Bangor Finance Committee approves IT, traffic, and vehicle purchases

[0:20] Susan Deane: Okay, good evening, welcome to the regularly scheduled finance committee meeting. It is Monday, August 3rd. Around the table on the finance committee, we have Councillor Beck, Councillor Person, Council Balloon, and Council of Mallor. I will be chairing the committee, I'm Councillor Deane. Also at the table, we have City Manager Carollynn Lear, we have Council Walker, we have Councillor Leonard, and do we have anyone joining us on Zoom? Counselor Fish, we may not know at this point. We do not. We will be starting with bids and purchases first will be a san disc storage array and i will send that over to city manager later yes so the first item on the finance agenda is approval for or a SanDisk storage array, which I don't even really know what that is. So it probably makes sense to invite our IT director up to talk. While he's walking up, however, I will note to you that in your packet, you'll see the bid tab. There's a version one and a version two. And I asked the finance department to create a second version because we asked for revised bids, and so if you were to look at the memo and look at the bid tab, they didn't match, and I knew that would be confusing to you, so the second version is the revisions that we got and reflects the bid that we ultimately like. [2:06] Daniel Carson: This is a project that we put out to excuse me if you just introduce yourself oh sure jeff courtney city i.t director this is a project that we put out to bid for the replacement of our disk storage for the entire city it's currently six years old basically running out of support maintenance the first process that we went through with the bids they could not honor the bids more than 30 days so we ended up having to go out to a second bid just because of the pricing and the way that theater of electronics are going up in price. The second bid came in, it was more than what we had budgeted for, and it was for a three-year maintenance, and we revised the bid down to one year. The person that we're recommending is a company called Everpure, and their reseller is Vinebrook Technologies or Ventures out of Burlington, Massachusetts. It meets all of the specs that we need currently, as well as all of the cyber security already mandates that are in place today. The funding for it is 230,940, 180,940 was what we had anticipated prior to the RFP process, and then through annual maintenance in our capital occurring, our operating expense in the GIS engineering department contributed did the funding of it any [3:36] Susan Deane: Questions? Good job regarding this also back sure on the big camera. [3:40] Michael Beck: saw that has a three years of support the maintenance cost i doubt the anticipated life for this next version we're about three years then we're going to look to yeah most of it is [3:49] Daniel Carson: about three years we tried to push three to five most of the times we can get it extended but yeah it is three years yeah and you're saying six is where we're at now so we're like yeah we're we're pushing we 've had a few disc failures it's been hard to get parts and so it's we pushed it more than its life right now so yeah makes sense i appreciate that thank you anyone [4:12] Susan Deane: else have questions so we're looking for council approval we do not need to send this to council i would move staff recommendation thank you the question is second we will well staff recommendation for the divine was it adventures thank you all right and then next up we have a guy cutter central services yes so this item is an item that was funded in the most recent capital budget it's a piece of equipment that will prevent us from having to go out and procure certain services outside so long term it will save us money we are looking to purchase just looking at the memo oh so we went through the source wall contract on this one so it was not a bid it was just through a existing source well contract with a price of 35 000 so looking for approval on that any questions on this item under staff recommendation second motion in a second we will go with staff recommendation for the die cutter for sample services 35 000. Next up is a sole source contract public works department myovision technologies inc. I'll invite I invite our Public Works Director Dave Keelan to come up. [6:06] Michael Beck: Dave Keelan, Director of Public Works. When I put a packet together, I don't know if you guys received it, on the sole source notification that I put on there. And then I have another printout here to answer some questions about privacy, what my old vision does with these round fields. This is a notification that once the computer needs to start installing them, I'll put off the general public to see that the fact that there's a lot of conflict going on with block cameras right now. These are not block cameras these cameras do not record or take pictures or do facial recognition license recognition in any manner. They are primarily for determining timing of lighted intersections main dot is putting them across the state on most of their system we already have them see the cameras that some of the intersections they look like you're on a little candy cane and those 360 cameras and that's what these lights are my sole source that's the case that I gave you had a letter from mildly didn't stating that coastal the only distributor and the state of Maine on the eastern seaboard basically for these just trying to expedite the process and I have somebody from California getting on this to purchase them through coastal at an up price this funding was approved in a 27 budget already to purchase these devices so [7:46] Susan Deane: what are you looking for from us on this i'm looking for approval for the full source through postal did this need to go to full council I don't have any questions regarding this purchase I'm not a question I really appreciate [8:11] Michael Beck: having this because you're right it is a concern with people about tracking everything and this makes it clear to me it's just it makes a quick decision and it's not tracking anybody it's not retaining anything it's just helping the decision with traffic lights and I went in And this reference is going to my old vision a couple of times in there and I was on their site this afternoon, very informative, spend a few minutes and they're looking at capabilities and what this does and how it will improve the flow of our traffic through the city and the safety of pedestrians. yeah. in the city so yeah that's probably good sure yeah no and i appreciate you know having the opportunity to do this because it is it's going to end up you know that's your safety to save money out of various things because stuff is going to be able to see and predict and inform you know drivers about them i'm excited to see this so appreciate you bringing this to us [9:00] Susan Deane: does this mean that the remaining lights that are still on timers will eventually be [9:07] Michael Beck: 16 more this is for 16 to purchase 16 this will complete our corridors so we're all there'll still be traffic throughout signals throughout the city that aren't on the file [9:18] Susan Deane: will they eventually move to that or is there an application [9:23] Michael Beck: be able to move them all on there a traffic signal master chris hawkins can manage all of these with a laptop and see everything we have a board in our operations center now where we can see every traffic signal and what state it's in if it goes into a critical state we can pull up a camera and see a live view of what's happening in the intersection and then deploy people out to the situation if necessary any [9:50] Wayne Mallar: Other questions? I just have a general question. I, when we originally purchased from this company, did we purchase, and this isn't any criticism of my own, but we just, something that's a burn under my saddle. I don't like purchasing something when we know that they're the sole person that we can buy. And what, you didn't buy the original system, but my question would be, if we go forward, we're going to have to go back and buy from them again for the other signals, correct? Most likely. Yeah, and that's not a good way to be tied with someone. They go belly up where, oh no, cold. Okay, just a general comment. That's it. Any [10:33] Susan Deane: other questions or concerns? I entertain a motion. I would move the staff recommendation here. Motion. We have a second. Staff recommendation, and then we'll do this on council. Thank you. Next we have a used hybrid rental fleet services. Yes, so this really is an update. We don't need council action on this. So under the procurement policy, we have the ability to buy used vehicles when we think it's in the best interest of the city to purchase a used vehicle, but because of the nature of purchasing a used vehicle, that process does really accommodate the sometimes two to four week process of coming and getting pre-authorization before effectuating the sale. So that's why the procurement policy allows us to just purchase the vehicle. So this is an update letting you know that we have purchased one used hybrid rental van, a 2025 Kia hybrid carnival van for forty thousand dollars. We had budgeted fifty thousand dollars for that purchase in the budget, and they have purchased that used vehicle. I might add council Fish is online now, so to start, welcome. Come to Fish. Question. [12:04] Wayne Mallar: Yes, Council Mallory. Do we know what the mileage usage in the winter would be for this vehicle? I was talking with someone that has a new one, and they would, they get 88 miles is all they can get in the window with without a six-hour charge at tools. I'll invite Mike Moran, fleet director. This [12:26] Speaker E (unidentified): is hybrid, not a, oh, it's not. Okay, not a full electric, not a plug-in. It makes me nervous [12:34] Wayne Mallar: when I hear 88 miles is all they can get up. Oh yeah, we would not in cold weather [12:39] Michael Beck: that we wouldn't get that. [12:47] Susan Deane: Anymore, okay, no other questions regarding the hybrid rental van. We can move on to the used protective vehicles. Yes, so this is the same situation. We have purchased two used detective vehicles, a Hyundai Sonata for 26,500 and change, and a 2023 for 27,800 and change. We budgeted 80,000 for this in the most recent budget, and the price for both vehicles combined is 54,000. [13:25] Wayne Mallar: question why are we buying premium used cars when we can buy brand new [13:34] Speaker E (unidentified): basic cars for the same price when we the strategy for a used car for what we do is the cost efficiency, the readiness, and it's also the operational, the readiness, operational reliability. Okay, so ultimately, you have the cost efficiency, the first year or second year, you have the steepest depreciation on a vehicle. So when I hear what you're saying, [14:03] Wayne Mallar: Vehicle, I want a Honda, and you can buy a base model for like the same price we're paying for a three-year-old one with 33,000 miles on it and losing 20,000 miles of warranty, and it doesn't [14:22] Speaker E (unidentified): Make good sense to me to do that. Well, I mean, when we, the ones that we bought, we had the MSRP on an SEL vehicle that we had was $31,200, and the Limited was $36,000. I know the base model is $29,500. [14:43] Wayne Mallar: All less. It's between around $27,000 to $29,000. Right. So we do not need the deluxe model for the, for the detectives to drive, I don't believe. [14:57] Speaker E (unidentified): You're right, but this is what, and with this and the way we handle with the depreciation is I try to keep everything within 12, 15,000 miles. Every once in a while they'll have one, 30 is the tops that I would ever do. But if you buy a [15:16] Wayne Mallar: New one, you have zero mileage on it to start with. You're still going to lose your depreciation, but it still does not make, what are we doing with the old car? Are we trading it in? No, we're going to auction it. So you're saying that it won't depreciate anymore? I disagree with the, with the philosophy on it. I'd rather much prefer to have a car that we have guaranteed bumping a bumper for five years as opposed to two, and that's what we're getting when we buy a used [15:45] Susan Deane: Car. So I think this would be a prime instance where we could, if you would like to incorporate three additional parameters around the purchase of these vehicles, the appropriate place to be, that would be in the procurement policy when you've been granted the authority to purchase [16:04] Wayne Mallar: Those without the council pre-approval. Well, I believe one of the first things we were going to do when you started was review the procurement, and I haven't seen it yet. You have not, that is true. [16:17] Susan Deane: That's what the average number of miles on these vehicles would be per year. Do you know that? [16:22] Speaker E (unidentified): On the detective vehicles, you're probably looking at seven thousand to ten thousand. [Susan Deane: Right, yeah.] It's not like a patrol vehicle. Patrol vehicle new is really the way to go for us. [16:39] Susan Deane: See where this might move us as a city. Any other questions or concerns regarding the purchase? Just and we have some additional vehicle to discuss. No? Oh, I said the question about the [16:56] Michael Beck: process of how these opportunities come to us because you, well, Counselor Mallory's mentioned about the new price. I'm not privy to the price. I looked up and they're saying, you know, for a couple thousand bucks we could get this model brand new. You know, it's, I see what the council were saying on that. I mean, so does court call and be like, hey, just got these new users on the lot, you want to take a look? Does it work, or do we call them asking to have anything used? [17:24] Speaker E (unidentified): First what I do is actually I talk with the police department on what they're looking for. They're looking for detective vehicles. We've been buying Hyundai Sonatas from them for them, and so I hit all the major chains in Bangor and I'm primarily looking for program vehicles, 12,000 miles, something that doesn't have a lot of miles on it that has also, the depreciation has gone. And for me, the availability of the Sonatas have been hitting us and I usually buy two and that's where we've been getting it. And it's quicker for us with the used vehicles for redeployment also. Okay, normally when we have a car, a new car, if I have to send it to RFP on a new car, I have to order it. They won't give me one awful lot, so it has to be ordered. You're six to eight months out and then well you'll have to be [18:28] Wayne Mallar: Yeah, I don't want to, I don't want to dispute anything, but I think this, we need to do the procurement over again regularly because, you know, I'm lost with what you're saying because I disagree completely with it. I'd much prefer a new car that's going to be bumping a bumper for five years of 50 000 miles than dealing with a three-year-old car that has 33 000 miles on it. We're going to get 24 000 miles left out of the warranty or less than 20 000 on the warranty and only two years of service, right? So I think we're doing making a big mistake and the RFP is something we can handle when we do the new procurement. Sure, why don't we try to set up [19:14] Susan Deane: A time to discuss that and see how the council feels. We also have a ranger vehicle. We've done that. We haven't done the other patrol. We haven't, and we haven't done the patrol. That's right, the patrol vehicles would be first. So the patrol vehicles are new vehicles. They have been purchased through the joint purchasing program. We are looking at purchasing two totaling 92,234 dollars, two new 2026 Ford Explorers. I [19:57] Wayne Mallar: have a question. I find it interesting that when we purchase through the agreement or whatever, the state contract, we don't pay any, oops, let me find it here, we don't pay any administrative and document fees, but when we buy the used cars, we're paying an extra 600, roughly 600 document fee. Why? I [20:20] Speaker E (unidentified): I figured that was because it was used, but through a state bid there's only a certain dollar amount that they [20:26] Wayne Mallar: can. But have we tried to buy the detective cast through the state, the used cars, new? Have we [20:33] Speaker E (unidentified): tried to buy new detective cars through the state? They don't have any other than we could do Explorers through the state, but then your upfit would also cost, you'd have to upfit [20:45] Wayne Mallar: because these are patrol vehicles, these are. So what you're telling me is that we only have, we're only allowed to buy patrol vehicles on the, that isn't part of the collective buying [20:55] Speaker E (unidentified): from the state level? No, you can buy, you can buy patrol, pursuit patrol vehicles, you can buy pursuit F-150 responders, you can buy pursuit, it's mainly pursuit vehicles. They do have some other vehicles in the state, but Tahoes and there's, I believe the department of [21:20] Wayne Mallar: human services has sedans, and I'm sure they're brought on a procurement basis through the state. I think we should check because it makes no sense to spend an extra hundred dollars a vehicle if you don't have to. Great, I think we need to review them all. Thank you. Right [21:42] Susan Deane: in your vehicle, we do, we do need a vote on, we have the full vehicle. All right, sorry, just for to go with staff, given that shift the committee vote. Yes, I move staff recommendation. Second. We have a motion and a second. We will go with staff recommendation for the patrol vehicles. And so this next item is similar purchase under a master bid agreement, this time for a ranger vehicle, a 2026 Ford F-150. The purchase price is forty eight thousand six hundred and twenty five dollars, and can be budgeted 6,000. [22:33] Wayne Mallar: I'd like to see the invoice, the statement. We didn't get any backup for that. I wonder if we paid document fees because it was because it was a court call, but also the as I believe the use the on the cork board, cork board of Augusta furnished the police vehicles with no documentation fee. And you're saying that who purchased the where do we get this? Those are quirk also which court or why do we pay a document fee on this one? No, we do, it's the same as the other one. I can grab you, I have it. No I'm just curious, I wanted to be because I'm looking to save money if I can. Yeah, I want to be consistent. If we don't charge the document fee then we shouldn't be charged it, and we charged it for used vehicles but not for new ones. According to when I talked with them they said they charge it for everything, so I need clarification on that because I don't think we should be paying document fees. [23:40] Susan Deane: So the clarification is we are not paying document fees on these vehicles, right? I [23:47] Wayne Mallar: would still like to see it, thank you. Want to go grab it? Yeah, I'll later you can [23:52] Michael Beck: it to me later, that's fine. I've only got this one left, I'll get it after, don't worry, you can [23:58] Susan Deane: get it to me later and so this is another one that we do need committee vote on i have a motion to go to staff recommendation staff recommendation is there a second this is the question for so [24:15] Michael Beck: this is what you're going to get the paperwork for that they didn't. I mean personally I guess I'd rather just at least say I've seen it before we vote on it, right? And I'm wondering if there's a way just to make sure all the little photo record, if we can actually table this and then approve it our next finance. It's a good, it's in my bag. Yeah, I mean if that's okay I just want to [24:38] Susan Deane: make sure to talk to the public, right? Yeah, we can, if we can put it back we can update that as well, and just to clarify this is to show that there is no document fee on this particular item. [25:11] Wayne Mallar: It's not a lot of money but it adds up over there. All right, I'll [25:38] Susan Deane: second the motion. All right, we have a second pending everyone's perusal of the non-document fee. We'll go staff recommendation. Thank you, thank you, thanks man, just keep that one going around. Yeah, and I'll make sure next up we have the judge walk sewer I-95 crossing earthwork and directional drill support engineering. I will invite [26:31] Speaker F (unidentified): the award recognition you have in front of you is for sergeant corp for 370 000. It's working for direct support of the directional drilling under I-95, which you saw two weeks ago. It was awarded to DBU. DBU only pulls the pipe, they spot a pipe, bullet, but this as earthwork and directional and direct support for access and to get the drill machine down there so they can pull the horizontal drill operation through, and also to tie on the pipe that DBU pulled through underneath the interstate to tie into our existing system. So we're having like 300 feet of 18 inch sewer main that Sergeant will do. The staff is requesting that the project bid process be waived for this portion of the pros work. At this time we only solicited Sergeant due to their ongoing work adjacent to this project within the DOT and person right away and their work relationship with DBU construction. Both DBU and Sergeant are currently working with the state on the divergent diamond project right on Hogan Road. Their directional drilling a pipe together right now. So the general purpose is also to meet the city's schedule. The plan is for DBU and Sargent to be both projects at the same time, at the same mobilizations and working with a contractor already mobilized, results in cost savings and working with a vendor already authorized to work within the DOT right away when necessary to get a permit to DOT. And also we wanna make sure that this is completed prior to the Harper's deadline of end of this year. So with that we're again asking to award Sergeant for direct support and installation of the sewer for 370. That's 370 thousand dollars [28:30] Susan Deane: we have questions on this particular item. Council about that question? Just a comment appreciating [28:38] Michael Beck: having the Harper deadline mentioned in here. You know, watching knowing that if we don't get that money spent by that date we got to give it back to the federal government. That's that's a tremendous opportunity lost. So time is of the essence on this. I [28:57] Wayne Mallar: don't have, I'm I'm in favor of it, but I just would pick your brain. How much do you think we saved by doing it combining them? [29:06] Speaker F (unidentified): just to guess i won't so i mean typically i would have had you know dbu yeah be the sub under sargent or vice versa which you know if you have a prime contractor will have you know five percent and ten percent fee automatically on added on to their subcontractor since they're only mobilized that's probably another ten percent right there so yeah we're saving you know a decent chunk here we're lucky we're very lucky that sarban and dv were already working there this is saving us between this amount of money, so just knock on wood, things are lining up the [29:41] Wayne Mallar: way it should. I think that's the plus theater problem. [29:46] Michael Beck: Any other [29:50] Susan Deane: questions? Entertain a motion to go with staff recommendation. Staff recommendation. Second. Motion and a second. Do we need to bring this to council? Yes. No, we'll see this on full council. Thank you very much. And last up, we have some exciting golf course equipment, the parks and rec department. So the parks and rec department needs to replace some golf course equipment. They've solicited quotes. They believe that a lease is the most effective way to go for this equipment, and they are entering into that with MTV, which was the lowest quote that they received. It was budgeted in the budget 45,000, and it came in at 42,000, so below the budgeted amount. Questions regarding this equipment? Your comments? An entertaining motion to go with staff recommendation on a golf course equipment? I move staff recommendation. [31:17] Michael Beck: Second. Just a quick question. At the bottom of this, staff is moving forward. So this is ratifying [31:25] Susan Deane: or is it? No, this is in the nature. Actually, this is one that's in the nature of an update. This is one where the procurement policy gives finance directors the opportunity. So but we certainly want you to stop. I think we do, or go on a list of other things we need to talk about. I take back my emotion. Last up, we have a workout agreement. Yes, so this is one that you've seen before. I'll invite our treasurer Janelle Emerson to come up. You had some follow-up questions, specifically I think you were looking to one, I think, make sure that the amount proposed was as much as this taxpayer could pay, and also there was another follow-up question I'm forgetting what it was, if this was his only property that he owned. So yes, this is his only property, and as far as quarterly payment, that is all he could do. I'm [32:37] Wayne Mallar: just curious, I noticed that the payments are applied when they're partial payments to the most recent balance as opposed to the [32:45] Susan Deane: Oldest balance. Why is that? We want to leave our matured lien intact. We want to hold title until [32:53] Wayne Mallar: they pay us in the fall. So I agree, but you have 11 years, so you're going to have, it's not going to be a problem holding it. In fact, until we reach a three-year period. Is it true? Yep. Why wouldn't we take the oldest one first? Because it looks to me like what you're saying is if they made a partial payment of their current taxes and didn't pay their current taxes, we'd use that towards their current taxes. The taxes have already been set, so really they don't have to pay their taxes this year because they're going to be making quarterly payments. I don't think that's what you intended, so but it's a partial payment [33:32] Susan Deane: waiver is different than a workout agreement though, because he doesn't have a formal agreement with us. We can't accept a payment unless he signs the partial payment waiver. So he was doing this payment outside of an agreement. [33:42] Wayne Mallar: Okay, so with that case, so then we could still traditionally, I believe it's the [33:48] Susan Deane: oldest amount is paid first. So with workout agreements, you, everything that's due at the time the agreement is approved, that's part of the agreement. Anything that's built outside of the agreement has to be paid separately. So the 600 quarterly payments goes towards those past due balances, right? And then he has to pay the current stuff on time. So he's made it so in [34:12] Wayne Mallar: addition to the six month, six hundred dollars, where we have been paying eight hundred dollars [34:18] Susan Deane: one quarter, so or is that, is above that, because we haven't approved the workout agreement. [34:24] Wayne Mallar: This was just an extra payment. He wanted to pay, and that should go to the oldest, not the most recent. [34:35] Susan Deane: Well, if we continue to do that, we would have to release the interest, our title. [34:42] Wayne Mallar: So we can't release the title for this paid in full for the year. I mean, I don't know. [34:47] Susan Deane: That's why I'm asking. We don't want to release our interest until everything's paid in full, because we're [34:53] Wayne Mallar: deeding the property back to the tax, but he owes 11 years, so you're not gonna have to worry about it for a few years. And if you're, and if you write this, every time they make a partial payment, you should be aware of when it's running out and be able to take and what at that point in time. But I think the prudent thing to do is take the oldest off first until you reach the three-year [35:13] Susan Deane: Period, and then you can be concerned. I think that is would eventually a change in overall practice that we would probably want to think about more than just in this conversation, and we are working on a policy for a workout agreement too, so we can put that under. What's the time frame [35:33] Wayne Mallar: on completing the payout if he does this? Sure, can he ever, you're looking at probably about 11, 12 years probably. We haven't been very helpful to the citizens by doing, by letting it run for so long. It's built a disservice, you know, not you. No, I understand. Yeah, they're saying that this [35:56] Susan Deane: workout agreement of 600 does not include current taxes. He's going to pay his current taxes in addition. He's going to pay the six. Correct. Same with his utility. He has to pay the utility bills as well. Yeah, and he's paying the 800 too extra. No, the 800 was just a good faith, a one-time [36:11] Wayne Mallar: payment. He just wanted to make sure that was above and beyond the current taxes or the 600 [36:16] Susan Deane: hundred. No, that was just an eight hundred dollar payment. Yes, the other questions regarding the workout agreement with Mr. Shaw, you know, I just to give a little bit of background on workout agreements, it's going to take him some time to work towards redeeming his property. We do currently have two taxpayers that have been doing workout agreements, first one seven years and once is eight. They're within two more years of completing that to be able to get their title back to their property, so it does work if they're motivated to redeem their property. It takes time, but I mean we have two right now that are very close in accomplishing that. It's wonderful [37:09] Daniel Carson: comes across. Yeah, thanks Madam Chair. A comment for us would be that I would, I would really like us as a council to revisit that policy. I have a, I have difficulty with the in that policy, and I don't see this in tons and tons of places, but that specific policy, which I don't have in front of me right now, does have a section for staff guidance, which I thought was very neat, and staff has been following the guidance that is in that policy, so I think we ought to flip it, you know, instead of focusing Because we have, we're bringing on another solicitor to focus on vacant properties. We have an ordinance that governs that. My view is that with these situations, engaging with people who are actively living in their place rather than focusing on empty properties is actually more beneficial to both the person who is behind and to us. And for my fellow counselors, not in the way where I'm excited about taking people's homes, but I really feel strongly that if somebody is behind on their taxes and we engage with them in year three, they're more likely to be able to build a plan to overcome that than when they're in. And I think I've seen like a couple that are, you know, we have 11 or 12 or one that was like 16 years, which I just find to be a disservice. But that is a question for us, but then for staff who have been following the guidance that's actually in that policy, yes. And I will note [38:53] Susan Deane: Assistant Sydney's solicitor Innes has been working with Janelle to bring at least a draft revision to you for you to comment and weigh in on, so that is in the works. Any other questions or concerns regarding this workout agreement? Make motion. Make a motion to approve this workout agreement. Second. Is this done now or will this go to council? It doesn't require. Yes, I would, I would agree with the revisiting of the policy. That would be a great idea. That seems sad that it comes on. I think now that we're starting to get our thoughts, very helpful. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. Any other finance updates? All right, then with that we are adjourned. It is 6 20. Up next is