Board: Lewiston City Council

Met: Tuesday night

Following up

Issue: City staff can’t always answer the questions that councilors or residents ask during City Council meetings. Frequently, it takes staff a day or two to find the answers. Even then, the answer might be delivered a week or two later at a future council meeting. In some cases, answers are given directly to councilors or residents and not discussed publicly. People following the meetings on Great Falls TV might miss an answer to a question brought up during a council meeting.

The scoop: City staff suggests creating an answer archive on the city’s Web site, www.ci.lewiston.me.us. Staff would create a template that sorts answers according to the date the question was asked, which councilor asked it, how the question was worded and which staff members were responsible for answering it.

Up next: Councilors liked the idea. A printed copy will be kept in the City Clerk’s office and at the Lewiston Public Library.

Festival help

Issue: Spring and summer mean festivals in Lewiston. Usually sponsored by community organizations, the groups typically ask for support from the cities. In the past, that’s included requests for money, having city staff place trash cans or the use of city-owned downtown parking lots and garages.

The scoop: Besides the Great Falls Balloon Festival, two groups asked city councilors for financial support Tuesday night. The African Immigrant Association plans to host its sixth annual Somali Independence Day celebration June 27 at the Multi-Purpose Center. That group is asking for $1,500 worth of in-kind donations for police coverage and use of the center.

The Franco-American Heritage Center asked for $1,000 for general support of their Festival FrancoFun on June 19-21.

Up next: Both groups got their money, but councilors said they would adopt a policy next year formalizing how money is set aside for festivals. They expect to hold a workshop on the issue this summer.

Boat signs

Issue: Communities all along the Androscoggin River are working together to create a 170-mile long recreation trail, running from the headwaters in New Hampshire to Merry Meeting Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The city maintains an Androscoggin River boat launch on its own, off of Lincoln Street and south of the downtown,

The scoop: The group behind the Androscoggin River Trail, the Androscoggin River Watershed Council is hoping to include the city’s boat launch as a part of overall trail. The group has received a grant from the state department of conservation to design uniform signs for the length of the trail and asked councilors for permission to place one at the entrance to the city’s boat launch.

Up next: Councilors agreed, as long as the city maintains control of the launch.

Tobacco

Issue: Concerned about smoking around children, councilors last summer discussed creating a ban on tobacco products in city parks and athletic fields. They approved a ban on first reading last month, despite protests from three councilors that the ban doesn’t go far enough

The scoop: The ban would make it illegal to use any tobacco product at the Kennedy Park skate park, pool and play fountain and at any city basketball court. Tobacco products would be banned from all city parks and fields 30 minutes before any city- or school-sponsored event. The city would give out warnings for the first year.

Up next: The council approved the new ban on final reading by a 5-2 margin.

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