The Rockland Report December 13, 2013

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
 Met with the City Attorney, Community Development Director, and Recreation Director to discuss next steps for public art policy.
 Along with the Public Works Director, met with representatives of MDOT about Old County Road and drove the road to discuss improvements and areas of responsibility between the State and the City.
 Along with the Code Enforcement Officer and Community Development Director, met with Bob and Trudy Young to discuss tentative plans for cluster housing.
 Along with the Public Works Director, met with Will Gartley to discuss the Sand/Salt Storage Facility.
 Met with Senator Mazurek to discuss Old County Road.
 Staff has begun reviewing and updating the city website to ensure agendas and minutes from boards, committees and commissions are uploaded for public access.

OFFICE OF THE CITY ASSESSOR
 Processing Real Estate Transfers, updating parcel cards, sales book, property splits.
 Processing Personal Property accounts, updating ownership, owned items, depreciation, State BETR’S 801 returns, BETE exemptions.
 Processing building permits, reviewing, updating property cards and assessments.
 Analyzing qualified sales of all properties and neighborhoods for a fair and equitable assessment.
 Completing State forms and returning for processing.
 Listening and reviewing properties at the owner’s request.
 Updating Tax Maps and posting to the web site.

OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER
 Spent most of a day in Portland attending the quarterly meeting of the Maine/New Hampshire Port Safety Forum, a grouping of people and agencies involved with commercial marine traffic on the Northern New England coast.
 More paperwork, and continued work on the switchover from 2013 to 2014 for the mooring permit database.
 Maybe it’s the holidays, but there’s been an enjoyable consistent stream of boaters visiting and stopping in to discuss the harbor and new moorings.

OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
 Met with the architect for Hamilton Marine regarding expansion of their facility to the adjacent building owned by O’Hara Corporation. The building will expand their retail area but will primarily be used for storage.
 Along with the fire department, we met with the architect representing Ocean State Job Lot to review the floor plan for the new store in a portion of the former Walmart building at 265 Camden Street.
 Attended the MBOIA December Membership/Training meeting in Auburn. The topic of the training was Residential Ventilation Standards.
 There were two complaints filed this week.
 The following permits were received by the Code Office this week:
o 5 Building permits
o 4 Electrical permits
o 4 Plumbing permits
o 1 Sign permit
o 4 Street Excavation permits

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF
In addition to responding to the normal flow of fire and EMS calls, apparatus checks, cleaning, repairs and maintenance to the fleet and cleaning and maintenance of the quarters, the following occurred:
 The Department held a retirement reception for Captains Bruce Colson and Horace Benner who have hung up their helmets with 30 years and 53 years of service to the Department, respectively.
 The Department participated in the Wreaths Across America welcoming at the Elks Club on Sunday.
 An Advanced Cardiac Life Support refresher was presented to our Paramedics.
 The Department provided confined space rescue stand-by for FMC.
 Lieutenant Johnson was presented a 20-year plaque by the City Council.
 The training trailers were prepared for relocation at the city transfer station.

OFFICE OF THE FISH PIER DIRECTOR
 Met and talked to all applicants on their particular permit requests.
 The following permits/application requests were issued this week for calendar year 2014.
o 1 herring carrier greater than 70’ in length
o 1 herring carrier less than 70’ in length
o 2 bait dealers
o 3 lobster buyer stations
o 2 lobster vessel permits
o 1 upper lot storage permit
 Currently waiting on Prock Marine to conduct a maintenance survey of the piles, chocks, and whalers around the pier. Cost estimate for repairs to follow.
 Made arrangements with public works to move excavators from one of the two snow disposal areas in preparation of snow removal down town.
 Current Lobster price is still $3.80 a pound.

OFFICE OF THE SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR
 Worked on 2014/2015 budget.
 Continued structural fitting of MSW compactor number 1.
 Conducted preventative maintenance on the 816F Compactor.
 Scheduled brush and pallet pile to be chipped.
 Updated Solid Waste CIP’s and submitted to Finance Director.
 Worked on resolving a glitch between our scale software and cash drawer.
 Working on adding examples of items specified for collection in the recycle area below the actual sign.
 Fixed garage door gasket to prevent water from leaking in the e-waste building.
 Began daily cover placement of cell number 4.
 Began looking into replacing the transfer station lights and fixtures with lead compatible fixtures and bulbs.

OFFICE OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
 Researched data and outlets for future business investment and attraction efforts, notably for Tillson Avenue district.
 Attended Chamber legislative update.
 Reviewed current and began planning next departmental budget.
 Coordinated with Bixby & Company to finalize plans and announcement for their establishment in City.
 With assistance from the Executive Secretary, finalized and publicized plans for public information meeting on Brownfield Program.
 Assisted three local businesses in review and completion of Pine Tree Zone program.
 Continued development of potential program and grant application for community and arts development, met with representatives of arts community on same.
 Finalized and submitted Small Harbor Improvement Program grant for ramp at Public Pier.
 Met with housing program client, reviewed housing program loans.
 Met with Director at University College, Rockland to discuss programs and training and workforce development programs.
 Met with owner and developer of Downtown property to discuss potential plans.
 Met with Chair of RMSI Design Committee and consultants to discuss finalization of Committee recommendations on Signage Plan and other Committee work.
 Attended Community Breakfast at Hospital.
 Reviewed USDA grant and community programs on behalf of local business and for leveraged funding for public works salt/sand shed.

OFFICE OF THE POLICE CHIEF
 The officers responded to 180 calls for service. Rockland Police Officers responded to eight motor vehicle crashes. Nineteen (19) traffic stops and traffic violations were conducted. The officers made 10 arrests of individuals for various offenses, to include bail violations, Domestic violence, Theft. Disorderly Conduct, Trespass, Weapons violation, Threatening and arrest warrants.
 The department continues to investigate five open burglaries that have been committed within the city over the last few months. Additional investigative steps including polygraph tests have been scheduled and the investigations remain active.
 Officers have been conducting visits at our local schools during this past week.
 Participated in the Maine Chiefs of Police Associations Awards committee meeting at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy this past week.
 Met with members of the Knox County Community Health Coalition on the "Ktip" program being introduced to assist in local efforts to address underage drinking laws.
 Participated in the “Wreaths Across America” convoy event held on Sunday at the Elks Lodge in Rockland.
 Sgt Kenneth Smith assisted with the US Coast Guard and Maine Lighthouse Museum’s flying Santa event this past Saturday.
 The Knox County District Attorney’s Office concluded their review of the incident involving a subject, who in late November brought a hunting rifle onto the campus of Oceanside East High School. The District Attorney’s Office authorized charging the subject with Possession of a Firearm upon school grounds, Criminal Threatening and Disorderly Conduct. The subject was summonsed for these violations.
 Detectives are currently conducting two joint investigations with the Department of Health and Human Services regarding sexual abuse investigations.
 Rockland Officers participated in a training program for the Sexual Assault Response Team. This training program is for new advocates that are joining the Sexual Assault Response Team. Detectives from Rockland C.I.D. spoke with these new advocates regarding law enforcements role in a sexual assault investigation.

OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR
 The Adult Art and the Children’s Drawing classes continue each Tuesday.
 Please continue to bring items for the food drive any time during open hours.
 Attended the Friends of Rockland Public Library Annual Meeting.
 Horch Roofing performed silicone sealing of the atrium, which spans the old and new sections of the Library. They addressed the apex and sides, which have been areas recently taking in water during rain and snow.
 Patty King, Mary Jane Martin, and I attended the first meeting for Poetry Month Rockland 2014.
 Local tree expert Richard Schneller presented the Library with a laminated map of the trees on the Library grounds.
 The Camden Conference Community Conversations returned to Rockland, for a Thursday evening discussion: What's the Truth About Genetically Modified Foods?
 Patty King went to North Haven for the Library’s weekly visit.
 The Hampstead Stage Company presented Dickens’ immortal A Christmas Carol.
 A special Christmas reading from The Pickwick Papers, followed by a Holiday Sing-Along is scheduled for Sunday.
 Did you know?—the Rockland Public Library is looking for Dinosaur-related drawings, paintings, stories and poems and sculpture and other creative mediums, to be displayed as part of the 2nd (semi-annual?) Dinosaur Day, scheduled for January18.

OFFICE OF THE RECREATION DIRECTOR
 The first weekend of basketball games is in the books. We are off to a good start as we all adjust with the new addition of teams that had not previously played in our league. We are all anticipating a fun season.
 The game room is coming along and we are nearing the light at the end of the tunnel. The work is almost complete. The gaming company is coming down Monday to deliver the new video games.
 Saturday is the Elks Hoop Shoot at the Recreation building at 4:00 PM. It’s back at the Rec after three years and we anticipate a good turnout.

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
 Removed yield to pedestrian signs from various crosswalks and stored for the season.
 Hooked up all plows/sanders in preparation for Sundays predicted snow storm.
 Stored street sweeper for the season at O’Hara’s boat storage building on New County Road.
 Picked up trash from receptacles, buildings and roadside trash.
 Completed sign maintenance and roadside limb trimming.
 Plowing/sanding on Monday 1” snowfall; called in after hours for sanding on Tuesday night; sanded during regular time on Wednesday morning.
 Cold patching roadways for two and a half days.
 Assisted Fish Pier moving items in preparation for disposal of snow.
 Met with Gartley & Dorsky regarding salt/sand shed planning.
 Met with MDOT regional manager and regional engineer reviewing Old County Road in compact zone and other city wide MDOT road related issues.

OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR
 We responded to a call at Old County Road and Rankin Street. A contractor broke a pipe while doing excavation work.
 Finished installing a boiler for the vacuum truck garage. Also installed weather stripping to tighten up the garage.
 We finished the cleanup of the residence on Rockland Street that experienced a backup last week while we were cleaning the sewer line.
 The belt press incline conveyor drive unit was replaced due to bearings about to fail. The bearings will be replaced and the repaired unit will become the spare.
 We assisted Kruger in dismantling their pilot unit. Kruger will provide a pilot study report in the near future.
 We continued to finalize modifications to the proposed consent agreement. Deadline for submittal is December 16th.
 The Park Street and Glenwood Avenue pump stations upgrades are nearly complete. We are working with EII to clean up software issues.