During the week of September 27 - October 3, Fire fighter and LifeFlight first responder Joe Moore instructed EMS on pediatric emergencies. Police officers responded to eight vehicle accidents. The floor of the historical society flooded during a rain storm. There was a blockage in the sewer line on South Main Street, and starting October 4, herring can only be fished three days per week. Read the rest of the Rockland City Manager’s Report below.

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

 Finalized the City’s agreement with the YMCA.

 Worked with MMA Loss Control Supervisor, Ann Schneider, evaluating the City’s safety systems.

 Awarded contract for the City’s website redesign to Tourmaline, Inc. of Rockland.

 On behalf of the Assessor’s Office; the City prevailed in the FY15 tax assessment appeal of Ocean State Job Lot.

 Welcoming the Serenade of the Seas on her inaugural visit to Rockland.

OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR

 While we did not have enough members in attendance for a meeting of the Library Advisory Committee, I had some very thoughtful conversations with the two present.

 Keith Drago offered Drop-in Tech Help—this is available on Monday evenings; patrons may also make appointments for personal assistance.

 Catinka Knoth’s Children’s class drew September gardens; the Adult drawing class drew the St. George Grange.

 Patty King and I reviewed some tasks she’ll be doing during my upcoming vacation—thank you, Patty.

 With the gift of a subscription to Portland Press Herald, Jessie Blanchard created signage to encourage additional such donations; we’ve already gotten two more offers!

 Jessie and Keith prepared a truly terrific display for Banned Books Week.

 The Library began offering a few new exciting additions for borrowing; the Friends of Rockland Public Library purchased a season’s pass (good through 2016) to Maine State Parks for vehicles with up to 17 passengers, and four passes to the Farnsworth Art Museum. While Rockland residents can visit the museum without charge, this is a nice perk for non-resident cardholders; these may be borrowed for three days. You also are able to borrow a concert ukulele for two weeks; there are currently three available to borrow.

 Guest reader Judith Andersen will be back in two weeks; meanwhile, Jean Young conducted Wednesday Storytime. She read books about Fall and all that happens in Autumn, which engendered quite a lively discussion. Then, Moms, Dads, and children all colored crazy apples and stuck them on the Library window. This montage will continue to grow as October progresses. Books read included: I Know It’s Autumn, by Eileen Spinelli and Fall Leaves, by Loretta Holland, which delights with a play on words throughout.

 Huge thanks to Public Services staff, and especially Artie Hutchinson, for doing some scraping and patching prior to the week’s heavy rainfall, as well as attending to some other odds & ends. Unfortunately, patching the conduit opening behind the downspout in the Children’s Garden turned out not to be the “silver bullet” addressing what Resurgence Engineering principal thought was the “smoking gun.”

 With the intense rainstorm on Wednesday, the Historical Society flooded in the same area we thought caused by the hole, and spread even further. More thanks to Artie, and to Dave St. Laurent for further investigative work, and the Rockland Fire Department personnel for their immediate response to request for help sucking up the flood. Dave planned a smoke test for Thursday, to see if we can determine the flow, which may well be related to storm drain filling beyond capacity. The height of the storm coincided with high tide. The smoke test let us know that the drainpipe in the Children’s Garden does not appear to exit into storm drain; a water test gave no new information, either.

 The Thursday Evening Arts and Cultural Event was a Local History Talk: The History of Black Marble, co-Sponsored by the Georges River Land Trust. Peggy McCrea ofthe Thomaston Historical Society gave an illustrated presentation on the history of black marble quarried locally. While early Thomaston was well known for its production of limestone, little is known about the production of black marble.

 Jean Young offered Baby Storytime on Friday.

 Also, on Friday, we hosted the first of a four-week series, Baby Play with Jess Day: Art, Music, Movement, Mindfulness Program (JAMMM). The program, for families with babies age birth to one, allows parents to learn about the power of music, movement, mindfulness, self and baby care. Resources for parents related to music, movement, parenting, wellness and mindfulness are provided.

 On Saturday, Keith presented a class on Android Basics, an introductory course on how to use android devices, both phones and tablets. He covered the basic controls, navigation, and settings.

 Upcoming: New* Book Club for 4th to 8th graders, with monthly meetings to discuss great books from the Maine Student Book Award List. The first order of business is to “Name our Club!” Snacks are provided. Also, An Evening with Tess Gerritsen, a special fund-raiser by the Friends, to be held at Oceanside East, on October 16!

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE

Officers responded to 266 calls for service. Rockland Police Officers responded to 8 motor vehicle crashes and 9 animal complaints. 21 traffic stops and traffic violations were conducted. Officers charged or made arrests of 16 individuals for various offenses, to include, Bail violations, Drug violations, Theft, Criminal Mischief, Domestic assault, Assault, Probation Violations and Operating under the Influence.

Administration

 Participated in the Drug Take Back event at Rockland P.D. This is a program that allows community members to turn in old or unused prescription drugs for destruction. The purpose of this event is to get those medications out of the house in order to properly dispose of the drugs and to ensure they are not diverted to the illegal market.

 Met with a representative from the Maine Municipal Association to assist them with conducting a compliance check at the police department.

 Conducted the planning and preparation for an awards ceremony that was held on 09/29/15. During this ceremony Sgt. Lindahl and former officer, Scott Redmun were presented with the Rockland Police Department Meritorious Service Award for their actions in directly saving the life of a community member who was trying to commit suicide.

 Coordinated with Patrol Sergeants regarding upcoming events in Rockland and the deployment of Rockland P.D. resources during those events.

 Hazardous Communications and Global Harmonization requirements will be required by the police department in the future in order to make sure that the police department is properly equipped and prepared to handle any future inspections from the Department of Labor and / or Maine Municipal Association.

C.I.D. –

 C.I.D. concluded its participation in the multi-jurisdictional task force that was created to identify and apprehend a group of individuals that are responsible for over 25 commercial burglaries throughout the State of Maine, including Rockland. The task force was able to identify and arrest two of the subject responsible for the burglaries. Another suspect has been identified but remains at large. The cases will be merged and are going to be prosecuted by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. The commercial burglary that occurred in Rockland will be one of those cases. Charges are pending.

 Det. Neal continues to enhance his skills as an investigator by attending a forensics interviewing seminar.

 C.I.D. assisted management at Meadowview Apartments by providing training on security and tenant’s rights information.

Patrol Division –

 Sgt. Finnegan participated in a legislative workgroup meeting in Augusta, for a proposed change in Maine law regarding driving under the influence of marijuana.

 Off. Bagley attended training and is now certified to install and inspect child safety seats.

 Patrol Sergeants continue to deploy motorcycle patrol, bicycle patrol and foot patrol as weather and staffing permit. It is anticipated that in the near future motorcycle and bicycle patrols will cease for the winter months.

 Radar details continue to be conducted at various locations throughout the city, including Main St. and school zones.

Parking enforcement –

 57 Parking tickets issued the past week

 53 Over time parking

 1 Handicap Space

 1 Shuffling

 1 Permit Only

 1 Parked on Sidewalk

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF

Over the week, in addition to the general response to 26 Fire and EMS calls, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:

 We continue to install smoke detectors as part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign sponsored by the Red Cross, to date we’re up to 57 detectors installed.

 CEO Root and I met with the project manager for the new owners of the Navigator Hotel to discuss their plans to make changes and upgrades.

 Tower 3 was serviced and had a full preventative maintenance conducted by Fireline Equipment.

 On Monday we had EMS training on Pediatric Emergencies, presented by FF Joe Moore of LifeFlight of Maine and our own Call Division.

 Chief Elwell and FF Gibbs finished replacing the rocker panels on Car 1, with the total cost under $500; it represents a significant savings over sending it out. Without the work the SUV would not pass State Vehicle Inspection. As soon as they finish repairing another oxidation issue on the rear door it will be back in service. While their work looks like new, there are indications that there are other areas not so readily corrected that will be a problem in the next year or two.

 Lt. Johnson has returned from fighting fires out West in Oregon. His tale of driving back from the other Coast in a fire truck does very little to convince the rest of us to sign up for such adventures!

OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR

Pollution Control Facility

 The typical dry weather flows of 1.8 MGD average changed drastically with the storm this week increasing flow to a maximum of 29.4 MGD (the treatment plant C.S.O. capacity is 30 MGD).

 The treatment plant and all pump stations survived the storm with no issues during the extremely high flows.

 Rebuilt the thickened sludge pump.

 Interstate Septic cleaned and pumped the wet well at Glenwood Ave. pump station.

 Ordered new plug valves to complete the valve replacement project in the vortex pump room.

 Thayer Corp. inspected the boiler and air handling system to prepare for heating season.

 A rep. from APG Neuros was on site for the day on Thursday to troubleshoot and repair the turbo aeration blowers. He also trained plant personnel in troubleshooting techniques and provided manuals to help with maintenance of the system in the future.

 The lab did 6 BOD and TSS tests and conducted 2 carrageenan spike studies.

Environmental Technicians

 Responded to a report of a sewer back-up at 36 South Main Street. There was a blockage in the city sewer main, it was cleared using the sewer jetter.

 Cleaned and inspected the electronic flow meters being used for the collection system flow monitoring study to insure accurate readings during the wet weather predicted for the week.

 Assisted a contractor from FMC Corp. during a confined space entry to operate an underground valve at the treatment plant.

 Responded to numerous calls regarding sewer and drain issues during the extremely heavy rain on Wednesday, fortunately none that caused flooding in buildings or homes.

 Used the smoke testing equipment and CCTV camera to assist the Dept. of Public Services at the Public Library attempting to locate the cause of water leaking into the building during heavy rain.

 Worked on the G.I.S. to add a layer that will allow better recording of the annual storm basin cleaning.

 Removed and repaired the electronic footage counter on the main line sewer camera.

OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL FISH PIER DIRECTOR

 Two flatbed loads of herring were off loaded and salted on pier and distributed to local dealers.

 The new allocation (quota) for herring commences at midnight on Wednesday September 30, 2015. Herring vessels are not allowed to fish until Midnight on Sunday the 4th of October, They can only fish 3 days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

 Pallets have been collected and will be removed in the next couple of weeks.

 Submitted user metered electric bills to the Finance Department for accounts receivable.

OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER

 Another successful Sunday cruise ship visit – this one the Eurodam, with approximately 2,100 passengers. I don't know how many spent their money downtown, but it was a beautiful day, and at one point at least 1,900 of them were ashore. That's a phenomenal percentage.

 That was followed by the Walker Art Museum and the Farnsworth's 2nd annual Internet Cat Video Festival. It was a bit chilly, but well attended and well liked by the throng that came out.

 And, just before midnight on that same Sunday night, during the full moon lunar eclipse, I got a call from RPD about a boater that was reported as overdue from a sailing trip. With the RPD I went out about midnight and found him in the harbor, on his boat, on his mooring, fast asleep. We notified the USCG and they called his wife to report him safe.

 With the approaching rainy weather, the Independence came in early, but left early too, so that she wouldn't get stuck in Rockland during an easterly storm. The Wednesday visit by the Seven Seas Navigator was also canceled due to the predicted bad weather. We spent a good part of Tuesday motoring around the harbor trying to ensure that mooring pennants weren't fouled before theapproaching weather unpleasantness.

 The storm wasn't too bad, we appear to have withstood the onslaught, but there was a small sloop that washed ashore on the Owl's Head, Rockland town line so we worked with the USCG, the Owl's Head harbormaster and the salvager to get her hauled off the beach before there was too much damage. Also had a powerboat was ashore on the rocks near Archers, she was floated off around midnight.

 And now on to prepare for the next large cruise ship on Sunday – it should be fall- like cold, but fairly clear when she's here. Not too worried about the hurricane yet, it's a long way away, and there's no clear prediction for where she might land.

We'll keep an eye to the weather and the computer turned on to the NOAA predictions.

OFFICE OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

 Completion of environmental review for CDBG Microenterprise Assistance Grant and preparation for Phase II project development activities.

 Met with 4 businesses to discuss potential expansion plans.

 Teleconference with MCEDD on potential for regional projects including regional broadband network and marketing products unique to Midcoast Maine to foreign markets.

 Met with Maine Stream Finance to discuss opportunities for referrals for startups or other businesses which need to do business plans.

 Debriefing with Mayor and City Manager on Startup in a Day conference in Los Angeles and sharing tools developed across municipalities.

OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

 John met with a property owner who inquired about operating a bakery out of their home on Old County Road. This would be considered a Home Occupation.

 John also met with a property owner who would like to run a Granite Business on his property on Farwell Drive (Rt. 90). This would be considered a Tradesman Shop which is allowed in this Commercial-3 Zone.

 The Code Office received a Variance Request Application for the Zoning Board of Appeals from Care Net Crisis Pregnancy Center on Old County Road requesting a variance for sign placement.

 License inspection was done with the Fire Dept. at the Waterworks Restaurant.

 There were three complaints filed this week.

 The following permits were received by the Code Office this week:

o 3 Building permits

o 5 Electrical permits

o 4 Plumbing permits

o 1 Street Excavation permit

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR

 Continued stormwater separation work on Laurel Street. Preparing to cross South Main Street and pick up one more sewer basin that currently receives significant stormwater flow.

 Removed weeds along a portion of South Main Street and Water Street.

 Installed stormwater swale on the corner of Lake Street and Old County Road, on the Lake Street Side. The swale was created to divert stormwater washing out a resident’s driveway.

 Painted truck sander frames

 Responded to flooding at the Public Library. Investigated cause of water entering the historical society and boiler section of the library. Removed water damaged sheetrock and insulation. Continuing investigation of gutter down spout drains which are suspected to be contributing to water infiltration problem. Weatherized several windows that were leaking.

 Winter Street was paved for winter season.

 Elm & Museum currently on hold to resolve interference issues with stormwater lines.

 Painted catch basin arrows and basin covers.

 D5M bulldozer was repaired at Milton Cat.

 Obtained quote on the rust repair of the floor boards on the 2006 GMC pickup.

 Conducted leadership survey with MMA for Wastewater and Public Services.

 Contacted Drumlin Environmental to obtain a quote to replace monitoring well 106. Landfill settlement has created a kink about 60 feet down making it impossible to accurately obtain a required water level reading. Also Rich Fortin as going to inquire about well sediment cleaning in the South and North leachate extraction wells.

 Received/stored/placed winter sand.

 Changed the leaf springs on truck 15, installed new side-dump rams on truck 17, installed new transmission CPU for sign truck, performed annual inspection on waste trailer number 1.

 Performed walk-thru on Main Street with an eye toward removing sign clutter and improving pedestrian crossing.

 Submitted request form to CMP for the repair of street light outages discovered as part of a city wide Police Department street light audit.

 Continued on catchbasin grit removal.