City Managers Report

John D. Bubier, City Manager

February 17, 2015

A WORD FROM THE CITY MANAGER:

2015 County Budget Board:

John Sylvester ,Chair of the County Budget Board assures Biddeford that he will call us with

info on the time location and 2015 date of the caucus for election to the 2015 Budget Board.

Biddeford City Council has endorsed At Large Councilor Marc Lessard for the spot.

Public works Storm update: 2nd worst storm streak in Maine History going after #1

Last night, Monday, Public Works picked up quite a bit of snow with running three crews. They

did quite a bit of cutting streets and picked up the downtown. We are not working Tuesday based

upon the potential for snow tomorrow Wednesday which might be significant into Thursday.

Need to let the crew get some rest and be ready for the potential of a plowable storm. We will

regroup tomorrow Wednesday and see what happens and adjust plans accordingly.

WINTERFEST Fete D’ Hiver

Here here for the great Winterfest of 2015. And to all the great band of volunteers led by John

Maxson. I am so impressed with the activities and fun created by the wonderful event. I heard

the Mayor was throwing snow balls . I hope more successfully than the first pitch efforts for the

Sea Dogs in 2013.

City Manager going to Idexx Tour and Meet and Greet on Wednesday Night:

I will be joining Mobilize Maine's Energy Action Team for Energy Drinks!, a program of

engaging discussion about how we can energize our local economy by saving energy and

developing innovative energy projects. It is a great way to meet new business people and

get to chat about their experiences and ideas for growth.

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Social Networking

6:00 - 6:30 p.m. IDEXX Sustainable Initiatives

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Synergy Center Tours

Mark your calendar and join us for an energizing evening learning about "IDEXX's

ParXX" and Sustainable Transportation Program, followed by a tour of the Synergy

Center, a LEED gold certified building that boasts state-of-the-art en ergy conservation

and efficiency measures.

Interesting Chart on Education Levels and Unemployemnt:

Human Resources sets Safety Committee meeting Wednesday February 25th

:

Marcy has requested to schedule a Safety Committee Meeting for Wednesday, February 25,

2015. She will send a calendar event once the meeting has been updated with the agenda.

Please forward the items for the agenda that you wish discussed on the 25th. Once complete I

will forward to each of you for this scheduled event.

Because the meeting is scheduled for next week, we have a short window to work with. Please

forward your items as soon as possible. Questions or concerns, please contact Connie

Ransom. She is in the HR office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays.

Lincoln Mill relocations plan in good hands and is evolving:

Thanks to Brian Doyle of DECD for his help and continued interest in the relocation issues in the

Lincoln Mill . Brian was trying to find some help a Federal Labor Department for business that

were trying to overcome the forgien competition but he got word from DOL late Friday that their

funds support workforce training only. There aren’t any monies to support any relocation costs

of a business.

The program to find alternative space is in the hands of Ty Hobbs of CREBoulos and are being

handled on an individual basis. Dan Stevenson has spoken this the businesses and I have been in

contact with Ty Hobbs. It is a good plan and it’s in place. Paul Schumacher of SMRBD is also

in the loop along with his development staff. Dale Akeley of Riverdam has been brought into the

loop and staff at Northdam has been discussing the options.

Greetings City Councilors!

People all over Maine are talking about what's happening in Biddeford. We are

fortunate to have strong City leadership, active commissions and non-profits,

entrepreneurial business owners and developers, and a burgeoning arts scene.

Here's what they're saying in the news:

This weekend, the Portland Press Herald called Biddeford, “The hippest,

happeningest Maine city south of Portland.” Read the article to find out about the

role the arts are playing in making this statement true!

A reporter from the Public News Service interviewed HOB and the Maine

Association of Non-Profits about the impact of non-profits on Maine’s economy.

Listen to the interview here.

Palace Diner makes the news again, keeping Biddeford's dining scene in the news!

Watch the Restaurant Report here!

AND, while it's awesome to be featured in the news, nothing shows your love like an

actual visit to Biddeford's many downtown restaurants, retail stores, service

businesses, and events! See you downtown!

What's your news? Email me and I'll include it in the newsletter!

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Entrepreneurs Group

It's Maine Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week) and we'll celebrate with a gathering at Elements this Friday, Feb. 20 from 8:30-9:30

a.m. There's no guest speaker this month, just a chance to network and have a group discussion about what's making your

entrepreneurial venture work, and where you're hitting road blocks. Coffee and pastries provided. Free and open to the public.

Restaurant Owner Meeting

All downtown Biddeford Restaurant owners (or their designee) are invited to a

meeting on Monday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. at Biscuits & Company (25 Alfred Street).

Stacy Cooper, owner of Biscuits & Company, will facilitate a 45 minute meeting

about the possibilities of Biddeford Restaurant Week in March. Want to be

involved? See you at the meeting!

Permaculture & Placemaking

Hear from a recent UNE grad, Matthew Bibeau, tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 17, in Portland. More info

here.

Get the App!

The City has created a new app called,

“Access Biddeford” Scan the code, or

download it directly from the Apple App

Store, or from Google play. Get it on your smartphone

now, and watch for updates!

Now, businesses (from around the whole City) can “claim” their

business and post deals there via the app too!

Events@Elements

Tues., Feb. 17, 7 p.m. Trivia at Elements

Fri., Feb. 20, 8 p.m. BillyBilly

Sat., Feb. 21, 8 p.m. Alicia Phelps Quartet

Sun., Feb. 22, 1 p.m. Brian Callaghan

Events@Engine

Annual Rumpus Revival Call for Work

Anyone can participate in this egalitarian art show: professional artist or not, young or old.

The Rumpus Revival will open on March 27 at Engine. People can enter up to two

pieces of work, 2- or 3-dimensional. Work can be dropped off between March 17

and 21 during regular hours at Engine, 265 Main Street. For more information on

the Rumpus Revival, email Engine executive director Tammy Ackerman or call

207-370-9130.

LET'S TALK PARKING

As Biddeford continues to see more revitalization, let's keep the conversation about

parking going.

This week’s informational offering is a podcast called, “Parking is Hell,” by

Freakonomics Radio. Stephen Dubner talks to parking guru Donald Shoup, a

professor of urban planning at UCLA and author of the landmark book The High

Cost of Free Parking.

Click here to listen!

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, March 21, 7 p.m. Don

Campbell Band: An Evening of Dan

Fogelberg Music.

Don Campbell Band Presents an

Evening of Dan Fogelberg Music.

This spring’s HOB Fundraiser is going

to be an intimate evening of music at

City Theater featuring Don Campbell.

Tickets are $15, and available through City Theater’s website and at the door.

Here’s a video clip of Don’s band making beautiful music.

Inspired by the music of multi-platinum selling artist Dan Fogelberg, the Don

Campbell Band will enchant audiences with an intimate evening of music in City

Theater. With 12 CDs under his belt, and opening performance credits that include

Willie nelson, Carrie Underwood, and Toby Keith (to name a few), Biddeford is

proud to welcome this national-level performer to City Theater. With a voice that can

only be described as mesmerizing, and command of guitar, piano, and mandolin,

Don and his band create a memorable musical evening. The evening is a fund-

raiser to support Heart of Biddeford’s programs and projects that help spur

Biddeford’s downtown revitalization. Sponsored by Saco Biddeford Savings

Institution.

BIDDEFORD CARES Vote for City Theater!

Go to this link and take a moment to cast your vote of support for our own City Theater through Bangor Savings Bank’s

Community Matters More campaign.

York County Community Action: Care4Kids5K

Help out our community's kids while getting a little exercise! Sunday, April 12, 9:30

a.m. (with 9 a.m. Kiddie run). Registration and more info here.

Mary’s Walk and Kerrymen 5K, March 15.

Register by Feb. 1 for a free shirt! FMI and to register.

ON-GOING

ENTREPRENEURS GROUP.

Networking and educational

information for business

owners/entrepreneurs that meets on

the third Friday of every month at 8:30

a.m. at Elements, 265 Main

Street. Join our Biddeford

Entrepreneurs Facebook group to

keep up to date on more events

DONUT CLUB. 8 a.m. every first

Tuesday of the month at Reilly's Bakery. Hear about what's going on downtown and

share your events, promotions or news.

CITY THEATER: Visit their website for upcoming shows.

ENGINE at 265 Main Street. Gallery hours: 1-6pm Tues-Friday and 11-4 Saturdays.

HEARTWOOD COLLEGE OF ART in the North Dam Mill, 2 Main Street.

HEART OF BIDDEFORD COMMITTEES: Four committees meet each month to

further the goals of Heart of Biddeford. If you would like to join the folks in Design,

Promotions, Business Enhancement or Organization, take a moment to fill out

the online Volunteer Application on Heart of Biddeford's website. We'll get

back to you with some ideas that might match your interests and skills!

EVENTS HOSTED BY HEART OF BIDDEFORD

EVENTS HOSTED BY THE BIDDEFORD + SACO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE +

INDUSTRY

EVENTS HOSTED BY SACO SPIRIT

BIDDEFORD + SACO ARTS + CULTURE ALLIANCE WEBSITE, with links to our

local cultural organizations, museums, and festivals!

Notice of Formal

PUBLIC MEETING

IN BIDDEFORD

_________________________________________

To Discuss Improvements

To Main Street in Biddeford

Thursday, March 12, 2015

At 6:00 p.m.

At Biddeford City Hall

205 Main Street

Biddeford, Maine 04005

Please join MaineDOT at a formal public meeting to discuss the proposed improvements to

Overlay Main Street from Alfred Street (Route 9) to Elm Street (Route 1), and Rehabilitate Main

Street from Elm Street to Railroad Ave.

Accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Auxiliary aids will be provided

upon advance request.

Any inquiries regarding this project may be directed to the attention of Rob Betz, Project

Manager I, Maine Department of Transportation, Highway Program, 51 Pleasant Hill Road

Scarborough Maine 04074. Telephone: (207) 885-7000. Email:robert.k.betz@maine.gov.

Work Identification Numbers 20291.10 & 20292.00

Federal Aid Project Numbers STP-2029(100) & STP-2029(200)

TTY Users Dial Maine Relay 711

New art collective debuts in Biddeford Autus shows work of its members at Engine through March 21.

BY BOB KEYES STAFF WRITER bkeyes@pressherald.com | @pphbkeyes | 207-791-6457

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BIDDEFORD — They could have named their art collective anything. That they settled on

Autus says something about their hopes for their new collective and for the contemporary art

scene in the hippest, happeningest Maine city south of Portland.

In Latin, Autus means growth. Autus and Biddeford both are poised for growth, said collective

member Sarah Baldwin.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

The artists of Autus: from left, Sarah Baldwin, Julie Gray, Keiren Valentine and Tina Guay at Engine in Biddeford. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Keiren Valentine, unnamed, 2009, 11 x 14, C-print

Sarah Baldwin, “Coastal Lowlands,” 2014, 8 x 8, ink on vellum

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “PRIMUM”

WHERE: Engine, 265 Main St., Biddeford

WHEN: Through March 21; 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

HOW MUCH: Free

INFO: feedtheengine.org or 370-9130

“There is a budding art scene here. We want to help it grow and develop,” she said.

Biddeford and neighboring Saco are changing with Maine’s new economy. The mills, which

once bustled with industry, are home to artists and creative entrepreneurs, and the cities have

seen an influx of brew pubs, bookstores, frame shops and other new businesses.

“I think it’s important to have an art collective in Biddeford, especially right now,” Autus

member Keiren Valentine said. “There’s a real resurgence in downtown, and artists have a strong

role to play in the direction the town is heading when it comes to culture.”

Autus formed late in 2014 and recently opened its first exhibition, “Primum” – more Latin, “for

the first time” – at Engine, a Main Street arts center and gallery. The show, which includes the

work of each member of the collective, is up through March 21.

In addition to Baldwin and Valentine, the collective includes Julie K. Gray and Tina Guay. All

four live locally, and all are in the development stages of their art careers.

They want to add members. Autus will host a question-and-answer session and portfolio review

at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Engine. It’s an opportunity for other artists to meet the collective and

receive feedback about their own work. It’s also a chance for anyone, artist or otherwise, to see

the show and learn more about Biddeford’s art scene.

The goals of Autus go beyond showing their own work. Details aren’t firm, but Engine executive

director Tammy Ackerman has offered some curatorial duties at the gallery to Autus members

beginning in 2016, with the goal of bringing a different perspective to the exhibitions and

providing diversity in ideas and dialogue.

Engine formed in 2010 to promote arts, culture and economic development in Biddeford. It was

founded on the belief that artistic expression and creativity lead to cultural, social and economic

revitalization. In addition to showing art, the gallery hosts workshops, classes and arts-related

events.

Presently located on Main Street next to Elements, a bookstore, coffee shop and bar that opened

in early 2013, Engine is renovating the former Renys on Main Street and will move into that

space later this year.

The art space has been a catalyst for economic development, Biddeford City Manager John

Bubier said.

“In Biddeford, the creative arts have really been first in. They came in and bought into the notion

that the city had good bones and was a great place to be,” he said. “The arts groups have been the

hallmark of the early success in Biddeford. People took notice of that, and then we noticed

success in other areas.”

The work of the art collective dovetails with Engine’s role in the community, Ackerman said.

“We look at Engine as an incubator. The members of the collective are all making work, and

we’re glad to show it,” she said. “This is a chance for them to craft their own careers, and we

want to help facilitate that.”

In its role as exhibitor and curator, Autus is interested in working with emerging artists and

experimental art. Its exhibitions will focus on young artists with active studio practices who have

little gallery representation.

The idea, Baldwin said, is to encourage young artists to show their work to bolster the

commercial aspects of their careers.

Biddeford’s abundant mill space and affordable rents relative to Portland have made it attractive

to artists and creative entrepreneurs. The city’s emergence as an arts destination got a boost two

years ago when the city purchased a trash incinerator downtown. It had operated for 25 years and

was seen as a blight.

The incinerator’s closing led to multiple housing project proposals and mixed-use redevelopment

of the mills. What’s happening in Biddeford mirrors what happened in Portland years ago and in

other cities across the country. Artists move in because of affordable rents and fix up run-down

spaces. Retail and housing developments follow, with restaurants, brew pubs, bookstores and

apartments in condos in large, open mill and warehouse spaces.

That’s where Biddeford and Saco stand now. Their downtowns are vibrant and evolving.

Guay, one the collective members, grew up in Biddeford, graduated from Biddeford High School

in 2008 and received her bachelor’s degree in photography from the New Hampshire Institute of

Art. The changes that have occurred in her hometown since she left prompted her to return. In

addition to her studio practice, she operates a frame shop in town, Four Corners Frame Shop &

Gallery.

“I never thought I’d ever end up here,” she said. “When I graduated from high school, all I

wanted to do was leave. But now I’m back.”

She lives in North Berwick. Baldwin lives in Wells, Valentine moved to Arundel from Colorado

and Gray lives in Saco.

They all studied art in college, and all see themselves as artists. They have other jobs in fields

related to their art, and all intend to make their studio practices a part of their professional

careers. Baldwin earned a bachelor’s in fine art from the University of Southern Maine with a

concentration in drawing. Valentine studied fine art at Metropolitan State College of Denver,

with a focus in photography. Gray studied at Rhode Island School of Design and received a

master’s in fine art from Maine College of Art. She is a multimedia artist, working with

photography, needlepoint and video.

The work on view at Engine shows the diversity of their studio practices.

Baldwin makes abstract drawings and digital images to explore and document natural

environments, including wetlands. Her work is colorful and layered, suggesting dramatic forces

are at work to shape the landscape.

Guay makes what she calls “sunflower people.” She takes photos of human figures and replaces

their faces with sunflowers. The human faces end up inside glass bottles that are displayed on

pedestals below the photos, which hang on the wall. Her intent is to “envision the human

potential for a closer connectedness with the natural world.”

Gray’s work begins with photos of human faces from the 1920s through today. She translates

those images into needlepoints drawings, conjuring domestic craft skills. Her work addresses

themes of mortality and what she calls “the psychological state of limbo.” She was part of the

Portland Museum of Art Biennial in 2013.

Valentine comes to her photography with a traditional background and melds modern

technology. For the Engine show, she has several large blue Cyanotype prints, some that are

abstract and others more representational. Her works represents “life as a dream, blinking into

the darkness and mystery of the subconscious.”

It was Ackerman’s idea to bring this group together. She knew the artists individually and

recognized the power of strength in numbers. Collectively, they can accomplish more than each

working alone, she said – an attitude that also reflects the larger dynamic at play in an evolving

city.

Biddeford’s mills at center of downtown revival

By Jim BaumerGlobe Correspondent February 08, 2015

BIDDEFORD, Maine — Like other mill towns dotting the landscape of New England,

Biddeford’s economic fortunes tracked those of its textile industry and the mills bordering the

Saco River. When textile manufacturing moved elsewhere — first south, then offshore — the

city, particularly its downtown, languished.

For much of the past half-century, the hulking mill district cast a shadow, literally and

figuratively, over Biddeford’s downtown, becoming a symbol of the city’s decline and decay.

Even as places like Providence and Lowell, Mass., found new life in old mills, Biddeford

struggled with abandoned industrial space and empty storefronts, so desperate for jobs and

investment that it sited a trash-to-energy power plant in one of them, just a few blocks from City

Hall.

Today, Biddeford’s 35-acre mill district is at the center of a downtown revival, housing an array

of startups and small businesses — from manufacturers to a distillery to an art school — that

together employ more than 400 workers. Two weeks ago, Portland Pie Co. opened a 130-seat

restaurant in the sprawling Pepperell Mill complex. And less than a month ago, a Kennebunkport

company completed the purchase of the 233,000-square-foot Lincoln Mill for a planned $50

million development that would include 100 market rate loft apartments and condominiums, and

a 80-room luxury hotel.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Mayor Alan Casavant, a lifelong resident of the city. “We’re seeing

more and more people here, catching the wave of optimism and developing a ‘yes we can’

attitude.”

A combination of factors have come together in recent years to provide the spark to downtown

redevelopment, including an improving Southern Maine economy, affordable commercial rents,

the shutdown of the trash plant, and an influx of newcomers attracted by a walkable

neighborhood with new coffee shops, boutiques, and other stores.

Deena Presby is a stitcher at Hyperlite Mountain Gear, where she’s helping to keep Biddeford’s

textile tradition alive.

Another key ingredient: the vision of developers like Doug Sanford, who saw the potential of

both the mills and a city with a major hospital, Southern Maine Medical Center, a well-regarded

university, the University of New England; and easy access to beaches.

“There were a number of assets that a vibrant community has to have,” said Sanford, who began

redeveloping downtown properties 30 years ago, “and they were all here. ”

Biddeford is a city of 21,000 residents, located about 90 miles north of Boston. It became a

textile center in the mid-1800s, when a group Boston industrialists were drawn to the power of

the Saco River. At its peak in the early 20th century, more than 10,000 people worked in the

mills in Biddeford, and Saco, across the river.

The mills began closing in 1960s, followed by the downtown businesses that had supported them

and their workers. At the same time, retail development was moving from central business

districts to strip malls, shopping centers, and big boxes on the periphery.

By the 1980s, both foreclosures and empty store fronts were multiplying. Desperate for

investment and tax revenues, and with few options, the city in 1987 sited the trash-to-energy

incinerator. But that only made things worse.

Garbage trucks queued up along downtown streets. The smell of rotting trash was in the air. Ash

showered downtown businesses.

The interior of a mill building owned by Doug Sanford, who predicts that this space will be used

for offices.

Through it all, Sanford kept buying and rehabbing individual downtown properties, convinced

that people and businesses would one day return. Then, in 2004, he took a leap, buying the

vacant, 370,000-square-foot North Dam mill, part of the larger Pepperell Mill campus, for about

$300,000, according to property records. Five years later, when the city’s last textile maker shut

down, he acquired the rest of the Pepperell complex for $1.1 million, giving him control of a

total of 1.1 million square feet of mill space.

Sanford, however, would need to stay patient. The recent recession hit Biddeford hard. In

addition to the 120 jobs lost when the textile company closed, the city lost 350 jobs when the

Hostess Bakery plant shuttered and more than 100 after a Lowe’s home improvement store

closed.

“We were still trying to stop the bleeding,” said Daniel Stevenson, Biddeford’s economic

development director.

As the economy improved, city officials looked ahead. Stevenson and Casavant, elected mayor

in 2011, reached out to local businesses, developers, and residents for ideas to boost economic

growth, particularly downtown. A tipping point came in 2012, when the city shut down the trash-

to-energy plant.

That decision opened the door for Tim Harrington, a Kennebunkport developer, and his Atlantic

Holdings LLC. Harrington recently acquired the former Lincoln Mill with plans to invest $50

million to transform the complex across from City Hall into a luxury hotel and loft-style

apartments and condominiums. The project is expected to create 200 full-time jobs and 350

construction jobs.

“We would have never chosen the Lincoln Mill if the incinerator was still in downtown,” said

Harrington.

Harrington also credits Sanford’s pioneering efforts at the other end of Main Street, which

demonstrated the potential of the mills. Sanford redeveloped and marketed the property as a

business incubator, offering startups and other small firms rents that are nearly half those in

nearby Portland. About 150 companies today call the Pepperell Mill campus home.

The city’s textile industry has even had a small rebirth in Sanford’s mills, with companies such

as Angelrox, which makes the clothing line of the designer Roxi Suger; Saco River Dyehouse,

which dyes yarns; and Hyperlite Mountain Gear, which designs and manufactures backpacks,

tents, and other outdoor gear from durable, lightweight fabrics.

Hyperlite was launched by two brothers in their father’s garage in Kennebunk in 2010, but they

soon decided they needed a new location when they found themselves testing tents by staking

them in the front yard. They moved to Biddeford in 2011 and today, the company employs 17.

“What we found attractive here was the size — the room and space to grow,” said Dan St. Pierre,

who founded the company with his brother, Mike.

Tammy Ackerman became captivated by the mills while visiting Maine in 2006. Today, after

relocating from Nevada, she is among a colony of artists that has located in downtown and

Sanford’s mills, attracted, like Hyperlite, by low-cost space.

Ackerman, a graphic designer, later cofounded Engine, a nonprofit that promotes the arts in the

city. Located on Main Street, in the historic building of a former department store, Engine serves

as a hub for arts and education.

When she saw the mills for the first time, Ackerman said she was struck by their beauty. “We’ve

been able to utilize those spaces often for performances and other events,” she said.

This increasing activity meanwhile, has led to more investment in the downtown. The Palace

Diner, Maine’s oldest, is an example.

Greg Mitchell handed the check to Jon Jacques at the Palace Diner in Biddeford. Mitchell is co-

owner of Maine's oldest diner.

Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell worked as chefs in Portland’s well-regarded restaurants, but

wanted their own place to run. When the diner came up for sale last year, they investigated,

sensed the momentum in downtown Biddeford, and bought it, opening last March.

The Palace, which once fed hungry mill workers, was selected by Bon Appetit magazine as one

of the 50 best new restaurants in America in 2014.

Despite progress, the revitalization of downtown Biddeford faces challenges. Nearly half the mill

space remains vacant. Merchants still face competition from suburban malls and big box stores.

Tourists still bypass Biddeford for the bustling Old Port and lively restaurant scene in Portland,

just 15 minutes away.

Sanford, hardened by 30 years of shifting economic trends, fluctuating the real estate markets,

and changing political leadership, said Biddeford needs to keep a long-term view, that a half-

century of decline isn’t reversed in a few years. The city, he said, needs to invest in public works,

such as parking garages, promote the downtown, and continue to provide a climate that

encourages businesses to invest.

But, he added, Biddeford has passed a turning point. “The development that’s been taking place

downtown and in the mills,” he said, “has moved beyond mere speculation.”

Jim Baumer can be reached at jim.baumer@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jbomb62

PUBLIC WORKS:

The week of Feb. 8th

, 2015

Vehicle Maintenance

Regularly scheduled Preventive Maintenance

Repairs of day to day breakdowns and damages

Street Maintenance Division

SNOW PLOWING, DEICING AND SNOW REMOVAL !!!!!!!!

Solid Waste Division

Curbside waste collection

Recycling / transfer station operations

Inventory control trash and recycling containers

Downtown trash containers maintenance

Treatment plant sludge hauling

Cardboard collection – commercials and school facilities

Parks Maintenance Division

SNOW PLOWING, DEICING AND SNOW REMOVAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cemetery Maintenance Division

Closed for season

Wastewater Division

Operations / maintenance Water St. Treatment Plant

Operations / maintenance Bidd. Pool Treatment Plant

Operations / maintenance pump stations & CSO tank

Rebuilding bathroom in de-watering building

Roof replacement project on dewatering building

Repairs to west side screen

Cleaned process water room

CSO inspections

PLOWING SNOW, SNOW REMOVAL PUMP STATIONS & PLANTS

Trucks / equipment cleaned and checked

The week of Feb. 14th

, 2015

Vehicle Maintenance

Regularly scheduled Preventive Maintenance

Repairs of day to day breakdowns and damages

Street Maintenance Division

SNOW PLOWING, DEICING AND SNOW REMOVAL !!!!!!!!

Solid Waste Division

Curbside waste collection

Recycling / transfer station operations

Inventory control trash and recycling containers

Downtown trash containers maintenance

Treatment plant sludge hauling

Cardboard collection – commercials and school facilities

Parks Maintenance Division

SNOW PLOWING, DEICING AND SNOW REMOVAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cemetery Maintenance Division

Closed for season

Wastewater Division

Operations / maintenance Water St. Treatment Plant

Operations / maintenance Bidd. Pool Treatment Plant

Operations / maintenance pump stations & CSO tank

Rebuilding bathroom in de-watering building

Roof replacement project on dewatering building

Repairs to west side screen completed

Started work on replacing blower #2

CSO inspections

Sewer line camera inspection of Stonecliff Road sewer

PLOWING SNOW, SNOW REMOVAL PUMP STATIONS & PLANTS

Trucks / equipment cleaned and checked

CODE ENFORCEMENT: RE: Operational Report for January 2015

PERMITS, FEES, CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY: During the month of January, (15) building permits were issued. Estimated values were $310,900 and building permit fees of $4114.00 were collected.

During the month of January, (25) electrical permits were issued. Electrical permit fees collected were $3,135.00. During the month of January, (2) plumbing permits were issued. Permit fees collected were $150.00. Total permit fees collected in January: $7,399.00

COMPLAINTS RECEIVED AND ACTED UPON (not including animal complaints): 69 NEW TRASH AND RECYCLING PROGRAM: ---42 violations

INSPECTORS REPORTS: During the month of January, office personnel conducted the following inspections:

Roby Fecteau: (Director of Code Enforcement and Emergency Management) Roger Frechette: *44 inspections Richard Verrier: (Electrical Inspector) *10 inspections

Roger Jalbert: (Electrical Inspector) * 54 inspections

George Monteith (Code Enforcement) * 37 inspections * 5 summonses David Finocchietti (Code Enforcement) *12 code enforcement inspections *8 general assistance *4 summons Brian Stetson (Life Safety Inspector) *24 inspections

Garth Russell (Animal Control) *56 animal calls *10 summonses

INSPECTIONS COMPLETED (not including animal calls): 190

ENGINEERING:

Engineering Department February 10, 2015

The following highlights work items that the Engineering Department has performed during this

reporting period. It should be noted that a majority of our projects are long term type projects that

often take many months to complete.

Ongoing projects include:

Continued work on the Thatcher Brook Watershed Management Study –submitted draft report

Project Management Work on the Taylor Street Sewer and Road project –winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Amherst Street Sewer and Road project- winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Beacon Street Sewer and Road project- winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Dartmouth Street Sewer and Road project- winter suspension

Drafting work on Main Street Sewer Separation Project

Work on Diamond Street Sewer Separation Project

South Street and River Road Intersection Project -base paved, winter suspension

Performing field work for upcoming projects

Topo drafting and Boundary survey work on Mile Stretch Rd

Preliminary Planning and Engineering for Mile Stretch Road project

Preliminary Planning and Engineering for future projects

Worked on MS4 stormwater program

Shorter term projects include:

Prepared grant application submissions for MPI and BPI programs

Attended various City meetings

Attended Stormwater Group meeting at PWD

Attended Elm Street meeting with MDOT and Maine Water Co

Attended Elm Street meeting with Maine Water Co.

Attended MDOT 2015 Paving Progress meeting with MDOT

Attended MDOT 2015 Paving Progress meeting with MDOT

Cost Estimating work for Lincoln Street

Attended meeting on elevated platform

Attended meeting on economic development issues

Attended comprehensive plan meeting about sea level rise

General

Administration type projects include: Review of various documents prepared by other departments,

general department administration functions, general consulting with Economic Development

Department on technical aspects of new business opportunities, meeting with various departments

regarding proposed projects, review MDOT planning documents for pending street projects, Assisted

public on document and map requests, Assisted other departments on various projects

Wastewater Department Administration February 10, 2015

The following highlights work items that the Wastewater Department- Administration has performed

during this reporting period. It should be noted that a majority of the projects are conducted in

conjunction with the Engineering Department and are often long term type projects that take many

months to complete.

Ongoing projects include:

Project Management Work on the Taylor Street Sewer and Road project-Winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Amherst Street Sewer and Road project-Winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Beacon Street Sewer and Road project-Winter suspension

Project Management Work on the Dartmouth Street Sewer and Road project-Winter suspension

Project Management Work on Elm Street Sewer Separation Project-Under Winter Suspension

Drafting work on Main Street Sewer Separation Project

Work on Diamond Street Sewer Separation Project

Compiling data for flow monitoring work

Preliminary planning for continued sewer separation work

Project Management Work Sewer Manhole replacement project prior to 2015 MDOT paving

Shorter term projects include:

Project administration on Elm Street sewer project

Attended weekly WWTP staff meeting

Prepared Ability to serve letters and Sewer Permit documents

Worked on Wastewater letters and reports

Attended meeting on elevated platform about force main

Sent letters relative to I & I issues at Biddeford Pool

General

Administration type projects include: Review of various documents prepared by other departments,

general department administration functions, general consult with Economic Development Department

on technical aspects of new business opportunities, review MDOT planning documents for pending

street projects, preparation of Capital Improvements Project estimates, ongoing preparation of sewer

billing statements and customer support, weekly staff meeting at wastewater treatment facility, sewer

lateral inspection, work with IPP coordinator on developing documents for FOG program