Lisbon Planning Board Meeting

Planning Board meeting

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

SO TRUE

PURE WASTE OF TIME

 

The Town Council’s agenda for June 26, 2018 is currently out.  It is important to note that it has a start time of 6:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM.  The early start time is because it includes a Public Hearing on the proposed 2018-2019 Municipal budget.  The Town Council wants you to believe that they want the people’s input prior to them voting on the budget.  This is only a myth.

 

Anytime you think this is not true, just go back to the results of the November 2011 election where the residents were asked on the ballot if they wanted to vote on the municipal budget.  The results were almost 3 to 1 in favor of voting on the municipal budget.  Did this ever happen?  The answer is the Town Council then had no intention of listening to the residents and that continues today.

 

Another more recent example is at the last Town Council meeting on June 5, 2018; Mrs. Dorothy Fitzgerald asked the Council why they are not looking for ways to reduce the operating cost of the town instead of increasing the spending.  Mrs. Fitzgerald went so far as to offer ways the town could save taxpayers money but not one councilor responded.  It went in one ear and out the other.  Watch the video of the meeting at 1:23 minutes into the meeting.

 

I use to attend every Town Council meeting for numerous years.  I offer suggestions on how to improve the community or save the taxpayers money.  Not one of the suggestions I offered was considered so I stopped wasting my time.  This Town Council, like others before them, is not going to take any suggestions from the people and they only do whatever they want.  The current Town Council waste been wasting over $200,000.00 a year for the past three years and they do not care.

 

The idea of holding Public Hearings is a legal requirement but nowhere in the law does it say the Town Council has to do anything but listen.  This is why it is important to elect ONLY those individuals to the Town Council that will listen to the people.  Once these individuals are elected, they no longer listen to the voice of the people.  This is disgraceful!

 

The Town Council meeting on June 26, 2018 will be the last chance to voice your opinions about the budget not that it will do any good.  The Council has already made up their minds to raise your taxes again without considering ways to cut taxes.  You will get much more out of staying home and watching “The Big Bang Theory” and “NCIS”.

 

I listened too many Councils complain about residents not attending council meeting.  These same councilors are the ones that totally ignore residents when they speak up at council meeting.  Why would anyone want to be ignored especially on TV? 

 

Elect Councilors who will listen to the people.

 

Larry Fillmore

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA - JUNE 26, 2018

SO VERY TRUE

HOPEFULLY

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE

LISBON TOWN Council Meeting - Special

Council Meeting - Special

June 26, 2018 Starts at 6:00 PM (Includes Municipal Budget Public Hearing/ Adopt Municipal Budgets)

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

Gentlemen's Quarters Grand Re-Opening Ribbon Cutting

Gentlemen's Quarters Grand Re-Opening Ribbon Cutting

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

Lisbon Mill Street Closure Notification Beginning June 25

Lisbon Mill Street Closure Notification Beginning June 25

MDOT Mill Street Closure Notification

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

THE TRUE PARTNERSHIP

NO TITLE NEEDED

WHAT A THOUGHT!

NAFTA - WHO SIGNED THIS?

DEMOCRATS DOUBLE STANDARD

DEMOCRATS DOUBLE STANDARD

LISBON SCHOOL COMMITTEE AGENDA - JUNE 25, 2018

DEMOCRATS DOUBLE STANDARD

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DISCUSSION

During the June 5, 2018 Town Council meeting, there was a discussion on MUNIS.  MUNIS is the computer software used by the town to control the majority of its business.  This software package cost the taxpayers $680,000.00 for a period of 7 years.

 

Apparently, the town was sold a bill of goods because it is not working out the way it was advertised.  This is not surprising to me, because I remember the initial discussion about getting rid of TRIO.  The Town Manager made two mistakes with this purchase:

 

            The first mistake was taking advise from someone who had absolutely no credentials or certifications in the Information Technology field.  She never thought to professional advice first.

 

            The second mistake is pushing the Town Council into entering into a 7 year contract without first having the software installed and seeing how it would work for the town.

 

This is yet another example of the Town Manager duping the Town Council into getting her way.  On June 5^th at the meeting, she did it again and no one realized it.  Instead of providing all the options and information, she left off a very important fact, “What is the cost of termination this contract?”  To me and the Council because they asked, this information would be critical to making a sound decision but neither the Finance Director nor the Town Manager had that information.  This is how she has always manipulated the Town Council. 

 

The Town Council voted to spend $5,000.00 tax dollars on an assessment verses terminating this contract and going with another software package.  Having the information on the penalty to terminate the contract early may have had an impact on the decision by the Town Council. 

 

Chairman Ward should have tabled any further discussion until the Town Manager was able to provide ALL information needed for the Council to make a sound and logical decision.  It should be a rule that if all the information is not available at the time of the discussion, the item will be tabled until all information is available to the Council.  Information needed to make decisions by the Town Council is conveniently not available.  This is how our Town Council is being forced to make decisions that the Town Manager wants.

 

The Town Manager is being paid over $90,000.00 yearly and should be providing better recommendations to our Town Council.

 

Larry Fillmore

 

 

GENERAL ASSISTANCE IN LISBON

At the Lisbon Town Office there is a door with the wording "General Assistance".

This morning, needing to contact someone at General Assistance, I went on the town's

website, clicked on "Departments", looking for the phone number so I could leave a

message.

 

I clicked on "Departments". No General Assistance listed under Departments.

I went to :Boards and Committees", no General Assistance listed there either. 

I than called the Town Clerk's office, asked how to find General Assistance.

 

No one there knew that General Assistance was not listed under Departments.

 

I was told that General Assistance could be found under the Department of Community Development.

 

I tried that, and guess what? General Assistance is not listed there either!!!!!. 

 

My question is; how does anyone in town, needing General Assistance, contact General Assistance?

 

General Assistance in Lisbon is a part-time position.

I asked Town Manager, Diane Barnes, why we do not have at least a part-time person in General Assistance?  She said that the only time anyone is in need of general assistance is in the winter.  This from a person making $95,000+ per year plus benefits. 

 

Judy Goddard, the Town of Lisbon's General Assistance director also works for the town of Brunswick.  She also works for the City of Bath. Is it any wonder she is not available for the citizens of the Town of Lisbon?

 

Our Town Council and Town Manager recently hired 2 addtional police officers.  They also approved a full time position, part-time for the front counter, part time for the Finance Department.  But they do not see any need to help those in town most in need of assistance.

Perhaps it is time to stop wasting money on someone not available to render assistance, when it is needed.

Dorothy Fitzgerald
Concerned Citizen 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  According to the latest proposed budget, under General Assistance 05-500 there is a line item 5211 Cell Phone which has a proposed budget of $363.00.  If this is the case, why is the cell phone NOT listed on the town web site.  When is the Town Council going to force the Town Manager to do her job? 

---

 

NO TITLE NEEDED

SO VERY TRUE

LISBON JUNE ELECTION RESULTS

LISBON Norway Maples to be Removed from Town Space

Norway Maples to be Removed from Town Space

Lisbon invasive species will soon be removed from town spaces.  Two Norway Maples are overwhelming all other vegetation in Gazebo Park.  The memorial park is directly across from the Lisbon High School.  Yes, they look nice, but they are destroying grass, populating yards across the street with annual shoots and encroaches on the other vegetation in the Park.  The Spruce tree, which is part of the memorial, is threatened by the close presence of the invasive Norway Maples.
Norway Maples are now illegal to sell, buy or plant, in the State of Maine.  The State of Maine ban is as of January 1, 2018.  This buy/sell/plant ban follows the same action of other Northeastern states.
The plan is to replace the two trees with native species – as soon as possible.  Lisbon is not the only community which has had to remove these trees; Philadelphia and New York City are both having to remove these invasive species from their parks – think of Grand Central Park native tree species being destroyed by Norway Maples.  Their experience is that native species return after the invasive species is removed.

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON PAVING RFP

ADDENDUM #1 - Paving RFP

Please click on the following link for the first addendum to the Paving RFP:
Paving Addendum #1(June 12, 2018)

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

NOT FORGOTTEN

NO TITLE NEEDED

MORON

RESIDENT IGNORED BY LISBON TOWN COUNCIL

 

After reviewing the Town Council meeting of June 5, 2018, I remembered why I no longer attend the Town Council meetings.  For years, I was very faithful about attending the Town Council meetings, I tried to offer suggestions to the Town Council on improving our community.  No matter what I suggested, the Town Council ignored everything.  My suggestions went in one ear and out the other.  It was a total waste of my time.

 

Nothing has changed since I stopped going to these meetings.  If you go to the town website and click on Live Video Streaming and then click on June and Town Council meeting for June 5^th.  Go into the video to approximately 1 hour and 23 minutes, you will see the Town Council ignoring Dorothy Fitzgerald.  Mrs. Fitzgerald tried to show the Town Council how they could save the taxpayers over a quarter of a million dollars (250,000.00) and the council was not interested.  They asked no questions and totally ignored Mrs. Fitzgerald.

 

I cannot explain why the Town Council is not interested in saving tax dollars.  It appears they are more interested in spending our money than saving it.  This year’s municipal budget is going to increase roughly $660,806.00 which is a 8% increase according to the Town Manager, Diane Barnes.  Amazing as it may sound, Mrs. Barnes in proud of the increase.  The fact, that Mrs. Barnes and the Town Council are not looking for ways to either cut spending or lower our taxes in disgusting and not why the people elected them.  

 

Mrs. Barnes does not realize that the people pay her salary.  She works for the Town Council and not the people.  Mrs. Barnes, our Town Manager, includes a COLA increase every year in her budget which amounts to a salary increase of over $1,800.00 every year.  The town has substituted COLA for wage increase in order to fool the people.  Mrs. Barnes does not mind a $200.00 increase in her taxes when she has a $1,800.00 increase in her salary but those who are on a fixed income are left to suffer.  The residents of Lisbon cannot stand a tax increase every year especially when the town could be saving over a quarter of a million dollars (250,000.00) by eliminating COLA and transferring dispatch to Androscoggin County Dispatch. 

 

There is no recession so there is no need for a COLA.  The Lisbon Communication Center is a duplication of services and could be eliminated with no loss of service.  In fact, it would improve the response time of First Responder by eliminating the middle man in the process.  Four of our Councilors voted to keep the Lisbon Communication Center open for political reasons (Councilors Ward, Crafts, Brunelle and Albert).  This was a political decision interest of what was best for the community.

 

According to Mr. Fern LaRochelle, the town does not need to give up control of the communication center.  What he failed to tell everyone is that he a sub-contractor for the town and works directly with the communication center for vehicle recovery.  Mr. LaRochelle will be voting on the budget for the communication center because there is no such thing as “conflict of interest” in Lisbon.  He already has voted on Chief Hagan’s recommendation to promote a communication specialist to supervisor and to approve an Information Technology (IT) person for the Police Department.

 

The people need to vote in November, councilors who are going to stop spending; look for ways to save tax dollars and listen to residents.

 

Larry Fillmore

 

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL PUSHED THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD!

 

During recent budget meeting, our Town Council was presented with a unique problem with the Police Department.  Chief Hagan described the major reasons towns are getting sued and that was lack of training and lack of direct supervisor.  These two items create a liability for Lisbon.  In order to help eliminate this liability, Chief Hagan offered the following:

 

1.                           Add a part-time Information Technology position in the Lisbon

Communication Center; so that the Patrol Sergeant currently performing these duties can return to Patrol.  Cost is approximately $1,600.00 to $4,000.00.

2.                   Promote a Communication specialist to a Communication Supervisory. 

 Costing between $1,040.00 to $4,800.00

3.                   Hired two additional Patrol Officers.  Costing between $69,000.00-

                   $81,000.00 each

 

Four members of our Town Council support this plan to throw more money at the problem instead of trying to eliminate the liability.  These members are Allen Ward, Chris Brunelle, Norman Albert and Fern LaRochelle.  I believe that three of these individuals are supporting this plan by throwing more of our tax dollars at it because of misguided loyalty and the four is for personal agenda. 

 

When you are trying to solve a problem, it is crucial that you look at eliminating the liability.  Trying to eliminate the core liability; will always be the best solution.  This will reduces the risk management to the town and, will to a great deal, to reducing the chances of being sued.  These four individuals have overlooked the obvious answer to the problem.  Instead of throwing our tax dollars at the problem; just eliminate the problem all together.  So how do we eliminate this liability?

 

The basic solution is to transfer dispatching to Androscoggin County Dispatch.  With this transfer goes all the liability for this operation.  It will eliminate the need for an additional Information Technology position saving approximately $1,600.00 to $4,000.00 tax dollars.   There will no longer be a need to promote anyone because Androscoggin Country Dispatch will have this responsibility.  This will save the town between $1,040.00 and $4,800.00 tax dollars.  SGT Moore will be returned full-time to directly supervisor Patrol which is really his assigned duty.

 

It has been verified by two former Councilors that transferring the Lisbon Communication Center duties to Androscoggin County Dispatch would save the town approximately $200,000.00 per year.  This cost saving would be more than enough to pay for the two additional officers needed to meet the 2015 manpower survey of fourteen officers.  The town currently has twelve officers.  Utilizing the cost savings will eliminate a need to raise our taxes to cover this expense.

 

The bottom line is that these four individuals need to step up and do what is right for the community instead of wasting more tax dollars.  Throwing money at any problem is never the answer when you can eliminate the problem.

 

Problem solved at no additional cost to the taxpayers.  Try using common sense!

 

Call these four individuals and tell them to put what is best for the community first and help our people out.

 

Larry Fillmore