Public Protection Committee
Minutes of 10:00 A.M., September 23, 2009 Meeting
Town Office Meeting Room
A list of abbreviations can be found at the end of these minutes.
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at approximately 10:05 A.M. by Chief Bender.
II. Roll Call of Members
Attendance Present Attendance Present
“Voting Members (9 total)” Citizen Rep. Kathy Branch (Kathy) No
Citizen Rep. Mary-Lee Bayne (MLB) Yes Pub. Works Dir. Tony Smith (TS) Yes
Citizen Rep. Katie Bell (KB) Yes Police Chief Jim Willis (JW) Yes
Fire Chief Mike Bender (MB) Yes “Non-voting attendees/at large”
Harbormaster Shawn Murphy (SM) Yes Town Mgr. Mike MacDonald (MM) Yes
NEHA Joanne Robbins (JR) Yes BOS Liaison Rick Mooers (RM) No
Citizen Rep. Dennis Shubert (DS) Yes MDWD Mgr. Paul Slack (PS) No
Citizen Rep. Sharon Gilley (SG) No Basil Mahaney (BM) for JR-NEHA No
Selectman Jean Bonville and Sumner Roulon-Miller were in attendance for the entire meeting as members of the public. Selectman Marilyn Damon was in attendance from 10:16 to 11:20.
III. Discussion/Approval of Minutes
No minutes from September 9, 2009 to consider.
IV. Unfinished Business
A. BOS: MB summarized the September 21, 2009 BOS meeting relative to the PPC. It was agreed by them to let the PPC continue with their charge; the SLAM report was discussed and BOS Chuck Bucklin revisited the idea of meeting with other towns to discuss regionalization.
MRM explained his discussion with Curtis Blake about changing the MRm and the building in general. Mr. Blake would prefer to leave the building footprint as it is. He felt that one of the SLAM options would result in the TO looking like a chicken house. MRM also said they discussed moving the PD and FD out of the TO. KB asked what the other members of the PPC felt about Mr. Blake’s feelings about changing the TO. DS stated that we are getting off track. Others on the committee said that we should do as we see fit with the building. We appreciate the gift but it is now ours to do with as we might in the best interests of the Town.
B. SLAM: It was agreed that Admin, PD and the FD should sue the SLAM study as a reference but not consider the layouts and ideas as cast in stone. JW reiterated that the study was more geared to Admin and went on to point out that some of the suggestions for the PD would work, others need improvement.
DS stated that we have established that PD needs 1,400 to 1,500 square feet of space. TS suggested we not lock onto that number because the PD was asked to fit themselves into the MRm which had just that much space. JW said that the MRm is workable less the sally port. At her request, JW described a sally port to Selectman Damon.
It was noted that when we received the SLAM report, there was little to nothing done with it because the BOS at the time deemed the options to expensive. There were still the same identified space needs but the $30,000 SLAM report that addressed them was essentially shelved due to the cost of the various options.
C. FD needs: MB explained that the SLAM report had not planned for the future for the FD. He went on to explain his needs:
1. The truck bay doors to the NEH fire station had been raised from 10-feet to 11-feet in height to accommodate our larger apparatus. He stated that the station in SV had doors that were to low and that the SH station doors were fine at approximately 15-feet in height. He envisioned increasing the height of the NEH and SV doors.
2. Second: The FD lacks storage space. It presently uses the hose tower and the generator room and has pumps and other materials and equipment scattered around the floor amongst the trucks.
At this point REG of the FD was brought up again. TS pointed out that any plan to regionalize should consider the various personalities of the volunteers on the FD. The volunteers are hard to get and keep. Regionalization might be the reason some volunteers quit the FD. MB pointed out that our volunteers are well paid to train. He also pointed out that since the Town went through the first regionalization of the four separate village departments to one Town department, the numbers of volunteers has dropped from 12 to one in Otter Creek and from 25 to three in Seal Harbor.
3. MB stated that the Town would likely need FT FF’s who will need housing, a gathering room, kitchen, showers, a training room, work areas with a work bench and tools. JW stated that the PD would likely use the workshop to clean their firearms as they do now.
4. Fire chief’s office.
5. Space for the FF’s to do office work either separate from the chief’s office or a combined space.
6. A private restroom and designated parking. The FF’s presently use the PD male-female restroom but some are uncomfortable putting themselves in an area where they can overhear PD and dispatch conversations. Designated parking is needed so that the FF’s do not receive parking tickets when they arrive at the station and park wherever there is space.
In response to a question from DS, MB said we would need two FT FF’s on duty at all times. TS pointed out that most FF work is done on the buddy system.
D. REG was discussed. MB stated that the stations would be kept near the population centers and that response times would have to be kept t a minimum otherwise public safety would be negatively impacted. It was further discussed that REG might be administrative and equipment based – share the cost of a spare engine and that a regional PPC might be the result of regionalizing.
KB asked what the goal of REG was. She wanted to know what would be gained and lost by REG. It was discussed and generally agreed that the goal was to save money. It was again pointed out that there is a trade-off between saving money and the number of, and quality of, services that are provided.
DS stated that REG of the FD would likely eliminate fire chiefs. MB said he understood REG to essentially have a fire commissioner in charge of the FD’s. TS said you would still need chiefs deputy chiefs, whatever, to manage the personnel and stations in the respective communities.
KB asked about square footage needs of the FD. MB stated that would be the next step – to see if Admin, PD and the FD will fit in any of the SLAM options. MB said size would depend on the number of services that the FD would be providing now, and in the future in response to the changing times and regulations from regulatory entities. Selectman Damon asked what other services are provided by the FD. MB responded that we provide, for example, water rescue services and confined space entry. He said the FD now trains in response to a threat from weapons of mass destruction which we never had to do before. This might result in a need for additional equipment, hence, more space.
E. Admin: The needs of Admin were presented by MRM.
• A room for breaks and to eat lunch in. The staff presently eats in the MRm or, if it is not available, at their desks.
• Space for maps.
• The pedestrian traffic flow is not very good. MRM mentioned counters as being an effective way to assist customers. Presently, the customers sit adjacent to the EE’s desks within an arms length of cash boxes. This is not very good for security.
• The octagon should be modified to make more efficient use of the space it occupies.
• Should have two more offices the size of MRM’s for finance and the clerk.
• MRM’s office is adequate but it would be nice to have room for a small conference table to seat four or five people. The door should be relocated to make for more privacy in general and specifically for meeting with general assistance applicants and when dealing with disciplinary matters.
• Should consider moving the tax assessor and the CEO to a consolidated space with their commonly used records and research materials with additional space to grow into. Once 60-percent of the cities in Maine adopt the proposed new building codes related to mold, Radon, roofs and siding, all communities will be required to adopt them. This will result in additional records storage space being needed.
• Need additional file storage space, including secure space. It was discussed that we do use the climate controlled secure space at the NEH library but it is more efficient to have the records closer.
• Soundproofing the offices. He said someone in the office adjacent to his can hear conversations through the walls from his office.
• MRM stated that he prefers a separate public safety building for the PD and FD and then move the tax assessor and CEO downstairs.
MLB asked if Admin could fill the TO space if PD and FD leave. MRM said yes, based on the above current and future needs presented above whether or not the ambulance elects to stay in the TO and not move to a new, more centrally located building with the PD and FD.
DS asked if the Admin needs were essentially security and personnel-type needs. MRM said yes and all agreed that we must balance the need for privacy and security with access by the people. It was also noted that walls can be soundproofed and doors can be closed for privacy.
In response to a question from MLB, SRM responded that the TO was approximately 9,800 square feet in size. MRM and MB did agree that it would likely be a 10-year fix if Admin had the truck bays.
DS asked if the projected growth by Admin included using the fire truck bays. No specific answer was given.
In response to KB question, MRM said that we have a State of Maine handbook that tells us the length of time we must keep certain documents in storage.
Selectman Damon left at 11:20.
KB stated that cost is important but doing the correct thing is critical.
DS suggested flip-flopping the use of the first and second levels of the TO.
MLB asked about the property at Pedder’s Corner that had been previously discussed as a possible site for a public safety building.
DS stated that the average person on the street likes the services the Town provides but does not make the connection between their cost and the taxes we all pay.
It was agreed that our next step was to prepare sketches for the FD and Admin similar to the ones prepared for the PD and the MRm.
SM asked if the SH fire station would work for housing FT FF’s. It was agreed that it would not – they would be away from their primary apparatus and the population centers of the Town – NEH, SV and the PM areas. It was pointed out again that the perceived wasted space at the SV and SH fire stations is not wasted space. It is being used for the purposes for which it was intended. (emergency shelters providing places of refuge, food and water in time of storms and power loss, outside groups use, remembrance services, fundraisers for residents burned out of their homes, birthday parties, flea markets, training, etc., etc.).
Selectman Smith arrived at 11:37.
V. New Business
None.
VI. Adjournment
The following action was taken: Motion to adjourn at 11:43. Motion made and passed: TS-JW (8-0).
VII. Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 A.M., October 14, 2009 in the NEH MRm.
Abbreviations Description Abbreviations Description
Admin Administration Department PS Pump Station
BH Bar Harbor PT Part-time
BOS Board of Selectmen PW Public Work’s
COC Chamber of Commerce REG Regionalization
FD Fire Department SLAM Original Architects for TO`
FF Fire Fighter SH Seal Harbor
FT Full-time SV Somesville
MDWD Mount Desert Water District SWH Southwest Harbor
MMA Maine Municipal Association SRM Sumner Roulon-Miller
MRm Meeting Room TO Town Office
NEH Northeast Harbor WC Warrant Committee
PM Pretty Marsh WWTP Wastewater Treatment Plant
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