don't want for this work. We are going to keep plowing forward with it though to see how far we can get this year. What we don't do this year, we will complete next year.
NH OEP KEMA Draft Report
This report was distributed and reviewed today at a meeting of the North Country Transmission Commission at the White Mountain Community College. The purpose of the report is to lay the groundwork to hopefully begin to be able to achieve agreement or at least some consensus on how to allocate transmission costs (for Coos Loop improvements) beyond the methods specified in the existing regulations. The existing regulations require that such investments be borne by the generating participants. We have a copy of the report which was commissioned by the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning if anyone would like to see it. They hired the KEMA consulting firm from to carry it out.
NADC Tax Case Hearing
The NADC tax case was heard in the Superior Court in Lancaster before Judge Vaughn on all day Tuesday and in the morning on Wednesday the 21st and 22nd of September. The City was represented by City Attorney Chris Boldt and the City's expert utility assessor and expert witness George Sansoucy. I was called by to the stand by NADC on Tuesday for a very short time. We hope that a decision on this will come down this month.
Police Department Back Up Generator
The backup generator in the Police Department can no longer adequately handle the loads required of it and the PD is receiving FEMA funding to replace it. A meeting was held with Lee Carroll to begin to develop a specification for this replacement as well as some electrical work in the building in order that this work can be put out to bid.
Fire Department Alarm System Master Box
The Fire Department is looking at a system to replace its failing Master Box system on the alarm system. At the moment it is looking at going with a wireless system which would seem to have great potential and eliminate a lot of costs.
Riverfire Heating Up
Plans for Riverfire this year are really big. The Chamber, Main Street, Theatre North and the NFHP as you know, are doing some ambitious planning for this year's event. In addition to all the normal stuff, they have hot air balloon rides, haunted houses, lots of carved pumpkins and a fireworks show planned. They are also guaranteeing good weather.
Berlin, Germany
Today I had a call from Frau Grier from Berlin, Germany. She just called out of the blue and wanted to strike up some kind of partnership between Berlin, NH and Berlin, Germany. She related quite a history with the German Airlift during the heating up of the Cold War after WWII. She is coming to Woodsville, NH to her relatives soon and plans to visit us. I told her to let us know when she gets her and we would be glad to meet with her and hear her ideas.
PWD Monthly Report; Manager's Timekeeping available for review in the City Manager’s Office.
Councilor McCue asked the City Manager if the Fire Department wireless Master Box system will interfere with their phone service since they have experienced problems in the past. The City Manager replied that they have funds in their budget to replace their phone system.
Councilor McCue asked what mold exposure the PWD crew was exposed to. The City Manager replied that there was a mold problem where the election equipment was stored.
Councilor Danderson asked if the Fire Department Master boxes are only for fire boxes on the street. The City Manager replied no, it handles everything.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Evans to accept the City Manager’s Report and place it on file. So moved, the motion carried
4. Mayor’s Report
Mayor Grenier attended some of the Lumberjack Festival this past weekend and the Northern Forest Heritage Park outdid themselves. They did a nice job and there were lots of people out there. It is nice to see Heritage Park pick themselves up and it is encouraging to see the difference from when they were established and how the city always put money into it. There has been a change of guard and it has turned over. Finally, the community is starting to embrace the park since every weekend something is going on there.
Mayor Grenier then discussed the Fraser Mill sale and how disappointed he was after all the work done by Merchant Bank and others. He informed Council that the mill had two suitors today, there is another tomorrow and five have expressed interest in the property unlike in May when Merchant Bank was the only one. The AVRRDD Solid Waste District permitted the natural gas pipeline which makes it sellable and a smart business move. They may have a limited layoff time between the thirteenth depending on the bankruptcy court and if they have something concrete in hand. The Mayor met with the Governor and George Ball to develop a plan to move forward. The Governor made it clear that demolition bids will not be accepted in the near future and Senator Shaheen’s Office is also helping. Mayor Grenier without being
able to go into much detail, advised people not to get discouraged because the situation is not as bleak as the papers led it to be.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to accept/file the Mayor’s Report. So moved, the motion carried.
5. Public Comments No public comments.
6. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilor McCue agrees that this year RiverFire will be a big event and most of it is happening at the Northern Forest Heritage Park. As the Mayor mentioned the AVRRDD continues with the pipeline project. The initial vote was in two parts. One was to preserve jobs and the other which is an important reason the District wanted to do the project, adds value to that asset plan and not only shows up now with other possible suitors for it. At the North Country Transmission Meeting, they received an update of various projects. One update was part of the Site Evaluation Committee on the conditional approval of Laidlaw and approval of a power purchase agreement. After prehearing conferences, all petitions granted are scheduled for hearings at the end of December and early 2011. Councilor McCue thanked the
City Manager for writing a letter to the PUC regarding the power purchase approval and he appreciates the letter sent to the commission.
Councilor Danderson met a young lady that just moved into town and she told him how surprised she was that they don’t do the Pledge of Allegiance in Berlin schools which restored his faith in young people. On another matter a constituent told him he wants to see a natural gas line in this community. He informed the man that he would bring it forth to Council. Last, he went to the ATV trail and said they are doing a great job with the trail and it is a great asset. There is a big sign at the Royalty Inn to welcome ATVs. He knows that over sixty 60 people came up from Lynn, MA last week to ride and the trails are getting a good reputation. He is concerned that the State is looking to charge a $5 entrance fee to the park. Although he is not against the state trying to raise money, he thinks there
are better ways to do it. Councilor Danderson would like the City Planner to contact the park in West Virginia to see how they do it and to send feelers to other businesses. One idea is they could have a Coos County trail improvement fee dedicated to the construction of trails only so they can grow and expand. He concluded it is time to reach out and become involved so that any state decisions will not negatively affect Berlin.
Councilor Remillard appreciates the work the City Manager and Public Works Director have done regarding Mason Street as far as visibility. She asked about the upgrades as well. The City Manager replied that a piece is needed and they may have to spend money for upgrades. They will report their findings back to Council soon.
Councilor Evans attended the Serenity Steps open house and wanted let Council know just what they do. They provide a peer support group for emotional issues and are funded by the state. They are a vital component to local mental health services and he wished them success.
Councilor McCue mentioned that Council received a correspondence from the NH Liquor Commission regarding Toni’s Pizza applying for a liquor/tobacco permit. To be consistent, he asked the City Manager to send a letter saying that is ok and all agreed.
7. Adjournment:
There being no further business before the Mayor and Council at this time, Councilor McCue moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to adjourn the meeting. So moved, Mayor Grenier declared the Regular Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:03 p.m.
A True Record, Attest:
Debra A. Patrick, CMC
City Clerk
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