REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING – NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Mayor Grenier called the regular City Council Meeting to order at approximately 7:37 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.~ The pledge of allegiance to the flag preceded roll call. Present: Councilors Danderson, Evans, Rozek, Cayer and Poulin. Councilors Remillard, Landry and McCue were absent. Councilor McCue phoned to say he would be absent tonight. Also present: Pat MacQueen, Sue Tremblay, Deputy Chief Valerino, Police Officer Buteau, Steve Binette and the press.
Minutes, Previous Meetings
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to accept the November 1 Regular Meeting/Work Session minutes and November 8 Work Session Minutes. So moved, the motion carried.
Disbursements:
The Committee on Accounts/Claims recommends paying all bills dated 11/04/10–11/17/2010 for a total cash disbursement of $2,008,267.12 Manifest #1629.~ Councilor Poulin moved with a second by Councilor Danderson 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
- Council Committee Reports – No reports
NEW BUSINESS
- Resolution 2010-43 Authorizing the Police Commission to apply for and accept One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) in training grant funds from the NH Police Standards and Training Council (NHPSTC) for the Command Training Series. (1st read)
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on December 6, 2010. So moved, the motion carried.
- Resolution 2010-44 Authorizing the Berlin Police Commission to apply for and accept Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred Seventy-Five Dollars ($8,875.00) of training grant funds from the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Bulletproof Vest Partnership and appropriating such funds to the Berlin Police Department for the purpose of effectuating the grant. (1st read)
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on December 6, 2010. So moved, the motion carried.
- Resolution 2010-45 Authorizing the sale of the Bartlett School building located at 56 Mt. Forist Street to White Mountains Suites, LLC for the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) to revitalize said property into living units. (1st read)
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to table the resolution and schedule a public hearing on December 6, 2010. So moved, the motion carried. For the record, Councilor Rozek voted no.
5. City Manager’s Report
12th Street Bridge Project
The Twelfth Street Bridge is open as of today. This morning at 9am, Mayor Grenier cut the ribbon and the new deck is open to traffic. The project was completed on time and under budget.
East Milan Road Paving
The final leak in the pipeline near the new pump station has been found and corrected and the line has been pressure tested satisfactorily. The final paving coat from the bridge to the Compact Line will not go on until next spring in order to allow for full settlement in the trench areas. Work will continue on the pump station through the winter.
Paving Projects
The Hutchins Street and the Highland Park Avenue paving projects are pretty much complete with Pike sneaking them in in the spate of good weather we had last week.
I&I Project
The I&I bid package prepared by Wright Pierce for the Dairy Bar Pump Station line is at 90% completion and is being reviewed by RD and DES for approval to bid. The project calls for the re-lining of this line in place. The rough schedule for the project is for bids to be let this month, bids to be received in December and the project to be carried out from January through March. The schedule which is dependent on these approvals is to hold a pre-bid conference on November 23rd and bidding on December 7th with substantial completion within 30 days and final in 45 from Contract signing.~ There is no guarantee we can hold that schedule if we don't get comments from the agencies in the next couple of days.~ The other important thing to note is that that manholes along the relining route will be raised/rehabilitated under the next
phase of work (hopefully in the spring 2011), due to the complexities of digging within the Shoreland Protection Zone and lead times on~permits (it was felt that pulling out the manhole rehabilitation portion would allow the City to expedite the relining portion or the work and not bog the whole thing down until next year). Attached are aerials showing the work location.
Mill Owner Lunch Meeting
Last Monday, Mayor Grenier and I attended a lunch meeting at the Dairy Bar hosted by AVH with the new owners of the Cascade Mill – Frank DelGreco and Mike Mosato. Others who attended were representatives of the local banks, AVH, John Gallus, Barry Kelly, Robin Frost (Gorham Town Manager). The owners provided quite a bit of information about their own backgrounds as well as their plans for the future with the mill.
Demolition Projects
The demolition project contracts for 796 Western Avenue, 761 Second Ave (Sessions Street) have been completed. 169 Green Street is currently under demolition and 692 Second Ave.
GACIT Meeting
Attached is a notice of the next Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) which will be held at the Fire Academy in Concord this Wednesday at 1pm. This meeting is among other things to review the 2011-2020 State Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan. It is this plan that contains the Southern Section of the Conway Bypass but does not contain the middle or northern sections.
EFSEC Process for District Pipeline
Attached is a notice which was advertised of an order and notice of a public meeting and informational hearing on the application of the Waste District to be exempted from the EFSEC process for the proposed gas pipeline to the mill. There will be a site visit of the Committee to the site at 1pm on November 22nd at the Landfill. At 4pm that same day, there will be a public informational meeting at City Hall and at 6pm an informational hearing.
Christmas Parade
Attached is a notice from the Berlin Main Street Program which indicates that the Main Street Program and the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the Kiwanis Club this year to carry out the Christmas Parade. The parade will be held on Saturday November 27th at 7pm. In the past, the parade has always been held on a Friday evening.
Mount Abigail Adams
Attached is a letter from the United States Board on Geographic Names indicating that Adams Four in the White Mountain National Forest has had its name officially changed to Mount Abigail Adams.
Councilor Cayer asked the City Manager how much the Twelfth Street Bridge repairs actually cost. The City Manager replied it was roughly about $599,000.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to accept the City Manager’s Report and place it on file. So moved, the motion carried
6. Mayor’s Report
Mayor Grenier said that next Monday EFSEC will be here and will begin their tour at the Cascade Mill. It has two parts, one is about the natural gas treatment facility then down to Cascade and from the landfill to the step down station. They are scheduled to meet at City Hall and the Mayor asked Council if they would agree to meet at 7:00 that night instead of 6:30 to give the Mayor the opportunity to participate in the process.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to change the time of the Work Session to 7:00 p.m. So moved, the motion carried.
The Mayor stated that Monday, November 29 is the fifth Monday of the month and unless there is anything of importance that needs to be discussed, he will not schedule a meeting for that night.
Mayor Grenier reported that he just heard that Berlin Daily Sun staff writer Barbara Tetreault is ill with respiratory problems and currently being treated at Dartmouth Hospital. He suggests sending a get well card on behalf of city staff. Councilor Poulin went one step further and suggested that the City Manager also send a get well flower arrangement as well.
Mayor Grenier concluded his report by informing all that on Sunday December 5, three former Berlin residents will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. They are Norm ‘Fat’ Pinette, Dick Theriault and Walter Fournier.
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to accept/file the Mayor’s Report. So moved, the motion carried.
7. Public Comments No public comments
8. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilor Poulin asked the City Manager where we stand regarding a consultant for the Finance Department. The City Manager replied that he got proposals and hopefully will get answers this week.
Councilor Poulin asked what is happening with the Kent Street dump. The City Manager replied that it is slowly being cleaned up and they were promised that by Thanksgiving the buses would be gone.
Councilor Danderson thanked Andre and Pat for doing a great job getting rid of dilapidated houses.
9. Adjournment:
There being no further business before the Mayor and Council at this time, Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor Poulin to adjourn the meeting. So moved, Mayor Grenier declared the Regular Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:00 p.m.
A True Record, Attest:
Debra A. Patrick, CMC
City Clerk
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