Councilors continue with busy spring schedule
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — City Council has kept a hectic pace this spring, with regular monthly meetings and special sessions held at City Hall on many a Monday night. The June 3 meeting saw councilors addressing a number of topics.
Among the items councilors considered were:
• Held the first public hearing to amend Chapter 40 — Conduct in Public Parks, Recreation Areas and Facilities, with the second public hearing set for July 1;
• Held the second public hearing, with councilors voting to amend Chapter 38B Life Safety Code, as presented;
• Held the second public hearing, with councilors amending Chapter 16 — Land Use and Development Code to allow expansion of the boundary of the Downtown Retail Business Zone to four lots: 23, 29 and 39 Second St. and 221 State St.;
• Approved a nude entertainment establishment license for KBS Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center, 116 Main St. by a vote of 4-3, with Councilors Dick Engels, Micah Desmond and Pete Hallowell opposed; and waive fee, less cost of advertising, by unanimous vote;
• Determined the property at 10 Dyer St. to be a nuisance and dangerous to life and property, with the owners, Richard and Joan Good, given 30 days to abate all conditions creating these conditions to the satisfaction of the code enforcement officer. Should the owner fail to comply, a civil penalty of $100 per day will be assessed and the council authorizes the city manager to have the structure demolished and removed, with the cost of demolition charged against the property, constituting a lien on such real estate;
• Heard citizen comments on the Pay-As-You-Throw program and the proposed closure of the outdoor pool;
• Approved consent agenda items;
• Accepted the proposal dated April 7 and presented by Efficiency Maine at the May 6 Council meeting to replace lighting fixtures and light bulbs at City Hall, the Haskell Center and Riverside be accepted using the lump sum method of payment:$3,971.89 for City Hall to be funded from City Hall capital revenue, and $2,587.90 for the Recreation and Parks Department to be funded from the contingent account;
• Adopted the city of Presque Isle’s street banner policy, as presented;
• Approved the discontinuance of winter maintenance on the Campbell Road and the northerly portion of the Ashby Road between the Johnson Road and the Ginn Road;
• Tabled discussion of the 2013-14 City Council Work Plan until July, due to the current number of items Council needs to address, including the municipal budget;
• Approved the reallocation of reserve funds totaling $9,999 to be utilized towards the replacement of the Recreation and Parks truck as presented;
• Denied a pawnbroker’s license to Gregg Jaime d/b/a Star City Trading, based on information provided by the PIPD pertaining to Jaime’s prior criminal record. Gregg Jaime is the son the business’s owner, George Jaime, who is currently in jail in connection with the disappearance of Starlette Vining;
• Tabled until July the authorization of Community Center project funding to come from anticipated future bond proceeds;
• Tabled until July authorization of Community Center bid documents;
• Received a brief update on the student living program at the Presque Isle Fire Department. To date, three students have applied – all of whom have no prior firefighting experience. Two joined the call department during the 2012 school year but due to school commitments and other reasons were unable to complete basic fire school, with response to calls less than 40 percent. City Manager Jim Bennett said he and the fire chief would continue to pursue the program and other options for staffing;
• Approved providing prospective Community Center project donors appropriate naming opportunities, as presented;
• Listened to a presentation by Chief Matt Irwin, PIPD, regarding the 2012 Uniform Crime Report and crime reporting and related figures for the city of Presque Isle;
• Approved the purchase of a 2014 Western Star truck with sander body and plow from Daigle and Houghton with extended service contracts for a total of $196,574;
• Received an update on the Capital Improvement Plan;
• Authorized up to $4,500 from the contingency account to fund the traffic calming efforts for Dudley Street and other potentially impacted areas;
• Rescinded Council’s Dec. 12, 2012, vote that the rate of tax be set at the first regular City Council meeting in July 2013; and
• Approved setting the tax rate on or before the first regular City Council meeting in August 2013.
A special meeting has been set for Monday, June 24, for councilors to continue discussion on the municipal budget. Council’s next regular monthly meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 1, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The public is welcome and encouraged to participate. For more information, call 760-2785.
