Hello, and welcome to our Tuesday evening uh workshop time, but instead of a workshop, we're heading into executive section.

Executive session to discuss the acquisition or disposition of real estate of which the premature disclosure of the information would prejudice the competitive bargaining position of the city.

Hello, and thank you for coming to our Tuesday evening council meeting.

Uh I hope you're all plan on behaving yourselves because we have the high school principal here, John Rodke, who will be leaving leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty, and justice for all.

And I understand we have a number of uh city staff here and uh school staff as well, and I want to uh thank you all for your service.

Thank you very much.

Uh Madam Clerk, I believe we're ready to begin.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

All roll call votes for this meeting will begin with the counselor of Ward 3.

And I understand that we have minutes.

You do the minutes of May 5th, May 12th, and May 13th.

So moved.

Councilor Harman.

Second.

Second by Counselor Long Champs.

Uh Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Counselor from Word 3?

Yes.

Word four.

Yes.

Word five?

Yes.

Word six.

Yes.

Word seven?

Yes.

Word one.

Yes.

Word two.

Yes.

Motion passed by vote of seven to zero.

Thank you very much.

We are now up to public comment.

Any member of the public may make comments regarding issues pertaining to Lewis and City government.

This period is reserved for non-agenda items.

Public comment is also allowed during individual agenda items.

Public comment is limited to three minutes per person.

Please state your name for the record and please indicate if you are a Lewison resident.

Per our council rules this period is reserved for Lewis and residents only.

Because this is the business meeting of the city council.

All questions should be directed to the mayor who will ask stuff to follow up at a future time.

And if there's any comments uh related to the city budget, we will need to wait for that agenda item.

Uh please proceed, Mr.

Egerin.

Thank you.

Matthew Agrin, Ward 4.

Honorable Counselors, Mayor, City Staffers, and the public.

So it just happened to pop up on my Facebook feed from last May 6th when Ronnie and I were here asking you all if there were any updates on when the Martell School would be starting for a fully funded project with design work all done.

There seems to be a hell of a delay in getting even a shovel moving on this for our seniors.

But wish we could have had bigger crowds, but I understand why not.

We are all one Lewisden.

But we all live here now.

As such, we all need to do what we can to help curb the violence that has spread here.

We need to do it before the level of violence expands.

And it's not someone they plan on shooting that gets hit, but instead it could be your mother, your father, your sibling, family member.

Who ends up being the unlucky person who catches the round fire to whom it may be concerned instead of their target?

It's gonna take the whole community coming together with Lewis to PD Easy Crisis.

On their own, they'll never stop this because this is real life, not a TV show or the minority report movie where psychics can predict who will commit crimes and where, so they could be there to stop them.

They need the public to speak out.

If you know something or saw something, say something.

And we need to bring in all the outside aid we can.

And seeing how many of these last attackers and victims were children, the Office of Child and Family Services of DHS should be involved in helping with this.

Let's make sure we stand with to make sure those caught using firearms in a crime are prosecuted to the full extent of the laws on the book.

It's been proven that if you go after broken window crimes, you stop bigger ones later.

And finally, this is National Foster Care Awareness Month.

Let us recognize those children and youth who have ended up in that system for whatever reason, and all those individuals who support them.

Thank you.

My name is Fred Sandborn Silvers, and I live in ward six.

I'm asking the mayor or the city manager and the council to form a committee of law enforcement, judicial, uh, school officials, parents, and general citizens to address this violence that we're having in the city, which is horrendous.

It needs to be dealt with.

I have 46 years in recovery.

I've worked in the field of recovery.

And giving out needles is not solving one thing except causing more problems, and we need to address this in another way, other than spending money dealing with needles in the city of Lewiston.

This is absurd.

And we need to address this immediately so that this can stop somebody who's gonna really get badly murdered here before long if this is not stopped.

It needs to be addressed and not put under the rug.

Thank you.

Jennifer Carrero, Ward 7.

As the tax base shrinks.

Can you just uh move the mic closer to you, please?

Thank you.

As the task tax base shrinks, Lewiston homeowners are left absorbing higher taxes and a growing share of the financial burden.

Since 2019, tax increment financing programs have prioritized housing over commercial expansion, resulting in minimal job growth while more uh while more property shifts off the tax rules.

The purpose of TIFFs is to strengthen and expand the commercial base, promote economic development, and generate revenue for the community.

Lewiston desperately needs economic policies that attract living wage employers, not more subsidized housing.

A complete lack of council oversight has turned the Tyler contract into a prime example of reckless spending without stewardship.

We have effectively funded an expensive service where residents are forced to provide manual labor to correct the vendor's error.

And it is impossible to reconcile our skyrocketing skyrocketing property assessments with the declining reality on our streets.

Before raising taxes again, this council must provide accountability to taxpayers.

We are asking for a transparent review of TIFF outcomes, the Tyler assessment, and the impact publicly funded and nonprofit housing has had on municipal services and costs, as well as measurable data demonstrating the return residents have received on these investments.

Taxpayers deserve answers.

If policies have created burden on municipal services and failed to produce the promised results, this council should identify the solutions and ensure those costs are not simply shifted onto the taxpayers.

Residents are willing to invest in this city, but we need responsible leadership, transparency, and policies that strengthen Lewiston's long-term economic future.

The council needs to stop putting band-aids on bullet holes and calling it progress.

The focus needs to shift from managing our decline to restoring functionality.

This council needs to demonstrate effective governing through restoration, not fiscal imposition.

Tax increases cannot become the solution.

Every time policy outcomes fall short.

Thank you.

Ronnie Parity, Ward 6.

I come here tonight.

I talked to the school committee last night, and I'm worried about, I'm sad and worried about Lewiston.

Um, but not about the school.

We are not communicating.

What we need is to get together and to a big meeting and not just a safety committee and the school, the city, the leadership, the police, the Justice Department, and everybody needs to get together and talk.

We need to do something about our kids, and we need to start reaching the parents.

This is where it starts.

If the kids don't have a structured home, they do not have, and they'll get into trouble.

And I know this from my own son, and why we did, and everything like that.

And it's not just a safety committee, and I want other people involved, not just what the mayor appoints, because the mayor only appoints who he wants.

That's my opinion.

He doesn't care about the rest of us who have opinions not his.

Again, I ask you to strike the rule uh limiting comment to residents and taxpayers.

Another thing I wanted to talk about was public safety.

Uh, there's an op-ed in the Sun Journal written by Carl Schalene in response to an article about people leaving Lewiston.

And my question is where was this mayor when he was questioned on the street by a reporter about the violence in this town?

Um where was the mayor?

Where was uh a U.S.

Senate hopeful?

Where was a city counselor slash school committee rep slash main house rep slash fascist when they were asked questions about the violence in our city?

Um they just walked away.

They they walked away from a reporter asking questions about our city.

Um they seem to find time to uh hang out on Bartlett Street with uh with some crazy people in our city.

Um another thing, um, it's kind of adjacent to the budget, but not about the budget itself.

Uh comment I made via email a couple of weeks ago.

Um there's 88,000 collectively going to the mayor, the city council, the school committee, and various boards.

I think it would be a good gesture uh if the if those individuals would forego their stipends with respect to the taxpayers and the budget increase we're going to see.

Um, lastly, with uh the bit of time I have here.

I wasn't going to reference this, but I figured I will.

Um, in regards to public safety.

Um, Mayor McDonald was right about ICE.

Um we saw a 44% decrease in the bookings into Andrews Goggin jail uh between 2025 and 2026, uh, measured by the time that uh Carl and other elected officials warned that ICE was beginning operations in our city, and to the time when uh Senator Susan Collins announced that the surge in Maine was ending.

A 44% decrease.

Um that's worth noting when we have federal law enforcement on our streets.

Um I think we need to rescind that resolution that we can't work with ICE because a cooperation between federal law enforcement and local law enforcement would do nothing but good for our city.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Lisa Jones.

I live in Ward 2 and I own a business in Ward 7.

I love to go to garage sales.

I make small talk with people when I go to garage sales.

This weekend, the people that I talk to are all moving out of our community.

Some are leaving Lewiston and some are leaving Maine.

People are leaving in droves, and the reasons are obvious to most of us.

Not only are we not safe here, but the cost of dodging bullets is about to rise exponentially.

I spoke about community violence and Carl's lack of response to it last time I stood at this podium.

Since then, Carl published an editorial in the local newspaper.

I did not read it.

The snippets that were shared with me showed that the editorial was written by someone that is either unaware of what goes on here or someone who is trying to convince others that things are different.

We are at at least 21 instances of gunfire in Lewiston in 2026.

That number was unheard of prior to 2021.

Yet I don't hear a single community leader speaking up and saying, stop shooting at people.

We here, if you see something, say something.

That's a very different message aimed at a very different audience.

Speaking of 2021, that was the first year we saw a large spike in gunfire with 27 instances, over 13 the year before.

2022 saw 42 instances.

2023 had 38.

2024 had 36.

2025 had 39.

And if we continue at our current trajectory, we will have 60 by the end of this year.

Not a handful.

Calling it grandstanding or political posturing when an elected representative wants to discuss the fear he's hearing about from his constituents was rude and uncalled for.

Oh, I'm sorry.

The community has made it known that we do not want you as the face of Lewiston, and you arrogantly do not care.

When are you going to demonstrate some leadership and tell the criminals to stop treating our streets like the wild wild west?

Further public comment.

Comment sorry about the disruption with my phone.

That was my bad.

Good evening, everyone.

Can you move the mic closer to you for our folks at home?

Yep, yep.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

All right.

I said good evening, anyone, everyone.

We've got a packed uh room here tonight.

Uh my name is Rosie Boyce.

I'm a resident of Ward 2, founder of the Healing Collective, a longtime advocate and organizer here in Lewiston, and someone with both lived and professional experience working at the intersection of public health, public safety, homelessness, substance use, and systems involvement.

I'm speaking tonight because I believe deeply in this city.

I was born here.

Uh but I also believe we are at a crossroads in how we choose to lead each other through these next difficult moments.

Over the last several weeks, the level of political discourse displayed in these chambers has been deeply concerning.

The hostility, the interruptions, and the grandstanding, I said grandstanding, and the inability to follow process or engage respectfully with one another, it has consequences far beyond this room.

People are watching, our community is watching how conflict gets handled.

Young people are watching, residents who already feel afraid, unheard, or disconnected are watching.

And when leadership models chaos instead of accountability, we should not be surprised when trust in institutions continues to erode.

I work closely with people who are unhoused, system impacted, struggling with mental health challenges, or navigating chaotic substance use.

I have relationships with people, many others cannot reach.

Not because I'm extraordinary or special, but because I understand them.

Or I can sit on a curb with someone in active crisis and still see their humanity.

That kind of bridge building matters.

We have already seen in other communities what happens when fear, stigma, and political rhetoric replaces evidence-based practices and human-centered leadership.

Bangor's HIV outbreak did not happen in a vacuum.

These issues do not disappear because we punish shame or politically posture around them.

Public safety and public health are not opposites.

They are interconnected.

And if we genuinely want safer streets, stronger neighborhoods, and a healthier Lewiston, then we need leadership that is capable of accountability, collaboration, and honest engagement, even when we disagree.

I may not check every traditional box expected for committee appointments, but I believe the public safety committee needs voices like mine precisely because I bring both lived experience and professional experience to the table.

I know this city from angles many people will never have to see.

I've proudly served on the Citizens Advisory Committee, and I care deeply about the work being done there, but I would also welcome the opportunity to serve on the public safety committee or the public health committee, or both, uh, if openings arise in the future.

Because if we are truly going to move this city forward, thank you.

It starts with individual accountability.

That's out.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yes, Councilor Chudam.

I move we suspend the rules and allow public comment to extend beyond the 18 minute period.

Yeah, unless there's uh strong objection, uh we can do that.

Yeah.

Uh further public comment.

Louise Sampson Ward 5.

This is an FYI.

I sent an email to Chris Gilmurray, Lewis and Housing Authority last Wednesday, uh telling him that I had heard a lot of different things going on, different dates as to when shovels were going into the ground, and that I would like an update.

Well, I didn't get anything.

So uh yesterday I sent another one.

I got an answer this morning.

Oh, I also said to him on the first um email.

I said, won't you be glad when you don't hear from me anymore?

Anyway.

Um this was his comment.

Feel free to email and ask questions whenever.

Sorry, I missed your last email.

We are looking at July 1st construction closing.

Uh this date is completely out of our control as the investor in Maine Housing dictates these transactions.

We will have shovels in the ground soon.

So after I read that, I got to thinking, I wonder if I can contact Maine Housing in Augusta.

So I looked them up.

And I did.

And I got some terrific answers.

One of which to contact certain person regarding uh how I felt uh regarding the senior housing for Martel and how it's been pushed back and pushed back, and that it's been going on for at least six years, and just tired of it getting moved from January, February, March.

I mean, come on.

Is it ever going to get built?

So I sent this wonderful letter to this gentleman late this afternoon, looking forward to his comment.

But really, um this is crazy.

It's completely funded.

Why has it taken so long?

Why is this paperwork so important?

I know there's a lot of red tape, but we need this housing for us seniors.

I don't know if now if I want to go live there, because I've heard it's only going to be 545 square feet.

That's not a very big apartment, and I have lots of stuff.

Thank you.

Further public comment.

Hi, Bob McDonald Ward Six.

People up, you people all took an oath of office.

And that oath said that you would force all laws.

However, you seem to only force enforce the laws that you think you like.

And one of those laws you're keeping out ice here.

We should have ice come in here.

If ice comes in here, then I'm sure that the school school budget and our city budget will fall considerably.

Okay.

Right now, I I saw Elaine the other night uh last Tuesday here talking about the welfare.

Now it's 60 percent American people and uh 40 percent of uh the immigrants.

Well, I will tell you this is also something that you people fail to do.

You know, you're up there to make you're up there to make decisions.

Not be and decisions that might hurt people, not decisions that you're going to, everybody's going to say, oh, thank you very much for making that decision.

You've got to make the hard decisions.

And the you set up all these places for all the homeless come down.

And now we're getting swamped with them.

And then they're going, what are they doing?

They're going to the general assistance.

So the other thing is on the other one.

The thing I want to talk about is this project over here.

When you build that, when you decided you wanted to build that, what you're going to find out is you're going to have more fire, you're going to have more bullets flying, more crime and everything else.

They asked me about this stuff here, and I told them, you wasted your time coming up here.

You should have stayed in Boston because we don't want it.

I know what it's like.

I grew up like that.

Thank you.

My name is Crystal Ward.

I live in Ward 2.

And I'm here with a totally different thing.

What used to be called telephone polls and now call polls in the city of Lewiston.

They are under the control of consolidated communication.

That is 100% not doing their jobs.

I have been fighting with them.

It took me a long fight using the legislature to try to get them to fix the polls on my street.

According to the PUC regulations, when you put in a new telephone poll, everybody who rents the put their line on that poll has 30 days to move their lines.

Then they cut off the top of the poll so the guy at the bottom can move their lines over, which is consolidated communication.

According to the PUC, they have 100 days to remove it.

Mine were there for two and a half years before I had to fight to get them out.

And all over Lewiston is exactly the same place.

We're beginning to look like a third world nation with telephone poles setting all over the place, wires, a big rolls of wires hanging down out of telephone poles and things dragging down, and the place looks like crap because nobody's taking care of the polls.

When I contacted the city administrator with two emails trying to get him on board, no answer, no nothing.

When I contacted city counselors, no answer.

In fact, none of my emails ever get answered by my city councilor.

This is an important issue.

And somebody in the city of Lewiston has got to get together and get to work on making sure this multimillion dollar company does their job and report them to the PUC, which is what I had to do.

And if you go up on Montello Street and go between uh Hogan and down to college, you will see that all the two poles have been gone, all the wires have been changed, all the asphalt has been put down the way it's supposed to be, because I was on their case.

Nobody in Lewiston is doing it.

I don't know if I have to do it street by street, or if somebody in the city administration will finally figure out how to deal with this company, which is really not that hard, and do their job and straighten out the polls in this city because it looks just plain crappy.

Thank you.

Elizabeth Eames Ward 3.

On the other hand, I'm really happy to see out my living room window, the new post, uh the new mural going up at the corner of Ash and Lisbon.

I am so looking forward to that streetscape.

Thank you.

Further public comment.

Public comment is now closed.

I believe we're up to the administrators report.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh first up there from our uh rec department, rec director Nicole Welch is representing Mayor of the National Parks and Recreation Association's Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

this week.

She'll be meeting with Maine's federal delegation to advocate for essential programs and funding, uh, including land and water conservation funds, youth sports programs funding.

Uh this collaborative advocacy event uh includes the NRPA Board of Directors, Business Council, and Select Parks and Recreation Professionals from around the country.

So thank you to Nicole for her advocacy for Lewiston and for Maine in Washington, D.C.

this week.

Uh a revaluation process, uh public sessions do continue.

Director Healy uh did one yesterday, uh, and we also have another one coming up on June 23rd.

Um this will be a later in the evening one, 6 p.m.

to 7 p.m.

Um at the armory 65 Central Avenue.

Of course, no registration is required.

We're encouraging um all Lewiston uh taxpayers of property owners to come out if they have any questions and want to talk uh in person um to the assessing department outside of City Hall.

That's your next opportunity again, Tuesday, June 23rd, uh 6 to 7 p.m.

at the armory.

Uh this was brought up in public comment, but we have received word of a date for an official ribbon cutting for the Martell project.

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, July 16th at 10 30 a.m.

Uh Louise and Ronnie may be interested in being there.

Matt, others.

Um please join us.

Absolutely, sure.

Everyone come.

Um we can have the audience uh please refrain from speaking the audience.

I'm sorry about that.

Uh July 16th, 1030 a.m.

Again, there'll be a ribbon cutting uh at the Martell School uh site.

This development will mark uh the first new senior housing project in Lewiston uh in a few years.

Invitations will be sent out to uh elected officials and others to attend the event.

Um also just mentioned in public comment, we're also excited about uh there is a new, we've been getting lots of questions, and there's a new downtown uh mural project uh happening at the corner of Lisbon and Ash.

This project was made possible uh with funding from the Maine Arts Commission, Bangor Savings Bank Foundation, and the Lewiston Public Art Committee, uh painter and muralists Ryan uh and Rachel Gloria Adams uh started the mural on the facade of 152 Lisbon Street, um commissioned by the LA Arts, uh commissioned by LE Arts for a project that has been in the works for the past number of years, past few years.

Uh the artists are finally uh setting paint to the aluminum siding and bring a new message to our downtown some pending uh weather.

Um we hope that the project will be completed uh by next week.

Uh there is a mobility study, um, another opportunity for public uh engagement and feedback, Lewis and Public Works in conjunction with the Anderscoggin Transportation and Resource Center in the Maine Department of Transportation wants to know your thoughts and ideas on Lisbon Street.

Drivers, walkers, cyclists, motorcyclists, truckers, and others all use Lisbon Street.

These overlapping needs can create conflicts that make it challenging to balance safety and efficient movement for everyone.

So we're encouraging uh everyone to take the survey.

It's at Lewiston Maine.gov slash Lisbon Street survey.

Uh so it's Lisbon Lisbon Street survey.

Um please uh your your feedback is welcome uh and encouraged.

We really appreciate it.

So if you take a few minutes to fill out that survey, um that would be great.

Two quick reminders uh we do have the Memorial Day event coming up uh this Saturday, May 23rd, uh 10 a.m.

Uh at the Veterans Park.

Again, thank you to the LA Veterans Council for all of their work in putting this event on every year.

Another update.

We also have our primary election day coming up in a few weeks, Tuesday, June 9th.

Polls will be open 7 a.m.

to 8 p.m.

Uh all the regular polling places will be open.

If you do need more information on polling places or anything else regarding elections, including absentee ballots uh in Lewiston, please visit Lewiston Maine.gov slash elections.

Uh again, we're hoping for a big turnout.

Encouraging everyone to come out and vote.

Uh the school budget is also part of that vote.

So please come out and vote again June 9th, 7 a.m.

to 8 p.m.

at your regular polling places.

Thank you.

Thank you, Administrator Kinrath.

We appreciate your service to our city.

Uh Madam Clerk, I believe we have a consent agenda.

We do.

There are 11 items on the consent agenda.

Item number one, order approving the disposition of 12 Fair Street.

Number two, order approving the disposition of 11 King Avenue.

Number three, order approving the disposition of 89 Acadia Avenue.

Number four, order approving the disposition of one James Avenue.

Number five, order approving the disposition of 23 Sand Hill Road.

Number six, order approving the disposition of 17 White Avenue.

Number seven, approve uh order approving the disposition of nine series avenue.

Number eight, order approving the disposition of 22 Johnson Street.

Number nine, order approving the disposition of 67 Oak Street.

Number 10, continuation of public hearing regarding first passage for an amendment to the zoning and land use code, Article 11, district regulations for changes to the no name pond conservation overlay district to clarify buffer language.

And item number 11 order authorizing the application for acceptance of and appropriation of funds from the community resilience program, community action grant program of the main office of community affairs for a grant to have a climate vulnerability assessment prepared.

Mm-hmm.

So moved.

Councilor Nay Jean, second second by Councillor Harriman.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Councilor from Ward 3.

Yes.

Word four?

Yes.

Ward five?

Yes.

Ward six?

Yes.

Ward seven?

Yep.

Ward two.

Yes.

I'm sorry, word one.

I apologize.

Yes.

Board one and word two.

Yes.

Sorry.

Thank you so much.

Motion pass by vote of seven.

Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.

You know, as long as we get there in the end.

So we have an agenda item sneak in.

Uh correct, Madam Clerk.

Yes.

Item 11 B we amended the agenda this morning.

Presentation from the school superintendent on the revised proposed fiscal year 2027 school budget.

This is the presentation only.

No council action is required.

Thank you very much.

Superintendent Langless, please kick us off here.

Okay, I do have some information that thank you very much.

So just want to do a quick recap that the results of the May 12th election, there was 1,092 folks that voted yes and 1,463 that voted no.

It's a difference of 371 votes.

And as using the indicator that's also on the referendum of is it too high, acceptable, or too low.

The too high number uh prevailed as uh in information that we used uh in working with the school committee to make further reductions.

Um there's a number of things that have come up in conversation, just want to touch on a few of them.

Um is a reminder that the May 12th referendum was to approve uh 2.5 in addition to local tax uh revenue, and we continue to work to meet uh state and federal mandates and requirements.

Um philosophical belief is that improving instruction is the strongest means to improve outcomes, and in many areas we've had the highest growth since 2016-17 school year, but there's plenty of room for growth, obviously.

Um there were some questions about uh our financials, and just want to restate uh that we have an independent audit report that's done annually, and we had the highest ranking from the external auditor uh this year with no management letter items, which I think is a mark to our attention and detail.

Um, and we continue to have growth in our school age population.

As I mentioned before, we have some significant cost drivers this year.

Just want to put them up in front of you.

Uh special education cost driver of over five million dollars.

Uh those are obligations based on need, but also part of a multi-year plan to grow our programming in our schools so that we could deflect costs.

And as I've said prior, if we uh tuition those students elsewhere, we would look at additional costs to that line.

Uh transportation is up, some of that is special education.

We also have a new contract coming online, and so there's some uh significant growth there.

Again, our utilities in power.

Um we have a multi-year contract that goes up to RFP, and we we engage in a multi-year agreement and bid with the city, and um we did hear from other areas of the state and and school departments that some saw rates as high as 12 cents on their metric, and we are at 10.

Um still still high, and we're looking for ways to reduce.

Uh workers' compensation, which I'll talk more about in just a moment, saw 112% increase, and um part of that model, uh, which I'll discuss here in a minute is is gonna help us break down some potential savings there.

Um and just as a reminder, you know, over over 70% of our budget is is our people, uh, the folks that are in our classrooms with our kids, the the folks that are helping get people to and from uh and so in supporting the effort of education, uh, but salaries from that percent based on collective bargaining agreements, health care costs, other benefits that are negotiated, um, that's over a four million dollar increase.

And I sometimes get asked the question of you know, Jake, where does the money go?

And and the big answer to that is right here in these cost drivers.

If you do the math on those, you can see where a number of the dollars go.

I do think it's a good point of emphasis though, to remind people that we get over 89 million dollars from the state in subsidy to pay for education.

Um I understand that the state funds also come from tax base, federal and otherwise, but uh the local ask is really what's being voted upon.

So the reductions that the school committee adopted last night in our in our um meeting last evening.

Um the first one is is workers' compensation.

Uh we believe if we split from the city, uh, because there are workers' comp plans out there that are available to school entities only, um, that we can find some savings there.

However, we are uh being mindful of what the potential savings is and what we've put in here for reduction because whenever you make a shift in things like workers' compensation, you have to have a plan for your liabilities that sit with your prior insurer.

Uh we've engaged with legal to work on that process, and that is uh in effect uh taking steps.

Um at our technical center, uh tough place to cut, but again, these are tough decisions when we have this number of cuts.

We are looking at uh some grants or or other reductions, but one of them is uh is a position that if we cannot find grants to sustain, we will not be able to keep.

And that person does great work with our student services effort.

But that's based out of our Auburn campus, where we have seven programs this year.

Next year we will have eight.

And it's it's for me really challenging to look at what we're reducing in our primary schools and our services for students, and not also reach into those spaces as we look at the equity of everything.

Special education, we have been working through some different adjustments, and while I think we can move tasks and do other things, it was stated last night in our meeting that reducing special education would be a challenge.

But we we've worked with our director and our teams, and we think that we can I think the word that was used last night, we can survive this uh reduction, uh, but I do have concerns uh but we need to reduce uh multilingual coach position.

Um this number includes uh a full package of uh family benefits, uh family insurance and their salary, um, but they are also top of scale and uh retiring, and so that becomes a vacant position as a high note.

Uh we received word from our director of multilingual efforts that 143 kids uh met the rate uh the the assessment level on the access test, which is how we measure uh multilingual student preparation for academic learning.

We had 143 kids reached that benchmark in this recent assessment.

Uh it's the most we've ever had.

So the systems that we have in place are working, uh, but we we need to make sure we don't abandon the effort.

Uh there's an edsec position at a school that's um gonna be vacant when there's a transfer.

Um we think we can live without hiring that technology, a whole range of things.

Um we just went line by line and said, okay, um equipment repair, uh equipment replacement, uh different software items that have been in use uh regularly by our instructional staff, and um we just need to make reductions, so there's 125,000 out of technology.

Uh facilities items, um, we're looking at some actuals with water and sewer, but also things like vacuums and um floor scrubbers, uh things of that nature that they are at the end of their life, um, but we we can't afford everything, so we're going to just try to keep them running as long as possible.

Uh transportation, we had an update to that.

Um we applied for reallocation funds with the state, and we received that, so we were able to reduce the amount of funding uh it will cost us to move kids around this summer for their various summer programming, and that was uh 95,000.

So, as a as an overview, I have a chart here just for everyone to see it all together.

It's 1.169 million dollars that the school committee last night uh voted to approve moving forward.

Um, and these reductions bring the local funding proposal down to uh 32 million eight hundred eighty-five thousand one seventy-six, uh, which is uh 4.35% increase locally year to year.

Um but I wanted to note it's at the bottom of this sheet for reference.

Uh, if you want to look through it, um, all the prior reductions remained.

Um, the committee did not add anything back uh to the uh prior list of reductions.

And the the list of uh those items with the recent reductions school committee work is 3.37 uh million dollars in in reductions in the budget.

Um, and using our revenue sheets and formulas based on the tax rate information from last year, um, the increased cost uh excuse me, the mill rate would move from 1361 to 1407, and that represents a 46 cent change or 3.37%, and the increased cost to a homeowner uh with 150,000 dollar valuation would be $68.85.

Uh just a couple of notes real quick, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

That the city council will actually be getting information tonight and for your ask questions over the next couple of weeks.

Um but on June 2nd, um, we're hopeful that the city council will adopt this so it can move forward for referendum on June 9th.

Um, but as a note for those listening, uh early voting for the primaries right now does not include the school committee budget.

Uh so we're encouraging people to get us their input and be mindful of when this is approved on June 2nd is when things will be available.

Um, and the city ministers uh and and the city clerk have worked hard to communicate with folks about that adjustment because the budget was not passed the first round.

Um so those interested in letting us know how they feel about the school budget.

Please make sure you are mindful if you voted early that you'll have to wait to June 2nd to actually contribute to the numbers on the school budget referendum.

Uh the rest of the information below is and I can just scroll it quickly.

I don't want to walk you through all of it.

I know you've seen it before, and as have members of the public, but these are all positions and items that have already been reduced in this budget.

And again, totaling again, we're close to 30 positions now with the additional positions here.

We were at 26 before, and there are several on this new reduction, some of which are vacant, the last set for the uh 26 were were not vacant.

Open to any questions you may have.

Thank you, Superintendent.

Um, can you are you in a uh I don't want to put you on the spot, but are you in a position to tell us how many actual people are losing their jobs?

The number shifts because some people have uh decided to leave and some have decided to um retire.

Uh but we are still above 20 people in this budget that will lose their position.

Thank you.

Further questions, comments from counselors.

Uh yes, Councilor Longchamps.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you, Mr.

Langless, for being here, and thank you for all that you do uh for our students and your staff.

Um I am concerned, although we really don't have uh any say uh you have a great school committee that um kind of well they do work together and um have to make difficult decisions, but I am not in favor.

Um I just would like to say this for the record of eliminating anyone's position in the um special ed department that makes zero sense to me.

Um you stated before uh that that is going to be increasing, right?

So why we would I I'm not even sure how that came to the table, but that makes zero sense to me.

I also think the um multilingual teacher, uh language teacher, um that makes zero sense to me.

We have over 40 40 something languages, is that right?

42.

42.

Um so I think we will agree or not agree next week, is it?

Uh June 2nd.

June 2nd.

Um I would encourage you and the committee to see where you can make reductions other than uh especially the special ed.

That uh that makes zero sense to me.

I understand we do have to make reductions, but um I hope you guys can go back and rethink that one.

Thank you.

Councilor Roy.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um thank you, superintendent, for being here and all the hard work that you put into this.

Definitely not um an easy thing to do.

Um I will echo with Councilor Longchamps, um, those cuts are really hard.

And I don't I I I don't I don't agree with them, but we do have to cut.

Uh the other thing is LRTC, the trades are very important, they're very valuable.

Like I would really reconsider that one too, because again, that is youth that's training youth to be in our workforce right now.

We really need the trades to be um going.

Um the other thing is is hearing what people are saying, constituents, the people that I've talked to, you know, they're talking about administrative cuts, you know, they're talking about this.

We've talked about this many years, but they never ever seem to be any high level administrative cuts.

So again, I I want schools to be funded.

I want all of that, but I'm telling you the people are talking about those high level cuts that need to be made.

And we need to listen.

So I'm just gonna put that out there.

The amount of reductions coming out of our our central office and our administration are in double digits at this point in this single budget.

Thank you, Superman.

It's not that it's not administration.

There's significant cuts here in administration, and I have an administrative team that's going to try to pick up tasks that are not going to fit on their plate in this budget.

Understood.

Thank you, Superintendent.

Uh further comments, questions from the council.

Counselor Nagy.

Um I I just want to verify this this budget was also unanimously supported by the school committee.

Is that correct?

It was eight to one last night.

Eight to one.

Um and could you eliminate uh concerning the one that voted against and why?

Uh it was similar to some of the comments being made tonight about not wanting to reduce uh areas of special education and multilingual coach specifically.

Um there were some other discussions, but I feel like that that had the highest level of interest, and I think that the school committee was faced with um the results of the vote, the knowledge of the the resources of our community and the limitations of it, but knowing that we had to find ways to reduce and it's it's been a challenge, but they they did do the work.

Thank you, superintendent.

Uh back to you, Councillor Longchamps.

Thank you.

Mayor, um, I do recognize and and definitely agree um that we do need to, the school does need to make more reductions, but again, I would just respectably ask that we don't uh you you figure out a different way, if possible, uh, to make reductions rather than our special ed.

Thank you.

We will now head to uh public comment for this agenda item.

Ronnie Parody, uh uh ward six.

I just want to mention that one of the biggest biggest gifts that Lewiston School system has is Booston Regional Technical School.

I can't say enough for that school and who heads that school and everything like that.

And maybe that, but I know the kids there.

Everything is organized, the staff is happy in that section of the school.

I I just gotta praise LRTC.

Thank you.

Uh P.

Iger Award 7.

And um, I think the point I want to make is that we're voting on the budget.

We have to vote on the full budget, which was 129, I think.7 million dollars.

However, the state is re reimbursing us 80 percent.

So we're looking at maybe 35 million dollars to run the school system with with our local money, and I really feel that um and I don't like to say, well, special ed deserves more money than this person deserves more money because everybody's important.

And I also um I was on the uh funding when we put together the the essential programs and services budget.

I was on that panel is gonna be redone.

But we're we're doing we're getting more from the state than any other school district, and we're we're getting it, I think, at a good time that we that we need it.

But I don't like to say that this group should get something and somebody else shouldn't get it.

I think this is the bare bottom budget for what from what I can see, and I think um Jake and his team have done a great job.

And I also put in a comment about administrators.

Guess what?

Administrators have to deal with all the rules and regulations that have to be dealt with.

It's nice to say we don't want administrators in this world, but uh unfortunately federal money and state money comes with all kinds of regulations.

So my opinion is that um this is a bare bottom's budget.

We like to have a lot more money.

We're getting 80 percent back from the state.

So we're literally running this school budget for about 35 million dollars, thanks to the state, which I'm paying taxes to like everybody else.

Um but I really do feel that we we need to I hate to say suck it up, but we need to get look at this budget, accept it, vote it in, and let the administration do the best they can with the dollars they've got.

Thank you.

My name's Celia.

I ward four.

One of the things my daughter taught me when she was in Lewiston school was if we don't take care of the kids, they can't take care of us.

And at this point, even as adults without an education, or even educated, the taxes have become outrageous.

Because that 50,000 I was making 30 years ago, they're still only making that 50,000, and the bills are three times higher.

So somebody's gonna figure something out.

We need better employments, better pay if you want more taxes.

Further public comment.

Matthew Egrin, Ward 4.

This is kind of to go to something that Council Roy said at the end of the last meeting about improving communication within the city.

Perhaps what the city needs to do is look at working with Jake at expanding his capability because Jake has a better communication network set up.

Hell, most of us here have at one point or another got hit a phone call from Jake that said bus 42 is not running this morning.

Please find a solution.

And Jake has sent out text messages that said bus 42 is not running.

That used to be my wake-up call in the morning when my kid was in school was Jake's wonderful voice.

Sorry about that.

But that is a solution.

Please continue, Mr.

Agrin.

That was a solution to something Councilor Roy brought up.

The ed, instead of us reinventing the wheel, pair partner with the school system and use their communication network.

And then, yes, the kids are our future.

The LRTC LR.

Yes.

Is our future?

These are the kids who are going to be our new plumbers, our new electricians.

Our new everything that's everyone who we need, everyone we're short of.

That's where they're going to come out of.

We need those kids.

This budget may not be perfect.

But those and the special ed programs.

Hell.

Bringing them back in the system is going to cost us more money, but it's going to save money overall.

Superintendent Langless, I wish you luck.

Crystal Ward Ward 2.

A couple things.

One on the assistant director, I believe, uh, is who's to be taken out of the RO the uh program for over in Auburn?

Is that correct?

We're uh if you can ask all your questions, I'm sure that's the other one.

Okay, what I would like the city council to do, or somebody to write an article to explain to the city of Lewis and the funding of the schools.

We just heard that 80% of the money is coming from the state.

Special education is 100% reimbursed two years later, but it's 100% reimbursed.

What actually is being paid by the property tax in the city of Lewiston?

Because everybody believes it's that big number you're looking at.

They don't know how much comes from the state, how much that's special education is 100% reimbursed.

They do not know the amount of money that comes from the federal government.

They believe what they're looking at is some giant number.

So can somebody please explain it to the public so they'll know exactly how much of education the property tax is paid for.

So those are my two questions.

If I can get an answer, I have something to follow up, but I'll say it anyway.

If it is that position, the assistant director position, you can make a teaching, you can make like what used to be called a teaching principal, which would cost less, but you still have the job for overseeing it.

In other words, you don't have to keep the highest paid person to do the job.

You can find another way to do the job that would cost less in the school budget and not take the whole job out.

Thank you.

Further public comment.

Back to the council.

Uh Superintendent Linglis, uh, are you in a position to address some of those questions and perhaps uh help educate us uh on uh how uh the funding formula works or what our taxes go to and what's covered by the state.

Sure.

Uh I'll do my best in short form um because this is this is uh a text level uh length thing.

But uh special education does get reimbursements um through state funding and also federal funding.

Um I will say, however, it is not 100 percent, I would say it's not anywhere near 100 percent.

I would also note that um IDEA has been in place for 50 years, pushing 51, and it has yet to be fully funded by the federal government ever.

Uh so it's I think the intent is that special education is fully funded through a reimbursement model.

The fact is it is not.

Um just as a note, um the the LRTC position is a it's a uh student services position is not an administrator.

Um but but I will say that again we're trying to find grants to help cover this.

But I also want to speak to what that position does.

It actively engages in our programs and our students, but also helps move them to the CMCC campus when there's an event there, it helps them uh coordinate with job shadow opportunities and and different learning experiences in the community.

Do I think that position is valuable?

Absolutely.

Um I think all of the positions that started in this budget were valuable, and I just I know that we have limited resources, so we have to be mindful.

Uh but school funding is as a fact, um, over 89 million dollars of this proposed budget is is slated to come directly from the state based on the education funding formula.

Um we have uh some title funds and things like that.

There's other revenues that come in, uh, but the the bulk of it, the bulk of the cost of Lewis and school system comes directly from state subsidy.

Again, over 89 million dollars of this budget.

Thank you, Superintendent.

Uh further questions, comments from the council.

Uh yes, Councilor Longchamps.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I think um the constituent from Ward 2 actually made a very good point.

I think it would be great uh if we could advertise that more because I think she's absolutely right.

Everyone's just seeing this really large number and really not understanding where it's all where it's all coming from.

So I don't know how we would do that, but for the future, I I think that uh should definitely be done because I think you'd have uh more people voting for it uh with that information than against it.

Thank you.

Uh and a final thoughts from count, yes, Councilor Nagyen.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I think this is the third year I've brought up the fact that the information that's represented is not very clear.

And I look at the Portland school's um website and the information that we're gonna share.

And I know it may be difficult to replicate that um with the dashboard that they use, but again, um the communication concerning the the school budget is sometimes difficult.

And it also with the municipal budget as well, for sure.

But I but I think that because so much of the funding comes from state and federal sources.

Um it's really important to get that message out there in order for people to understand what is actually hitting their pocket.

And I would love to see more coordination between both the city uh administrator staff and the uh uh superintendent staff concerning messaging around these budgets when that when they come forward.

We I mean we have shared graphics and and different things.

I think it's it's it's who's picking it up and when.

Um, and while I know we're not Portland, their budget is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 plus million dollars more than ours, and all the budgets positions that might create that kind of dashboard and whatnot have been long gone in the budget multiple years ago.

Do the best I can in AI can help, uh, but we will push out information around how much is contributed by the the state.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

Uh I think we're good.

Thank you so much, Superintendent.

Thank you for your service to our students and our city.

Madam Clerk, uh item number 12.

Yes, item number 12.

Public hearing for approval of an outdoor entertainment permit for a musical event in Samard Payne Memorial Park.

Requested action to conduct a public hearing on an application for an outdoor entertainment event in Samard Payne Memorial Park and to grant a permit for an outdoor entertainment event as required by the City Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10, Article 1, Section 10-3 for an outdoor music concert to be held at Samard Payne Memorial Park on Saturday, May 30th.

Contingent upon positive recommendations from the police department, fire department, code health officer, and land use inspector regarding compliance with all regulations and compliance with all city ordinances.

Mav a motion, please.

So moved.

Councillor Nagene.

Second.

Second by Councillor Martell uh discussion.

Public comment for this agenda item.

Back to the council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Counselor from Ward 3?

Yes.

Word 4?

Yes.

Ward five?

Yes.

Word six?

Yes.

Ward seven?

Yes.

Ward one?

Yes.

Ward two.

Yes.

Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.

Item number 13.

Item number 13.

Public hearing on an application for a new liquor license for Sonder and Dram 12 Ash Street.

Requested action to authorize the city clerk's office to approve a new liquor license application for Sonder and Dram 12 Ash Street.

May I have a motion to move?

Counselor Nagy.

Discussion.

Public comment.

Back to the council.

This is exciting.

Counselor.

Counselor Nagyene.

You stole my thunder, so Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Counselor from Ward 3.

Yes.

Ward 4.

Yes.

Ward 5.

Yes.

Ward 6.

Ward 7.

Yes.

Ward 1.

Yes.

Ward 2.

Yes.

Motion pass by vote of 703.

I'm sorry, 70.

Item number 14.

Item 14.

Final budget public hearing for the fiscal year 2027 municipal budget.

Requested action to conduct a final budget public hearing to receive citizen input and communication regarding the proposed fiscal year 2027 municipal budget.

So I I guess I find out my hope that we have more than two budget hearings, even though it's before we get to everything else.

But second of all, we've caught we probably could have spared some of this pain that we've experienced through this budget season if you had more than one workshop after presentations for last year's budget.

But in it anyway.

So who's going to manage that is a question.

Second of all, uh come July 1st.

There is a new uh wage disclosure and record changes coming up.

Who's gonna be doing that?

Because now we are gonna have a HR director, our network development specialist.

That that will be our HR department come July 1st.

Granted, historically, the deputy city administrator does have some HR responsibilities when it comes to labor negotiations.

And then, second of all, in 2026, we're gonna cut 40 percent of our IT management information systems department.

That is Mr.

Mayor, asinine.

Uh in the age of increased cybersecurity, hacking, spoofing, you name it.

We're gonna get rid of our director of the department, and a employee who's been here almost as long as I've been alive, let's just put it that way.

Thank you.

All right, bear with me.

I've never done this before.

My name is Ashley Kelly.

I live in Ward One.

I know you guys have received a ton of emails this past week about positions, so I won't stand up here and keep saying the same things over and over and over again.

But I want you to think about where you were 36 years ago.

I know I was just born.

But Peter started his career here.

He has given his entire adult life to the city of Lewiston.

Can any of you say the same?

Probably not.

What message are you sending to all the long-standing employees and the new employees that are starting their careers here, like myself?

Because to me, the message is clear.

Don't invest your career here in the city of Lewiston because your job is just a title on a piece of paper or just a number in the budget.

When push comes the shove, you are nobody, even after 36 years of dedication.

I learned something today, fun fact.

The busking festival cost the city the same amount of money as Peter's position.

So I ask you to remove the busking festival for next year and keep Peter's position in the IT department.

Let's be honest.

The Busking Festival will cost a lot more money for the city if you get rid of him because he did all the signs for that festival.

Thank you.

Matthew Egrand, Ward 4.

So let's be honest here.

You, the council are in a bind, because there are two big truths we all, including you, have to face.

The city taxpayers cannot be treated like an unlimited debit card with a mailbox, and just expect them to accept that behavior with no response from us.

The other is the city cannot freeze or cut essential worker positions and then act shocked when staffing holds appear and require overtime payments to staff them.

I brought the idea to you last meeting of a public service fee based on the stormwater fee.

So that the nonprofits who benefit from being here in Lewiston from our public works, our fire department, our police services, also share the cost of operating them as they use these services as well.

I hadn't heard anything about you considering, and I'm wondering why.

And then here is an idea to cut something from the budget.

Nope, it's not a massive savings.

But does anyone up there know what it costs the city to have one or more officers here pulling four to six hours of overtime every meeting?

I know at least we're not pulling officers off their beats to be here, thankfully, but we're still paying them.

Still the taxpayers are paying for this.

And in case you're wondering, as of the May 5th meeting, we've spent over $6,000 on police being here as security.

So I'm guessing by the end of the year, that's 12,000.

Yep, small chunk of change, but still there's a savings.

We asked for transparency in how you guys are making decisions.

We asked for accountability as how you're spending our money.

Sometimes I don't feel that you guys have made a plan.

Most of you have set up there five three years that this revaluation was going on.

There was no action plan for when it came in and hit the taxpayers.

What were we going to do?

There should have been.

So that the car and feathers don't stick to you guys as some of you are looking at running for re-election.

Instead, you want the next council and mayor to be the bad guys.

What's to stop that council from kicking this down the road as well?

You guys need to put on your big person undies and start phasing this in this year.

It's gonna hurt, but once you start phasing it in some form, nobody's gonna stop it next time around.

Ronnie Ronnie Parity, Board Six.

Why is it that we take the lower people and lay them off?

Why don't we look at administration?

Why can't administration cut some of their salaries down?

We'll pay in for one person 120,000, and I can't figure out what she does.

And uh some departments need to be combined under other people.

There's too many department heads and everything else.

This city used to, I can give you a history of city hall the past 30 years, and Kathy Mateo can tell you that.

I can tell you about every single council people and everything, and it's all the same thing.

They cut people that are worthy that should be here, and one of them is Dottie Perrin Whittier that was our best person that represented City Hall and everybody liked her, and you brought somebody else in.

Thank you.

Crystal Ward War II.

I have a proposition for you.

It seems that every time we have a budget fight like this, the only thing that can take the hits is a school budget because it's the only one that's voted on.

It's absolutely unfair.

It's undemocratic, it's untransparent, and it makes the school board the target of everybody.

I would suggest that you got to print a new bug, a new budget for the school, put the question on it.

Should the people of Lewiston be allowed to vote on the municipal budget?

Because from my mind, until both of those budgets are on there that I can vote on, there's not one darn thing fair about that ballot that we get.

Because the budget I want to be able to say no to is the municipal budget, because I know how little the Lewis and taxpayers are paying for the schools because of the way the funding comes in, as compared to how much I'm paying for the city side of the budget.

There needs to be some transparency, some reality, and put the question on the upcoming ballot your printing and ask the people if they want to vote on the city side of this budget also.

Thank you.

Further public comment for this budget hearing.

The hearing is now closed.

Madam Clerk, item number 15?

15, yes, thank you.

Item number 15, order authorizing the city administrator to provide city services totaling 107,171 dollars and cash donations totaling 21,500 for city nonprofit organization activities in accordance with that fiscal year 27 city council approved list, requested action to approve the order authorizing the city administrator to provide city services totaling 107,171 dollars and cash donations totaling 21,500 for city nonprofit organization activities in accordance with the fiscal year 27 city council approved list.

Mab a motion, please.

So moved.

Councillor Martel.

Second.

Uh second by councillor Longchamp's discussion.

Councilor Eriman, yes.

Thank you.

I just had a question.

I noticed that other than the rally for recovery, the requests for the opioid settlement funds aren't on there.

Are we going to be taking that up at a different time?

So that 1,500 is for the opioid.

Um it's written the same way as it was last year.

You're authorizing that.

That that thousand five hundred will come from the opioids.

The other 20,000 is coming from the actual general fund.

Thank you.

No.

It was my understanding that no additional funding wanted to be taken up in the budget for any nonprofit.

This isn't in the budget.

This is from the opioid settlement funds, the requests that we got in this in this process.

Correct.

If you're talking about the um the vehicle that they had addressed, it was discussed that night at the budget meeting that they would come on a different night and present to you and then you would approve whether it'll be taken out of the opiate funds.

Yes, it will be totally wondering.

Correct.

So is that is that going to happen and do we have a date?

We do not have a date on the um agenda, but we can take a look at it and put one on there.

Okay, thanks.

Yeah, it was discussed that was going to be a lengthier conversation, so we're going to workshop that.

Uh further questions, comments from the counselors.

Public comment for this agenda item.

Back to the council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Counselor from Word 3?

Yes.

Ward 4?

Yes.

Word five?

Yes.

Word six?

Yes.

Word seven?

Yes.

Ward one?

Yes.

Ward two.

Yes.

Motion pass by vote of seven to zero.

Item number sixteen.

Item number sixteen, resolve authorizing the use of one hundred, uh, I'm sorry, one thousand five hundred dollars from the Ferrar Fund for costs of basic necessary services for needy individuals.

Requested action to approve the resolve authorizing the use of one thousand five hundred dollars from the Ferrar fund for cost of basic necessary services for needy individuals.

May have a motion, please.

So moved.

Councillor Harriman, second by Counselor Nagyen.

Uh Madam Clerk, are you just in a position to quickly explain what the Ferrar fund is?

Uh the Ferrar fund was established several years ago.

Uh there is a principal amount of about $18,000.

This amount is roughly the um interest, and it is used, I believe, for folks who need medical and dental expenses.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Comments, questions from the counselors?

Uh yes, Councilor Chitham.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, can you tell me what the current value of the entire fund is, principal and interesting?

The uh principal amount is $18,551.

Uh I'm taking that from the resolve.

Beyond that, I'm not sure, but the uh director of uh social services this year, I'm not sure if she can respond to that or the finance director.

There is currently um around 25,500 in that that account.

Principal and interest 255.

That's the total of the account.

So we have about $7,000 available.

Correct.

Thank you.

And if I remember right, we roughly spend it down by this amount nearly every year, correct?

Correct.

Public comment for this agenda item.

Back to the council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Council from Word 3?

Yes.

Word 4?

Yes.

Word five?

Yes.

Word six?

Yes.

Ward seven?

Yes.

Ward one?

Yes.

Ward two.

Yes.

Motion pass by vote of seven to zero.

Thank you very much.

Item number 17.

Resolve approving the final budget adjustments to the fiscal year 27 municipal budget.

Requested action to adopt the resolve, approving the final budget adjustments to the fiscal year 27 municipal budget.

Mm-hmm.

So moved.

Uh councillor Najene.

Second.

Second by counselor Long Champs.

No, I think we're all set.

Obviously, uh as we circulated last week, we had a number of uh additional items, uh iterators of savings that were uh included with the Nijene amendment at your request.

We need to come up with about another 146,000 dollars.

Um we came up with approximately 160,000 dollars.

Um one item on there I didn't know in my message to you, uh I did not necessarily support the inclusion of that as the library acquisitions.

Uh it's about twelve thousand dollars.

So that is uh your discretion, whether you want to include that or not include it.

Um but you did see that the list of items to uh come up with the additional 146,000 in savings to get to the 3.3, it actually gets to 3.2.

Um that would be included um with Councilor Nagyen's amendment.

Thank you, Administrator Kane Rath.

Uh counselors, uh a couple of quick things here and then I'll uh turn it over uh to all of you.

Um yeah, I mean I agree with Administrator Kane Rath that we uh uh provide the library uh their support uh for books and pull that uh not add that in, pull that back out.

Uh uh one other is um Chief Karen here for a second.

We're finding Chief Karen.

Okay.

Chief Karen, could you join us?

Um one of my other so I have three things to address here really quickly, but one of them being the firefighter uh position.

Uh so right now we're looking at two frozen positions, and you're saying we can deal with one, but if we if we uh freeze both, it will actually cost us more money in the in the long run.

Can you speak to that or do you have numbers?

Yes, that is my projection.

The entry-level firefighters that we hire are not assigned firefighters, they're they're assigned to a shift, so they work uh a regular rotation just like assigned firefighters.

They're on uh you know AB or C shift and uh they work a 24-hour shift, they just don't have an assignment, so their role is at 6 a.m.

they'll call the captain that day and say, you know, what truck am I working on?

They're filling in for people on long-term injury, sick leave, uh, uh vacation, family medical leave, that that such.

So it is cost effective to have them.

They're they're entry-level firefighters, they they make the lowest that they're at step one on the pay scale at straight time.

If I don't have an entry-level firefighter on that shift, uh, and uh what we call an R person, I'm paying overtime to fill that shift to fill that vacancy if I have somebody out.

And with 17 firefighters on shift daily.

It it's a frequently occurring event that there are multiple people out per day.

Um so it is cost effective to have that position.

What we have now, we have uh one per shift.

We have three total that I have currently two vacancies, or I have one vacancy.

I will have another vacancy very soon.

Um per shift, and that really works out well.

Uh you had asked me if I could not if I could get by with one less.

And I thought I could manage that.

I could move the other two around uh to where uh I have the long-term injuries or or uh illnesses at I could manage that well.

Three, I mean if I got rid of two and I only had one for the entire department, it most certainly would create uh an increase in the overtime.

I I don't think it would be cost effective, and I I think it would actually increase the budget.

That's just my projection.

It's my projection.

I can't forecast the future.

Uh but it is my projection that it will increase the budget.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Chief Karen.

Uh that's it for right this second.

Um, beyond the library books and this position uh for the fire department, I would like the council to also perhaps think more about the MIS director.

Uh I am concerned that as uh the top level employee for that department, um there will be no uh strategic direction for that department, and we will need to contract out for services um which could be which could be cost prohibitive and uh and difficult.

So um I'm yeah, I'm concerned about a department uh losing uh losing a department had somebody who has like specific knowledge for that department.

Um so yeah, I would like the counselors to uh think on those three things.

Uh we'll know, go around.

Um counselor long champs.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I I have thought long and hard um about the MIS uh director.

Um losing two people from that department.

Um I don't think it's a good idea.

So I would ask to make an amendment um to our budget, the nate the Nygene uh budget and ask that the MIS director be put back in.

Um and that we do a reorg um in our economic development department and eliminate the um director's position if possible.

So let our administrator reorganize the third floor.

And um that would still keep us at the 3.2.

But put the MIS director back in.

Um that that's what I'm hoping to uh see if council would be willing to make that adjustment and that amendment.

Uh before we if it's okay with you, um I would like to uh allow an opportunity to to discuss that before we turn it into an official amendment if that's okay.

Um I'd like to see if we can make that happen rather than if people want to discuss it, certainly they can, but um there's an amendment on the floor, Mr.

Mayor.

Yeah, and I understand they can.

Yeah, so I I would like to make that amendment to put the MIS director back in, eliminate the economic development director's position, and let our city administrator reorganize the third floor.

Do we have a second for that?

I would second that for discussion.

Uh we now have uh a second.

Uh did you catch all that, Madam Clerk?

I did, thank you, Mr.

Maris, to um add the MIS director position back in and to eliminate the economic development director and reorganize the economic development department.

Correct.

Thank you.

Uh uh thoughts on this from counselors.

Uh counselor Nagyen.

Currently, how many directors do we have on the third floor?

On the third floor?

Uh four.

Four?

Okay.

And how many directors do we have in the building?

Just in City Hall?

Yeah.

I believe it's seven.

Okay.

Um one of the things that I've been thinking about a lot is when we when we ask for re-org, and one of the what one of the thoughts around MIS uh eliminating a couple of these positions, I believe would for would force a reorganization.

But I've heard a lot of feedback concerning the fact that we have one employee who may only be the emplo the only employee who knows how to do certain things.

And so that's that is concerning.

Um I I would suggest that like we're not doing very well on secession planning uh when we see things like that.

Um but I also think that like we need to force reorganization within the city, uh within City Hall in particular.

And you know, I I I can't move forward an amendment right now, but I would love to see the marketing budget to actually sit with economic development and marketing actually be an economic development tool as opposed to uh uh an administration extension.

When we look at the administration budget, it is fairly large.

Um and we can force, I believe, some of this reorganization.

Uh I know it sounds crazy to remove the economic development director uh position, but also looking at the track record for economic development uh recently.

It all needs a re-org.

We need folks to be able to walk into this building and be able to pull a business permit um from anybody at the window.

Um you know we need we need to be able to I think we are business friendly, um, but nobody knows it.

So like uh getting everybody in the uh you know planning code, they're directly connected to economic development.

I hear many times people say um I mean we had a property for sale that we said was buildable and it wasn't.

Um and you know that those departments need to be working together better and more clearly.

And so it is absolutely worth um worth of thought.

Uh council counselor long champs.

Just real quick, although um I've always had a good experience on the third floor, but um I don't think we're as business friendly as we should be up there, and I do hope that uh we get better.

Thank you.

Counselor Martell, to you thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I want to apologize to Counselor Longchamps because I misunderstood the message that you sent me before the meeting.

Uh this one's gonna be hard for me.

Lewiston is in absolute desperate need of economic development.

We talk about it all the time.

It's right up there with 1A to public safety.

And um I think we have a new city administrator that's been charged with economic development and to take away and reorganize the third floor and take away a very strong needed director position.

Like I understand, cut administration, those are top heavy jobs, but I don't know.

That feels like the wrong place to cut it for me.

Lewiston is in desperate need of economic development.

I don't I do agree that we're not that business friendly.

And it it's gonna be absolutely critical to bring in tax paying businesses to the city to eventually alleviate the task uh the burden on uh on homeowners and property owners.

I mean, that's the only area where we can affect the equation uh that that's other than just not spending money that that is gonna alleviate the cost of taxpayers.

So I do apologize, but that this isn't the place where I'm gonna be able to get behind it.

I I do support keeping the MIS director.

That's a specialized knowledge that just can't be replaced, and it's critical to city events across a lot of different fronts.

I think we'll just have to reach back out to the city administrator or chalk up some other way to find uh that salary to replace it but cutting the economic development director just can't be it.

I I'm okay with cutting administration in another area but that is just such a critical department that we are in such desperate need of in this city it just doesn't feel like the right place.

Do any other counselors want to chime in uh before I chime in and then we move back to counselors who've already spoken uh counselor um chitam uh thank you mr mayor I remember I'm glad uh here we are uh debating the motion that we approved two weeks ago at the workshop uh we are getting into the nitty-gritty we have hired uh a city administrator who has his thumb and finger on the pulse of the workforce in Lewiston and we are up here trying to second guess him we said at the workshop oh yes absolutely get rid of the MIS director get rid of the GIS specialist um cut the the uh the the fireman um this is the city administrator's job it's his responsibility to recommend what is in the best interest of the city the guidelines we need to give the administrator are bring the tax levy in under the 3.2 percent so that four of us can pass this budget I would suggest that if the budget does not pass tonight that it goes back to the administrator and he gets to do his job without the meddling of this council thank you so uh oh yes counselor Roy uh thank you Mr.

Mayor I would um agree with uh counselor Chitham on that one I think um you know that's what our city administrator is for so uh listen I'm if we have problems with the a department the or or services or perceived problems the the way to uh not make it better is by uh getting rid of that department's director and and I also don't believe that we should be diluting economic development by complying by combining it with another department uh I think we absolutely need economic development director and it absolutely needs to be its own department um yeah I I just don't you know with all due respect to uh um you know counselors at the end here I I just don't think that this idea is ready for prime time uh counselor Najee and then counselor long champs so I just want to remind everybody how we got here because nobody wanted to cut jobs now I'm around the city uh for city employees is very very low um this is an unfilled position um the I have no problem handing this back uh to the administrator but again we were told at one point that we could not hit the Northeast CPI we hit the Northeast CPI and we lost less jobs than we would otherwise and so I'm just reminding everybody that like I hate this you know at the end of the day I'm I'm the person who put forward this amendment um I'm the I'm the bad guy here but we as a council couldn't get it together to be like this is the number we want and and and whatever the number of jobs is okay.

And so that that's that's all I'm saying at the moment.

Yes Counselor Long Champs.

First thank you Counselor Najee and um you know I I won't leave you alone on this because I definitely had a bunch of input uh and um it has been a difficult uh budget for certain um but I would like to see if our administration wouldn't mind weighing in on uh the possibility of reorganizing the third floor what your thoughts are um and and would you be comfortable with something like that um thank you um first let me say I I agree the MIS director is a critical position.

Also the one area we're particularly concerned about is cybersecurity um our current director does uh most of the work regarding our cybersecurity efforts um you can see stories all around the country even in this local area if you look at Central Maine Medical Center recently and their uh problems uh Auburn Water District uh about five years ago or so had a major breach so we are very concerned about cyber security in particular on the city side and with our uh utilities um so that is of particular concern so I'll just say that about that position um as far as reorganization uh you know look this all works you know you guys control the money uh and I do you know the best we can with what we have obviously and what you give us so um if there's gonna be another position cut in economic development the forces of reorganization uh I will say we will obviously look at all options at that point we have a little bit of runway to the end of the fiscal year to figure something out um and to put something together that would work as best as possible for our needs.

So um if there's gonna be another position cut in economic development, the forces of reorganization, uh I will say we will obviously look at all options at that point.

We have a little bit of runway to the end of the fiscal year to figure something out and to put something together that would work as best as possible for our needs.

So uh I guess what I'm saying is of course I'm gonna be a team player.

I'm gonna do whatever is possible to make sure we're delivering the best service to the city with the resources that we have.

Um but the major power of the council is you have the power of the purse.

You do control those resources, you do control our budgets.

Um and then as Councilor Chittham did indicate, um, the rest of implementing all of that and the administration is up to me and this team here.

So uh I guess my my simple answer to your question is uh we're going to make it work, whatever we're given, uh for sure.

Uh I do agree that you know reor looking at reorganization can at times be a healthy exercise.

Um, but you know, doing more with less isn't always an easy exercise either.

Um but it it can be done.

So I I just want to offer that um we are team players.

Uh we will do what is necessary to make sure we're trying to hit the goals that we we set out to hit.

Um this is a vacant position.

I'll say we're currently interviewing for this position right now.

Um but it is it is vacant.

And I I will say this these past number of weeks has been an extremely difficult experience.

The morale in this building has been extremely tough, and it's been just honestly on a personal level difficult.

Um that we have a number of our employees, some of them long-standing employees, uh, that are potentially impact with the with this.

That is that it's not easy.

So uh we will be team players.

We will make it work, whatever uh you'd like to do as far as whatever funding you'd like to give us.

Um but uh yes, to some to some degree I I agree that uh eliminating a vacant position is better than uh eliminating a a filled position, uh especially with someone who's a a long-standing employee of the city.

Uh yes, Councilor Nagine.

I I just want to remind everybody too that that uh we're not necessarily gonna be saved um from the outside, right?

We have to save ourselves in many ways.

And so we have uh I think competent staff um that works in this building now.

Um it took us 14 months to to find our city administrator, I believe.

Um 13, yeah.

So there's a good chance that um even this process um we'll still be looking for uh an economic development director next year, even though we funded it, um to be honest.

Um of the expenses that we could look at for projects um could be outsourced as well, as long as the return on investment was enough to cut.

I mean, however, everybody wants to handle this.

We know that that at the end of the day, the taxpayer does not want to see an increase over the Northeast uh CPI, and I can tell you that some of my constituents don't want to see that.

And so we can move any way we want forward with this, but why would we be cutting open positions?

Sorry, uh filled positions when we could be cutting open positions.

The idea that the second largest city in Maine is not going to have an economic development director is just is just mind-blowing to me.

Uh Councilor Noble.

As it stands right now, how many jobs are you looking at cutting?

Are we looking at cutting?

All together.

Because it started out as nine, but then I feel like there were some we put back and some we haven't.

I don't want to cut any jobs at all.

But I realize that that's not a good question.

Do we have an answer for that?

Sorry, go ahead.

Do we have an answer for the number of uh staff jobs?

Staff it's currently three filled positions.

Three.

If we if this amendment passes, you got so three filled and three filled and then the economic director position is nobody has that position, right?

And it's currently vacant, yes.

I feel like it's just a recap.

Uh yes.

So we started it was uh uh nine positions.

So we were talking about tier three and where we landed with the amendment of the last meeting.

Um three of those were uh freezing.

Um so we had two in the fire department, one in the police department, then we removed the rec department administrative assistant, and we also removed the senior assessor in assessing.

So that leaves us with the the balance of that list, which I believe is four positions.

Seven and all, but three were vacant.

Correct.

And three of this amendment passes.

Okay.

Anything further, Counselor Noble?

No.

Councillor Martell.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I heard what I needed to hear.

I have faith and confidence in our city administrator.

I believe that we if you think you can make it work, I wanted to default back to you.

Then I trust you to do your job.

And my mind's been changed.

That's good enough for me.

Counselor Harriman.

Thank you.

I just want to comment.

I feel like this is kind of poor process to be discussing such large changes to the city's organization with just you know ten minutes of notice.

I feel like that's not much not much time to make these sorts of large-scale decisions.

Counselor Longchamp.

Um I do understand that, but we have gotten a lot of feedback and how critical it is to keep our MIS uh director um employed here.

So things do change.

And I am not suggesting that we don't have an economic development director.

I think reorganizing the third floor, our city administrator will do his job to um make sure that we do have a director up there.

I don't know what that will look like.

That's for him to do, but I'm not suggesting that we don't have one or someone, okay.

So I just wanted to share that.

That that is a very, very important uh part of our city for our tax base, and I am fully aware of that, but I do think a reorganization up there on the third floor, we will uh see a fine job come out of there.

Thank you.

Uh Madam Clerk, can you please uh restate or uh reread the uh the amendment on the floor?

Sure.

It is to add the MIS director back into the budget to eliminate the position of the economic development director and to reorganize the economic development department.

Uh administrator Kenrath, uh it looks like you want to say something.

Yeah, I I just off the top of my head right now.

I'm just giving a preview of what would likely have to happen is obviously the department does still need oversight.

There would have to be someone who is a director, you know, if you will.

Uh what would probably likely have to happen is the department is combined with another department uh in the city, and that uh existing director would then have oversight over both of these areas.

Um so the other piece to note is this uh the economic development positions, they are TIFF funded positions.

The current director is 100 percent uh the position is is 100 percent TIF funded.

So really to achieve savings, you'd have to take someone else and move them in and be a hundred percent TIFF covered um under the economic development department.

And obviously there are rules governing what positions and what percentages we can apply toward uh those salaries with TIFF funds.

Councilor Najing.

So just to thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh just to go back a little bit.

Anyone who stood within 10 feet of me in the past three years have heard me talk about needing to re-org a bunch of different departments.

Um I think the marketing department in particular um should be sitting with economic development.

That's my that's my personal opinion.

Um I think communications is one thing, marketing is another thing.

I also think that we need to, and I know it's awkward to have these discussions during the budget.

Well, if we can keep the conversation to the current amendment that's on the floor.

Thank you.

Uh any further comments before we go to public comment for this uh amendment.

Counselor Chitam, yes.

Mr.

Mayor, are we going to public comment for every amendment?

Or are we going to public comment for the main motion?

We did uh we did have a uh a public uh we had a budget hearing uh you know a couple items ago.

Um what past practice has been uh has any time that something is uh a substantial change, which is this represents a substantial change to get feedback uh from the public.

So uh yes, for amendments that represent substantial change.

Counselor Harriman.

Yeah, I was just gonna say that uh having just found out about this proposal ten or fifteen minutes ago.

I feel like if anyone in the audience is in the same position and has things to add that they should be allowed to.

Uh we are now heading to public comment uh for this amendment.

Madam Clerk for the public's benefit.

Can you please reread the amendment so our public uh speakers can keep themselves on topic?

Sure.

The uh amendment is to add the position of MIS director back into the budget to eliminate the position of economic development director and to reorganize the economic development department.

Uh again, Matt Rory Word 6.

Uh Council President Council Roy, you are wrong.

Apparently, your theory here is that City Council should be by Congress and delegate all its power to our well, the executive branch for lack of a better term.

And uh Mr.

Mayor, you're also wrong that not just not having a director of economic development does not mean there is a not an economic development function within the city.

I would point out 16 years ago, the last time we did a reorganization, as the uh city clerk will probably remember.

What we call public works was two separate departments.

There was a public services department, and then there is what became public works per merging, and that's how David Jones became our director of public works until he retired ten so years ago.

So this is not without president, precedents.

Every organization from time to time does a re-org.

You know, if when there's a new chief executive, you know, it's not uncommon in Westminster style parameters or democracies for departments of the the federal branch in those countries, or the central government, to change titles, and of course it's much easier in those countries than you know, our federal government or here apparently, but yes.

This is not a huge ask.

The precision has been vacant for nearly four months now.

The former director, former state representative, former member of this city council, has left deployment four months nearly four months ago.

It's been posted twice now.

It was originally posted then, then a month ago, and now as of earlier this week is not posted, hence why the Ministry said they're interviewing.

So the time to action is now.

It's been 16 years since.

Yes.

So planning and code, you know, from my point of view, economic development, community development, planning and code makes sense to be together.

I would suggest that.

Good evening, Christine Holden, Ward 1.

Um, I'm a little confused.

I thought I had taken notes when uh Councillor Langshaw made her initial thing uh request on the amendment, and that was to reorganize the third floor.

But twice it has been read as reorganizing economic development, and for reasons I don't need to go into, I'm familiar that there are other departments on the third floor.

So I'm just asking for a little clarification.

And I would like to just say for some of you may remember this, and I apologize, Mr.

Mayor.

This is somewhat peripheral to the comment.

But earlier this today, I was meeting with somebody that somebody some of you may know, former city administrator, Nate Bowditch, and he said, good luck with the council meeting.

Those were always fun.

I hope you're feeling that way, administrator.

Matthew Agrin, Ward 4.

Keeping the guy who runs our cybersecurity system.

What a great plan.

Getting rid of him was a stupid idea.

Cutting an open position.

Yeah, that's gonna save us some money.

But it's all funded by TIFFs.

But then economic development, let's look at what we've gotten from them in the last years.

We don't really see economic development.

They've come in here with housing units.

They're in TIFS.

I don't see them bringing economic development, they're bringing in more residents, but not businesses.

We need them focused on actual economic development, bringing in small employers, you know, 10, 20 jobs.

That way, if we lose an employer, we don't lose 200 jobs all in one blow.

Because you know, that crashes us.

Most of the time they've come before us with housing units, not economic development plans.

Other economic development plans have been, for lack of a better word, questionable.

The AI Center.

The call is funding system.

Well call to say is a good was a great option and a great idea.

The funding looked questionable.

Democracy brewing.

Once more, questionable funding.

Our economic development has it had a great track record.

Maybe a read organization is what they need.

Further public comment.

Yeah, if there's an open position.

And just for city morale to cut someone who's been here for years.

Seems like a smart move to cut the open position.

So I support it.

And I agree that economic development could yeah.

Starting business here was hard.

Further public comment back to the council.

Counselor Longchamps, yes.

Thank you, Mayor.

I would just like to clarify.

Um I think a reorganized uh reorganization on the third floor is what I'd be asking for.

That way, if you can potentially combine uh departments, um so that that that'd be what that's what I'm asking.

Sorry.

Uh I guess Madam Madam Clerk, can you reread the uh the amendment and then uh counselor longchamps?

Can you see how you would like to change it?

And then if the person who seconded is on board, then we can go from there.

Uh so the I understood the motion to be to add the position of MIS director back into the budget to eliminate the economic development director position and to reorganize the economic development department.

But counselor longchamps would like to change that to third floor, yes, please.

And counselor Nagyen was the one who seconded it.

And I would I I would uh uh second that as well.

Okay, thank you.

Can you reread uh the amendment, please?

Sure.

So we as amended.

Sure, to add the um position of echo of um sorry of MIS director back into the budget to eliminate the economic development director position and to reorganize the third floor.

The department I would we'll say departments on the third floor.

Thank you.

Is that uh what uh we were intending uh counselor Nagyene?

Uh do we do we have interest in moving marketing to the third floor?

Counselor uh long champs, what what do you want to do with this amendment?

I mean, ultimately I I do think that I mean we could discuss it separately, I guess.

Do you I do think it's a great idea?

Um, but I think that uh maybe that could be a conversation that we have at another time.

Okay, so we uh the original, well, the one that um our city clerk just read.

Thank you.

Okay.

Yes, Counselor Herman.

Thank you.

Um could we get clarification on which departments this this precisely would affect?

So the third floor departments are plenty and code, MIS assessing economic development.

Okay.

Thank you.

I mean, and I would argue that you know where these departments are located, um, you know, uh don't matter.

Like, are those the departments you are envisioning?

Yes.

Oh counselor Nagy?

So for me, I think there's a lot of crossover.

One of the things that we kept uh hearing uh concerning uh uh MIS functions is that we're using a bunch of legacy systems, and so therefore there are um um a need for in both assessing and in uh in in um planning and code to refer to these systems and uh like ultimately we're paying money for um software that we're holding that is old and and not great anymore.

So if we're gonna if we're gonna update the systems, like I think there should be some some level of work through for all of that.

Uh counselor Longchamps, were those the departments that you were envisioning?

Or yes, those are the ones that are on the third floor, Mayor.

Uh okay.

Uh Counselor Chinam, yes.

Mr.

Mayor, I move the question.

Do we have a second to move the question?

Second.

Madam Clerk, please call that vote.

Counselor from Word 3?

Yes.

Word four?

Yes.

Word five?

Yes.

Ward six?

Yes.

Word seven?

Yes.

Word one?

Yes.

Word two.

Yes.

Motion pass by vote of seven to zero.

Please call the vote.

The motion before you is to um add the MIS director position back into the budget to eliminate the economic development director position and to reorganize the departments on the third floor.

Counselor from Word 3?

No.

Word four.

Yes.

Ward five?

Yes.

Word six?

No.

Word seven?

Yes.

Word one?

Yes.

Word two.

Yes.

Motion passed by vote of five to two.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Counselor Harriman.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Back on the main motion here.

I just wanted to add that we heard from many of the employee unions here and also from many individual employees about the human resources position that was on this list and how important that is to them.

We also I I don't support the inclusion of these firefighter positions based on the fact that it sounds like they will cost taxpayers more if we if we freeze them than if we fill them.

And I also don't think that we should be adding new programs during this budget if we're cutting jobs at the same time.

So like I said, I don't support most of the cuts that are on this list.

And I did contact administration to ask if we could have a different list presented to us, other than this one that they presented.

And I will have a hard time supporting this budget when we ultimately vote on it.

Just wanted to add that.

Mr.

Mayor Further uh one second.

Uh further comments about the budget.

Uh administrator Kenrath, yes.

Yeah, no, just to clarify, our request from the last meeting was to find 146,000 additional uh and savings to go along with Councilor Negine's amendment.

Um that was the only request we received.

Uh if there are other requests, we're happy to to work up different uh potential scenarios.

Um but we are in the in the in the posture of counselors offering amendments uh and putting forward uh their amendments.

So again, happy to provide any other potential for the errors of savings, but as we talked about, we we are getting leaner and leaner in what could potentially be produced.

Thank you.

Uh do we have comments or potential amendments to the budget?

Counselor Najine.

It's a small one, but I know that there are supplies fees for um uh the council for snacks.

Uh can we pull that off of there?

Do we have a second for that?

Second.

We have a second.

Madam Clerk.

Uh can uh we won't entertain a lot of comment on this.

Can you just call the vote?

Um order.

Uh yes.

Um counselor Harriman.

I thought that we were going to have comments on each amendment when counselor chitum asked.

So um my plan is to have uh comments.

I mean sorry, it my plan is to have uh public comment for substantial items.

Snacks that only involve us and not the public.

Um I I just don't see going to public comment for this.

Yes, Councilor Herman.

Yes, understood.

Um is there a line at which things are considered substantial and not substantial?

Uh that dollar amount be.

Uh yeah, I I mean this in in this case I'm not um thinking about the dollar amount.

I'm just thinking about who it affects, and it's simply us.

So I think we could just vote on it without uh additional um uh delay.

Unless somebody wants to uh talk about snacks at length rather than just vote on it.

Counselor Harriman.

My point is not to talk about snacks, it's to talk about process and to have certain amendments be considered substantial and others be considered insubstantial without any sort of definition or guidelines around that.

I'm concerned about us moving forward in this process to the next amendment, whether that will be considered substantial or insubstantial.

Uh we we will evaluate uh the next amendment at that time when there is a next amendment if there is another amendment.

Counselors, I plan to uh vote on snacks.

Madam Clerk, uh please reread the amendment and call the vote.

Uh it was moved by counselor Nagine, seconded by Counselor Longchamps to remove uh in the supplies line uh the amounts for counselor snacks.

Is that counselor from word three?

Yes.

Word four?

Yes.

Ward five?

Yes.

Ward six?

substantial uh we we will evaluate uh the next amendment at that time when there is a next amendment if there is another amendment counselors i plan to uh vote on snacks madam clerk uh please reread the amendment and call the vote uh it was moved by councillor and seconded by counselor long champs to remove uh in the supplies line uh the amounts for counselor snacks it counselor from word three yes word four yes word five yes word six i don't care um i don't care is not a vote no i need my snacks word seven i can afford my own sum gyms yes word one yes word two yes motion pass it of six to one uh just just a point of clarification we are provided water does does this um well we now need to bring our water or what can we receive staff guidance on this the uh water does come from the snack line that was five hundred and seventy six dollars that you've just removed from the budget okay we'll we'll bring our own water not a problem uh uh the if we can please have it in the council quiet in the council chambers I would appreciate it thank you um can we audience please thank you uh further comments or amendments from counselors at this time are we ready to vote on a budget ladies and gentlemen yes it appears so uh madam clerk please call the vote and so just for clarification you are voting on item number 17 which is to adopt the resolve approving the final budget adjustments to the fiscal year twenty seven municipal budget councillor from ward three no word four yes word five yes word six no word seven yes word one yes word two yes motion pass by vote of five to two thank you very much madam clerk thank you counselors thank you staff thank you members of the public uh we are now moving to item number eighteen item number eighteen resolve making an appropriation for municipal budget year twenty twenty seven requested action to approve the resolve making an appropriation for municipal budget year twenty twenty seven may have a motion please moved councilor martel second by counselor naji yes okay uh discussion public comment back to the council madam clerk please call the vote uh director roy how can we help you I have to make the adjustments and then change the appropriation resolve because you're gonna be voting on something that you the adjustments have to be amended you have to vote on the amendment of the adjustments and then you have to vote on the appropriation result.

Okay so I have to to calculate all of these we will um proceed with other agenda items while you do that thank you so much um madam clerk see what Tracy's comfortable with the auditor I guess are are we setting item number eighteen aside for the moment we we are do we need a motion to set it aside um I guess I would need some clarification I I don't know if future budget of future agenda items are contingent upon number eighteen for example I don't know if 19 is contingent upon eighteen so that would be a question for the finance director well I mean at this point I would say we just jump straight to appointments for public safety committee that should be a safe agenda item at this point okay um item item 20 the water rate no 23 well I'm what I'm suggesting is we do item 23 while we wait for director Roy to make adjustments could we get or we do the adjustment sheets one second counselors yes administration I I would suggest either we take up a an agenda item not related to the budget or we have a brief recess.

I think those are the two recommendations either one move to recess.

Yeah, I'll see it up.

And we're back.

If the audience can please take your seats and take your conversations to the hall.

Thank you.

Uh Madam Clerk, what number are we on?

We are on item eighteen, Mr.

Mayor.

Item number eighteen, please.

Item eighteen resolve making an appropriation for municipal budget year twenty twenty-seven.

Requested action to approve the resolve making an appropriation for municipal budget year twenty twenty seven.

So moved.

Anything director Roy.

No.

Word four.

Yes.

Yes.

Word six.

Yes.

Oh, I'm sorry, I apologize.

Um, word seven.

Yes.

Word one.

Yes.

Word two.

Yes.

And Mr.

Mayor.

No.

Motion passed by vote of five to two.

Item number eighteen.

Uh, that was eighteen, Mr.

Mayor's.

I'm number nineteen.

Item number nineteen resolve making an appropriation for the special revenue funds for municipal budget year twenty twenty-seven.

Requested action to approve the resolve making an appropriation for special revenue funds for municipal budget year twenty twenty-seven.

Move a motion, please.

Moved.

Discussion.

Anything, uh, Director Roy.

I just want to remind you that I had sent you an updated version, and you also received a copy tonight in your spot.

So the change was for the asset forfeiture account.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Public comment.

Back to the council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Council from Word 3?

Yes.

Word 4.

Yes.

Ward 5?

Yes.

Word six?

Yes.

Word 7.

We did it again.

I'm sorry.

I apologize.

I'm not.

I apologize.

So counselor from Word 7?

Yes.

Thank you.

Word one?

Yes.

Ward two.

Yes.

And Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Motion pass by vote of seven is in.

And for the uh record, um Counselor Shitham has an excuse excused absence for the rest of the evening.

Item number 20.

Item number 20.

Public hearing on an public hearing on a proposed increase in water rates and approval of amendments to policy manual number 69 regarding the water rates and charges.

There are two items for requested action.

The first item to conduct a public hearing to receive citizen comment and input on the proposed water rate changes.

No motion or vote is required.

The mayor can simply open the hearing.

Any comments.

$500 to get over $500 to get 100 gallons of fuel oil.

Try to pull up your car, fill up your car with anything.

It's ridiculous.

It's like this public works water thing is absolutely tone deaf to the people in the city of Lewiston.

They want another $800 and some odd thousand dollars.

I got less than $50 a month before taxes.

You almost killed me with the revaluation when I got a hold of it.

And then you threw this on top of it.

No.

My answer is a hard no.

The highest that I could see is two percent.

I don't imagine it'll do any good that I have that opinion.

But I also am concerned that I seem to be playing in two places.

I'm paying for residential, got that one.

But I'm also paying for public fire protection.

And that's going up 22.7%.

So I'm gonna have to pay that bill because apparently the city pays the water district.

And that one's going up, and I assume that's in my gonna be in my taxes too.

I'm not sure that's how it works, but I can't figure out anything else.

I find this to be absolutely tone-deaf and ridiculous at this time when everything is so high for the water district to be asking for an increase, especially this high at this time.

So there's my 38 cents worth.

Thank you.

And Mr.

Mayor, um, if you don't mind, per the um finance department uh state law, we need to read a statement uh for rate payers just to inform them of their rights regarding that.

If I could do that, do you want to do that now or wait till public comment is over?

I believe it's supposed to be done at the start of the hearing.

Oh, really?

Okay, please thank you.

Uh back things up, thank you.

Main state uh statutes title 30A, section 6104, subsection four.

Notice that rate change may be investigated by commission at the commencement of each hearing held pursuant to this section.

The consumer-owned water utility shall inform those present that the rate change may be investigated by the commission in accordance with this section, and that petitions filed pursuant to subsection seven of Maine revised statutes annotated title 35A subsection 6104 must bear the signatures and the printed names and addresses of the signers upon request.

The utility shall provide customers with petition forms that include space for signatures and the printed names and addresses of the signers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please continue with public comment.

Years ago in Massachusetts, they put in a law that only 2.5% increase in any federal state taxes.

I'm thinking that should be our goal.

2.5.

Because at that point, you've already taken my raise for the year.

I'm sorry, your your name and where you live, please.

Celia.

Wood four.

But at 2.5, you've already taken my entire raise.

I only get 2%.

That's two cents.

And this is gonna take all of it.

And then someone further public comment.

Back to the council.

Yes, Counselor Nagine.

Um is it all right to ask uh Director Gagnier a question?

Uh uh Yeah, Director Gagnier, are you available for questions?

Come on down.

I think this will be a quest quick one, but is that mic still on?

Yeah.

So it's correct that the water district granted a deficit of 1.5 million dollars last year, and it and currently we're looking at a deficit of uh $765,000 this year, is that correct?

Are you referring to my memo or to the uh exhibit one?

Exhibit one in the agenda.

Uh then yes.

If it were you referring to the official exhibit, then yes.

And when was the last time we raised um the water rates?

It was in uh 2021.

How often can we raise water rates because they need to be approved by the PUC?

What's the process?

How long does it take?

So you can raise rates to be proactive.

Uh Portland Water District did that, or you can raise rates to be reactive.

And we have been reactive.

So uh you need to show a deficit like we're showing here to be able to raise rates.

In the past, our last rate increase was 23 percent in July of 2021.

The messaging we heard then was that's too much, that's too high, and you're taking too long.

So we do have operational costs, uh, fuel, price of materials, everything that all the all the rate payers and all the residents out there are also feeling.

Uh we try to minimize that.

We try to be efficient.

Um, in order to maintain the system, we are being as tight as we can, but our numbers are going up.

So, you know, looking at the most recent water main breaks, uh, we were hoping to get done a lot of our online cast iron pipe.

We still have a two or three years worth of that inventory left.

But we still have uh lined cast iron pipe.

And that's 50 percent.

So our our aged infrastructure is what we're what we're budgeting in here to be able to react and not come back to you to ask for more money.

So and if we were looking at a proactive approach, um what what would that if we came back every year, then we could break this down to be a smaller percentage every year.

Okay.

Uh I'm not necessarily saying we need to to do that right this second, because unfortunately we've been running out of deficit now for a couple of years.

Um, but I do have a quick question.

This proposed uh water increase is dependent on PUC approving it, correct?

Correct.

Okay, thank you.

Further questions or comments?

Uh Council Roy, thank you.

Um I just feel like with everything like the reevaluation, everything like that.

Yeah, we've known for things for a little while, but I think the city we need to be more transparent about this.

Like this is a 10 percent increase on top of everything else that we've got to pay.

This is kind of hard to swallow.

You know, um I'm just saying uh we're nickel and diming everybody in before long.

It's just uh I think maybe a little increase along the way might be the best case.

Uh because again, when you get hit with 10 percent, like we just heard.

If anybody gets a raise, it's usually like two percent.

I mean, our raises are gone before we even get them.

So I'm just having a hard time with all this stuff right now.

Counselor Longchamps.

Um thank you, Mayor.

Um, Mr.

Gagnier, is this something that we could um potentially do a little bit each year?

We we could.

Uh we've had directors in the past that and have wanted to hold on, you know, let the public hold on to the money as long as possible, and that rate increase gets to 20, 30 percent, and then it's it's a lot of upset people.

There is a level of effort by doing it every year.

Uh, we do have to file, it's a couple thousand dollars to file and give notice and and go through that process.

Um, but you know, a two or three percent or whatever it would be each year is something that we could do.

I I would ask that uh we consider that.

I know it's kind of uh short notice, but um I would prefer uh for our residents with everything else that's going on, um a 10 percent increase uh is large for a lot of a lot of uh homes.

So if it's possible, I would like to see if we could um increase it each year.

Um yeah, thank you.

Counselor Najing.

Um Director Gagne, I don't know if you know off the top of your head, but how many people actually use um the first 1200 cubic feet of water?

That's a great question.

I was going to try to get into that.

Uh we have about 9500 customers.

Uh if you look at exhibit seven of your information packet, uh you'll see uh we break down uh minimum uh number of bills and meter size.

So in the middle of the page, minimum billing five eighths is uh inch is a residential meter.

Um at the minimum is 17,000 bills, so divide that by four, that's gonna represent about how many customers are at the minimum.

Um that's the thing is that most people they're thinking they're gonna use less water and conserve our business office, and if you look at your bill, if you're getting the minimum, uh the you can stop using more water, it's your bill's not gonna go down.

Um that uh residential unit at twelve hundred cubic feet, the minimum uh it's two dollars per month increase.

So if you start breaking that down per day, uh we are some of the cheapest rates in the state.

We try to be uh frugal because not only is it impacting uh residential homeowners that are that are single or living on fixed income, uh, but we are also looking at big businesses.

You know, we have many different uh breweries uh and and manufacturing um that use water in their system.

So we try to make sure that we're attracting business as well and trying to keep it low.

And just quickly, could could you the the uh diamond court and the lower Lisbon Street uh water main breaks?

How much did those cost us?

I don't have those numbers right now, but uh Deputy Director Kidd, if you have Michael Thanks.

Um so the Orange Street break, um we don't have a final cost on that actually yet.

Um but I don't know if you recall, I think it was last year we had or might have been the year before, we had a large break on Pond Road, and that required a lot of paving, um, a lot of work, and that was in the range of uh sixty thousand dollar repair.

Um so that's just for reference.

I'm not saying that that's going to be what this orange street break has cost.

Um but once we get all of our all of our costs and materials and labor factored into that repair, um, I can give you that number.

And the other one you asked about was uh the outer Lisbon Street.

Lisbon Street, yep.

So we just finished paving on that, so I could get you that as well.

Okay.

Um have we had a water main break uh recently that was not on land pipe?

Um have we had any of the pipes break that have been replaced in the past like 10-15 years?

Oh, that was not lined, so not the old unlined cast iron that was the most recent on Lisbon.

New or ductile, um, not recently.

Okay.

Thank you.

Further questions?

Madam Clerk, please call the vote counselor from Ward 3 Yes.

Word four?

No.

Ward five?

Yes.

Ward seven?

Yes.

Ward one?

Yes.

Ward two.

No.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Motion passed by vote of five to two.

Uh item number twenty-one.

Number twenty-one.

Approve the stormwater service fee increase in accordance with the code of ordinances, chapters 74, section 74-304 and 308, and city policy number 78, effective July 1st, 2026.

Requested action to approve the proposed amendments to policy manual number 78, stormwater rates as recommended by the public works director, finance director, and the city administrator.

May have a motion, please.

So moved.

Councillor Harriman.

Second.

Thank you by Councillor Martel.

Discussion.

Anything you do want to add since you're sitting right here.

Oh thank you.

So the stormwater utility is something that uh all users pay.

So there's some discussion of tax exempt property and through the budget discussion this season.

So uh just for information out there that yes, uh, all properties that generate runoff.

We do not measure the amount of rain that lands on properties, but we measure the amount of impervious area.

That area drains into a city asset, whether it's a uh the ditch, a storm drain, a catch basin, and ultimately to uh a small stream that we need to to maintain water quality.

That's what these stormwater fees are for.

So we have all entities in the city who are contributing to these fees and fairly thank you.

Public comment for this agenda item back to the council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Council from Ward 3.

Yes.

Ward 4.

No.

Ward 5?

Yes.

Ward 7?

Yes.

Ward 1.

Yes.

Ward 2?

No.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Motion passed by 5 to 2.

Item number 22.

Item number 2 resolve making an appropriation for the water, sewer, and stormwater budgets for fiscal year 2027.

Requested action to approve the resolve, making an appropriation for the water sewer and stormwater budgets for fiscal year 2027.

May have a motion, please.

So moved.

Uh Council Harriman.

Second.

Signed by Councilor Nagine.

Discussion.

Public comment.

Back to the Council.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Council from Ward 3?

Yes.

Ward 4.

No.

Ward 5?

Yes.

Ward 7.

Yes.

Ward 1?

Yes.

Ward 2?

Yes.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Motion passed by vote of 6 to 1.

We're now up to item number 23.

Item number 23.

Thank you both.

Appointments to the public safety committee.

Requested action to receive the mayor's list of nominations for members to the public safety committee and to appoint the following residents as outlined on the attached listing.

Yeah, I guess I'll be happy to take questions.

They're outlined on the sheet here.

And then yeah, a motion to approve my slate of nominees for the new public safety committee.

Yes, Councilor.

So this is for our new safety committee?

Correct.

The council created one.

And um there were different slots.

I'm just wondering if there's any way that we could be involved with the applicants, the applications that come in.

We would like to be a part of that process for a committee so important as this.

Um safety committee, I think is uh very very important as all the committees, but it is something that we have uh some great challenges in right now.

And I would like to know if we could be a part of that process.

I would like to see if we could potentially maybe table this and um be a part of the application uh process.

I I I would like to see if we could do that.

Uh thank you.

Uh sorry, are you finished?

Yes, thank you.

Okay.

Um yeah, I mean, I would argue that the council is a part of the process.

Um this is the process outlined by the new ordinance ordinance.

Uh I make nomination and the council approves.

The packet is in the uh uh the applications are in the packet, and then uh I think a number of them are here this evening.

Can you just raise your hand?

Uh everyone who's been nominated.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Um so yes, I mean this is the process that was outlined by the ordinance.

Have I missed something, Madam Clerk?

Um I I don't believe so.

You're correct.

The ordinance language says that the mayor shall nominate, and then the council has the authority to appoint.

Thank you.

Um counselor Martell, and then counselor Harriman.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I'm gonna echo what Councillor Longchamp said.

So I understand that this is the protocol in the um ordinance, but you know, it gives you the right to make these appointments, but the council has the power to uh appoint or vote on these, and the fact that um you know this list was just submitted with no input from council when we're gonna be the ones to choose.

Like I'll be I'll definitely be voting no on any of these.

I didn't get a chance to uh have any input in it, so uh based on that alone it it'll be no, and I think it could be more of a collaborative process.

I understand um you know you appoint, we vote.

Uh there might be some communication there that would be warranted so that we could get this through more smoothly is I mean you can technically appoint anyone you want or um not appoint but nominate anyone you want and and we can choose whether or not we want to uh vote to appoint those.

So some collaboration might have just been in the best interest of time conservation and uh working together as a council.

Uh counselor Herman, did you still have something?

Yes, I just wanted to add that we just passed the ordinance creating this committee um of I believe it was about six weeks ago or so, and if counselors had concerns about the appointment process, then we could have written this ordinance any way we wanted, and it could have been written um with a different appointment authority.

Counselor um uh Nayan, sorry.

Um so I would just say that I think the concern that um counselors Longchamps and Martell are are echoing is that you've appointed um uh people for us to have the final approval uh authority to approve, but we we're not aware of the number of applicants or who they were.

And so if we turn one of these uh applicants down, for instance, um if we're not voting on a slate for turning in one of these applicants down, we don't know who we even put their name in for it.

So it it's kind of a blind blind slate for us um because we have the appoint authority to appoint.

You have uh sorry, the authority to approve, you have the authority to appoint.

So that I'm just echoing I think what the concern is to be clear.

Uh uh thank you.

I'll respond to that in a second.

But counselor long champs, did you have something else?

I don't know if it's possible, and and I apologize that um I didn't think that through when we did come up with that ordinance.

I'll take responsibility for that, but how could we change that?

Is that possible?

Sure.

You would amend the ordinance like the the regular process, which would be uh first reading, second reading, and then it's effective 30 days after that.

Correct.

Okay.

Uh Councillor Martell, did you wish to be recognized?

No.

Okay.

Uh uh back to you, Councilor Negine.

I would also say that um the public safety committee is very, very important.

Um and we've I don't think it's it's necessarily something that we should be delaying, to be honest.

I I think at this point, we've also had these applicants in front of us that have been sitting here for two and a half hours, and I feel kind of bad if we if we were to ask uh for a tabling for for some other process, just to be honest.

Uh yeah, I mean I would like to offer to the council that I have operated within the structure of the ordinance.

Um so yes, I uh I make nominations and the council votes to approve.

And uh if there's uh questions about a about an applicant, uh the applications have been in the packet since Thursday.

Uh if you have questions about the applicant, many of them are here, if not all of them.

Uh maybe one's missing.

And uh it is getting late.

Uh and so I I would say now's the time to uh uh to talk it through.

Um and yeah, I I would like to vote on these this evening.

Uh Counselor Roy, did you have something?

Um I was just gonna say I'd like to just see everybody that was was like uh would have applied or whatever.

I would have liked to have seen everybody.

That that would be my thing.

Uh I think that's come up uh before.

I I mean I think that's problematic.

Are we really gonna list a bunch of applicants that didn't get selected?

That doesn't make any sense for the one second counselors, thank you.

You have not been recognized.

Um so I don't think that makes uh sense for a lot of reasons.

And uh yeah, I mean the the mayor points it says so in the in the ordinance, and then you get to if you don't like who I've appointed.

You are more than welcome uh to vote them down.

I would argue that um uh you you know, for the for transparency, you should have specific reasons why you vote them down.

Um but yeah, that's that's where we're at.

Counselor Nagine and then Counselor Longchamps.

I I was just gonna say that we wrote the particular ordinance in a way that we as the council would have the authority to appoint.

And so I I did I sorry, the authority to to approve, right?

And so the way that you're framing it is just a little off from the way I would say it.

Uh you you would appoint but we would approve.

And so ultimately ultimately what I'm saying is it's difficult to say we don't want this person, for instance, or that person without having another appointment uh position there.

That that's all uh uh uh counselor long champs, then I'll speak to that.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um what was our start date for this committee?

Do we have one?

Uh I whenever it's appointed and ready.

My recollection off the top of my head is that the ordinance became effective April 2nd, but we should double check that that date.

But I believe it became effective April 2nd.

We started advertising uh around there, I believe.

Um and then I believe once the committee was appointed, they would start meeting.

I don't think that the ordinance has a formal start date, it's whenever the committee is appointed and established uh ready to go, then they can start to meet.

And if I'm understanding correctly, and I'm sorry to ask this question again, but if we were to try to change some wording in that ordinance back to um the council having um some say in or being able to at least look at the applicants, um that would take how long uh if it was on the next agenda, which is May Um sorry, June 2nd, and then that would be first passage and then uh June 16th, final passage, and then it would be 30 days after that, so mid-July.

Mr.

O'Malley, did you have something?

You would ask when it was in effect.

It was April 2nd.

Um and reading it, I have it in front of me.

It's as we have done the mayor um nominates and you folks um approve it.

Um thank you for that.

Uh or sorry, are you finished, Counselor Long Champs?

No.

Thank you.

Um I would like to put forth that we, and and I apologize for the people that are sitting here, but again, I think this uh committee is um is one that you have to be very careful on who you put uh there.

Um so I would like to be able to, along with the other counselors, I hope, uh, to look at the all of the applicants and make decisions together.

I would like to put forth that we go through that process to change that wording if uh council would agree to that.

Or I don't know how that goes, but uh we don't currently have a motion at the table.

Uh but well, yes, what one second, counselor long champs.

Counselor Martell, did you have thoughts?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um if you'll allow a little bit of crosstalk between counselors, I would just my personal recommendation would be to vote this down and force new um uh what's the word I'm looking for?

Uh what did you do?

Yeah, not appoint nominees, thank you.

I nominated force new nominees, and we can get that input if we want a little bit quicker than going through the several month-long process of having to do that.

We I feel like we might be able to get to the same end that you're looking for in a more expeditious way if we vote this down and then just encourage more discussion with the next nominations.

Uh Counselor Nagine, yes.

I'd also like to point out that the reason uh why that uh the um committee appointments were was written the way sorry, yeah.

I'm very tired.

Um the the reason those committee appointments were written the way they were is based on charter limitations.

So it is true that the mayor gets to appoint and we have well we don't have to approve, but we we like no matter what happens if we vote this down tonight, um they could have the exact same people in it the next time it comes forward or the next time or the next time.

And and honestly, public safety uh is something that we're all concerned about and we want to work on.

So I I just wanted to put that forward as well.

Uh counselors, thank you for all this discussion.

I mean, uh I would uh I you know without repeating myself, I have operated within the uh within the bounds of the the ordinance.

Um these are all upstanding uh residents in our city.

Uh a couple of them served on the previous uh mayoral public safety committee.

Uh yeah, I mean I I would like to either uh vote them in or or not, depending on how the council votes.

But that's what I think we should do this evening.

Um we do not currently uh can I have a motion uh to approve the nominees?

So moved.

Counselor uh Martell, sorry.

Second, send by Councilor Nagine.

Uh we've already had a bit of discussion, but we will now go to public comment for this.

Thank you.

Uh Matt Roy Ward 6.

As multiple councillors are pointing out already tonight, they have asked for all nominations for committees to be included in the packet.

Now remember, this council also has curtailed right ordinance, the mayor's appointment powers because of the uh his lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to making appointments.

You know, the not when there is appointments, it's the list is given to the city clerk at the meeting, not published in the agenda.

Uh at this point, there are four, not including this committee, there are 14 open positions, and very few applications, and actually all 14 of those positions are within the council's purview to appoint people at this point, including the Board of Assessment Review.

There have been two vacancies since December.

Two more will come vacant this December.

So by January, that weaves a five-person board down to one with a new assessment.

Or yes.

Can we please keep our comments uh pertaining to this agenda item?

Well, it is well, it again, you you're the council has asked certain things we've done, and you're not doing them.

Again, this has been an ongoing thing for five years.

You you speak words, but you do not know their meeting, and you do not use them.

Thank you.

Further public comment.

Hi, I'm Nicola May from Ward 5.

Um, and I I really respect your um consideration on these nominees.

Um, but as uh counselor Martell brought up in the last meeting, the budget meeting, like public safety is a huge thing right now.

Uh me personally, I'm boots on the ground working with kids that are either victims or um that are causing harm in the community, right?

And there's not enough me's and my colleagues to go around, and there's just such a need for these community organizations to get together and um do something about it.

And I just I understand it's a very you need to be very specific on who you choose.

Um, but I think um I would trust that the uh count you know the city council would make a great decision.

Um but my my whole point is um it's it's an urgent matter, like there's a lot of violence going on and a lot of other issues that um need to be addressed.

Thank you.

Hi, Sherry Withers.

I live in ward one and I own a business downtown for the past 13 years where I do after school programming for marginalized youth.

Um I think this is a very important topic, and I do appreciate you all taking your time to really look into who is nominated and approved.

But this is something that needs to take priority and needs to be done soon.

Last week, the 13-year-old, I was blocks away from the shooting.

I had the 13-year-old was arrested hiding in my yard while my 14-year-old was outside playing.

So it doesn't quite make me feel safe, even in the house that I currently bought just in the past nine months.

So this is a very important.

I appreciate you guys taking time to think about it, but we need action.

Parents are scared.

I pulled my child out of Lewiston school to go to a charter school in Augusta because they did not feel safe here.

Things need to change, things need to happen, and it needs to happen sooner than later.

If we're talking about now, August, if things aren't approved tonight, all the kids are gonna be out of school and on the streets.

So I just want you to think about that and think about um you know just the future of all of our kids.

Hi, I'm Kathy McDonald in Ward 1, and I am one of the nominees.

Um I asked to be part of this committee.

I was on the mayoral uh committee as well, but I asked to be on this because I've lived in Lewiston my entire life.

Um, and I believe in Lewiston, fully believe in Lewiston, and I think we have so much to offer here.

And I think that I, as being involved in the community, as you all know, I'm very involved in the community, that I have a lot to offer, and I'm very concerned, and I think that as a committee we can improve the city tremendously.

And that was my reason for wanting to be nominated.

My other suggestion was you know, if you're concerned about who's nominated, bring us up each up individually and ask us all your questions that you want to ask us and vote on us individually.

And vote on us individually.

You know, if you say no to me, that's okay.

You can get somebody else.

You know, I'm okay with that.

But maybe that's what you need to do if you if you're concerned about individuals that are on the committee.

So but thank you for your consideration.

Further public comment.

Back to the council.

Uh Councilor Martel.

Thank you.

This is very important.

Public safety is uh to me the single most important thing in this city.

And I have absolutely no confidence in the mayor's track record on public safety, so I will not rubber stamp your nominations.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh further comments before we vote.

Councilor Roy, did you have something?

I just I just want to say, like, it's not about people here, it's just about the process.

It's the process.

It's not about the people that are nominated, it's the process.

Right.

So that's what we're not happy with.

And yes, public safety is critical right now.

It always is, but right now, even more so.

So but it's the process of which this has happened.

Uh thank you, counselors.

Uh, we are actually following process that's outlined in the ordinance.

Um that uh this was uh voted on um on what uh administrate deputy administrator O'Malley, April 2nd.

Yes.

So uh further comments before we vote.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Counselor from Ward 3?

Yes.

Ward four.

Yes.

Ward five.

Yes.

Ward seven.

No.

Ward one?

Yes.

Ward two?

No.

Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Motion passed by vote of five to two.

Thank you.

We are now up to uh item number twenty-four.

Item number twenty four.

Oh, sorry, yes, which is the public public comment.

Yes, which is the public comment period for those who did not speak during the first public comment period.

Surprise, surprise.

Uh yes, Mr.

Mayor Matt Roy Ward 6.

Um the first step to recovery is acknowledgement and self-recognition, thinking everything is rose is always gonna be rosy is not a fulfilling strategy.

Recognition requires being critical or past actions, but right accountability, transparency, competence, and aptitude, these are all foreign concepts when it comes to the office of mayor.

Where we need vision, we have a vacuum.

Where we need direction, we have drift.

All this is further underscored by the tone of your editorial or your column last week, uh, Mr.

Mayor.

Weirders take responsibility, not deflecting from their own shortcomings, which you routinely do for five years as mayor.

Big challenges required a bold vision and bigger solutions than what is on offer here.

The honorable and principal thing is for the mayor to announce he will not be re-seeking uh election for a third term, which per city charter uh petitions for candidacy will be available uh June 22nd if my 175-day math from election day is current.

Thank you.

Further public comment for those that uh did not speak during the first public comment.

Public comment is now closed.

We're now up to reports and updates uh from counselors.

Counselor Herman.

Thank you.

Um it's more of a question, I guess, um, of staff.

When are we going to go over the capital improvement plan?

I believe it'll be on the next um city council meeting June t 2nd.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councilor Martell, yes.

Thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

Um, I should know this coming in.

Um I didn't feel well today, so I should have looked into it.

But uh Ms.

Clerk, what is the formal process for calling for the censure of another counselor?

How would I go about asking for that or starting the process?

Uh that's defined under Robert's rules of order, which the council follows.

Um in the past, a motion has uh um sorry, like a uh resolution has been submitted uh and placed on the agenda for the council to discuss and vote on.

Okay, I appreciate that.

And I should have looked into that ahead of time.

I'll have it ready for the next agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you, Tim.

Uh further reports and updates uh from county.

Sorry, Mr.

If you wouldn't mind, I just wanted to publicly thank um all the volunteers.

The city every year has to undertake a um massive project to place flags at the individual gravesites of all veterans.

That's a state law.

It's been a state law for about 20 years, so all towns in Maine do that.

We just wanted to give a special shout out to the Knights of Columbus, organize the Riverside Cemetery, which is a large undertaking, and the LA Veterans Council undertakes the work at St.

Peter's, and then they asked for community volunteers to come.

It was this past Saturday, so just wanted to thank everyone who came out and supported the city in this project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Back to you, Councilor Herman.

Yes, I just wanted to reiterate what the superintendent said earlier is that if you go to vote early on the um on the primary ballot, the school budget will not be on there.

So please come back out on June 9th, if I'm correct on that date, and um and vote on the school budget.

So there's changes too.

So if I just to or well maybe you're gonna uh answer my question, Madam Clerk.

So I just wanted to clarify what counselor Harriman said.

If folks who have requested an absentee ballot for the state election and received it, they would need to contact us for their school budget election, and we will mail ballot and we will mail them an absentee for the school budget election.

Um except that folks who have ongoing absentee ballot requests.

The state has a new program that registered voters can sign up to receive an absentee ballot for every single election.

We have about 500 people in town who have done that.

They will automatically receive the school budget ballot when it is available because they're required to receive every single ballot.

But we had folks who came into the office on May um 11th, 12th, and 13th and voted in person on the state ballot.

And of course, at that point we didn't know if we were gonna you know need a second one, so those folks will need to uh call our office to receive a school budget ballot if they would like to vote on that.

So we'll be issuing a press release letting folks know to try to get that word out for them.

So thank you.

Uh that answers my question.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh I mean these items kind of like morph into each other, but uh yeah, we're now reports and updates on any new council business from counselors.

Uh Madam May have a motion to adjourn then.

So moved.

Councillor uh Najing, second by Councillor Martel.

Madam Clerk, please call the vote.

Uh councilor from ward three.

Yes.

Ward four.

Yes.

Ward five.

Yes.

Ward seven?

Yes.

Ward one.

Yes.

Ward two?

Yes.

Mr.

Mayor.

Uh yes, thank you.

Thank you, Staff.

Thank you, Counselors.

Thank you, Lewiston.

Have a wonderful evening.