Board: Lewiston City Council

Met: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

Fire supervision
Issue: City ordinances allow the police chief to require his officers be present at large public gatherings to make sure things run safely and smoothly. State fire codes grant individual fire chiefs the same authority, but that caveat is not included in Lewiston’s ordinances.
The Scoop: Councilors have suggested that city ordinances be changed to give the fire chief the same authority as the police chief.
Up Next: Councilors approved the changes unanimously.

New website
Issue: The city debuted a new, modern website at www.ci.lewiston.me.us on Aug. 15. The new brighter design puts information about city programs in one place and also lets residents interact with city staff and report problems.
The Scoop: Staff gave councilors a tour of the website, demonstrating some of the highlights. That included a “How do I …” section that compiles frequently asked questions, a “Report a Concern” button to alert city staff to problems and issues, and several calendars for city departments. It also lets people subscribe to email or text message updates on bids, city job openings, emergency alerts, parking bans and road closures.

Junkyards
Issue: Residents who keep junkyards or automobile graveyards are required to register with the city each year. The council has the ability to review and approve each application to make sure the junkyards are not becoming a nuisance.
The Scoop: Councilors approved permits for the city Public Works Department yard at 424-482 River Road, Gary St. Laurent/Maine Heavy Equipment at 1445 Sabattus St., Dana’s Garage at 193 Crowley Road, Grimmel’s Industries at 50 River Road and K.T.I Biofuels at 38 Alfred Plourde Parkway.

Building codes
Issue: The city does not have unique building codes pertaining to electrical installations but relies on the national electric code. That’s updated every three years by a panel of electricians and safety experts. The goal is to make sure that all electrical and wiring installations in new buildings are safe and based on up-to-date standards. The same is true for fire prevention codes.
The Scoop: Lewiston currently uses the 2005 version of the national electrical code and the 2006 fire prevention code. Staff recommended following the state’s lead and adopting the most recent version of each code. For electrical code, that’s the 2011 version. For fire prevention, it’s the 2009 version.
Up Next: Council adopted both updated codes unanimously Tuesday. Staff will begin training to understand and use the codes.

Emergency Management
Issue: Lewiston and Auburn have operated a joint agency to handle emergency management in case of disasters since 1975. The agency is based in the basement of Lewiston’s Central Fire Station. In the past, the two cities have shared $12,000 for utilities and building maintenance.
The Scoop: Androscoggin County agreed to take over funding of the Emergency Management Agency beginning in January 2012. That required the two cities to rewrite and adopt a new contract. That contract was approved by Auburn’s City Council Monday night.
Up Next: Councilors approved the new contract 7-0.

Next meeting: The next regular meeting of the Lewiston City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011.

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