2026-10-19 - Finance Committee

00:30You're live. Good evening. Welcome to

00:31the regularly scheduled finance

00:33committee meeting. It is Monday, October

00:3519th, 2026.

00:37It is 5:41.

00:40I am the chair of finance, Counselor

00:41Dean. Around the table on committee is

00:44Counselor Beck, Counselor Carson,

00:46Counselor

00:48Loon, and Counselor Maller. We're also

00:50joined by

00:52Counselor Leonard

00:57and Counselor Leonard,

00:59and

01:00Counselor Walker,

01:03Counselor Fish,

01:04and we will have assistant

01:08manager

01:09Courtney O'Donnell sitting in this

01:11evening, and we will be patient. Thank

01:13you.

01:16We have a couple of items on the agenda.

01:18First up is a

01:203/4 ton truck for Parks and Recreation.

01:25>> Yes. So,

01:27um

01:27this we did uh put it out to bid. We

01:29received three bids ranging from

01:31$110,173

01:34to $118,570.

01:38Darling's Ford had the lowest bid at the

01:40110.

01:41Um

01:42and so we are requesting permission to

01:45award to Darling's Ford um in that

01:47amount of 110,173.

01:52>> Any questions regarding the 3/4 ton

01:55purchase from Darling's for 110,173.

01:58Councilmember

01:59>> Just a general Excuse me.

02:02Just a [clears throat] general question.

02:03I thought in the past we asked to see

02:05the detail.

02:07>> The detail?

02:08>> I didn't see it, but I could have missed

02:10it.

02:10>> Oh, you want the responses?

02:11>> Yes.

02:12>> Oh, okay. Yeah, I can pull up

02:13>> don't know what you I don't know what

02:14you're buying.

02:16What kind of what the truck is. I know

02:18nothing about it.

02:19>> Oh, I see.

02:19>> question is

02:21>> Yep.

02:21>> do Parks and Rec can you wait 3 months

02:24for it?

02:25>> Why would we wait 3 months?

02:27>> Because it's not going to be delivered

02:28for 12 weeks.

02:29>> Oh, I think that's honestly pretty

02:31standard lead time, but

02:32>> Well, the net clerk

02:35clerk is deliverable in 21 days, so

02:38there's a big difference.

02:39>> You want us to spend $6,000 more?

02:41>> No, but I Yes, if we The equipment they

02:44have is not going to last as far as

02:46>> All right, I'm going to defer to

02:48Fleet Director Mike Morin.

02:52>> I mean, if we If we [clears throat] have

02:53trucks that are both broken down Yeah, I

02:56I Oh.

02:58>> Mike Morin, Fleet Director.

03:01Um [clears throat]

03:02we're okay to wait because these are

03:04used more during the spring, summer,

03:06fall.

03:06>> No plowing?

03:08>> No.

03:12>> Andy?

03:13Andy?

03:15We can save the [clears throat] $6,000

03:17laying around.

03:19>> Then we wouldn't save much if we had two

03:20trucks that were disabled.

03:22>> Yeah.

03:23>> We're working on both of them.

03:27>> You have it.

03:28Yes, Councilmember

03:29>> I'm going to drop back in a day.

03:31>> Second?

03:33>> The motion we have a second. Do we have

03:34any concern?

03:37You want to move on with staff

03:39recommendation. This just needs

03:40committee approval, so we will

03:43approve it. Thank you.

03:45Next up, we have a hydroseeder, Public

03:47Works. Hydrograss Corporation for

03:49$57,984.

03:53>> [clears throat]

03:54>> This was another request for bids that

03:56we put out. Um and um uh Director uh

03:59Moran is staying at the table because he

04:01was the point person for this.

04:03Um and so it turns out that uh the low

04:06bidder um was not responsive um and

04:10didn't meet the spec requirements. So

04:13um and then the other the second lowest

04:15bidder doesn't have a dealer in Maine.

04:17So getting warranty work would have to

04:19be performed out of state. And that's

04:21why we are recommending um

04:23Hydrograss uh Corp for the 579.

04:30>> Question.

04:31>> Go ahead then I have one.

04:32>> Mhm. I In reading what I have, it looks

04:35to me like both of them are Hydrograss.

04:38>> Two of them?

04:39Two [clears throat] of them are?

04:40>> That's the lowest one though.

04:42>> Yeah.

04:43>> Yeah, they submitted two separate bids.

04:45>> What was the difference? Just because of

04:46the man age

04:50But it's difficult to see that when we

04:51don't see all the deep

04:52>> I hear you. I will make sure that we

04:54include the difference in

04:55>> this several times before.

04:57>> I hear you.

04:59>> That was my exact question. That was my

05:01own, so

05:02clearing that up.

05:04And I do agree it would be nice to see

05:06the specs we have.

05:08That's it.

05:11>> Any other concerns or questions?

05:17>> I'll move to accept the recommendation.

05:19>> Second.

05:20>> We have a motion and a second.

05:22This requires committee approval. If

05:24there are no

05:26challenges,

05:27we can go with staff recommendation for

05:28the Hydroseeder from Hydrograss

05:30Corporation for $57,900.

05:35Next up, a compressor. Again, public

05:37works.

05:38Technology International

05:40Incorporated for $25,179.

05:47>> Yes, uh this was put out to bid.

05:49We received three in response. They

05:52ranged from

05:54the 25179

05:55up to 42645.

05:58Technology International is the lowest

06:01bidder and they

06:03That's so that is staff recommendation.

06:08Any questions regarding the compressor

06:10for public works?

06:14I'll go back.

06:15>> Just a question again about the delivery

06:16time of this compressor.

06:18You agree with the 6-8 weeks? Well, it's

06:20the same situation as the other thing

06:22and we don't need it before then. We're

06:24good.

06:25>> Correct.

06:25>> Okay.

06:28>> Sure we don't want to speed anything

06:29before winter.

06:33>> We're good.

06:33>> We're getting a lot of rain though, hey?

06:35>> [laughter]

06:36>> It might be good.

06:37>> [clears throat]

06:40>> I don't know about the decorative

06:41lights. They direct the quote of

06:43lighting, but I know the thing

06:45>> Okay, that's okay.

06:48I need to chain a motion.

06:49>> I'll move staff recommendation.

06:51>> Second.

06:52>> You have a motion, you have a second.

06:54Any concerns?

06:56Seeing none, we will Excuse

06:58[clears throat] me.

06:59Proceed with staff recommendation

07:01on the Technology International Inc. for

07:03$25,179.

07:07Next up, decorative light fixtures,

07:09public works.

07:11Coastal Traffic Traffic Inc. for

07:13$67,886.

07:18>> Yeah, so we put out a bid and actually

07:20received 13

07:22or no, four 13 decorative light fixtures

07:24to replace aging units. Three bids were

07:26received. They ranged from 678 up to

07:30716.

07:31Coastal Traffic is the lowest bidder

07:34and there is funding in the budget

07:36available for this.

07:40>> You have an option to accept or

07:42update. these are the same style as what

07:44we have. I believe so. Yeah.

07:47How's the lights? Thank you. Where are

07:49these?

07:51Just like all over the city or these in

07:52any particular place?

07:54>> I think that they're located primarily

07:57in downtown area, but I'll be honest I'm

07:59not entirely sure.

08:00>> And I'm just curious like are we

08:02replacing them with what exists now just

08:05>> Yeah, they are replacing yes the aging

08:08units. Yes. Yeah.

08:11I'll get the locations though. Let you

08:13know.

08:13>> I I don't need to know specifics. I just

08:14wondered if it was like a particular

08:16area like downtown.

08:17>> Sure. Yeah.

08:19>> Sort of all

08:20>> I'm pretty sure it is, but I'll double

08:21check.

08:23>> Any other questions?

08:28I need to entertain a motion.

08:30Staff recommendation.

08:31>> I second.

08:33>> I have a motion and I have a second to

08:36go with staff recommendation for the

08:37decorative light fixtures for public

08:39works, Coastal Traffic Aid for $67,886.

08:45That is committee approval. We will

08:47proceed.

08:48Next up we have a 10 axle plow truck for

08:51public works.

08:53Freightliner of Maine $273,902.

08:57This will

08:58be a committee recommendation to full

09:00council.

09:02>> Yes. This went out to bid. We received

09:05six bids in response. They ranged from

09:08272,301

09:10up to 444,899.

09:14Freightliners was not the lowest bid,

09:17but they offered what appears to be a

09:19better warranty.

09:21And so had the lowest bidder added the

09:26the same level of warranty it would have

09:28brought their bid up by $4,600.

09:32And so staff is recommending approval to

09:34award to Freightliner of Maine for the

09:36273-902.

09:41>> Questions regarding the tandem axle plow

09:44truck.

09:51Any questions?

09:53Any motion?

09:55>> I move to approve staff recommendation

09:56to full council.

09:58>> Second.

09:59>> We [clears throat] have a motion, do we

10:00have a second?

10:03Anyone have any questions to do with

10:05this?

10:08Seeing none, we will move

10:10staff recommendation to move this to

10:13full council for the Freightliner at

10:15$956,950. $956,950.

10:19One additional item is TSA checkpoint at

10:23the airport

10:24garden for 12 million 956,957 dollars.

10:30Obviously, we'll need to have a

10:31recommendation from full council.

10:33>> Mhm.

10:35>> Yeah. So, this was um, put out uh, to

10:37bid um,

10:39and they were Sheridan Corp was the low

10:42bidder and they are qualified. We have

10:44uh, good past experience with them. Um,

10:46and as noted in the documentation, the

10:49airport staff and design team reviewed

10:51all of the proposals and did deem

10:53Sheridan's to be complete um, and

10:55responsive. And so, uh, the funding for

10:58this project comes from the passenger

11:00facility charges or is commonly referred

11:02to as PFC charges um, and the amount of

11:05that 12 million 281,179

11:08um,

11:09and there are budgeted uh, airport funds

11:12um,

11:12in the in the amount of 650 uh, yeah.

11:18>> Questions? Councilman Everett.

11:20>> I had a question on the passenger

11:22facility charges. Is that uh, in

11:24addition to what is already being

11:26charged or is that just being

11:29reallocated from the PFC to this item?

11:32>> Um, going to

11:34uh look to the assistant airport

11:35director, Francis, uh

11:37to uh

11:38>> That's an excellent question. Francis

11:39Robbins is assistant airport director.

11:41The passenger facility charge is charged

11:44the same level.

11:46Um there's two ways that we can do it.

11:47We can either bank the amount and then

11:50pay it or we can do what's called a pay

11:52as we go. This application is a a pay as

11:55we go

11:56uh method, so we have some of the funds

11:58already. We don't have the full

12:00full amount banked, but we do have

12:02enough local funds to cover the full

12:04project with local funds and then pay

12:06ourselves back over time out of that

12:08fund.

12:09>> And just a follow-up question, if I may.

12:11>> Certainly.

12:11>> Um

12:12just for the folks at home, is are they

12:14going to see an increase in their uh air

12:17traffic uh passenger tickets uh through

12:19this?

12:20>> No, we already charge the uh the maximum

12:22PFC amount.

12:25Um and so that's built into the fare

12:27that people see advertised online.

12:29>> Okay. Uh thank you for that

12:31clarification. Appreciate it.

12:32>> Yeah.

12:33>> Good point. Thank you.

12:35Any other questions?

12:37>> No. I'll bring up another question.

12:38What's

12:39How long are we going to have to wait to

12:41get it paid back?

12:43Please.

12:43>> That's a great question. I believe the

12:45uh return is uh a few years, maybe it

12:49was three or four.

12:51I'll have to check.

12:59>> Any other questions?

13:02>> We'll have that number when we come back

13:04again. Sorry about that.

13:10>> Yes, Council Person?

13:11>> Uh I don't have a question. I'll just

13:13comment for also for people following

13:16along at home that the airport is an

13:17enterprise fund.

13:19So not to be shocked by these large

13:21amounts because they also don't hit your

13:22tax bill. And I'll move staff

13:24recommendation to full council.

13:27>> Thank you.

13:29We have a motion, we have a second. Does

13:31anyone dispute this?

13:35Let's move on for

13:38full council November 6th.

13:43Is that our last item?

13:45>> You have remarks?

13:46>> No, I don't know.

13:47>> Um I just want to ask um in terms of the

13:49Thank you very much, Director Robbins.

13:51Um

13:52the um I did want to ask we have like

13:54the bid documents and stuff available

13:56online. Would you like uh a link to that

13:59or do you want to actually see the

14:00documents in your packet because it will

14:02make it very lengthy.

14:05I'm just wondering if there's a

14:06preference in how you get that

14:08information.

14:09>> If you put them on

14:10I don't care. I just something we need

14:12to have the ability to look at them

14:14without hunting for them.

14:15>> Okay, so like if it was in like the memo

14:17and you could click on a link that would

14:18take you to a site that had that that

14:21would work. Okay.

14:23>> Well, I think so like if we did it on

14:24this way I don't know if there's a way

14:25to like put in like a a link in part of

14:26this so I can see the link for each one.

14:28>> Um

14:29>> So I can say oh okay, O'Connor and over

14:31here is where the bid is.

14:31>> Sure.

14:32>> Okay.

14:32>> Yeah.

14:34Yep. Yeah, thank you. That was helpful.

14:35>> That brings up another question.

14:36>> Okay.

14:37>> The first thing the new city manager,

14:39she's not here so we can pick on her.

14:40The first thing she was going to do is

14:42revise all the or update all the bid

14:46process. So

14:48how do we stand on that?

14:49>> Um well, interestingly, Councilor

14:52Maller, I have been filling in for bids

14:54and proposals so I'm very familiar with

14:57this process.

14:58Um and actually I am in active

15:00conversations with her and the interim

15:01finance director to see how we can

15:03better streamline this process.

15:05Um and in line with that is also

15:07updating our purchasing policy which is

15:10very outdated as you know. So we are

15:11actively working on that.

15:13>> Okay. Thank you.

15:14>> Yeah.

15:15>> Good job.

15:17So we don't have any updates.

15:19>> No, I'm sorry.

15:20>> [laughter]

15:22>> Sorry.

15:22>> Thank you for for filling in.

15:25Does anyone have any questions for

15:27assistant city manager before we

15:29adjourn?

15:32With that, we will adjourn at 5:56

15:36p.m.

15:37And up next is

15:39>> B and E D.

15:41>> Business and economic development. Stay

15:42tuned.

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