Rockland City Manager’s Report

Mon, 09/25/2017 - 5:00pm

    ROCKLAND – In recent weeks, Rockland officials conducted interviews for community development director. Patches of the Bog Road were identified for upcoming resurfacing. Crews worked on the Harbor Trail, and police officers responded to 243 calls for service, investigated five traffic accidents and conducted 51 traffic stops. The harbormaster set plans in place for ramp construction next week, and the library is planning for an upcoming book sale.

    See the entire Rockland City Manager’s Report below.

    OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
     Working with the Auditors and Finance Department on the FY2017 Audit.
     Conducting interviews for the position of Community Development Director.
     Met with Gartley & Dorsky on many City projects that they are engineering.
     We finalized the purchase with Malcolm Von Saltza on the Bog Property.
     Met with representatives from Jameson Point on the proposed public restrooms on Samoset Road.
     Attended both the Comps and REDAC meetings to discuss the commercial overlay zone.

    OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE
    D/C Young –
     Prepared Safety Committee meeting agenda.
     Coordinated the placement of a new candidate in the Phase II certification course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
     Coordinated with representatives from the Farnsworth Art Museum in preparation for the Fall Festival.
     Conducted an exit interview with Off. Schmitz.
     Oversaw the completion of another phase of mandatory online training from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
     Completed background checks and training for service providers for the new cleaning contract.
     Met with Lt. Polky from the Knox County Sheriff's Office in order to assist that agency with an ongoing investigation.
     Continued recruiting efforts to fill open vacancies within the patrol division of the police department.

    Criminal Investigation Division –
     Transported evidence to the State Police Crime Lab and the Department of Health Lab for testing and evaluation in criminal cases.
     Conducted Sex Offender compliance checks on registered sex offenders living in Rockland in order to ensure they were compliant with the standards of the Sex Offender Registry.
     Conducted probation compliance checks to ensure that people on probation that reside in Rockland were in compliance with their probation requirements.
     Conducted background investigations on potential candidates for employment with the police department.
     Continued working on ongoing criminal investigations in Rockland.

    Patrol Division –
     Off. Bagley walked foot patrol on Main St. and met with owners and employees of several Main St. businesses.
     Assisted Rockland EMS on calls they were responding to.
     Assisted a local funeral home with traffic control for a large funeral procession.

     Coordinated that repair of traffic lights with AD Electric. These repairs were due to mechanical malfunctions and damage sustained during an accident.
     Conducted probation compliance checks.
     Conducted alcohol compliance checks on establishments that serve alcohol to ensure they were in compliance with city ordinance and state law.
     Officers conducted school visits at schools in Rockland. The purpose of these visits was to meet with faculty and students and address any issues or concerns they may have.
     Officers conducted targeted traffic enforcement details at various locations in Rockland including school zones. The purpose of these details was speed enforcement.
     Officers responded to 243 calls for service, investigated 5 traffic accidents and conducted 51 traffic stops. As a result 21 people were either summonsed or arrested for various violations.

    OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR
     Prepared for Hazardous Waste Collection day which will be at the Transfer Station on 9/23/17 from 8 am to Noon.
     Continued working on the design changes to the Transfer Station to accommodate the switch to single sort recycling and build material processing and transfer area.
     Planning with Ecomaine the recycling education campaign to educate the public on the new, upcoming changes to our recycling program.
     Met with an asbestos removal contractor at 8 Rockland Street to have any asbestos removed so that the building can be demolished.
     Met with engineers to review drainage improvements on Acadia drive; the engineers will be providing a breakdown of the improvements that are needed to correct the problem and the costs associated with those improvements.
     Worked on continuing the harbor trail to the Ferry Terminal; two easements will be needed to continue the path.
     The public notification of the Park and Main Street crosswalk improvements has been submitted; the engineering is complete and awaiting approval from DOT. Bids for the project are expected to go out early next week. The actual work will begin early in October and will be complete in mid-November contingent on contractors' availability.

     Four major areas of the Bog road have been marked out. Subgrade and surface will be repaired in those areas within the next two weeks.
     DEP performed complete landfill inspection. The inspection went very well.
     The landfill topographical survey has begun. Additionally Q2S cap is being surveyed to potentially wrap into the closure of Q2N closure for storm water purposes.
     Working on garden group recognition project.
     Bids were opened for the sidewalk tractor.
     Reviewed road opening permit for the repair of a sewer line on Tillson Ave.
     Award bids were sent out for the pick-up and stake body trucks.
     Worked on job posting for upcoming vacancy.
     Crew completed regular tasks of watering flowers, picking up city wide trash, applying cold patch to potholes in City roads, roadside mowing, sign repair and City wide street sweeping.
     Crews worked on Harbor Trail.
     Repaired Thompson Meadow Road with grader.
     Completed painting at Public Library.

     City mechanic attended equipment training.
     Crews supplied traffic control at Maverick Street accident which knocked down signal light pole.
     Met with City paving contractor in preparation of Bog Road repairs.
     Crews aided contractor in repairing damage at Maverick Street accident.
     Basin repair at Park Street/Oliver Street.
     Basin repair at Upper Park Street.
     Shop walk thru in preparation of Safety inspection.
     Basin repair at Limerock Street.
     Crews trimmed flowers around signs on Main Street.
     Met with Maine Water contractor for project on Shaw Avenue.
     City arborist conducted chainsaw training.
     Secured City owned house at 29 Broad Street.
     Assisted Harbormaster with removal of two floats.
     Basin repair at Limerock Street/Oliver Street.
     Transfer Station grounds cleanup.

    OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER
     Construction on the south end boat ramp will begin next week. We will complete one side at a time so people can still use the other side.
     We will be removing the floats around the 22nd of October for the season.

    OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR
     Treatment plant flows have been averaging 1.5 – 2 MGD
     There have been no C.S.O. events since September 6th.

     Installation of the new server for the network at the treatment plant is going well and we expect to have everyone connected soon.
     Repaired the valve operators on two valves for the return sludge system. The new operators were fabricated in-house and installation required confined space entry.

     #2 secondary clarifier was taken off-line, pumped down, and cleaned. An engineer from Wright-Pierce Engineering performed a structural inspection and evaluation of the clarifier mechanism and drives as part of the engineering for upcoming plant upgrades. 2 members of Rockland F.D. were on-site in case of an accident while he entered the tank.
     The upgrade to the pump station controls allowing them to be monitored and controlled by the SCADA system at the treatment plant is expected to be completed by the end of September.
     180 Sealcoating completed crack sealing and sealcoating of the parking lot at the treatment plant.
     The F-250 Ford pickup was sent for repairs and state inspection.
     Treatment Plant operators continued painting the exterior of the sludge handling building and executive office building. It has been twenty years since it was last painted.
     Received the last parts required to finish a total rebuild of the headworks screenings press. It is expected to be back in service by the end of the month.
     Replaced a pump and two check valves in the pump station at the Midcoast School of Technology.
     Replaced a failed belt monitoring sensor on #2 Belt Filter Press.
     Replaced the air tubing to one of the dissolved oxygen probes in the aeration tanks.
     Weekly inspection and testing of the ten pump stations.

     Worked with Interstate Septic to pump and clean the Waldo Ave. and Glenwood Ave. pump stations.
     The 1 ton G.M.C. truck was sent for replacement of the rear frame rails.
     Repaired and programmed the controller for the #1 primary sludge pump and grinder.
     Responded to Dig-Safe requests on Halls Lane and Tillson Ave. for contractors preparing to do repairs to private sewer laterals.
     Worked with Leticia vanVuuren from Knox County Emergency Management on updates and improvements to the G.I.S.
     Inspected and approved a sewer lateral replacement on Crescent Street.
     Continued with survey and inspection of sewer manholes throughout the city.
     Completed CCTV inspection of 1200 ft. of sewer main pipe in the north end of Rockland.

    OFFICE OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR
     Met with staff for weekly meeting. Discussed upcoming week with auditors and status of any outstanding items.
     This was the second week of our outside auditors on site. Continued to address any questions they had and provide relevant information. Thursday was their last day on site, but will continue to work with us remotely.
     Attended overview of Vision8 Assessor software presentation in Topsham.
     Received bids back on the Municipal Equipment Lease. It was decided to go with Key Bank's Key Government Finance division. All other bidders were notified of results.

    OFFICE OF THE FIRE/EMS CHIEF
    Over this preceding two weeks, in addition to the response to 100 Fire and EMS calls, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:
     Training for the month of September is focused on driver training. Every member must complete a driver training class (AVOC/EVOC), a driver training course, and a classroom review of applicable laws and regulations that emergency vehicles must follow. We take great pride in our ability to drive in the safest manner possible and will continue to make improvements where needed.
     A confined space class was held for all full time members and we worked with our new tripod system, the Arizona Vortex. This system will allow a more versatile approach to any call requiring a high/low angle or confined space rescue.
     Our probationary firefighter Max Negley, successfully completed his Maine Firefighter 1 and 2 end test and is now certified in the State of Maine. The certification process involves hundreds of hours or classroom, hands on, and ride time within the fire service before completion of an end test can happen. Congrats to Max!
     We are working hard on getting our new utility vehicle here and in service. We are expecting delivery in a month and should have it within the fleet by the end of November. More to come.
     The new roof is wrapping up and crews should be completed work by the end of the week. The work was long overdue and will finally protect the FD infrastructure moving forward.

    OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR
     Huge shut-out to the Public Services crew who painted the former Mural/Teen Room, and which will soon be occupied by CPPC (Community Partnerships for Protecting Children) as their Knox County Hub.
     This week, Catinka Knoth's Adult Drawing class drew a classic Maine farmhouse; the Children's class theme was Barnyard animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, roosters, geese, and ducks.
     I attended board meetings of the Rockland Public Library Endowment association, and Friends of Rockland Public Library, as well as a meeting of full-time Library staff.
     Wednesday Storytime with Judith Andersen featured pop-up books; after the reading, the children surveyed all the bookshelves looking for more pop ups! Books read by Judith included 600 Black Spots: A Pop-up Book for Children of all Ages, and Five Cars Stuck and One Big Truck both by David A. Carter, and A Birthday for Bear, by Bonny Becker. This session's craft project was coloring and putting a four-page about autumn together.
     Katie Drago's Baby Time had six tiny ones this week, as the summer visitor flow winds down. She mentioned it was too bad I hadn't asked about last week, when 15 attended. Miss Katie said the babies were giggly and attentive for all the songs and stories. Everyone was able to grip and shake the Shakey Eggs by themselves. Also, they learned a new bounce about animals on a city bus. The favorite songs today were the Beehive Tickle and the Zoom Rocket Ship.
     LegoTM returned this week. We've got Toy Block Tape, and participants were invited to help us test this super fun product, that allows building flexible LegoTM creations.


     The Thursday evening Community Event Citizen Science- What's it All About? with Sarah Kirn from Gulf of Maine Research Institute, who explained what citizen science is and how to get involved, and told stories illustrating how citizen science is poised to change the world. Sarah is the Education Programs Strategist there and leads the development of the Vital Signs Experience project. Attendees learned about scientific research projects that everyday people can join, from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's Vital Signs to Galaxy Zoo's Old Weather.
     Patty King met with Wanda Gamage-Wyman, regarding assistance with reaching out to Rockland neighborhoods in assessing their needs. In addition to furthering this particular initiative, it also presents a great opportunity for Library community outreach.
     On Saturday, the maker program was Let's Make Glow in the Dark Bouncy Balls! All ages were invited to join in making the bouncy balls, and take one home.
    Upcoming: Friends of Rockland Library Book Sale in the Community Room, October 7. Fill a bag (provided) for $7.00. Members of the Friends enjoy "early bird" shopping from 8:30, so renew or join at the door. Also, Project Puffin Visitors' Center comes to the Children's Room!