Roll Call of Members/Acknowledgement Notice Pledge of Allegiance Adjustments to Agenda BRUNSWICK TOWN COUNCIL Agenda December 3, 2018 Regular Meeting 6:30 P.M. Council Chambers Town Hall 85 Union Street Public Comments/Announcements (for items not on the agenda) MANAGER S REPORT a) Dog License Reminder b) Holiday Trash & Recycling Schedule c) Social Services Funding d) Town Hall Closed December 24 th. PUBLIC HEARING 148. (This public hearing is continued tonight after beginning at the meeting on November 19, 2018) The Town Council will hear public comments on proposed amendments to Chapter 11 Article III Marine Activities, Structures and Ways regarding student licenses, and will take any appropriate action. (Marine Resource Committee) HEARING/ 149. The Town Council will hear public comments regarding a Property Tax Assistance Program, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) HEARING/ 150. The Town Council will hear public comments regarding Brunswick Landing Zoning Map amendments, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) NEW BUSINESS HEARING/ 151. The Town Council will consider granting permission to the Brunswick Police Department to apply for, and if awarded, to expend, four grants through the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, and will take any appropriate action. (Police Department) 1
152. The Town Council will consider leasing Town-owned property near the Water Street Boat Launch to the Brunswick Sewer District, who would then sublease this land to the Merrymeeting Community Rowing Association to enable construction of a boat and scull storage area, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) 153. The Town Council will consider the acceptance of a portion of Botany Place Drive, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) 154. The Town Council will consider the acceptance of Ledgewood Drive, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) 155. The Town Council will consider the acceptance of the proposed new section Pine Street, constructed between Bath Road and the remaining public portion of Pine Street, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) 156. The Town Council will consider proposed amendments to the Capital Improvement Program Policy, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) 157. The Town Council will consider amending the Town of Brunswick Group Dynamic Plan document language to align with the contents of each respective Collective Bargaining Unit, only to the Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) language as negotiated, and will take any appropriate action. (Town Manager Eldridge) CORRESPONDENCE/COMMITTEE Councilors will provide brief updates of recent committee meetings. CONSENT AGENDA a) Approval of the minutes of November 19, 2018 INDIVIDUALS NEEDING AUXILIARY AIDS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SHOULD CONTACT THE TOWN MANAGER S OFFICE AT 725-6659 (TDD 725-5521) To email Town Council: towncouncil@brunswickme.org 2
Brunswick Town Council Agenda December 3, 2018 Council Notes and Suggested Motions MANAGER S REPORT a) Dog license reminder: 2019 dog licenses are available in the Town Clerk s office. To renew by mail include the dog s name and rabies vaccination certificate. The cost is $6 for a spayed or neutered dog and $11 for a non-altered dog. The fee goes up substantially after January 31 st. For more information, check the Clerk s page on the Town s website. b) Holiday Trash & Recycling Schedule: No curbside trash & recycling collection on December 25 th and January 1 st. The makeup days will be December 29 th and January 5 th. The Public Works Department and the Graham Road Landfill will be closed on December 25 th and January 1 st. Christmas trees undecorated and unbagged will be picked up between January 2 nd 15 th on your normal trash day. For more information, call Public Works or visit the Town s website. c) Social Services Funding: The Town Manager is recommending that for the 2019-20 budget, the Town include no grant funding to charitable organizations. A copy of a memo from Town Manager Eldridge is included in the packet. d) Town Hall Closed December 24 th : Town Hall will be closed on December 24 th. Nonunion employees will have the option of working, using vacation time or compensatory time for the day, while AFSCME members (who receive one-half day pay for the 24 th ), may cover the rest of the day by working, using vacation time or compensatory time. PUBLIC HEARING 148. Notes: This is a continuation of the Charter-required public hearing for amendments to Chapter 11, Article III Marine Activities, Structures and Ways regarding student licenses that began at the November 19, 2018, Council meeting. The Brunswick Marine Resource Committee voted unanimously at its October 3, 2018, meeting to recommend these amendments to the Town Council. The recommendations include changing the student licensee harvesting days from year-round to summers only and establishing a daily quota and an annual report; changing the age of participation and adding an educational requirement; and prohibiting resale of any shellfish licenses that are surrendered, revoked or suspended. A copy of a memo from Dan Devereaux, the draft changes, and the Appendix B of the Master Schedule of Revenues, Charges, Fees and Fines are included in the packet. Option for the Council if they choose to vote this evening - suggested motion: Motion to suspend the Council Rules to allow the Council to vote on this item at this meeting. 3
Motion to approve proposed amendments to Chapter 11 Article III Marine Activities, Structures and Ways regarding changes to student licenses. 149. Notes: This is the required public hearing for the Property Tax Assistance Program, developed by the Finance Committee, along with input from staff and Council, which would establish a property tax rebate program for homeowners and renters aged 70 years and older, proposed to be funded annually through the budget process and contributions. The Committee requests that the Town Council set a public hearing on the proposed ordinance on December 3, 2018. A copy of a memo from Finance Director Julia Henze, a Draft Ordinance and Application Form, a survey of Property Tax Assistance Programs, the Brunswick results of the State Property Tax Fairness Credit, and a public hearing notice are included in your packet. Option for the Council if they choose to vote this evening - suggested motion: Motion to suspend the Council Rules to allow the Council to vote on this item at this meeting. Motion to approve the proposed Property Tax Assistance Program. 150. Notes: This is the required public hearing regarding amendments to the Brunswick Zoning Ordinance at Brunswick Landing. The Planning Board held a public hearing on October 23, 2018, regarding proposed zoning map amendments from Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA), to clean up minor boundary errors and make it consistent with the intended uses illustrated in the Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) Reuse Master Plan, and voted unanimously to recommend these amendments to the Town Council. Since the last meeting, a survey on rare and exemplary features on lot 632 and 56 has been performed by Kristen Puryear, an ecologist with the State of Maine Natural Areas Program. A copy of a memo from the Planning Board and Jared Woolston, Town Planner, explaining these changes and including applicable pages from the BNAS Reuse Master Plan, a letter containing comments from the Brunswick and Topsham Water District (BTWD), the letter of request for amendments from MRRA, and a letter from Kristen Puryear regarding the field survey are included in the packet. Option for the Council if they choose to vote this evening - suggested motion: Motion to suspend the Council Rules to allow the Council to vote on this item at this meeting. Motion to accept proposed zoning map amendments on Brunswick Landing to the Brunswick Zoning Ordinance. NEW BUSINESS 151. Notes: The Brunswick Police Department is requesting that the Town Council allow them to apply for and, if awarded, to expend four (4) separate grants from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. These grants occur yearly, and enable the Police to target 4
such areas as distracted driving, speed, seatbelt use and impairment. There is no out-ofpocket town match; the town s matching share is derived from the hours spent by the grant administrators, finance department and officers attending court. The Grants are: a) 2019 Speed Enforcement Grant of $7,200 b) 2019 Distracted Driving Grant of $2,731 c) 2019 Impaired Driving Grant of $7,200 d) 2019 Seatbelt Enforcement Grant of $4,096 Motion to approve four proposed grant applications for the Brunswick Police Department and approval to expend the grant monies, if awarded. 152. Notes: The Merrymeeting Community Rowing Association ( Association ) has requested to lease a portion of Town-owned property near the Water Street Boat Launch in order for them to construct a boathouse and racks to store sculls and other equipment. By leasing to the Brunswick Sewer District ( BSD ), who will then sublease to the Association, the facility could be constructed in an area adjacent to the BSD pump station property where BSD currently leases land to the Association. This would enlarge the area available for the Association s use. A copy of a memo from Town Manager Eldridge, emails from Scott Bailey, President of the Association, the proposed lease, a survey map of the area to be leased, and an aerial photo of the area to be leased are included in the packet. Motion to approve a lease to the Brunswick Sewer Department of a portion of Townowned property near BSD pump station on Water Street, which they will then lease to the Merrymeeting Community Rowing Association for the purpose of constructing storage for their equipment. 153. Notes: Town Engineer Ryan Barnes has inspected the road work in the Botany Place Subdivision and has no objection to the Town s acceptance of this portion of Botany Place Drive. All work has been satisfactorily completed and the deed description is accurate and appropriate. A memo from Ryan Barnes, the boundary survey, surveyor certification, plan, road title, sewer and water acceptance, the warranty deed and the warranty letter are included in the packet. Motion to accept Botany Place Drive as a Town Road. 154. Notes: Town Engineer Ryan Barnes has inspected all road work associated with Ledgewood Drive and has no objection to the Town s acceptance of this road. All work has been satisfactorily completed and the deed description is accurate and appropriate. A memo from Ryan Barnes, the plan and the warranty deed are included in the packet. Motion to accept Ledgewood Drive as a Town road. 5
155. Notes: Bowdoin College has requested that a portion of Pine Street that has been completed be conveyed to the Town in accordance with the terms of the Easement Agreement between Bowdoin College and the Town executed November 7, 2017. Motion to accept the new portion of Pine Street as a Town Road. 156. Notes: The Finance Committee is recommending several amendments to the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Policy to bring the policy in line with the CIP practice of the past several years. The changes include finalizing the CIP in the first part of the new year rather than by December 31 st, which is helpful for preparation of the Town Manager s budget presentation to the Council in March, and an establishment of a Facilities Repair Program and an IT/Cable TV Equipment Reserve, because the Vehicle/Equipment Replacement Reserves established in 2013 have proved a very successful method to smooth funding and encourage long-term planning for the Town s fleets of vehicles and equipment. A copy of a memo from Julia Henze, Finance Director, and a redlined draft of the CIP policy reflecting the proposed changes are included in the packet, and Ms. Henze will be at the meeting to answer any questions. Motion to approve the proposed amendments to the Capital Improvement Program Policy. 157. Notes: Town Unions for AFSCME and BECOA have negotiated an amendment to their annual flexible spending account maximums for the upcoming benefit year. The Town would like to amend the document language within the AFSCME plan description and create a new plan description for the BECOA Union. A copy of a memo from Human Resources Manager, Jessica Factor, is included in the packet, and Town Manager Eldridge will be available for questions. Motion to amend document language changes specific to the Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) in the AFSCME Summary Plan Description, and to create a new Summary Plan Description for BECOA, to align with the negotiated contracts. CORRESPONDENCE/ COMMITTEE REPORTS Councilors will provide brief updates on recent committee activities. CONSENT AGENDA a) Approval of the minutes of November 19, 2018 Motion to approve the Consent Agenda Motion to adjourn 6