REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING – JANUARY 17, 2011
Mayor Grenier called the regular City Council Meeting to order at approximately 7:50 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.~ The pledge of allegiance to the flag preceded roll call. Present: Councilors Remillard, Landry, McCue, Danderson, Evans and Rozek. Councilors Cayer and Poulin were absent. Also present: Pat MacQueen, Bobby Haggart and the press.
Minutes, Previous Meetings
Councilor Danderson moved with a second by Councilor McCue to accept the minutes of the January 3 Regular Meeting/Work Session and January 10 Work Session. So moved, the motion carried.
Disbursements: It was recommended by the Committee on Accounts/Claims to pay all bills dated 12/23/10–1/19/2011 for a total cash disbursement of $3,764,188.02 Draft #1632.~ Councilor Remillard 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 comments
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- Council Committee Reports – No reports
NEW BUSINESS
Discussions with BOP on ramp up and sewer
Our discussions with the BOP in Washington over the ramping up of the new correctional facility continue. They have provided us with an estimated schedule of how they envision the sewer use would proceed with the bringing in of inmates over a 15 month period between March of this year and May or 2012 subject to the vagaries of the federal budget process. I have attached the schedule they have provided to us.
It is a reasonable schedule from our point of view and one we are reasonably sure we can accommodate and we have told them that. The handling of 60k gpd in July as shown on the schedule should be no problem because they currently have that authorization from us because of the temporary connection we made for them at the industrial park. This temporary connection takes their sewage under the river and down the west side of the river in existing pipe. By this June, the new pump station which is scheduled for completion at the end of May, should be able to be used in conjunction with the already constructed to force main to take all the sewage the BOP projects even when fully ramped up.
Any issue that there may be does not likely come from our ability to receive their sewage, but instead possibly from our ability to treat it and to not have it become part of a (Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) event. Even in these areas, we are feeling fairly confident, and are hoping that our I&I projects will prove to provide dramatic reductions in our I&I. However, if we have problems, they are likely to occur when we have an abnormal rain event (of which we usually have several each year) possibly combined with the necessary taking off line of a clarifier or aerator or the like during the construction of the WWTF improvements which will occur beginning this summer and continue at least through all of 2012.
The BOP is concerned about being told by us if a problem arises that they might have to reduce prisoners which would obviously be very difficult for them to do. Our concern is the possible difficulty in meeting our EPA permit requirements, which we sometimes have difficulty with now during large rain events, combined with the logistics of trying to carry out the needed improvements to the WWTF which will require taking certain of the facilities off line for periods of time to effectuate the improvements. What we are looking for from the BOP is some flexibility if need be in working with us in the ramp up, not by reducing the number of prisoners, but in perhaps delaying the ramp up if we foresee a problem developing.
We have already assured the BOP that we will be doing everything we can possibly do to accommodate their proposed ramp up on their schedule.
Snow
The size of the storm this last week Wednesday came as a bit of a surprise at between 14 and 18 inches. The weather people had told us to expect 2 to 4 inches. The timing was the worst possible for the business day which was pretty much all day long. Between, visibility, traffic and parked cars, plowing was slow and difficult. Nevertheless, the streets were for the most part clear by 5:30 or 6pm in the evening. The crews were scheduled to come back in at 3am to finish cleaning up for the next business day (Thursday). Things were in pretty good shape on Thursday, and the crews went home at their regular time and then were brought back in at 1am for snow removal in the downtown area. The School areas were picked up today since school was off and our crews were on straight time. Hopefully, the weather people are more accurate
for this next storm predicted for tomorrow.
Waste District Discussions on Leachate
This past week we had a long conference call on the proposed agreement which the Waste District has drafted and proposes that the City enter into to take Waste District leachate currently treated at the District (old Fraser) WWTF. The call was with City and District staff, as well as each party's engineers and attorneys. We had just received the draft from the District, and the purpose of the call was to go over it to determine what areas needed work. A lot of detail was covered and it was agreed that the City will take a crack at putting together a "Track Changes" version by the end of this week for the District to react to. The District's goal is to have a draft of some sort of agreement by the end of the month that they can submit to the EPA as the sort of draft that they would enter into with the City to
handle their leachate.
Filling of Vacancy at WWTF
We are proceeding with the filling of the vacancy due to the retirement of Maintenance Operator Marcel Belanger approved budget-wise by the Council at the last meeting. This vacancy has been filled by Paul Remillard who was one of the two other existing Operators at the WWTF. Accordingly, the vacancy will still exist at the WWTF in the form of Paul's now vacated Operator's position, and so we will be moving to fill that vacancy as well as quickly as possible.
Tillotson Fund Report to the Community
Attached is a copy of the list of grants provided in the 2009-2010 year by the Neal and Louise Tillotson Fund. As you know, this fund is one of very few financial resources in the North Country. It has become a significant source of funds for a number of communities and agencies in the North Country. We have the full report available in the office for anyone who would like to review it.
Mayor Grenier asked Pat about the draft for estimated volumes at the WWTF and how it looks like increased flows begin until July. The City Manager replied that will not be a problem at all.
Councilor Remillard moved with a second by Councilor Danderson to accept the City Manager’s Report and place it on file. So moved, the motion carried
- Mayor’s Report – No Report
- Public Comments - No comments
- COUNCIL COMMENTS
Councilor Danderson related that two weeks ago when the superintendent talked about the increase to school budget he understood but thinks it is time the School Board and Council look at longevity pay and they also need to look at benefits. It is a fact that at private companies everyone cost shares now. Our public employees do not pay near as much as they should for insurance. He knows the chances to get the unions to agree to an increase for the insurance share is nil. Public to private has a no strike clause. They will sit back and keep what they have with no percent increase to avoid higher insurance shares. It is a dilemma for Council and makes it impossible to hold down taxes. A thought might be to declare bankruptcy. Then all contracts would be null and void and a judge would have to
declare the outcome. He would like to see teachers to realize that the straw that broke the camels’ back is coming quick. If bankruptcy happens it would be a whole new ball game. They need to look at the census to see what our numbers are. He is not just attacking the schools but is looking at other services such as the Fire Department that had only twenty fires last year.
What number are we going to get for a population decrease before we go to an on-call department? These are questions we need to be asking in the near future when our demographics go down. Without those changes, we will see an escalating tax rate and will have a harder time to attract new industry. The first thing people said about the Laidlaw Project is that they didn’t want that type of industry but wanted beautiful stuff coming here. The reality is that Laidlaw can work to our benefit and now it might not be such a bad idea today. It is time to focus on where we can get more revenues or more cuts. We have to keep an open mind.
There being no further business before the Mayor and Council at this time, Councilor Rozek moved with a second by Councilor Evans to adjourn the meeting. So moved, Mayor Grenier declared the Regular Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:13 p.m.
A True Record, Attest:
Debra A. Patrick, CMC
City Clerk
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