Portland budget passes 1st test (8/10/04)

The city’s 2005 budget was approved on first reading Monday evening by the Portland City Council.

The proposed budget would increase $168,871 to $3,322,638 for 2005 from this year’s total council approved funds of $3,153,767. After cuts by the Department of Local Finance, the actual funds for 2004 were reduced to $2,285,239.

The budget includes appropriations for city departments, city officials, city court, pension funds, the Portland Planning Commission and the Portland Municipal Airport.

Before the first reading was approved, a public hearing was held. No one from the audience commented about the budget.

Councilwoman Linda Kennedy had several questions about funding for the street department. She asked street superintendent Jeff Harker why he had budgeted $140,000 for equipment and why $50,000 was set aside for buildings.

Harker said the equipment funds hadn’t increased any from last year, and he would like to use the money to replace two older pieces of equipment.

Specifically, he would like to purchase a new long-bed truck. The current model is a 1990 Ford. Harker said the bed is in pretty bad shape.

The new truck, which would be used by the street department to haul trees, concrete and other materials, would cost about $46,000, Harker said.

He also would like to purchase a new street sweeper. The sweeper the department is using is 23 years old. When someone drives it, the person sits in the middle of the unit and inhales dust kicked up in the process. The driver also has to stick his head out of the window to see where he is going, Harker said.

When it was purchased, the old sweeper was brand new. About five or six years ago, the machine was reworked and repaired. In the last year, Harker has spent $1,000 on repairing the unit. A new sweeper would cost $120,000 Harker said.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said the money requested for buildings could be used on the street department building. He said the current structure, which is located on South Wayne Street, is difficult to heat in the winter, outdated and has a bad roof. He said he is looking into whether the building is worth repairing.

Also Monday, Kennedy asked Portland Fire Chief Mike Thomas about the $35,000 his department requested for equipment.

Thomas said he would like to replace the department’s older model airpacks, which were made in the mid 1980s.

He would like to purchase a newer style of packs, which have a face mask, a holder for the oxygen tanks and a personal alert safety system. Thomas said if a firefighter were to pass out or fall, after 30 seconds an alarm would sound and let other firefighters know where the person is located. The new packs cost between $2,000 and $3,000 each, and there are 33 firefighters in the department. He said this morning, he could only afford to purchase about six of them in 2005.

The rest of the money, which would be about $17,000, would go for “unknowns”, Thomas said.

“Anything else that comes up, like radios, etc., (the money would be used for),” he said, this morning.

The 2005 budget for the department is down $10,000 from the $45,000 2004 budget, Thomas added.

Hosier said the council will vote a second and final time on the budget at the Monday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m. meeting.

In other business, council members approved Ordinance 2004-11 on the first and second reading. The ordinance amends the current Portland Building Code.

Jay/Portland Building and Planning Department administrator Bill Milligan said the new ordinance contains updates suggested by the state. The last ordinance was drawn up six years ago.

The new code splits the plumbing guidelines into two different areas. In the old building code, gas and plumbing were in one segment. Now, plumbing is with the guidelines for water and fuel. Gas is in a separate code, which covers gas and oil.

The new building regulation also has a migrant day-care nursery fire safety code, which the state said had to be added. Ordinance 2004-11 goes into effect immediately, Milligan said this morning.

Also Monday, the council heard:

•Hosier say he met with lead consulting engineer for the Wal-Mart Supercenter project, James Malone III, Monday morning.

The timeline for the project has been moved up, and bid letting should begin in the first part of December of this year. Construction is expected to start in January, and the store is anticipated to be up and running sometime in 2005, Hosier said.

•Hosier say the paving of River Road and Pink Alley, which are beside East Jay Middle School, has been completed. Pink Alley is on the west side of the school, and River Road runs along the south side.

Harker said the street department was able to save $6,000 to $7,000 on the project.

•Hosier say the paving on city streets will begin on Wednesday. The resurfacing is not connected to the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project, Hosier said after the meeting.

Harker said this morning the paving will begin early Wednesday morning on Snipe Alley, next to Portland City Hall. First Street, Floral Avenue, South Helen Street and West Third Street also will be paved. LICA Construction Corp. of Berne will be doing the work.

Harker expects the paving to take between a week and a week and a half to complete.[[In-content Ad]]