Lewiston City Council Workshop and regular meeting

September 5, 2016 

Lewiston City Hall

Bond sale
What happened: The city refunded $15.2 million in debt from 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2016 to get a lower interest rate and save roughly $26,000 per year for the next 10 years.
What it means: Councilors approved the refunding this summer. It’s similar to refinancing a mortgage to take advantage of lower interest rates. The refunding, which was completed on Sept. 1, amounted to $11,857 in new bonds sold to Morgan Stanley and Co. LLC for a 2.04 percent interest rate. That’s 1.48 percent less than the old interest rate on all the debt that was refunded.
The change is part of the city efforts to cut down on outstanding debt. The city has reduced its overall debt by $49 million in the past 12 years.

Crosswalk beacons
What happened: Drivers will see brightly blinking beacons warning of pedestrians crossing at four busy intersections.
What it means: The state Department of Transportation has donated four solar-powered crosswalk beacons to the city valued at $6,000 each. The city needs to install the beacons and upgrade the sidewalks at each intersection.
What’s Next: The new beacons will go up in front of Kaplan University on Lisbon Street, Victor News on Park Street, Simard-Payne Memorial Park and Rails Restaurant on Lincoln Street and near L-A Harley-Davidson on Main Street. 

Trash scales
What happened: Nonresidents taking trash to the Lewiston landfill later this year will see simplified fees.
What it means: Acting on a recommendation from the City Council’s Public Works subcommittee, the council voted to adopt a single disposal tipping fee of $93 per ton of solid waste. The city currently charges a sliding scale of fees: $95 per ton for most solid waste, $180 per ton for trash mixed with recyclable waste, $90 per ton for asphalt shingles and sheetrock, $79 per ton for “bulky” waste and special fees for propane tanks or refrigerators.
What’s Next: Councilors also approved spending $6,000 to recalibrate the landfill’s scale software with the new pricing scheme. That will take some time, and the new fee schedule will be in place later this year.  

Safety incentives
What happened: A committee of city staff will brainstorm some new ideas to make their jobs safer.
What it means: The city created an incentive program in 2003 to encourage safer work habits among city employees. Departments that went for long periods without injury became eligible for cash payments that could be split among employees or traded in for additional vacation days.
It’s a great deal for city employees who work in City Hall, for example, and rarely face dangerous situations. Other employees working in more challenging environments were less likely to qualify for the benefits.
Councilors voted Tuesday to put an end to the 2003 incentive program. 
What’s Next: A group of employees will meet during the next few months to come up with incentives that will benefit all city employees.  

Amusements and entertainment
What happened: The Androscoggin Bank Colisee can continue to offer fun and entertainment alongside alcoholic beverages as councilors renewed the rink’s special amusement permit.
What it means: Special amusement permits must be renewed by councilors each year. These permits allow on-site entertainment, including music from a disc jockey or a live band, karaoke and dancing. Councilors granted outdoor entertainment event permits for a Sept. 17 evangelical outreach concert at Kennedy Park and the Dempsey Challenge Oct. 1 and 2 in Simard-Payne Memorial Park.  

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