Board: Auburn City Council

Met: Monday night

Ambulance plan

Issue: A plan to offer a city ambulance service should be ready in August, according to City Manager Glenn Aho.

The scoop: This spring, councilors decided to begin offering an emergency transport service as part of the normal fire and rescue response. The city sends EMT-trained fire personal in a rescue vehicle to most emergencies. City EMTs stabilize patients, and then hand them off to United Ambulance for transport. The city doesn’t get any financial gain from the situation, since insurance companies don’t reimburse for emergency response – just transport.

Under the plan, the city would replace one emergency rescue vehicle with a leased ambulance, responding to some medical emergencies. The city could then bill insurance companies for the medical transport, making back some of the money it spends.

Up next: The original plan called for debuting the city service on Aug. 1, but Aho said that may be too ambitious. He suggested the service should be ready before the end of the month, however.

School safety

Issue: Heavy Court Street traffic and difficult road conditions have prompted parents of Auburn Middle School students to pass a petition calling for a traffic light at the Falcon Drive intersection. That would make it safer for students walking to the school, as well as traffic trying to leave the school.

The scoop: The city posted a police officer at the intersection after a Sept. 26 accident there that injured a student, and that officer would stay. Aho said the city will continue studying traffic and road drainage there.

Union Street bypass

Issue: A plan to end left turns on southbound Turner Street at the Union Street intersection will get a public review Wednesday.

The scoop: Developers of a proposed Union Street Walgreens store hope to change the left lane of southbound Turner Street. Traffic there splits, with cars in the left lane continuing south down Turner Street and cars in the right lane traveling along Union Street.

Developers would like to restrict that left lane so that all the traffic will go down Union Street. The company would install a new traffic signal farther south along Union Street for traffic headed downtown.

Up next: The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers.

South station

Issue: City officials are contemplating creating a new central public safety station for Auburn fire and police departments. Residential housing growth in the southern part of the city and access to the Maine Turnpike are putting heavier demands on existing services there.

The scoop: Police and fire officials are recommending the city expand the Fire Engine 2 station on South Main Street giving it room for three fire rescue vehicles and a small police substation.

Up next: Staff wants a study to see how big a new south station would have to be, and they plan on making it a part of the city’s 2009 capital improvement plan.

City property

Issue: The city has collected a small portfolio of real estate over the years, much of it acquired when the owners stopped paying property taxes. Councilors this spring directed staff to look at that property to figure out which pieces can be sold, which can be donated and which should be kept for city use.

The scoop: A committee of nine city staffers have come up with recommendations for a list of 33 parcels, ranging from an 870-square-foot parcel along Washington Street to a 1.71 acre lot off of Lake Shore Drive. In most cases, staff is suggesting the smaller pieces be offered to neighbors and abutters for sale. The city should keep others for future use.

Up next: Now city staff is compiling a similar list of all city owned land. Councilors will review them at the July 17 meeting.

Local legal advice

Issue: Councilors and staff have relied on lawyers from Portland’s Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer and Nelson for legal advice for years, but councilors this spring said they wanted to consider hiring a law firm that was housed closer to home.

The scoop: Staff has created a list of 11 local law firms, and asked them to submit bids.

Up next: Those bids are due back at Auburn Hall by July 17.



Contact government reporter Scott Taylor via phone at 689-2846 or via E-mail at [email protected]