TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP - JANUARY 24TH

                                                  PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START TIME

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – JANUARY 17TH

This is a summary of Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting.

Under Council Orders, Resolutions and Ordinances –

1.     Tax Acquired Redemption – The Council approved this redemption for three properties by a vote of 7-0.

2.     Drug Forfeiture Disbursements – The Council approved the forfeiture money from the state in the amount of $6,986.25 by a vote of 7-0.  This brings the forfeiture fund balance to $27,945.00.

3.     Authorization to submit Maine Municipal Bond Bank Application – The Council approved the town to submit an application in the amount of $1.5 million to the Maine Municipal Bond Bank by a vote of 7-0.  This bond is for paving.

4.     Authorization to Solicit Bids for Road Work – The Council approved this by a vote of 7-0 in order to start the process to pave three streets.  These streets are Bowdoinham Road, Gould Road and Summer Street.

5.     Memorandums of Understanding with Town of Winslow – The Council approved by a vote of 7-0 to have the town enter into the agreement with Winslow for reimbursement for training of a Police Officer.

6.     Salary Survey – The Chairman spoke on this issue but there was no vote by the Council.

Under Other Business – Several Councilors briefed the rest of the Council on meetings that they attend and the subject of each.  Also, the Council received a briefing from the Audit Team on the statues for the ongoing audit.  It is in “DRAFT” at this time so there were no handouts for the audience so we were unable to follow along.  Supposedly, when this goes final the Public will be provided copies of this audit.

Under Appointments – Mr. William Kukl was approved by the Council by a vote of 7-0 and appointed to the Recreation Committee.

Larry Fillmore

 

ANOTHER COLA INCREASE

Lisbon Proposes a COLA almost seven times that of Social Security. Are You Ready for a Tax Hike?

I was surprised to see Lisbon's proposed budget included an across the board  2% COLA (cost of living allowance) for all employees. 

For 2017 Retired Social Security Recipients receiving the average benefit of $1,355 will get a measly 0.3% COLA raise, starting in January of 2017.  This equates to $5 more in their Social Security checks.

Why is Lisbon giving all employees a COLA percentage rise almost seven times  higher than what our seniors will receive in Social Security COLA? 

  A Lisbon employee making $50,000 a year (many of our employees make more than this)will get $1,000 dollars or 200 times that of the average Social Security recipient.

Giving a 2% cola increase isn't just a 2% raise in employee salaries it is also an increase in all the costs associated with those salaries. (FICA,  retirement, unemployment insurance, workers comp.  etc) 

These COLA payments also compound.  If we  pay a 2% cola this year, it will be 2% on last years income which includes last years  2% COLA.  Ten years of 2% colas  isn't a 20% raise it is almost a 22% raise in income.


Is it morally right to demand retirees, that ONLY get a 0.3% COLA, pay for a 2.0% COLA for all Lisbon employees? Remember some of our employees, when including benefits, make a six figure income.  

 COLA increases were meant for rank and file employees not department heads or salaried individuals.

In conclusion: If we must give a COLA then that raise should be tied to the increase in the cost of living not some arbitrary number. If our seniors get 0.3% COLA raises lets give the same to Lisbon's employees. 

Call your Councilors and ask them if this is fair?

Respectfully
Joe Hill

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP – JANUARY 10TH

This is a brief summary of what took place at Tuesday’s Town Council Workshop.

1.      Salary Survey – The Town Manager asked how much COLA the town employees were going to receive this year.  In the past five years, it has been 2% each year.

2.      Minimum Wage Increase – With the new minimum wage law coming into effect this year, the town was looking to identify personnel and to find a way to implement these changes.

3.     Department Budget Needs – Each of the Department Heads provided a list of what they are looking for this year.  It appears to be a shopping list and will be costly if everything is approved.

4.     Capital Improvement Needs – This is the long term goals for the next five years in order to get an idea of what the town needs to move forward.

This meeting lasted for approximately 3 1/2 hours.  It was extremely interesting and well presented by the Department Heads.  This budgeting year will be very entertaining.

Larry Fillmore

 

Town Council Workshop Agenda - January 10th

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – JANUARY 3RD

This is a summary of the Town Council meeting held on January 3, 2017.

Under Council Orders, Resolutions & Ordinances –

1. Authorization to Solicit Bids for Natural Gas – The Council voted 7-0 to authorize the Town Manager to solicit bids and purchase Natural Gas.
2. Write-Off Real Estate Taxes – The Council voted 7-0 to write off $2,561.54 of taxes on three abandoned trailers.

Under Other Business – The Council discussed several options for the upcoming workshops on January 10th, 24th and 31st.  The topics ranged from Salaries, Dispatching, and several more.  To determine which ones will be discussed on what dates monitor the town web site.  Also, Chairman Ward started a new program by asking Councilors to brief the entire Council on developments in Committee Reports since the last meeting.

Under appointments – The Council has published a 2017 Council Committee Assignments so that residents will know which Councilors will be monitoring which Committee.  If you have questions or concerns, the Councilors listed on the assignment sheet will be the ones to contract for that committee.  Also, Lindsey Larochelle was appointed to the Recreation Committee.

Larry Fillmore

2017 REVISED MUNICIPAL BUDGET SCHEDULE

AGENDA FOR JANUARY 3, 2017

WHAT THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING TO LISBON!

Every year at this time, people are trying to decide what their New Year resolutions will be.  I have been attending Town Council meeting for approximately 5 years.  This is the first year that I have been encouraged by the Town Council.  Five of the seven Councils have demonstrated they have common sense and this is great for the community.

It makes me feel good that the worm has turned and common sense has the majority vote on the Council.  Every resident of Lisbon should be looking forward to positive changes in the coming year.  These five Councilors, I believe have only the best interest of the community at heart.  It is a long time coming, but I believe, these five Councilors will move the town forward for a change.

I do not believe that the excuse “We do it this way because it is the way is always has been done.” will no longer be acceptable.  An example of this is the purchase of police vehicles.  Why are we financing an item that cost $25,000.00 instead of purchasing it outright?  If we do not have sufficient funds to purchase the item why are we buying it?  If the town of Lisbon is in such financial stress that we have to finance $25,000 then the town will never get out of debt.  You do not eliminate debt by increasing it when you do not have to.

Another example is why are we paying over $350,000 for an operation that puts our residents at risk; the individuals operating the center are not qualified as Emergency Medical Dispatcher and are using 353-2500 for emergency situations instead of the state 911 emergency situation?  All 911 phone calls are received by Androscoggin County Dispatch, so why don’t the 911 operator have the authority to call OUR first responders immediately upon receiving the call instead of forcing the 911 operator to contact the Lisbon Communication Center to have them dispatch OUR first responders.  If the 911 operator cannot get through think about the delay in getting first responder to the scene.  This situation has happen on several occasions according to Androscoggin County Dispatchers.

The Recreational Department is having trouble funding the upgrade of the MTM Center playground.  The town is looking to finance a front end loader.  Closing the Lisbon Communication Center will provide sufficient fund to pay for both projects and the police vehicles without financing.  What a concept?

I am looking forward to this year’s Town Council to make great strides in improve our community. 

I want to wish everyone a safe and wonderful New Year.

Larry Fillmore

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – DECEMBER 20TH

This is a summary of what took place Tuesday night at the Town Council meeting.  This new Council seems to have the community’s best interest at heart.  The Council displayed “common sense” in their decisions and allowed input from the audience before voting.  This provides a slimmer of hope this year.

Under Good News & Recognition – The Council honored the 2016 Lisbon High School Football Team for an outstanding season.

Under Council Orders, Resolutions & Ordinances –

1.     Adoption of GA Maximum Appendix A-F (Second Reading) – The Council voted 6-0 (Council Craft was excused) to adopt the appendix.

2.     Town Departments Christmas Eve Schedule – The Council approved the schedule by a vote of 6-0.

3.     MDOT Third Party Agreements – The Council approved these by a vote of 6-0.

4.     Hasey Street Winter Maintenance – The Council approved to stop maintaining Hasey Street because the town does not own the street by a vote of 6-0.

5.     Brownfield Qualified Engineering Proposal – The Council approved the proposal by a vote of 6-0.

6.     2017-2018 Municipal Budget Schedule – This schedule was approved by the Council by a vote of 6-0.

7.     Street Name – The Council approved the name Fox Knoll Lane for a new road off Mill Street by a vote of 6-0.

8.     2017 OUI Enforcement Grant – The Council approved for the Police Department to apply for this grant by a vote of 6-0.

9.      Medical Marijuana Ordinance Chapter 70-1 & 70-531 (second Reading) – The Council listened to the people for approximately an half hour and came to the conclusion that the proposed ordinance was premature and rejected the proposal by a vote of 6-0.

Under Appointment – Paul Carpentier was appointed by the Council as a Civil Constable by a vote of 6-0.

Larry Fillmore

 

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – DECEMBER 6TH

On Tuesday night, the Town Council met and discussed many items and this is a summary of what took place.

The first item of business was to swear in the two new councilors and the councilor that was reelected.  Once this was completed, the new council selected Councilor Allen Ward as the Chair and Councilor Chris Brunelle as Vice-Chair of the Town Council.

Under Orders, Resolutions & Ordinances –

1. Medical Marijuana Ordinance Chapter 70-1 & 70-531 (First Reading) – The Town Council discussed this for over a half hour and came to no conclusion.  They accepted input from residents in the audience.  At the end, there were more questions than answers.  The Town Council schedules a Public Hear for the next meeting.
2. Adoption of GA Maximums Appendix A-F (First Reading) – The Council voted 7-0 to accept the appendix as written.
3. Establishment of the Lisbon Development Committee (Second Reading) – The Council voted by a vote of 7-0 to approve as written.
4. Lisbon Development Committee Bylaws – The Town Council noted that the bylaws did not match the written establishment so they did not take any action except to send this back for review.
5. Designate Council Members to Sign Payroll & School Payroll Warrants – The Town Council voted by 7-0 to accept the guidance of the Town Manager.
6. Loader Bid Award – The Town Council accepted the bid for a loader at a cost of $167,725.00 by a vote of 7-0.

Under Other Business – The Town Council approved for Tracy Steuber to be nominated to the Northeast Economic Developers Association (NEDA) by a vote of 7-0.  Chairman Ward passed out a listing of the goals he would like to see addressed in the New Year.  He encouraged each Councilor to the listing and added anything they wanted.  The Council also setup January 10, 24 & 31st for dates for Workshops to discuss items on the listing.

Larry Fillmore

EDUCATING THE PEOPLE

I am ashamed to have to write this article because I feel that our leadership should have been straight forward with the residents of Lisbon.  Unfortunately, previous Town Council’s and the former Chief of Police were less than straight with the community when it came to the Lisbon Communication Center.

The first area is in terminology.  What is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and how does it affect the residents of Lisbon.  Not many people know this term for what it is but everyone knows it as the 911 emergency systems.  This is the location where all 911 calls for Lisbon are received.  It is located in Auburn at the Androscoggin County Dispatch.

Androscoggin County Dispatch receives all 911 calls for emergency service for Lisbon but they do not dispatch our first responders.  Why you wonder?  It is because previous Town Councils have demanded that instead of the 911 operators dispatching first responders they must contact Lisbon Communication Center so that they can dispatch our first responders.  This current system is fine if the 911 operators can get through to the Lisbon Communication Center but there have been numerous times when the 911 operators cannot immediately get through to the Lisbon Communications Center.  This creates an unnecessary delay in getting first responder to the scene of the emergency.  This is a real problem with a simple solution and that is pay Androscoggin County Dispatch to contact our first responder directly and eliminate the middle step of notifying Lisbon Communication Center prior to dispatching first responders.
I am not saying anything against the Lisbon Communication Center but there is a better and faster way to get our first responders to the scene.  As of October 1, 2016, not one of the dispatchers in the Lisbon Communication Center is even currently as Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD).  This is critical because in a medical emergency only EMD’s are allowed to gather medical information in order to generate an Emergency Medical Code (EMC) which is used by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) to ensure that they have the proper medicine and equipment with them.  This is crucial in order to treat a patient properly.  Without this code, Lisbon resident’s lives are put at risk.

Keep in mind that Lisbon is the only town/city in Androscoggin County and as far as I know the state that is not properly using the 911 emergency correctly and it is costing the taxpayer over $350,000.00 annual.  Previous Town Council determined that by paying Androscoggin County Dispatch to do our dispatching there was at that time a cost savings of $190,000.00 annually to the town.  To me, it makes perfect sense to have Androscoggin County Dispatch perform our dispatching because it means the 911 operators who are also qualified as EMDs can dispatch our first responders immediately upon receipt of the 911 call for emergency services.  It also saves the taxpayers a significant amount of money.  

For the past two years, the Town Council did not take any action on this, knowing lives were placed at risk and that the town could save a great deal of money.  The reason is because it is political.  Maybe our new Council will put what is best for the community ahead of politics. 
Call your Councilors and the Town Manager and express your concerns.  It has cost the taxpayers roughly $380,000.00 tax dollars for the two years the Town Council failed to take action to correct this situation.


Larry Fillmore

What is that black pavement on Davis Street?

 

Recently we finished the work on Davis Street sidewalk.

This project has been discussed in Council Meetings for quite some time. The purpose of this  sidewalk was to give a pedestrian friendly approach to the new walking Trail  extension.

Recently I drove down Davis Street and the above picture illustrates what I saw..

The town euphemistically calls the added pavement a sidewalk, I call it street widening or at best a small breakdown lane.

Dictionary.com describes a "Sidewalk" as follows. 

              "A hard-surfaced path for pedestrians alongside
             and a little higher than a road."

There are several reasons for the elevated nature of a sidewalk but the most important one is safety.  Drivers are aware that if they hit the raised sidewalk they risk damaging their vehicles. This risk keeps vehicles off the sidewalk and makes it much safer for pedestrians.

Placing a rumble strip to delineate the sidewalk will not make pedestrians any safer. It will just signal drivers that they are within a couple feet of the gravel. 

In my humble opinion adding a couple feet in width to a street and calling it a sidewalk is counter productive. It doesn't make pedestrians safer and may even encourage driver to increase their speed thus making it less safe for those walking on the side of the road.

In conclusion I think this is a $30,000 dollar boondoggle.

Sincerely
Joe Hill

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Every year, I write the same article in hopes the new Council will decide to return Lisbon to a democracy.  I think that it is important to return discussions and dialogs to Town Council meetings.  These options were striped from the people and replaced demanding the people can ”ONLY”  address the Council without the benefit of knowing why they are asking for a change.  Such an idea of asking people to speak when they do not have all the facts is totally ridiculous and wastes every ones time. 

Years ago, the people could speak on agenda items AFTER hearing why the sponsor has the item on the agenda.  Then the Council discussed the issue and then it was opened to the people.  This way everyone knew what was going on and we had meaningful discussions.  Also, the Councilors had ALL the facts in order to render a decision before voting.  Decisions are being made by the Town Council now without having all the facts on many items.  This leads to poor decisions.

 The Agenda would look like this:              

1.   CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE TO FLAG

2.  ROLL CALL

3.  GOOD NEWS & RECOGNITION

4.  PUBLIC HEARINGS

5.  CONSENT AGENDA

6.  COUNCIL ORDERS, RESOLUTION FOR AGENDA ITEMS

7.  OTHER BUSINESS

8.  NEW BUSINESS

9.  COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS

10.                   APPOINTMENTS

11.                   EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

12.                   ADJOURNMENT

This Agenda eliminates both Audience Participation & Response for Agenda items and Audience Participation & Response and replaces “New Business”.  This agenda will provide meaningful dialog for all and increase the chance of all the facts coming out.  Councilors will have all available facts in order to render better decisions.

Larry Fillmore

 

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – NOVEMBER 15TH

This is the summary of Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting.

Under Good News & Recognition – The Lisbon Recreation Pee Wee Football team received a proclamation for winning their Championship.

Under Council Orders Resolutions & Ordinances – 

1.  Waiver for Foreclosure for Sewer & Taxes – The Town Council approved the waiver for three mobile homes by a vote of 7-0.
2. Sewer Lab Tech Position – The Town Council approved the hiring of a Sewer Lab Tech by a vote of 7-0.  The salary is still undetermined.
3. Ratify Police Sergeants Contract – The Town Council voted to ratify the contract by a vote of 7-0.
4. Lisbon Falls Fire Station Hose Tower Insulation – The Town Council approved this by a vote of 7-0.  All Seasons Weatherization & Insulation, LLC won the bid in the amount of $16,850.00
5. Trail Project Closure – The Town Council approved the closure of the Trail Project by a vote of 7-0 not to exceed $11,926.34.
6. Charter Amendment Effect Date – The Town Council approved the date of November 15, 2016 as the effective date by a vote of 7-0.
7. Loader Discussion & Decision – The Town Council approved to purchase a Loader not to exceed $150,000.00 by a vote of 7-0.
8. Establishment of the Lisbon Development Committee (First Reading) – The Town Council accepted the first reading by a vote of 7-0.

Under Appointments – Mr. Dan LeMan was appointed as an Associate Member to the Planning board by a vote of 6-0.  Councilor Metivier did not vote.

Larry Fillmore

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER 15TH

MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO!!!!!!!

It is time for the people to look at how the Town Council votes.  This should provide facts for the people to see which Councilors are putting the best interest of the community first when they vote on agenda items. 

But wait a minute; this cannot be done because the Town Council’s votes are, for the majority of the time, unanimous.  In the last year, only two Councilors voted against an agenda item.   Councilor Klobe and Councilor Crafts did not vote with the group only once in a year.

This is an indication that everyone is playing well together.  But is this true?  Councilor Cote voted against the group close to 90% of the time.  Councilor Cote ALWAYS put the best interest of the town ahead of everything where other Councilors put their personal agenda before the community.

We need Councilors who are not afraid to vote for the community first and friendships second.  This should always be the measuring stick for a Councilor and not if he plays well with others.  When considering how good a Council is; a review of his voting record should be the only yardstick.  Today, it cannot be done because they ALWAYS vote unanimous and therefore there is no way to measure which Councilors puts the community first.

We need to vote for the Councilors that will ALWAYS put the best interest of our community first.   Currently, we know that Councilors Meteiver and Brunelle vote personal agenda and NOT what are in the best interest of the town.

 Please think about this when you vote on Tuesday, November 8^th.

VOTE

Larry Fillmore

THE HEIGHT OF STUPIDITY!!!

At Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting, I witness the height of stupidity.  Our previous Finance Director, Mr. Edward Karass, briefed the Town Council on what are good financial practices and what are financial bad practices.  He was trying to explain how our town got into the financial fix the town was in and what can be done to get the town out of debit.  One of the areas to correct was to eliminate the practice of lease to purchase Police cruisers. 

 The Town Council does a decent job when it comes to allocating funding for Police cruisers in the town budget.  The funds to purchase these vehicles are allocated in the approved budget.  The old process was twofold.  Part one is to get a bid for the purchase and then to borrow funds to pay for the lease to purchase of the cruisers.  This adds to the cost of the cruiser and requires the taxpayer to pay additional fees for leasing.  Mr. Karass and I agree that if you allocate the funding for these vehicles in the budget the town should pay OUTRIGHT for the purchase of the vehicles.  This saves the taxpayers the cost of leasing and does not increase the town’s debit.

 However, Mr. Karass has been gone about a month now and on Tuesday night the old procedure was back in place by lease to purchase a Police cruiser.  There was no need to go lease to purchase because the funding had already been approved in the budget.  The police budget is roughly two million tax dollars so there should be sufficient funds to purchase the cruiser OUTRIGHT and save the town leasing fees.  According to the Town Manager, this is the way it always has been done.

 Doing things because we have always done it that way is about as dump as it comes.  Especially after our previous Finance Director explained why this is a bad practice.  Vice-Chair Metivier stated that the Town Council would look into the area next year.  This is the same answer we have gotten for the past three years, with no results.  It is terrible to have the right information and then ignore it.

 This cruiser has to be retrofitted with the communication equipment in the vehicle.  However, the equipment is for a Crown Vic and not the SUV the town purchased so there is going to be an additional cost to transfer the equipment into the new cruiser.  The Town Council added an additional cost of roughly $7,625 to the cost of purchasing the cruiser, which was $25,375.00 to make it an even $33,000.00.  The Town Council could have used $7,625.00 of forfeiture funds to cover this additional cost.  This is what the forfeiture funds are designed to be utilized for but none of our Councilors thought of it. 

 This is the problem with the Council Working Rules.  The Council Working Rules eliminate a chance of having a discussion or dialogue on issues with the Public.  Apparently, the Town Council believes they are smarter than everyone else in town and therefore does not need to get additional help.  Think about what would happen if everyone could input data into a problem so that the Town Council had all the facts in order to make an intelligent decision.

Please call the Town Manager and your Councilors and voice your concerns about spending your tax dollars when there is no need.

 Larry Fillmore        

 

LISBON NEEDS LEADERSHIP!!!!!

When the people of Lisbon go to the polls on November 8th to vote; it is crucial they vote for individuals that possess two important traits.  They are leadership and the ability to put what is best for the community first.  I believe we have this on the School side but on the Town Council; we are seriously lacking.

On October 6, 2015, the Town Council, which included the following Councilors Bickford, Crafts, Brunelle, and Metivier, voted to stop the Consolidation of the Lisbon Communication Center and the Androscoggin County Dispatch.  This consolidation would have allowed the 911 operators to dispatch directly OUR First Responders in emergency situations.  This initiative would have made it possible for OUR First Responder to get to the scene more quickly and possibly save more lives.  At the same time, Councilors Pesce and Garrison estimated a cost saving to the town of approximately $190,000.00 tax dollars.  To me this is a significant savings for the taxpayers. 

However, since October 6, 2015, these same supposedly Councilors have made no effort to pursue this any further.  That means that every man, woman and child’s live remain endanger.  This outrages me and should you but no one other than myself; Mr. Stacey and Dorothy Fitzgerald have tried to get the Town Council to take immediate action to correct this situation.  What is going to happen when a loved one dies because of the delay in First Responder getting to the scene and the family sues the town for failure to provide a safe environment in Lisbon? 

We have two sitting Councilors up for reelection who voted to stop the consolidation and they are supposedly Councilors Metivier and Brunelle.  If these two are reelected, they will not make any effort to correct this situation.  Putting our citizen’s life a risk all the time is bad enough not looking into way to save the taxpayers money is inexcusable.  These two have clearly demonstrated the past two years they are not leaders nor have the ability to put what is best for the community first.  It will be up to the people on November 8th to choose our next Town Council so it is critical they choose wisely.  I will not be voting for either of these two.

The Androscoggin County Dispatch is willing to work with our new Chief of Police to provide emergency dispatching to Lisbon.  However, it is up to the Town Council to make the first move.  I do not care which Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) provides the service as long as the PSAP dispatch First Responder immediately receipt of the 911 call.  There are two PSAP in Androscoggin County which is L/A 911 and Androscoggin County Dispatch.

If you are tired of having your life and that of yours love ones put at risk, call the your Town Council, Town Manager and the Chief of Police and DEMAND they take immediate action to correct this mess.

Larry Fillmore