Leading up through Friday, Sept. 11, The City of Rockland said goodbye to outgoing Finance Director Tom Luttrell, and hello to interim Director Maura Halkiotis. The Fire/EMS unit is again in need of a loaner ambulance. Forty parking tickets were issued. Police officers responded to 300 calls for service, four motor vehicle crashes and 12 animal complaints. Read the full City Manager’s Report below.

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER

 The Maine Chiefs of Police have finished their report on the evaluation of the Rockland Police Department. I have included it with this memo for review. Next, we will wait for an opportunity to brief the City Council on the report and action steps. Considering the volume of issues the City Council is working on this can wait a moment.

 The City has continued having conversations with representatives from Ford regarding the ambulance that we have been struggling with for the last two years. City staff has tried to handle this situation with diplomacy and modesty but nothing is being done to fix an important staple of the emergency response fleet. I have started to bring the conversation to another level.

 I finished meeting with the YMCA regarding the operating agreement. I am very proud of this. What was a long shot idea is now a real possibility and one with potential. I expect the relationship with the YMCA to blossom over time.

 I attended the 9/11 ceremony at the Fire Station. Councilor MacLellan-Ruf spoke eloquently and represented the City well.

 The City staff had a small reception for Tom Luttrell, as Friday was his last day. Maura Halkiotis will start on Wednesday in her capacity as interim in Finance.

 Searches for the Finance Director and Environmental Compliance officer are in motion. They are due in two weeks.

 I announced the hiring of Chris Donlin as the Assistant Public Services Director. Chris has been a foreman and superintendent in the private sector for the last decade working on many projects bid out by the city. I am optimistic about the new management team in this department.

 The transition plan for the Recreation Department is mostly set. We will start executing after the City Council meeting on Monday.

 Teamster’s contracts are nearly drafted. I will likely have them for Council approval in October.

 I attended the RSU School Summit. I found it interesting and worthwhile.

OFFICE OF THE CITY ASSESSOR

 Processed Real Estate Transfers, updating parcel cards, sales book, and property splits.

 Processed Personal Property accounts, updating ownership, owned items, depreciation, State BETR’S 801 returns, BETE exemptions.

 Processed building permits, reviewing, updating property cards and assessments.

 Analyzing qualified sales of all properties and neighborhoods for a fair and  equitable assessment.

 Completing State forms and returning for processing.

 Updating GIS with the new splits and merging parcels.

 Listening and reviewing properties at the property owner’s request.

 Updating Tax Maps and posting to the web site.

 The commitment date is August 14th.

 Tax Bills have been out for three weeks and the office has handled a large number of calls.

OFFICE OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR

 Catinka Knoth’s Children’s class drew Farm scenes of haying and the fall harvest there was no Adult drawing class again this week, due to the Labor Day holiday.

 I met with Lisa Lyons, who had earlier volunteered her graphics skills; I wanted some sharp black & white options for some of the Library’s promotional material, and announcements (such as holiday closure signs). In addition to being eye-catching, they’ll be a lot less expensive to produce, and we are off to a great start.

 LEGOTM Club met this week, with an emphasis on building with a partner.

 On Tuesday evening, the Library presented an Author Talk & Book Signing with Jim Krosschell. Over the course of a year, Krosschell returned to Owls Head, walking every lane and road in town. The record of these modest walks became a book of enlightenment, Owls Head Revisited.

 For Wednesday Storytime, Jean Young and recurring guest Judith Andersen talked about family gardens through fiction, nonfiction, and a special craft. Books read included Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! By Candace Fleming, Good Morning, Garden, by Barbara Brenner, and Eddie’s Garden and How to Make Things Grow, by Sarah Garland. Jean had saved a garden calendar with lovely watercolors of flowers, birds, and other garden themes with poems to match. During the craft portion of Storytime, children chose one and cut, pasted, and attached them to colored construction paper for a mural to take home.

 I attended the meeting of the PLEA Board of Directors.

 Don Fowles worked on moving the Library network to its new server, and updated the path to the Shared Folder in all staff and public desk PCs.

 On Thursday, Jean Young hosted a program entitled: Homeschool Help, presented by Ed and Kathy Green founders of Homeschoolers of Maine. This was an informal talk on homeschooling, including the why, how, and some of the legal requirements.

 The Thursday Evening Arts and Cultural Event was the first Camden Conference Community event of the 2016 Conference. Diana Coleman presented: A Glimpse Into The Lives of Women and Girls in Rural, Southwestern Kenya: My Work With Mpanzi, an illustrated talk. Mpanzi is a small nonprofit organization founded in 2010 that is dedicated to promoting education and preventing violence against women and girls in rural villages of Southwestern Kenya. Mpanzi works in 12 remote rural villages among the Maasai and Kisii ethnic communities. An advocate for women and girls, Diana Coleman is a board member of Mpanzi. Her story, Glimpses of Kenya from a Mzungu Woman is in the Goose River Anthology 2015.

 I participated in the Northeastern Maine Library District (NMLD) Executive Board meeting via telephone on Friday morning.

 I’ve all but completed work on a grant application I am writing with the Friends of Rockland Public Library.

 Jean offered Baby Storytime on Friday.

 Upcoming: New Hope for Women will sponsor “An Empty Place at the Table” to honor victims of domestic violence homicide, in observance of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Also, the friends are looking for homes. The Holiday House Tour takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If you’d like to decorate your home for the holidays early, and be a part of the tour, please let me know, and I’ll connect you to the Friend on point for this fun, fund-raising event.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE

Officers responded to 300 calls for service. Rockland Police Officers responded to four motor vehicle crashes and 12 animal complaints. 18 traffic stops and traffic violations were conducted. Officers charged or made arrests of 8 individuals for various offenses, to include, Bail violations, Alcohol violations, Disorderly Conduct, Domestic Assault and Operating under the Influence.

 Continued working with City I.T. regarding department wide computer updates.

As of this date all police department computers have been upgraded.

 Officers attended a multi-agency “task force” meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Augusta. The purpose of this meeting was to explore the possibility of creating a task force consisting of several police departments’ state wide in order to address the ongoing commercial burglary spree occurring state wide.

The consensus was that a task force was needed and is feasible. Rockland Police Department pledged resources in order to assist in identifying and apprehending the people responsible for the burglaries.

 We are working with Cordjia Capital Projects Group as they continue to finalize their study of the heating and cooling system at the One Park Drive Condo Association. This study is in its final stages and recommendations are expected soon.

 DC Young assisted Camden P.D. with helping them develop overall strategies to manage their Detectives division.

 The Patrol Division has been working closely with C.I.D. regarding the ongoing commercial burglaries. Patrol has been provided with information that could identify possible suspects and have been actively participating in the investigation to include 83 property checks of commercial businesses in the last week alone.

 Patrol Sergeants continue to deploy motorcycle, bicycle and foot patrols as weather and staffing allows.

 Radar details are being conducted throughout the city including Main St. and school zones.

 40 parking tickets issued during this time frame.

OFFICE OF THE FIRE CHIEF

Over the past week, in addition to the general response to 49 Fire and EMS calls, conducting apparatus checks, daily cleaning, routine repairs and maintenance to the fleet and of the quarters, the following occurred:

 Despite the significant number of fires out West, Lt. Johnsons’ crew was not posted and he remains here on duty in Rockland.

 Our two in-service ambulances were inspected by the State EMS agent and found to meet all requirements. The third unit was unavailable at the time of the inspection due to the continued issue with the motor.

 On the plagued ambulance, it appears that Ford will be working on securing us a “loaner” ambulance while they figure out how to address the current problematic one.

 Wednesday evening our personnel drilled on residential structure fire tactics.

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR

 Training.

 Prep work on Laurel Street.

 Road side mowing, brush trimming.

 Screened loam at landfill.

 Picked up trash city-wide.

 Laurel Street culvert.

 Water flowers.

 Sign work.

 Moved compost pile at landfill.

 Basins and brooks.

 Shop clean-up.

OFFICE OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

 At their request, John met with the owner and manager of Rock Harbor to review the conditions of their license approval.

 John met with Leticia van Vuuren who is assisting with preparation for the upcoming internet based GIS program.

 John attended the City Council Agenda Setting Meeting 9/9/15.

 There was one complaint filed this week.

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

 5 Building permits

 1 Electrical permit

 2 Plumbing permits

 1 Shoreland Zoning Permit

 1 Sign permit

OFFICE OF THE POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY DIRECTOR

Pollution Control Facility

 Plant flows were low, only about 1.8 MGD average this week.

 Conducted Trench and Excavation training with the Safety Works of Maine (part of the D.O.L. corrective action).

 Conducted PPE and Hazard Communication Training (part of D.O.L. corrective action).

 Attended the Maine D.O.T. sponsored Maine Winter Maintenance Roundtable in Hallowell.

 Completed and submitted Legislatures Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee composting survey.

 Continued work on wiring the mixers for aeration basin #5.

 Replaced and rewired the gauge and pressure switch for belt press feed pump #2.

 Repaired the seal leakage alarm on the pumps at Glenwood Ave. pump station.

 The lab did B.O.D. and T.S.S. testing for North Haven.

 Began prep for the F.M.C. carrageenan spike study.

Environmental Services

 Inspected and approved the sewer connection for the new C.M.C.A. building on Winter Street.

 Prepared a list of Storm Basins to be cleaned and delivered to Dept. of Public Services.

 Tested and changed batteries in the instruments being used for the collection system flow monitoring study.

 Repaired the controller for the rain gauge for the flow monitoring study.

 Worked with Janet Abrahamson from Maine Rural Water on the collection system O&M manual.

 Met with Shawn Ready from Ted Berry Co. to discuss pipe lining and manhole rehab of the sewer main near the public landing and police plaza to eliminate sea water infiltration into the collection system.

 Attempted CCTV inspection of the sewer main upstream of the Waldo Ave. pump station. Inspection had to be rescheduled, high flows prevented use of the camera.

OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL FISH PIER DIRECTOR

 The Public Services Director (Dave Larrabee) and I walk the pier to see what we could temporarily due to fix pot holes so that the users with fork truck hauling barrels of bait can travel around the pier without tipping over the barrels of bait.

Public Services will work on the pier next week repairing the high traffic areas for better access for all.

 The Bait Dealer is being supplied with exactors of bait from Canada. They unload, salt the herring, and place back in exactors, barrels for local area lobster men. This will keep the lobster men supplied with bait until the new quota opens on the 1st of October.

 Attended the City Council’s agenda setting meeting.

OFFICE OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

 Meeting with Midcoast Music Academy and Bixby & Co. regarding Microenterprise Assistance Grant.

 Environmental Review for Microenterprise Assistance Grant.

 Preparation for joint event between Harbor Trail Committee and Georges River Land Trust.

 Meetings with developers regarding industrial development.

 Preparation for grant submission to FY16 Recreation Trails Program.