Town of Mount Desert
Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
October 6, 2014
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held this date in the Meeting Room, Town Hall, Northeast Harbor, Maine.
Those present included: Chairman John Macauley; Selectmen Martha Dudman, Matt Hart, Tom Richardson and Dennis Shubert; staff members Treasurer Kathi Mahar, Police Chief Jim Willis, Fire Chief Mike Bender, Harbormaster John Lemoine, Public Works Director Tony Smith (at 7:00 p.m.) and Town Clerk/Recording Secretary Joelle Nolan; and members of the public.
I. Call to order at 6:00 p.m.
Chairman Macauley called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
II. Public Hearing(s)
A. Discuss Improvement of Law Enforcement by Consolidating Leadership
Chairman Macauley opened the public hearing at 6:00 p.m., welcomed the public including Bar Harbor’s new Town Manager Cornell Knight, Council members Paul Paradis, David Bowden, and Peter St. Germain, and Southwest Harbor Town Manager Don LaGrange; then asked Town Manager Lunt to give an overview of the issue. He told of the vacancy in the Bar Harbor Police Department beginning last October when the Town of Mount Desert was asked for assistance by sharing its Police Chief, which would give Bar Harbor a chance to decide what to do. A temporary agreement was made for six months which was extended. Now the Towns are looking at what to do with the current agreement. This is an opportunity for citizen input; it is simply a time to listen, not to advocate or decide.
Jim Clunan asked about the cost of sharing and was told it is about $50,000 per community. Anne Funderburke wondered if the arrangement puts extra pressure on the Mount Desert Police Department. Town Manager Lunt said not to his knowledge; there have been no comments through his office. Chief Willis suggested it lies in the supervision of the Police Departments. He has been able to rely on Sgt. Guildford and Lt. Edgecomb to take care of many administrative duties. Certainly there are pressures, but the department is set up adequately to handle it. When asked if the Chief has enough time available for both staffs, Sgt. Guildford said he is in constant contact with the Chief and has always been able to reach him if needed. He also commented that he and Lt. Edgecomb
have enjoyed the additional responsibility. Ernest Coombs said ours is a small, unique department and thought the two departments should go their own ways. Tom Walker described himself as a retired federal officer “from away” who chose to settle here after a great deal of research. He liked what he saw in the Mount Desert Police Department. He has had experience with the Police, and he believes they know the community and its members. He thinks an island wide department would lose the intimate knowledge of the community. He also suggested that it does not appear that anyone knows if there would be a cost savings. He mentioned the advantages of the Mutual Aid set-up; and does not see a problem that needs to be fixed. He hopes decisions will reflect the people of Mount Desert. Jean Fernald asked if the Town has enough money to keep Chief Willis fulltime, and what does Chief Willis want. Yes, there is enough money; and
Chief Willis said he wants to provide service to the community. The community needs to decide and he will respond to those needs. Anne Funderburk spoke to the importance of familiarity. She cited her husband’s auto accident and the impressive response from the Town’s Police Department. Tom Walker suggested it would be easy to change the culture of the organizations by combining; Mount Desert would be absorbed by Bar Harbor and lose its culture. Ellen Kappes asked if we are talking about Police Chiefs or combining departments; and is 60/40 a fair split? Town Manager Lunt clarified that the issue is sharing the Police Chief and currently it is working. He went on to describe the beauty of temporary agreements wherein we can try something at a relatively low risk that gives the opportunity to see if it is sustainable over a length of time. It’s a low risk environment to try some things. He sees the need to look forward and
expand; otherwise we might get left behind.
Chris Buczko said he is impressed with our Police Department and asked if the model described is sustainable because it is institutionalized or because we have a really good Chief. If Chief Willis retires, what happens? He asked Chief Willis directly if he has work-life balance. Chief Willis replied that he works hard at maintaining the balance; and yes, he is working longer days and carrying more home. It is the nature of the job to be stressful. However, he has been able to instill his beliefs in the Bar Harbor Department and is finding ways to grow that culture. He has plans for both agencies to go to shooting range together. He talked about the importance of length of service and ways to give younger officers opportunity for growth, which exist in Bar Harbor. Balance is critical and changes will be made to achieve that. Tom Wallace asked how the Town would be left behind; and what’s next - Fire, public works? Town Manager Lunt said although small departments are
fine, an island department would be more sustainable and give officers more opportunity. If we don’t’ look at the opportunities, we miss chances. We, along with the island and state, are an aging community and need to look at what services are best shared. We don’t want to be afraid of possibilities. Tom Wallace asked who makes the decision of sharing the Chief and the reply was the Board of Selectmen.
Selectman Shubert asked the Chief what are the infrastructure challenges in a small department. Chief Willis said for Mount Desert it is radio communications - he can’t talk to the Bar Harbor Police Department from here; internet service; and administrative support in order to get cops back out on street. Dorothy Clunan asked about crime statistics for the three island towns, and was told all are low with Bar Harbor probably higher, then Southwest Harbor. Tom Walker suggested more data is needed before making a decision. Jim Nolan said it sounds like the arrangement will cost Mount Desert more money by needing more personnel.
Fire Chief Bender said in considering regionalization his number one concern is customer service. He is not convinced this is the time to look at consolidation, nor that it will benefit our citizens. It seems to him that Bar Harbor would benefit more at a cost to Mount Desert. Chairman Macauley re-called this started as mutual aid to Bar Harbor and has worked remarkably well. Right now we are sharing the Police Chief. If it doesn’t work, we’ll stop. He agrees our fist responsibility is to our citizens. Selectman Richardson acknowledged that sharing does cost more; any real savings won’t appear for some time. However, there is an advantage with retention issues and standardization. He estimated there are 28 police officers on the island and 3
dispatch offices; a merger would probably help. But if no one likes idea, that’s the end of it. The Board is bringing forth ideas for discussion. Bob Pyle noted his 40 years of volunteer service with the Mount Desert Police Department and suggested the elephant in the room is sharing departments. He stated he is against sharing the Chief; the cultures are too different and once we move beyond policies and procedures, the ultimate outcome is sharing the department. Ernest Coombs said we are talking about Jim Willis as the Mount Desert Police Chief. What if he retires or doesn’t want the job? Then the two towns need a Chief and it might not be us sharing. Selectman Richardson said that is the crux of the initial feeling – the need for standardization. The only thing someone has to work with is what is in place. It’s a shot, and why we are discussing the issue. Selectman Shubert suggested Chief Bender boiled it
down to the challenge that people want the same or better service for the same or less money. Selectman Dudman said it sounds like people are afraid that we are going to lose something from our town; however, during this time of sharing there have been no complaints. If we continue to work together there might be a wonderful opportunity for the island and we do not need to lose our identity. Bob Pyle suggested people have been quiet because they thought the arrangement was temporary. People are here tonight because they think you are trying to make it permanent. When Chairman Macauley asked those present “Who thinks it’s a good idea?” only one member of the public raised a hand. Selectman Hart said he thinks by taking these steps we give ourselves a chance to make a mistake, correct it, and decide if we want to move backwards. He does not agree that we would lose our sense of identity. Having officers know the community is not
an innate knowledge. He has lived here for thirteen years and learns something new about the town every day. In relative terms, and currently we are just talking about sharing a chief, if we move to share a department even 20 officers is a small department. Jean Fernald asked the Bar Harbor Town Manger to comment. Cornell Knight noted he has been on the job for only 4 days; however, he has met with Chief Willis and thinks the reason we haven’t heard any complaints is due to the Chief and his skills in management and personnel. It’s working. He would like to try and if it doesn’t work then a change can be made. Tom Walker asked if it is Bar Harbor’s desire to continue, and Anne Funderburk asked if Bar Harbor is looking for a new Chief. Town Manager Lunt stated the current agreement would expire in January without some Board/Council action. Bar Harbor Council Chairman Paul Paradis said they are not actively looking.
The Council wants to see how sharing works before making a decision. They realize sharing is not necessarily money saving; however they see it as one way to improve service. Ellen Kappes expressed concerns that Chief Willis is working more than normal hours which may be hard on him. She wondered if it is fair of us to ask him to do this. Chief Willis commented that it is becoming more manageable; however, more things have to happen to distribute the workload. He will ask for changes in administrative support if the sharing continues. He said his goal is for the same or better service to the communities. Mimi Massucco asked if the administrative assistant would be a secretary or police officer, how would this person be involved, and for how long. Chief Willis said he did not know yet, and would not know until he had discussions with the Board and Council. Selectman Hart asked if we are approaching the point where roles and
compensation need to be looked at; Chief Willis said he would not bring that to the table. The current status addresses the needs appropriately.
Chairman Macauley thanked everyone for coming and commenting. He closed the public hearing at 6:57 p.m.
III. Minutes
A. Approval of minutes from September 15, 2014 meeting.
MOTION: Selectman Hart moved, seconded by Selectman Shubert, to approve the minutes from September 15, 2014 meeting as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
IV. Appointments/Recognitions/Resignations
A. Accept Resignation of Highway Mechanic Albert Leeman effective October 3, 2014
MOTION: Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to accept the resignation of Highway Mechanic Albert Leeman effective October 3, 2014. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
B. Recognize Thank You to Public Works Crew from Seal Harbor Citizens for Road Washout Repair
MOTION: Selectman Dudman moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to recognize Thank You to Public Works Crew from Seal Harbor Citizens for road washout repair. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
C. Recognize Thank You to Tony Smith from MDI Historical Society for Assistance with Lewis Heath Gravesite
MOTION: Selectman Hart moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to recognize Thank You to Tony Smith from MDI Historical Society for assistance with Lewis Heath gravesite. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
D. Recognize Receipt of Excellence Award in the 2014 Maine Municipal Association Municipal Report Competition
MOTION: Selectman Shubert moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to recognize staff’s efforts for the receipt of Excellence Award in the 2014 Maine Municipal Association Municipal Report Competition. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
E. Approve Promotion of Corey Frost as Mechanic B effective October 7, 2014 at a rate of pay $19.64/hr
MOTION: Selectman Hart moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to approve the promotion of Corey Frost as Mechanic B effective October 7, 2014 at a rate of pay $19.64/hr. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
V. Consent Agenda (These items are considered routine, and therefore, may be passed by the Selectmen in one blanket motion. Board members may remove any item for discussion by requesting such action prior to consideration of that portion of the agenda.)
A. Department Reports: Public Works, Wastewater Treatment Plants,
B. Planning Board Minutes from July 22 & 23, and August 13, 2014
C. Event Committee Meetings from July 17 & 28 and August 11 & 26, 2014
D. Penobscot County Commissioners Letter of Support for Barbara Veilleux’s Nomination to the Municipal Review Committee Board of Directors
E. Hancock County Commissioners Summary of Proposed 2015 Budget and Related Material
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
VI. Selectmen’s Reports
Chairman Macauley asked Public Works Director Smith for an update on the Otter Creek Landing. PWD Smith said he has the Federal Permit and is waiting for a copy of the DEP permit. The process is moving along, and nearing the matter of raising funds.
Chairman Macauley described a complaint about the boat launching ramp at the Northeast Harbor Marina; it appears there is a severe drop-off at the end. Harbormaster Lemoine noted he had addressed the issue with the complainant; and he further explained the conditions were extreme due to an unusually low tide. Although material is dumped at the end of the launch periodically, the base is mud and the material is rapidly absorbed. To extend the ramp would be “interesting”.
VII. Old Business
None presented.
VIII. New Business
A. Request for Release and Expenditure of $16,000 from Police Equipment Reserve for Purchase of 12 Motorola Portable Radios
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Shubert, to approve and authorize the release and expenditure of $16,000 from Police Equipment reserve Account #404100-24405 for the purchase of 12 Motorola Portable Radios as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
B. Carryovers from FY 2013-2014 to FY 2014-2015
MOTION: Selectman Shubert moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve the Carryovers totaling $271,340.49 from the FY 2013-2014 to FY 2014-2015. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
C. Seal Harbor Beach Comfort Station
Public Works Director Smith referred to his Memo dated September 23 and his follow-up email of October 3 in which he recommend postponing the Comfort Station renovation project until the fall of 2015, and requesting additional project funding at the 2015 Annual Meeting in the amount of $57,939. Selectman Shubert asked what is so expensive, and Public Works Director Smith replied mostly plumbing and the price of materials. Selectman Richardson noted the architect was off by 50%, expressed his unhappiness with the overspending, and asked if the plan was to continue with him. Public Works Director Smith said yes.
Anne Funderburk expressed serious concerns about not having the Comfort Station open by next summer. After a brief discussion it was determined that if the additional money request was approved with the undesignated fund balance at 2015 Annual Town Meeting then the money would be available immediately.
D. Village Green Special Event Application for Northeast Harbor Fest 2015
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to approve the Village Green Special Event Application for Northeast Harbor Fest 2015. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
E. Economic Development Consultant Report
Jackie Hewett was present and referred to her September 29, 2014 Year End Report in which she stated the accomplishments of the past year, provided an action plan for 2014-2015, and made current recommendations.
Much was done to create a bee-hive of activity: an event rack card was created and distributed, the Farmer’s Market continued, Thursday night movies were held on the Village Green, Thursday night Main Street merchant open house continued with ice cream events added, an antique auto show was held on the Village Green, and the tall ship Lynx was at the Marina for a three day visit; these are just some of the events. New signage at the Marina area links the harbor to Main Street. Visitors brought in by Ollie’s Trolley gave merchants a new audience.
More attention to signage and new building construction is needed to strengthen the commercial core. Commercial activities took precedence over housing issues this year.
As for the action plan for the coming year, she and the Events Committee would like feedback. Selectman Shubert mentioned the confusion in how money flows; it still seems to reside within municipal government. He wondered if the process might be smoother next year. Ms. Hewett noted much was learned and she expects it to be easier next year. Selectman Dudman thanked Ms. Hewett for a great job and suggested it would be helpful for the Board if she and the Committee could present budgets for some of the scenarios in the action plan. Selectman Dudman said she recognizes someone needs to be accountable to push forward with the recommendations and we do not want to lose momentum. Ms. Hewett agreed she could do that. Selectman Richardson asked if any of the businesses
experienced better sales. Ms. Hewett said although it is difficult to know yet, the Visitor Center logs show a 19% increase in traffic. She did say the high end shops reported a great summer. She will do a comparison over the last few years.
Selectman Shubert asked about the idea of a town brand. How do people perceive the town? Ms. Hewett said it is confusing having the same name as the island. She would like to create a brochure of the town with all villages represented. The citizens have to figure out who and what they want be. She used the example of Southwest Harbor and the “Quiet Side” slogan. She sees this as an important effort.
Board extended its appreciation and many thanks to Ms. Hewett.
F. Consideration for BCM Construction Inc. Utility Location Permit Application for work done on South Shore Road
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve the Utility Location Permit Application as presented. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
IX. Treasurer’s Warrants
A. Approve & Sign Treasurer’s Warrant AP1521 and AP1523 in the amount of $569,559.61 and $237,750.93 respectively
B. Approve Signed Treasurer’s Payroll, State Fees, & PR Benefit Warrants PR1512, PR1513, PR1514, AP1519, AP1520 and AP1522 in the amount of $43,962.35, $53,924.07, $44,715.22, $2,663.31, $60,828.50 and $1,354.50 respectively
C. Acknowledge Treasurer’s School Board AP/Payroll Warrant(s) 4, 4B and 7 in the amount of $38,211.47, $7,509.78 and $145,945.58
MOTION: Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Hart, to approve, sign, and acknowledge Treasurer’s Warrants A – C totaling $1,206,425.32. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
VIII. New Business, continued
G. Such other business as may be legally conducted
Selectman Dudman suggested name plates for Board members to have on the table would be helpful to the general public attending meetings. Town Manager Lunt will have some ordered.
Selectman Richardson queried where the Board is going with the shared Police Chief and what is the next step. Selectman Dudman suggested the Board take a vote whether or not to continue the temporary agreement to January; and if a more permanent agreement is considered, have it go to the voters at Annual Town meeting. Town Manager Lunt recommended waiting until the next Board meeting to vote on continuing the temporary agreement.
X. Executive Session
A. None
XI. Adjournment
MOTION: At 7:50 p.m., Selectman Richardson moved, seconded by Selectman Dudman, to adjourn the meeting. The vote was unanimous in favor, 5-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Matthew J. Hart,
Secretary
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