At The Last Town Council Meeting, Councilor LaRochelle Admitted To Performing An Illegal Action.

COLLUSION AGAIN IN LISBON

At the last town council meeting, Councilor LaRochelle admitted to performing an illegal action.  LaRochelle explained he had instructed Town Lawyer Therriault NOT to work on the Charter change which pertained to putting the budget on the ballot.  The entire council had expressed a desire to have Therriault  come up with some verbiage for the council to review.

I do not understand how a councilor, NOT the Chairman, can provide guidance to the Town Attorney after the entire council had provided guidance to Therriault.  The other side of this situation is why Therriault is taking guidance from a single councilor.  A competent attorney would know which guidance to follow. Tell me this is not collusion!!! 

Also at the meeting, the council decided to perform a survey to see what the people of Lisbon want regarding having the people vote on the municipal budget.  This survey is supposed to determine if the residents really want to vote on the municipal budget.  Councilor LaRochelle stated he was not sure this is what the people want.  However, during last year’s fiasco over the tax situation Councilor Cote asked for a show of hands who wanted to vote on the municipal budget and everyone present raised their hand!  Councilor Cote asked who did not want to vote on the municipal budget and no one raised their hand. The audience was packed and standing all the way down in the hall.

During the last meeting, LaRochelle stated he knew Councilor Bickford has been gathering signatures of residents on this issue.  I asked Councilor Bickford to share  the results of his survey.  Councilor Bickford stated he had well over 200 signatures in favor of voting on the municipal budget.  I asked how many people he had approached who did not want to vote on the budget and he stated only one.

Between the survey taken by Councilor Cote and the results of Councilor Bickford’s survey, this clearly demonstrates a need to have the municipal budget on this year’s ballot.  However, the council voted to put yet another survey on the ballot instead of actually having the people vote on this issue.  Apparently, this council is trying desperately to keep this issue off the ballot.

I believe this council is trying to protect the outrageously inflated police, fire and town manager’s budgets.  If you remember correctly, this council voted a .09 percent increase in overall spending in this year’s budget.  Instead of cutting spending, the council voted to increase it.

If you took out all the municipal spending like street lights and hydrant rental from the Public Works budget you will see which departments have the largest budget: Police and Fire.  The town manager helped to cover this up by showing all the municipal expense under the Public Works on their pie charts.  Just another example of creative accounting by the town manager in order to protect Brooks' and Galipeau’s out of control spending of taxpayers hard earned monies.  In this time of economic crisis, Brooks and Galipeau should be finding ways to cut spending not increasing spending.

This council vote to provide taxpayer’s dollars to the town manager’s budget so his secretary can attend paralegal training.  Paralegal training is not in her job description so why are we providing funds for this.  There are numerous examples of the inflation in this year’s budget.  No wonder this council does not want the citizens to vote on the municipal budget.

Lastly, I want to take a moment and compliment Chairman Lunt, Councilors Bickford and Cote for doing the right thing in voting to allow Mr. Morreale a week extension in order to save his property.  This took real courage to do what was right.  I always have believed these guys to be honest and an asset to this town.  I only wish you would help Councilor Cote in putting what is in the best interest of the town of Lisbon first.

Larry A. Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

Lisbon Fire Station Receives Mascot‏

 

Lisbon – Abigail Roy, a member of the Lisbon High School Class 2014 went fishin’ for ducks at her classes’ booth during the recent Moxie Festival in Lisbon.  Her prize was a stuffed Dalmatian.  In the spirit of giving, and acknowledgement of  the dedication of members of the Lisbon Fire Department, Abigail presented Lisbon Fire Chief Sean Galipeau with the Dalmatian, as a mascot for the fire station.  Thanks to the generosity from community volunteers and civic organizations of stuffed critter donations for the event, students raised $760 toward their project graduation fund.  Assisting Abigail with the presentation are other members of the Class of 2014 (l-r) Bailey Galipeau, Justin Crocker and Paige Galligan.  Duck Pond and popcorn sales are planned for the classes’ participation in the Lisbon Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 24.  FMI on Lisbon School volunteer opportunities, events and other programs email mmillhime@lisbonschoolsme.org.  Photo by Monica Millhime.

Lisbon TIF Troubles Explained, but really you taxpayers suffer and here's why

Crony Capitalism and Social Engineering: The Case against Tax-Increment Financing

by Randal O'Toole

Randal O'Toole is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute and author of The Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future.

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Tax-increment financing (TIF) is an increasingly popular way for cities to promote economic development. TIF works by allowing cities to use the property, sales, and other taxes collected from new developments — taxes that would otherwise go to schools, libraries, fire departments, and other urban services — to subsidize those same developments.

While cities often claim that TIF is "free money" because it represents the taxes collected from developments that might not have taken place without the subsidy, there is plenty of evidence that this is not true. First, several studies have found that the developments subsidized by TIF would have happened anyway in the same urban area, though not necessarily the same location. Second, new developments impose costs on schools, fire departments, and other urban services, so other taxpayers must either pay more to cover those costs or accept a lower level of services as services are spread to developments that are not paying for them.
Moreover, rather than promoting economic development, many if not most TIF subsidies are used for entirely different purposes. First, many states give cities enormous discretion for how they use TIF funds, turning TIF into a way for cities to capture taxes that would otherwise go to rival tax entities such as school or library districts. Second, no matter how well-intentioned, city officials will always be tempted to use TIF as a vehicle for crony capitalism, providing subsidies to developers who in turn provide campaign funds to politicians.
Finally, many cities use TIF to persuade developers to build "new-urban" (high-density, mixed-use) developments that are supposedly greener than traditional designs but are less marketable than low-density suburbs. Albuquerque, Denver, Portland, and other cities have each spent hundreds of millions of dollars supporting such developments when developers would have been happy to build low-density developments without any subsidies.
TIF takes money from schools, fire departments, libraries, and other urban services funded by property taxes. By eliminating TIF, state legislatures can help close current budget gaps and prevent cities from taking even more money from these urban services in the future.

...continue

Latest Lisbon Budget just doesn't make any sense, once again.

SMOKING MIRRORS

The Town Manager and the Town Council are intentionally keeping information from the taxpayers of Lisbon. If the Town Manager and Town Council are on the up and up, why are they concealing information from the residents? Every taxpayer in Lisbon needs to know where his tax dollars are being spent.

The Town of Lisbon has a web site which could provide the latest on critical information like the proposed budget but instead they post information from last year such as 2011-2012 Budget is dated September 20^th 2010; or 2012 Budget presentation dated 15 March 2011 or the Custom Budget Report dated 29 April 2011. You can see how useful this information would be since the town just put out the latest version of the proposed budget dated 23 May 2011 but failed to post it to the web site for the taxpayers to review. Tonight is a special Town Council budget workshop so you can see why the Town Manager and Town Council do not want you to see the proposed budget. A taxpayer might want to question some of the figures like:

Dept/               2011                     2011                          2012

Div                Budget                Year to date                Proposed

01-135

5271              20,000                   15,158.35                     58,000

01-135

5405              21,000                   13,210.92                     25,000

01-140

5220              52,000                   36,676.76                     66,000

01-140

5245              20,000                   10,305.34                     32,500

I could write a ten page report and it would all read the same because almost every department is identical. Why would you budget so much more than you actually spent last year? I can see adding a small percentage for cost of living increases but never the mark up Mr. Eldridge is proposing. It is plain ignorant to pad the town budget by so much. This is exactly the reason the taxes in Lisbon are so high. Keep in mind the proposed budget is fifty (50) pages of the same mess.

Let me continue on more incidents in the proposed budget. The town of Lisbon paid $79,294.54 year-to-date in OVERTIME in the Police Department. Are you kidding me, the Lisbon Top Cop (Chief Brooks) can not establish a budget which eliminates almost $80,000 dollars of overtime. I think I could get one of our high school students to do a better job on the budget than Chief Brooks. You do realize the Police Department is our largest spender. The only reason the Public Works budget is higher is because the Finance Director moved Hydrant Rental ($290,000) and Street & Traffic Lights ($93,775) to the Public Works Department to conceal the Police Department budget.

Also, the Fire Chief and Recreational Director are receiving a 1.75% pay raise like everyone else in the town. The problem with this is the Fire Chief goes from $53,839 to $63,839 and Recreational Director goes from $36,144 to $46,144 which is actually a $10,000 dollar raise. According to my calculator, this is more than 1.75%. 1.75% would have been approximately $942.18 for the Fire Chief and $632.52 for the Recreational Director which is a far cry from $10,000 dollars. Again, the Town Manager is not being truthful with the taxpayers.

Let us look at another of the “Good Old Boys”, the Town Engineer is receiving a 1.75% raise like everyone else except he goes from $34,655 to $37,428. This increase is $2,773 which is much higher than 1.75%. Also in the proposed budget it says this is 50% of his salary but does not tell us where the other 50% is. Again, where are they hiding the money?

I could go on forever on the mismanagement in this proposed budget but it will do no good because the Town Council does not care about the taxpayers. They are there ONLY to support the Town Manager and ignore the best interest of this town. It is abundantly clear Mr. Stephen Eldridge has no clue what he is doing or does he? I can tell you this he is a master at manipulating the truth and hiding money. I also can tell you he DOES NOT have the best interest of this town at heart.

Larry A. Fillmore

Concerned Citizen

Town Manager's Managerial's Skills‏

TOWN MANAGER DISPLAYS MANAGERIAL SKILLS

I have been trying to open the eyes of the Lisbon Town Council since 8 November 2010 about the lack of professionalism, knowledge and managerial skills of the Town Manager. I believe Mr. Eldridge violated approximately twelve (12) portions of the Town of Lisbon Charter. This was insufficient for the Town Council to remove him as the Town Manager.

The Town Manager demanded under the Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) Mrs. Fitzgerald produce the public records which were the bases for the Recall Petition filed against Councilor Bowie. This was done AFTER the Town Council had accepted the petition as legally sufficient and established a date for a Special Election. If Mr. Eldridge was truly interested in obtaining this information, he should have done it PRIOR to the Town Council setting an Election date. The only thing which could possible be gained by the information at this point was to intimated Mrs. Fitzgerald and interfere with the voting process. Once the Town Council had established the Election Date, it was up to the voters. BY THE WAY, THE INFORMATION MR. ELDRIDGE REQUESTED HE ALREADY HAD BECAUSE HE IS THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS MINUTES. IN OTHER WORDS, HIS LETTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN TO HIMSELF AND NOT MRS. FITZGERALD. Again, this clearly demonstrations the Town Manager has no knowledge of Maine laws.

To further demonstrate this, let’s look at last year’s tax screw-up. According to the Town Charter Mr. Eldridge is responsible for the direct supervision of the Tax Assessor, who by the way, he hires. The Town Manager stated at the Town Council meeting “once a valid commitment is in place nothing can be done to change it.” The only problem with this is once again Stephen Eldridge had absolutely no clue what constitutes a “valid commitment” which I believe is his responsibility under the charter and his employment agreement to know. The Town Manager of any municipality is required to know Maine law and a valid commitment. This MINOR screw-up cost the taxpayer in excess of $10,000 dollars to fix.

KEEP IN MIND; THESE TRANSGRESSIONS BY THE TOWN MANAGER WERE TOTALLY IGNORED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL. THE TOWN COUNCIL REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST THE TOWN MANAGER.

Today, Mr. Stephen Eldridge is demonstrating his managerial skills again. The Town Manager wants to place the Town Engineer in charge of the Public Works Department, Transfer Station, and the Sewer Treatment Plant in order to justify giving the Town Engineer an increase in his already inflated salary. Mr. Button Beal and Mr. Wayne Ricker have worked for the town of Lisbon their entire careers. These gentlemen have devoted long hours and many years of service to this community. These individuals have been cited on numerous occasions for their outstanding service to this town. Now as a reward for their meritorious service, they are being asked to step down as director (I am sure on paper only because the Town Engineer has no clue what goes on in these two departments) to allow the Town Manager to increase the pay of “ONE OF THE GOOD OLD BOYS”. The Town Manager is doing this consolidation in order to save money. The problem with this is each of these two individuals will continue to receive the very same pay and will be eligible for over-time. This demonstrated his managerial skills.

The Town of Lisbon was once a great community to live in. This is prior to Stephen Eldridge becoming the Town Manager. Now, under his guidance the Town of Lisbon is deteriorating rapidly. I personally do not agree with the treatment of individuals who have dedicated their careers and sacrifices to this community. I feel ashamed to be a member of a community who treat individuals in this manner. We need to support their dedication to this town and its residents.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN COUNCIL TO PUT A STOP TO THIS SHAMEFUL, AND IRRESPONSIBILITY ACTS OF STEPHEN ELDRIDGE. EACH AND EVERY COUNCILOR WHO SIDES WITH MR. ELDRIDGE IS JUST AS GUILTY AS HE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry A. Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

Lisbon, Me.

The Town Manager and the Town Council are at it again

All Lisbon Residents

The Town Manager and the Town Council are at it again. It is budget season and the Town Manager and Town Council are hiding outrageous spending. They are blaming raising taxes again this year on the decrease in state and federal funding. After reading the information below, see if you agree.

At the 12 April 2011 Public Hearing on the budget, the Town Manager did not give a presentation justifying their spending instead he tried to cover it up. The town budget should be prepared to show the residents where and why they are increasing spending or decreasing services to the residents.

The town budget has several items in there which needs to be addressed. In the latest budget proposal, five wage workers are losing their jobs in order to provide salary increases to personnel already receiving the highest salaries in the town. Originally, the Town Manager recommended six individuals to receive a ten thousand dollar pay raise. Below are the individuals and their current salaries (these figures were provided by the town):

Stephen Eldridge $83,842

David Brooks 68,653

Ryan Leighton 69,310

Sean Galipeau 53,840

Wayne Ricker 46,616

Mark Stevens 36,144

*The current proposal still has $13, 127 increases in the Town Manager’s budget. I believe the breakdown is $10,000 for his salary and $3,127 for his secretary’s professional development.

At the Public Hearing the Town Manager stated only two of these individuals were going to get the raises. One was the Town Engineer, Ryan Leighton, who is now going to receive an 8% increase to offset the additional duties as the Director of three departments which already have Directors in the proposed budget. One department is Public Works and Mr. Beale will receive the same salary he current is receiving but as a wage employee. It will be the same for the other two departments. These new wage workers will be eligible to collect overtime at the expense of the residents of Lisbon. This is their idea of cutting operating cost. It is a new scam.

The old scam was to inflate salaries as they hired new personnel. A prime example of this scam is in the Economic Development Department. Three directors ago had a Masters Degree in Economics’ and was paid $42,000. The next director had an Associated Degree in Liberal Art (which has nothing to do with Economics’) and received a salary of $60,000+. I guess it is who you know. The current director has a Masters Degree in Economics’ and is receiving $55,000. The key players in this town are receiving inflated salaries.

Another example of why our taxes are so high is the Town Engineer position. I believe it requires a Civil Engineer and the current Town Engineer is a Mechanical Engineer receiving $69,310 of our tax dollars. There is a great deal of difference between a Civil Engineer and a Mechanical Engineer. I do not see how the current individual is qualified to hold this position.

However, all of these scams are perfectly legal because the Town Council approved them. There is no one in the Town of Lisbon that can tell me the Town Council has the best interest of the town or its residents at heart when voting on such items. There are numerous other items going on which are not in the best interest of the town but because the Town Council rubber stamps anything the Town Manager puts before them they will continue to raise our taxes. I believe two councilors spouses are operating businesses out of their residence which is zoned residential. If true, this is a violation of our town ordnances. But the bigger question is why hasn’t anyone addressed this issue before. Town councilors should be setting the example not be the offenders.

The real injustice in the Town of Lisbon is residents never come out and speaking up at town council meeting before the items are approved. At Town Council meeting there is two of us speaking out trying to make a difference. The only time we see the rest of the residents is after the fact. Everyone was so upset after last years tax increase but once it is done it can not be changed. Now is the time to speak out. 

Come to the final budget meeting on 3^rd May 2011. It is currently being held at the new Lisbon Community School Cafeteria at 7:00PM.

My personal feelings is any Councilor who votes for any budget increasing our taxes again this year need to be immediately recalled. We need Councilors who have the town’s best interest at heart.

Larry Fillmore

Lisbon, Me.

Lisbon Managerial Reports Now Available

View and/or Print out your own copy of the Reports from Lisbon Managers.

Click here.

More On Lisbon's Police Corporation

Just go to dnb.com and over on the right hand side you will see a text box.  Type in Lisbon Police and then select Maine ME for the state.  Push the search button and quicker then you can say "Allah Kazam" you will see  the corporate listing for Lisbon Police Department come up.  Now Isn't That simply Amazing?  This is a Prime Example of YOUR tax dollars working for you,,no wait,, against You, the taxpayer of Lisbon.  (click on highlighted text for direct link)  If you want to read more you will have to register with their website.

Oh yeah, and when the calls for service issue is used as a defense for the Police and Fire Departments budget this year, MAKE CERTAIN that someone asks for them to QUALIFY their Numbers.   Not Just state Quantity.   SO many of the calls are very unnecessary to dispatch the whole fleet of vehicles when they amount to nothing more then a citizen calling in for some assistance with a fire alarm reset.   Any keen ear tuned in to a scanner will be amused at some of the dialogue used between dispatch and the Fire Chief for example.  

Merry Christmas Lisbon Residents!

Todd Comber

State PUC 'Gurus' Recommend Consolidation Of Dispatch Centers

PUC: Merging 911 call centers would save lives

By Leslie Bridgers
Staff writer 

HALLOWELL — The state should cover some costs for local dispatch centers to consolidate with regional 911 call centers, the Public Utilities Commission recommends.

The commission believes getting local dispatch centers to consolidate voluntarily with one of 17 regional call centers would reduce costs and improve public safety.

Many municipalities are reluctant to give up control of their dispatching services, however, and will need incentives to do so, the commission wrote in a letter to legislators.

The PUC made a final recommendation Monday to the Legislature on how to consolidate the number of 911 call centers in the state from 26 to 17 and improve emergency dispatching services.
All emergency calls in the state are answered at designated 911 call centers, called public-safety answering points. Many are then transferred to local dispatchers who alert police, fire and rescue departments.

Continue Reading

Lisbon Emergency Drill TOMORROW 10/16‏

 Lisbon – On Saturday, October 16, The Lisbon Police, Fire, School and Lisbon Emergency, in conjunction with the Androscoggin County COBRA (Chemical Ordinance Biological Radiological Agents) Team, will conduct an emergency drill starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Lisbon Community School, 33 Mill Street in Lisbon.  The drill will examine how emergency personnel and school officials respond to a school based incident. The event will be evaluated by members of the Lisbon School Safety Committee in conjunction with Fire Chief David LaFountain of the Waterville Fire Department.

The event will place emergency responders and school officials in a simulated emergency that will take place at a school setting. The drill will also examine a number of procedures that have been worked on by the School District Safety Committee in response to an emergency that could happen at a school. The drill will also involve students from Lisbon High School S.A.D.D. Chapter who have agreed to be actors and actresses in this drill.

The drill will conclude with small group discussions based on each agency that participated followed by a large group discussion. A written report by Chief LaFountain will follow for review by Lisbon School Departments’ District Safety Committee. The drill is part of a grant received by the Town of Lisbon from the Maine Emergency Management Agency.  FMI contact Detective Bernie McAllister by calling 353-2500 or email bmcallister@lisbonpd.com

MPUC INQUIRY OPENED FOR PSAP CONSOLIDATION

Augusta, Maine— The Maine Public Utilities Commission opened an Inquiry to allow the Commission’s Emergency Services Communication Bureau (Bureau) to collect information to help its planning process—as directed by the Legislature—for a new configuration of 15-17 PSAPS down from the current 26. The Commission will issue a proposed consolidation plan for comment before submitting its final plan to the Legislature’s Utilities and Energy Committee by November 1, 2010.

“Through this Inquiry, the Commission seeks information and input from interested parties about many aspects of the emergency communications system, including: criteria for determining the number and locations of PSAPs, communications and public safety impact of consolidating call answering and dispatch functions, appropriate methods for identifying which PSAPS to close, and processes, incentives and timeframes for closing,” stated Commissioner Vendean Vafiades.  The Notice of Inquiry contains eighteen general questions for anyone providing comments, and several specific questions for certain regions of the state.

Background: In 2003, the Legislature directed that the number of PSAPs be reduced—to the extent possible--from 48 to a number between 16 and 24. Subsequently, the Commission opened an Inquiry, conducted rule-making and in a September 2006 Order, adopted 25 as the number of PSAPs. Further process in 2007 added one more PSAP for a current total of 26. In 2009, the Legislature directed the Bureau to study and report back on the optimum PSAP configuration for Maine; the Commission contracted with L. R. Kimball Associates, a firm specializing in E911 design and public safety consolidation. Kimball’s study recommended the optimum PSAP configuration consist of 15 to 17 regionally located centers and that PSAP and dispatch functions should be consolidated to the extent possible into these regional centers. The Legislature then adopted the Kimball plan and directed the Bureau to develop a plan by November to reach this recommended configuration.

Process: Comments on this Inquiry should be filed no later than July 12, 2010. Parties may file further comments in response to those filed by July 12th, by July 19th.  Comments should be submitted electronically by following the e-filing instructions on the Commission’s website (www.maine.gov/mpuc ). Anyone without electronic access may mail comments to:  Administrative Director, MPUC, 18 State House Station, Augusta ME 04333. All filings should refer to Docket Number 2010-185. A copy of the full Notice of Inquiry (dated June 15, 2010) and all filed comments can be found on the virtual case file accessed from the website-- look under Case ID: 2010185.

Click here for the Notice of Inquiry

Three Families Escape Fire In Lisbon

A fire erupted in an apartment building forcing three families out.  Thankfully no one was injured.  Lisbon's Fire Department did "another great job" of containing the fire.  Neighbors helped the victims and some had to run through flames to safety.  A very scary experience. The fire was held to a porch on the second floor.  Smoke detectors alerted residents, however, some didn't sound according to article.

REMINDER:  Check to make sure your smoke detectors are working on all floors.


Read more here.

Municipal Budget Schedule 2010-2011 {No Doubt, It Could Change}

Town of Lisbon
Municipal Budget Schedule 2010 – 2011
7:00 PM

December15, 2009 - Council Meeting/Municipal Capital Budget
January 5, 2010 Town Council Meeting – Set Budget Financial Guideline
January 19, 2010 Council Meeting
February 2, 2010 Council Meeting
February 16, 2010 Council Meeting
March 2, 2010 Council Meeting

March 16, 2010 Council Meeting /Municipal Budget Presentation

March 18, 2010 Thursday/Budget Workshop/ Advisory Committee /Department Presentation
Library
Finance
Tax Collection
Conservation

March 23, 2010 – Tuesday /Budget Workshop/ Advisory Committee /Department Presentation
Technology
Public Works
Fire Dept.

March 25, 2010- Thursday/Budget Workshop/ Advisory Committee /Department Presentation
Recreation
Solid Waste (Transfer Station)
Administration/Town Manager

March 30, 2010- – Tuesday /Budget Workshop/ Advisory Committee /Department Presentation
Police Dept.
Town Clerk
Economic Development/GA

April 1, 2010 Thursday/Advisory Committee/Town Manager/Finance Director

April 6, 2010 Tuesday/Council Meeting/School Budget/Advisory Board

April 13, 2010 Tuesday/Council Meeting/Budget Review/School/Advisory Board

April 20, 2010 Tuesday Bond Referendum

April 27, 2010 Tuesday/Public Hearing Town/School Budget, LCS 7PM

May 4, 2010 Tuesday/Council Meeting

May 6, 2010 Thursday/Council Meeting Budget Workshop

May 11, 2010 Tuesday/Council Meeting Budget Workshop(if necessary)

May 18, 2010 Tuesday/Council Meeting

May 25, 2010 Tuesday/Council Adopt Budgets?

June 8, 2010 Validation Referendum (10 days after adoption)

 

Mark Your Calenders, Make Your Appearance, Voice Your Concerns, You Have The Right.

BUT Please Note THIS.  The Public will have only two times to present their concerns.  ANYONE that is interested is advised to attend all meetings, Take NOTES, then BLAST them at the Public Meetings.  OR You may contact YOUR Town Councilor and voice your concerns.

Don't be afraid of the Boogieman.  It's Your Budget. You Are Paying For It.

Lisbon Firefighters Continue To Be Busy

Lisbon Firefighters continue to be busy with fire calls during the past two weeks.  The Lisbon Fire Department responded to 38 calls for service during the month of January and have piled up another 11 calls during the month of February.  Again, members have responded to 2 working house fires and were called to 2 minor fires that did not require as much work.  So far this year members have responded to 49 calls that required over 1200 hours of staff hours. 

 

February 1 - Reported Structure Fire on Village Street - Malfunctioning Heater

February 2 - Vehicle Fire inside a Garage on Lisbon Road - Fire Out on Arrival

February 3 - Medical Assist - Burroughs Road in Bowdoin

February 4 - Smoke Detector Activation - Lisbon Road

February 6 - Chimney Fire - Post Road inn Bowdoin

February 7 - Fuel Spill - Millers variety on Lisbon Road

February 8 - Fire Alarm Activation - Campus Avenue

February 8 - Working Structure Fire on Route 9

February 14 - Furnace Malfunction - Lisbon Road

February 15 - Motor Vehicle Crash - Route 196 in Topsham

February 15 - Working Structure Fire - Meadow Road in Durham

 

 

 Lisbon Firefighters at Ridge Road Working Structure Fire

 

 

 

 Lisbon Firefighters completing ventilation at Working Structure Fire on Ridge Road

 

 

 

 Lisbon Firefighters standby as Lifeflight Helicopter lands at the scene of crash just over the Topsham Town Line.

Photos by: Jim Berube, Fire Dept. Photographer

 

Michael Robitaille

Deputy Chief

Lisbon FD

Fourth Structure Fire In 14 Days‏

Members of the Lisbon Fire Department were alerted on Sunday morning to the fourth house fire in two weeks. This time, members responded to 68 Main Street in Lisbon falls for a fire in the basement. Upon arrival firefighters encountered fire in the basement and the exterior wall of the residence. Quick work was made of the fire and the under control was sounded about thirty minutes later. The cause was determined to be an electrical short circuit. Damage to the structure and contents is estimated to be around $15,000.


This is the fourth structure fire in Lisbon in two weeks. Firefighters responded to 18 Ferry Road and found fire in several rooms and on two floors of the residence. The incident was quickly upgraded bringing units from Topsham to the scene and units from Durham and Lewiston covering the empty fire stations. The fire was determined to have been caused by electrical wiring. Damage to the structure and contents is estimated to be around $100,000. One firefighter was transported to the hospital after being treated for exhaustion.


One week later firefighters responded to 20 High Street for a fire in a 3 story house. Upon arrival firefighters found one occupant on the porch roof. The occupant had jumped from the 3rd floor window to escape the smoke. The fire was located to the first floor and part of the 2nd floor. Again, Topsham Fire responded to the scene to provide a Safety Engine and Durham and Lewiston covered at the empty stations. The fire was determined to have been caused by a candle left unattended. damamge to the structure and contents is estimated to be around $75,000. One occupant was treated and released from the hospital for burns to the hand.


Two days later firefighters were notified of a trailer fire in the Town and Country Trailer park. The fire was quickly contained the stove and exterior of the residence. Units from Topsham, Lewiston and Durham were covering the stations again. The cause was a stove fire and damage was estimated to be $4,000 .


The month has been extremely busy for the fire department with 32 calls for emergency services. This included 5 car crashes, 5 structure fires, 3 furnace malfunctions, and several alarm activations to name a few. The members of the department would like to express our thanks to the officers of the Lisbon Police Department for rerouting traffic during these incidents. A special thanks to the Dispatchers from Lisbon Police for their teamwork and handling of our many requests. We also want to thank the members of the Lisbon Water Department who have worked very hard to keep the hydrants clear of snow and for draining them after the many fires.

Great Job Lisbon Fire Fighters

"Person Jumps 3rd Story Window to Escape Lisbon Fire

A fire that proved dangerous for a family in Lisbon Falls is under investigation.

It erupted at 20 High Street just before noon. Firefighters showed up in less than three minutes and it took about 20 minutes for crews from Lisbon and Topsham to knock down the flames."

Noon Update:

Fire originated from a candle left burning in 'home office' while homeowner stepped out of room.

Smoke detectors alerted others in home and all got out safely.  Approximately $90,000.00 damage to insured property.

Read more->>

Please be safe with any home fire, reminder to check your  Smoke Detectors.
Read More->>


GREAT Efforts by ALL Personnel Involved.

Fire Department has Busy Weekend‏

The following submitted by:
Michael Robitaille, Deputy Fire Chief

Members of the Lisbon Fire Department were kept busy this past weekend with a variety of calls.  The first, of 11 calls was received around 8pm on Friday with the last call occurring on Monday around noon.  Members were actively involved with incidents that ranged from car crashes to fires.  One firefighter suffered non life threatening injuries while working a house fire in Topsham.  The firefighter was injured while laying fire hose to a working house fire.  He was transported to a local hospital and released with a leg injury. 

Friday 9:00pm – Station Coverage due to power outage - Lisbon Falls and E.T. Smith Hose Co.

Friday 10:30pm – Durham Fire Station Coverage – Lisbon Falls Engine 7

Friday 10:40pm – Structure Fire - Sokokis Drive, Topsham – Lisbon Falls Truck 6

Saturday 4:15am – Motor Vehicle Crash – Frost Hill Ave. – Lisbon Falls Engine 7 and Rescue 10

Saturday 2:00pm – Motor Vehicle Crash – Rt. 196 and Blethen Street – Lisbon Falls Engine 7, Rescue 10, and Tank 9

Saturday 9:30pm – Winter Street – Topsham – Salvage call – Cancelled Enroute – Lisbon Falls Truck 6

Sunday 4:30pm – Lisbon Road – Salvage Call – Lisbon Falls Truck 6

Sunday 5:00pm – Main Street – Check on Permitted Burn – Lisbon Falls Engine 7

Monday 6:00am – Faith Street – Salvage Call – Lisbon Falls Truck 6

Monday 12:15pm – Pinewoods Road – Stove Fire – Lisbon Falls and E.T. Smith Hose Co.

Sokokis Drive, Topsham Photo by Topsham Fire Department

 Frost Hill Avenue Photo by Lisbon Fire Department

**Special** Lisbon Trained Firefighter Helps Others In Iraq

John Curtis was a member of the Lisbon Fire Department who joined the U.S. Army and is currently serving in Iraq.  He is now using the skills that he was taught as a member of the Lisbon FD with the Iraq Fire Service.  Another Fine example of a Lisbon resident serving his country proudly…..

Mike Robitaille

November 10, 2009     

RELEASE No. 20091110-03                                                             

Soldiers pass on firefighting knowledge to Iraqis

By Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell

MND-B PAO

BAGHDAD – An Iraqi firefighter feigns death and lies on the ground inside of a mock building to simulate a smoke-inhalation victim. His teammates, their vision obscured to simulate smoke-blindness, crawl along the ground with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs.

            All of a sudden, Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment scream at the trainees to recreate the chaos inside in a burning building.

            “You gotta respect the fire,” admitted Spc. Kevin Fregia, a hazardous materials specialist. “Yeah, you’re going to be scared, but you gotta have confidence and the knowledge to do what you have to do.”

            This is all part of a firefighting class at Joint Security Station Ur that Fregia, and another Soldier with a firefighting background, held, Nov. 8, for nearly 20 Iraqi firefighters from the 29th Center for Defense, based just west of Sadr City, here.

            The class taught the Iraqis how to properly don and use their equipment, feel for back drafts on a door, enter a burning building, find and recover victims, and how to extinguish a blaze with a fire hose, explained Cpl. John Curtis, a combat medic from Lisbon, Maine.

            “Some of the things we taught them, like the technical stuff, they weren’t too comfortable with,” added Curtis. “But after running through some scenarios a few times, they were good.”

            Curtis, the lead instructor for the course, added that even though these Iraqis have been working as firefighters for a few years in some cases, he wanted to focus on their equipment first.

            “You want to make sure they know how to use it and how it works,” he continued. “Then run them through a few scenarios and let them problem solve before we make corrections…Next, we blindfolded them with bags that simulates smoke and a fire, so they have to really feel around and communicate with each other.”

            The Iraqis were eager to learn and jumped in at every opportunity to ask questions and display what they have learned in the past.

            “Actually, being able to see them use their own gear and knowledge with me just pushing them along the way is a great feeling,” said Curtis. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement today…If you get the tactical and technical aspects down, then you’re going to have confidence to go in there and save some lives.”

            Curtis knows this from firsthand experience. He has been around firefighters all his life; his father was on the fire department and he joined as a volunteer when he was only 16 years old. After becoming a certified firefighter, he attended special classes such as water and vehicle rescue before joining the military.

            From his experiences, Curtis knows that the right training can be the difference between saving a victim or becoming one.

            “One of these guys may save somebody else’s life or their own life with the training that we’re giving them,” said Fregia, a native of Orange, Texas, who has over ten years of firefighting experience.

            “It feels great to pass on your knowledge to other people,” he continued. “This training is the greatest feeling to teach them something you know that they wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere.”

            According to Hussan Nawim Hussein, who has been fighting fires in Baghdad since 2005, the incidents they deal with are fires from oil wells, buildings, homes, but mostly explosions.

            “I’m never scared because it’s my job,” said Hussan. “The main goal is to save people’s lives and I feel brave and very proud because I’ve saved some people’s lives.”

       Hussan and his fellow firefighters agreed that the U.S. Soldiers taught them all something helpful.

       “I think they were having a lot of fun and learning a lot, they would have stayed all day if they could have,” said Fregia.

        “I’ve seen a lot of improvement,” agreed Curtis. “We’re really not providing them with anything except for knowledge.”

       Both instructors worked together to change up the scenarios and let different firefighters participate, but after a few hours, the radios crackled and the Iraqis received an emergency call.

       “Doing firefighting, you got it in your blood,” said Fregia as he watched them scramble to pack up their gear. “Seeing them get a call and take off; I wanted to go…But being able to pass off my knowledge and take care of them is a great feeling.”

       The firefighters from 29th Center for Defense quickly jumped on their fire engines, flipped on flashing red lights and sped off to put their newly-honed skills into use, hopefully saving lives in a trial by fire.

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BAGHDAD – Iraqi firefighters from the 29th Center for Defense listen intently to Cpl. John Curtis, a combat medic and former firefighter from Lisbon, Maine, during joint-firefighter training at Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO)

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BAGHDAD – Spc. Kevin Fregia, a hazardous materials specialist from Orange, Texas, shows  an Iraqi firefighter how to properly get a tight seal on his oxygen mask during a joint firefighting class at Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8.  (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO)

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BAGHDAD – Cpl. John Curtis, a combat medic and former firefighter from Lisbon, Maine, and Iraqi firefighters from the 29th Center for Defense use a fire hose to spray water at a simulated fire during joint-firefighter training at Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO)

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BAGHDAD – Cpl. John Curtis (left), a combat medic from Lisbon, Maine, and Spc. Kevin Fregia (right), a hazardous materials specialist from Orange, Texas, demonstrate how to crawl through a smoky building by holding onto each other during joint-firefighter training at Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8.  (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO)

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BAGHDAD – Iraqi firefighters from the 29th Center for Defense are blindfolded before trying to enter a mock building to save a fire victim as Lisbon, Maine native, Cpl. John Curtis, a combat medic and former firefighter, watches closely during a joint-firefighting class at Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8.  (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO)

God Bless Them All

Recap of Town Council Meeting Held Last Night Pertaining to 39 Village St. Property

39 Village Street Property owned by or formerly owned by Reginald Thiboutot

39 Village Street Property now questionabley owned by the Town of Lisbon

Dear Lisbon Reporter and Citizens of Lisbon,

Last night I attended the Lisbon town council meeting, with a personal interest in one of the items on the agenda; the order of the demolition of the building at 39 Village Street in Lisbon. Yes I am friends with the owner of the building, but no one twisted my arm to get involved.

When one has been the victim of fraudulent practices, one tends to develop the ability to detect such practices. I sensed some time ago that the manner in which elected officials in Lisbon were dealing with this case, just did not add up, but I could not put my finger on it until the last few weeks.

Some years ago, Western Avenue extended the length of the fire station lot and intersected with Village Street just North of the fire station. This section of Western Avenue adjacent to the fire station lot was physically blocked by the addition to the fire station in 1986. Due to the lack of documented evidence at this time, it appears that this same section of Western Avenue was never officially discontinued. Careful study of the details will give an indication as to why this was not dealt with when the addition was built.

It could simply be described as a catch 22 for the town. Common sense dictates that the road should have been discontinued, but here is what would have happened, the Eastern boundary line of the lot at 39 Village Street would be moved to the center line of Western Avenue. Without knowing the width of Western Avenue, I'm not sure exactly where this line would be, but a quick check with a tape measure, leads me to believe that it could be in front of the fire station building.

In addition, the setback would be less than the 15 feet required by ordinance. As it stands right now, the setback on the Westerly side of the fire station to the municipal parking lot appears to be 14 feet, but since the town already owns the parking lot, who would complain. It's also very possible that to discontinue this section of road, would make the lot at 39 Village Street a landlocked piece of property, this would be an illegal act under Maine law. This same issue could also affect the driveway for 37 Village Street.

Now if the town were to obtain ownership of the lot at 39 Village Street, most of the issues I have mentioned here would go away.

Now in 2001, along comes Reggie Thiboutot, who like a lot of us, is not loaded with dough. Records show that shortly thereafter, town officials started to complain. They gave Reggie lists of things to correct. Although he may not have completed them in a timely manner as set forth by the town officials, I believe that Reggie did indeed comply with their demands.

According to information received from Maine's Bureau of Taxation, it appears that the town had two choices, either recommend demolishing the building, or repair it and set Reggie up with a payment plan of up to ten years. But you have to realize that only one of these options makes the problems go away.

How to arrive at the results desired? Keep hiring an engineering firm and give the impression to the town's people that it is a dangerous building, all the while adding fees and liens to the property.

Now if Reggie brought the property into compliance, wouldn't it make sense for the town to choose to repair the building? Oops, sorry short memory, it wouldn't make the problems go away. As I told the council last night, stop the shenanigans, work with Reggie for a solution that would benefit him and the town. Never mind the attorney, he could collect food stamps.

It might make the most sense if the town did own the property at 39 Village Street, I'm sure that Reggie and the neighbors wouldn't mind seeing an improvement in the scenery. But for gosh sakes, don't steal the man's property in an attempt to hide mistakes made by town officials, negotiate a fair price and resolve the dispute. The town council voted last night to demolish the building.

While Reggie is planning his appeal, the town attorney is planning his frequent trips to the bank, courtesy of the Lisbon Taxpayers.

It amazes me how so many public officials are unaware of, or totally ignore their primary responsibility, which is to help the residents to comply with the rules.

Simply enforcing statutes, rules or regulations may not always be in the best interest of all involved.

And that's my opinion, DYODD (Do Your Own Due Diligence)

Leon Bard

Flying High & Proud Librarians Sit On A Hot Roof

A summer reading program that began June 23 and ended August 1 sent a couple local librarians to the roof next door.

Jo-Jean Keller and Diane Nadeau Proudly Keeping Their Promise.

What began as a challenge for summer readers at the Lisbon Falls Community Library, quickly turned into reality for Jo-Jean Keller and Diane Nadeau as they "proudly" hold up their end of the deal by sitting on the Lisbon Falls Fire Station Roof. It was a team effort, by ALL personnel at the Library Diane quickly points out, to get Lisbon's youth to read more. The staff challenged the eager readers by stipulating that if they read more books than last year's program Diane and Jo-Jean would sit on the roof of the Fire Station for an afternoon. Both agreed that after the program began it was at about week 4 they realized that sitting on the roof next door was going to happen.


Last year the summer readers read 1221 books, and this year the children read 1460. Readers ranged in ages from 5-14 years old comprising almost 200 participants in the Summer Reading Program. Some of the 'hot' topics this year were Science, Technology, and Animals in books that the Library purchased. The new books were an inspiration in themselves with beautiful photos and updated information.



During the weekly visits, which were Tuesday afternoons from 1pm to 5pm, staff at the Library would read to the group creating a well rounded learning experience. Their progress was kept track of on a graph were it was visible for each to see their own progress. Many of the summer readers improved their reading skills dramatically, enough that Diane and Jo-Jean both agreed that when school starts the teachers will even notice.

Great Effort Everybody!

Congratulations and Thank You All.

Story and Photos by Todd Comber