The Community Facilities Planning Committee, at the request of the Town Council, made recommendations to address the needs of the Falmouth Memorial Library, Town Hall, Community Recreation Center, Pleasant Hill Fire Station, and Plummer-Motz and Lunt school site. At its August 23, 2010 meeting, the Council held a public hearing and requested staff to continue to make the necessary preparations for the November 2010 Referendum Election.
FOLLOW-UP FROM AUGUST 23 MEETING
1. The Council's direction was to bring Development Option E to the November 2010 Referendum. This is a scaled-down version of the Facilities Committee's recommendations (see attachment 1).
2. An updated Bond Order for Option E includes proposed revisions by Attorney Jim Saffian (see attachment 2).
3. A draft Referendum Order for the Council is also required. This was attached previously and is unchanged (see attachment 3).
4. Two proposed Referendum Questions have been drafted by staff. Question 1 is a binding question related to Option E. Question 2 is an advisory question pertaining to sale of the entire Plummer-Motz and Lunt property. Rejection of both questions will direct the Council, by default, to investigate a public-private option. These draft questions have not yet received legal review (see attachment 4).
5. Staff prepared a draft timeline of Potential Next Steps assuming different outcomes of the referendum questions (see attachment 5)
6. A meeting was held with Library Trustees to prepare a draft Memorandum of Understanding between the Town and the Library. Councilor Payne has since offered proposed edits to that draft. Staff met with Councilor Payne and developed revised edits to the draft MOU. Attorney Jim Saffian has also provided proposed edits to the first draft. Both edits are included (see attachment 6). The Library Board has indicated that the current draft of the MOU needs refinement, especially given the changing views of Council members towards the scope and timing of a referendum. The Board has halted its efforts to finalize the MOU at this juncture and awaits direction from the Town Council. Once the Council determines the direction it will take, the Board would like to revisit the MOU with Town staff. Even if the November 2010
Referendum were to be postponed until June 2011, the Board would like to have the MOU drafting process continue, so it is ready for consideration early next year by the Town Council, and to have the Town Council weigh in along the way. A Library representative will be present on September 7th to answer any questions.
7. Option E envisions the use of Fund Balance. The Council needs to determine if it proposes to use Fund Balance, and, if so, in what amount. Attached are: - Fund Balance Policy (see attachment 7), - Fund Balance Presentation by Councilor Pierce, February 2010 (see attachment 8), - Fund Balance Analysis, August 31, 2010 (see attachment 9), and - Fund Balance Memo, September 2, 2010, from Finance Director John McNaughton (see attachment 10).
8. Councilor Payne requested that staff outline what new furnishings and budget would be required for Option E. Staff is currently in process of developing a report in response to the request.
9. Staff received an update for the Maine Historic Preservation Commission regarding the Plummer-Motz and Lunt property (see attachment 11).
NEW IDEAS AUGUST 23
Various new ideas have also circulated by Councilors. These include:
10. Consider having three non-binding referendum questions at the November 2010 Referendum. Staff prepared conceptual language to consider if this option is preferred by the Town Council (see attachment 12). 11. Delay the referendum question until the June 2011 Referendum, so the Council has more time to consider a public-private partnership that would make additional private funding available for the project.
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