Lewiston Council Reviews FY27 Budget, Water Rate Hike, and Waste Contract

[3:29] Carl L. Sheline: Hello and welcome to our Thursday evening budget workshop. We're joined here by Director Roy and Director Gagne. Please kick it off. [3:40] Bryan Kaenrath: Tonight we're going to start off with general government property and parking. I will not be reading again. I will not be reading the full notes that I handed out to you. I will just be touching upon larger increases or larger decreases and then letting you ask any questions you have of the director of the department. So the overall decrease is 82,807, or 12.7. City Hall is on page 39 of your books. Overall increase of 12,000. The contracted services increased 12,600. The largest increases are, well, some of the largest increases. Repairs to buildings for 15,779. for two of the door replacements on the alley side sorry can you move the mic [4:32] Carl L. Sheline: closer to you to [4:36] Bryan Kaenrath: two door replacements one on the alley side where the boiler room is and the administrators area for the LC IP for City Hall it's on page 42 of your LC AIP book this is for renovations to City Hall kitchen and bathroom repairs and replacements of 55,000 what I do is I'm going to go through all the general government's property and parking and then we'll we'll let you ask questions at the end 85 Park Street you'll see is overall decrease right down is there 100% due to the sale of the property Oak Street parking facility on page 39 overall decrease of 12,980 the largest decreases are in repairs to equipment for 5,220 for a parking gate system that we paid for this fiscal year that will not be in the budget for fiscal year 27 along with repairs to buildings for 5,800 for the repairs of the stair treads that we had in 26 that will not be in 27 canal Street parking garage on page 40 there's an overall decrease of 1,645 the increase in repairs to build in for 5,000 is for masonry repairs to the planters that the insurance company pointed out to us and decreases in repairs to equipment for 6,020 for as you as I mentioned above in the Oak Street, the parking gate system that we paid for in fiscal year 26 that is not in the 27 budget. Chestnut Street parking garage, overall decrease of $4,298. A decrease in repairs to equipment, $6,020, the same as above for the parking gate system that was paid in fiscal year 26 that will not be in 27. Southern Gateway Park and Garage is on page 40 and 41 in your books. Overall decrease of $7,394. The largest decrease is in the repairs to equipment for $5,320, which is for the parking gate system as mentioned above. Lincoln Street Park and Garage on page 41. There's an overall decrease of $7,519. Repairs of equipment for 11,420 decrease for the parking gate system and emergency lights that were paid for in fiscal year 26 that will not be needed in 27. That is the overall decreases or increases for general government property and parking. Do you have any questions for the director or myself? [7:26] Carl L. Sheline: Cuz it should. [7:27] David B. Chittim: Thank you. Mr. Mayor, the Lincoln Street parking garage had repairs done to it due to initial structural failures. Have those been paid for this year and have those been completed? Those will be incurred in this [7:41] Bryan Kaenrath: year with the funds that we have the proposed larger repairs will be part of the structural design so this was an initial repair to make it structurally sounds we had no further issues thank [7:56] David B. Chittim: you as insurance paying for any of that [8:01] Bryan Kaenrath: I believe we've been, we will file claims if we hadn't, but at this point, no. Okay, [8:09] David B. Chittim: but we are planning on filing claim. We will submit claims based on that. It's gonna be rejected as an act of God. I'm sorry for interrupting you, but at least we can file for you. We will make sure to file claims. All right, thank you. Yep. [8:23] Joshua L. Nagine: Councillor Nagine, did you have something? Yeah, just a couple of things really quickly. The mention of 85 Park came up. That hasn't come before council to dispose [8:35] Bryan Kaenrath: of at this point, has it? No, it went to, I believe, the finance committee and has not yet been [8:44] Joshua L. Nagine: finalized to who it will be sold to and the property. Will the property be released without the authorization of city council? No, we'll bring it to city council. Perfect. Just real quickly, I know there's a lot of deferred maintenance that we've looked at in the past on the parking structures in particular, and I'm going to ask this overall multiple times on any group of structures that we're holding, but how much deferred maintenance are we looking at on the parking garages right now? Like, how much are we not dealing with at the moment? Is it up to date or is there a backlog of things that need to be dealt with? I'll, I'll let Louie. [9:25] Bryan Kaenrath: Chime in if, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the Lincoln Street parking garage, we had planned to have a crack ceiling and joint repair, so we had funds set aside for that, and we've reappropriated that through you guys to be able to do the structural repair and analysis on the other parking garages. My understanding is, where it depends on what we're looking to do, so the top decks, we're either not clearing to save money because there's not an adequate parking, or we've this winter some decks top decks we were clearing, so we are cleaning them, we are maintaining them, but you know it's either vandalism that's taking most of our time, but as far as structural preventative maintenance, I believe we [10:05] Joshua L. Nagine: are up to speed. So over structural and preventative maintenance, okay perfect. And one of the things that just as an inquiry, as far as the revenue that we're pulling from the garages, obviously there's a difference between the different structures and some of the underperforming garages. I wonder if there's a rhyme or reason to that, and also I'm wondering if the technologies that we put in each of the garages are actually functioning for, you know, best revenue capacity. What I'm asking is, do we have garages that we're not collecting fees on, and also are we having problems with enforcement at all [10:42] Bryan Kaenrath: as far as generating revenue is concerned? I think what I've heard is the, you know, as far as ticket tape running out and that being an issue as far as, you know, people's convenience, so we've, we've as far as convenience, we've better managed getting in out of the garage, especially during the winter when people are either getting stuck because of ice at the gate. Vandalism is an ongoing issue, it just people walking by and breaking the gates, but as far as, you know, actually compliance with gate use, I haven't heard a lot of issues, especially with the new gates and new systems. So lighting, you know, safety out here is a big issue in the parking garages and otherwise, in that I haven't heard anything that is prohibiting use, and as far as the [11:27] Joshua L. Nagine: differentiation between the revenues that are being pulled from the garages, is that explained by, is that just the contracts for the garages or regular use? What is, what is causing the [11:38] Bryan Kaenrath: When we go over revenues next Thursday, you'll see, but for most of the parking garages, they are bringing in what we had budgeted for revenue. The only one that's not, I believe, is the one that the TD Bank evacuated and went to a different location. So that is the only one, I believe, that's not bringing in close to what we budgeted. But you'll see those numbers when we go over next Thursday. [12:02] Joshua L. Nagine: Okay. Perfect. Those are my questions. [12:07] Carl L. Sheline: Further questions from the council? [12:11] Bryan Kaenrath: So next we'll go over public works on page 50 to 56. Overall increase for all public works divisions in the general fund are at 126,769, or 1.3%. Public works administration on page 50, the overall decrease of $1,005. This is due mostly to the telephone going down $1,020 for the actual cost for the lines. Engineering on page 50, the overall increase of $19,068. The largest increases under contracted services under miscellaneous services, $18,303, for the share of the ARC program and the GIS contracted services. That GIS contracted services originally we were going to be contracting out will actually be moving to the temporary salary line. It'll be the same amount, but that will be adjusted before the budget's done. Maintenance and license 10,089 for an increase in their beehive license. And at this point I will stop and let you ask any questions. I don't know if you have any for Jeff, questions. [13:28] David B. Chittim: for the engineering department yes comes or Chittum Thank You mr. mayor ATR see [13:34] Susan G. Longchamps: Could you explain that someone? It's a, that's a part of F cog in Auburn. It's the Andrews Coggin Transportation Resource Commission, I believe. So that's, that's a transportation, regional transportation planning. Are these the [13:51] David B. Chittim: folks that oversee the timing of the street land, right, traffic signals and so on? Right. Okay, thank you. And the beehive, that's a software program if I'm not mistaken. [14:03] Susan G. Longchamps: That's our asset management software that is GIS based, but contains all of our ongoing, all of our assets are, and work orders as work is done for repairs, it's recorded in there. Focused mostly on our utilities, water and sewer and storm drain. Does that program have the [14:24] David B. Chittim: capability of receiving citizen requests for repairs and maintenance? Not directly at the [14:31] Susan G. Longchamps: moment, but we're working on integrating that. Do you anticipate that happening this fiscal year? [14:37] Bryan Kaenrath: 2027, yes, I believe right, yeah, so the calls that come in are entered manually by our staff right now into Beehive as a work order. The C click fix module that we're looking to stand up is something that can come in from any citizen on their smartphone and come into that system to be able to tag potholes, graffiti, or anything like that. So we're working to stand that up soon. Okay, that's that's [15:03] David B. Chittim: important because we've heard complaints continuously about syringe boxes being full, rest comfort stations I guess is the euphemism, needing paper and cleaning and that sort of thing. So when this is stood up, people can use their phones to say okay, the comfort station in Kennedy Park needs some somebody to take a look at it. They currently can now at the public restrooms, those have a QR [15:29] Bryan Kaenrath: code that is coming into our system in a different fashion, but we'll be able to citywide take care of any concerns that people have on smartphones to come [15:39] David B. Chittim: in, and that includes traffic signals, or do those go to, there's a list of over 100 that's [15:45] Bryan Kaenrath: available that other cities use. We're trying to prioritize and make it seasonal so that it's an easy operation for anybody out there in the field to do it. All right, thank you, I also forgot to mention before Jeff leaves, the LCIP for his department is on page 62 to 64 in the LCIP book. The East Avenue to Tampa Street to Fairlawn will be removed off of the LCIP due to the main DOT is deferring it another year. So that originally was a request of $3.5 million that will come off of the capital. And then there was Bates Street, Main Street to Ash for $266,200. 200, and then the local administrated administered state funding pedestrian improvements for five hundred thousand. I don't know if you have any questions for him on any of those projects. [16:51] Joshua L. Nagine: Counselor imaging, I just had a quick question on the engineering salaries. Just to verify at this moment, we were fully staffed with engineers, like all the engineer positions are actually filled at the moment, correct? [17:05] Susan G. Longchamps: Correct. We just had a new GIS manager start, so he's at a lower pay rate than the person that was here, so that's why there's a reduction in that. [17:16] Joshua L. Nagine: Okay, and this is maybe more for Kevin, but do we anticipate... Director Gagné, please. Sorry, Director Gagné. Do we anticipate not contracting out as many engineering jobs this upcoming year based on how we're staffed? Like, are we balanced well enough, or do we have too many projects going forward where we're going to be contracting out for additional services again? [17:43] Bryan Kaenrath: I will let Jeff time in on that as well. We have not added engineering capacity, so unless we're clearing the books, reducing on the CIP projects will help. But right now, we are currently trying to—we do have a backlog. Some of the issues that we have as well, some of it's queued up with permitting and DOT projects. So they're an ongoing multi-year project, so right now some of our consultants will be continuing in support of all the projects we're doing. Did you see any big [18:16] Susan G. Longchamps: change? No, I don't. I don't see too much changes this year. You know, we've, we've cut down on some of the asks in the LC IP from what we originally asked for, so I think we'll have a little bit more time to do more in-house, but plus there's less do t projects that are more time-consuming like the Main Street project last year. Some of those are very—okay. I appreciate that. Thank you. [18:47] David B. Chittim: Concerts in him. Did you have something? Thank you. Mr. Mayor? Yes, the East Avenue. Oh, I see. This is Tampa to Fairlawn. I was wondering if that was held up because of the Russell Street intersection issues, but apparently not. [19:00] Susan G. Longchamps: No, the Russell Street intersection is part of that. It's DOT has started the right-of-way process, but it takes – they've got quite a backlog, so they've got about 15 months of work to do on the right-of-way because they have 52 properties. That's why it's delayed. It's not really deferred. It's just taking long to get through that process. [19:22] David B. Chittim: This has been a long-term project, been going on for many years. Each year we push it back. It's always been a 90% DOT, 10%, and that ratio will remain the same, but the costs are continuing to escalate, so the longer DoT delays this, and I'm assuming it's all DoT and not the, not the city of Lewiston that's causing these delays, the longer it delays, the more Lewiston incurs cost for the same improvements. Is there anything we can do to push—I know the answer, but I would like you to answer—is there anything we can do to push DoT to accelerate the priority of this project so right now it's similar to council on the jeans [20:00] Bryan Kaenrath: Jean's question. DOT projects, we have our staff as well as myself are certified for locally administered projects, but DOT does not allow right-of-way acquisition to happen at a staff level in a city. Their department does that. So we can consult out with engineering firms to do some of the design and augment what engineering is doing, but any of the right-of-way stuff has to be done by dot so they don't want any issues with federal highway coming back the process not being followed and lose funding for that piece so that 's why it's in their hands and we [20:38] David B. Chittim: can't really prompt them any quicker. Thank you. We can ask, but right. I appreciate that. And the irony of this is that the right-of-way acquisition is a sliver of land about two feet wide and six feet long, and we're spending, I don't know how many years and countless dollars making sure every T is crossed and I is dotted. I'm all in favor of that, but it really ought to, there ought to be a faster way. Thank you. We agree. So [21:10] Bryan Kaenrath: we'll move on to highway, which is on page 51 of your books. The overall decrease of 125,000 95. The largest decrease is in salaries at 95,000 282. This is due to the six positions that are being frozen at 137 972. The increase in contractual services under vehicle rental for 17 500 is due to the increase in central garage rates, and then there is a decrease in street line painting of 80 682. This is due to the city administrator reducing this line 100 000. There are remaining funds in fiscal year 26 that will be encumbered that will be used in July, August, and September. The LCIP for highway is on page 54, 56, and 61 of the LCIP book, which covers the sidewalk maintenance for $850,000, the street maintenance for $6,750,000, $750,000 from main DOT, and then Bridge Street to bridge the bridge the Bridge Street bridge 200,000. Any questions on highway? We're [22:31] Carl L. Sheline: joined here by director deputy director Bates. [22:33] Joshua L. Nagine: Thank you councillor Nijen. Yes, so I'm just gonna bring up several things that it's a theme that I brought up before. So ultimately we contract out almost all of our paving services, and then we put them in the CIP, which is a maintenance project, right? That's a continual maintenance project. We always have to update our roads, we know that, but we're borrowing money to do that, and we're hiring outside companies to do that. It's the same process with our street, with our sidewalk maintenance. We're not Doing our own sidewalk maintenance, and so the question is, at what point in time are we going to come up with a plan that actually allows us to take over some of these paving process processes with in-house staff? And also, as I asked that question, is do you see a value and having in-house paving staff, or do you believe that outsourcing it to a private company actually produces a better cost-benefit for the taxpayer? That's a great question. [23:36] Bryan Kaenrath: We do have in-house talent. We have talked internally about trying to get a crew together to do paving. In the past we have done some sidewalk repairs, not necessarily reconstruction, in recent years. There's there is talent in house. What we don't have as much as bandwidth, we are with the current position frozen. We've been our priority coming up into spring is going to be getting all the parks open, getting all the streets and sidewalks swept, all of our open spaces ready for holidays and events, and park activities, tree and open space and traffic crews of the very small crews. So we would be looking at either not doing something and contracting something else that I think we do quite well, street sweeping, we doing it at night, on sidewalks, or adding complementing staff so we can look at that in light of this year's you know budget. We are eliminating kind of the pop-up repairs that come up. I think we had 40,000 in there for sidewalk repairs in various areas that you know we get requests on well like yeah it's really bad we need to go do that. So with a really tight budget I don't see us doing it this year, but in looking forward the contractors that we're using, I think they're they're sharpening the pencils, we get good prices and we've got a good working relationship with our contractors, so it is staying competitive. At the end of the day there's a lot of things that i think that we could do, but we can't do it all, so it's a matter of priorities, but love to put some proposal together in the future and consider that. But okay i appreciate it and on that note i know that [25:23] Joshua L. Nagine: we're looking at both so right now i believe is it 19 parks that we maintain, how many parks [25:30] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): There's actually like seven that have playground equipment, but we maintain all public green spaces in the city of Lewiston. So that includes your cemeteries, your general areas like exit 80, the Russell Street overpass, a slice of green space in some areas between the sidewalk and the street. So just think about all of the public green spaces that we have. [25:59] Joshua L. Nagine: The triangle on Montello and Fair. Exactly. Okay. So it may behoove us at some point in time to start looking at some of those parks and divesting of some of them. The ones that the pocket park in the corner of Main and Russell that holds a bench that we maintain. Ultimately, there's a cost to that. I'm just thinking about the ways in which we can start to perhaps not send our crews out to spaces to maintain space that isn't utilized for any reason at all. On that same level, I know that Public Works has been tasked with the needle boxes cleanouts and then also finding needles in public spaces. I know that you've been dealing with some of the graffiti removal. I know that you've been dealing with For instance the park maintenance at like sunny side and Grand Armory the Republic Cemetery. I know that there is language in the In the agreements that exist the bargaining agreements that exist that kind of stipulate what volunteers can do and cannot do i think that we should we need to look at that at the end of the day i can get neighborhood kids to mow that park for 18 a day or 18 an hour you know i know that i can get graffiti removed in this town at a much less cost than public works would be paying out through volunteer services that receive some level of funding and the same thing with the needle boxes and also needle pickup you know like do we want to be taking public work staff who is already stressed to show up at different places all over the city to pick up needles when we can figure out probably a better system that's going to be a lot more efficient and a lot less expensive and that goes the same for trash as well like we have trash issues all over the city we it's this weird thing where we have code and public works both involved in it we need to find better systems that are more efficient that don't cost as much and so I just want to point those out and I hope that we can have further conversations about this during the budget season for [28:21] Carl L. Sheline: the public or sorry further comment from the council yes counselor Chittum Bridge [28:31] David B. Chittim: Street Bridge the $200,000 is engineering for the abutments on that bridge that's engineering only that's actually construction work so we've been [28:43] Bryan Kaenrath: been waiting for approval from the railroad to be able to get in there and [28:48] David B. Chittim: that's for actually getting the work done and have we anticipated that we're going to have a lot of pushback and additional costs incurred because CSX has requirements that we have not anticipated we [29:04] Bryan Kaenrath: should be within budget we've we've we have multiple projects that are requiring CXS fees for inspection filing and all of that so I think we've got it covered with the [29:15] David B. Chittim: the budget we have okay so this project probably would cost $50,000 but for CSX it's not going to cost two hundred thousand and we anticipated that yes thank you I just had to get those in yeah thank you so [29:32] Bryan Kaenrath: next will be winter operations on page 51 and 52 of your book overall increase of 104 669 the increase is within contracted services for vehicle rental of 24,000 due to the central garage rates increasing and in supplies for other supplies of 76 500 for the estimated cost of salt sidewalks is on page 52 of your book this remains zero flat the department requested 40 000 this was reduced during our the city administrators cuts this will not be funded in fiscal year 27 by fund balance as we mentioned earlier there is no fund balance to cover one-time capital so they do have funds encumbered to complete other projects within that line and I will stop there so if you have any questions for winter operations or sidewalks director Garnier can you just [30:36] Carl L. Sheline: give a brief overview from winter operations this past winter and where do you think we're at and how things could – you and I had a conversation earlier about the crews starting to learn the streets and everything else. Can you just speak to that? Sure. [30:55] Bryan Kaenrath: So the last couple years we have had some new staff coming in that are just getting their CDLs. Typically a new highway worker will come in or a new public works worker actually will come in and be on a sidewalk plow. and then as they develop and get their license they'll get into neighborhoods so we've had some neighborhoods that are more for learning how to plow with a large commercial driver truck so we have seen some stability in the in the employment and seen some efficiencies so excuse me no I'm good so the this winter each winter has been a little challenging with amount of this one is more challenging with the amount of storms you guys are all here every three days we would get a storm so I think Staff overall under Megan and Reggie were really timing the staff correctly to come in. We have a lot of technology to actually forecast the storm. Anything three inches or less, we weren't doing a parking ban. We understand a parking ban's disruptive to the public. It's a lot of effort by police to support us, and it's disruptive. So we also appreciate that because if we have multiple two, three inch storms, we now have a lot of wind rows at the gutter line and parking stalls and click create slipping and falling issues and parking issues. So I think our overall we did a great job. I think the use of brine and pre treating, there was one storm in which other towns didn't time it right or coordinate it right, and our team through Megan and Reggie had really looked at the type of additives we're adding to the brine and didn't pre-treat. They said the temperatures weren't going to be right, so we were able to clear the roads after some plowing to actually get it down the pavement. So I think we're doing well with that. Some of the initiatives that we've requested that were have been flatlined or cut were to add some more brine tanks. Right now we're adding actually less salt per storm event than if we were using a treated salt crystal. So we're actually pre applying or during the storm we are applying granular. When we had the big ice and freeze-overs, we will put granular down and we will put salt down if needed, but we're finding that with the liquid brine we're putting less salt per mile less salt per area. That's better for the environment and it is saving on the budget. We do have some other issues with that. If you listen, you know, our fleet superintendent, you know, we've got to do a better job of washing and cleaning things out after a storm. But overall I'll let me can chime in on the amount of storms we've had historically because we are in, I think I'd call it climate change, it's not warming or cooling, storms are a little bit more drastic either way. [33:46] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Director Ghani and I were talking today about the last ten years of snow totals and it was really interesting to see when I came aboard at Public Works in the In the year 2007, we had 171 inches of snow, as opposed to about 74 inches this year, and we thought this year was bad, right? It was really cold, so when the snow came, it stayed. But the last few years, we've been running anywhere between 70 and 84 inches. So each year, each winter is unique, and each storm is unique, so that's the fun of the of the job is the challenge of trying to manage each of these storms. I'll close with, you know, the [34:28] Bryan Kaenrath: when I take took this role it was 23 24 we had a drought and we were picking up more litter. I remember everybody asking to bring the sweepers out in February because we had no snow, and this year we're getting a storm every three days, so it's hard to forecast what we're going to do next year. I think we're we've got a lot of technology in place, we're talking with other DOT and other municipalities and trying to do bulk bidding on salt. I think staff really did a great job it we're actually have the technology on the trucks where it's not back in the day we had a gentleman and he retired we called him the calcium cowboy because if a little bit of salt was good more was better and I and we have new technology on the trucks where somebody can't man OVERRIDE. SO I THINK WE'RE COMING IN REALLY GOOD WITH DAILY TREATMENT. IT WAS THE COLDEST DECEMBER IN 30 YEARS. THAT'S HOW WE KICKED IT OFF. [35:24] Carl L. Sheline: I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THERE SEEMED TO BE A RENEWED FOCUS ON SHOVELING OUT THE CROSSWALKS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILOR ROY. [35:33] Susan G. Longchamps: THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE SNOW PLOW DRIVERS ARE HERE, BUT I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU, DIRECTOR GAGNE, AND I GOT MY HATS OFF TO THEM BECAUSE THE PAST TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN HAVE HAD A HANDFUL IF NOT MORE CALLS ABOUT THE WAY THE STREETS HAVE BEEN PLOWED IN THIS YEAR NOT ONE KNOCK ON WOOD YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB I GOT TO TELL YOU MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU SO [35:56] Carl L. Sheline: THANK YOU I THINK I RECOGNIZE SOME PLOW DRIVERS IN THE BACK THERE SO THANK YOU [36:02] David B. Chittim: YES COUNCILOR CHIDDOM THANK YOU MR MAYOR DOES SALT INCLUDE BRINE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT [36:07] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): BUDGET ITEM YES THAT'S THAT'S WHAT BRINE IS IT'S JUST A SALT WITH A LOT OF WATER SO WE USE A LOT [36:14] David B. Chittim: less salt right I had heard at a Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission meeting recently that we're using 200 tons of salt in a storm and I'm wondering is that accurate we have about 180 miles so that's roughly a ton per mile is that is that an accurate figure I don't have that in my recall we'd have [36:37] Bryan Kaenrath: To we'd have to do some stats for you and get back to you, but I can say that we are using less, using brine than using crystal. So we were using granular salt and pre-treating to get down in the temperatures, so we got away from the calcium additive and we've moved to liquid salt, and it actually stays in place. So that's why pre-treating the road and applying in a liquid form is better than just, and we're able to save. So we'll, we'll check on the actual. [37:05] David B. Chittim: PERLENE, MY NATURAL CURIOSITY IS HOW MANY TONS OF SALT DO WE USE IN A YEAR OR PER STORM OR SO ON, SO IF WITHOUT TOO MUCH WORK IF YOU COULD. ABSOLUTELY, WE CAN GET YOU THAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILOR NAJING. [37:19] Joshua L. Nagine: UM, SO QUICKLY, UM, MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WHOEVER WAS PLOWING THIS YEAR, I THINK IT'S THE SECOND YEAR HE'S BEEN PLANNING, MAYBE HE'S BEEN PLAYING THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT, UH, QUICK, THOROUGH, LOVED IT. THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU'VE HEARD THE CONCERNS ABOUT, AND SINCE WE'RE GONNA, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE PLOW ROUTES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED, POSSIBLY WE COULD LOOK TO MEET SOME OF THOSE RESIDENTS FEEDBACK ON A COUPLE OF THOSE STREETS WHERE THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, AND I KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN THAT NOT. LISBON STREET SPECIFICALLY, BUT PARK STREET AND THE SIDE STREETS WERE CHALLENGING THIS YEAR, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET SNOW REMOVAL WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE STORMS THAT COME IN SMALL LEVELS, BUT WHEN THE PARKING GETS REMOVED, WE HAVE TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. AND SO THE QUESTION IS LIKE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO THAT IN A WAY WHERE IT'S EFFICIENT FOR BOTH THE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO DOESN'T CREATE A SITUATION WHERE YOU KNOW A COUPLE OF. SPOTS IF YOU TRIED TO PARK ON THEM, YOU'RE LIKE SIDEWAYS. SO JUST A THING TO THINK ABOUT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOOKED AT, WE USED TO DO THE OVERNIGHT SNOW CREW, THEN WE MOVED TO THE BLITZ, AND THEN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THERE WASN'T REALLY A LOT OF SNOW REMOVAL DOWNTOWN. THIS YEAR WE DID, WHICH WAS HELPFUL, BUT WE DID IT AFTER MULTIPLE STORMS. SO AGAIN, LIKE ON SOME OF THOSE SIDE STREETS, THERE WAS A LOT OF SNOW THAT HAD BUILT UP OVER TIME. YEAH, JUST TRY TO FIGURE, TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HIT A. SWEET SPOT ON. [38:53] Bryan Kaenrath: That so that we're dealing with it, you know, duly noted as far as the blitz went. So the management team coordinating every day and discussing where the next one is, so we can one, get word out whether there is a parking ban or not, to just understand some of the logistics that the team may be dealing with and communicate that social media as well as to you all in admin. In the problem with storm every a couple days is we don't have a fleet of just snow removal vehicles, so for them to they actually take a loader that otherwise would be plowing and get it set up for the snow blower, then they then they, you know, they got to empty if we've got any type of salt equipment, you know, that all everything has to come out of the back of the dump trucks. You know, we've got a couple trailer dumps that we utilize, but when were you doing something like that, you're going from street to street and just really pulling it out and being REALLY EFFECTIVE. SO YOU PULL IT ALL OUT, AND YOU GET ANOTHER STORM IN TWO DAYS, OUR STAFF ARE TIMING OUT ON THEIR 16 HOURS. YOU'VE GOT A B TEAM THAT'S NOT FULLY COMPLIMENTING. SO THAT WAS THE BALANCE AND THE CRUX OF TRYING TO GET IN THERE, AND IT WENT LONGER THAN I KNOW STAFF AND SUPERVISORS WOULD HAVE LIKED, BUT IT WAS A LOT OF THAT WAS ON THE TIMING OF THE STORM. [40:10] Joshua L. Nagine: THANK YOU. AND I APOLOGIZE. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP DURING THE PAVING PIECE. BUT IS HIGH STREET BEING REDONE THIS YEAR? do we know the sidewalks are and have we asked CMMC to pay for the sidewalks themselves since the entire street is only on the campus of CMMC that's within [40:32] Bryan Kaenrath: the city right-of-way so we're we're doing that it's our liability when they [40:38] Joshua L. Nagine: walk into the right and we can't revert that back to a private road or give it to them in any way shape or form for [40:46] Carl L. Sheline: the questions next [40:51] Bryan Kaenrath: we'll go over street lights on page 52 overall decrease of seventy six thousand six hundred and seventy seven dollars or eight point nine percent the decrease is mostly in contracted services under repairs and signals for a hundred thousand for remaining funds that will be used in fiscal year 26 we removed 27 requests they will encumber the funds and use that utilities and electrical as you noticed in a lot of the accounts have now been split out so we're going to combine them for this year the Differences within the notes, the decrease is 29,200 due to the estimated new contract for electrical. At 20, there's an increase in the vehicle rental of 27,920. This is due to unit 5 being new and the rates of the other vehicles, the other three vehicles increasing for the central garage rates. That is the highlights of street lights. If you have any [41:56] Carl L. Sheline: questions for Deputy Director Kid. Maybe not street lights per se, but did we have issues the other day with the lamps on Lisbon Street or what was going on with that? Yes. [42:08] Bryan Kaenrath: So street lamps, what do we call those, street lights? Street lights. Yeah, some of them are ornamental poles and some of them are on, yeah, that's what I'm talking about, the ornamental pulse. Thank you. Yep, so we've had a couple issues this summer. We had an issue on Canal Street and that feed is got worked out, it's still a future problem with power to there. This one was something that the crews were trying to figure out and it had lingered several days. Actually, I came in Tuesday night and I was like it's dark all the way up Main Street and into neighborhoods. So the superintendent Rodrick and his crews got out there and we don't have a lot of technology monitoring that system, so it was a manual effort to try to isolate where the short was and what was causing that. So they did figure that out, I believe on Wednesday, and got that whole area relit. And so it's on, this was some of our requests. It's just a lot to try to upgrade and maintain. It's an old infrastructure. [43:16] Carl L. Sheline: Understood. Thank you. Further questions about this for our Public Works team? Councilor Chiddom. Thank you. [43:24] David B. Chittim: Repairs to signal is under street lighting. Am I confusing traffic signals and street lights? No. [43:33] Bryan Kaenrath: Probably over 10 years ago, the electrical division took on traffic signals. Traffic signals used to be managed out of the traffic division. Former police chief Harvey Gendro was working there and he would call a contractor to come in and fix all the traffic signals when there were issues. So as part of a reorg, the electrical division took on that role and all the staff got trained up appropriately. So the electrical division does traffic signals, street lights, hydro facility, they support water and sewer with pump stations communication, they get pulled into all electrical projects, they have an electrical inspector in that division that works with code. SCADA is out of that division, so all the IO and understanding all those monitoring systems of that, so yes, we haven't separate anything, it's been that way for a while, and I think Director Roy mentioned that, you know, they're going to separate something, so we actually get supported from MDOT. All the intersections in the city are owned by DOT, and we have a maintenance agreement with them. They provide us money to buy the same materials, have a stock, do routine maintenance and inspections, do emergency repairs, and then we work with the ATRC over in Auburn at AVCOG on coordination, timing, and other issues. They actually monitor the system, but our staff are going out there fixing, repairing, troubleshooting, doing maintenance. Thank [45:11] David B. Chittim: you. Is the only line in the entire budget that deals with traffic signals, this repairs to signals pretty much, and why, what are you not going to be able to do with a hundred thousand dollars that was cut from the request for that line [45:28] Bryan Kaenrath: it's right now considered kind of our emergency repair on some of it. We had an upgrade coming up, some other planned upgrades, and at this point it's it's a matter of priority and bandwidth, so we don't have anything other than I just mentioned. It's either coordinated with a DOT project for a signal or it's it's ongoing repairs that come up, so depending on what it is, it could be cameras in the intersection that are an issue, and those are fairly expensive, and we've been trying to make sure that we're getting new technology but it works within the system we have, so that's a very vague answer, but we're going to prioritize on the emergency repairs and maintenance. Thank you. [46:16] David B. Chittim: Are the signals owned by DOT? Correct. But we maintain them and replace bulbs and cameras, and we do the maintenance on them, but the equipment is actually owned by the state. Right. [46:29] Bryan Kaenrath: So Director Brenchick had started that conversation, and I think it was spurned earlier. So really DOT, it's a partnership. They're working with other larger municipalities where the staff had been historically maintaining those signals, and they say came in and said, look, you're doing something we should be doing, we own it, we're going to give you some funds for it because you have the technical staff and ability to do that. So we appreciate that support, but yes, they are owned by DOT. Further questions, comments from the [Carl L. Sheline: council? Next] we'll go over waste and recycle collections on page 52 of your book. Overall increase of 66,403 or 3.1%. The increase is mostly in contracted services under waste collection services. This is per the new service contract, an increase of 51,580. Waste disposal is on page 53. Overall increase of 313,423 or 38%. The largest increase is in solid waste disposal of 250. hundred and fifty. This is due to the expense last year and prior years being budgeted in the revenue to offset. We are now splitting that out so shows the true cost of the expense and the true cost of the revenue. Vehicle rentals of fifty eight thousand eight sixty nine for rental rates in central garage with a new truck which increases the rate that replaced the old truck. Those are the largest increases in the two departments. If you have any questions for deputy [48:10] Joshua L. Nagine: director Bates. Concern aging? Yes, so just to bring this forward, last year we had approved the new Casella collection and that took our collection contracting costs from 946,760 to this year we're paying 2,000,060,000. And yet the services didn't actually change at all. So that five-year contract where we were supposed to be getting the one arm bandit with the with the toters. We didn't see it at the beginning of the year. And now we found out that we're going to actually absorb an additional cost because we're going to have to tell residents who do get curb side that they have to limit the amount of trash they can dispose weekly. And I really think that we have to have a longer conversation about this. A couple of questions. One is there any mechanism that we have in place right now to back out of the contract we've [49:29] Bryan Kaenrath: Entered into we have not I'm sure there's a clause that we could I have not looked at the contract to be able to give you what the risk is to that. We did bid it and this is the trend of the industry so to bid to use conventional waste packers I think you would see the true reflection and what they're seeing for their employee injury and workers comp so the price may not go down and you'd be getting I don't I don't know we can look into it and trying to get back to you on that. [50:06] Joshua L. Nagine: I think the major concerns that we have are both enforcement mechanisms when we're telling people that they can't place trash next to their toter for instance, right? Like what happens when they do because they will right like we don't have a plan in place from my understanding to actually respond to that and that's a lot of pressure both on Public Works and code and ultimately, that's the neighborhoods that suffer from it, right? Like if the trash doesn't get picked up. I can tell you right now there's a there's a couch on the corner of Whipple Street and in Spring Street that's been sitting there for a week and a half that I haven't told anybody about but I will eventually and it's bothering everybody over there. So what I'm saying is trash disposal doesn't actually happen the way that we plan it unless we educate people to do it and the second part is, there a mechanism for people to get more than one toter? [51:00] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Casella had said that's something that they really want to advertise, but in the event that someone would like to purchase an extra one, that could happen. And also keeping in mind that these carts are 95-gallon carts, and every unit gets one for waste and one for recycle. So a lot of the carts that you see out there right now, this is probably twice as large as the cards that you see out there now from [51:23] Joshua L. Nagine: The original presentation it was 64 for a single family single family is 64 but [51:29] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): We're talking about multi-unit which is more congested area those are 95 gallon [51:33] Joshua L. Nagine: I'm talking about like Christmas and leave raking times but ultimately what I would love to not take too much time in this budget piece is we schedule a couple of public meetings to go over this and also to have a real good plan for outreach for the public because people have a lot of questions right and [51:54] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Also there they are working the marketing director right now and her assistant they do have a plan and it is extensive and very thorough so there's no doubt that we're gonna get the word out there 'll be really good [52:11] Bryan Kaenrath: Communication, okay. I would add the other pieces. Casella is planning to have boots on the ground working with these neighborhoods as they're deploying the toters, as they're calling them. So I spoke with someone the other day that had same concerns, typical trash cans, 48 gallons, that people are using, unless they know the size and they've got a larger one with wheels, this one may will be larger and have capacity. The other option is everybody's getting a recycling bin of the same size, so you know, the hopes is, you know, that single sort, you don't need to put in a bag, more people should be recycling and filling that container if they're not fitting stuff in a regular container. But we will, we'll definitely educate, get the word out, and come up with solutions. [52:54] Joshua L. Nagine: I get all of those arguments and I don't disagree that the trade, that the trash system needs to change. I'm just simply saying that like in my neighborhood for instance, is a lot of people that leave for work at 5 a.m. and they don't get back until 5 p.m and however casella is going to hunt them down i'm not quite sure so we need to make sure that we're organized in rolling this out so that we're not left with a bunch of trash laying around laying around on streets that 's that's all and the only other point that i would bring up is i don't see because it's probably not in here the revenues that were that were pulling from the actual transfer facility is it in here that's in the [53:32] Bryan Kaenrath: on the revenue sheet, so the all the expenses put together and then the revenue is at the beginning at the summary right after the city administrators Letter, so we'll be going through all of those revenues on Thursday next week. [53:49] Joshua L. Nagine: Okay, perfect. [53:52] Bret Martel: Councilor Martel. Yes. Thank you. Mr. Mayor. I just want to revisit on you said that Casella, We might be able to get an extra bin or an extra cart at the cost of the homeowner or the property owner. Now is that a one-time fee for the cart and then it will be serviced just like the other ones next to it. There isn't any additional cost of picking up two carts at a house, you paid for the cart, you put it out. It's all set. [54:19] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): To my knowledge, when we can follow up with this, is the one-time cost of the cart. No additional for the collection. Give any idea ballpark what the cost for the card is, that hasn't, that information hasn't been given to us. But we can ask that and get that in follow-up. Thank you. [54:34] Carl L. Sheline: I would like to also add that, you know, you presented on that a little bit ago. There's a video and I'm sure this is not the first time because Hella has rolled out this in a community and we're in danger of being okay. Further comments or questions about waste and recycling? Yes, Director Gagne. [55:00] Bryan Kaenrath: So I just, the items that have been reduced and cut for this year, a roll-off container will repair the ones we have. And then the software, that's upgrade software and a pavement. So it's self pay out at the scale house right now. There are some days where we're trying to be customer friendly and letting people through. We're also tracking what revenues we're losing but understand people's time is valuable on a Saturday and they have freighted their vehicle and they're expecting to go to the landfill and get in there before they close. So we get people in and out. But we're looking to improve that payment system that has been problematic for customers and operations. Future year. Understood. Thank you. [55:44] Joshua L. Nagine: The solid waste disposal line, $428,838, $250,000 allocation. What exactly is that for? It looks like it was not here [56:00] Bryan Kaenrath: before and suddenly it is. Director Roy said it was combined with revenues. So we actually, when we receive ash, we charge for that to Auburn, but they receive our trash before they burn it and weigh that in so this is breaking out those costs they weren't in a different line previous fiscal years but it's offset by our tipping fees for ash is that correct or no this is an expense so it's disposable so in the past what was happening was the revenue and the expense was going in the revenue line because in the past we were making money and paying for the ash along with that now currently because I believe they're down some burners some trash burners they are not burning as much and bringing it back so we're not getting as much revenue so if you're looking at a revenue it's supposed to it's supposed to have a revenue in there and it actually is in the negative because the expense is higher than the revenue so this is just showing the true cost by actually putting the expense in the expense line and keeping the revenue in the revenue line. [57:23] Joshua L. Nagine: That just opened up a whole world of new questions, but I'm not going to ask them right this second. Ultimately, I just want to make, like, if our tipping fees are revenue and we would want to cover the operation of the transfer facility by the tipping fees, one of my concerns I would have with 14 different member communities using MWAC and then putting the ash here and in our landfill is that if we're paying to store ash and our landfill is filling up. It seems like there's an imbalance there somewhere. [57:58] Bryan Kaenrath: So our trash is curbside collected, then brought to MWAC. That's this fee right here, so it's, it's collecting our solid waste, bringing to that incineration, that's the scaling in there. So the revenue side is when we drive over, look, if you remember, we added a truck and we added a driver to our, do our own hauling, so we've saved money there. So we're collecting cans of ash and bringing it and scaling out and then charging them MWAC for our, for the ash. So what Director Roy was saying is that they were all in the revenue lines, you didn't see it, so this is breaking out the expense here for solid waste to go [58:35] Joshua L. Nagine: to MWAC, and the revenue is over two hundred and fifty thousand. It is not, [58:40] Bryan Kaenrath: it's been negative. So they had burners down, so we haven't been collecting as much ash as we're sending trash. Their capacity issues, when they get the trash, they have to send it off-site as well. They're not bringing our solid waste [58:54] Joshua L. Nagine: back to us, so we're still, we're definitely, we're only putting ash in the, [58:58] Bryan Kaenrath: we're only putting ash in the landfill, so that we're basically paying to have our trash sent somewhere else. Really? Okay, yep. And just very briefly, solid waste throughout Maine and New England is an issue. We have one of, you know, few municipal landfills that are open. The ash to trash deal is saving us a ton of money. We're looking at over 20 years if we continue to just do ash, so we really want the MWAC facility to continue to produce ash and that agreement to continue so that we can extend the landfill and not have to. But at the end of the day, there's no new landfills getting opened up. We do have a specialty agreement with our sewer treatment plant because they're having to get rid of their solids because they can't compost them anymore. So we're, we're trying to, the overall solid waste management is a problem at the state level and it's a problem for all entities, but I think we've got one of the better deals, so negotiating some prices if something can come up on a contract renewal, but The prices are kind of fixed for what they're at. [1:00:03] Scott A. Harriman: Councilman, thank you, and thank you for presenting. I think you said a little bit ago that there was a planned improvement to the software at the scale, but that's been deferred. Isn't that the whole system new in the past few years? It's not. Is there maybe another piece? It's it's five years [1:00:23] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): old now, and it's and it has been giving us trouble since it's been installed. Okay, I wondered because [1:00:29] Scott A. Harriman: I have been, I don't go to the solid waste facility very often. I think it was a couple years ago the last time I went, and I was one of those people that it didn't work, and they just waved me through. My bill would have been very small, but I just wonder how much revenue we're losing out on a system that was new and was supposed to be better than the old system, but [1:00:50] Bryan Kaenrath: but it's not working for people, right? So we've actually set up a tracking, so we'll be able to better record what's going on Saturdays when those type of events happen. Typically it's not, we don't have big packers going in there and filling up our landfill. It's residents or, you know, some are paying for commercial or something like that, but it's it's not like it's filling up our landfill and we're taking away, but we'll be able to better quantify it because they are tracking it. Okay, thank you. Yep, so I just want to mention, if you look at page 13, the revenues for tipping fees are about halfway down. You'll see to actual to date when we did the budget book was in the end of January, it was in the negative 51 000. That means we've paid out more than what we took in. So that's why these are being split out. We're projecting that we're going to do 160 in revenue and the 250 and expense next year, so it's just a clearer picture of what the actual cost is by doing this. So next is open spaces and tree work on page 53 and 54. There's an overall increase of $117,938, or 7.6%. Increases in salaries of $78,587 for COLAs and STEPS. Temporary wages of $16,560 for a slight increase in wages to stay competitive with the goal that further down the road those temporary employees will eventually fill full-time positions within the department when they become available. Contracted services increased 24,000 507. The increase in vehicle rental of 35,000, this is due as you as mentioned in other departments for central garages rates going up along with the field maintenance agreement repairs to build in 18,000 332 for the cemetery maintenance, an increase or actually a decrease in maintenance of trees at 38,000. This is due to funds that are still available in fiscal year 26 that will be carried over to be used, and they're also looking at under other funding sources. As they mentioned in the night, we did the tips. They're looking at if any of the tips could cover for replacement of trees, so just to know this is in usually in the note every year, the tree program, the 5050, the forestry board that has an ending balance of three thousand two ninety five for March 17th, and the tree BATE PROGRAM HAS AN END IN BALANCE OF 7,124 ON MARCH 17TH. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR MEGHAN BATES? [1:03:59] Carl L. Sheline: YES. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE CHOPPED DOWN A LOT OF TREES. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? IT'S NOT LIKE I'VE COUNTED, BUT, YEAH. [1:04:07] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH AN INSECT RIGHT NOW. IT'S THE, WHAT IS IT CALLED? EMBERLED ASHBORE. EMBERLED ASHBORE. And so you will see a few more trees on Lisbon Street that will have to be removed because of this insect. [1:04:21] Carl L. Sheline: Okay, understood. Thank you counselor Herman. [1:04:24] Scott A. Harriman: Thank you, and this doesn't just apply to this division. And I'm 95% sure of the answer, but when we're talking about the vehicle rentals from central garage, that's basically just an accounting mechanism. That's not an actual expense because we're getting the rip, we're counting for the revenue somewhere else, right? Correct. [1:04:44] Bryan Kaenrath: Correct. So you'll see that when we get to municipal garage, which is right after the hydro, that you're going to see two expenses that are in there as a negative to reduce the line. Next year, we'll be doing the same thing and putting these in an actual revenue line and not in the expense. It's currently in the expense, so it shows that Central Garage is paying for itself. So these vehicles are rented to other departments. They take those funds and they can use them to repair the vehicles or purchase vehicles down the road. [1:05:18] Carl L. Sheline: Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. Chittum. [1:05:23] David B. Chittim: Director Bates, I heard you say we're cutting down ash trees, but I thought we heard Steve Murch say that we're inoculating ash trees against the borer so it's. [1:05:37] Carl L. Sheline: IF YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THAT. DO WE HAVE OUR ARBORIST HERE? [1:05:41] Bryan Kaenrath: NO. HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT. [1:05:43] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): As I mentioned in my report this week, we went out with Steve last week to survey all the ash trees around the city. Some of the ash trees with advanced disease are going to be taken down or replaced, but most of the trees can be treated with a treatment that's worked really well in other towns and cities. For example, on Elizabeth Street in between the block between Cedar and Pine there are 10 ash trees. Four of them will need to be removed, the others can be treated. So we're going to treat most of them, but some will need to be removed. So there, and then also Lower College Street is the other area with a high number of ash trees, really large mature ash trees. Most of them are going to be able to be treated and saved, a fueling to be taken down and replaced. So that's the current status on the ash borer and the treatment. [1:06:35] Carl L. Sheline: Counselor Najee. Thank you. [1:06:37] Joshua L. Nagine: Quick question on the downtown maintenance program or the MTNC program. I assume that's for maintenance. Yes. The looks like not a lot of expenditures came out of it this year. What exactly does it do? [1:06:51] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Well, it's to take care of hardscape also, we purchase Christmas decorations and your lamps come out of there, your strings. But mostly it's just really for the downtown Lisbon Street area. [1:07:06] Joshua L. Nagine: Okay, gotcha. And the only other question that I have out of this. All right. I just wanted to mention it's not a question for the TV land the tree bait program still has $7,000 in it. Is that correct? So the tree bait program for anybody who doesn't know, if you want a street tree or a yard tree you can apply for reimbursement up to $150 per tree. Is that correct? [1:07:35] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Are you talking about the tree canopy program? This is for the tree bait program. [1:07:43] Joshua L. Nagine: Do you remember off the top of your head? [1:07:45] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): I don't. I don't. I'd have to follow up with you on that. [1:07:47] Joshua L. Nagine: Maybe we can get the marketing team to send something out. It is a program that's underutilized and it's a good one because trees do disappear in all our neighborhoods. It's a great way to get a tree back. So next [1:08:08] Bryan Kaenrath: is oh I also I forgot to mention the LC IP for open spaces is on page 68 and 71 of your LC IP book for Kennedy Park 317 thousand five hundred and Sunnyside Park renovations for three hundred thousand. Do you have any questions for deputy director Bates on those two projects councillor and [1:08:34] Joshua L. Nagine: Aging really quick on Sunnyside Park, so the 300,000 that we're looking at borrowing for the LCIP, that's all for drainage, correct? That's correct, and that would be the additional 100,000 that's coming from the community development block grant funds would also be for drainage. I believe that's going to up. [1:08:51] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): Well, that offset the 300,000 because [1:08:57] Joshua L. Nagine: we do have money in place for signage as well as updating some of the equipment. At this point, that's being taken care of with the next [1:09:04] Unidentified speaker (Public Works Director): two months, which would be the way finding signs and the play structure. So the drainage, I believe, is under 300,000, and we did get 100,000 in the CDBC, CDBG grant. So if we can take whatever funds are left over and bring them to the next year, that would take care of the multi-use athletic field. Okay, understood. Yeah, which is going to cost about the same as a drainage. [1:09:41] Joshua L. Nagine: yeah, and if it was in if it was delayed a year is that gonna as far as the Drainage piece is concerned. But that do you think that would is it gonna become a lot more expensive if we delay the year? it's just it's a tough budget year and we're trying to figure out what we can do with the LC IP and like It's been a soggy field for a while. We want it fixed in the neighborhood, but it's really hard to forecast [1:10:04] Bryan Kaenrath: You know, we were looking into this budget, and then the what's going on in the Middle East just hit, so it's not just fuel prices that leads to paving costs and trucking costs and everything else, so okay, just something to think [1:10:20] Joshua L. Nagine: about. Okay, appreciate it, thanks. Next [1:10:26] Bryan Kaenrath: is the hydro canals on page 54 of your books, overall increase of 1,618. This is mostly in miscellaneous services of 500 for the obligation to file with the Federal Energy Regulations Commission. Any questions for Deputy Director Kid on the hydro? CNN municipal garage is on page 55. The overall increase is three hundred and thirty six thousand four sixty four, or a hundred three percent. There's a decrease in wages of seventy nine thousand three thirteen. These are for the two frozen mechanic positions and the credit for the hundred ninety nine thousand six oh six is for the rate increase. If you look at page 55, you will see fourth one down is when is where the credits are for the billing for the rates that we were discussing earlier. The supplies, the largest decrease is in gas and oil at 157 thousand 454. This was for estimates that began before the budget, so the city usually goes out to bid in March due to the current climate environment of what's happening. We have decided to move this to April, hoping for a more favorable price. If not, it currently, I believe, went up another $0.38, went up $0.75, I believe, a couple weeks ago. So, we're hoping that holding off until April and doing the bid in April, it'll have come down by then. If not, we will be mentioning that during our around our end of our budget that we may have to increase this line. Any so all gas at the bottom of your notes on six, we just mentioned that all gas for the departments are sold at an additional 15 cents and diesel at additional, sorry, gas is an additional 20, and the difference for diesel is the five cents additive for the winter. The LCIP on page 65 of your LCIP book is for the municipal garage vehicles and equipment replacements, $1,639,500. These are usually paid with fund balance. This year as we mentioned earlier we have no fund balance, so we are requesting we usually pull this out of the LC IP, but we are requesting that you look at the vehicles for being funded out of the LC IP. Any questions for a municipal [1:13:29] Carl L. Sheline: garage so and you know I do not want to turn this into geopolitical conversation and this is beyond like our pay grade in terms of like you know things that were we're experts on, so I understand that waiting till April you know could yield hopefully some better prices. I guess if we can have a conversation, you know, if admin can have a conversation about that to see whether that's still going to hold. The issue being is that gas input, you know, oil and gas infrastructure is being targeted and destroyed, so I'm not positive that even if conflict is over the gas prices are going to be coming down like anytime soon, so i just i [1:14:15] Bryan Kaenrath: just want to be thinking about that. We currently go out to bid with main power options and they're watching that very closely. They have been watching the market very closely. Okay, understood, thank you. [1:14:27] Joshua L. Nagine: Counselor Nijin, it brings up another question. How many vehicles currently are used as take-home VEHICLES FOR THE DEPARTMENT, DIRECTOR. [1:14:44] Bryan Kaenrath: THIS IS CLOSE TO A GUESS. I HAVE [David B. Chittim: ONE.] I THINK WE'VE GOT TWO OTHER SUPERVISORS. WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE OR FOUR VEHICLES FOR THE DEPARTMENT. THE WORKING SUPERVISOR THAT'S IN TOWN, WE'LL GRAB THAT FOR WINTER OPERATIONS. I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. [1:15:05] Joshua L. Nagine: LIKE THREE OR FOUR VEHICLES. IN THE PAST, I BELIEVE YOU WOULD HAVE FOLKS FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT, FOR [1:15:12] Bryan Kaenrath: Instance take home a vehicle every night, right? That's that's that's a standby truck, so yes, we have three standby units. They're on call for that time. Okay, and then those, so there's not [1:15:24] Joshua L. Nagine: like 14, 15, 17 units. Okay, gotcha. No, okay, my thought was if there's a lot of cars going home, maybe we keep them in the lot with the cost of fuel, but sounds like we've only got What's needed or contractually required direct? Yep. Okay, for [1:15:46] Carl L. Sheline: the questions About start to go. I mean, what, go ahead. Oh, okay. Any more questions from the council about municipal grudge? [1:15:56] Bryan Kaenrath: Director Garnier, so I did want to point out on page 55 under vehicles We're planning to not purchase, correct We're planning to keep them in the LCIP. [1:16:09] Carl L. Sheline: I'm sorry, what did you say? We're planning to what? What did you say, Director Gagnon? Keep them in the CIP. [1:16:13] Bryan Kaenrath: We're planning on keeping them in the LCIP, and then it'll be the councilors' decisions whether they want to. My recommendation is they look at the vehicles, and since we're looking at bonding vehicles for the first time, that we not bond any trailers or, you know, just large vehicles that are NEEDED AND PUSH OFF THE REST FOR ANOTHER YEAR [1:16:41] Joshua L. Nagine: COUNCILOR NAJING DO WE HAVE A GRADING SYSTEM FROM PUBLIC WORKS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VEHICLES BY ANY CHANCE THEY'RE IN LIST OF ORDER [1:16:49] Bryan Kaenrath: ON PAGE 66 OF YOUR LCIP SO THE LIST OF ORDER OF IMPORTANCE CORRECT SO THE TOP ONE RIGHT NOW THE LOADER IS 501 AND THE BOTTOM PRIORITY IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OKAY IS THERE ANY VEHICLE [1:17:05] Joshua L. Nagine: that is on the LC IP that would hinder your ability to do Public Works jobs [1:17:11] Bryan Kaenrath: this year if you do not get or just a budget here a lot of these are seeing age and repair expenses that it makes sense to change with cutting repair budgets that's also an issue it depends on what's gonna break I do have the fleet superintendent here if you have any specific questions but the number RIGHT NOW, IT'S A TWO-WHEEL DRIVE LOADER. IT'S UP AT THE LANDFILL. IT'S GOT SPECIALTY TIRES. BUT IT ALSO DOES, SO IF WE GRAB ANOTHER LOADER, IT'S NOT REALLY MEANT FOR THAT. AND THEY'VE GOT PLOWS ON THE ONES THAT WOULD SUB IN. SO THERE ARE SOME LOGISTICS THAT WOULD OCCUR IF IT BROKE DOWN. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. [1:17:55] Joshua L. Nagine: BUT ULTIMATELY, NONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE OR FELL OFF A BRIDGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? [1:17:59] Bryan Kaenrath: We replaced the one that caught on fire last year. Okay. Perfect. You the only other thing that we've got a we do have one item in the garage and shop equipment. Most of our new trucks come with the technology that your vehicles come with, so we're asking to keep six grand in there for a scanning tool or try to find money somewhere else. Just all the new trucks have those technologies and it's proprietary and special software so We're on public buildings, page 55 or 56 of your book, overall increase of 14,206 or 3%, decrease in salaries, $2,412. This is due to the increase of steps offset by the recreation, police and library credit of $26,083 higher than last year, overtime of $9,840, an increase in telephone, $1,080, all due to a request for five cell phone stipends that are not in the union contract, vehicle rentals of $21,817. This is, of course, due to the central garage increase rate. Public Works building is on page 56, overall increase of 36,441, or 15%. The increase is in repairs to buildings for 39,310. This is for chiller replacement and HVAC maintenance contract. And then city-owned parcels on page 56, you'll see an overall decrease of 7,756. This decrease is in the utility and electrical of 6,592 for the estimated 20% savings of the new contract and the telephone going down 1164 for the actual cost any questions on the public buildings for director [1:20:04] David B. Chittim: Councilor Chittim. Yes. Thank you. Mr. Mayor $1,800 for five cell phone stipends that are not in the contract. Can someone talk to that? [1:20:16] Bryan Kaenrath: Which line is that Louie? [1:20:30] Unidentified speaker (Buildings Director): Right now in the in the buildings department there's only two of us here that have cell phone stipends. The crew was trying to make the best use of radios but because we're in that's in and out of buildings all the time they don't work that well and so we avoid using their personal cell phones as much as possible and so that number there is to cover the cost so we can have better communication in the department while they're out and about do [1:21:02] David B. Chittim: These become essentially personal cell phones as well they are we all use our personal [1:21:06] Unidentified speaker (Buildings Director): Cell phone so it's just a stipend to cover work use so in other words the [1:21:13] David B. Chittim: City's paying for people's personal cell phones third $30 $30 a month times 12 months times five employees yes so that's a benefit then that the city is providing his cell phones for employees that not covered by contract it [1:21:33] Unidentified speaker (Buildings Director): Could be looked as a benefit yes okay thank you [1:21:39] Carl L. Sheline: Director Gagne or Deputy Director Turca, I mean, this could be looked at reimbursement for the public use of people's personal cell phones. Is that [1:21:49] Bryan Kaenrath: what we're talking about here? Yes, I mean, we got away from city cell phones over a decade ago and everything's stipends to make sure we had to keep logs and everything else, so there's there's There's no, so this is reimbursement. The team, you heard Mr. Trockau explain, inside of different buildings, his team is spread out all over. So when they're trying to reach somebody, they're not near a desk phone. They may not have a radio on them. We have so many portables. They may not be in a vehicle. So they're in the parking garages. They're in all the different public buildings. He has a staff in the police department. He has a staff over at the armory. And depending on what's going on, that coordination is either not appropriate on a radio, as well there's some conversations that shouldn't happen over a public radio, so the requested I believe is legitimate for business use during the day, but point made by Councillor Chittim, it's this is for use of that phone and the numbers become available to city staff, so if somebody was trying to reach somebody is in the clerk's office and we're talking about one of the building maintenance staff is helping set up for elections, they could call that person and say, hey, I need you here to come help me, so there are efficiencies with cell phones stipends that aren't necessarily showing up in this discussion, but thank you, Counselor. [1:23:14] Joshua L. Nagine: I know this might sound foolish, but how many buildings are we talking about for Public Works buildings? Is it just the one? Are there other buildings? 14 or 14 buildings total? So in the [1:23:28] Bryan Kaenrath: in the buildings division, they're overseeing everything but schools, so all the city side buildings as far as Public Works, we have the one on Ads Avenue and then we have out on River Road the operations, those are called Public Works, right, but you have the Solid Waste Facility has its own building and structure, so when you start looking at some of the satellite operations And Mr. Turcotte helps support us on all those buildings. [1:23:55] Joshua L. Nagine: So there are 14 Public Works buildings total? Yes. 14 city buildings. City. Okay, so how many Public Works buildings are there? Two facilities. Or are they all found under Public Works buildings as this line? That's what I'm trying to figure out. [1:24:08] Bryan Kaenrath: This line is for Public Works buildings only, which would be Public Works at Adams Avenue and Public Works over on River Road, which is an operations center. [1:24:16] Joshua L. Nagine: And we know that Adams Ave is struggling as far as it needs to be replaced. [1:24:23] Bryan Kaenrath: That's why there's a repair for the air conditioning? [1:24:25] Joshua L. Nagine: And that's what the increase in repairs is for? Correct. Just the air conditioning? How much deferred maintenance are we seeing for these buildings? The question I'm asking basically is we haven't approved a replacement building at this point. SO LIKE THE QUESTION IS RIGHT LIKE ARE WE PUTTING OFF THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIRS THAT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO IT JUST SO I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ABSOLUTELY [1:24:53] Bryan Kaenrath: So the new Public Works faciliate you see in the CIP is a very big ask, and I think I've said that before, but I understand that this community has a bunch of other priorities and our economy is something that it needs to be dramatically different from where it's at. so we're not, we're not expecting to get a building. We putting it in the plan, we're working a plan for that, but how long that takes is not something that we're presuming. What we are doing is maintaining the building we're in so that the roof is not going to leak, we're not going to have mold issues, I don't want to have any employee issues, workers comp or anything, injuries. So you know we have central air now and heating, so we're changing the filters, we're keeping everybody safe. We have operational issues that I've outlined before on reasons why, but we've been there and we're going to continue to maintain the facility so it's not going to crumble around us and there's no [1:25:51] Joshua L. Nagine: deferred maintenance that's not in this right now. We are trying to work with [1:25:55] Bryan Kaenrath: admin on priorities to not incur big, you know, long-term improvements to something that we might be out of in five years, three years, if it's municipal I don't know, but at the end of the day we're not putting dramatically new equipment, we're not putting new lifts and in the municipal garage, we're maintaining the items that we have, okay. [1:26:19] Carl L. Sheline: Thank you for the comments, questions so [1:26:27] Bryan Kaenrath: That finishes Public Works. We're gonna move on to the utilities can be found. We're gonna start with water on page 74 and 7 through 78 on your books. We are recommending a 10 increase for water. The last rate increase for water was done May of 2021 and a seven percent increase to storm water with no recommended increase for sewer. The operating and the LCIP projects are on page 73. We'll go over those in each division of the utilities. So as I mentioned, we're recommending a 10% increase in water. Revenues will increase eight hundred eight hundred thirty six thousand five sixty or twelve percent with expenses increase in one million nine or twenty four. This produces an operating deficit of two million dollars. Revenues all revenues are increasing with the largest being the meters due to the recommendation of the 10% increase. Meters are increased in 465,155 or 9%. Public fire protection is increased in 165,000 or 15%. Private fire protection is increased in 16,118 or 16%. Sprinklers increase in 37,788 or 9%. Sewer meter service is increased in 42,500 or 20%, investment, 110,000, or 110%. Personnel services, increase in 62,062, 4%. Increase in salary and wages, regular, of 67,266, which is the next largest increase in Maine PERS at 11,183, or 8.2. This is due to steps in COLAs and new employees choosing main PERS over deferred comp. The employee contribution is remaining the same as fiscal year 26, 10.2%. Workers' comp is increasing 23,762, as mentioned when we went over ours. Due to the increase in wages in the National Council of Compensation Insurance, the NCCI rates increasing. In debt is services increase in 1 million 3 or 47 percent. This is due to mostly the distribution water main replacement bond came on for fiscal year 27 operating expenses under the source of supplies as on page 75. The overall increase is 143 058 for all operating expenses. The increase for sources and supplies is 108 000 or 300 sorry an increase in purchase power utilities of 78 052. All street lights and water powers are charged to the water at the pump station and then there is a credit from. Monty which is applied to the water and street lights credit to the water. The credit usually offsets the CMP bill, but we are not expecting a large increase. We have not yet received the letter from CMP, hopefully that will be soon. Water treatment is on page 75, a decrease of thirteen thousand one fifty six. The largest increase in that line is the LA watershed commission of thirty three thousand five hundred for the increase in the city's portion of the expense. The commission is to protect the drinking water has approved the budget to continue with the septic inspection program that began last year and the outreach of the engagement with education to continue the goal to protect the drinking water. A decrease in contractual services for management of fifteen thousand nine hundred and thirty for the anticipated decrease in the cost for the Auburn water district's SCAD technician and chemicals decreasing forty seven thousand two fifteen. This is due to the reduction in all the chemicals I labeled for you, I won't go over every single one of them, the differences of what we're paying for fiscal year 26 and what we're estimating to pay for fiscal year 27, and that's why it's going down. Distribution expense operations is on page 75 and 76, increase of 96,000,318. We're seeing an increase in material and supplies of 36,000 due to the expected repairs and cost and a new compressor paving 29,250. This is due to the method A increase in the method B increase in and C and D also increasing per the unit cost of the bid that was opened. Customer accounts is on page 76, this increased 19,048. The increase, the largest increases in contractual services for licenses of 12,000,115 for the annual license fee of the project management software. Administration in general expenses are on page 76 to 77, an increase of 73 thousand 713. The largest decrease in this line is for legal which is decrease in 9,000 for the reduction of the hours for the attorney to maintain the drinking water wave for filtration capital outlay is increasing three hundred and four thousand five hundred which can be found on page 73 detail for the operating and the LC IP for water these items for the eight hundred forty two thousand five hundred is first our for scad for 50,000 water meters for 500,000 250 of these you'll see in the sewers operation which comes into water the water revenue lewiston-auburn water treatment program for 150,000 and equipment replacement for a hundred and forty two thousand five hundred which entails a pickup for 55,000 a three -fourth ton pickup with a plow at $55,000 and a 25-ton trailer for $32,500. The LCIP can be found on page 89 and 97 of the LCIP book. This is for the distribution water main replacement for $2,400,000 and the water pump station at $500,000. That's an overall for what's the largest increases and decreases in water. Any questions for deputy director kid concern aging? so [1:33:43] Joshua L. Nagine: I've got a few I the first I'm showing that the water program is still going to run a two million dollar deficit this year Even with the proposed increase and the question is that a carrier like why I guess is the question [1:33:58] Bryan Kaenrath: So if you look at page 74 the performer, yeah, you'll see at the bottom the carry forward for the cash that's expected to be carried forward from 2026 we'll cover that deficit so that would be a wash [1:34:14] Joshua L. Nagine: so there's not there's not with the proposed water increase we will not be carrying a deficit forward [1:34:20] Bryan Kaenrath: is that correct we'll have an estimated 855 356 with the increase if the if you do not APPROVE THE INCREASE. WE'LL END THE YEAR WITH AN ESTIMATED 271,000. SO IF THERE'S ANY LARGE MAIN WATER BREAKS OR ANY MAIN ISSUES THAT COME UP IN WATER, THAT COULD LEAVE US WITH NOTHING AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR GOING INTO THE NEGATIVE, WHICH WE WOULD NOT WANT TO DO. [1:34:49] Joshua L. Nagine: OKAY. AND THERE'S BOTH THE DISTRIBUTION WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT REHABILITATION ASK OF 2.4 MILLION FOR THE LCB BOND ISSUE. but I've got the note here concerning the debt service increasing based on bond issues we've already issued for how much does this project cost overall and how many how many years is it broken into so [1:35:16] Bryan Kaenrath: looking at are you asking about [1:35:18] Joshua L. Nagine: just FY 27 or yeah so there's an LC IP bond issued requested for 2.4 million to support the water main replacement and rehabilitation program and then in my notes here I have that our debt service increased 47.4% based on bonds that were issued that in 2025 that we arcade in 2024 for the same project I believe I'm [1:35:45] Bryan Kaenrath: just trying to verify if it is so the we deal with capital and it the lake at treatment distribution so it's the big name for it but every year the list of streets and mains change depending on so if you look the five-year plan our priorities have been where there are projects for paving we do not want to blow a street up after we just paved it as well as those priority water mains that are problematic our elizabeth road keeps we've got pond road right now that we're doing so not sure if i'm Answering your question, but I think at the end of the day, if we don't replace water lines, we will continue to have the brakes where we're having them, put customers out of water. [1:36:33] Joshua L. Nagine: Our crews are doing a great job not and this was a five-year plan on all of the replacements. Is that correct? [1:36:39] Bryan Kaenrath: There's a there's a five-year plan that we've been working for and updating for the 30 years. I've been here The five-year plan is a 30-year plan. I got you. We have a hundred and fifty miles of water distribution OUR PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN THE ONLINE CAST IRON PIPES THAT ARE BREAKING. OUR NEWEST PIPES ARE DUCKED ON IRON AND THEIR DESIGN LIFE IS 50 YEARS. OR PLUS. IDEALLY, MOST OF OUR OTHER PIPES ARE 100-YEAR DESIGN LIFE. YOU TALKED LAST YEAR ABOUT [1:37:10] Joshua L. Nagine: how many miles of pipe we still had left. Where are we at right now concerning the online cast? Yep. Do you have an idea of where we're at with that, or so, deputy [1:37:30] Bryan Kaenrath: director Boley is telling me we're about two or three years from completing the unlined cast iron pipes. Okay, we are, we do replace some that are each year of manufacturing, they tried to engineer near the pipe to be thinner and lighter, so we do have fragile lined cast pipe that pops up, that's problematic, and we put those in there, but the priority has been, let's get clean pipes so that all of our customers can have water that's going through lined pipes. [1:38:06] Joshua L. Nagine: And basically the cost drivers for the water division are maintenance and replacement of our pipes. That's really what it is, right? [1:38:15] Bryan Kaenrath: That's the largest capital expenditure other than treatment chemicals. [1:38:23] Carl L. Sheline: Other questions? Yes. [1:38:27] David B. Chittim: These increases in the water rates are going to have to be approved by the Public Utilities Commission, as I mentioned before. What happens if the requested rates are reduced and the approval is granted for a lower than requested increase? [1:38:44] Bryan Kaenrath: So we looked at the timeline to follow the main part of PUC chapter 120. On April 16th, we will put a rate case material filed with the PUC, and then May 4th we do an individual customer notice mail out, May 19th we hold a public hearing, June 1st we submit the new rate schedule to the PUC, and then it becomes effective July 1st. So that's the process that we have to do, and I understand what you're saying if they do not approve it, but as I mentioned, we have not done one since 2021, I believe. Oh, that recently 2021. [1:39:31] David B. Chittim: Five years, five years ago. Okay, so we do have some fairly recent experiences to the probability of getting the full request through the PUC, right? All right, and we feel confident that it will be honored. All right, thank you. [1:39:48] Bryan Kaenrath: that's it thanks so I just wanted to mention on your LC IP book on page 90 they listed out all of the water breaks the streets and the replacements and the size of the pipes and everything so that you can see the five-year plan for what they will be replacing when we say when we say five-year plan for the distribution of the water main replacement okay so you'll see in the lcip book on 89 you'll see the five years they plan on 2.5 million in 27 in 28 and then in 29 2.7 2030 2.5 and 2031 2.5 i guess the [1:40:38] Joshua L. Nagine: the question that I have is because we said the five-year plan is actually a 30-year plan at this point, so that the plan that's in front of us for the five-year plan actually closes out the repairs and we start a new five-year plan. Is that, I'm just trying to, it's a lot, it's a huge expense, and so I'm trying to figure out in my mind how long this recurring expense goes and whether or not this was done because of deferred maintenance at one point. So [1:41:05] Bryan Kaenrath: So your previous questions, I have a pretty good idea where you're coming from. There's no preventative maintenance to do on our distribution main other than flushing. It's how is the pipe installed and what type of winters we're having. Our construction practices are such that we're doing dig safe, we're locating them. Our operations are pretty normalized with the pump stations. So, you know, no huge varying pressures that would cause you know. So we're operating in a way that we shouldn't be breaking our distribution main. That's, that's another issue, so. End of the day, these pipes should be lasting a hundred years or, you know. We're not going to go in there and start replacing ductile iron unless it was a manufacturing issue, a known problem area. We do have old pipe that's embedded in clay from 1878, you know, on Lincoln Street, and we lined it. I'm not sure when, you know, you have a long list of when, but the rally has been lined, so the water quality is good through there, and that's, that's our highest priority is serving pressure for fire flows, volumes, and then water quality to customers. So thank you, yep. [Scott A. Harriman: Next.] We'll begin with the sewer on page 79 to 83. The city has recommended no increase. The increase in revenues of 761,506, or 9%. The expenditures, an increase of 705,759, or 8%. Producing an operating deficit of 275,483. For the revenues, both are increasing. The meters increasing 736,506, and the investments are increasing 25,000. Personal services DEBT SERVICES INCREASED AT 32,561, THE LARGEST INCREASE DUE IN SALARIES OF 31,061. WORKERS COMP OF 11,522, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS DUE TO INCREASES IN WAGES IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF COMPENSATION INSURANCE RATES INCREASING. Debt service is increasing 111 533 due to the sale of the 2024 bonds that we did in October. The estimated new debt is also in there for the sale for the 2025 bonds that we will be doing in September. Treatment plant increased 171 841. That is due to the increase in no-name pond of $343, and then the LA water pollution is seeing a 5% increase in the operating expenses for $134,790 increase, and $36,708 for LAPTRA debt for the CSO tank. Operating expenses across the board on all the divisions increased $44,966, or 5%. Under the pump station on page 80, you'll see a decrease of $1,733, due largely to the purchase and power utility, as mentioned before, of $23,160. You will see a decrease in the Randall Road of $7,188, Crawley Road $1,608, Tall Pines $2,076, and then the 12 other CMP accounts $12,288. Per the new electric contract sewer treatment was mentioned above, and then transmission operation on page 80 there's an increase of fifty one thousand four twenty four. This is mostly in the contractual services other of forty two thousand five hundred for the cost of the water meters under the customer account on page 81, an increase of $10,317. This is mostly due to the salary and benefits discussed in prior pages, the increase of $3,418. Administration and general expenses on page 81 and 82 of your book increased $32,377. This is also due to salary and benefits of $27,500. The capital outlay increased $330,000, 100%. If you remember last year, we purchased a lot of the capital with the premium that we had from remaining bonds. These are shown on page 73 of your book, the detail for the operating and the LCIP. The items for the $330,000 are the Randall pump station upgrade for a hundred thousand, the CSO meter replacement at 37 500. equipments of 192 500 for a dump truck of 160 000 and a 25 ton trailer to replace a 2009 trailer at thirty two thousand five hundred. The two hundred and fifty thousand for the meters listed on the page 73 are in the divisions transmission operation account. I listed the account so that you when you're looking at your books you'll notice that the 250,000 LC IP page 98 101 and 103 of your LC IP book cover rehabilitation of old sanitary sewer mains and manholes of a million two, collection systems inspections and rehabilitation of 725,000, and sewer pump station and generator replacements of 400,000. Those are the items that are increasing. Any questions for Deputy Director Kidd or Director Gagne? You all [1:47:20] Joshua L. Nagine: right counselor naging just a brief one on this since we're looking at increases in the other two utilities without an increase here we're running at a deficit. The question is how long does it can we maintain a deficit what would the reserves that we have. I'm just asking like ultimately if we're if we're adjusting the other two utilities in the enterprise accounts cover the cost of these utilities what is the what is the logic for not doing it here and how long do we go you know with the current funding we had a [1:48:02] Bryan Kaenrath: sewer rate increase last year of I believe it was 20% so that might be part of why we're not doing that this year but I'll let director Roy talk to that as well so it was a 7% increase that we ended up doing looking at where we're estimated to end we're looking at we'll estimate to end this year with a million two in the good so that will get carried forward and with no increase we're looking at ending fiscal year 27 estimating 977 000 that's why we are not recommending an increase for sewer so the [1:48:36] Joshua L. Nagine: increase from last year actually is correct we're not running a deficit okay perfect thank you [1:48:45] David B. Chittim: Councilor Chittim. Thank you. I'm curious about that $343 I think it is for the no-name pond subsurface system [1:48:53] Bryan Kaenrath: Where did that number come from? I believe that is for our permit for that system and those are DEP fees [1:49:03] David B. Chittim: Department thank you. I didn't realize that was permitted. That's a non. It's a non discharge well, how is DEP permitting a subsurface disposal system what yeah it's more than i think it's four thousand or two [1:49:19] Bryan Kaenrath: Thousand a day, so we've exceeded. And it's a, it's for the community down on Nonian Pond. So it's not a simple single house septic, it's a community septic. So it does fall under, so it when it was designed, it was under permitting, and it's got a five-year permit that gets renewed. Thank you so. Next will be stormwater on page 84 to 88. We're recommending a seven percent increase in revenues of 271,002, or seven percent, an increase in expenses totaling 196,885, or five percent. This will produce an operating deficit of 93,129, which will be covered on cash on hand. All revenues are increased in the stormwater fee, increasing $256,200, given the 7% rate increase that were recommended, and the investments, $15,000 based on current actuals. Personnel services increased $32,000. The largest increase is in temporary wages by $43,840, or 104%. This is due to a temporary construction inspector hire request instead of an outside consultant. Fringe benefits is increased in $11,543. The largest increase in this line is the workers' comp at $7,862, as mentioned in the prior two. Debt services increase in $48,776. Dollars, this is due again to the principal and interest from the sale of the 2025 bonds and the debt reimbursement of thirty four thousand four twelve for the debt for the software GIS and the comp plan. Operating expenses are increasing overall divisions one hundred seventeen thousand three forty, or nineteen point six percent, for planning permanent on page 85. You'll see an increase of 50,773. This is due to salary and benefits discussed previously of 40,453. Contractual services for engineering of 10,320 due to the public outreach for the MS4 permit. Storage and retention on page 85. You'll see a decrease of 3,389. This is all in the purchase power utility, a decrease of $3,420 due to the reduction of 20% for the new electric contract. Collection systems operations on page 85 and 86, you'll see an increase of $84,687. The largest increase is in the rental of equipment of $105,000 due to the rental hours and the rental rates increasing. Customer accounts, on page 86, you'll see an increase of $29,538. This is all in salary and benefits of $26,378. Capital outlay decreased $13,500. Again, this is on page 73. It shows the detail of the operating and the LCIP. Debt service increased $48,776. A decrease of $13,500 due to the fiscal year. $27,000 decrease in budget equipment replacement costs. Replacing an all-terrain litter picker. That is a 2010. Sorry, a 2010. $120,000 culvert replacements at $125,000. Catch basins at $20,000. MS4 Consultant $45,000, and a CSO Permanent Meter at $37,500. The LCIP for these projects can be found on page 106, 107, and 111 of your LCIP book. Storm Drain Inspection of $350,000, Storm Drain for Road Rehabilitation Projects $700,000, And then Gully Brook drainage area of four hundred and fifty thousand [1:53:54] David B. Chittim: Questions, yes, concert should have thank you, what is MS4 [1:54:00] Bryan Kaenrath: Municipal separate storm and sewer system [1:54:04] David B. Chittim: This is an annual contract. We have a consultant for is this the heart broke project? Is that included in that or is this merely outfalls? Combined sewer flows that sort of thing [1:54:18] Bryan Kaenrath: MS4 is covering all of those but if some of them project specific if it's in an impaired area that is listed out in the MS4 plants and evaluations so yeah Heartbrook has some impact but I think the last efforts were in yeah Heartbrook Jepson Brook has issues but [1:54:40] David B. Chittim: I think the focus is Heartbrook okay thank you and I'd like to have some indication because I continue to get questions about why are we paying this stormwater fee I'd like to have some indication on what the impact on the tax base would be were the stormwater fee not imposed I understand and I'm trying to get the word out that the stormwater fee helps more equitably spread the costs of operating this city by assessing fees on everyone regardless of their tax status but it's a hard message to Get out and I'm if I could have a hard number that says this is how much your tax is reduced because you're paying your is it now $17 a quarter because we had that seven people seventy seven percent increase used to be fifteen [1:55:32] Bryan Kaenrath: I will defer to your I'm not gonna correct you I think your recalls better [1:55:36] David B. Chittim: Whatever the amount is your taxes would be this much higher if you didn't pay THAT QUARTERLY FEE. WE ARE THINKING THE SAME WAY. [1:55:46] Bryan Kaenrath: We want to bring that to the table. Thank you for bringing that up. I will say that 24% of Lewiston's properties are tax exempt. That's the numbers I had today. We will be updating that and looking at it. When we implemented the storm water utility, we treat it like a utility, not a tax. There was a lot of discussion about that. So it is an enterprise fund. We do have a base rate that is what a residential homeowner pays, that's what a commercial or business, other business pays, that base rate, and then from there up it's based on the amount of impervious area. So if you took a non-profit or tax-exempt property and it's commercial with parking areas, they're paying on impervious area, and that's not the amount of rain that comes down, it's it's the cost to operate the utility to that those units that are sold, you know that Let our build kind of like water. We do it by gallon on water. We charge per gallon on sewer, but for storm it's per square foot of impervious area [1:56:53] Carl L. Sheline: Counselor in aging or sorry, were you finished? [1:56:57] David B. Chittim: No, I haven't. One of the hardest things to do is to explain that this is a reduction in your property tax. Well, it's not, it's a separate bill. I have to pay extra so those if you could have discrete numbers somehow provided for us, that would be very helpful in explaining [1:57:15] Bryan Kaenrath: We will, we had some initially when we deployed it and we'll update that with current numbers. Thank you very much. I'm sorry aging [1:57:24] Joshua L. Nagine: Following up on the same theme, impervious surface would be paved area, correct. What if it is a parking lot that is not paved [1:57:34] Bryan Kaenrath: So gravel under engineering standards is considered 98% impervious depending on the type [1:57:41] Joshua L. Nagine: So you treat it as impervious, correct, so parking, driveway, roof, decks, those are impervious. So my question here is just I'm thinking about particular properties around one school if they're not pulling a parking permit because they're not paving anything. How do we know if they're using the parcel for parking or not? [1:58:07] Bryan Kaenrath: So the initial assessment that was done to stand up the base unit fee and assess all of the properties based on that for a per squarter area was based on our area photography. So it was all based on GIS. [1:58:26] Joshua L. Nagine: And when was the last time it [1:58:27] Bryan Kaenrath: I would have to check, but as parcels change use, it's updated in GIS and thus the billing as well. [1:58:38] Joshua L. Nagine: So if I had a series of parcels I wanted to forward public works to make sure we're getting our tax, we could do. Okay. Thank you. [1:58:47] Bryan Kaenrath: And likewise, if somebody has a bunch of paved area and they want to get rid of it, they can peel the pavement up and plant grass and show that it's not impervious and it comes off. So that's just [1:59:03] David B. Chittim: to clarify. This does not apply to residences because they're at a flat rate. [1:59:07] Bryan Kaenrath: This corrects the commercial property. They are the flat base rate. Yep. [1:59:10] Carl L. Sheline: Thank you, consignment. [1:59:14] Scott A. Harriman: Thanks, and I think you mentioned it, but I just wanted to clarify for everyone that buildings also count as impervious. So if you have a large building, you're also paying on that, the right, that square foot rate. Yep, I [1:59:32] Carl L. Sheline: think we're good. Did [1:59:37] David B. Chittim: you have something else right there? I did want [1:59:39] Bryan Kaenrath: to just go, this budget is tight. I appreciate all the support from administration and Director Roy to try to work with us, because we're, we're trying to maintain level of service. We're trying to keep everything that Public Works touches, which is roads, public spaces, environment, Utilities, we want to keep it all safe and compliant. So our number one is going to be, are we keeping people safe? Are we meeting the regulations? And all the other asks that we may have reduced, those are going to kind of be secondary. Our primary goal is to keep everybody safe and roads and streets and all of that. So as we work through it, depending on what line item it is, we're going to be triaging pretty much everything and saying, is, do we have to fix this? Is it critical to keep safety? Is it critical to keep us in compliance with the regulations? And another things we're going to try to, try to hold off to try to save on the budget. So that's whether it's paving, pothole repair, using salt in the winter, as well as a big one we didn't talk about, is center line or painting or striping and things like that. So [2:00:57] Carl L. Sheline: thank you, we appreciate it. And I just wanted to, did you have something else? [2:01:02] Joshua L. Nagine: Yeah, I just have a couple of quick questions at the end here. One of them is, are we deferring maintenance anywhere that's going to cost us a lot more in the future? And I know that's a general question, but is there a piece that we're pushing back right now that's going to cost [2:01:20] Bryan Kaenrath: There's a big breath there. I would say that our one of the biggest drivers we have is regulatory. So if you look at what we're doing on the sewer side, that's a result of a 2017 administrative order with EPA. There's a lot of things that we were trying to accomplish and there wasn't budget or resources or whatever. So a lot of the money you see that's in that utility budget is to keep us in compliant with EPA. Our number one goal is to make sure we're keeping it in the pipes and we're not having backups in people's homes in the environment. And I think we did a pretty good job. But I think that's another. So across the board, everything we're looking at is the minimum is going to be what are we legally required to do both to keep all our residents, all our commuters, anybody that comes to the city, keep them safe. So at the end of the day, I think, you know, yeah, we probably are kicking things down a year or two. And if maybe something wasn't funded for several years we could be looking at that but I don't see anything glaringly obvious right now we carried some money so the big one is roofs right we do not want to have the building envelope so repointing can hold off a little longer a leaky roof can't so we're prioritizing that through all our different parts of what public works does citywide and we're listening to the departments and we're listening because they're in our buildings right we're we Want to hear what's going on whether it's heating cooling or in the public space so we're trying to be reactionary but we are giving some pushback so I would put it out there that maybe the requests that come in we're not gonna be able to get to them as quick if it's not an immediate safety issue or whatnot but I don't see any big deferment where we're like this is gonna lead to a building envelope failure or equipment failure at this time and if we do and it's something that's not funded we'll Be talking with administration and director Roy and trying to find the funds and if we don't can't do a budget transfer we'll come back to if we have to we'll come back and ask and pose it otherwise yeah ultimately I appreciate [2:03:30] Joshua L. Nagine: Everything you guys do, the costs that you're looking at have increased exponentially since COVID. It's not in match with our inflation rates at all. And I know that, you know, we've seen you become more and more project managers as opposed to actually doing some of these projects themselves because it's a huge area that you're covering. The thing that I mentioned before about figuring out ways to get citizens involved with some of the projects that we expect Public Works to handle, to take that load off of you and also to get some traction. For instance, graffiti, right? Like, you're not going to somebody's business and knocking on the door and being like, hey, can we go take care of this right now? I have people who will be willing to do that. Those types of things where we can start to get some type of traction, and you also don't get pushback for not taking care of something that really is somewhat outside of your purview anyways. Hopefully we can have discussions about that in the future. That's it for me. [2:04:38] Carl L. Sheline: Yes. I wanted to thank you, Director Ganya, your entire department. I notice you have a lot of support sitting back there. I recognize many of you out on the streets of Lewiston. Yeah, Public Works keeps our city running, literally. I appreciate you all. Thank you very much. Thank you, Director Roy. Thank you. This concludes [2:05:00] Bryan Kaenrath: or sorry, go ahead. Just a reminder that our next workshop is Tuesday for public [2:05:06] Carl L. Sheline: safety, police and fire. Sounds great. Thank you so much. This concludes our budget workshop. You all have a wonderful evening.