Board: Lewiston City Council

Met: Tuesday night

Local banking

Issue: The city keeps large amounts of its budget in short-term investments, ready to be used when needed. At times, the short-term balances can exceed $5 million in various accounts. Individual account balances are kept low enough so they don’t exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. limits of $100,000 per account.

The scoop: Since national banks were able to give the city better interest rates, the city’s money was kept in them. But the recent national financial issues have changed things, giving local banks an edge. FDIC limits have increased to $250,000 and smaller banks have been able to offer more competitive rates.

City Administrator James Bennett proposed Tuesday talking to local banks to take the city’s short-term investments. In exchange, they’d agree to make better loans available to Lewiston businesses and citizens, preferably for projects that would create jobs.

Up next: Councilors told Bennett to move forward, but were skeptical about its success. Councilor Bob Reed said the short-term investments might not be deposited in banks long enough to be attractive to them.

Election workers

Issue: The city should have just enough volunteers to work as judges in next month’s presidential election. But shortages of election judges are nothing new in Lewiston and the City Clerk’s department is worried it might happen this year.

The scoop: They’ve asked the councilors to allow hiring voters from outside Lewiston to work the polls in case there’s a shortage next month.

Up next: Councilors agreed.

Sidewalk snow

Issue: City rules require property owners to keep the sidewalks in front of their property clear of snow and ice. A proposed amendment to the ordinances would strip out that requirement but stop residents from pushing snow onto a city sidewalk or street once it has been cleared by road crews.

The scoop: Councilors said the ordinance would still be too onerous for property owners. Councilor Denis Theriault said he wanted rules saying the city could not deposit snow from plowed roads or sidewalks onto private property. Councilor Tina Bailey said she wanted some way to guarantee sidewalks would be cleared for elderly residents.

Up next: Councilors will take up the matter again next month.

Dogs and smoking

Issue: Councilors said this summer they were bothered by smokers, dog waste and litter at the city’s parks, and asked staff to erect a sign banning all three from the playground.

Dogs are allowed at most city parks and fields, with limits. They can be in Sunny Side Park, the Montello track area and Simard-Payne Park – formerly Railroad Park – early in the morning and after 6 p.m. Other parks ban them prior to athletic events. Littering is already banned on all fields and smoking is banned on Lewiston School Department properties, but not other places.

The scoop: Staff recommended banning dogs and smoking in city playgrounds and athletic fields. That includes the southwestern corner of Kennedy Park, around the skate park, swimming pool, basketball courts and playground. They also suggested making anti-littering ordinances more explicit and restricting dogs walking through cemeteries to roads and paths.

Up next: Fearing the changes were too sweeping, councilors tabled the matter. They’ll take it up again but could create separate rules for dogs and smokers.

Parking and traffic

Issue: The corner of Elm and Cottage streets are narrow and cars parked along the road make it even narrower.

The scoop: Councilors agreed to ban on-street parking at the Elm-Cottage intersection.

Elsewhere in the city, police have noticed that two intersections have become dangerous because of increased use by high-speed turning traffic. They asked councilors to put up stop signs at the intersection of Maple and Blake streets and at the intersection of Tall Pines Drive and Northwoods Road.

Up next: Councilors agreed.

Heating help

Issue: Apartment dwellers and elderly residents could face tough times this winter, so the City Council considered creating two loan programs to help them. One targets elderly residents, giving them money to upgrade and maintain their heating systems. The second sets aside loans for Lewiston landlords to do the same.

The scoop: Both programs are designed to make city dwellings more energy efficient, according to Jim Andrews, and includes energy audits and loans for actual improvements.

Up next: Councilors agreed to both programs. Loans will be available through Community Concepts Inc.

Health Committee

Issue: The Twin Cities have no single way to distribute information about public health issues, such as planning for pandemic outbreaks or health education.

The scoop: Councilors from both cities created a group to take the lead in those areas. It includes local doctors, hospital representatives and city officials.

Up next: The group’s first meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday in Lewiston City Hall.

Liquor licenses

Issue: Local restaurants and bars must reapply for liquor licenses and amusement permits each year. Liquor licenses let them serve alcohol; amusement permits let them play music, have a DJ or karaoke, or have games on site.

The scoop: Councilors approved a special amusement permit for Friends Lodge, 724 Main St., by a 5-2 vote.

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