[0:05] Good evening, everyone. I am going to officially call the meeting of June 15th, 2026, to order. All members are present, except for Councillor Anderson.

[0:17] Town Clerk has this meeting been properly noticed? Yes, it has. Great. I'll ask that everyone please silence your electronic devices, however you do so, and then please rise if you are willing and able for the Pledge of Allegiance.

[0:29] I

[0:33] pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation

[0:41] under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[0:49] Thank you. A note from me as chair, I ask that while we hold this space together, we treat every person here with respect and compassion as we work to serve out the duties of our town.

[0:59] Are there any adjustments to the agenda,

[1:06] Councillor Teemee?

[1:09] So I think the answer is maybe because I didn't get an answer back to my email.

[1:13] Are we going to be able to have a discussion about the Cousela piece during the manager's

[1:19] report?

[1:20] Yep.

[1:20] And is that the sort of discussion that allows for a motion or would that have to be included

[1:27] as an agenda item?

[1:29] The, we could do motions in between items, like if something was going to be added to the agenda.

[1:36] So after the manager's report.

[1:38] Wonderful, thank you, then, in this case, not at the moment.

[1:41] Okay,

[1:44] announcements of council, councilor Hicks.

[1:46] Thank you, I'd like to invite one of the leads on something that the town of Brunswick has been very lucky to have in that's movies in the park.

[1:57] It's an organization called Community in the Parks that runs movies in the park.

[2:02] And I'm sure a lot of you have attended at least one of those movies over the past several years.

[2:07] So Kathleen Fundoverk is one of the chairs of the organization.

[2:12] And she's here to talk a little bit about what is happening this summer.

[2:17] Hi, good evening.

[2:19] I'm Kathleen Fundoverk with Community in the Parks.

[2:22] And thanks for having me and for all the hard work that you guys do in our town as the council

[2:27] each year. Community in the parks is likely a name you all are not as familiar with. We are

[2:34] the nonprofit organization that hosts movies in the park every year. This is a beloved community

[2:39] building event that is celebrating our 15th year of free movies in Brunswick and we're kicking off

[2:46] our movie season this Thursday.

[2:52] But this evening, I'm here to introduce you all to community in the

[2:56] parks. Our mission is to provide free events to enrich community development and promote

[3:02] use of Brunswick's parks. Brunswick has 66 parks and public spaces. I just learned

[3:10] that today. That's a lot. We community in the parks have come across

[3:16] some gems that we are looking forward to highlighting with free events this summer in addition

[3:21] to our movies in the park on the third Thursday of June, July and August located at the vast

[3:27] pocket park of Nathaniel Davis Park this summer. We are collaborating all season-long with

[3:34] Sundara Yoga to host monthly events at Pennets Landing. This is a beautiful waterfront space

[3:41] in our community that so many of our town may have overlooked. Sundara will provide an instructor

[3:48] and create an environment of relaxing fun on the fourth Thursday evenings at 5.30, June 25th, July 23rd and August 27th.

[3:58] Additionally, at this same pinnets landing, community in the parks is hosting a one time incredible free dancing event.

[4:07] We are collaborating with Mary Meeting Adult Education and their professional dance instructors.

[4:12] We'll be providing an opportunity to have free dance lessons in both Chacha and Mamba on August 6th from 6 to 8.

[4:22] Community members can come try something that they've never done before. I'm definitely going to try it out.

[4:27] Or just show us what you've got if you already know how to do these audiences.

[4:31] We'll have our dance floor out on the lawn and beautiful classic twinkling lights and all the festive vibes of enjoying our parks in new and exciting ways.

[4:41] We'll also be providing some free treats, as always, to go along with the incredible experience.

[4:47] We hope to expand our dancing event further next year to every month with different types of dance styles offered.

[4:54] We at Community in the Parks could not do all of this without the town's commitment to the Parks and Rex Department.

[5:02] They do such hard work and come alongside us.

[5:07] we truly appreciate the parks and recs team for maintaining so many properties and being so helpful and

[5:13] accommodating when collaborating with us at community in the parks.

[5:16] They pretty much set up that movie, the tent, the tables, the lawns.

[5:22] It's amazing all the stuff that they do.

[5:24] And yes, we definitely have the vision of the flare, but we absolutely couldn't do it without them.

[5:28] So thank you for supporting them so that they can support us and that we can add new events.

[5:36] But we invite everyone to come and enjoy our traditional movie events, as well as our new yoga and dancing events this summer, and all of these events are free, and they're all open to the public.

[5:49] Thank you so much.

[5:50] Thank you.

[5:51] Real quick to find out for more information, you have a website, right?

[5:55] We have our Runswick Facebook page, which is...

[6:00] That's probably movies in the park.

[6:03] on Facebook.

[6:05] For Runswick.

[6:07] And it's Superman that's playing on Thursday.

[6:10] Superman will be playing this Thursday.

[6:12] The 2025 version.

[6:14] Okay.

[6:14] The new one.

[6:15] This is fantastic.

[6:16] So, yes.

[6:17] Movies in the park, Runswick is the Facebook page.

[6:19] And we have an Instagram page as well.

[6:21] And on our posters, there's a QR code

[6:23] that will take you directly to our Facebook page

[6:27] for all the other information that you need.

[6:29] Because we have lots of freebies that are movies,

[6:30] as many of you know.

[6:31] Thank you.

[6:32] Thank you.

[6:40] I'm going to ask the audience to please be mindful of the speakers.

[6:45] Councillor Wilson, did you have an announcement to make?

[6:47] Yeah, this isn't exactly Brunswick, but if you're interested in dogs at all, and I am,

[6:51] I've been in Breeder and it's shown, there are four days of dog shows at the Cumberland

[6:56] Fagground Stating next Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday where there's an approximately

[7:00] 500 dogs entered each day. These are dogs that are shown all up and down the east coast. I'm not showing anymore, but I'll be there working and it is free to go in and watch.

[7:11] So, Cumberland Fedgrounds, the show's static 8 in the morning and 400-500 dogs are entered all. So, it's a breach. So, if you're interested, hop on over. I will be there.

[7:22] Sounds good. Any other announcements on the side of the table?

[7:27] Not seeing any. An announcement that I will make just so we are all aware. So we've heard a lot from the community and from folks about our public works department projects that we are currently working on and

[7:42] been working on for several years at this point, and there's, I just want to level

[7:48] set with everyone and say, at the beginning of this, when we were initially thinking about

[7:53] public works, which was five, ten years ago at this point, before many of us, I believe,

[7:59] were sitting around this table, maybe Councillor Wilson was around, but both with staff and

[8:07] Councillors, it didn't rise to whatever occasion for people to decide that this need of the committee.

[8:13] And as you know, we all have task force for a lot of our major projects.

[8:18] So the Hawthorne School Building, the Fire Station Downtown, the Cape Ferber School, when it was built,

[8:25] the police department, the fire department building, all of these different projects we've had typically go through a process where there's a task force at least assigned to it.

[8:35] And so, though we were not the progenitors of this project, all those years ago, it is something that we are going to be implementing as of next meeting.

[8:45] So, coming before Council next meeting will be a charge to establish a task force to help shepherd the public works project phase 1A through the process, we'll have the charge language, which I'm sure will have discussion around, we'll have public comment on it.

[9:03] Currently the makeup looks like two staff members, three counselors, and two community members, which is typical for some of our other projects, same thing with the Hawthorne Task Force, so we're at the fire station, and so we are going to be bringing that forward to counsel for our next our July meeting, our first meeting in July, so I just wanted to give a preview of that.

[9:25] But I will say to you that something else that we've been working on is that we have identified a possible location for

[9:34] community gardens, for senior gardens.

[9:36] We are currently finalizing some of those details, so we will bring that as that information solidifies.

[9:44] We'll make sure to bring it, but it is looking like we have identified a location that is still in town that would be able to serve the same purpose.

[9:54] So I just want to give those updates here.

[9:57] I know that we'll talk a lot more about it next meeting,

[9:59] but I know that we've had a lot of public engagement.

[10:01] So I wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page

[10:03] as to we hear you.

[10:06] We are trying to take the steps that are necessary

[10:09] to ensure that the town and the community

[10:14] are all getting their needs met together.

[10:16] So that will be coming next meeting.

[10:20] So, I will officially open our, oh, yes, Councillor O'Reilly.

[10:27] I was curious, because this was in a period where I was not on the council, and I was happily sitting at home.

[10:31] Actually, I think I might have been here for the meeting, actually, but when it was voted on last November to authorize,

[10:37] I think it was 4.7 million towards something, was there specificity as to what that was for, and does this committee

[10:47] the effect or change what that council subsequently at that point in time voted for?

[10:53] No, so what was voted on off the top of my field free to correct me was the salt shed,

[10:58] the fuel island, and the needs assessment and the planning of the next phase, essentially.

[11:06] And so this committee, your vision of this committee is that it would sort of work through those issues

[11:11] that had been now authorized by the council last year.

[11:16] particularly the planning part, right? I mean, that's what we really need to evaluate

[11:21] the needs assessment and, you know, work on the planning.

[11:26] Okay.

[11:26] Thank you.

[11:26] And depending on how it's structured, it would, depending on the long-term nature of the

[11:31] project, it might be around to make recommendations for the next phase, depending on how long

[11:38] it's here.

[11:38] Councillor Ayrker.

[11:40] What is the status of the needs assessment?

[11:44] The needs assessment, I'll turn it over to the time, Andrew.

[11:47] Well, I mean, it has been worked on, but we haven't rolled it out yet.

[11:53] I mean, we've been busy with other things, so that would be something that the task force would look at and work on perhaps a little bit more.

[12:04] And not trying to get in the weeds, just trying to understand where this process may be headed.

[12:10] Is that needs assessment going to be issued as a draft, or is it issued as a final?

[12:19] Well, that's an interesting question.

[12:21] I believe we will probably present it as final.

[12:24] And then often what happens is it is pumped back and said, you're not done.

[12:29] Go back and do more.

[12:31] We've had that experience.

[12:33] And so a final that will probably be more questions added to, is that it, you know, that's, I'm hoping it'll be final.

[12:44] How's that? But we'll see what the task force says.

[12:46] All right, thank you.

[12:49] Yeah, councilor Teaming.

[12:51] Just for clarity, I don't know what the process of the task forces for the police department or fire station was like.

[13:00] But so

[13:03] this task force that we're going to be hearing about next meeting a little bit about now apparently is that going to

[13:13] also encapsulate the decision of location or are we saying that the task force

[13:20] isn't charged with that at all and the you know limited number of people who worked on that decision

[13:28] And like that is behind us and we are past that point because, I mean, it seems to me like we've heard quite overwhelmingly from people that they are frustrated that they didn't have input on that decision of location.

[13:45] So I know I personally would think that the task force should be more or less a blank slate.

[13:51] look at this project and how we go forward from here because it really doesn't feel like people like

[13:58] phase 1a. So just figuring out how to do phase 1a via a task forest feels

[14:04] not particularly responsive to what we've heard from people. So we'll bring forth a charge

[14:12] and then that charge will be debated.

[14:18] Councillor Ellis? Yeah and I won't debate it here but I would say

[14:20] that in some ways my concern with my question was almost the opposite of that in that I also know

[14:25] I know that a part of that was because we have a fuel station that needs to be replaced within a time frame and I know there's some time to it, but I also know that sometimes these building committees, you think it's going to be a year and then the next thing you know it's six years later and you're getting off the school board and you still haven't gotten approval for the school building you're looking at and so I don't necessarily want to put us in a position where, from my perspective, where we are necessarily restarting entirely, that we're still honoring the fact that we've got to come for resolution

[14:55] at least from the DEP perspective on that fuel station within a set time.

[15:00] And that's not lost. So we will have plenty of time to get into the debate as to what that task force will look like. But the goal was just to communicate that we're aware. We're trying to do something. And this seems at least like a modest step towards being more inclusive of communities in that area to be able to have conversations around this because we realize that whoever established this process of the very beginning

[15:29] getting, which is before both our town staff and our counselors that are present, didn't

[15:35] do that step.

[15:36] And so we're trying to rectify that situation and don't it.

[15:40] So I'm going to keep moving us along to have one little thing.

[15:44] When you say it's something that's been happening, it's been in the plans.

[15:47] It's been in our CIP for a long time, is the point.

[15:52] So it's definitely been on the radar for a while and I just wanted to clarify that.

[15:58] And I also want to just to make a point that we are establishing this task force is not just a body that's going to debate.

[16:08] It's going to help us make a decision and my request for this Council, and I know Council's changed next year's Council's going to look different than this year's.

[16:16] But as we have proceeded on with some really big decisions in this year, we've dealt with some pretty meaty ordinances and

[16:27] And issues for our town, whether it's in the rural districts, whether it's moratoriums,

[16:32] ordinances to keep affordable housing available.

[16:35] We have really put our staff and our committees through a very high level of work and effort.

[16:46] And I first want to say, I really appreciate them.

[16:49] I appreciate our staff, I appreciate our committees, our task force, every group that's come together and

[16:55] and put together some really high quality products.

[16:58] And I know that when they get brought to the council, they also get scrutinized highly,

[17:02] which means that we have a, I call that a high quality council.

[17:06] And what I'm after for the next half of this calendar year as a council,

[17:12] is that we consider the fact that we have very high skilled staff and very qualified committee members who are producing these products,

[17:25] And the scrutiny is important, however, I don't want it to be overlooked that as a council, we do have a lot of confidence in the products that are being presented to us, and the work that's being done by our staff and by our committees.

[17:40] And I think sometimes it can look like we don't.

[17:43] And so maybe I don't want to speak for anybody else in this council.

[17:46] So I can't, I want to speak for myself that I think we have some really, we have some incredible work that comes in front of us and that we need to recognize that when we do get these issues brought to us with the work behind it to acknowledge that to find a way where we can maybe have a process so the workshop piece is going to be a critical piece over the next several months with these big things coming down the pike, this public works building campus is going to be

[18:16] one of them. So I'm really looking forward to a very productive process so that the council has weigh in an oversight.

[18:24] But it doesn't overshadow the enormous amount of work that comes from our staff and our committees.

[18:31] And I just wanted to be clear about that. Thank you for that time.

[18:34] Moving on to public comments. As a reminder, this is for non-agenda items only.

[18:39] So if you're here to speak on the mobile home park ordinance that will happen later today.

[18:45] I'll also remind folks that if there's an agenda item that says that we're setting a public hearing then we'll take public comments

[18:52] At the public hearing not while we're setting the public hearing just so folks don't hang out and get to that and be disappointed

[18:58] So non agenda items only three minutes per speaker we'll have 30 minutes at the beginning of the session if we need it

[19:04] We'll have 30 minutes at the end as well

[19:06] Please follow the code of conduct that's posted on either side of the room share your name town

[19:11] pronouns if you'd like and if you'd want to follow up, there is a response sheet over on the table

[19:16] that you can put your contact information.

[19:20] Without further ado, go ahead.

[19:24] Hi, my name is Owen McGrath and I live at 19 Water Street. I grew up on Water Street

[19:29] and the community parks and river mean a lot to me. My neighbors came by and showed me Rose

[19:34] Postor asking about saving the gardens. I'm here tonight to read a list of the questions my mom

[19:40] compiled from concerned citizens.

[19:43] I became interested after hearing about the petition.

[19:47] Right now it has 217 signers and 173 people have shared it.

[19:53] This is now a significant grassroots community movement.

[19:57] We thank the town council for hearing

[19:58] and addressing our questions.

[20:00] We hope to hear that you will pause the project

[20:02] to reconsider the plan.

[20:07] The water street area is a major asset to the town.

[20:09] Can you take the time now to discuss rezoning?

[20:13] The current site has no industrial growth potential, and according to the town's own

[20:20] zoning laws and restriction on dead end streets and downtown residential areas, it is already

[20:27] operating fuel pumps and a huge storage shed that are both outside of what is allowed.

[20:35] These are excused by municipal exemptions, but these are exemptions keeping industry where it isn't safe or healthy.

[20:48] Did you land on water street as the industrial site of public works mainly because of cost?

[20:54] Do you know any other towns where the public works industry is located on the waterfront?

[21:00] Do we want to be that town?

[21:02] We have noted in the engineering study of potential alternative sites that there is a lack of potential for future development at the industry road site.

[21:12] Well, it's town of Brunswick sees adjacent properties through imminent domain.

[21:17] Site 3 was noted to have room for future development. Could this site be reconsidered? Could Cressy Road?

[21:26] Would you be willing to take more time to reconsider the value of the parcel to the town?

[21:31] If developed in a way more befitting, this important downtown area is residential in recreational growth.

[21:39] Did you weigh the water streets parcels overall worth to the town for other possible uses?

[21:46] Considering its valuable waterfront, thereby taking into account the town's commitment to a healthy and safe downtown

[21:52] in a clean and accessible riverway.

[21:56] Did you take into account the historic landscape for why industry was originally placed along

[22:01] the river in the 1940s and 50s, and how much everything has changed along Water Street

[22:06] since? Did you discuss how since the 1960s, the street has been closed off, and now over

[22:13] a hundred times more residents and businesses and local and nationally recognized parts

[22:18] and waterways all coexist on a bustling dead end street. Brunswick's only access to the

[22:24] and now beautiful and restored Andrew Schoggen River.

[22:29] As we have noted, Water Street is a dead end street, and it is already at capacity or even over congested for continued public health and safety.

[22:38] Are you willing to pause to get data on the street's current public use and public safety and health needs?

[22:44] Including?

[22:45] I'll let you know that your three minutes have elapsed if you could wrap up, please.

[22:48] Yeah, and are you willing to pause to get data on the streets, current public use and the public safety and health needs, including a month-long count of pedestrian and vehicular traffic before keeping public works where it is.

[23:04] Thank you so much.

[23:09] I will remind folks that we will not be doing clapping tonight.

[23:14] Thank you.

[23:15] I want to make sure that all sides feel safe to be able to speak their minds, so we will not be doing clapping or booze or any of those things. Thank you.

[23:24] Continue.

[23:26] My name is Paul. We come, I live in Brunswick,

[23:33] the premises that form the foundation for this entire plan.

[23:39] The public works expansion are erroneous, we're being lied to.

[23:49] One of the main premises is site circulation.

[23:54] This is entirely theoretical, it's nonsense.

[23:59] All the proposed plan does is it takes the fuel depot from the end of the road and puts

[24:09] it up towards the middle of the road, the center of industry road. That accomplishes

[24:18] nothing.

[24:21] Another premise of this plan that is a complete fabrication is the idea of

[24:29] traffic conflict at the end of industry road. I've talked to the Brunswick Fire Department

[24:38] and they have told me that they have never had any problem fueling their trucks there.

[24:48] We need to know, among the questions that the person before me asked,

[24:53] we need to know exactly what the nature of this traffic conflict is.

[25:00] and we need this concept of site circulation described in a comprehensive manner.

[25:17] Another premise for the relocation of the fuel depot is that inclement weather could

[25:26] through problematic. That's why they need a roof over it apparently. That's what

[25:34] they contend. That's ridiculous. I don't think I've ever fueled a vehicle under a

[25:42] roof and I've never seen any pumps experiencing any particular difficulty

[25:49] from the weather. One thing that surprised me from right

[25:56] Pierce's presentation at the Staff Review Committee meeting was the present fuel pump

[26:04] isn't completely good condition, looks entirely modern, it was installed in 2009, correct?

[26:14] What I am proposing is the easy way out, relocating the fuel depot to the former leaf mulch pile site,

[26:29] retain the use of the salt shed, and put the senior gardens into trees, white pine, something fast growing.

[26:39] This would save $1,425,000 and both parties would get most of what they want.

[26:49] This is the most reasonable and responsible path forward for this project.

[26:55] Thank you, Mr. Wickham.

[26:56] Hi

[27:00] there, Donna Chale, Brunswick resident, time here representing Brunswick area indivisible.

[27:06] I have a few things first of all, I want to offer congratulations and

[27:10] Thanks to Fran Smith, Ali Burnett, Susan Karnes, everybody who worked on the election on Tuesday, they did an amazing job.

[27:17] We had a huge turnout, and everything went smoothly.

[27:21] I saw all the ballots are counted ahead of time, after time, in between time.

[27:27] I mean, they really work hard to make sure we have a fair and free election.

[27:31] And I really appreciate that work.

[27:33] The second thing I wanted to say is,

[27:35] Brunswick-Hury-Indivisible had the pleasure of tabling at the Pride Festival on Saturday.

[27:42] It was a wonderful event with lots of music, dancing, many, many community booths, people,

[27:50] and so kudos to the people who organized that.

[27:54] The last thing I want to say is a little less happy.

[27:57] I went on Saturday night to the concert for a cause at the UU church, and when I left I went

[28:04] down the concrete ramp outside the building, and at the end of the ramp was a homeless person sleeping.

[28:11] And I volunteer at the Warming Center and it turned out to be somebody I know.

[28:18] And I was thinking of Chief Stewart's visuals with tents and

[28:24] the needles and all those things, and I know it's a difficult population.

[28:29] But it's important to remember that these are people.

[28:31] This person who I know is a person who is thrilled when we have ice cream at the Warming Center.

[28:39] He's a guy who loves listening to Van Morrison, you know, something that I actually like too, old as I am.

[28:45] So, you know, it's important that we think that the people that we're serving, and I'm going to tell you, see if I can say this,

[28:55] to see this man, this very sweet man sleeping on the concrete outside the church just broke my heart.

[29:04] So I hope when we make decisions about the residents who maybe cause us a little more problem that we're compassionate.

[29:11] And we think a little bit about that.

[29:13] Thank you.

[29:18] My name is Mary Hepburn.

[29:20] I live at 13 Abbey Road.

[29:22] and I'm here to speak on behalf of the Community Garden on Water Street.

[29:29] I'm hearing tonight that this has been a long discussed plan in public works,

[29:36] but I just heard about it in April and was blindsided by it.

[29:42] As I went to People Plus, I'm the coordinator of the gardens,

[29:47] to find out who the interested people were for this year

[29:50] to get out the email about assigning plots and I was told you don't have the

[29:57] in any more.

[29:59] Well...

[30:00] That hit like a ton of bricks. We've been planning all winter on what we're going to plant and looking forward to that wonderful space. And I was told, well, the town is looking for other spots. And I thought, okay, I'm going to just be positive and we'll have a garden someplace else. Well, today I did hear from the town manager that there is a possible spot near the

[30:29] paying

[30:32] the settlement to a

[30:36] I am

[30:41] not sure what also

[30:43] it might mean

[30:44] unless 200 are

[30:46] I would like to think the

[31:00] The Neighborhood Association from Water Street, who made a presentation, what day was it

[31:08] last week when I came here to a meeting.

[31:11] And I was so impressed with their common sense, practical ideas about the fuel depot in

[31:21] that whole business in that area.

[31:24] And also the importance of what the community garden means to their neighborhood.

[31:29] And I hope that the town council will recognize what a gem they have and how much nicer it would be to have a community garden on that site than a fuel refueling place.

[31:48] And I hope you will take their ideas into serious consideration.

[31:53] Thank you.

[32:01] My name is Kate Burns, I live on Water Street, and I'm here to, once again, express my

[32:06] opposition to the Public Works Development Plan Phase 1.

[32:10] I want to start just by saying this is not a case of not in my backyard because the

[32:16] truth is no one wants a municipal fuel station in their backyard, and I would venture to

[32:21] guess that includes all of you.

[32:23] So this isn't about resisting change, it's about making responsible thoughtful decisions

[32:29] for this community. At its core, this is the wrong use. In the wrong place, decided through the wrong process.

[32:37] This plan is wrong because it displaces the senior gardens, a much loved and deeply valued community resource.

[32:44] This space provides connection, purpose, and well-being for many residents.

[32:49] Losing it means losing something that has real lasting value to this community.

[32:54] It's also wrong because the site design itself is fundamentally flawed.

[32:57] It places a municipal fuel station extremely close to homes, including mine, and to the Family Focused Child Care Center.

[33:05] This is an incompatible use for a space defined by homes, families, children, and recreation.

[33:12] I understand that public works is trying to improve safety and operational flow within their own site, but this plan doesn't eliminate it, it just moves it.

[33:21] It shifts it directly onto a residential area and next to a childcare center.

[33:26] Improving internal operations shouldn't come at the expense of the surrounding community.

[33:33] Given the size and layout of this site, there's no clear reason the fuel station needs

[33:37] to be moved onto the senior gardens location.

[33:40] It could remain on the southern end of the site closer to Route 1, where it's more appropriately

[33:44] situated and farther from residential and childcare areas.

[33:49] This plan is wrong because it wasn't guided by a true stakeholder philosophy.

[33:53] The only clearly prioritized stakeholder in this process appears to be the Department of Public Works.

[34:00] Neighbors, families, community members, and environmental impacts were not meaningfully included.

[34:06] It's also wrong because there are environmental risks that can't be ignored.

[34:10] This site sits near the Andres-Goggen, a fuel spill or runoff event could have serious long-term consequences.

[34:16] That level of risk should not be accepted without more scrutiny.

[34:21] It's wrong because the plan relies heavily on grandfathering.

[34:25] Without those allowances, this relocation would not meet current standards and would

[34:29] likely require additional environmental review and permitting.

[34:32] That alone should give us pause.

[34:35] And finally, this plan is wrong because the community was not involved early in the process.

[34:40] Despite the fact that Water Street is one of the most active areas in Brunswick, a project

[34:44] in such a high use area deserved early and transparent engagement.

[34:49] So, I'm happy to hear that you are taking the time to look at this further and involve

[34:55] the community, explore alternatives, and ensure that any final decision reflects the

[35:00] full scope of impacts not just operational needs.

[35:04] This is a decision that will define the space for decades, so please take the time to get

[35:08] it right.

[35:09] Thank you.

[35:09] Hi,

[35:18] good evening. My name is Ratana Sherman and I am a Brunswick resident and I am also

[35:28] a respiratory therapist who has spent many years caring for people with chronic lung disease.

[35:37] and other sealate health conditions I am here tonight because I am concerned

[35:44] about the proposed public works expansion and fuel station in our

[35:52] neighborhood.

[35:59] I understand that public works provides important services. This

[36:05] is not about opposing public works, it is about asking whether this is the right

[36:12] location. Over the years, Banswick has invested heavily in this area. We now

[36:22] have parks, gardens, adult parks, they care, liver access. The town has

[36:34] work hard to create a neighborhood where people want to live, walk, exercise, and list their

[36:44] families. Now we are being at to accept few storage, few deliveries, in crit trucks, traffic,

[36:57] noise, light and filter expansion plans in the middle of that community. We

[37:09] continue to hear that the project is grandfather but this neighborhood is not

[37:15] the same as it was they kept ago. The question should not be what's what

[37:21] acceptable in the past. The question should be what is appropriate for Brunswick

[37:28] today and in the future. As a health care professional, I am concerned about a long-term impact

[37:38] on resident children, seniors, and those who use this community space every day.

[37:57] I

[37:58] that would have less impact on homes, parks, gardens, recreation areas, and future development.

[38:11] Brunswick has invaded too much in creating a vibrant family-friendly community.

[38:18] To this turning is into a more industrial area for generation to come.

[38:28] Peace protect the neighborhood that the town has worked so hard to build.

[38:34] Thank you for your time and consideration.

[38:37] Thank you.

[38:38] We will take the last two people in mind and then we'll be crossing that 30-minute threshold.

[38:43] So if folks want to make public comment, we'll have 30 minutes at the end of the session as well.

[38:47] to the last two folks who are in line right now, we'll take.

[38:51] Richard Kip, 70 Waters Street.

[38:54] I have two quick questions.

[38:57] How much is our fire insurance going to increase down there by the moving of the fire pumps closer to our buildings, to our homes?

[39:06] And does the city have any way of compensating us yearly for that increase in our insurance?

[39:13] That's it.

[39:15] Thank you.

[39:16] Thank you.

[39:18] Hi.

[39:19] I'm Andrew Kip.

[39:20] I've lived in Brunswick my whole life down on Water Street for the last 40 years.

[39:27] I'm just going to continue with Owen's questions that he had.

[39:30] I've been reading.

[39:32] So basically, these are public safety and health concerns that some people have come up with.

[39:39] And are you aware of the pedestrians?

[39:42] that pedestrians have been hit by trucks and cars along Water Street, and that many citizens move slowly and carefully from

[39:51] Woodland Terrace and Brunswick Pre-School Learning Center.

[39:56] Are you aware of the traffic caused by the in, the church, the daycare, and other businesses that slow as public works operations and traffic?

[40:06] and are you aware of the many recreational festivals and tournaments that bring additional traffic to the parks and riverfront that are only accessed by water street from downtown and all major roadways.

[40:20] Over the decades, many residents have lived a long water street and through that time the recreational use of the area has increased dramatically.

[40:30] Could the town of Brunswick pause phase 1A to consider the ways to further improve recreational use of the area rather than increase industrial use in an area that is environmentally sensitive?

[40:45] What are the plans for the increased traffic in future phases?

[40:51] What mitigation has been planned for the impact of fuel spills or industrial runoff into

[40:56] the Anders Kagan?

[40:58] We have a clean river now, and do you want to subject our groundwater and the river to

[41:05] leaks and spills?

[41:09] Every time gasoline is dispensed volatile organic compounds and benzene are emitted, benzene is

[41:16] This carcinogenic has anyone calculated how much cancer risk this represents given the proximity to many houses and businesses including those occupied by elderly and vulnerable residents and the children at the adjacent daycare center.

[41:31] What light air and water pollution studies have been conducted on the site and projected for the additional phases of the project?

[41:39] Are you certain that the site is viable for the proposed use?

[41:45] Are you aware that there is a town, cemetery, and the towns of the town's poor citizens on the site that needs ongoing protection or would those graves be dug up in the construction?

[41:58] How can our community work together with the town council and town staff to make sure the senior gardens are saved and water street is safer for all people traversing it, our oldest and youngest?

[42:11] And the many underscores and visitors, including pedestrians, cyclists, dog walkers, community

[42:16] rowers, and their schools and families, soccer teams, etc.

[42:24] Keeping the senior garden area where it is is important, if anything, they should grow

[42:29] bigger and more trees be planted.

[42:32] The gardens, is that me, keeping?

[42:35] If you could take a second to wrap up your comment, I would appreciate it.

[42:40] The gardens absorb carbon and particulates from Route 1, keeping them also adheres to the town's climate action plan,

[42:46] which states, Brunswick will decarbonize town operations and involve improve infrastructure to reduce emissions and build resiliency to climate change impacts.

[42:58] Can we keep or grow these gardens where they are?

[43:01] And there were a few other questions, but we'll get to it at some point.

[43:05] Thank you so much.

[43:07] Thank you, everyone.

[43:08] We are going to move to the manager's report.

[43:11] Thank you, Chair McDonald.

[43:13] So, second meeting of each month, I do a quick review of the previous month's financials.

[43:19] General fund budget results, year to date.

[43:25] But as usual, nothing totally out of the ordinary, on the revenue side actually excise tax

[43:34] was lower than it was last year.

[43:37] But that is reversing a little bit of a trend that we've been seeing.

[43:42] But we're still expecting it to be about 500,000 more than budgeted for the total year.

[43:50] And state revenue sharing is also reversing the trend.

[43:53] I've been saying it has been coming in lower than expected.

[43:56] It came in higher in May than it was last May and higher than budgeted by $80,000.

[44:03] So all my doom and gloom throughout the winter, we may actually make the budget on revenue sharing, which would be really nice.

[44:13] The other thing, I don't know if you've looked at the reports at all,

[44:16] but the $2 million for the McCoy property, that cash was received in May.

[44:22] So that is nice, that took a while.

[44:26] It was a conservation easement that was agreed upon by the council.

[44:30] But these things take time, so the closing was in May.

[44:35] So that conservation easement has been signed now.

[44:37] Can I make a little note about that?

[44:38] Yeah.

[44:40] The speaking of committees and task force and all these things,

[44:44] the McCoy Woods Task Force of the remaining 40 acres of

[44:47] developed land that is for the town. That task force is

[44:51] essentially going to be later this fall is kind of the rough timeline for it.

[44:57] We want to get through the Hopper and Task Force.

[45:00] First, understanding that we have all of these projects that are kind of happening, so we want to get through Hawthorne for us before that comes because staff capacity and, you know, timing of everything. So just to throw that out there as a caveat for this, because I know we talked about it when we put the easement on there that we were going to form that house for us, Councillor Ellis. That $2 million, as you mentioned, that's already been near Mark, is that correct, or is that, how did we pay for Columbus Drive? Like, wasn't the pass along for now? We didn't tie it directly, however.

[45:29] That is a nice trade-off, so that $2 million was appropriated from unassigned fund balance by the council, and this goes back into unassigned fund balance.

[45:39] So we are made whole by this, but the council did not specifically tie one contingent to the other.

[45:46] Nate, light up.

[45:51] Continue.

[45:52] And on the expenditure side, things are in line, even though we're in the 12th month of

[45:59] the year, we will of course be paying bills in July that relate to June, so we're not

[46:05] quite 11 months through the paying.

[46:08] We are trying to wrap up the fiscal year in the next two weeks.

[46:13] It's going to be fun and along these lines, I will point out that this is one of those

[46:20] months with an extra week in it, but the council does have a meeting.

[46:26] The last Monday in June, this is our annual end of year meeting, and it's when we'll do

[46:32] a few cleanup things, including look at the budget and see where the gaps are, where we

[46:40] and where we have overages and make some adjustments.

[46:45] Councillor Archer.

[46:47] Yeah, just a question back to the revenue and state revenue sharing.

[46:53] Any deeper insights to what's going on, why we thought it was going down and now it's

[46:58] going back up?

[46:59] Well, I think May, what you're realizing is, so revenue sharing is income and sales tax,

[47:05] Yeah.

[47:06] And so what this distributed in May is probably income tax that was collected in April.

[47:11] So it does always sort of go up and down, every May is higher.

[47:18] This May was a little higher than last May and it's all timing.

[47:26] So we should-

[47:26] I'm not sure why there was a real lull in the winter.

[47:29] We'll look for the next month to see how it comes in.

[47:33] Yeah.

[47:33] Exactly.

[47:34] We start to see a trend.

[47:36] All right.

[47:36] Thank you.

[47:40] So the next item on my report is about the Kasele Curbside collection.

[47:45] We've been, you know, as the council is aware, and we've heard from, um, certainly garbage

[47:51] to garden.

[47:53] The Kasele contract has a natural possible break in the middle of its 10-year period, and our

[48:01] assistant town manager, Assel, has written a memo and is going to make a little, is going

[48:06] to talk about it, he said of me.

[48:09] Yes, of me.

[48:11] J. Astell assistant town manager.

[48:15] As the town manager just said,

[48:16] I provided a memo in the packet regarding this issue.

[48:19] I'll just briefly summarize it.

[48:21] We have a 10-year contract that was negotiated in 2022

[48:25] with Kasella Waste to both hall.

[48:30] To hall our collected recyclables and trash

[48:33] from our curbside residents in Brunswick.

[48:37] We also have a companion 10-year agreement with EcoMain

[48:42] important to receive materials on our behalf, both trash and recycling.

[48:50] Those materials are swapped.

[48:53] The materials that are collected here, curbside, and runs it go to the

[48:57] Kasella transverse station in West Bath, and then Kasella.

[49:00] And then Kasella grabs materials off from their more local routes

[49:05] in Portland and Westbrook area and delivers them to ecomain in our name so that's the swap.

[49:15] We did that because it made sense at the time based on the hauling cost to take collection

[49:21] trucks off from our residential curbside routes and drive them all the way to Portland to dispose of those materials.

[49:34] in that 10-year contract we provided a five, we at our, at our request put in a five-year

[49:43] and out at five-year and opt out at five years exclusive to us with years notice for us to

[49:50] exercise that, that right, the deadline for that is June 30th, so coming right up.

[50:05] Staff has been

[50:06] I'm looking at this probably for the last four and a half years since we actually initiated the existing contract.

[50:13] Sustainability committee has talked about this topic for the last couple of years off and on.

[50:19] It came more to the forefront back in April when garbage to garden which is a provides trash and

[50:30] Herbside Recycling Service in Bath that at that time was their only municipal contract in Maine for that type of collection.

[50:39] They had approached the Sustainability Committee and gave a presentation and asked that they provide a recommendation to the council that we opt out of our contract.

[50:52] We subsequently meeting town staff met with garbage to garden to discuss that topic.

[50:58] And then staff subsequently met with Cassela to also talk about that topic, both of those meetings took place in May and as the mental states, staff strongly recommends us remaining in our existing contract for the five years left in it, which would take us to 2032.

[51:22] at that time we'll investigate what the landscape looks like for trash and recycling collection services and if it makes sense to go out to bid, we would strongly recommend going out to bid at that time, but currently it

[51:40] to staff does not make sense to do so. There's no guarantee that we'll have bidders. If we do go out to bid, we have no guarantee of what that price would be.

[51:48] It could be lower, it could be higher.

[51:51] I provided a table in the memo that shows some recent examples of

[52:01] collections, curbside collections, residential curbside collections that were put out to bid and what the results were.

[52:07] In terms of who was bidding and what those prices were per stop just to give you a sense of the landscape and the context in which we're talking.

[52:16] You can see what our price is per stop, which is $118 per stop that is in line with most

[52:27] of the winning bids for those contracts.

[52:29] You can see the vast range of costs all the way up to more than $300 per stop.

[52:38] Each town is its own flavor and has different nuances to their collection requirements.

[52:44] the cost per stop in Bath, which was awarded last year to

[52:49] garbage to garden, is under $100 primarily because Bath is

[52:54] a compact community in comparison to Brunswick has about

[52:59] a third of the number of residents.

[53:02] Community like Lewiston, where the collection is more complicated,

[53:06] you'll see higher cost per stops in the $200 range.

[53:10] So, it just gives you the sense of where our number falls, and it is anything but clear

[53:18] that our current price per stop is out of whack, and that would make sense.

[53:24] We negotiated it four and a half years ago and or three and a half years ago, and the

[53:30] marketplace has only gone up in terms of labor costs.

[53:35] We know that from the municipality, we know our own personnel cost and what that looks like.

[53:41] Solid waste collection is no different.

[53:44] So to reasonably think that we'll obtain a better price, simply because two people might bid on the contract.

[53:54] Yeah, that might happen, but there's no guarantee of it, we have an existing contract, we know what our costs are going to be in the next.

[54:02] over the remaining five years of the contract and I think again staff's belief is we know

[54:11] what we have right now, it makes sense to us in terms of the current landscape and again

[54:17] at the expiration of this contract in 2032, I think we had looked to put it out to bid and

[54:23] see what companies are out there that are bidding.

[54:26] Garbage to Garden, as I mentioned, Bath was their first residential solid waste collection in

[54:32] trash and recycling in Maine. So they've been doing that for 11 months. They were just awarded the

[54:39] Scarborough bid that was from this spring. So that will be their second municipal contract.

[54:44] If they were going to bid on Brunswick five years from now, that's a pretty good track record to

[54:52] look at, certainly better than 11 months. I think I'll stop right there and I know there's

[55:00] probably questions, so let me turn it back over to Council.

[55:08] I'll just mention a couple other things in here. When I don't think I always keep bringing

[55:15] this up. When the town started collecting on private roads, there was an addition of 300

[55:22] stops that were added to the collection routes, and Cassela did not increase their rates at that time.

[55:28] And that was part of the partnership that we've been having.

[55:31] As Jay said, staff really doesn't feel that this is a prudent thing to open the contract at this point.

[55:39] When you have negotiated a contract four years ago, we know what has happened with prices.

[55:47] prices, we are very expecting that prices would be more.

[55:53] I also would always want to be sure that we are not just going by price.

[55:59] We really look at the track record of any contract we do.

[56:04] We ask for qualifications and references.

[56:07] We follow up on references and we would want to make sure that not only could we sign a

[56:13] contract for a given price, but that contract would deliver.

[56:18] And that is a big concern of mine.

[56:20] I would love to see garbage to garden succeed in Scarborough.

[56:24] That is going to be interesting.

[56:26] That's going to be a big lift.

[56:27] They're starting in July.

[56:29] They don't even have trucks yet, but they say they can rent them.

[56:32] So I think my recommendation of the council and it has been to staff is that we watch garbage

[56:41] to garden and we see what they do. They've had a challenge in bath. We've spoken to the staff

[56:49] and some of the people who live there. They're getting there. It's great. Like, if they've done

[56:55] garbage to garden, of course, is known for composting and they will say, we do, you know,

[57:00] we have the Boston contract. It is for composting and I think that's really what they're known for

[57:06] and they're getting into the trash and recycling, that would be good.

[57:11] The other thing that Jay doesn't emphasize is this unique swap arrangement we have.

[57:19] When we're talking about wanting to support eco-main to be in a partnership with eco-main,

[57:25] but it's far away.

[57:27] And just having the trucks on the road back and forth is not just cost, but it's an environmental

[57:32] question.

[57:33] And that was this swap arrangement where the trash and recycling from that area can go in equivalent amount.

[57:42] And, you know, some people at the time said, but it's our trash.

[57:47] We want our trash and you domain it.

[57:49] If you look at it from a regional perspective, it's better for everybody if our equivalent amount of trash goes.

[57:58] we have had no issues. This is the other piece. When I look at a problem, I say, do we have an issue here?

[58:08] We haven't heard any complaints from people. I did hear people think that Casselia isn't recycling properly,

[58:16] and I'm interested in that. I'm going to follow up on that, where that impression comes from. I've heard that,

[58:23] And I don't know why they have the same recycling procedures as eco-may, and they use the same

[58:30] resellers as my understanding, but I'm going to look into that a little bit more as well.

[58:36] So, anyway, my recommendation is not to open the contract at this time.

[58:41] I don't think we have a problem, and I don't think we would make it better.

[58:48] So, if Councillors have questions, that would be the time, and then after the Manager's report,

[58:52] Or if there's a motion that wants to be made that's contrary to what this town staff is recommending that would be the time to do so.

[59:00] Question from Councillor Teammate.

[59:03] Yeah, so what I had heard and I'd love to know more about this is, does the majority of Brunswick's trash end up at the Juniper Ridge landfill currently?

[59:16] I know there's a swap arrangement, but that is the actual destination for most of our literal trash, is that right?

[59:22] 100% of our trash goes to Juniper Ridge.

[59:25] So even though Portland is a ways away, it's actually having to go all the way up to Old Town at the moment,

[59:30] which probably has much higher carbon emissions than driving them to Portland.

[59:35] I know we're not having to pay for the fuel by it.

[59:38] No, can I interject?

[59:39] So yes, 100% of our trash of our trash goes to Juniper Ridge.

[59:43] But we're taking an equivalent amount of trash that would be going to Juniper Ridge is instead going to Eco-Main.

[59:48] So, and that would be going from Portland all the way to Juniper Ridge.

[59:52] So the savings is actually saving a little bit more because trash would be going from

[59:57] Brunswick to Juniper Ridge as opposed to Portland to China.

[1:00:00] So I'll also say our trash goes first to Westbath, right, where it's consolidated with others. So it's not a single truck that is a single packer truck that's driving all the way up to general bridge, which is what it would have to be if garbage to garden were to do the collection, drive down. And that's what, what, because Selah would also have had to do if we wanted our trash to go to South Portland, they would have had to drive the packer truck down there. Right now, I mean,

[1:00:29] and you can describe it better than I can.

[1:00:31] I believe our trash goes to West Bath

[1:00:33] where it's consolidated.

[1:00:35] And is that more efficient?

[1:00:37] It's hauled in a larger quantity.

[1:00:40] Yeah, 100 cubic yard trailer, I would say.

[1:00:45] Other question I had.

[1:00:46] So the staff memo focuses on the concept

[1:00:52] of putting it out to bid and that I'm new here on the council.

[1:00:57] So that terminology is referring to getting

[1:00:59] competing bids for the same contract that we have, is that right?

[1:01:04] Like, what's different between, because what I've been hearing is a separate RFP process

[1:01:09] to hear what different companies might be able to do, which sounds different than putting

[1:01:14] it out to bid.

[1:01:15] Can you?

[1:01:16] Yeah, but what we do would be issue a request for proposals on a service scope that we write,

[1:01:25] So it would be based on what we likely, based on what we do right now.

[1:01:29] So we have a set of parameters that we would then issue out and prospective companies would bid on that service that we have described.

[1:01:38] And then the last part is one thing that came up at the Casela presentation.

[1:01:44] Before the Sustainability Committee, it was that they do offer curbside compost pickup as something that they could provide.

[1:01:54] You might, you know, this might be a question for Cassela, but would adding something like that,

[1:01:59] you know, be a separate contract or so we wouldn't have to cancel the current contract

[1:02:04] to add additional things to it as long as like both parties agreed.

[1:02:09] Yeah, if we wanted to do, let's just say a pilot program of residential curbside

[1:02:15] compost pickup probably weekly, which we've talked about in sustainability committee a couple of years

[1:02:21] years ago, yeah, that would be a standalone contract and it could be with anybody, it could

[1:02:26] be with Kasella, it could be with Garber's to Garden, it could be with Agricycle, which

[1:02:30] is who does our drop-off collection sites.

[1:02:33] So yeah, we wouldn't have to do anything with our existing contract.

[1:02:37] It would just be a standalone additional contract.

[1:02:40] Thank you.

[1:02:43] Councillor Hicks, and then I'll go to Councillor Arles.

[1:02:45] So the rate for this calendar, this fiscal year, you have listed.

[1:02:50] And so I imagine it goes up, so what we, what Cassel charges us for this, for this past year.

[1:02:57] So how, what is the percentage increase per year in the contract?

[1:03:03] It's based on the consumer price index and there is also a fuel escalator as well based on fuel prices.

[1:03:10] So would you imagine that any bid, any bid would or any response to an RFP would most likely include that type of increase?

[1:03:19] So they would use those rates for the annual increases.

[1:03:24] I know that the Scarborough bids both by Kacela and by Carbors-Shagard and

[1:03:30] he used a consumer price index as the escalator.

[1:03:34] So we're working, this is for the entire contract.

[1:03:37] We're working at this number plus any increase that's a standard across the board increase fuel and CPU.

[1:03:46] you. And then my other, just a comment, is the, the whole point that we use WestBaths

[1:03:55] transfer, or it's a transfer station, but it's also, is that a landfill as well in WestBath?

[1:04:01] And that's a transfer station. And so we're using WestBaths transfer station because Brunswick

[1:04:06] doesn't have a transfer station. And so I'm more interested, just for the record,

[1:04:13] I'm more interested in, I'm less interested in renewing a con or putting our contract at the bid, I'm more interested in figuring out how we might be able to get a transfer station in Brunswick, which is a much larger discussion, but I think that that will will always be in a pickle with our provider services, as long as we don't really have a way to consolidate our trash.

[1:04:41] We're going to be reliant on West Bath and that costs money as well.

[1:04:47] So I just really would like over the years, next few years.

[1:04:50] And then as we're talking about public works facility, I think there's a tie-in.

[1:04:54] I think we have a lot of public works, big idea jobs here.

[1:04:58] We have to really think holistically about how we're dealing with waste management and

[1:05:03] how we're doing our public works facilities.

[1:05:08] I think there's a lot of tie-in there.

[1:05:10] So just putting that out there as well.

[1:05:12] So thank you for the memo and explaining everything, Jay.

[1:05:15] Councillor O'Rillis.

[1:05:17] I just want to make sure that my understanding is correct on what we're talking about.

[1:05:22] If we are to opt out now, that in essence ends the services with Kasella in a year.

[1:05:30] And they're neither required to bid nor certainly required to continue at the same terms that

[1:05:37] they're paying today.

[1:05:38] So that would be one wild card in there.

[1:05:42] The other thing, you have rates in here per pick up.

[1:05:46] Is that actually how we pay or do we pay a set contractual rate

[1:05:49] and you just did the calculation to figure out the pick up, right?

[1:05:52] So if we add 400 homes, and actually take that number back,

[1:05:56] we're not adding 100 homes.

[1:05:57] If we added 10 homes to Brunswick in the coming year,

[1:06:00] that doesn't change what we're doing with that.

[1:06:03] Yeah, it's typical to break it down

[1:06:07] on a per stop basis however the contract is a lump sum if you will for actually trash collection

[1:06:16] and recycling collection and so there's actually two parts they're both the same they're identical

[1:06:21] because in Bonswick we have weekly collection of both and they happen simultaneous usually with a

[1:06:26] split body truck but guys it just for ease of comparison a number of stops matters because there's

[1:06:34] a lot of factors that go into the pricing equation, number stops and miles driven would factor

[1:06:40] in pretty heavily on that. And then final question. When we put this out to bid in 2022,

[1:06:48] how many competitive bids did we get in that process? We did not put it out to bid in 2022.

[1:06:54] We just negotiated off the back of existing contract. So when was the last time we put this out for

[1:07:00] competitive bit. I don't believe it ever has been okay. It may be at its inception in 2003,

[1:07:08] but I wasn't around then. I don't know if it was put out to it at any

[1:07:13] junk point between then and okay. I don't know. I do not believe it has been put out to it.

[1:07:24] So what are the things I would say? So out of the questions and into the observations,

[1:07:27] I would say with this, what concerns me is that we're basically pressed, if you will, to make a decision because it has to be made by June 30th.

[1:07:35] And if I were looking to do bidding on this, I would have wanted to have done a whole lot more homework leading up to this because I completely hear what the town manager is saying, which, you know, it's the burden of hand versus the two in the bush.

[1:07:51] And I don't know if there are any birds in that bush, and so I'm worried about that, and I'm worried that for me a decision tonight has to factor that in, because if we were to say, let's go with what the sustainability committee is suggesting over what town staff is saying, we're basically taking on that risk of, well, what will that look like, because in essence burning the contract, the burden of hand that we have today, and while I would definitely say,

[1:08:20] And I think there'll be some who might support this.

[1:08:22] I think 20, however many years it's been without a competitive bid is probably too long.

[1:08:28] I think I would love to see more regular cadence to that and maybe even policy around cadence to that.

[1:08:35] But to make a decision now under such a short time window without having a good understanding to that,

[1:08:40] I would not feel comfortable changing surfaces at this time because I do agree one of the most important things they do

[1:08:46] is actually pick up the trash and take it and make sure that it happens. And certainly

[1:08:51] price is a component of that. You could see that within the bids. I think there's only

[1:08:54] one town where the higher bidder beat out a lower bidder, right?

[1:09:00] Yeah, can I address that? So in Gorham, a couple of years ago, the two bidders were Casela

[1:09:05] and Alagash, which is a wind and based company. So it was a proximate to Gorham. They had

[1:09:12] No municipal contracts whatsoever, they bid on this, and the discussion in Gorham was,

[1:09:17] hey, here's a lower bidder, however, we have concerns that there's no track record on the company doing curbside residential collection.

[1:09:26] And if you're not in the business, you don't understand how complicated it is.

[1:09:32] I mean, it's a weekly task, you're reliant on trucks and personnel on those trucks.

[1:09:38] and it isn't a, you know, go hire a paving contractor,

[1:09:43] and for six weeks they're paving, and then you're done with it.

[1:09:46] It's every single resident is affected by this service every week.

[1:09:51] And to engor- the process that played out in Gorum,

[1:09:56] the conversation was like, yeah, we're going to go.

[1:09:58] We'd love to see more of a track record from Allicash.

[1:10:01] The price looks great, however, because I was proven

[1:10:05] then through number of communities over a number of years,

[1:10:09] as well as other companies, not Aligash,

[1:10:13] that do that that have been a business for a while and know how to do this business.

[1:10:17] And yes, so that's why you see that one in particular and why I included it is,

[1:10:21] because it wasn't the low bidder but the discussion centered around ability to serve that contract.

[1:10:30] And so I guess I would just wrap up with saying, I mean, if we are going to put something to bid, I would love to see a longer lead time into getting into that.

[1:10:38] So I just want to reassure you that as Jay said, the last four months, Saf has been thinking about it, and certainly is trying to identify like we candidates.

[1:10:49] I mean, garbage to garden, volunteered themselves, waste management, you've looked at them, right?

[1:10:55] I mean, you obviously called aligash, so it isn't that we haven't identified other potentials.

[1:11:04] We just, and this has been the problem here, and hopefully we'll get better, is that there hasn't been competition.

[1:11:12] I would also just let me add one thing, which Councillor Ellis had talked about.

[1:11:18] But so if we exit the contract and we give notice by June 30th, we don't immediately

[1:11:25] put it out to bid.

[1:11:28] It would be too premature.

[1:11:29] Nobody's going to bid on it a year ahead of time because the market is volatile.

[1:11:33] Nobody knows what the costs are going to be next year and so traditionally you'd put

[1:11:37] a contract like this out to bid in January or February, the latest march for a July 1 start.

[1:11:44] So somebody that tells me today, I'm going to bid on this, I'm like, well you're not going

[1:11:48] have an opportunity to bid on it for eight months and I don't know what's going to happen and your

[1:11:52] intentions today might be yeah I want to bid on that but then I don't know like anything can fall

[1:11:57] through over the next eight months the landscape changes the market changes and again a lot of risk

[1:12:03] for potentially a little bit of reward if we were able to get lower bits. I'll jump to you in just one

[1:12:11] second just to provide a piece of clarity to the reason I did not put this as an agenda item as

[1:12:17] Chair because that's my kind of prerogative of doing so, is because I didn't think it was the best interest of the town to leave that contract.

[1:12:24] The information that I've been given from staff, the letter that we got from the sustainability committee that didn't have any concrete examples of any benefit that would come from switching providers did not give me any, I guess information that would lead me to believe that we should consider this item.

[1:12:42] The Sustainability Committee had about a three-minute conversation after a presentation that from a provider that they wanted us to do this, but there was no debate on the sustainability, like the merits of the sustainability efforts of both Cassala or garbage to garden.

[1:12:59] The letter that was sent to council only said we just don't like the swap, and that was the end of it, and that it might be better bidding way to a better number.

[1:13:10] And that's personally, as somebody who was in charge of the Appointments Committee for a long time or a couple of years was that that's not their charge.

[1:13:18] Their charge is to look at the sustainability efforts and none of that was brought forth.

[1:13:23] So given that we have no issue with our current provider, we weren't given any information to say otherwise as to why we should change providers.

[1:13:31] And that staff also didn't recommend it, that's why it didn't make the agenda.

[1:13:34] But I put it in the manager's report or asked to put it in the manager's report because I thought it was a good point of information for us to talk about so

[1:13:41] That's how we got to at least this point

[1:13:44] Just so we're all on the same page. Councilor weems

[1:13:47] Yeah, thank you chair McDonald. I'm going to protest that in the strongest possible way

[1:13:54] And have quite a bit to say on the substance of the matter, but I'm going to park that for now and

[1:14:01] just know that we are

[1:14:03] are in the manager's report and holding the rest of the agenda hostage while we actually

[1:14:09] have quite a discussion about this. So I would much prefer to put it on as an adjustment

[1:14:18] to the agenda and make that either I or some other council or make that suggestion at

[1:14:28] the end of the managers report so we can finish that. Decide whether we're going to add it to the

[1:14:34] agenda or not so we could continue if we decide to do it and if not, if not, not. Yep.

[1:14:43] Were there any questions that folks need before that? Yeah, Councillor Perl.

[1:14:47] Just I just want some clarification with the 300 private road collections. Are they driving down

[1:14:55] on the private roads to make the collections.

[1:15:01] I just as a person that owned a road that was private for a very long time, that that never happened. I don't understand why that's happening now without the private roads reimbursing the town for that. We made a change to our ordinance over a year ago where we initiated private road collection of curbside trash and recycling so that those private residents didn't need to bring it out to the road. However, the private road association

[1:15:30] need to, their road had to meet certain standards of hours, and also indemnification of the town, as well as our provider tooled out for that to happen.

[1:15:47] That's why.

[1:15:52] I have some real issues with that, but obviously I wasn't on the council then.

[1:15:58] Well, not seeing any questions will continue the matters report, and then we'll do the motion that I'm expecting.

[1:16:04] I have two questions, I'm happy to wait and have those during the item if we have an item.

[1:16:10] Sure, okay.

[1:16:12] Let's hold it next item on the matters report.

[1:16:16] So this one for Clerk Smith, as was said by one of the people in the public comment, the election was amazing.

[1:16:24] Good job.

[1:16:25] Thanks.

[1:16:27] You know, it takes a village to do an election.

[1:16:31] So I wanted to obviously think the first and foremost the voters of the community.

[1:16:37] We came out in record numbers.

[1:16:39] We had a 7,735 people vote, which is about 48% of our active voters.

[1:16:48] And quite certain we're probably a state leader.

[1:16:53] And the new location is awesome, so thank you, support of that.

[1:16:58] And again, I want especially to thank our election workers, my staff, who gave up a lot of time with their families to work extra time to make sure that the election ran smoothly.

[1:17:10] So having said that, we had a great election, but never seems to end, so I guess not thinking about the next one, which will be, and it'll obviously be a governance race in November.

[1:17:20] remember, but it's also an opportunity for people to take out nomination papers for

[1:17:25] a school board and town council.

[1:17:28] In this year, we have districts 5, 7, and one of the at large are up in both the town

[1:17:35] council and the school board.

[1:17:38] Nomination papers are going to be available beginning on Thursday, July 23rd.

[1:17:44] Doesn't mean you have to come in that day.

[1:17:46] But that's when you can begin to come in and get them.

[1:17:50] And they will do back on Tuesday, September 8th, so it gives you a good amount of time.

[1:17:57] If anyone has any questions, feel free to call our office, 725-6658, and we will be glad to answer any questions.

[1:18:11] Thank you, Clicksmith and the last.

[1:18:13] So, Tedford Housing was going to report, but they have asked to postpone, so we're going to go right to our next report, which is on the Restoration Advisory Board and David Page is here to present that report.

[1:18:27] Well,

[1:18:47] we're running a late, so I will keep it brief.

[1:18:53] I'm David Page. I'm the Council's representative to the Restoration Advisory Board that oversees working with the Navy, the conduct of the Restoration and Remediation and Reuse of the former

[1:19:08] Our forensic naval air station and we need three times a year.

[1:19:15] One of my duties in representing the town is to bring back and make present to the town

[1:19:22] a report on the high points of what happened with necessary materials to see the slides and

[1:19:31] so forth.

[1:19:33] This is the May 21st Restoration Advisory Committee which took place in these chambers.

[1:19:42] And one of the nice things the Navy did was that like the Brunswick Town Council, they

[1:19:50] allowed for public comment period, which is the first and they should be congratulated

[1:19:58] for that, and there were many, many comments from the public.

[1:20:03] Of note is that the Navy reported that the treatment of the Jordan Avenue well field

[1:20:10] for PFAS at the forensic top, some water district will be complete and online by the end

[1:20:17] of this year, and the other thing is that the Navy will be paying for the upkeep and operation

[1:20:24] and maintenance of this for 30 years, which is a statutory time, if needs be it will continue

[1:20:34] to be supported for another 30 years, I suppose, into eternity.

[1:20:41] The Navy also announced something important that they were putting in a new groundwater

[1:20:48] water extraction well to specifically treat PFAS contamination at a major

[1:20:56] hotspot, groundwater hotspot between sort of hanger four and that ponday the

[1:21:03] first of the chain of ponds. And this is using the same resin, the same

[1:21:09] material used to purify the water at the water district facility. So this will

[1:21:17] hopefully be online by this time next year and hopefully be the first of many because there's a big

[1:21:27] groundwater problem.

[1:21:31] One of the frustrations during the comment period which is perennial is the

[1:21:37] lack of the Navy sharing information freely in a timely way and we keep letting them know that

[1:21:46] that's true. The other big issue with residents has been the status of residential well testing

[1:21:59] by the Navy and there is a specific number of residential wells owners that the Navy

[1:22:07] is contacted by means of their process but that doesn't mean that all the wells that

[1:22:14] should be tested or being tested and there are a number of private well owners using private

[1:22:20] money to test their wells for PFAS and this will be an ongoing thing for some time to

[1:22:29] come. One of the areas of concern is Princess Point Road, where some of the residential

[1:22:36] wells have elevated levels of PFOA in particular, one of the two super fun listed PFOA species,

[1:22:48] the other being PFOAS, and they're both associated with far retardant A-TripleF firefighting

[1:23:01] foam, which is in use at the Naval Air Station.

[1:23:03] since the early 70s. That's over 50 years.

[1:23:12] The Navy is also taken over the study of the

[1:23:21] stormwater system, which is currently owned by Mera, but the Navy, you know, they inherited

[1:23:28] it from the Navy and the stormwater system is in poor shape. The Navy has been doing their

[1:23:35] own study. They found that it's a major source of groundwater containing PFAS that winds up

[1:23:46] going into surface water and into harpsilal cove eventually. And so they're going to, they're

[1:23:54] Their file report, which will hopefully be next year, will come with recommendations for

[1:23:59] mitigation by the Navy.

[1:24:02] So they're taking that in hand, which is good.

[1:24:06] And the other thing is that many of the people who spoke at the three-minute session, we're

[1:24:21] We're concerned about the lack of concern about human health related issues associated

[1:24:27] with PFAS in the groundwater and in the soil on the base.

[1:24:35] And the Navy said that their responsibility was basically the site and not whatever's

[1:24:47] on the site is going to do to human health or whatever.

[1:24:50] And that was the EEP's job to do that in EPA, and left it at that deep, now to my knowledge

[1:25:00] DEP had no position at that meeting concerning the human health issue.

[1:25:06] And hopefully with a new governor, we will have a more environment human health directed focus

[1:25:16] focus on this situation at Brunswick Landing.

[1:25:21] Finally, a personal thought, and that is that given the uncertainties in support by the current administration of,

[1:25:30] for PFAS remediation over the next few years, there's concern that Brunswick Naval Air Station may get lost in the shuffle because area-wise it's not a large facility,

[1:25:43] facility like Peace Air Force Base, and that we may wind up having the remaining properties

[1:25:55] transferred to public use with a contamination in place with land use controls placed on it.

[1:26:01] And I hope the town is very mindful of not getting stuck with something that they may regret

[1:26:10] at 30, 50 years from now.

[1:26:14] So that's my report, and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

[1:26:17] And again, I'm more than happy to receive any emails in particular from Council members

[1:26:25] who have specific questions about any matter concerning the base.

[1:26:31] Thank you.

[1:26:33] Questions of Council?

[1:26:35] Councillor Acker.

[1:26:37] Thank you, Dr. Page.

[1:26:40] Back on the tour that happened in the meeting back in May, which was really good, there were at least three major kind of investigations underway.

[1:26:54] I know the overall RI, but there was base-wide groundwater monitoring done last fall, and we're supposed to see a technical memo soon on that.

[1:27:06] Is that right? That's one piece. I'll give you all three. The second was they were

[1:27:11] going to be testing these private drinking water wells this spring, if I understood

[1:27:16] it right, because notice is it gone out. So they thought results might be around 30 to 60

[1:27:22] days later. So maybe we see those this fall. And the third piece was, if I heard it right,

[1:27:28] they were doing additional shallow and deep groundwater testing around hangar six this summer.

[1:27:36] So it seems like there's more activity finally, you know, finally in the workflow for them actually

[1:27:44] doing testing that's going to result in results that we can look at. So I just I wonder with you've

[1:27:53] been involved in this so long, I'm wondering what's your best guess on when we'll see this

[1:28:00] all come together. Is this a matter of later this year or is this years from now that

[1:28:06] we'll be able to see the data, the work they've been doing over the past nine months?

[1:28:12] Well, Council Hacker is very difficult to say.

[1:28:18] We're still waiting to see the data from 2022-2023 that was presented in May at the

[1:28:28] rad meeting in 2024, which the biota data was the study that showed the very high contaminant

[1:28:37] levels before some fish rendering, and the main CDC has issued a warning that the other

[1:28:46] fish basically in the near-brook-american extreme, the other ponds are unsafe to eat, and

[1:28:55] so we have seen the biota data from that because the main CDC got it, but we haven't seen

[1:29:04] any of the other data yet in numerical form.

[1:29:08] And so it kind of varies when the Navy, you know, kind of less things out.

[1:29:13] Hopefully, you know, we'll see, you know, the groundwater study memorandum that comes

[1:29:21] out.

[1:29:22] But, you know, it's not always done quickly.

[1:29:27] I think the studies that are currently underway, one of which is to identify the source of the contamination of the Brunswick-Topsim water district during avenue well field is very important because that's focuses on an area, the northern part of the base has not been gotten much attention for the Navy before.

[1:29:55] before 2022.

[1:30:00] And so they're going at that, which is very good in the area around hangar six is I think is part of that study. In terms of the deep bedrock studies, again, they're sort of, they're doing sampling at certain locations, but they really have a information need.

[1:30:28] in the southern part of the base down by Prince's point,

[1:30:33] which they have not yet studied in any way at all.

[1:30:39] And because that aquifer originates from the north,

[1:30:46] and the time and pressure will get them,

[1:30:49] I'm sure, to do that.

[1:30:51] And the concern there is because originally in 1970,

[1:30:58] When the Navy required shoreline facilities to have the A-Triple F-based fire suppression

[1:31:06] systems that they had on vessels, in forensic naval air station, they started out with PFOA,

[1:31:13] the base of the atriple F, which was quickly superseded by 1975 with PFOS-based stuff.

[1:31:28] This is all 3M material, and what to do with, you know, many thousands and thousands

[1:31:36] of gallons of PFOA-based stuff, well, it got dumped at Site 11, which is near where

[1:31:45] you know, you visited there. It was the old fire training area. And that's kind of

[1:31:52] is working its way southward in the deep bedrock. So the whole thing is a more complicated

[1:32:01] story, then the Navy knows now, but they're doing it by their procedures and by their book.

[1:32:12] And they will get there sooner or later.

[1:32:14] So I'm not anticipating, you know, this RI and things to be wrapped up anytime soon, you

[1:32:23] know, probably not by 2030, certainly.

[1:32:25] Okay.

[1:32:29] I guess one other thing if I could just ask, one of the most important things I think is the private wells.

[1:32:37] So presumably when those get tested if they see hits there, then there'll be some immediate action.

[1:32:43] We may not know who's wells are taking action on, but presumably they don't wait to 2030 to do something about that.

[1:32:51] Well, the private wells the Navy's attesting are wells that meet certain Navy criteria for

[1:33:00] further testing and thereby no means all the wells that should be tested so that the

[1:33:10] Navy has their set procedure and I forget how many but it's not, I think it's 17, it's not

[1:33:14] a large number of wells, and that's why you have many people, many residents, using private

[1:33:29] funding from various sources, including their own pocket, to test their own wells.

[1:33:35] and so there's, Brunswick United in particular, is amassing a good database of information

[1:33:45] on residential wells.

[1:33:51] Any further questions, Councilor Weems?

[1:33:54] It's not a question.

[1:33:56] I'm just compelled to issue my, and I think maybe I can speak on behalf of the Council and

[1:34:02] the town, heartfelt thanks to Dr. Page for his consistent and tireless work on his

[1:34:11] over so many years, to the extent that the Navy is getting the message, and even at their

[1:34:19] own glacial pace, kind of doing things that make a little more sense, is because of the

[1:34:24] work of the good doctor and the Brunswick area citizens for a safe environment.

[1:34:30] And your role on that just been exemplary, and thank you very, very much.

[1:34:35] And thank you, Councillor Wayne.

[1:34:38] So I'd just like to conclude by thanking Town Manager Hensley because we have made a lot of progress as the town manager will verify in improving the rights and relationships of the town of Brunswick.

[1:34:59] vis-a-vis this ongoing process, in the past, the town of Brunswick was basically ignored

[1:35:06] by the Navy, ignored by the various regulatory agencies, and we are now kind of gotten

[1:35:13] in the loop, and just sort of expressing Brunswick's rights and needs in this whole process.

[1:35:24] Yes, it's a little late in the day, but it's also a large part due to LD 1637, which is the bill that reformed the mirror yet, not yet, but it's working on it.

[1:35:40] So, thank you, town manager.

[1:35:44] Thank you for your report.

[1:35:48] Before we move to public hearings, there may be a motion on the table, customer.

[1:35:52] Yeah,

[1:35:57] so I guess I'm motioning to add an agenda item for discussion.

[1:36:01] Item number 79.

[1:36:03] Thank you.

[1:36:04] So motion to add item 79, which is an action item to discuss the current disposal contract.

[1:36:13] Precisely, thank you, Chair.

[1:36:15] Okay, good.

[1:36:18] So it's a motion by Councillor Teami, is there a second, seconded by Councillor Weems.

[1:36:23] Is there any discussion, discussions limited to just whether or not we should add it to the agenda?

[1:36:27] I'm not seeing any discussion. I will call the vote. Councillor Ellis. Yes. Councillor

[1:36:35] Ecker. I'm going to recuse myself. Okay. Councillor Perrault. Yes.

[1:36:43] Councillor Hicks. Yes. Councillor Teemee. Yes. Councillor Weems. Yes. The Chair is

[1:36:52] As in no, the motion passes five to one.

[1:36:55] Moving on to public hearings, we're going to go to item number 74.

[1:37:00] The town council will hear public comments to adopt an ordinance authorizing the funding and acquisition of a new fire engine with total project costs not to exceed 1,250,000 plus any other cost authorized here under and further authorizing issuance of bonds and notes in the amount not to exceed 1,250,000 plus cost of issuance plus any of those.

[1:37:22] additional appropriation authorized here under, and we'll take any appropriate action.

[1:37:28] I'm going to open the public hearing and ask the town manager to introduce the item.

[1:37:33] Thank you, Chair McDonald.

[1:37:34] So in the packet is a memo from me that is more about the financing side of it.

[1:37:39] And there's a memo from Chief Brillant, which is about the actual acquisition and

[1:37:44] the fire engine.

[1:37:48] I know he has spoken to this council numerous times about it through the CIP process, and

[1:37:54] for the public hearing he's going to give a brief introduction as well.

[1:37:58] Good evening, Ken Bryant and the fire chief.

[1:38:01] Good to see everyone tonight.

[1:38:04] I know you've all seen it at least once.

[1:38:06] I actually came home.

[1:38:08] Oh.

[1:38:11] Councillor Wilson, we can hear you.

[1:38:13] Thank you.

[1:38:21] You've all seen this at least once.

[1:38:22] I'm going to run back through it to the slide show that from the CIP process, regarding the trucks.

[1:38:30] So we have two engines, engines one and three, they're twins, they're purchased in 2009 for 135,000 each.

[1:38:37] These numbers are accurate as of this morning during their weekly daily truck checks.

[1:38:43] Engine 1 of 94,370 miles, a little over 7,000 hours, and 94,637 for engine 3 with 7,200 plus hours.

[1:38:56] The given idea average is 30 to 33 miles per hour, so based on those hours, the wear and

[1:39:04] tear on the engine has the equivalent of just over 200,000 miles each.

[1:39:08] Just a little comparison, Engine 2, which was purchased in 2018 at about $200,000 more, is at $77,451 miles and $6,200 hours.

[1:39:22] I say that because part of the issue is that with these two trucks being, I'm not going to want to advance, there we go, both trucks were purchased at the same time, which was a good deal.

[1:39:36] The problem is that the process of replacing a truck about every seven to eight years or so it started a very bad ripple effect.

[1:39:48] So now we don't have that spread out.

[1:39:51] Those trucks are starting to catch up to each other very quickly.

[1:39:55] So we have age in use issues, electrical issues, corrosion issues.

[1:39:59] We're finding some parts.

[1:40:02] parts, those two engines we found out there were six trucks that that company built that

[1:40:09] had an independent front suspension that they no longer make.

[1:40:14] So to find parts for the actual suspension which we've had to do has not been easy and

[1:40:20] sometimes very expensive and sometimes very long weight period.

[1:40:25] So we're trying to fix some of those issues as well as spread the costs of truck replacements out just a little bit.

[1:40:38] And that's what I said, we're trying to spread that separation of the two trucks.

[1:40:43] Replacement schedule will be easier, not two trucks at the same time.

[1:40:46] Remember, right now the tower, which has already been ordered, and we're waiting for it to be built and it's closer to 28 before it'll be arrived, that's a little over $2 million.

[1:40:58] These engines were asking to spend no more than $1.2 million in change and that gives you an idea since 2018 now we're over a million dollars.

[1:41:10] The prices are going up with everything across the country so we're trying to spread that out, we're trying to get that replacement which used to be a 25-year replacement for a fire truck, an engine.

[1:41:22] The way we're using them now, for us, 25 years is just too long, it's too long, and we need to spread that out, and we need to cushion that a little bit.

[1:41:32] And there are other option would be to consider adding a fourth engine to the fleet.

[1:41:37] Again, there's a big expense, not just in the truck and the maintenance, but also the equipment to put on it.

[1:41:43] If we take a truck out of service, we can't just quickly load, unload 1,000 feet of large

[1:41:51] jam and hose and put it on the other truck.

[1:41:53] The air packs, all the hand tools, all the small adapters and those types of things.

[1:41:58] We already move some of that equipment around but we don't, the larger stuff, the hose

[1:42:02] and that we don't.

[1:42:03] So adding a fourth truck to the fleet, I don't know if that's really in the cards at this

[1:42:07] time.

[1:42:08] I'd rather CS purchase the engine now and try to move one of the other twins out a little bit further over the next couple of years so we can get some separation in our capital projects for a vehicle replacement, I think we can go one more slide.

[1:42:27] So our purchasing options, you know, customized truck would take upwards to three to four years depending on where you go.

[1:42:33] So when this process started, as I said in the memo, I worked with the local vendor who is E1,

[1:42:41] which we have mostly E1s in our fleet, and they have a new series, which is a almost

[1:42:48] fully customized truck, but not completely, so it's customizable to a certain extent,

[1:42:53] but has limited options when you do that.

[1:42:57] And that is the vehicle that I spoke about in the memo that the vendor turned around and ordered

[1:43:02] as a demo, which is only 12 to 14 months turnaround.

[1:43:10] And so, with that in mind, we're also working with a second vendor, Pierce manufacturing

[1:43:15] to come up with a price to see who's the best price and the best deal for the town.

[1:43:22] I would just tell you that if it is Pierce, by time you order a truck, there'll be in the

[1:43:28] same process of that 12 to 14 months from the order date, which wouldn't be until after July.

[1:43:35] So, a lot of moving parts here, we're just trying to do the best thing for the town and the best thing for the department.

[1:43:42] And I would open it up for questions.

[1:43:44] Thank you, are there any questions of council?

[1:43:49] Councilor Ellis.

[1:43:50] Just clarity on operational procedures with this.

[1:43:53] My understanding is this will move to a vote eventually that we would be voting to authorize the move forward on that.

[1:44:00] But the actual bonding won't hit until we have receipt of this.

[1:44:03] Is that accurate?

[1:44:05] Yes, typically we don't issue the debt until we actually have to pay for something.

[1:44:10] Or often we will advance the funds and then issue the debt when it is most

[1:44:15] the advantageous to do that.

[1:44:17] So are we looking at maybe a one to two year from now budget impact?

[1:44:22] Is that I'm modeling it as 2728, which might be ambitious.

[1:44:27] Maybe it would be 2829.

[1:44:28] Okay. Thank you. Other questions of council?

[1:44:36] Councilor Timmy?

[1:44:38] So with the idea of staggering the replacements, does it seem like we're going to get another

[1:44:45] seven years out of one of those two? By my math that would have like 300,000 miles on

[1:44:52] it by then? Hopefully that, if this all goes right, that truck

[1:44:57] would be these, become these third line.

[1:45:20] And I guess on the other side of that, the, you know, by putting those extra miles on this new truck, it's also going to potentially wear out faster than.

[1:45:29] And it otherwise would, is that fair?

[1:45:32] Yes and no, we're already doing that with our engine too.

[1:45:37] And we used to have the three trucks were staggered.

[1:45:40] So you had front line, second line, third line.

[1:45:44] But now that we have the two stations and we're split up, and we have running two engines really first due,

[1:45:51] depending on what side of town they're on, we're rocking up the miles.

[1:45:55] Plus we are busier than we were 20 years ago.

[1:45:57] So it's just, that's just the simple facts.

[1:46:02] Yeah.

[1:46:03] Any further questions of council?

[1:46:09] Not seeing any, I'll open the floor to public comment on this item.

[1:46:13] So if you'd like to speak on this item, remember that you have three minutes, share your name in town.

[1:46:18] You just come up to the podium.

[1:46:21] No, come up to the mic before I do it.

[1:46:24] Never super simple quick, but yeah, simple quick.

[1:46:26] Thank you, Chief.

[1:46:29] Well, he spoke about front suspension.

[1:46:31] You have to say your name in town of residence.

[1:46:33] Okay.

[1:46:34] Brunswick, Dennis Westman.

[1:46:35] Thank you.

[1:46:37] He spoke about front suspension and

[1:46:40] the availability of parts.

[1:46:42] Is it, my question is, when looking at this,

[1:46:47] can you look at history of a company's availability of things becoming

[1:46:52] obsolete or no longer available to make repairs versus the other company?

[1:46:59] And it would seem you don't want to have a really heavy paperweight sitting in the firehouse.

[1:47:05] That's what I'm getting at.

[1:47:07] Thank you.

[1:47:08] I'd actually like to address in a couple of different ways but the basic thing is we recognize

[1:47:15] the issue when we ordered engine two.

[1:47:18] Engine two has a solid front end, not independent front suspension, which is what the real issue was.

[1:47:24] So that's pretty standard across the industry.

[1:47:29] Any other members of the public that would like to speak on this matter?

[1:47:34] Not seeing any in the room, not seeing any hands on Zoom, I will bring it back to Council for a motion.

[1:47:44] Would we like to close the public hearing, would we like to suspend our rules to vote on this tonight?

[1:47:49] Can I get a show of hands for you?

[1:47:51] No hands, okay, cool.

[1:47:52] So now I will entertain a motion, Councilor Hicks.

[1:47:55] I move to adopt an ordinance authorizing the funding and acquisition of a new fire engine with total project costs not to exceed one that $1,250,000 plus any other cost authorized here under and further authorizing issuance of bonds and notes in an amount not to exceed $1,250,000 plus costed issuance plus any additional appropriation authorized here under.

[1:48:24] motion by Councillor Hicks, seconded by Councillor Timmy. Any further discussion on the motion?

[1:48:31] Not seeing any, I will call the vote. Councillor Ellis. Yes. Councillor Ecker. Yes.

[1:48:36] Councillor Brawl. Yes. Councillor Hicks. Yes. Councillor Timmy. Yes. Councillor Weems.

[1:48:40] Yes. Councillor Wilson. Yes. And the Chair is a yes, those unanimous of the council, the motion passes.

[1:48:46] Thank you. Thank you. Moving on to item number 75, the town council will hear

[1:48:51] public comments to adopt the proposed ordinance Chapter 10 Article 4 mobile home parks and will take any appropriate action.

[1:48:57] I'm going to open the public hearing and I'm going to ask the Economic and Community Development Director Costello to introduce the item.

[1:49:04] Thank you Chair McDonald. I am very happy to be here after a long period of study, robust study and almost two years working with the housing committee,

[1:49:14] working with staff, our legal representation, so we've got Lewis Gray here, but

[1:49:20] Kristen Collins as well, and our community. You can see there's a lot of people

[1:49:24] here who have spent a lot of time and effort providing input for what I

[1:49:30] hope is a final draft for your consideration. Next slide please. So what I'm

[1:49:36] going to do, we've continued to get input up until the last minute here. Our last

[1:49:41] input was at 3.30 this afternoon, but what we're going to do is first talk about what happened

[1:49:47] in the session for setting the public hearing. And I'm just going to review the things that

[1:49:52] were agreed upon by the council. The second draft is a red line draft that I'm also that

[1:49:59] had input in between those times was also in the packet. So I think that the committee has had

[1:50:05] a chance to look at it, but I just think it's important that I review what those changes are.

[1:50:11] So first, in section 10, 120, we replace the word, particularly with uniquely.

[1:50:21] And this was an important change because this asset class is very much unique compared

[1:50:28] to other asset classes, as you know.

[1:50:31] They rent their lots and then they own their own homes, mobile homes that are on those lots.

[1:50:37] This ordinance is very specific, just a lot of rents, and to this particular asset class.

[1:50:43] So we made that change in Section 10122 under definitions of affordability threshold.

[1:50:49] We added in the words the notice of to further clarify what is the CPI or the Consumer Price Index U urban.

[1:50:58] So that is for the Northeast region.

[1:51:00] We added that because it's very important that the notice of relates to when the landlord

[1:51:10] can send out notices of increase because they have to line up with the state law that

[1:51:16] requires 90 day notifications.

[1:51:18] So we added that.

[1:51:20] Also in section 10122 the definition lot rent.

[1:51:24] And we removed public from the reference third party utility service.

[1:51:29] We had a lot of conversation back and forth about that.

[1:51:34] In section 10123 under Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board, in B we increased the board

[1:51:41] members from three to five.

[1:51:43] We thought that was better so that we could have a quorum.

[1:51:47] In D, we removed language giving the board authority to adopt bylaws and added proposed so that

[1:51:53] the town council can review and provide input to the guiding documents before enactment

[1:51:58] and we remove the option for mediation. In section 10-1-24 increase in lot rent we added equal

[1:52:08] in reference to the opportunity for tenant comment and rebuttal at a hearing and the word

[1:52:14] tenants for additional clarification and then finally the last thing that happened at the setting

[1:52:21] the public hearing in section 127 inspection and enforcement and F related to the rights

[1:52:27] of tenants we added disincludes but is not limited to prohibiting tenants from distributing

[1:52:33] pamphlets, handouts or other type of literature relating to the rights of tenants and establishing

[1:52:39] contact with other tenants by knocking on doors and or bringing doorbells.

[1:52:43] So that was what happened at the public hearing.

[1:52:45] In between the public hearing and between setting the public hearing and this actual public

[1:52:53] hearing, we had a lot of input from counselors, just mostly clarifications, but these are

[1:53:02] the ones that the staff brought to this draft.

[1:53:07] And are we on that?

[1:53:09] Okay.

[1:53:09] In section 121, applicability and effective date, this article shall take effect.

[1:53:15] on September 1st, 2026, and no increase in mobile home park lunch will be approved to take

[1:53:21] effect before December 1st, 2026, and let otherwise exempt under this article.

[1:53:27] Now, we had a work session, a town council workshop right before this town council meeting,

[1:53:37] and there was a change to that section as well, and so now the town council would like it

[1:53:43] to read. We've added in a sentence. It's the second sentence, so this article shall apply to all parcels in Brunswick utilize as a mobile home park as defined.

[1:53:53] This article shall take effect 30 days after adoption, notwithstanding Section 10124 of this article which will take effect on September 1st, 2026.

[1:54:03] And no increase in mobile home park grant shall be approved to take effect before December 1st, 2026 unless otherwise exempt from this article.

[1:54:11] Now, why we included that statement is because the council would like this to be in effect immediately in 30 days, but the part that will not be in effect is with respect to the lot rent increase because we do have to have the rent board set up for that, so we would like to provide time to be able to do that.

[1:54:35] And also, we, there was another reason, I think that was the primary reason, but basically

[1:54:42] we need to be in a position so that the board is up and running to be able to address

[1:54:46] those potential hearings, or if somebody comes forward with a change.

[1:54:55] Okay, so then under section 10-122 definitions in the affordability threshold.

[1:55:05] This is one where we actually were listening to some of the landlords and also thinking

[1:55:13] about the CPI and what CPI would be reasonable.

[1:55:20] The CPI often lags and so the reason we said last published is because sometimes it could

[1:55:26] be a couple of months and we set this January 1 timeframe.

[1:55:32] What we'd like to do is give a little bit of time to, because when this becomes actually

[1:55:42] enacted, and after the rent increases September 1st is the notification, then they can't

[1:55:49] actually put forward that rent increase till December 1st.

[1:55:53] That would mean that if they go with the January 1st published date, it would almost be a

[1:56:00] year old, and we think that might be a little too punitive.

[1:56:03] So we would like to say if there are any rent increases that are coming forward in 2026,

[1:56:07] that that date would be then moved to June 1st.

[1:56:11] That would be the CPI, you that they, the landlords could use.

[1:56:17] Under landlord, we replaced ordinance with article.

[1:56:20] That was just a technical change.

[1:56:23] And a lot rent, we removed landlord paid utility costs or offsets.

[1:56:28] Under section 10123 Mobile Home Park review board,

[1:56:33] we changed relevant experience to familiarity

[1:56:37] and housing, mobile home park, or financial regulatory issues.

[1:56:41] We thought that was a really good addition to the expertise that we need on the rent review board.

[1:56:48] It was bought forward by Councillor Weems, and I think it's a really important factor in a great change.

[1:56:54] We clarified the last sentence to no person having any ownership or employment role for a landlord and no tenant.

[1:57:02] And we took out mobile home, may serve as a member of the board.

[1:57:05] Our legal staff felt pretty strongly that we, it would be a conflict of interest for landlord or

[1:57:14] tenant of any kind of asset to be on the mobile home review board so that was a change there.

[1:57:22] And then in section 10, 124 increase in lot rent, that was again just a lower case I.

[1:57:28] In G, we added in the provision for an accommodation of a mediation with the landlord pursuant

[1:57:34] to the state law. So that was something that was taken out previously. Again, we had Councillor

[1:57:42] Weems talking to staff. I think we thought it was a reasonable thing to include the option

[1:57:49] or of mediation. And that would be on the state level. And many of you know and many of

[1:57:55] even the community members here know that that's a very high bar. And I want to be clear, the state

[1:58:00] date does not have rent stabilization.

[1:58:02] What they have is a model ordinance for people to follow.

[1:58:06] They have a 90 day notification of rent increases, but they do not have, they don't have

[1:58:13] rent stabilization.

[1:58:16] So we, but they do have a bar for mediation and they do make a provision for mediation.

[1:58:22] Should, should you be over their threshold, which is CPI plus one, and it has to be 51

[1:58:30] 1% of residents in a mobile home park which we feel is a very high difficult bar to meet.

[1:58:37] But nevertheless, if they are able to meet that and they do want to go to mediation,

[1:58:42] we wouldn't want to preclude that from happening and we would wait for that.

[1:58:47] When I say we, I mean the rent board on their final decision to see the outcome of the mediation.

[1:58:52] So I think we added that back in and I think that's, so that's one of the things we're proposing.

[1:58:58] And then finally section 10-127, inspection and enforcement, we added in clarifying language

[1:59:05] related to tenant retaliation, and we added in impedes a tenant from OR.

[1:59:12] So I think that was just a clarifying statement that we wanted to make sure was accommodated.

[1:59:20] So I'm happy to, I have a full schedule of the things that need to happen, and you'll

[1:59:27] I'll see that if you can just take that to the next slide.

[1:59:31] Okay, let me first talk about this.

[1:59:35] So the schedule does include an amendment to the moratorium, which is another item that's

[1:59:40] going to come before you tonight that's in new business.

[1:59:45] And it has just a couple of changes, but the most important change, or the most I guess meaningful

[1:59:51] change, is that a provision to exempt the rocks, the resident-owned communities.

[1:59:56] The resident-owned communities are already set up, they're by-laws.

[2:00:00] Let them up so that they have a democratic process, but also that they have a motivation, or I should say they have a disincentive, for not for raising their rents because they have a loan through the state. And that there's provision in there as well as in their bylaws that they need to maintain rents for low to moderate income residents. So they already have that, you know, guideline to follow.

[2:00:29] And also they've got we would like them to be able to have some increases pretty quickly because as you know they they have this big long but when we also supported that on the local side with the state and so they need to be able to make their debt service which is coming up in August so we'd like to go through that exemption process staffs recommending that that be considered and again we'll talk about that more later we also just changed a reference to tenant and

[2:00:59] we placed it with lots because it's really about the lots and not the tenants in the ordinance.

[2:01:04] We want to make sure the lots remain affordable.

[2:01:09] So the next slide, I can stop there and take any questions.

[2:01:13] I know there were a lot of questions in the workshop, but if there are any questions, or I can

[2:01:16] go on to this very detailed schedule of what needs to happen, if that's-

[2:01:23] Councillor Tini, you have a question?

[2:01:25] Yeah, I just, I didn't ask about it in the workshop, but the removal of the part about landlord paid utilities or offsets will that impact like one of the concerns is the like meter fee that is being charged in bay bridge to people who are, you know, getting that public water.

[2:01:46] am I remembering right that that's why that was in there originally and do we still think

[2:01:52] that that that they're protected from that meter of fee going up you know out of the

[2:01:57] blue.

[2:01:57] So that was our that is what our attorney Kristen stated that that would not be included

[2:02:04] in law.

[2:02:05] And I just want to say is there anything more about that that okay.

[2:02:09] So I'm understanding correctly that basically this will not protect residents from

[2:02:15] So surprise increases in the meter fee that they're paying.

[2:02:22] So our tenant attorney's opinion was that that fee, that $9 fee, is covered with this ordinance.

[2:02:32] Yes.

[2:02:33] Yeah, there's a section under law rent that talks about administration and she believes that that's an administrative fee and so it's covered.

[2:02:41] Yeah,

[2:02:45] okay, so any other questions on the changes, the proposed changes?

[2:02:51] Councillor Ellis.

[2:02:52] Yeah, and this is just more of a note because I was curious and looked it up the most recent

[2:02:56] New England one was published for May and just for a frame of reference, it was a 4.6% rate

[2:03:03] in May.

[2:03:04] And so what June will be, nobody knows, but again, there's somewhere in that range.

[2:03:10] Thank you.

[2:03:13] Continue on.

[2:03:14] Okay, so tonight, a couple things we'd like to consider happening, not actions for the

[2:03:22] town council, would be that the public hearing and enactment of the ordinance with these

[2:03:28] proposed changes, and to set a public hearing on the exempt, the rocks being exempt from

[2:03:34] the moratorium for July the 6th.

[2:03:37] And so, and then discussing a new termination date of September the 1st, and that would line

[2:03:43] up with the notifications of the rent notice as I have in there currently expires on November

[2:03:51] 11th. So that is what we were hoping to do tonight. And then if the public, if you agree

[2:03:58] to do that, then the public hearing would be on July the 6th. On the 15th, that would

[2:04:04] be 30 days from today, the mobile home park would take effect. And with that new amendment

[2:04:10] that we've proposed, or that came out of the workshop, that would cover everything but the rent increase.

[2:04:18] And then on July 22nd, I have told both landlords and tenants that there's going to be more public input.

[2:04:27] And that is on the rules of procedure. That is going to be how this board works.

[2:04:35] and there's a charge, and there are submission requirements and basically a procedure for evaluation.

[2:04:43] The Finance Subcommittee of the Housing Committee has begun work on that.

[2:04:49] And we're looking at multiple ordinances and charges and procedures.

[2:04:56] And we will put together a first draft with the help of our obviously legal representation.

[2:05:02] and then we will bring that to the next housing committee meeting in July.

[2:05:07] So that is what that date is.

[2:05:10] And we will get more feedback.

[2:05:12] And I've said to the landlords and tenants, please provide input.

[2:05:18] We would really appreciate that.

[2:05:20] We're all learning about that.

[2:05:22] And there may be some unforeseen consequences that we're not aware of

[2:05:26] that we would like to accommodate.

[2:05:28] And then after we have that, then we would come to the town council, as you know, that was a change in the proposed ordinance that we would then bring that to the town council and get their review and input.

[2:05:40] And then that would go back if they approved those words. And then we would get kind of a final draft and kind of be off and running with our with our new committee, at least in terms of our guiding documents.

[2:05:52] Then on August 3rd we'd set the public hearing to repeal the moratorium and then on August

[2:06:02] 10th the Appointments Committee would interview application, applicants, excuse me, for the

[2:06:07] rent review board.

[2:06:08] We are already on top of if this gets goes forward tonight working on social media about

[2:06:14] that.

[2:06:14] We're going to start to market like we really want to get the right people and have a lot

[2:06:19] of good applicants so that we can have a really, really, really strong board with great expertise,

[2:06:24] hopefully across those three areas that are in the ordinance. So that's going to start that

[2:06:30] process right away, at least trying to get the word out. August 17th, then we'll have the

[2:06:35] public hearing to repeal the moratorium. And then at that time, hopefully the council can make

[2:06:42] appointments to the rent review board. Then in August, we would have the first meeting of the

[2:06:49] rent review board and then September 1st is when the moratorium expires and then that

[2:06:54] would be the first notification of lot rent increases.

[2:06:58] And then October 15th would be the first time that the rent board could actually have

[2:07:03] a hearing should, you know, the tenant spring forward or the landlord spring forward, a challenge

[2:07:13] to the CPI, meaning that they would like to increase the rent for whatever reason.

[2:07:19] And the burden of the proof would be on the landlords regarding that.

[2:07:24] Or if the tenants say that this notification is above the CPI,

[2:07:30] or they have a question about that, that would be another thing that would be come to the board.

[2:07:34] So that's the complicated schedule.

[2:07:38] I hope it's a little bit clear there, but these are the steps that we need to take to move forward.

[2:07:42] with the ordinance.

[2:07:47] Thank you for your presentation.

[2:07:50] In summary, lots of moving pieces.

[2:07:53] Councillor Perl.

[2:07:55] Question.

[2:07:56] Question concern.

[2:07:57] My only thought is if we are voting to repeal the moratorium before we actually know if there's viable candidates for the board.

[2:08:11] If everything gets repealed and we don't have a board, then we wouldn't be in a position to have hearings as of October 15th.

[2:08:26] That's my concern with repealing it prior to knowing if there's candidates.

[2:08:33] So we would set the public hearing on August 3rd, August 10th, the Appointments Committee would meet to interview people and they would have whatever information we would need at that point.

[2:08:46] But you're already setting the public hearing.

[2:08:50] But we can vote it down.

[2:08:52] Yeah, or we can just hold it to the next meeting as well, because public hearings we typically are.

[2:08:57] As long as we're not locked in because I want to make sure that we haven't put in motion something that we can't stop thank you

[2:09:04] Yeah, typically we wave our rules during public hearings to vote tonight rather than wait the extra

[2:09:10] Meeting and we could just wait the extra meeting if we need to

[2:09:12] Councillor Ellis actually in that same vein because I was having similar

[2:09:17] Very hopeful that this is all gonna work out. There's been a lot that's been done well here

[2:09:21] But then worrying about what if not like but I do agree that August 3rd

[2:09:26] is an important day, too, because let's say the trains off the tracks at that point in time.

[2:09:32] If we need to extend the moratorium and I'm very hopeful that we would not need to do that.

[2:09:37] But that's the last moment in time that we could, in essence, do that as well, right?

[2:09:42] Or does the moratorium continue until November, so that date of sort of last recall on having to set it to continue?

[2:09:52] I'd also not in this meeting, but would love to see what that date is, too.

[2:10:00] You can only do it twice. Yeah. Yeah. Come on up.

[2:10:08] Can the moratorium be extended again if need be? Yeah. So the answer is yes, the moratorium can be extended for another 100-day, 80-day period, if necessary.

[2:10:17] Obviously, you wouldn't need the entirety of that 100-day days, so long as the town is making progress towards finding a solution, and the, you know, emergent need still exists.

[2:10:27] And I think we won't need that, I'm hopeful we won't need that, but at what point in time do we need to make that call such that that meeting on August 3rd right now says

[2:10:34] Set a public hearing hearing to repeal it. What's the date that we would need a public hearing to renew it if we're sitting at that point thinking we're not ready?

[2:10:43] Not until November.

[2:10:45] No, November's when it's gone away. There's days.

[2:10:48] It'll be the last meeting in October, and we don't need a 30-day notice or anything like that for extensions because we learned that the last time around.

[2:10:56] That's right so we can just do it whenever it's like yeah, okay very good thank you pretty quick turn around on that one

[2:11:01] Thank you, and and we won't need it

[2:11:03] Yeah, and you know this is an aggressive schedule, but we are we are very cognizant of the fact that there have been no rent increases for almost a year

[2:11:12] It will be right to up to November so

[2:11:15] We're looking at both sides. We're trying to weigh all of this

[2:11:19] Are there any other questions of council?

[2:11:21] I

[2:11:24] will not see any questions, I will open the floor to public comment at this time.

[2:11:29] So you can come up as a reminder, three minutes, state your name and town, follow the root code of conduct on either side of the room.

[2:11:46] Thank you, my name is Dennis Westman, I live in Baybridge for over 20 years.

[2:11:55] There is four generations of my family that live in that park.

[2:12:01] and it is very concerning. I, as a senior, my father-in-law, as a senior, my wife is a senior.

[2:12:12] We're very concerned. Our grandchildren live in that park.

[2:12:20] Great grandchildren live in that park. My father-in-law even takes one of my granddaughters to work.

[2:12:27] work, he lost his wife about three and a half months ago she died in that park, she was

[2:12:34] on hospice there.

[2:12:37] And it's very distressing, this whole situation.

[2:12:41] The fact that we're not going to be on the board that was just discussed, it distressed

[2:12:48] me to hear the conversation because, you know, because of conflict of interest.

[2:12:55] I understand that but just to be in that limbo is very distressing.

[2:13:05] My father-in-law wouldn't be here tonight, he wouldn't hear half of you who were speaking.

[2:13:11] I've been in these meetings before with him, he couldn't hear.

[2:13:15] It's cold in this room by the way.

[2:13:20] It is summer outside, but not in this room.

[2:13:27] The water issue, I have heard from a source that works for this town and I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus.

[2:13:37] But there are some people in the park that struggled with having the meter's work and the meters were yanked and the lines were put back together and let's be quiet about it.

[2:13:49] Okay, and that's come to me by reliable source, and I will not destroy somebody's career who works for this town.

[2:14:01] That needs to be looked into, I believe, everybody, if we're going to get a water bill, everybody that lives there should get a water bill.

[2:14:12] I personally feel that the covenant, the lease that we had for

[2:14:19] For many of us, water was included.

[2:14:24] I know I'm not supposed to bring this up, but I can't help but think that that covenant

[2:14:29] has been violated and we've been violated.

[2:14:37] So I

[2:14:40] appreciate the hard work.

[2:14:43] There's a great deal of compassion in that park for one another.

[2:14:47] There's a lot of people that are doing their level best to make the park look nice, curbside.

[2:14:53] I go about picking up litter, I take my neighbor's garbage can back because she can't.

[2:15:00] Get out. She's on oxygen. And the next, another neighbor next door without cost cuts her yard. My wife goes over and sits with her, buys her things that she gets from Walmart that gets delivered to the house items that she asked for just to be a companion with our neighbors. If you could wrap up your statement just because you're three minutes. I just, it is emotional. I'm sorry. It's just,

[2:15:28] First, we have to do what is equitable.

[2:15:32] I know that the cost of living, there are a lot of people who couldn't even afford to come to this meeting tonight.

[2:15:42] They have no means.

[2:15:45] Thank you.

[2:15:51] A good evening.

[2:15:53] My name is Dana Fields.

[2:15:55] First, I want to say thank you for giving the tenants of Brunswick Mobile Home Parks an opportunity to share our thoughts.

[2:16:03] Prior to the council's vote on the mobile home rent stabilization ordinance.

[2:16:08] My husband and I have lived in Baybridge Mobile Home Park for 26 years, and

[2:16:13] I have to say that I have never seen the rent increase so rapidly and by such a large amount.

[2:16:20] 26 years ago, we were looking for affordable housing so that our young girls could stay in the Brunswick school system.

[2:16:33] I feel that out of state investment firms, purchasing Brunswick mobile home parks for the sole purpose of huge profits to their shareholders, that the town of Brunswick's affordable housing is diminishing and rapidly.

[2:16:49] I am all for businesses making a profit but not a killing and definitely not off the backs of the most vulnerable Brunswick residents.

[2:16:58] The ordinance is thorough and addresses all issues that the tenants now face.

[2:17:04] Not only does it establish rent stabilization but it also implements maintenance standards

[2:17:10] to protect homeowners health and safety.

[2:17:13] These controls will allow my husband and I to continue to live in Baybridge estates and

[2:17:18] maintain a quality of life that each and every one of us deserve.

[2:17:24] Councillor Ellis, you represent my district.

[2:17:27] I voted for you November 25, and I also spoke to you afterwards and

[2:17:33] mentioned that I voted for you for your campaign promises.

[2:17:37] You mentioned that 90% of your district is mobile home park tenants.

[2:17:42] It is my hope that you follow through with those promises as your bio states,

[2:17:47] that you are ready to work with the council to keep Brunswick safe, affordable,

[2:17:52] available, fun, and welcoming for all, for everyone.

[2:17:57] Lastly, I want to say that my husband and I really appreciate all the hard work, the town council, and the housing committee have put into this ordinance.

[2:18:06] And I hope this ordinance is adopted with flying colors, thank you.

[2:18:10] Thank you.

[2:18:14] Good evening, my name's David Oliver.

[2:18:17] I live on Baybridge Road at Baybridge estates, and I just want to give a heartfelt thank you.

[2:18:24] to the housing committee, the town councillors and the folks doing all the groundwork for the broken bridge tenant union.

[2:18:39] You've got us to where we are today.

[2:18:41] I think it's a vast improvement of where we were a year ago, and thank you.

[2:18:47] Thank you.

[2:18:47] I'm

[2:18:52] Lori Centenayow and I live in Baybridge.

[2:18:54] I first contacted, actually, Manager Hensys, the first person I had contact with, about

[2:19:03] almost two years ago, and then Councillor Eckers responded to an email that I wrote.

[2:19:09] And then I spoke to Clerk Smith and we got this ball rolling a long time ago in our first

[2:19:16] meeting with Councillor Watson and director here.

[2:19:20] There is she, Carol. She's out there anymore. Anyway, there's been a lot of work that's

[2:19:29] gone into this. I'm glad to have spoken with a lot of you. And I really appreciate that

[2:19:36] everybody has listened. I really appreciate Councillor Alice and Councillor Teami for

[2:19:43] all the work that they've done on this. And of course, everybody that's on that housing

[2:19:47] committee, Kosofero, who came into the middle of this, and it's been a lot of work on

[2:19:54] everybody's part, and this will help people in this neighborhood just actually not to

[2:20:01] be terrified anymore.

[2:20:03] That's big.

[2:20:04] Thank you.

[2:20:05] Thank you.

[2:20:12] Hi.

[2:20:12] I'm Masha Good.

[2:20:13] I'm a resident of the neighbors also, been there almost 30 years now.

[2:20:18] water was always part of our lot rent and it's frankly shocking to suddenly have to pay for it and

[2:20:27] everything residents went through while those meters were being installed and some froze and some

[2:20:32] burst and some had their skirting not returned it was it was a real trial and tribulation I'm glad we've

[2:20:38] gotten to the other side where most of them are now working but in the meantime this town I'm so

[2:20:45] proud to be a part of Brunswick. We're a town that cares for our residents. We're doing

[2:20:52] things that other towns are saying, oh no, no, we can't do that. We're afraid. Let the state do it.

[2:20:58] You counselors are really important to us. We often feel left behind, but we want to thank you for

[2:21:04] what you're doing and what thousand committee is doing to help us. Now that I'm being told I have

[2:21:10] the pay for water and a lot rent. That's a lot for a senior on a fixed income. Many are struggling

[2:21:16] with trying to afford upkeep on our properties and medication and anything else that we need to do.

[2:21:28] But this more torium help to immensely is giving us all time to think and dig in. You folks have

[2:21:33] in lovely and generous with your ears and your time listening to our needs.

[2:21:39] The lot rent increases, the fact that you're working at a lower percentage that they won't

[2:21:44] be able to junk us up by $65 a month in the future is a huge help.

[2:21:52] Limiting these lot rent increases will help toward the unexpected bills that we get now.

[2:21:57] know, we really appreciate that you're thinking about health and safety along in this ordinance.

[2:22:04] Limiting the lot increases helps seniors like us to stay in our homes, rapidly rising

[2:22:10] lot rent has made it difficult to also budget upkeep and rising property taxes.

[2:22:16] We appreciate the Canadian's work with your ordinance and it helps us to buy time.

[2:22:22] And I'm sorry, I have a paralyzed vocal cord so I run short on breath, but thank you

[2:22:27] for listening.

[2:22:28] Thank you.

[2:22:32] Hi, I'm Erica Geisen, Baybridge Estates and Broken Bridge

[2:22:36] Tenant Union.

[2:22:38] I'm probably going to cry after you vote just for warning.

[2:22:43] I just want to thank everybody here for your curiosity, for your questions, for your interest

[2:22:49] in this.

[2:22:52] Baybridge is the largest mobile home park in the state.

[2:22:56] Maplewood is among the top.

[2:22:57] We have more mobile home residents than any other town in the state.

[2:23:06] So I'm really grateful that this is finally coming to pass.

[2:23:11] It has been a very, very long road and I'm really looking forward to moving on to lots

[2:23:15] of the other things that have been on my to-do list and my agenda.

[2:23:19] So I appreciate your time and your work on this.

[2:23:23] Thank you very much.

[2:23:24] Thank you.

[2:23:25] I

[2:23:32] am Melissa McCarthy, I am the current board president of Blueberry Fields Cooperative, and I just wanted to take a minute to thank the housing committee for listening to us when we urge you to consider that rocks already have our bylaws and parliamentary procedure to protect us from other park situations.

[2:23:52] And we just want you to know that we do support this ordinance with that amendment because all residents of Mobile Home Park communities should be able to come and get help if they feel they're not being treated safely valued for the no gouging of the rent.

[2:24:14] And I just wanted you to know that we are in support of this with those amendments, thank you.

[2:24:21] Thank you.

[2:24:26] Carol O'Donnell, Brunswick resident and chair of the housing committee.

[2:24:31] First of all, I want to thank you, Jennifer, for your compliments to the work of the staff and the housing committee, or committees in general.

[2:24:41] A lot of work has gone into this whole process, I would say, not just the ordinance itself, but the whole process over many, many months.

[2:24:54] with lots of input from landlords and tenants and interested citizens from housing committee members.

[2:25:06] We had a lot of very good discussion about how we wanted to, what kinds of things we wanted to see in the ordinance.

[2:25:18] So, I personally want to thank everybody on the Housing Committee, all of you on the

[2:25:24] town council, everybody who's given feedback.

[2:25:29] I'd like to see this come to fruition.

[2:25:32] I would love to see this come to fruition tonight.

[2:25:38] Staff has a lot of other things that they are working on and they've devoted a lot of time

[2:25:47] to this particular issue, it would be nice to be able to move on, go to the next thing that we need to cover,

[2:25:55] and in the process, protect one of our most affordable housing options in our town.

[2:26:04] There's lots more I can say about housing affordability, about how many people in our town are challenged economically,

[2:26:14] but I will save that for another time, so thank you very much.

[2:26:19] Thank you.

[2:26:25] Hello.

[2:26:26] I'm Kristen Haynes.

[2:26:27] I rent on Columbia Avenue and I am one of the chairs of the Brunswick Renter's organization.

[2:26:32] I'm here today in support of Baybridge residents, especially the tenant union.

[2:26:37] They've done incredible work, especially with the members of Council who have been supportive of them.

[2:26:40] I want to commend all of you for the work that you did on this ordinance.

[2:26:43] It's a really important step, I think, in protecting tenants in this really

[2:26:47] sort of terrifying rentier capitalism era that we find ourselves and but I also want to echo

[2:26:53] a previous comment that it's a shame to I think remove tenants from the review board. I understand

[2:26:59] there's this idea of conflict of interest but there's so few opportunities for tenants to be

[2:27:05] represented and who better to know what's going on in the park and to comment on the fairness of these

[2:27:11] measures than those tenants. So I would encourage folks to reconsider that but I also respect what Carol

[2:27:17] Carol said about the timeliness of this, so I just wanted to throw that out there, but again, thank you so much for your work.

[2:27:23] Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room that would like to speak before I go to Zoom?

[2:27:31] Not seeing anyone, I'm going to go to Zoom, we have Carol Rest.

[2:27:40] Good evening. I want to thank you, the town committee, for really taking into the interest and the residents here in Bearridge.

[2:27:48] Carol, can I pause you for one second and just have you say your name in town of residents please.

[2:27:52] Okay, my name is Carol Bruce and I live in Bay Bridge of States, lived here for 16 years.

[2:28:00] I actually had a house in Brunswick and I downsized to affordable housing here.

[2:28:07] And I just want to thank the town council, certainly there was anxiety level that was really

[2:28:14] unprecedented about a year ago. Certainly, you have eased that anxiety quite a bit. It's

[2:28:25] nice to know that there's a lot of eyes on this situation and I'm so thankful that the

[2:28:31] town is really getting involved with the residents here. It is a beautiful community and we do

[2:28:38] You help one another as Mr. Westman said, there are generations that have lived in here.

[2:28:45] I knew Harry Crooker.

[2:28:47] He certainly was a family man and that's what he really wanted this part to be built on,

[2:28:53] was family and unity and cooperation and love.

[2:28:58] It reminds me of the Scripture that says, you know, oppression, when there's oppression

[2:29:06] and it can drive a wise one crazy.

[2:29:08] But when seeing how the town of Brunswick is really involved

[2:29:13] with the residents of this community

[2:29:15] it certainly gives us some security

[2:29:18] and we can sleep better at night.

[2:29:20] Just knowing that there's a set of eyes on this situation

[2:29:24] not just the residents here in Big Bridge.

[2:29:29] So I want to thank you all very, very much

[2:29:31] for the hard work that you have put in and behalf of us.

[2:29:35] Thank you, I have Shirley Watson.

[2:29:38] And

[2:29:46] I would just like to take a minute to thank all of the members of the housing committee, as well as the town council.

[2:29:53] Shirley, could I get you to say your name in town of residence please?

[2:29:57] Sure, Shirley Watson.

[2:30:00] 34, Franklin Parkway in Brunswick. Thank you. I would just like to take a moment to thank the housing committee as well as all of the members of the town council for all of your extensive work in the last couple of years and putting this ordinance together. I look forward to it being passed tonight because it's definitely needed. I actually feel like I can hopefully maintain my home going forward.

[2:30:29] I was really unsure I'd ever be able to, the way things were going in this park with the law rents and everything else, but I have renewed hope that I can continue to live here because I enjoy living out here. Thank you very much.

[2:30:43] Thank you. Is there anybody else on Zoom that would like to speak?

[2:30:48] giving a second just because hands the hand button can be hard to find I got

[2:30:53] Cheryl Goliak

[2:30:56] maybe hand went up for a second yeah there we go I got Cheryl

[2:31:03] Goliak make sure to introduce yourself in town of residence please yeah

[2:31:10] can

[2:31:11] you hear me we can all right I just I'm just chiming in and watching this whole

[2:31:16] thing and I want to give a big high five to everybody over at the Baybirds kind of

[2:31:21] union and for the housing committee and for your town councilors this is you know

[2:31:27] been a really long road I'm hoping you know that it all gets a nice good positive

[2:31:33] vote and we can move forward but I've really been impressed at how everybody has

[2:31:38] come together and listen to one another and work hard on an overall complex issue

[2:31:45] So that's why I'm here. I'm just simply here to say the same thank you all everybody

[2:31:51] that involved for your hard work on this. Thank you representative Goliak of

[2:31:56] Brunswick.

[2:31:59] Any,

[2:32:04] is there anybody else on Zoom that would like to speak?

[2:32:09] Not

[2:32:09] seeing any. So we got one more in the room that's run into the podium. Please don't

[2:32:17] I don't forget to introduce yourself,

[2:32:18] Under Town of President.

[2:32:19] Yeah, and I am going to get this right.

[2:32:21] I am Representative Poppy Arford.

[2:32:23] I live in Brunswick, Maine.

[2:32:26] And I just had to stand up because,

[2:32:28] as I was listening to every, I realized how incredibly

[2:32:33] progressive and thoughtful and intelligent

[2:32:37] and the amount of hard work and commitment

[2:32:41] that's gone into this particular measure

[2:32:43] And the whole passage of it tonight, I just have to thank everybody.

[2:32:49] I want to thank this Army, I just were so fortunate to have the people sitting around this horseshoe.

[2:32:56] And I also want to thank the residents because over the last couple of years, even though I don't have the privilege of representing the tenants in Bay Bridge.

[2:33:05] I do have the privilege of representing the tenants at blueberry fields.

[2:33:10] And so I've had relationships first-hand much opportunity to witness their courage and their commitment to improving their community, not just for themselves, but for one another.

[2:33:27] And it's gone to the point with blueberry fields where I said to my husband, you know, we might want to include this in our retirement plan.

[2:33:35] And I'm just so impressed by the commitment and the courage of the people who are living in these mobile home parks, and they have stood up against in situations where their rights were definitely being denied and they may or may not have been threatened, but they felt that they were being threatened, and still they persevered, and that's really why we're here tonight.

[2:34:03] And I just really want to thank everybody.

[2:34:06] Thank you.

[2:34:07] Any last folks wanting to comment on this?

[2:34:13] Not seeing any, I will bring it back to council.

[2:34:18] I'm going to close the public hearing to bring back council.

[2:34:21] Would council like to vote on this issue tonight?

[2:34:24] Show of hands if you would like to.

[2:34:26] Hands hands hands, looks like a majority is wanting that's while entertain a motion.

[2:34:33] Councilor Ellis, I'd like to make a motion to adopt the proposed ordinance chapter 10 article

[2:34:38] 4, mobile home parks. Motion by Councillor Ellis, seconded by Councillor Teami. I know there

[2:34:46] was a couple there, sorry. We'll battle with that. Yeah, discussion on the motion. Would anybody

[2:34:52] like to speak? Yeah, Councillor Perrell. I'd just like first to say thank you to Sally and Carol.

[2:34:57] All I came in late into this, but I really appreciate all the hard work that you did steering the housing committee.

[2:35:07] I am so thankful that I am part of the housing committee and what a great time to be a part of the housing committee.

[2:35:15] I'm just, I'm so proud of what we're doing tonight in Brunswick and this is, I hope we can find a way to move this out into the greater community and

[2:35:27] and help more residents, but I'm very, very proud of us tonight.

[2:35:35] Other discussion?

[2:35:39] Just to clarify, so we added, can I have the motion there?

[2:35:45] Would you accept language that just as as presented to the end of your motion?

[2:35:51] Because tonight there was a couple of amendments that happened.

[2:35:53] I just want to make sure everything's captured.

[2:35:55] So you just want to, yes, or do you want me to repeat it?

[2:35:57] You can repeat it if you want.

[2:35:59] Motion to adopt the proposed ordinance chapter 10 article for mobile home parks as presented still second in okay cool

[2:36:07] Just wanted to make sure that we're all above board and we we've captured all the things that we needed to capture

[2:36:14] Yep, because that was presented by the director cool any further discussion

[2:36:20] I'll just give one

[2:36:22] Shout out in heartfelt thanks to the mobile home park residents for engaging in this civic process

[2:36:29] It is not an easy one, and it is definitely a challenge to understand all the different

[2:36:38] nuances that we are kind of battling with and working with both staff and working with

[2:36:43] council and trying to get your needs met.

[2:36:45] I have, you know, appreciated the meetings that I've had with all of you, especially Marie

[2:36:50] Kimlory.

[2:36:52] I've heard, just from the workshop that we had last year at this point, just going to

[2:36:57] and being stopped by, oh, you're this person.

[2:37:01] And like, being able to hear your story,

[2:37:03] because your story matters.

[2:37:04] And making sure that your needs are being met

[2:37:06] as a community and that you feel safe and proud

[2:37:09] to be in Brunswick is a priority of mine.

[2:37:12] I told the story in the workshop,

[2:37:14] I didn't grow up in a mobile home park,

[2:37:15] but I did grow up in a mobile home.

[2:37:17] So I do have an affinity or experience

[2:37:21] with what that is like.

[2:37:23] And so I appreciate all of your advocacy

[2:37:25] that you brought to this process.

[2:37:27] So thank you for for for being part of it. I'm going to go ahead and call the vote

[2:37:33] Councillor Ellis. Yes. Councillor Acre. Yes. Councillor Perrault. Yes. Councillor Hicks. Yes.

[2:37:39] Councillor Teaming. Yes. Councillor Weems. Yes. Councillor Wilson. Yes. The chair is a yes.

[2:37:44] That is unanimous of the council. Thank you so much. Thank you.

[2:37:56] Okay, we are going to keep on moving here folks, yeah,

[2:38:11] let's just take I'm gonna let's

[2:38:13] take a five minute recess, we're gonna take a five minute recess while folks recess.

[2:47:02] Thank you, everyone. We are going to pick up where we left off at New Business. Item number 76, the town council will consider approving an update to the Personnel Policy, and we'll take any appropriate action. I'm going to turn this over to the humans. Resource Director, to risk go to introduce the item. Good evening. Can you hear me? My close enough to like. All right. Before discussing the specific revisions, I want to provide a little background regarding the Personnel Policy. Historically, the town's Personnel Policy,

[2:47:32] was adopted as an ordinance while it provided a formal process for changes.

[2:47:38] It also made the document difficult to update as employment laws, benefit programs, and

[2:47:43] operational practices evolved.

[2:47:46] Over time, portions of the ordinance became outdated because even relatively minor administrative

[2:47:51] changes required the full ordinance amendment process.

[2:47:55] Last year, some of you will remember the council undertook a comprehensive review and approved

[2:48:01] of transitioning the personnel ordinance to a personnel policy.

[2:48:05] One of the primary goals of that effort was to create a more practical and responsive framework

[2:48:11] that would allow the town to review and update personnel provisions on a regular basis rather

[2:48:16] than waiting until a significant changes accumulated before bringing that forward.

[2:48:22] As a result, we intend to bring forward any necessary personnel policy revisions annually.

[2:48:28] This allows us to remain current with changes in state federal law, maintain consistency with negotiated collective bargaining agreements, address operational needs, and ensure that our policies continue to reflect current employment practices.

[2:48:43] The revisions before you tonight are consistent with that goal.

[2:48:47] There are targeted updates intended to improve administrative efficiency, maintain compliance with state federal requirements.

[2:48:56] and align the policy with current town practices.

[2:49:01] The primary revisions include clarifying that employee expense reimbursements will be made

[2:49:09] through ACH to the employee's direct deposit account on file instead of going through an

[2:49:15] accounts payable process.

[2:49:19] Expanding the education reimbursement program to include prior learning assessments.

[2:49:26] Eliminating compensatory time for exempt employees and replacing that benefit with an additional week of vacation for employees who currently receive that benefit.

[2:49:38] Updating the vacation schedule effective July 1, 2027 by adding an additional week at each level.

[2:49:45] This continues a transition that has already been implemented for several bargaining units and will make non-union employees the fourth employee group moving to that structure.

[2:49:57] Updating, family and medical leave act provisions to better align with main paid family and medical leave requirements.

[2:50:06] Revising the main paid family and medical leave section to recognize the town's ability to utilize a state approved private plan and clarifying the use of accrued paid leave to supplement paid family medical benefits if employees make that choice.

[2:50:24] Updating urm paid leave provisions to reflect recent changes in mean law, including increasing

[2:50:31] the allowable carryover and clarifying how the town satisfies the EPL requirements through

[2:50:38] existing sick leave and vacation benefits for regular full time and benefit eligible part

[2:50:44] time employees.

[2:50:46] We also revise the travel and mail reimbursement procedures by implementing a per-dem approach

[2:50:53] for multi-day travel and clarifying reimbursement standards for other business travel.

[2:50:59] Overall, these changes are administrative in nature and are intended to keep the personnel

[2:51:04] policy current, compliant, and consistent with our operations and employee benefit practices.

[2:51:09] I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the revisions before you tonight.

[2:51:15] Thank you so much. Are there any questions of Councilor

[2:51:22] Alice?

[2:51:24] My only question would be, again, this is unfair, I should have asked before, but are any

[2:51:30] of these, and this would just be ballpark, so I'm not looking for specifics.

[2:51:32] Are any of these like cost impacting, and the reason I asked is the one that stood out

[2:51:37] for me immediately was, and probably may or may not be, but the vacation accrual, right,

[2:51:42] like we're adding a benefit in a way that may or may not cost the town something.

[2:51:47] And I know that was a pretty rigorous discussion when we discovered that we had people with years of vacation built up or time built up.

[2:51:55] If you were to look at these, are there any on here that I should be concerned are adding significant costs to our payroll structure?

[2:52:02] In this employee group, no.

[2:52:04] Okay.

[2:52:05] In our 24-7 or shift operations, we have to backfill those positions.

[2:52:10] Most of our non-union employees in this group, we don't have to hire overtime or backfill by providing that extra week of vacation.

[2:52:20] But that doesn't mean that there's no impact at all.

[2:52:24] You're giving people more time off, so they have to figure out how to balance how they're going to get their workload done in the time allotted to them.

[2:52:33] And I guess my question was more so I gave that as an example, but you gave about 10 or 12 different things

[2:52:38] Are any of those like major costs from your perspective or from the town managers whoever might be able to?

[2:52:45] Budgetary, no, I think the administrative cost is the burden and staff and administrative time to administer these programs.

[2:52:53] Okay, but we don't really have a choice.

[2:52:55] Yeah, sadly for you, you can't bill for that extra, right?

[2:52:59] So as you know, the main paid family medical leave requires a 1% of all of our salaries be paid toward that.

[2:53:08] So that has already had a budgetary effect and it does, it is something half of that percentage gets paid by the employee, half by the employer.

[2:53:22] So yes, that was absorbed into the budget already a year ago, more than a year ago.

[2:53:27] And part of what brought forth, adding the language for us to exercise our right for a private plan is because that actually came in cheaper than the state's 1% that could be shared between the employer and employee.

[2:53:41] So for us exploring and going with a private plan, we've actually realized some savings in the initial rollout period of this program.

[2:53:53] Other questions of council?

[2:53:54] Council Director.

[2:53:56] But along the same lines as Councillor Ellis with the first thing around the vacation

[2:54:01] accrual.

[2:54:03] So adding additional week, this is for people who are non-union.

[2:54:13] So are there non-union employees that were in town hall that got the benefit of going

[2:54:20] going down to the 36-hour week that are in this category?

[2:54:25] Yes.

[2:54:26] Okay.

[2:54:27] Something that might help to clarify too, when we were talking the elimination of compensatory time,

[2:54:34] I don't know if you want to talk about how they kind of tie in with that occasion.

[2:54:39] Well, in the initial getting rid of comp time and giving the additional week as vacation in this

[2:54:46] 2026 period is to standardize, it's nobody's getting anything extra, it's the same amount of time for the same amount of employees, we're just putting it all into one bucket instead of maintaining separate buckets for different employees within the non-union group.

[2:55:10] Does that answer the question?

[2:55:12] So was it not about comp time and more about the vacation table?

[2:55:16] Right, so that's effective with this coming July.

[2:55:20] It's just turning the comp time into vacation, it's a one-for-one trade.

[2:55:24] The change that would take effect next July, a year from now, that is more in line with what we have been negotiating with unions.

[2:55:35] Our vacation tables are behind the times.

[2:55:39] We're finding that our surrounding communities all start with three weeks of vacation.

[2:55:46] Starting with two weeks of vacation, when you start a job, it just doesn't happen anymore.

[2:55:51] So this is something that has been really pushed for by our staff, particularly in the unions.

[2:55:57] And then, so as Jody said, this is three unions have already done that.

[2:56:04] This would be the non-union people bringing that in line.

[2:56:07] Okay, and just to reiterate, we don't see this having any cost impact.

[2:56:14] Correct.

[2:56:15] I mean, no dollars.

[2:56:17] Obviously, anytime you're giving vacation, there's people who aren't here.

[2:56:22] There's no opportunity.

[2:56:22] However, what we're finding, vacation is good for people, right?

[2:56:27] I mean, we're actually, I mean, we sometimes have a problem.

[2:56:31] And I'm a bad example of this.

[2:56:34] Where, you know, I'm not as effective if I don't have a break.

[2:56:37] And so this is kind of the thing that we are thank you to Jody, who is really trying to look out for our well-being in lots of ways, so.

[2:56:47] All right, thank you.

[2:56:49] Further questions of Councilor Ellis?

[2:56:51] I'm just going to add on to that, I find it amazing, and this week's a perfect example of it, personally, hopefully my employer is not watching, but personally, this is a four day work week for me because of the Juneteenth holiday that we have at the end of the week.

[2:57:04] I can affirm that we will get just as much work done this week, as we would have had it been a five day week.

[2:57:11] And what happens is the days in between sometimes get more stressful.

[2:57:15] But I think at this level of staff, people know what they need to get done, and it's going to get done in that time.

[2:57:23] I think it may be different if you have hourly people where you're working, doing a specific rot task.

[2:57:28] but, sadly, people at this level tend to grind hard, I guess, is what I would say.

[2:57:36] Councillor Hicks. As far as cost savings, my thought is, this

[2:57:41] is about retention, staff retention, and I think it's a lot cheaper to retain staff

[2:57:45] than it is to recruit and train them. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[2:57:52] I have one question just because I don't know explicitly what it entails around the

[2:57:58] education reimbursement program? Like, what is, can you explain that a little bit about what the prior learning assessments, like what is that?

[2:58:06] Yeah, so at pretty much all of your accredited institutions you can go through a process which you can do a portfolio process to exhibit to a professor that you have already met the competencies in the course to gain college credit.

[2:58:25] And it's a much more affordable option than what we reimburse per credit hour for college education.

[2:58:35] So it seemed like it wasn't intentional for the policy to exclude it, but

[2:58:42] it did not address how that would be handled.

[2:58:45] And it actually, when employees utilize that process, it's saving the town money.

[2:58:51] a three credit course at the University of Maine system is between 1200 and 1500.

[2:58:59] And we did an MOA for a prior learning assessment and

[2:59:03] the total cost of that was under $300.

[2:59:06] Got it, thank you.

[2:59:08] Any further questions of council?

[2:59:13] Not seeing any questions, I'll open the floor for public comment.

[2:59:17] Is there anybody that would like to speak on this item?

[2:59:21] Not seeing anyone in the room.

[2:59:22] I'm not seeing any hands up on zoom. I am going to bring it back to council for a motion.

[2:59:29] Councillor Teami. I'd like to motion to approve updates to the

[2:59:32] personnel policy. Motion by Councillor Teami. I'm going

[2:59:36] to second this one. Any discussion on the motion? Not seeing any? I'll call the vote. Councillor

[2:59:43] Ellis. Yes. Councillor Ecker. Yes. Councillor Perolle. Yes. Councillor Hicks. Yes.

[2:59:47] Councilor Teaming. Yes. Councilor Weems. Yes. Councilor Wilson. Yes. The Chair is a yes of his unanimous of the council. Thank you, Jody.

[2:59:57] Moving on to

[3:00:01] Item number 77, the town council will consider setting a public hearing for Monday, July 6, 20, 26 to adopt the attached amendments to the comprehensive plan and we'll take any appropriate action. I'm going to turn this over to Dillman Planner Dillman. Planner Dillman, Planner Dillman works. Thanks. Principal Planner Dillman, thank you.

[3:00:27] All right, we'll just pull up the slide deck commentarily. Great.

[3:00:32] All right, good evening, Jimmy Dielman, principal planner in the town planning and development office.

[3:00:37] Tonight, I'll provide a brief overview of proposed amendments to Brunswick's 2025 comprehensive plan.

[3:00:44] That staff have prepared in response to comments received from the state's review of the plan.

[3:00:50] And at the conclusion of this item, staff are requesting that the council schedule of public hearing on these amendments.

[3:00:55] Next slide.

[3:00:56] I'm just going to make a quick adjustment that this is rather than the item saying July 6th, it's the July 20th meeting.

[3:01:07] That's right, correct.

[3:01:08] Okay, just to clarify before you get to that point.

[3:01:11] I'll continue on.

[3:01:12] Thanks.

[3:01:13] So first I'll provide some background for the benefit of everyone watching this evening.

[3:01:18] As the council will recall, the comprehensive plan was adopted last December and subsequently submitted to the main office of community affairs.

[3:01:28] also known as MOCA for review with the Growth Management Act and state rules.

[3:01:34] After approximately three months of state review, MOCA provided the town with a determination letter identifying missing elements and seeking also clarifications that were needed for consistency with state requirements.

[3:01:49] Based on discussions with MOCA, we understand this is a common and fairly routine step that many municipalities

[3:02:00] experience. Importantly, many of the requested revisions are technical in nature. In some cases,

[3:02:09] they involve updating data, correcting information, and adding required content. In other cases,

[3:02:16] they involve incorporating state policies and strategies that are required under the review

[3:02:21] criteria. So staff have also proposed the limited number of additional revisions, such

[3:02:28] as clarifying language with factual updates. I'm providing additional context as well

[3:02:35] as providing cross references within the document. And so these amendments were drafted and presented

[3:02:43] to the Comprehensive Plan Updates Steering Committee on May 27th and a unanimous vote was received recommending that these changes be amended into the plan.

[3:02:57] Next slide. So real quick, what is a Comprehensive Plan? The plan serves as Brunswick's Long Range Policy Guide and Community Vision Document.

[3:03:08] It establishes goals and priorities, and helps guide future decisions related to growth.

[3:03:16] It is also legally significant, because main law requires zoning ordinances to be consistent with an adopted comprehensive plan.

[3:03:24] In addition, maintaining a state consistent comprehensive plan provides various financial and administrative benefits, including eligibility and

[3:03:37] competitive competitiveness for certain state funding programs.

[3:03:42] Next slide.

[3:03:45] Moving on to the proposed amendments.

[3:03:47] The most significant update is the addition of the state's policies and strategies.

[3:03:54] Those total 38 new policies and 68 strategies.

[3:04:00] So this accounts for a substantial portion of the revisions and is intended to ensure that the plan is fully addresses the state's

[3:04:08] requirements, additional state requested updates include revisions to the habitat mapping using current data and other parts of the plan and appendix creation of a new regional coordination program section and the addition of several required maps and supporting data within the appendix.

[3:04:30] So, again, these were the changes that were intended to primarily address the state review

[3:04:36] comments to ensure consistency with the Growth Management Act.

[3:04:42] Next slide.

[3:04:44] So then in addition to the state, to addressing states, the state's comments, staff proposed

[3:04:50] several other updates.

[3:04:52] First, it was important to the committee and staff to include a memorial acknowledgement

[3:04:58] Honoring Vice Chair Fred Kerber, who dedicated many years to Brunswick's comprehensive planning efforts and will be missed as the implementation of the plan moves forward.

[3:05:11] Staff have also proposed clarifications regarding transitional areas, additional cross references to maps and supporting information,

[3:05:21] updated natural resource references, watershed labeling, and several factual and technical

[3:05:30] corrections.

[3:05:33] These revisions do not substantially, substantively alter the vision goals in policy direction

[3:05:39] established by the comp plan.

[3:05:41] They just provide, they're intended to provide more clarity, accuracy, and usability.

[3:05:46] Next slide.

[3:05:47] But so key takeaways of these amendments, first, that the majority of the revisions are

[3:05:56] technical and state driven, second, the largest amendment is the incorporation of the states

[3:06:01] required policies and strategies, third, the revisions improve quality accuracy and completeness

[3:06:09] of supporting information contained in the plan and appendix.

[3:06:13] And finally, these amendments position Bronzwick to receive a favorable

[3:06:17] state consistency determination last slide.

[3:06:24] So next steps include the planning board reviewing the proposed amendments on June 23rd,

[3:06:30] followed by a town council meeting public hearing.

[3:06:35] And as the Chair noted, we are requesting that it be July 20th instead of July 6th.

[3:06:44] So with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

[3:06:47] Are there any questions of council?

[3:06:55] Any questions?

[3:06:57] I'm not seeing any as a reminder because we are setting a public hearing.

[3:07:01] We don't take public comment on that so I will entertain a motion.

[3:07:07] Councillor Weems.

[3:07:09] Yes.

[3:07:10] Please make sure to include the 20th.

[3:07:12] Come on, my car.

[3:07:14] I would like to move to set a public hearing from Monday, July 20th, 20th, 20th, 20th, 26th,

[3:07:20] to adopt attached amendments to the comprehensive plan.

[3:07:23] Motion by Councillor Weems, seconded by Councillor Acker.

[3:07:27] Any discussion on the motion?

[3:07:30] Councillor Weems.

[3:07:32] Yes, just one.

[3:07:34] On one of the slides, you brought forth the requirement to state use the term transitional

[3:07:44] or transitional area for our medium density area in the practical sense, and you said on the slide it was not a growth area.

[3:07:56] In the practical sense it is a growth area.

[3:07:58] I don't want to make that clear to anyone who might still be listening.

[3:08:03] That's a good clarification.

[3:08:04] Yeah, we were asked by the state just to clarify the terminology where it could be confusing with other, in other state, law, places.

[3:08:16] So transitional is a different term defined by the state than a designated growth area.

[3:08:23] Transitional areas can still have growth.

[3:08:25] It's just that the designated growth area is a much higher intensity of growth.

[3:08:30] Thank you.

[3:08:31] Councillor Hicks.

[3:08:33] I noticed there's a lot of referencing to regionalization and

[3:08:38] working with regional, you know, surrounding towns on a lot of these goals.

[3:08:44] I'm looking forward to hearing a little bit more at the next, at the hearing,

[3:08:49] about how the state suggests that if there's any state mechanisms to help with that regionalization approach,

[3:08:58] which it's difficult, especially we're usually the hub, and it's the towns around us that are the ones who need our resources and it becomes hard to maybe have a mutual regional approach.

[3:09:17] So I don't want to get too far in the weeds about that, but I do think it's a massive theme that the state wants added to the comp plan.

[3:09:27] and I wanted to hear more about how realistic that would be for the planning department and for the town to really take.

[3:09:38] Happy to provide that.

[3:09:39] Thanks.

[3:09:40] Any further questions of council?

[3:09:43] Not seeing any, or I guess discussion because we already have a motion, so any further discussion.

[3:09:51] Not seeing any, I'll call the vote.

[3:09:53] Councillor Ellis.

[3:09:54] Yes.

[3:09:54] Councillor Eckert.

[3:09:55] Yes.

[3:09:55] Councillor Perrault.

[3:09:56] Yes.

[3:09:56] Councilor Hicks, Councilor Timi, Councilor Memes, Councilor Wilson, the Chair is a yes those unanimous that the Council of the motion passes moving on to item number 78, the town council will consider setting a public hearing on Monday, July 6th, 2026 to adopt amendments to the Mobile Home Park, lot rent moratorium and will take any appropriate action.

[3:10:16] I'm turning this back over to the economic and community development director Costello to talk about this item.

[3:10:21] So

[3:10:26] I am here as I mentioned earlier with the schedule that part of what we need to do

[3:10:31] the town council actions and next step is to amend the moratorium and so we're here

[3:10:39] to ask for you to set a public hearing on this amendment which has been pulled up there.

[3:10:48] It does two things, basically it brings the moratorium in line with the proposed ordinance

[3:10:54] removing the reference to the current tenants because it's really about the lots.

[3:10:59] So on the next page, if you can scroll down Larry, it strikes the tenant and it adds in

[3:11:09] the word lots, so it strikes out that portion that talks about the tenants.

[3:11:15] And then the second thing that it does is that it exempts the rocks from the moratorium.

[3:11:24] And that is just a line written in to accommodate that.

[3:11:30] And just as a reminder, rock is a resident-owned community.

[3:11:33] Resident-owned communities.

[3:11:34] So those are the two changes that we would like to propose.

[3:11:39] Great.

[3:11:40] Are there any questions?

[3:11:41] Any questions?

[3:11:42] questions of council.

[3:11:46] Not seeing any questions. We do not have public comment because we're setting a public hearing so I will entertain a motion. Councillor Teemey.

[3:11:56] Councillor for all.

[3:11:57] It's okay. I'd like to make a motion to set a public hearing for Monday, July 6, 2026 to adopt amendments to the mobile home park lot rent moratorium.

[3:12:09] Motion by Councillor for all. Second by Councillor Teemey.

[3:12:12] is there any discussion on the motion?

[3:12:16] Not seeing any? I'll call the vote.

[3:12:18] Councillor Ellis. Yes. Councillor Hicks. Yes. Councillor Weems.

[3:12:25] Yes. Councillor Wilson. Yes. And the chair is a yes. That is unanimous of the council.

[3:12:29] The motion passes. Thank you. Moving on to item number 7-9,

[3:12:38] which is a, oh gosh,

[3:12:41] Oh, item just directing town staff to terminate the contract with our current waste per- oh, do you have the exact language?

[3:12:51] There we go. Item number 79, which is an item to discuss the current trash and recycling collection contract.

[3:12:58] There we go. I'll turn this over to, I suppose, Councillor Timmy since you brought this forward.

[3:13:08] Yes, in accordance with the rules, I'm declaring my potential conflict of interest so I'm going to step down and step into the audience.

[3:13:17] Thank you so much.

[3:13:20] Councillor Tv's.

[3:13:21] All right, this is something that came up first to me in the Sustainability Committee almost two months ago.

[3:13:30] And seemed like it was worth discussing more fully with the opportunity to potentially make motions on the matter so that we didn't keep interrupting the manager's report back basically and holding all of our residents hostage while we did so.

[3:13:55] So discussion around this, is there any further points assistant town manager that you did

[3:14:01] not, we're not able to cover during your initial presentation?

[3:14:08] I don't think I have any other civilian points to make.

[3:14:11] I'll just wait and see if there's any questions.

[3:14:13] Okay.

[3:14:13] So discussion, who would like to start?

[3:14:18] Councillor Peroll?

[3:14:18] Well, I'd just like to say the process, I think was a little flawed in that, like Councillor

[3:14:27] Ellis made a point that he felt like there wasn't enough time to even discuss it as

[3:14:35] a council because we have until June 30th to let Casela know whether or not we were going

[3:14:43] want to go, you know, terminate that contract and go out to bid and so I think it would

[3:14:50] have been more appropriate to bring it to the council when there was time to do it.

[3:14:58] That being said,

[3:15:00] And I think the points about in regards to the one particular vendor or business that was hoping to get our business, I do believe it would be prudent to have caution in going with them right now. And I'm saying that without knowing what the bids would have better or anything like that. But I think that I think-

[3:15:29] A better discussion a few months ago and tonight, I agree with Councillor Teami that it

[3:15:37] should have been Council's decision as to how to move forward with it.

[3:15:44] So just as a point of clarity, so Council typically does not negotiate contracts.

[3:15:51] Council typically, like staff does all of our contracting and so this was not something

[3:15:57] that would typically come before council.

[3:15:59] The only reason that we talked about in the manager's report is because we received

[3:16:04] a few communications, one from a committee who didn't actually request the council to

[3:16:09] do it.

[3:16:09] They requested that town staff do it.

[3:16:12] And I responded to them saying, hey, if you have a formal recommendation, you want us

[3:16:16] to consider based on your charge, please present that to us.

[3:16:20] And they did not.

[3:16:22] They never sent any type of follow-up there.

[3:16:24] The second part of that is that nobody in all of those communications, I did not receive

[3:16:28] any communication from my counselor, saying that they wanted to see something different.

[3:16:33] So that's why it did not.

[3:16:35] We had a discussion around, I said, this is what the sustainability, there was one counselor

[3:16:40] who said that they wanted to see something.

[3:16:44] But to me, that doesn't rise to a threshold that would trigger me overstepping staff responsibility

[3:16:50] to bring something to counsel.

[3:16:53] So that's just why what the process that I went on.

[3:16:55] No, I understand that.

[3:16:59] From someone just coming in and hearing from different groups, I guess, is the best way

[3:17:10] to put it during over the last couple of months.

[3:17:13] like it seemed like it was something that might have risen to the point.

[3:17:22] I also do, we never as a council approve any contracts, I mean, because I would assume

[3:17:29] that, ultimately, if we go into a contract with some organization or some business, that

[3:17:35] it would be ultimately never?

[3:17:39] I'm struggling to think of a time when we were bringing a contract to council for approval.

[3:17:45] It would be appropriation of money, but then the execution of the contract would be a staff responsibility.

[3:17:52] Thank you for that.

[3:17:54] Councillor Rillis.

[3:17:55] In that regards, and I do appreciate that boundary, if you will, on this.

[3:17:59] But if we were to see, for example, if we had a trash collector that wasn't doing service and

[3:18:05] we were hearing from our constituents, it would be our responsibility to bring that back and to advise staff.

[3:18:10] These are issues we're having with the contractor you've bought.

[3:18:14] And I'm not going to complain about this, but Cassela did throw away three of my lids and I had to buy three new lids.

[3:18:18] But that was literally five years ago, but I haven't let it go yet, so I now have red lids because I know which ones are mine.

[3:18:26] But that being said, it is our responsibility to keep you advised.

[3:18:29] And what I would also say that I'd like to see just from this perspective is what are our policies around these contracts because I do think that that is a part of our purview.

[3:18:38] It worries me that we haven't negotiated or put it out to bed ever.

[3:18:43] I agree with your assessment that from my perspective right now in looking at these prices, I don't know, one, I don't feel like I have enough information.

[3:18:53] but two, I don't know as to where it's gonna get us a better price on this

[3:18:58] anyways, and I think there's a potentiality that it might actually get us a

[3:19:03] worse price even with the current vendor that we have today. And so that being

[3:19:09] said, as we approach the end of this five-year contract where we have to do a new

[3:19:15] one anyways, I think for me that's the more appropriate time to take that risk for

[3:19:20] that and we're only what five years away from that is that six yeah and I would hope that you guys

[3:19:26] would be begin looking at bids a year or two before that would be my assumption but for me I voted

[3:19:33] to have this discussion just so that there were members who wanted to have it but I'm supportive of

[3:19:37] staff's decision in regards to this contract right now and open to the concept of hearing more about

[3:19:43] alternative vendors as they they come about because the other thing that's interesting with this and

[3:19:47] I think Councillor TV touched on this, this particular one that came forward to us offers a service that we're not doing today, and so those types of things are worth sometimes considering, as you know, I asked about curbside leaf collection, I like during the fall, is that something, it's a, those types of things I do think sort of fit under our umbrella, but contracts, if that's not us, then, yeah, how'd I go?

[3:20:10] Councillor, did you have a response?

[3:20:13] Yeah, I just wanted to mention the reason we didn't put it out to bid in 2022 and the reason

[3:20:19] we directly negotiated with our current vendor is the landscape coming out of COVID for acquisition

[3:20:24] of vehicles was in 18 to 24 a month lead time and unless there's a big enough company that

[3:20:32] It had an inventory of trucks already sitting unused that they could devote to a collection

[3:20:39] area, the size of ours, you know, there's not a lot of companies that can do it.

[3:20:45] There's a lot of, I wouldn't say there's a lot, there are some smaller companies, but

[3:20:50] none of them have a fleet, the size that they could just step in with four to six month

[3:20:56] lead time and take on a contract this size.

[3:21:00] So that was why we made the decision then yeah, and it'll be very interesting as you said. It's kind of

[3:21:06] I had a former colleague once say to me the road west is paved with many a dead pioneer

[3:21:12] You don't want to be a pioneer you want to be a fast follower and so in as much as this garbage to gardens

[3:21:18] Is stepping up in a fairly large way in Scarborough without trucks?

[3:21:22] I'm gonna be very curious to see how they step up to that need and whether they meet it

[3:21:26] I would say the issue that you're talking about. I don't know garbage trucks. I haven't priced them or tried to buy it

[3:21:30] recently but I could tell you cars in general that was the case COVID-2 it's why I drive a silver car

[3:21:36] because it wasn't even built when I bought it but that's still the situation in the market today

[3:21:41] and so I'll be very curious to see how they deliver on their promises to Scarborough.

[3:21:49] Councillor Tini? I had a couple of questions that came up for me. One that was mentioned was the

[3:21:57] experience that Bath had like kind of teething pains after switching.

[3:22:02] I also just want to emphasize, I'm not approaching this by thinking that we need to go with a particular vendor.

[3:22:09] I'm really actually my thing isn't even about price, it's really about like services that are available.

[3:22:15] But what are you able to speak as to like what issues they had in Bath when they switch to provider?

[3:22:24] I won't mention specifics, I'll just say that there's with any service of this size, there's going to be like that initial learning curve.

[3:22:36] There's, we have 136 miles of roads and 8,000 stops right now because they've been doing it.

[3:22:46] And they know all the intricacies and nuances of those routes.

[3:22:52] And somebody coming in cold just, they just can't know.

[3:22:54] And so no matter who it is, even if it's a seasoned company, the crew that they're

[3:23:01] going to put in Brunswick, because never worked in Brunswick before, unless they're going

[3:23:05] to try to poach gasella workers.

[3:23:09] And, but yeah, there's just, there's just going to be that natural learning curve that anybody

[3:23:15] but he's going to go through, and I don't know how long it'll be.

[3:23:18] I know that the path experienced it for the first six months for sure.

[3:23:23] And but it probably wasn't unforeseen.

[3:23:28] Like it's just the nature of the beast for something like that.

[3:23:31] The collection happens every day, so there's bound to be problems.

[3:23:37] The other part, because you talked about some other contracts, I believe,

[3:23:42] from other town so it sounds like you've looked at those.

[3:23:46] We obviously have this fuel adjustment in there and obviously right now that's a particular

[3:23:53] note and it certainly doesn't look like that's changing at any time in the near future

[3:23:57] because what I'm hearing is going to take like a decade for all of that fossil fuel infrastructure

[3:24:02] to get rebuilt that's been destroyed.

[3:24:07] Do all of the other contracts have a fuel adjustment like that?

[3:24:12] I know what I've heard from, you know, garbage to garden, but it's in an email, so it like doesn't really mean anything when it comes to the actual proposal that might be delivered.

[3:24:25] But like, have you seen in their others and can sell as others, like, do they all end up having a fuel surcharge or what's the deal with that?

[3:24:33] I don't know across the board how many have them, I would say it's not atypical, not even not just for this type of collection but in other contracts as well, for services that utilize heavy equipment in particular, and for our fuel adjuster it's after prices of diesel go above a certain point and there's like a percentage adjustment to it so it isn't just always

[3:25:03] there, the market has to do something and yeah right now world events are such as they

[3:25:11] are that that's in place right now but yeah I can't speak to you other contracts all other

[3:25:17] contracts I know that Kisella in particular I think in most of their recent contracts they

[3:25:22] do have that but I don't know others but almost all of them peg their annual increases to CPIU

[3:25:30] So that is a standard practice.

[3:25:32] Thanks.

[3:25:34] Other discussion?

[3:25:36] Councilor Weems.

[3:25:37] Yes.

[3:25:37] Thank you, Chair McDowell.

[3:25:40] So I'm going to step into it and just acknowledge there are just a lot of people know that in my family's a tradition to have a little statue of Don Quixote on the desk.

[3:25:52] to guide our everyday activities that I'm going to kind of move into that territory here and exercise of how not to win friends and influence people.

[3:26:07] And so to start that off, the Sustainability Committee didn't just come forward with a kind of off-the-cuff recommendation here.

[3:26:16] So we've been, I was on it, at one point I was the chair of it.

[3:26:23] We've been discussed, so we use weed.

[3:26:26] This has been under discussion at the Sustainability Committee for years,

[3:26:30] dating back to before the contract was negotiated.

[3:26:34] So it's not,

[3:26:36] and they did deliver a specific recommendation to us,

[3:26:40] if it was keeping with their charter to look at sustainability issues,

[3:26:46] including economic sustainability and make commentary about that.

[3:26:51] But more to the current point, I want to give credit to the staff for what's a very unusual,

[3:27:01] not unique, but very unusual element in the current contract,

[3:27:07] which is the five-year opt-out.

[3:27:10] An opt-out at the town's discretion for our convenience.

[3:27:14] You can negotiate a lot of contracts and try to get that and you can't get it in many contracts.

[3:27:22] So it was really a stroke of brilliance to get that in the contract.

[3:27:27] So, with that backdrop, I think that we, as council and staff,

[3:27:42] are in danger of really

[3:27:47] missing a significant opportunity to potentially improve the recycling and trash system and also

[3:27:59] to save taxpayer dollars in the process.

[3:28:04] And that's because we have the opt-out provision in the contract.

[3:28:09] If we must this opportunity now, we really have to launch an effort going forward to examine

[3:28:17] all the possibilities and actions in the solid waste management realm for the future.

[3:28:24] And many people talked about tonight, it's a very important thing to go forward to whatever

[3:28:32] happens tonight.

[3:28:32] And I can certainly read the TLA's and we're not going to do much of anything tonight

[3:28:38] under the current opt-out provision.

[3:28:42] But I do have to say that the terms of the contract that created that include that opt-out provision

[3:28:51] and Jay put it in his memo, Assistant Town Manager, that this opt-out was included in the contract in the town's request to provide flexible protection at the halfway point of the 10-year contract in case the market for collection service has changed substantially.

[3:29:14] So the market for collection service has changed substantially by the evidence that we've heard about new competitors that are interested in interactively solicitating the business.

[3:29:26] So I think the risk of whether there are any other birds and the bushes are extremely low, because we know there are, and they're, and they're saying they have looked at our situation

[3:29:43] and are ready to provide a better deal.

[3:29:51] So they have an opportunity in front of us

[3:29:55] to improve our situation.

[3:29:57] I think by own experience in business.

[3:30:00] Business tells me that the risk, there are no guarantees. We don't know whether there are any bitters. But in fact, there's no guarantees. There is a very high probability that there will be multiple bitters or people submitting proposals. And the result of that will almost certainly not certainly be a better deal for the town of Brunswick. However, you want to characterize

[3:30:29] a better deal, better service, more broad objectives being that lower price, we're in a position

[3:30:38] that somebody was smart enough to put in the contract for just this reason and we ought

[3:30:43] to exercise.

[3:30:47] That's pretty much the end of my commentary on it. If there was an opportunity,

[3:30:52] I would make a motion, but I'm not going to suggest that at the moment. I do understand

[3:30:57] the distinction between approving a contract and approving the money for a contract, but I think it's kind of a difference without a distinction, without a difference, or whatever expression has said.

[3:31:14] Certainly of this magnitude, this is a amount of money that is seven figure contract per year.

[3:31:23] So we're talking about large stakes here.

[3:31:27] and so there's a point of view on it anyway for anyone who wants to to consider.

[3:31:37] Councillor Ellis?

[3:31:38] I was just going to say Councillor Weems is far more learned in this particular arena

[3:31:42] than I am and I will wholly acknowledge that but I might argue the point that garbage to

[3:31:49] gardens in this area hasn't significantly changed the mark yet because they're not demonstrating

[3:31:56] that they're at the scale of a company like a Kasella or a WM or somebody along those lines.

[3:32:02] And to me, that's the concern, that they haven't demonstrated that they're big enough to say they're significant.

[3:32:09] The other analogy, I think you'll appreciate this more than many others on the council.

[3:32:13] Sometimes the opt out isn't always a good thing.

[3:32:16] If you don't know this, I'm a Metz fan.

[3:32:18] They opted out of Nemo, they opted out of Kitalanzo, and

[3:32:22] And they opted out of Edwin D as the season for better options.

[3:32:26] And I think they have the worst record in baseball this year.

[3:32:29] And so sometimes that ability to opt out isn't always what you think it's gonna be.

[3:32:35] And so for me, if this had been a company that had many more communities in the town of Maine,

[3:32:40] I would agree with you, or in the state of Maine rather.

[3:32:44] But to me, they're still getting their feet wet in these communities.

[3:32:48] And, you know, Bath is really the only place they've had anything for how many months now, a few months.

[3:32:55] I just don't like being with a service that's so relied upon, like, trash collection, I worry about risking that.

[3:33:02] I mean, I know how, God, I'm gonna get killed if she hears this, but my wife rides, I mean, if I forget to take the trash out on Thursday, right?

[3:33:09] Like, people don't like it when their trash is not picked up.

[3:33:11] And, to me, that's the risk that we run with this.

[3:33:15] And I don't feel comfortable with this particular partner that they're big enough to get over that comfort scale with me.

[3:33:22] If it had been WM or somebody who maybe had more presence, I would feel potentially different.

[3:33:29] Councilor Reames.

[3:33:30] Just a quick rebuttal or a commentary, it's not even a rebuttal.

[3:33:34] First of all, I'm in Councilor Timmy's camp here that I'm not a shield for any particular company here.

[3:33:42] It is one of the companies that expressed interest.

[3:33:47] And it's likely, I think, that you might see some bidders or proposals in the category

[3:33:54] you just mentioned, waste management is out there, they're interested in business and main, and there are others.

[3:34:03] So that's part of that, and I think that in a practical sense, if we actually did take the opt out, cancel the contract.

[3:34:17] Let me just run a scenario here that I think is more likely than not by quite a large probability.

[3:34:26] As for proposals, we'd get several,

[3:34:32] we would then have a choice and they'd be arrayed on a price basis and a service basis, make a judge judgment.

[3:34:41] And if we were, and Kasella would be in the pile, they would definitely submit a contract proposal.

[3:34:47] There is an any doubt in my mind that they would, they've been fighting for the keep this business ever since they got it.

[3:34:53] and they're going to keep fighting to keep it.

[3:34:57] I think the practical worst case in this is we get a prayer price out of Kasele for the same service.

[3:35:06] And that opportunity is in front of us.

[3:35:08] It may not be enough to be persuasive tonight because of the process by which we've gotten here tonight.

[3:35:15] But and I would understand that if that's with the council besides.

[3:35:20] Councillor Hicks.

[3:35:21] Was there, was I, did I hear that we had asked Kasella to consider, as someone's put it sharp in their pencil and come back with some cost saving opportunity or

[3:35:37] adding to services or something to that effect to make the arrangement, that we have a little more favorable, I don't know if you caught that.

[3:35:50] I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

[3:35:51] Yeah, sure.

[3:35:52] Was, did we ask Cassetta to come back with some elements or

[3:35:57] something to add to our contract to make it a little bit more favorable to us as part in lieu of

[3:36:06] canceling the contract and putting this out to bid?

[3:36:10] I get three different conversations with them about it.

[3:36:15] Did they come back with something or?

[3:36:17] No.

[3:36:18] I mean, we had a conversation, they explained why they didn't.

[3:36:20] Yeah, okay.

[3:36:21] Okay.

[3:36:23] So to be clear, what I believe what we asked was, could you give us a discount?

[3:36:29] I mean, we didn't ask specifically for other services just to be clear.

[3:36:33] And they didn't feel comfortable negotiating outside of contract and, you know, against themselves.

[3:36:40] And they said, no, what they would like to do is have more discussion about how to be part

[3:36:47] of our overall solution, what else they could do for us. So, that was their reply. They

[3:36:54] ended up sending it to me, for some reason. You were the one?

[3:36:57] Right. The answer wasn't, no. It was a more fleshed out response.

[3:37:03] Councillor Wilson?

[3:37:05] Yeah. Thank you. I agree. I would love to see us be able to go to garbage gardener, whatever

[3:37:15] that's called I don't think they're ready for a town this size yet and as has been mentioned

[3:37:21] a little bit trash pickup and it's happening the way it ought to it is very important to

[3:37:28] the whole town in many many ways especially when we get to winter but anyhow I also agree

[3:37:35] that the council doesn't that we hire staff to do some of this and and we hire them

[3:37:45] because we think they qualify. I'm going to go with the staff. But I would love to see the

[3:37:51] more of the garbage to garden stuff go on. Definitely would like to see. But I don't think they're

[3:37:57] ready for a town this size. And I think there's a lot of little stuff going on on the side. We'll

[3:38:02] keep working towards it in my mind. But that's it. Councillor Tina.

[3:38:08] And yeah, first I want to just name that as somebody who is a garbage dumpster provided by her landlord.

[3:38:18] I don't have the same skin in the game as some other people, and I do recognize that I still, I want everything to work well.

[3:38:28] I have a totally different approach that I think might be a reasonable outcome here, which doesn't involve canceling the contract or

[3:38:39] changing the services right now, we have a sustainability committee and one of its charges is

[3:38:48] handling, planning out how waste streams should work in Brunswick and advising the council on that.

[3:38:55] And I think I don't know the exact wording of what this motion would be but it also doesn't have

[3:39:00] to happen tonight because it doesn't involve canceling the contract. I think that we should

[3:39:05] I would request the sustainability committee to figure out what they think a longer term plan for solid waste in Brunswick should be and come back to us with that, including the concepts of a transfer station, including whether we should have some sort of compost pilot program, all of that stuff, whatever they think we should be thinking about at this point.

[3:39:33] Because the contract is gonna end in six years, 2032 feels like it's a million years away,

[3:39:40] but I'm sure in 2032, 2026 is going to feel like yesterday.

[3:39:46] And we want to make sure that we are approaching that decision in 2032,

[3:39:52] not just with an idea of what is like the cheaper option that we know is going to follow through,

[3:39:59] or what little tweaks can we do to the existing contract?

[3:40:04] But rather, what are we looking for and who can we go to?

[3:40:09] And what do we need to ask for to actually have the services that match what

[3:40:14] Brunswick needs, especially with the Climate Action Plan in mind, because it

[3:40:18] touches on a lot of these different ideas.

[3:40:22] So I guess we could talk about that and have some sort of outcome,

[3:40:27] come maybe at one of the future meetings?

[3:40:29] Yeah, I can at least talk with the town manager

[3:40:31] about to see at our next meeting

[3:40:33] like what if we need a appropriate fund

[3:40:36] so that all of the nuance would encompass with that.

[3:40:40] Thank you, Chair.

[3:40:41] Yeah.

[3:40:42] I guess like two points that I would just like to throw out there.

[3:40:45] One is like my own process point

[3:40:48] and then the other half is like my feelings.

[3:40:51] So process point, unless Councillors care about an issue

[3:40:55] that you're hearing about that I'm not going to put it on the agenda and the only reason

[3:40:59] the only way that I know that you care about an issue is that if you tell me you do.

[3:41:03] The only thing that I have received was sustainability committee thing that didn't direct directly

[3:41:10] to council or directed to staff and I said bring us something and we'll consider it and

[3:41:15] that didn't happen so that's why this is not on the agenda. I did have one Councillor

[3:41:18] reach out to me I'm still figure out where that barometer is I don't necessarily think one

[3:41:23] and counselors enough to bring it before nine counselors.

[3:41:27] And so, you know, and maybe that's wrong of me,

[3:41:29] but I can, you know, work on that.

[3:41:31] But unless I know that you care about this issue

[3:41:34] because you're hearing from people,

[3:41:35] then I'm not gonna opt to put it on the agenda

[3:41:38] to go against what the norm is.

[3:41:40] So that's process wise, just over the table,

[3:41:42] like how I worked through this system.

[3:41:46] Feelings wise, so like my actual feelings on this issue

[3:41:50] you is that nothing that I bought in 2022 is cheaper than when I bought now.

[3:41:56] So I don't know how contract is going to become cheaper compared to four years ago,

[3:42:04] like the same system that we're using.

[3:42:07] I assume that if we open this contract, we're going to actually open the scope because it

[3:42:11] sounds like we want to try composting, like we want to try the leaf pickup, we want to

[3:42:15] try all these things.

[3:42:16] And we just got out of the most controversial, most divided budget season that I've seen on council.

[3:42:26] And so all of these other things that we're going to tack on to this wish list are going to cost a lot more money.

[3:42:32] Which I would love to have composting.

[3:42:34] I don't pay for composting because I can't afford it.

[3:42:37] So if we had curbside composting, I know I would compost.

[3:42:39] That would advance our sustainability initiatives, but is that something the town wants to take on?

[3:42:44] That's a question, like for us to talk about, but that is a budgetary driver and we just

[3:42:49] got through all I heard was, you know, the budget.

[3:42:53] The last point of note that I'll throw in here, that really Councillor Hicks brought

[3:42:57] up to me and the town manager during our conversation around this at one of our meetings, is that this

[3:43:04] contract would end the same year that we're hiring a new town manager.

[3:43:10] And that new town manager is going to be the person that's going to get the tens of thousands of calls when their trash is not picked up properly.

[3:43:18] And so thinking ahead about, you know, 2027 is going to be done here soon.

[3:43:24] Like we're already barreling towards 2027 and we know that we have, we're going to be losing our town manager at the end of next year.

[3:43:31] that this is when that contract would be going, when we have someone new, because it's not for another year that we would implement this.

[3:43:39] And so I have concerns, Councillor Hicks brought it up of this transition point, but I have concerns of the town manager pool that's out there.

[3:43:50] I've read a lot, I've heard from Councillors about the availability of town managers and the capability of town managers.

[3:43:57] I saw our first process and how it went and how we ended up with an internal hire because of our pool, also the qualifications of our internal hire.

[3:44:07] Not discounting that, but it was later in the game that we were able to convince you.

[3:44:15] But all I'm saying is this is a big portion of what we do as the town, and it's not going wrong right now.

[3:44:23] Like, yes, there's some lids, they get thrown away.

[3:44:27] And so I'm scared to take this unknown step.

[3:44:31] Like, I would love for garbage garden to be at the capability that I think that they would be able to take this on.

[3:44:35] Like, I would love for all these other providers, and to get this wish list done that we would love to have.

[3:44:40] But I'm also really hesitant to set up a new person with that, I guess, charge because it's going to fault it.

[3:44:49] They're the ones that are getting the calls.

[3:44:51] I see like every decision that we make here, when I meet weekly, there's always someone

[3:44:56] in talking to tab and like, there's always somebody that is...

[3:45:00] It's unhappy about the things that we're doing, and the amount of calls that we would get if trash is not a consistent and reliable thing, is not something that would go well for us and a new town manager that we would hopefully try to welcome. So, those are my feelings, portions of things, of just like why I have no knock against this process, like I would have been happy if there was something that was flushed out that gave me points as to X, Y, and Z.

[3:45:28] but everything to this point has led contrary to opening up.

[3:45:34] So that's why I've arrived at the conclusion I've gotten to.

[3:45:38] Councillor Ailes.

[3:45:39] Who is our Sustainability Committee representation today?

[3:45:43] Councillor Teenie.

[3:45:46] Okay.

[3:45:47] So I'm more curious because this is brought up for me having not served on all these committees

[3:45:53] and frankly still going to raise the new guide card here.

[3:45:55] What is the mandate of that committee, because again, I do agree that it probably intersects with trash in some way, but I wouldn't necessarily see that as being like negotiation of the full trash contract.

[3:46:07] It's how are we sustainable in our practices, and so hearing about that as a thing would be what I would want to hear maybe in the future more about.

[3:46:17] So, briefly, it's the history of the committee.

[3:46:21] It actually started out as that trash solid waste and it still actually has, in its charge, specifically solid waste.

[3:46:29] It just also has in its charge the implementation of the climate action plan.

[3:46:34] And it definitely should not be handling the negotiation of a contract that would be totally out of its scope.

[3:46:39] I'm just saying it would be nice for them to sort of like look at what we should be looking for in our near future.

[3:46:47] I may or may not be empathetic to composting, you know, it's just like I went bussing, but they all have costs and so I know like with that

[3:46:54] I would see that as a more reasonable, the sustainability committee is recommending that we go to composting because

[3:47:01] this is the base cost of it or something like that. That would be what I would have expected more from that committee

[3:47:06] And it felt like this became a much larger

[3:47:09] Conversation, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna grab these last couple and we're gonna wrap up this conversation and councilor weems

[3:47:15] Yes, I'm going to take you up on your offer here, or not an offer per se, but what better gift for a new town manager?

[3:47:29] Think I had two years.

[3:47:30] Think I had two years.

[3:47:33] What better gift for a new town manager who's here on the fifth or six months of his or her job than to have a well thought out either.

[3:47:45] or list of options or even proposed strategic plan

[3:47:50] in solid waste management to chew over

[3:47:54] and fix and improve and implement.

[3:47:58] Then so I think that we should set our sales somehow

[3:48:03] on working on this series over the next two years,

[3:48:05] whoever does it so that town manager gets

[3:48:08] the benefit of that work.

[3:48:10] Councillor Hexson, then we'll go to public comment,

[3:48:12] which we have a public member would like to speak.

[3:48:14] So, going back to the history of that committee, that committee was very involved in putting that committee set with J and John Eldridge and members of that committee, I should say, I was a chair of that committee at that time, or post whatever.

[3:48:34] But, so the history of that contract has a lot of the, what was the recycling and

[3:48:44] sustainability committee's fingerprints.

[3:48:46] And that's why, you know, part of them coming back, kind of revisiting it is because

[3:48:53] it was what they had been very, very involved in.

[3:48:56] So that's part of why.

[3:49:01] All right.

[3:49:01] I'm going to go to public comment.

[3:49:04] We've got a member from the public.

[3:49:06] You've got to see your name, your town of residents, and you've got three minutes.

[3:49:10] Good evening.

[3:49:11] My name is James Ecker, I'm a resident of Brunswick, and I want to tell you, this is an issue I do care a lot about.

[3:49:19] I stand before you as a local citizen with 35 years experience working in the Solid Waste Collection, recycling and disposal industry.

[3:49:30] I know a lot about this and about the issue.

[3:49:35] I was on the sustainability committee for the better part of five years.

[3:49:39] I think there's three Councillors here who are chairs of this committee at various times.

[3:49:44] So there's a lot of history here.

[3:49:47] And I am not up here to change anybody's mind tonight.

[3:49:51] I do want to maybe illuminate a couple points that I think are really important to consider.

[3:49:58] First off, I hope it's not lost on anyone, someone brought it up, but this contract, I believe the town manager can correct me if I'm wrong, but for a multi-year contract, this is about a million dollars a year, and it's probably the largest contract service we do that's a multi-year contract, does that sound right?

[3:50:16] Yes, for that size, I mean we also, you know, we have auditors and other sort of professional services, but that is one of the largest contracts.

[3:50:28] Of course, we also, our largest contracts are usually our road contracts.

[3:50:33] But in terms of this, to put it in perspective here, we, by the time this is over, it'll be 30 years since this contract has seen competitive bid.

[3:50:45] And as a taxpayer, I don't know what's going on in this town over the past 30 years that these things this particular one has not seen competitive bid, but I think it's a challenge to the town and to staff to make darn sure that we do the planning beforehand to make sure this goes out to competitive bid because it's almost unheard of in the solid waste industry that something that would go that long.

[3:51:12] So second, I'm going to get oriented here a little bit, I think Councillor Timmy spoke

[3:51:21] to it, but about doing a Solid Waste Management Plan, we did one.

[3:51:28] We did one back in 2020-2021.

[3:51:32] There is a plan and parts of that plan got executed not perfectly well, but the fact that

[3:51:41] We wanted to get our trash recycling down to Eco-Main that having that happen was part of that plan, so that plan I think is on this sustainability committee website, it's worth looking at, dusting off, we don't have to start from square zero, and quite frankly, you don't have a lot of options in Maine.

[3:51:59] The key thing is we were trying to keep our trash out of landfill, so that's a starting point there as well.

[3:52:06] So the last point I'd make, well one other point, one thing that was different about the proposal that came before you is they were going to do what we originally wanted to do.

[3:52:22] That was part of the proposal was to pick up our trash and recycling here and bring it down to eco-main, try to explain the swap to a citizen what's going on.

[3:52:34] And it's very complicated.

[3:52:37] In theory, it kind of works, but I will challenge someone earlier who said,

[3:52:44] we're just displacing one person's stuff that might have gone to the landfill with someone else's.

[3:52:49] That's not true.

[3:52:49] I can tell you stuff goes all over the place every day.

[3:52:52] You never know exactly where trash is going to go.

[3:52:55] Those decisions get made by the solid waste companies if they own it.

[3:52:59] Then they're going to decide where it go.

[3:53:00] One day it may be cheaper to take it to e-command, next day it may go up to Jennifer Reds, you don't know.

[3:53:06] The last thing I make is this is really the biggest point of the night, I think.

[3:53:11] From my perspective, what I've seen happen here over the last 10 years is, on this particular issue,

[3:53:19] we talk about planning, we do planning. We don't get down to the hard business of trying to figure out

[3:53:24] how to something gets done until last minute. To go to even someone mentioned earlier,

[3:53:30] You know, three or four months before, you know, this contract's end, we put it out to bid.

[3:53:35] That is not the way you put out a solid waste contract.

[3:53:37] You have to start a year before, and there's a process to go through.

[3:53:42] Many towns do it, we don't have to reinvent the wheel, we can use a template from another town.

[3:53:48] But I highly, highly encourage that kind of planning, both the broader planning that Councillor

[3:53:53] So our team he was talking about, the idea of a transfer station to be more than an idea.

[3:53:59] We missed the boat on that one long ago, decisions were cast that we just missed the boat on it because we weren't thinking far enough ahead and planning for who's going to do your services.

[3:54:11] So I'd really encourage for this size contract, we start really like seriously in the next couple of years and

[3:54:19] And councils are going to change, staff's going to change, there's going to have to be some consistency through it.

[3:54:25] And I don't know what that is, whether that's to the sustainability committee with staff,

[3:54:29] but we should work to that plan because this is a very important part of the town's sustainability plan.

[3:54:35] It's our largest multi-year contract.

[3:54:38] It's worth doing some planning around.

[3:54:41] That's all I have to say.

[3:54:42] Thank you.

[3:54:45] Would anybody like to make a motion?

[3:54:47] or are we completed with this item?

[3:54:51] Currently no motion, because this is a discussion item.

[3:54:58] Not seen.

[3:55:00] I'll make the doomed motion, just to do it.

[3:55:04] Councillor Tini.

[3:55:07] I motion to direct staff to cancel the contract with Kasella

[3:55:12] for a solid waste pickup and initiate an RFP process

[3:55:18] Yes, to determine all of our options.

[3:55:22] Motion by Councillor Teemee, is there a second?

[3:55:26] Councillor Weems, seconded by Councillor Weems, further discussion on the motion?

[3:55:31] Oh, Councillor Perl?

[3:55:32] I'd just like to say, if this was six months ago before World Events are what they are,

[3:55:39] I would have totally taken the chance, but I think that we would be putting us down a road

[3:55:48] that it's going to cost us more in the long run.

[3:55:52] I agree.

[3:55:54] I will call the vote.

[3:55:56] Councillor Ellis.

[3:55:58] No.

[3:55:59] Councillor Perral.

[3:56:00] No.

[3:56:01] Councillor Hicks.

[3:56:02] No.

[3:56:03] Councillor Chimie.

[3:56:04] No.

[3:56:06] Councillor Wheeling.

[3:56:08] Yes.

[3:56:09] Councillor Wilson.

[3:56:11] No.

[3:56:12] The chair is in no. The motion fails 6 to 1.

[3:56:23] All right, moving on to consent agenda. You may come back, Councillor Acker.

[3:56:28] Thank you, town staff.

[3:56:30] Consent agenda. Is there any questions with the consent agenda?

[3:56:36] Not seeing any questions. Does somebody want to make a motion to approve the consent agenda?

[3:56:46] Councillor Hicks go for it. I move to approve the consent agenda.

[3:56:51] Motion by Councillor Hicks, seconded by Councillor teeny. Any discussion? Seeing any,

[3:56:58] this is a show of. So all those in favor, show of hands. All those opposed.

[3:57:04] So that passes from 6 to 1.

[3:57:13] No, 7 to 1, because Councillor Eckers back, sorry.

[3:57:17] Do I have a motion to adjourn?

[3:57:20] Move to adjourn.

[3:57:22] By Councillor Hicks, is there a second?

[3:57:24] Seconded by Councillor Weems.

[3:57:25] All those in favor, show of hands.

[3:57:27] That is unanimous.

[3:57:28] Thank you and good night, everyone.

2026.6.15 Regular Town Council Meeting

Transcript