Town Council Agenda for February 21, 2017

LOSS OF LOCAL CONTROL OR LOSS OF LIFE!

The Lisbon Communication Center has been a topic of discussion for many many years.  I have kept up with all of these discussions and in each case I thought I understood the situation and had answers for all the excuses used to explain why the taxpayers are paying over $350,000.00 yearly uselessly when a cost saving of approximately $250,000.00 tax dollars can be had.  This closing of the Lisbon Communication Center would improve the quality of life for all citizens in Lisbon.

After hearing the discussion at the Town Council workshop, I was truly struck by the fact that the closing of the Lisbon Communication Center rested on the loss of local control.  This was clearly stated by Mr. Fern LaRochelle and shared by a couple of our Councilors.  To me, putting the loss of local control over the loss of life is ridiculous.   However, it does explain a lot to me.  This just goes to show how the “Good Old Boys” network values the lives of citizens.

The current system used by Lisbon does not provide the best possible protection to the people.  This was identified in last Town Council workshop on this to issue.  Please review the following two scenarios:

1.        According to the EMT from Lisbon Emergency, when calls are received using 353-2500, and the Lisbon Communication Center dispatch them; they cannot and do not provide an Emergency Medical Code EMC) which is crucial for EMTs to ensure they are prepared prior to arriving on the scene.  According to the EMT, this Emergency Medical Code (EMC) greatly improves the patient’s chances of survival.  Again, Lisbon Communication Center cannot provide this EMC; only the 911 operator can provide this code.

2.        All 911 calls currently are received by the Androscoggin County Dispatcher as directed by the Maine State Public Safety Director.  These 911 operators are mandated, by the Town of Lisbon, to relay the information to the Lisbon Communication Center to have OUR First Responders dispatched to the scene.  It certainly would be more efficient and effective to have the 911 operator dispatch OUR First Responders immediately upon receiving the call thus reducing the time it takes OUR First Responders to get to the scene and provide emergency medical services.  As everyone can see there is a time delay when you have to relay information and what happens when 911 operators cannot get a response from the Lisbon Communication Center right away.  When I visited the Androscoggin County Dispatch, I asked the two operators on duty what their problems were with Lisbon and was told that numerous times they cannot reach anyone on 353-2500.  Think about the delay at that point, and imagine you or a loved one is the patient waiting for emergency medical services.

So the real question is do the “Good Old Boys” network give up local control or improve the quality of life of our residents.  To me, there is no choice and that is to give up local control.  I say this because a single life of one of our own or a love one is more important than local control. 

There are many towns in Maine who have faced this same situation and it was not a choice for them because they gave up local control and it is working well for them.  In my mind, they made the right choice when they put the lives of their people ahead of local control.

What will our Town Council decide?  Watch and see who votes to keep local control verses those Councilors who vote to save lives.  This will show you which Councilors are member of the “Good Old Boy” network and which are willing to put the best interest of the community first.

Larry Fillmore

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – FEBRUARY 8TH

 The following is a summary of the Town Council meeting held on February 8, 2017.

Under Council Orders, Resolutions, and Ordinances –

1.      Fee Schedule Amendment (First Reading) – The Council decided that there were too many changes identified; so they postponed any action until February 21, 2017.  This will give the Town Manager time to make the changes.

2.     2017 Speed Enforcement & Equipment Grant – The Council authorized the Police Chief to apply for grant by a vote of 6-0 with Councilor Albert excused.  Lisbon has been pre-approved for $2,239.65 already.

3.     Forfeited Assets – The Council approved $4,593.00 of forfeiture fund by a vote of 6-0 to be applied to the new cruiser.  Casco Bay Ford raised the price of outfitting the new cruiser.

4.     Authorization to Solicit Bids for Town Branding and Website Design – The Council voted 6-0 to authorize the Economic & Community Development Director to go out for bids on this project.

5.     Authorization to Solicit Bids for the CDBG Downtown Revitalization Streetscape Project – The Council authorized the Economic & Community Development Director to solicit bids for this project by a vote of 6-0.

6.     Lisbon Community Garden Ad-hoc Committee – The Council approved this committee by a vote of 6-0.

7.     Dispatch Consolidation Discussion – The Council postponed this until February 21, 2017.

Under Other Business –

1.      The Councilors provided a brief on department meetings attended.

2.     The Town Manager announced a Sewer meeting on February 14, 2017.

3.     Ryan Leighton briefed the Council on the first announcement by Siemen’s Energy Audit.

Under Appointments –

1.      Heather Duley was appointed to the Recreation Committee by a vote of 6-0.

2.     The following individuals were appointed to the Lisbon Development Committee by a vote of 6-0:

Tracey Steuber

Amanda Bunker

Karin Paradis

Don Fellows

Scott Hall                                                                      

Fern LaRochelle

Gina Mason

Cheryl Haggerty

Eric Metivier

The Council then went into Executive Session.

Larry Fillmore

 

Town Council Workshop - February 14, 2017

BROWNTAIL MONTH PRESENTATION

SUBMITTED: TOWN MANAGER, DIANE BARNES

Town Council Agenda for February 7, 2017

DOING THE RIGHT THING!

 

 

Why is it always so hard to do the right thing?  Our Town Council is going to discuss the Dispatch Consolidation on Tuesday’s agenda.  At the workshop on this subject an individual asked why we have been discussing this very subject for the last five years.  The answer is that the Town Council has NOT got it right yet.

 

A better question should be ‘Why is Lisbon the ONLY community, I know, that is not part of the E911 system?  The E911 system is a proven system to save life and is utilized in every state in our country and overseas.  So why is Lisbon not serviced by E911.  It cannot be because of the cost; because the figures provided by the Androscoggin County Dispatch reflect approximately a $200,000.00 plus cost savings every year.  This is a significant saving to the people.  However, we all know that the Town Council will find ways to spend that money instead of returning it to the people by lowering taxes.

 

The current system used by Lisbon does not provide the best possible protection to the residents.  This was identified in last Tuesday’s workshop.  Please review the following two scenarios:

 

1.     According to the EMT from Lisbon Emergency, when calls are received using 353-2500, and the Lisbon Communication Center dispatch them they cannot and do not provide an Emergency Medical Code EMC) which is crucial for EMTs to ensure they are prepared prior to arriving on the scene.  According to the EMT, this Emergency Medical Code (EMC) greatly improves the patient’s chances of survival.  Again, Lisbon Communication Center cannot provide this EMC; only the 911 operator can provide this code.

2.     All 911 calls currently are received by the Androscoggin County Dispatcher as directed by the Maine State Public Safety Director.  These 911 operators are mandated, by the Town of Lisbon, to relay the information to the Lisbon Communication Center to have OUR First Responders dispatched to the scene.  It certainly would be more efficient and effective to have the 911 operator dispatch OUR First Responders immediately upon receiving the call thus reducing the time it takes OUR First Responders to get to the scene and provide emergency medical services.  As everyone can see there is a time delay when you have to relay information and what happens when 911 operators cannot get a response from the Lisbon Communication Center right away.  When I visited the Androscoggin County Dispatch, I asked the two operators on duty what their problems were with Lisbon and was told that numerous times they cannot reach anyone on 353-2500.  Think about the delay at that point, and imagine you or a loved one is the patient waiting for emergency medical services.

 

As you can see I have eliminated a financial reason and has not only identified two problem areas with the current system but also provided a solution to resolve both problem areas.  So why is it that the Town Council is dragging their feet to provide the best quality of life solution to our people?  The answer is simple; this is strictly political.  If you do not believe this review the workshop video and watch two previous Town Councilors argue against doing what is best for the community.  These two councilors are the very reason we are still talking about this situation. 

 

It is time to correct this ugly mess!  This Town Council needs to vote to join the rest of the country by providing the best possible emergency services to the community and become a member of the Maine State E911 system.  Our people deserve the best possible emergency services and they are NOT getting it under the current system.

 

Larry Fillmore

           

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SUBMITTED BY LISBON TOWN MANAGER, DIANE BARNES

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA - JANUARY 31ST

LISBON COMMUNICATION CENTER

This coming Tuesday night, January 24, 2017, our Town Council will conduct a workshop pertaining to the Lisbon Communication Center.  The start time is 06:00 PM which is an earlier start time than normal meetings/workshop.  The last time, the Lisbon Communication Center was discussed was on October 6, 2015.

 At that time, the Town Council received a dog and pony show orchestrated by the Police Department.  This dog and pony show was filled with misinformation and false statements.  The reason it was allowed to happen is because of politics.  At no time did the members of this dog and pony show verify their facts and certainly did not have the best interest of the community at heart.  This is apparent by the FACT that all 911 calls received by the Androscoggin County Dispatch have to be relayed to the Lisbon Communication Center before our First Responded can be dispatched.  If they could not reach the Lisbon Communication Center, First Responders do not get dispatched to the scene.  I personally visited the Androscoggin County Dispatch and talked to the two operators on duty and they both said there were numerous times they could not reach the Lisbon Communication Center, the first time. This delay makes the town liable for the results of this delay.

I hope that the Chairman of the Town Council or the Town Manager has invited Sheriff Samson or Martin Fournier to attend this workshop to sort out what is true and what is false.  The Town Council needs to have all the FACTS before making any conclusions. 

The primary focus should be on improving the quality of life of our people by having Androscoggin County Dispatch or another Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) provide dispatch to Lisbon.  This would mean that when a request for emergency services (911 calls) is received the 911 operator will immediately contact our First Responders and not have to relay the call to the Lisbon Communication Center.  The current system puts our people’s lives at risk. Eliminating the middle process expedites the process and gets our First Responders on the scene more quickly.  In an emergency, time is the most critical factor. 

There is another advantage to having Androscoggin County Dispatch dispatching our First Responders and that is the elimination of the Lisbon Communication Center saving the town approximately

$200,000.00 tax dollars!  This is a significant cost savings for the community.

Call you Councilors and ask to have representatives of the County attend this workshop so the community gets ONLY FACTS and not misinformation.

Larry Fillmore    

 

TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP - JANUARY 24TH

                                                  PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START TIME

SCHOOL COMMITTEE AGENDA FOR JANUARY 23RD

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

HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS - RUMBLE STRIP INSTALLATION

 

SUBMITTED BY:  LISBON TOWN MANAGER

2017 REVISED MUNICIPAL BUDGET SCHEDULE

AGENDA FOR JANUARY 3, 2017