During the week ending July 30, Assistant Chief Mazzeo traveled to North Carolina to finish the final inspection of Rockland’s two new ambulances. City staff have started work on three education and outreach bond questions. One of the complaints received by the code office involved bed bugs. Demand is now exceeding supply at the library’s free breakfast and lunch program, and the police investigated seven traffic collisions.

Read the entire Rockland City Manager’s Report below.

OFFICE OF THE ACTING CITY MANAGER/COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

 I’d like to thank the City Council and Department Heads who were involved in the capital project prioritization workshop this past Wednesday. The Department Heads did an excellent job presenting complex information in a very comprehensible manner. The City Council asked important questions and had a very good debate to come up with a direction that I believe will address many of the most urgent infrastructure needs in Rockland. Given the magnitude of the need and the competing priorities we all appreciate that this was not an easy decision making process and there are always important projects that simply cannot rise to the top.

City Staff will work diligently over the next few months on public outreach and education regarding the three bond questions. The Staff want to provide the public with all the information available in a clear and concise manner so they can make informed decisions on the bond questions that will be on the November ballot. I’m going to work with the Department Heads to come up with an outreach and education plan for the bonds, which we’ll bring to the Council for feedback.

 As per the portion of the Capital Improvement Plan Council approved as part of the FY17 budget, I’ve been working on moving forward with the upgrades to the City’s IT infrastructure network that will modernize the City’s IT network and make critical improvements to our network security. The City will be working with a firm called Systems Engineering to upgrade and reconfigure our network infrastructure across all City Departments. We are currently working to develop a detailed timeframe for the first phase of this project.

  The Mayor, Harbormaster and I attended a very nice ceremony today to celebrate the Grande Caribe’s first use of Rockland as a home port for a cruise. This is very exciting for Rockland  because it is the first time Rockland has been the home port for a cruise ship.

 REDAC had its monthly meeting this week. The Committee was pleased that the fiber network will be included in a bond question but disappointed that Camden Street was not. I explained that Camden Street has become a complicated project logistically and given some gaps in necessary information, the timing isn’t going to work in order to consider prioritizing this project for funding within the next few years. As most of the Council is aware MDOT is going to resurface Camden Street next summer. Therefore, if we were to do any major work (such as the inclusion of medians, sidewalks improvements, landscaping, etc.) this would need to be coordinated with the resurfacing.

Once the resurfacing is complete we will not be able to do any construction on Camden Street for 5 years. However, we currently have no engineering completed on the sewer and storm water infrastructure. This will be essential if we indeed move forward with a major reconfiguration of Camden Street. Therefore, in order to keep the work of REDAC moving forward, I will work with the Wastewater Treatment Plant Director and Public Services Director to identify how and when we can address the need for engineering the sewer and storm water networks on Camden Street.

OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

 Bill and Roxy attended the Comprehensive Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening.

 John has begun creating a database for short-term rental permits and associated forms.

 John performed a pre-conveyance inspection, in conjunction with the Fire Department, of a 4 unit building on Main Street.

 Bill performed a renewal victualer’s license inspection.

 Bill met with a Suffolk Street resident to explain the details of an electrical permit inspection.

 Six complaints were filed this week. One regarding storing hay, one regarding bed bugs, one regarding signs, one regarding zoning of an event with food & alcohol, one regarding living in a camper year-round, and one regarding an abandoned and dangerous building.

 We continue to follow up and work on complaint issues within the City, including meeting with Old County Road and Littlefield Street property owners on correcting a drainage issue, and performing Notice of Violation compliance status inspections on North Main Street, Gay Street West, and Old County Road.

 We issued three residential building permits this week for a construction of a garage, a shed, and a fence.

 We issued a certificate of occupancy this week for single-family dwelling on Masonic Street.

 We issued a home occupation permit for an art studio, display of art for sale, and graphic design services at 22 Masonic Street.

 We continue to be busy with various other permits, inspections, and assisting the public with questions. The following permits were issued by the Code Office this week:

 3 Building Permits

 1 Home Occupation Permit

 4 Electrical Permits

 2 Plumbing Permits

 2 Sidewalk Display Permits

 1 Sidewalk Tables & Chairs Permit

 1 Keeping of Domesticated Chickens Permit

 1 Sewer Connection Permit

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF

Over the preceding week, in addition to the response to 44 Fire and EMS calls, shift training, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:

 Assistant Chief Mazzeo traveled to North Carolina to finish the final inspection of our two new ambulances. The inspection found a few minor changes that needed to be made but delivery is still on schedule for the month of September. One ambulance was due for replacement last year and this allows us to do just that. The other ambulance is almost entirely funded by Ford Motor Company due to the ambulance that was purchased almost two years ago having so many electrical problems.

 Training this week was focused on Tower 3. Some of you may have seen the guys and girls swinging a bucket from the bottom of the Tower and placing the bucket into garbage bins in the front of the station. This is to allow the firefighters to work on their depth perception while using the sensitive controls from the base of the areal device.

 The fire department worked closely with the police department to draft a spec sheet for a command vehicle as well as a new police cruiser. The goal was to save the City money by purchasing two vehicles of the same make and model.

 Chief Whytock worked within the EMA office for a number of hours on protocols and new technology to assist in the Emergency Management role that accompanies the Fire Chief responsibilities.

 Lt. Leo accompanied our two newest employees out on the road with driver training.

Each member has their own assigned apparatus that they must be proficient at operating; most of the members are responsible for operating all the apparatus within the station.

 Assistant Chief Elwell and FF Gibbs finished bricking up a section of the back wall to prevent any further water/weather damage (in that area) from occurring. A job well done by both.

 Engine 2 had new brake pads on the rear tires. It will go in for slack adjusters next week.

 The backup lines in the station were repainted to keep them easily visible for the drivers.

These lines allow us to place the apparatus in the station as safely as possible.

 Chief Whytock walked the downtown business block with Gordon Page from Rockland Main Street Inc. It was a good way to talk over any outstanding issues that needed to be brought up. Gordon is always willing to help out anyway he can and the fire department appreciates the cooperation between us.

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR

 Continued roadway, cross walk and parking lot painting.

 Collected water samples at Sandy Beach and posted beach for high rainfall advisory as well as high Enterococci results, follow up testing were good and advisory posting was taken down.

 Watered trees and flowers.

 Picked up trash City wide.

 Began the reconstruction of Warren Street sidewalk.

 Continued work on preparing for the installation of the next section of the Q2N extraction well and pump preventative maintenance.

 Finished installing the awnings for recycle building and finished re-shingling the recycle building roof.

 Repaved and installed detectable warning panel at Union and Main Street cross walk. Continued work on this intersection will be ongoing.

 Continued street sweeping.

 103 total individual storm water basins have been emptied and cleaned.

 Roadside and landfill trash pickup.

 Roadside mowing was performed

 Repaired MSW trailer rear door.

 Repositioned storage trailer for bailed recycled paper.

 Graded the boat launch at Johnson Memorial Park.

 Repaired float at Johnson Memorial Park.

 Cut brush around parks and harbor trail in preparation for festival.

 Dig Safed sandy beach for donated bench.

 Installed 2 park benches on Harbor trail.

 Assisted with maintenance at Harbor Park in preparation of Lobster Festival.

 Paving on various basin and road work was completed.

 Unloaded and inventoried the third load of downtown street lights.

Old County Road:

 Individual driveway apron installation continues.

 Maine Water final adjustment of shutoffs being completed.

 Fairpoint has completed utility transfer in critical areas (Thanks to Simon Thorne and the Fairpoint utility workers).

 Loaming and finish work continues - more hydro seeding next week.

 Bituminous curbing was installed this week and granite curb will be installed at the end of next week.

 Route 17 turning lane excavation and drain work is now complete thanks to a successful detour plan conceived by Chris Donlin along with a well-executed social media outreach Citizens cooperation.

 Paving next Wednesday will complete the binder portion of the project from Thompson Meadow to Route 17.

 The twelfth weekly construction meeting was held Thursday 7/28/16. We continue to be on target for all tasks outlined with the master schedule. Estimated job completion date is August 15th.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE

D/C Young –

 Coordinated signboard usage and logistical planning with the Department of Public Services concerning the Old County Rd. project at the intersection of Old County Rd. and Rt. #17.

 Facilitated a department supervisors meeting.

 Assisted the Lobster Festival President with locating vehicle owners whose vehicles were hindering the ability of erecting the tents for the upcoming festival.

 Coordinated with the Harbor Master concerning planning and logistics for the safe and secure transportation of people wanting a tour of the USS Oak Hill.

 Coordinated with the Maine State Police Dive Team Commander regarding his team’s availability to provide support services to the USS Oak Hill.

 Assisted the Assistant Harbor Master with activating his law enforcement powers through the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

 Met with the Chief Deputy of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. The purpose of this meeting was to ensure that agencies continue to support one another and share appropriate resources to maximize effective law enforcement practices.

 Met with the Knox County EMA director regarding the availability of grant funds to purchase equipment for Rockland P.D. Officers.

Criminal Investigation Division –

 Coordinated with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service regarding the upcoming visit of the USS Oak Hill.

 Worked with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner regarding case review.

 Collaborated with the Department of Health and Human Services concerning the termination of parental rights in an ongoing joint investigation.

 Purged un-needed evidence / found property from storage.

 Educated property managers regarding the disorderly house ordinance.

Patrol Division –

 Sgt. Finnegan instructed Field Sobriety Instructor Training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

 Sgt. Finnegan participated in an instructional course designed to assist prosecutors with prosecuting OUI and OUI Drug cases in criminal court.

 The department 4 wheeler has been being deployed to patrol and enforce ATV safety and ATV laws in Rockland. This is being done under a grant that was awarded to the department for ATV enforcement.

 Officers have been locking the public bathroom facilities on Tillson Ave. and at Johnson Memorial Park on a nightly basis.

 Officers have completed monthly policy review.

 Officers have been conducting grant funded OUI patrols.

 Officers have been conducting targeted traffic enforcement details throughout the city.

The focus of these details have included, speed enforcement, distracted driving, weight limit violations and OUI enforcement.

 As weather and staffing levels permit, Officers have deployed on foot patrols, bicycle patrols and motorcycle patrols.

 During the last week Officers responded to 259 calls for service, investigated 7 traffic collisions and conducted 40 motor vehicle traffic stops. As a result, 28 people were either summonsed or arrested for various violations.

 Thursday July 21- Wednesday July 27 issued 42 parking tickets. 38 Over time tickets, 2 Restricted Area, 1 Shuffling & 1 Permit Only.

 6 animal calls including a dog that bit 3 people, stray dogs and cats, and dogs left in vehicles.

OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR

 I attended a meeting of the Library Advisory Committee.

 The Summer Breakfast & Lunch program continues; we’ve had a few days now where the demand exceeds our supply.

 Catinka Knoth’s Adult Drawing class featured Rosa Rugosa - Beach Roses by Marshall Point Light.; the Children’s class drew classic Maine scenes.

 In preparation for the Council workshop on Wednesday evening, I participated in a meeting with the Acting City Manager, and Finance, Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Public Services directors.

 This was a sort of “on week” for LEGOTM Club; some participants opted to assist in the Great Sort(ing of blocks into less unwieldy containers) while others had a free-for-all building session.

 Along some members of the Advisory Committee and Friends and PLEA boards, I met with Kerry Altiero to discuss a possible fund-raising project for the Library.

 I continued work on the departmental staff manual.

 Ms. Judy had an older group (ages 7 through 13) to read to during Wednesday Storytime: She read a collection of Chris Van Dusen stories, as the author had given her a craft project and stickers, to share. Books included: Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee and others, by Chris Van Dusen, as well as More Blueberries, by Susan Musgrave, and an all-time favorite... Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

 I attended and participated in the Special Meeting of the City Council/workshop CIP and Bond Discussion

 On Thursday morning, Storytime at the Rockland Farmers’ Market was led by former Friends’ Board member Mary Gale, with tent set-up and removal by Jeanie & Jim Schaden.

 A big thank you to Don Fowles who replaced the ancient PC which runs the management of the public PCs. Don also replaced the router and switch, so the Library can take full advantage of the 1 gigabyte fiber the Maine School Library Network installed several months ago.

 The Thursday evening Arts & Cultural Event was Local History Talk. Ann Morris, curator of the Rockland Historical Society, gave an illustrated presentation on the history of Rockland. Morris sees Rockland, the Knox County seat, as a city that has continually reinvented itself while maintaining a stable population of around 8,000. The city has been home to several really important industries, such as ships, lime, granite, fishing, and ice, and it is now in process of transforming into a cultural center. Her presentation explored these varied aspects of Rockland's past.

 On Saturday the Children’s Room offered the last of the 5-2-1-0 Let's Go!, Let's get moving! This was part of a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program implemented throughout Maine. Next Saturday will be the last.

 Upcoming: three special storytimes in conjunction with SASSMM (Sexual Assault Services of Midcoast Maine), with (of course) age-appropriate stories promoting healthy relationship, with an emphasis on respect and friendship. Also—a opportunity to clean out no longer needed items and do a good deed-- The Friends are teaming up again and are now accepting donations for their Second Annual Bag and Tag Sale, being held August 20th on the Union Street side of the library. We are looking for household items, furniture, clothing, anything yard sale-y. Please, no couches or electronics. All proceeds from this sale benefit the library, and tax deductible receipts are available! The Friends are more than happy to come and collect your stuff for you. Please do not bring items to the library. Contacts: Jeanie Schaden: 593-7112, jamesschaden@yahoo.com or Rebecca Albright: 975-3946, becalbright@roadrunner.com. Thank you!

OFFICE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DIRECTOR

 Reconditioned the spare gear reducer for the influent bar screen.

 Sent the F-250 Ford pickup for repairs and state inspection.

 Contacted ITT Flygt for quotes on spare parts for pumps at two of the pump stations.

 Replaced the skimmer assembly in the #1 secondary clarifier.

 Removed one of the pumps at the Glenwood Ave. pump station to remove debris that had jammed the pump. The pump was put back in service and does not appear to have been damaged.

 Performed weekly inspection and testing at all ten pump stations.

 Inspected and approved a new sewer lateral connection at 190 Broadway.

 Used the CCTV pipeline camera and locator to locate the connection of the sewer lateral from #106 Beech St. to the city sewer main for a contractor planning replacement of the sewer lateral.

 Met with Summit Engineering to schedule having test borings done on Holmes Street between Purchase St. and Franklin St. to determine if there is ledge in the area. This information is needed to determine the possibility of extending the sewer main to better service properties in this area.

 Responded to an inquiry from the owners of Sunset Terrace mobile home park regarding records of the sewer and drainage systems within the park.

 Used the CCTV camera and locator to assist the contractor on the Old County Rd. project to locate a drain pipe from one of the properties.

 Received a loaner camera from C.U.E.S. Inc. and shipped our large pipeline inspection camera and transporter to them for service and repairs.

 Entered storm basin cleaning records into the G.I.S., these are sent daily by the Public Services crew doing the cleaning so that the maintenance records in the G.I.S. will be kept up to date.

 Met with the property owner at 19 Carroll Lane to explain the requirements for disconnection from the city sewer before the planned demolition of a house on the property.

 Inspected and approved a new sewer lateral at 359 Pleasant Street.

 Composite samples monitored during the week: Municipal Influent, Aeration Basin Influent, Secondary Effluent, FMC Effluent, CSO Influent, CSO Effluent.

 The following tests were performed on the above composite samples throughout the week: 36 TSS tests, 26 BOD tests, 10 Nitrate tests, 5 Nitrite tests, 5 Ammonia tests, 5 COD tests, 5 Settleable Solids tests

 Grab samples monitored during the week: Aeration Basins, Municipal Influent, Primary Effluent, Secondary Effluent, Chlorine Contact Chamber, Hypo Pump

 The following tests were performed on the above grab samples throughout the week: 26 TSS tests, 25 VSS tests, 5 Phosphorous tests, 5 Microscopic evaluations, 18 Settleable Solids tests, 18 pH tests, 17 conductivity tests, 30 Cl2 tests, 7 fecal coliform tests

 Lab reports were prepared and sent to North Haven.

 A CSO event occurred Monday Night. A total of 1.93” of rainfall was measured at the plant

 Maximum flow through CSO structure was 26.2MG.

 Average flows through secondary treatment were 2.5MGD

 The City of Rockland MEPDES Permit and Wastewater Discharge License has been issued. The permit is valid for a period of 5 years. This was the culmination of nearly 3 years of effort involving Rockland personnel, Wright Pierce Engineering and the Maine DEP.

OFFICE OF THE HARBORMASTER

 Preparing for Lobster Festival, please don’t park in Buoy or Harbor parks overnight.

 Installing sign at fish pier “Machinery in use, enter with caution”.

 The municipal fish pier is an industrial area, please use caution if you intend on transiting the docks!

OFFICE OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR

 Another week has come and gone. They all seem to go so fast.

 This week I attended a presentation on the U.S. Department of Labor’s overtime rule that will become effective on December 1, 2016. This was hosted by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. Sarah Newell, Shareholder of Eaton Peabody was the presenter. The new rule redefines which white-collar employees are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime standards. On May 18, 2016 the U.S. Dept. of Labor issued its rule changing the salary basis requirement for overtime exemption from $455 per week to $913 per week and set the total annual compensation requirements for highly compensated employees at $134,000. This change will pose challenges for Maine employers today and in the future. With this new ruling I will be doing an Audit of our current exempt employees to be sure we are compliant.

 I attended the CIP and Bond discussion council meeting. There we discussed what bonds we would like to put forth to the voters in November. Currently, the City will have infrastructure debt that will be retiring by FY19. This will afford the City to borrow more funds for other much needed infrastructure repairs. This will also allow the City to maintain a level debt, therefore not having to raise more taxpayer monies to accomplish this task.

 Once again it is the end of another month. Although it is the end of the first month of the new fiscal year, I am continuing to work on Fiscal Year 16. I am now working on reconciling all the accounts and especially the reserve accounts. I am essentially working backwards. With the Budget, change in chart of accounts, changing banks, and being short staffed I have been stretched thin. Our new Payroll Specialist is starting on Monday. I am hoping with the arrival of Sarah that I will be able to focus more of my attention on year end.

 Our current cash flow is holding its own at just over 2 million. The School payment and monthly bills for July totaling over 1.5 million. The Accounts payable specialist has been very busy getting the invoices in to be paid this week.

OFFICE OF THE CITY ASSESSOR

 This week has been an ongoing effort to finalize the city valuation. Again I will be out on Saturday verifying permit work that is completed and taking pictures and measurements of it. And updating the properties with the new info.