The Rockland Report October 20, 2017
Title : The Rockland Report October 20, 2017
link : The Rockland Report October 20, 2017
Sports History |
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
Met with Joanne Billington of the Allen Agency to discuss positions that need bonding and possible ways to save premium costs for the City.
Attended an environmental tour of Cruise Ship – Norwegian Gem. We were shown how they recycle and why. Recyclables and certain waste are off loaded in New York after each 7-day cruise. It was interesting to learn that certain food waste is shredded into fine parts and discharged out to sea as fish food. They have to be 12 miles off shore to discharge food waste. We also learned about their black water treatment and before that is discharged 12 miles off shore it is at drinking water regulations. All received an education on the cruise ship industry.
Finalized the land sale of 17 Sherer Lane. This property is back on the tax rolls and the gentleman that purchased the land will be constructing his home there this fall.
Met with the Energy Committee on the Weatherize Rockland program and funding.
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE
Officers responded to 208 calls for service. Rockland Police Officers responded to 4 motor vehicle crashes and 6 animal complaints. 31 traffic stops and traffic violations were conducted. Officers charged or made arrests of 8 individuals for various offenses, to include, Bail violations, Domestic Assault, Traffic Offenses, Warrants of arrest, Probation Violations and Operating under the Influence.
Administration –
Chief of Police attended a Career Fair at Husson University.
Chief of Police coordinated with MDOT, Bicycle Coalition of Maine and RSU13 to hold a Pedestrian Safety Forum at Oceanside East in November.
City of Rockland has made an offer of Employment as Patrol Officer to Michael Rolerson. Officer Rolerson will start on Oct. 30.
Assisted the departments’ new officer with administrative paperwork. Officer Raymond Robbins has begun his field training program and will be on that program for the next 15 weeks.
Dep. Chief Young facilitated a city Safety Committee meeting.
Facilitated a supervisor meeting of the police department’s supervisory staff.
Met with Library Staff concerning best practices when dealing with library visitor who may be experiencing some type of crisis.
Met with and attending a webinar with Chief Whytock concerning police response to fire scenes.
Attended a meeting of the Knox County Regional Communications Executive Board.
Conducted an audit with the Access Integrity Unit of the Maine State Police to ensure the police department was compliant with METRO standards.
Criminal Investigations Division –
Completed firearms qualifications for new officers.
Completed an armorer course on the department issued Springfield XD pistols.
Completed an Internal Affairs class in Westbrook.
Continued working on active criminal investigations.
Completed background investigations for candidates in the current hiring process.
Patrol Division –
Currently has two new, probationary employees undergoing field training.
Officer Cox and his wife welcomed their second child into the family (recruitment is ongoing at this time).
Officers completed another round of mandatory training from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
Attended fire safety day at Home Depot.
Conducted alcohol compliance checks at establishments in Rockland that serve alcohol.
Assisted the Camden Police Department with an ongoing investigation.
Conducted targeted OUI enforcement.
Conducted probation compliance checks.
Conducted bail compliance checks.
Assisted the Maine State Police with escorting construction material through Rockland.
Assisted Maine State Prison Officials in looking for an escapee.
Completed an audit of non-functioning traffic lights. This has been forwarded for repair.
Traffic Enforcement / Animal Control –
Issued 58 parking tickets.
Responded to 4 animal complaints.
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR
Crew completed regular tasks of picking up city wide trash, applying cold patch to potholes in City roads, sign repair and City wide street sweeping.
Maintenance at City Library.
Assisted Fire Department in preparation for fire training.
Crack sealing has been done on various roads around the city.
Crew ditched West Meadow Road.
Crew repaired Bog Road in preparation of paving.
Crew replaced driveway culvert on West Meadow Road.
Provided traffic control for sewer department basin and manhole inspections.
Crews worked on Harbor Trail.
City mechanic attended equipment training.
Quotes were requested to replace the undercarriage of the D5 M LGP.
Removal of swim float at Johnson Memorial Park
Deliver Harbormaster concrete treads for Snow Marine Park boat launch project.
Crew worked on Snow Marine Park on boat launch.
Prep patch areas throughout city for paving.
Tree removal on Lake View Terrace.
Tree Trimming at Sis Reed Park.
The engravings were affixed to cobble stones. The engravings thank each volunteer who assisted with the beautification of the City Parks around the City. Each park will have a cobble with the people who helped with that park. The volunteers did an amazing job. A special thanks has to go out to Sandra Schramm for taking a lead in organizing this effort.
Attended meeting with various members of Ecomaine and Waste Watcher group to prepare for switch to “Single Stream Recycling”, Single Stream or Single Sort Recycling refers to a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers are mixed, instead of being sorted by the depositor into separate commodities (newspaper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, plastic, glass, etc.). In single-stream, both the collection and processing systems are designed to handle this fully commingled mixture of recyclables, with materials being separated for reuse at a materials recovery facility (MRF). Single-stream recycling programs were first developed in several California communities in the 1990s. Subsequently, many large and small municipalities across the United States began single-stream programs. As of 2012, there are 248 MRFs operating in the U.S. As of 2013, 100 million Americans were served by single-stream programs. The meeting consisted of Education outreach, school education, train the trainer programs, and media outreach.
Working with several road maintenance organizations on the best approach to some form of preventive maintenance for Camden Street between now and when DOT is scheduled to overlay Camden Street in the spring of 2019.
Working with DOT and Rockland PD on Pedestrian Safety Forum.
Attended several bid openings.
We have submitted the final design on the Park and Main Street safety upgrades to DOT. It appears that this project may have to begin in spring due to project timeline and the end of the 2017 construction season.
Woodard & Curran has provided a draft on some of the physical changes to transition of a C&D transfer operation and accommodate single stream recycling.
Landfill surveys were completed.
OFFICE OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR
A MUNIS (our financial software system) representative covered upcoming software changes. We scheduled a trial version of an upgrade for the spring followed by going live subsequent to training and testing.
Our annual audit process is still moving along. The auditor’s on-site phase has been completed, and they continue to complete their work back at their office.
Our attorney has completed his review of the lease documents related to the capital lease with Key Government Financing. The final paperwork is being completed for signatures. This should be completed next week. At that time Department heads with capital improvement budgets will be notified, and the status of where they are in their purchasing process will be reviewed.
Representatives of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s Trust Department were invited to meet with us. They reviewed the City’s reserve account portfolio in detail and discussed how they manage the portfolio in keeping with the City’s requirements. We now have on-line access to their reporting, and we are reviewing ways to automate transaction posting to our general ledger. This will save process time at month end.
The City’s 2002 comprehensive plan is being updated to FYE 2018.
Payroll continues to be completed by HR as the payroll position is temporarily vacant. An advertisement for applicants has gone out. October 31st is the closing date for all applicants.
The General Account cash balance per the bank: $6.4MM. A decrease of $978,602 from the prior week due mainly to the monthly commitment to RSU#13.
OFFICE OF THE FIRE/EMS CHIEF
Over this preceding two weeks, in addition to the response to 81 Fire and EMS calls, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:
The month of October has been dedicated to vehicle extrication training. Everything from the “Jaws of Life”, vehicle stabilization, air bag safety, and patient extrication are being taught and reviewed. We also work hard to make sure we are as safe as possible when working at car accident scenes. All too often firefighters and other emergency responders are being struck andkilled while assisting others. Please use caution when passing by accident scenes.
The second week in October is Fire Prevention Week! We have spent many hours visiting schools and daycare centers to spread the word on fire safety and fire prevention. We have hosted numerous tours for our school aged children and got them excited to be able to bring the information back to their homes. PLEASE practice exit drills with your kids! If you have any questions on what to do in your own home, give us a call and we will gladly swing by and give you
some great ideas about how you can keep everyone safe. One message you will start to hear more of in the future is to keep bedroom doors closed while you are asleep. This prevents the toxic smoke and heat from entering the bedrooms and will give you more time to escape in the event of a fire.
A-Shift toured the CMCA building on Winter Street, getting more familiar with the fire alarm/sprinkler system in the event of an emergency. This information is vital for both the fire department as well as the property owners. Our responses are more efficient and we are able to preplan in case of fire. We would love to get into as many areas as possible to be able to preplan buildings within the City. If you are a property owner of a business, large property, or even
apartment buildings, please call and we can discuss setting up a tour. This isn’t a tour for life safety compliance, but for information gathering for future calls.
Paramedic Planeta presented information to the local school nurses on our use of Narcan. The information was well received and informative.
Chief Whytock met with residents at a local elderly living facility to discuss concerns on proper actions during the event of a fire alarm or actual fire.
OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER
Friday is the last cruise ship of the season.
Hauling out all the floats on Monday the 23rd
Will be paving the south end boat ramp towards the end of the month or early November.
OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR
Huge shut-out to the Public Services crew who painted the former Mural/Teen Room, and which will soon be occupied by CPPC (Community Partnerships for Protecting Children) as their Knox County Hub.
This week, Catinka Knoth’s Adult Drawing class drew autumn leaves; the Children’s class theme was pumpkin patches and scarecrows.
On Tuesday, Eastern Fire technicians performed a mandatory five-year hydrostatic testing of the Fire Department connection (which we passed). The Otis Elevator technician was in the area and asked to stop in for quarterly service; I was very pleased to learn that there has been no leaking of oil, since the repair/repacking of the hydraulic plunger was done in June 2016. Most excitingly on Tuesday, the new phone and voice-mail system to replace the seventeen-year-old existing one was installed.
Patty King attended the Safety Committee meeting.
Also on Tuesday, we hosted the annual, travelling exhibit: An Empty Place at the Table. Presented by New Hope for Women, this honors victims of domestic violence homicide, in observance of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In the poignant display, a table is arranged with a number of settings, each one representing an individual murdered as the result of domestic violence.
On Tuesday evening, we offered a program, How Do Colleges Really Choose Students? High school students and their parents were invited to an inside look at the college admissions process, with Wendy Thompson of Westport Educational Consulting. In a rare happenstance, sadly, no one attended this event.
Thank you very much to Deputy Police Chief Chris Young for attending our Wednesday morning staff meeting, to discuss a recent incident in the Library, and answer staff questions about similar situations which might arise, and staff and patron safety.
Wednesday Storytime with Judith Andersen included the reading of Wonderfall, by Michael Hall, Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag (which, first published in 1928, is the oldest American picture book still in print), and The Spooky Express Maine: A Halloween Thrill Ride, by Eric James. This session’s
craft project was a selection of coloring and crafts to choose from all with fall and Halloween themes.
Also on Wednesday morning, Jean Young held the second of four Family Place™ Library workshops, aimed at 0 to 3 year-olds and their parents or care-givers. For those who may be unaware of this program, it’s designed to emphasize the role of the parent as baby’s first teacher, and promote early literacy and learning through play. Jean arranges for experts in various fields of
young child development to be on hand as a resource for parents and caregivers, while the littles play.
Wednesday afternoon, being an early dismissal day for schools, Katie Drago presented a Halloween Hootenanny, with silly Halloween stories and crafts. Costumes were encouraged, and one small boy was thrilled that he and Miss Katie both appeared as Buzz Lightyear.
Katie hosted, or rather played, Baby Time on Thursday morning, with around ten participants.
Lego™ Club, which now meets on the third Thursdays of the month was back this week.
The Thursday evening Community Event was the movie, Lost Boys. In this 1987 film, a string of mysterious deaths occur after a move to a coastal California town, and teenagers Mike and Sam become convinced that their new home is overrun with vampires.
Along with some co-workers, I took advantage of CMCA’s invitation to City staff for a private tour of the museum and the current exhibits by the Executive Director, Suzette McAvoy. I don’t believe it was the tie-in to short stories that made me appreciate the Linden Frederick paintings especially—for me, it’s all about the light. This show is there though November 5; if you haven’t been yet, you should go.
In hopes of learning more about what residents are thinking, wanting, needing, I attended the first joint listening session of the Comprehensive Planning Commission and Rockland Heart & Soul. While the purpose is to gather information for the re-writing of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, they should also provide valuable information for planning for the Library’s current and future
program and services initiatives.
Being the third Saturday of the month, Jessie Blanchard hosted Coloring for Adults; Jean Young offered Tea & Tots, with leaf craft. The latter is comprised of songs, active rhymes, and stories – especially for toddlers and is followed by playtime with the Family Place™ toys, and a small snack and coffee or tea for grown-ups.
Upcoming: a new Book Group: Catching Up with the Classics. Also, Retiring To, Not From; John H. Twomey will speak about his recent book, Retiring To, Not From -- From Massachusetts Professor to Maine Farmer.
OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR
Treatment Plant flows have been averaging 1.5 M.G.D.
The lab did B.O.D. and T.S.S. testing on samples from North Haven.
Painting of the administrative office and sludge processing building is going well and should be completed soon.
The f-250 Ford pickup was returned after repairs to the frame.
The #2 primary clarifier was pumped and cleaned. Wright-Pierce engineering did a structural evaluation of the steel and operating mechanism.
The biannual inspection and testing of backflow preventers on the domestic water lines was completed by Boyington’s Backflow Testing.
Completed P.M. service on the equipment in the headworks area.
Checked oil levels in the secondary clarifier drive gearboxes.
Weekly inspection and testing of the ten pump stations.
Disassembled and cleaned the polymer injection ring on the gravity belt thickener.
Completed P.M. service on the sludge holding tank blowers.
Worked with Interstate Septic Systems to pump and clean the wetwells at the Mechanic St. and Waldo Ave. pump stations.
Cleared a blockage and flushed the discharge piping from the pump on the grit removal system.
Responded to a high level alarm at the Industrial Park pump station. Reset the pump control and it appears to be pumping well.
Installed a new pump in the east chamber of the final contact chamber.
Replaced the filters in the #1 aeration blower.
Replaced and adjusted the rubber on the skimmer in the #2 primary clarifier.
Pumped and cleaned the influent chamber in the C.S.O. contact tank.
Marked the location of a sewer connection on Rankin St. for a property owner.
Inspected and approved repairs to a sewer service lateral on Tillson Avenue.
Summit GeoEngineering did exploratory probes for ledge on Suffolk St. and an area of Broadway to be used in the design of possible sewer main extensions in two areas.
Inspected and approved a sewer service lateral replacement on Halls Lane.
CCTV inspection has been completed on 6000 ft. of sewer main in the past three weeks. The public services dept. provided traffic control while working on Camden Street.
Inspected and approved a sewer service lateral repair on Thomaston Street.
Worked with Leticia VanVuuren from Knox County Emergency Management to make updates and for additional training on the G.I.S.
OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
This is starting out to be a record year with regards to building permits. In addition to dozens of permits for decks, fences, sheds and renovations, the following are notable permits:
A permit was issued for the house located at 130 Camden Street which is being completely gutted and renovated.
A dangerous/abandoned building located at 8 Washington Street was demolished.
The Midcoast School of Technology was issued a building permit for a 90,000 sq. ft. new school.
A dangerous/abandoned building at 16 Fulton Street was demolished.
An appeal for issuance of a fence permit was submitted to the Code Office. The Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to hear the appeal on October 25, but the applicant requested it be delayed until December 13.
A permit was issued to T-Mobile for upgrading and adding equipment to the American Tower tower on Benner Hill.
A building permit was issued to Maritime Energy for replacement of a propane storage building at 234 Park Street.
A permit was issued to Fisher Engineering for new interior office space which will be the base for a mezzanine.
A permit was issued for 10 Leland Street for expanding seating at Rotary Pizza to most of the first floor of the building.
Finishing of two additional condos at the Narragansett at 33 Park Street was permitted.
A building permit was issued to Tire Warehouse for expansion and renovation of the building at 166 Camden Street.
A Change of Use/Building permit was issued for the new location of the Social Security building at 169 Camden Street.
A building permit was issued to finish off the space between Ocean State Job Lots and Dollar Tree to be use for a Harbor Freight Tools store.
Following is a summary of all permits issued in this time period:
Permit Type Count Fee
Building Permits 46 $ 33,213
Complaints 17
Driveway Permits 2 $ 80
Electric Permits 21 $ 4,207
Floodplain Permits 1
Home Occupation Permits 1 $ 135
Miscellaneous Permits 7 $ 85
Planning Bd Permits 1 $ 318
Plumbing Permits 18 $ 1,504
Sewer Connection Permits 2 $ 120
Street Excavation Permits 9 $ 420
Sign Permits 3 $ 205
Summary 128 $40,287
For more info contact: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com
Met with Joanne Billington of the Allen Agency to discuss positions that need bonding and possible ways to save premium costs for the City.
Attended an environmental tour of Cruise Ship – Norwegian Gem. We were shown how they recycle and why. Recyclables and certain waste are off loaded in New York after each 7-day cruise. It was interesting to learn that certain food waste is shredded into fine parts and discharged out to sea as fish food. They have to be 12 miles off shore to discharge food waste. We also learned about their black water treatment and before that is discharged 12 miles off shore it is at drinking water regulations. All received an education on the cruise ship industry.
Finalized the land sale of 17 Sherer Lane. This property is back on the tax rolls and the gentleman that purchased the land will be constructing his home there this fall.
Met with the Energy Committee on the Weatherize Rockland program and funding.
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE
Officers responded to 208 calls for service. Rockland Police Officers responded to 4 motor vehicle crashes and 6 animal complaints. 31 traffic stops and traffic violations were conducted. Officers charged or made arrests of 8 individuals for various offenses, to include, Bail violations, Domestic Assault, Traffic Offenses, Warrants of arrest, Probation Violations and Operating under the Influence.
Administration –
Chief of Police attended a Career Fair at Husson University.
Chief of Police coordinated with MDOT, Bicycle Coalition of Maine and RSU13 to hold a Pedestrian Safety Forum at Oceanside East in November.
City of Rockland has made an offer of Employment as Patrol Officer to Michael Rolerson. Officer Rolerson will start on Oct. 30.
Assisted the departments’ new officer with administrative paperwork. Officer Raymond Robbins has begun his field training program and will be on that program for the next 15 weeks.
Dep. Chief Young facilitated a city Safety Committee meeting.
Facilitated a supervisor meeting of the police department’s supervisory staff.
Met with Library Staff concerning best practices when dealing with library visitor who may be experiencing some type of crisis.
Met with and attending a webinar with Chief Whytock concerning police response to fire scenes.
Attended a meeting of the Knox County Regional Communications Executive Board.
Conducted an audit with the Access Integrity Unit of the Maine State Police to ensure the police department was compliant with METRO standards.
Criminal Investigations Division –
Completed firearms qualifications for new officers.
Completed an armorer course on the department issued Springfield XD pistols.
Completed an Internal Affairs class in Westbrook.
Continued working on active criminal investigations.
Completed background investigations for candidates in the current hiring process.
Patrol Division –
Currently has two new, probationary employees undergoing field training.
Officer Cox and his wife welcomed their second child into the family (recruitment is ongoing at this time).
Officers completed another round of mandatory training from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
Attended fire safety day at Home Depot.
Conducted alcohol compliance checks at establishments in Rockland that serve alcohol.
Assisted the Camden Police Department with an ongoing investigation.
Conducted targeted OUI enforcement.
Conducted probation compliance checks.
Conducted bail compliance checks.
Assisted the Maine State Police with escorting construction material through Rockland.
Assisted Maine State Prison Officials in looking for an escapee.
Completed an audit of non-functioning traffic lights. This has been forwarded for repair.
Traffic Enforcement / Animal Control –
Issued 58 parking tickets.
Responded to 4 animal complaints.
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR
Crew completed regular tasks of picking up city wide trash, applying cold patch to potholes in City roads, sign repair and City wide street sweeping.
Maintenance at City Library.
Assisted Fire Department in preparation for fire training.
Crack sealing has been done on various roads around the city.
Crew ditched West Meadow Road.
Crew repaired Bog Road in preparation of paving.
Crew replaced driveway culvert on West Meadow Road.
Provided traffic control for sewer department basin and manhole inspections.
Crews worked on Harbor Trail.
City mechanic attended equipment training.
Quotes were requested to replace the undercarriage of the D5 M LGP.
Removal of swim float at Johnson Memorial Park
Deliver Harbormaster concrete treads for Snow Marine Park boat launch project.
Crew worked on Snow Marine Park on boat launch.
Prep patch areas throughout city for paving.
Tree removal on Lake View Terrace.
Tree Trimming at Sis Reed Park.
The engravings were affixed to cobble stones. The engravings thank each volunteer who assisted with the beautification of the City Parks around the City. Each park will have a cobble with the people who helped with that park. The volunteers did an amazing job. A special thanks has to go out to Sandra Schramm for taking a lead in organizing this effort.
Attended meeting with various members of Ecomaine and Waste Watcher group to prepare for switch to “Single Stream Recycling”, Single Stream or Single Sort Recycling refers to a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers are mixed, instead of being sorted by the depositor into separate commodities (newspaper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, plastic, glass, etc.). In single-stream, both the collection and processing systems are designed to handle this fully commingled mixture of recyclables, with materials being separated for reuse at a materials recovery facility (MRF). Single-stream recycling programs were first developed in several California communities in the 1990s. Subsequently, many large and small municipalities across the United States began single-stream programs. As of 2012, there are 248 MRFs operating in the U.S. As of 2013, 100 million Americans were served by single-stream programs. The meeting consisted of Education outreach, school education, train the trainer programs, and media outreach.
Working with several road maintenance organizations on the best approach to some form of preventive maintenance for Camden Street between now and when DOT is scheduled to overlay Camden Street in the spring of 2019.
Working with DOT and Rockland PD on Pedestrian Safety Forum.
Attended several bid openings.
We have submitted the final design on the Park and Main Street safety upgrades to DOT. It appears that this project may have to begin in spring due to project timeline and the end of the 2017 construction season.
Woodard & Curran has provided a draft on some of the physical changes to transition of a C&D transfer operation and accommodate single stream recycling.
Landfill surveys were completed.
OFFICE OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR
A MUNIS (our financial software system) representative covered upcoming software changes. We scheduled a trial version of an upgrade for the spring followed by going live subsequent to training and testing.
Our annual audit process is still moving along. The auditor’s on-site phase has been completed, and they continue to complete their work back at their office.
Our attorney has completed his review of the lease documents related to the capital lease with Key Government Financing. The final paperwork is being completed for signatures. This should be completed next week. At that time Department heads with capital improvement budgets will be notified, and the status of where they are in their purchasing process will be reviewed.
Representatives of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s Trust Department were invited to meet with us. They reviewed the City’s reserve account portfolio in detail and discussed how they manage the portfolio in keeping with the City’s requirements. We now have on-line access to their reporting, and we are reviewing ways to automate transaction posting to our general ledger. This will save process time at month end.
The City’s 2002 comprehensive plan is being updated to FYE 2018.
Payroll continues to be completed by HR as the payroll position is temporarily vacant. An advertisement for applicants has gone out. October 31st is the closing date for all applicants.
The General Account cash balance per the bank: $6.4MM. A decrease of $978,602 from the prior week due mainly to the monthly commitment to RSU#13.
OFFICE OF THE FIRE/EMS CHIEF
Over this preceding two weeks, in addition to the response to 81 Fire and EMS calls, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:
The month of October has been dedicated to vehicle extrication training. Everything from the “Jaws of Life”, vehicle stabilization, air bag safety, and patient extrication are being taught and reviewed. We also work hard to make sure we are as safe as possible when working at car accident scenes. All too often firefighters and other emergency responders are being struck andkilled while assisting others. Please use caution when passing by accident scenes.
The second week in October is Fire Prevention Week! We have spent many hours visiting schools and daycare centers to spread the word on fire safety and fire prevention. We have hosted numerous tours for our school aged children and got them excited to be able to bring the information back to their homes. PLEASE practice exit drills with your kids! If you have any questions on what to do in your own home, give us a call and we will gladly swing by and give you
some great ideas about how you can keep everyone safe. One message you will start to hear more of in the future is to keep bedroom doors closed while you are asleep. This prevents the toxic smoke and heat from entering the bedrooms and will give you more time to escape in the event of a fire.
A-Shift toured the CMCA building on Winter Street, getting more familiar with the fire alarm/sprinkler system in the event of an emergency. This information is vital for both the fire department as well as the property owners. Our responses are more efficient and we are able to preplan in case of fire. We would love to get into as many areas as possible to be able to preplan buildings within the City. If you are a property owner of a business, large property, or even
apartment buildings, please call and we can discuss setting up a tour. This isn’t a tour for life safety compliance, but for information gathering for future calls.
Paramedic Planeta presented information to the local school nurses on our use of Narcan. The information was well received and informative.
Chief Whytock met with residents at a local elderly living facility to discuss concerns on proper actions during the event of a fire alarm or actual fire.
OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER
Friday is the last cruise ship of the season.
Hauling out all the floats on Monday the 23rd
Will be paving the south end boat ramp towards the end of the month or early November.
OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR
Huge shut-out to the Public Services crew who painted the former Mural/Teen Room, and which will soon be occupied by CPPC (Community Partnerships for Protecting Children) as their Knox County Hub.
This week, Catinka Knoth’s Adult Drawing class drew autumn leaves; the Children’s class theme was pumpkin patches and scarecrows.
On Tuesday, Eastern Fire technicians performed a mandatory five-year hydrostatic testing of the Fire Department connection (which we passed). The Otis Elevator technician was in the area and asked to stop in for quarterly service; I was very pleased to learn that there has been no leaking of oil, since the repair/repacking of the hydraulic plunger was done in June 2016. Most excitingly on Tuesday, the new phone and voice-mail system to replace the seventeen-year-old existing one was installed.
Patty King attended the Safety Committee meeting.
Also on Tuesday, we hosted the annual, travelling exhibit: An Empty Place at the Table. Presented by New Hope for Women, this honors victims of domestic violence homicide, in observance of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In the poignant display, a table is arranged with a number of settings, each one representing an individual murdered as the result of domestic violence.
On Tuesday evening, we offered a program, How Do Colleges Really Choose Students? High school students and their parents were invited to an inside look at the college admissions process, with Wendy Thompson of Westport Educational Consulting. In a rare happenstance, sadly, no one attended this event.
Thank you very much to Deputy Police Chief Chris Young for attending our Wednesday morning staff meeting, to discuss a recent incident in the Library, and answer staff questions about similar situations which might arise, and staff and patron safety.
Wednesday Storytime with Judith Andersen included the reading of Wonderfall, by Michael Hall, Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag (which, first published in 1928, is the oldest American picture book still in print), and The Spooky Express Maine: A Halloween Thrill Ride, by Eric James. This session’s
craft project was a selection of coloring and crafts to choose from all with fall and Halloween themes.
Also on Wednesday morning, Jean Young held the second of four Family Place™ Library workshops, aimed at 0 to 3 year-olds and their parents or care-givers. For those who may be unaware of this program, it’s designed to emphasize the role of the parent as baby’s first teacher, and promote early literacy and learning through play. Jean arranges for experts in various fields of
young child development to be on hand as a resource for parents and caregivers, while the littles play.
Wednesday afternoon, being an early dismissal day for schools, Katie Drago presented a Halloween Hootenanny, with silly Halloween stories and crafts. Costumes were encouraged, and one small boy was thrilled that he and Miss Katie both appeared as Buzz Lightyear.
Katie hosted, or rather played, Baby Time on Thursday morning, with around ten participants.
Lego™ Club, which now meets on the third Thursdays of the month was back this week.
The Thursday evening Community Event was the movie, Lost Boys. In this 1987 film, a string of mysterious deaths occur after a move to a coastal California town, and teenagers Mike and Sam become convinced that their new home is overrun with vampires.
Along with some co-workers, I took advantage of CMCA’s invitation to City staff for a private tour of the museum and the current exhibits by the Executive Director, Suzette McAvoy. I don’t believe it was the tie-in to short stories that made me appreciate the Linden Frederick paintings especially—for me, it’s all about the light. This show is there though November 5; if you haven’t been yet, you should go.
In hopes of learning more about what residents are thinking, wanting, needing, I attended the first joint listening session of the Comprehensive Planning Commission and Rockland Heart & Soul. While the purpose is to gather information for the re-writing of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, they should also provide valuable information for planning for the Library’s current and future
program and services initiatives.
Being the third Saturday of the month, Jessie Blanchard hosted Coloring for Adults; Jean Young offered Tea & Tots, with leaf craft. The latter is comprised of songs, active rhymes, and stories – especially for toddlers and is followed by playtime with the Family Place™ toys, and a small snack and coffee or tea for grown-ups.
Upcoming: a new Book Group: Catching Up with the Classics. Also, Retiring To, Not From; John H. Twomey will speak about his recent book, Retiring To, Not From -- From Massachusetts Professor to Maine Farmer.
OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR
Treatment Plant flows have been averaging 1.5 M.G.D.
The lab did B.O.D. and T.S.S. testing on samples from North Haven.
Painting of the administrative office and sludge processing building is going well and should be completed soon.
The f-250 Ford pickup was returned after repairs to the frame.
The #2 primary clarifier was pumped and cleaned. Wright-Pierce engineering did a structural evaluation of the steel and operating mechanism.
The biannual inspection and testing of backflow preventers on the domestic water lines was completed by Boyington’s Backflow Testing.
Completed P.M. service on the equipment in the headworks area.
Checked oil levels in the secondary clarifier drive gearboxes.
Weekly inspection and testing of the ten pump stations.
Disassembled and cleaned the polymer injection ring on the gravity belt thickener.
Completed P.M. service on the sludge holding tank blowers.
Worked with Interstate Septic Systems to pump and clean the wetwells at the Mechanic St. and Waldo Ave. pump stations.
Cleared a blockage and flushed the discharge piping from the pump on the grit removal system.
Responded to a high level alarm at the Industrial Park pump station. Reset the pump control and it appears to be pumping well.
Installed a new pump in the east chamber of the final contact chamber.
Replaced the filters in the #1 aeration blower.
Replaced and adjusted the rubber on the skimmer in the #2 primary clarifier.
Pumped and cleaned the influent chamber in the C.S.O. contact tank.
Marked the location of a sewer connection on Rankin St. for a property owner.
Inspected and approved repairs to a sewer service lateral on Tillson Avenue.
Summit GeoEngineering did exploratory probes for ledge on Suffolk St. and an area of Broadway to be used in the design of possible sewer main extensions in two areas.
Inspected and approved a sewer service lateral replacement on Halls Lane.
CCTV inspection has been completed on 6000 ft. of sewer main in the past three weeks. The public services dept. provided traffic control while working on Camden Street.
Inspected and approved a sewer service lateral repair on Thomaston Street.
Worked with Leticia VanVuuren from Knox County Emergency Management to make updates and for additional training on the G.I.S.
OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
This is starting out to be a record year with regards to building permits. In addition to dozens of permits for decks, fences, sheds and renovations, the following are notable permits:
A permit was issued for the house located at 130 Camden Street which is being completely gutted and renovated.
A dangerous/abandoned building located at 8 Washington Street was demolished.
The Midcoast School of Technology was issued a building permit for a 90,000 sq. ft. new school.
A dangerous/abandoned building at 16 Fulton Street was demolished.
An appeal for issuance of a fence permit was submitted to the Code Office. The Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to hear the appeal on October 25, but the applicant requested it be delayed until December 13.
A permit was issued to T-Mobile for upgrading and adding equipment to the American Tower tower on Benner Hill.
A building permit was issued to Maritime Energy for replacement of a propane storage building at 234 Park Street.
A permit was issued to Fisher Engineering for new interior office space which will be the base for a mezzanine.
A permit was issued for 10 Leland Street for expanding seating at Rotary Pizza to most of the first floor of the building.
Finishing of two additional condos at the Narragansett at 33 Park Street was permitted.
A building permit was issued to Tire Warehouse for expansion and renovation of the building at 166 Camden Street.
A Change of Use/Building permit was issued for the new location of the Social Security building at 169 Camden Street.
A building permit was issued to finish off the space between Ocean State Job Lots and Dollar Tree to be use for a Harbor Freight Tools store.
Following is a summary of all permits issued in this time period:
Permit Type Count Fee
Building Permits 46 $ 33,213
Complaints 17
Driveway Permits 2 $ 80
Electric Permits 21 $ 4,207
Floodplain Permits 1
Home Occupation Permits 1 $ 135
Miscellaneous Permits 7 $ 85
Planning Bd Permits 1 $ 318
Plumbing Permits 18 $ 1,504
Sewer Connection Permits 2 $ 120
Street Excavation Permits 9 $ 420
Sign Permits 3 $ 205
Summary 128 $40,287
For more info contact: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com
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