January 12, 2015
City Council Work Session
Present were: Mayor Grenier, Councilors Otis, Remillard, Gentili, Morgan Allain, Higbee, Rozek, Nelson and Theberge
Others present included: City Manager James Wheeler, School Superintendent Corinne Cascadden, Andre Bergeron, and Barbara Tetreault Berlin Daily Sun
Capital Improvement Plan
Mr. Wheeler presented the capital improvement plan for FY 2016 through FY 2021 saying that the projects for this coming fiscal year will go into the first draft of the annual budget. There is a memo and a list of what each department does. Section 2 has summaries for each of the fiscal years’ forecasting. The plan went to the Planning Board and they approved it. The message we get is that there is much more to do than we have money for.
Mayor Grenier added that the city can fund 10 to 15% of the proposed projects. The City has done quite a bit with its limited resources such as the sewer treatment plant upgrade and we are going to take out a $1.5 million bond to improve Route 16. We have to be careful on how limited resources are spent. Tearing down buildings is the first priority. Mr. Wheeler stated that the plan can be updated and reviewed as the Council sees fit.
Letter re: Pollution Exemption
Mr. Wheeler noted that it does not make sense that this statute stays on the books. The NHMA is advocating for the law to be repealed. They indicated that there is $10 million of value in Berlin that was exempted and as it turns out, that value no longer exists because the mill’s waste water treatment plant was torn down. On principle alone, the City should support that the statute be repealed. Councilor Nelson moved to encourage legislators to repeal RSA 72:12a, Councilor Rozek seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Funding State Education
Mr. Wheeler indicated that Resolution 2015-06 was read for the first time at last week’s meeting; however there was no time for discussion. The resolution is in response to the e-mail received from Bruce Johnston from Webster. There were no questions.
East Milan Road Proposal
Mr. Wheeler showed a plan delivered to him by the State DOT outlining work that they are proposing to do on East Milan Road. At this time the State takes care of drainage and other maintenance; however the city plows the road. The State is proposing to reclaim, stabilize and repave a section of the road; they will move the road away from the wall, reconstruct a portion of the road and overlay a short section of the road. Once the State has done the work, the City would then own the road and would be responsible for it into the future. Mr. Wheeler estimated that a paving overlay for the 1.5 miles cost $200,000 in today’s dollars.
In the discussion that followed, Mayor Grenier pointed out that the City has prior experience with a road swap that did not turn out to be the best for the City. About six years ago Cates Hill was maintained by the State and in trade, they took over Jericho Road and the City took Cates Hill. Councilors conceded that the proposed work will not likely be beneficial to the City in the long run. Councilor Remillard suggested that the State take Cates Hill back in exchange and Councilors agreed that would be a more fair exchange.
State Mileage Rate
As of January 1, 2015 the State adopted the federal mileage rate of .57.5 per mile which is up from .56 per mile. Councilor Rozek moved to adopt the State rate; Councilor Nelson seconded and the motion carried.
Other
Mayor Grenier indicated that there may need to be further discussion about the five person Citizens Oversight Committee for the PD Safety Vehicle. Councilor Rozek has expressed an interest in the committee and Mayor Grenier agreed that he should sit in. Councilor Nelson moved to nominate Councilor Rozek to the Committee; Councilor Higbee seconded.
In discussion Councilor Nelson advocated for a term of not more than one year. She added that the Police Department already has a protocol in place and she did not want to get in the way of safety. Mayor Grenier indicated that Chief Morency will come to the next meeting and further discuss the issue. He said that he received a communication from the Police Commission asking for guidance about the charge of the committee.
Mayor Grenier said that the committee was established to address and satisfy the serious moral questions some citizens had about the safety vehicle. If the vehicle is managed in the proper way with citizen input, it will keep peace in the valley. Councilors expressed concern that the group should not guide the use of the vehicle.
Councilor Gentili noted that other agencies will not operate the vehicle; it will only be used by members of the trained tactical team. If there are other agencies called in to an incident, they would be there for support. He said that we do not want to micromanage the Police Chief. The committee should not dictate to the law enforcement professional. Councilor Higbee stated that the committee should have a clear charge before they meet for the first time. Councilor Nelson withdrew her motion.
Councilor Rozek questioned the need for the committee saying that a standard operating procedure exists and it is documented with the grant. Mayor Grenier stated that it is best to have citizen input. Councilor Gentili cautioned that the police have a job to do we have to let them do it.
Council conceded to waiting until next week to talk to Chief Morency about the Advisory Committee and how best to move forward for the safety and security of citizens. Councilor Rozek stated that the public meeting was an indication that there is a lot of respect in the community for the police department.
Ms. Cascadden distributed brochures about the school system. She said that the Berlin School Board made a presentation in front of the State School Board and they were very well spoken and were well received.
Councilor Rozek moved to adjourn; Councilor Higbee seconded. Councilor Theberge then asked about the jersey barriers in front of the former Princess Theatre saying that they are an eyesore. Councilor Rozek stated that he spoke with Chief Trull about the building and found that the individual who purchased the property started to take things apart and stopped. The roof is compromised and parts are open. There is a concern that the front structure is no longer supporting the wall and there is a potential that it could fall into the street.
Mr. Wheeler added that a 155 b Order was initiated and the owner came up with a plan for rehabilitating the building. The owners have a schedule to follow and a re-inspection will determine where they are in the process. All agreed that it needs to be addressed.
The Council unanimously approved the earlier motion to adjourn. The meeting ended at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Susan Tremblay
Administrative Assistant
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