-- APPROVED --
BRUNSWICK TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES
April 20, 2004
Municipal Meeting Facility
7:30 P.M. Vice Chair Galloupe called the meeting to order and asked for the Pledge to the Flag.
Councilors Present: Robert A. Galloupe, Charles R. Priest, Barbara A. Desmarais, Joanne T. King, and Stephen H. McCausland.
Councilors Absent: W. David Watson, Jacqueline A. Sartoris, Douglas A. Rice, and Forrest Lowe.
Others Present: Patricia Harrington, Assistant Town Manager; Fran Smith, Town Clerk; Clark Labbe, Deputy Fire Chief; Donald Goulet, Police Commander; several citizens, members of the press, and TV video crew.
Minutes of Previous Meetings: April 5, 2004
Councilor Galloupe declared the minutes of April 5, 2004, accepted, with a correction to a spelling of a name.
Public Comment
Pem Schaeffer, Crestview Lane, said the Council’s actions on the budget will be a campaign message regarding the 1% tax cap ballot question. What is done will be read one way or another. There has not been a compelling argument to build a new school. There are a number of arguments that could be made not to build one, including declines in enrollments and the risk of the naval air station shrinking or leaving.
Correspondence
Councilor Desmarais said, based on questions from the joint meeting of the Council and Planning Board with Bowdoin College, she had asked the Assessor about Bowdoin. The Assessor said that they are Brunswick’s tenth largest tax payer (due to non-exempt properties). State law prevents the town from taxing the college.
Councilor Galloupe said that Bowdoin College gives the town a payment in lieu of taxes each year. Last year the amount was eighty thousand dollars ($80,000).
Manager’s Report:
Common Good Award ($500)
Ms. Harrington said Bowdoin College has given a five hundred dollar ($500) award to the Town Commons Committee for the installation of interpretive signage for educational purposes at the Brunswick Town Commons.
Emergency Assistance Grant ($32,157)
Ms. Harrington said the town has received an Emergency Assistance Grant for thirty two thousand one hundred fifty seven dollars ($32,157) from the Maine Emergency Management Agency for snow emergency costs incurred as a result of the severe snow storm the town had in early December, 2003.
Councilor Desmarais moved, Councilor King seconded, to accept the Common Good Award Grant for five hundred dollars ($500) and the Emergency Assistance Grant for thirty two thousand one hundred fifty seven dollars ($32,157), with the town’s share of five thousand four hundred twenty four dollars ($5,424). The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
Community Gateways Grant ($4,700)
Ms. Harrington said the town is not prepared to discuss it this evening, with additional information being gathered. It will be brought back at a later meeting.
Assistance to Firefighters Grant ($48,820)
Deputy Chief Labbe said the Department of Homeland Security has approved a 90% share grant ($48,820) for the Assistance to Firefighters-Fire Prevention and Safety Program. The town share is 10% ($5,424). There has been a fiscal note provided by the Finance Department.
Councilor Priest moved, Councilor Desmarais seconded, to accept and to authorize the expenditure of the grant from the Department of Homeland Security for the amount of forty eight thousand eight hundred twenty dollars ($48,820) for the Assistance to Firefighters-Fire Prevention and Safety Program. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
(A copy of the fiscal note will be attached to the official minutes.)
Adjustments to Agenda:
To add Item 62 regarding a special amusement license and to take it after Item 56.
55. The Town Council will hear public comments on the following request for an Alcoholic Beverage License and will take any appropriate action.
Full-time Malt
Thai Dish, Inc.
136 Pleasant Street Phamonrat Kritsanurak
Councilor Galloupe opened the public hearing; hearing no comments, he closed the public hearing.
Councilor Priest moved, Councilor Desmarais seconded, to approve the Alcoholic Beverage License for the Thai Dish, Inc. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
(A copy of the public hearing notice will be attached to the official minutes.)
56. The Town Council will hear public comments on the following request for a Victualer License and will take any appropriate action.
The Lobster Roll
Cooks Corner Mall Parking Lot Robert and Dianne Catalano
Councilor Galloupe opened the public hearing; hearing no comments, he closed the public hearing.
Councilor King moved, Councilor McCausland seconded, to approve the Victualer License for the Lobster Roll. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
(A copy of the public hearing notice will be attached to the official minutes.)
Mr. Catalano, the owner, said they will be offering food such as lobster rolls and onion rings. The stand is being built specifically for them and it will be attractive.
62. (ADDED) The Town Council will hear public comments on the following request for a Special Amusement License and will take any appropriate action.
Brunswick Golf Club, Inc. Mr. Patrick Badcock
D/B/A: Brunswick Gold Club
165 River Road
Councilor Galloupe opened the public hearing; hearing no comments, he closed the public hearing.
Councilor McCausland moved, Councilor Priest seconded, to approve the Special Amusement permit from the Brunswick Golf Club. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
(A copy of the public hearing notice will be attached to the official minutes.)
57. The Town Council will consider a proposed amendment to the Town Alarm Ordinance and will take any appropriate action.
Commander Goulet explained the proposed changes to the Alarm Ordinance. The main changes are to sections 3-13 and 3-14, plus the addition of the Alarm System Release and Indemnification Agreement.
Councilor Desmarais said the changes are a step in the right direction. She asked how many false alarms there are and about other communities fees to respond to them.
Commander Goulet said about ninety percent (90%) of alarms that the Police deal with are false. The Police have not been billing for false alarms so that could be the reason for the higher numbers since there is no deterrent in the form of a fee.
Deputy Chief Labbe said Bowdoin College causes the largest number of false fire alarms with between forty (40) and fifty (50) calls annually. The one hundred dollar ($100) charge for a false fire alarm covers the cost of personnel, but does not cover overhead expenses.
Councilor Desmarais said the amounts are not enough to deter false alarms. She recommended looking at a higher fee. Councilor Desmarais requested other college town fees be researched.
Councilor McCausland agreed with Councilor Desmarais that the fees set in 1985 should be revisited. The item could be brought back at a future meeting once the requested information was gathered.
Councilor Priest requested getting information on what it costs the town to go to a false alarm for both the police and fire departments.
Councilor McCausland moved, Councilor Priest seconded, to table the item until the Town Council meeting to be held on May 17, 2004. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
58. The Town Council will consider a recommendation from the Tax Assessor for an abatement of personal property tax and will take any appropriate action.
Councilor Galloupe said the Assessor, Cathy Donovan, is recommending an abatement of personal property tax that was assessed in error.
(A copy of the Assessor’s memo will be attached to the official minutes.)
Councilor McCausland moved, Councilor Priest seconded, to approve an abatement of 2002 personal property tax in the amount of three hundred ninety two dollars and seventy cents ($392.70), as recommended by the Tax Assessor. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
59. The Town Council will consider the Town Manager’s recommendations for disposition of tax acquired property and will take any appropriate action.
Ms. Harrington explained the schedule for selling tax acquired property. The Town Manager is recommending the disposition of tax acquired property to be sold by sealed bid. The Council action would be to set the final redemption date as well as a sale date.
(A copy of the Town Manager’s memo dated April 16, 2004, will be attached to the official minutes.)
60. The Town Council will consider the appointment of Steve Walker as Harbor Master and will take any appropriate action.
Councilor McCausland moved, Councilor King seconded, to appoint Steve Walker as the Harbor Master from May 1, 2004, to April 30, 2005. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
61. The Town Council will consider appointments of the Town’s election clerks and will take any appropriate action.
Fran Smith, Town Clerk, said this is a biannual appointment of election clerks nominated by the political parties.
Councilor Priest moved, Councilor King seconded, to appoint the Election Clerks as recommended by the Town Clerk and nominated by the political parties, for two year terms. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
(A copy of the elections clerks will be attached to the official minutes.)
Councilor King moved, Councilor Priest seconded, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried with five (5) yeas.
The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: THESE MINUTES ARE NOT VERBATIM. A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE MEETING IS AVAILABLE AT THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS.
Frances M. Smith
Town Clerk
April 22, 2004
May 3, 2004
____________________________
Date of Approval
____________________________
Council Chair
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