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WEEKLY MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor MacLean, Members of the City Council, and Department Heads
FROM: Scott Morelli, City Manager
DATE: October 15, 2010
RE: Weekly Memo
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Next Week's City Meetings are available on our Calendar
Below please find an update on recent City activities:
- With some of the recent savings the City has been able to achieve we are going to be upgrading our internet connect to a standard business class connection (12/1.5 mbps). As of now, Time Warner Cable has informed us that our current connection is not even at residential grade speed. The current slow connection, coupled with our crashed public safety server and aging municipal server, have caused numerous problems for staff and residents over the past few months and years. This has particularly affected our police and fire departments. This increased connection speed, coupled with the new server that is set to be installed in less than a month, should eliminate most of these problems. This is an important investment in the City’s technological infrastructure and I would like to again thank the Council for
authorizing the carry forward of funds to partial pay for the new server.
- Rep. Chellie Pingree will be visiting City Hall next Friday, October 22. She will be here to tour our fire department and talk public safety with our safety personnel. If members of the Council would like to attend this tour you are welcome to do so. Anne Davis will keep you apprised of the exact time of the visit, which likely will be at some point between noon and 4 p.m.
- At your least meeting there was a question about whether the City would be pursuing CDBG funds. I have confirmed with Jason Simcock that the City will be pursuing such funds and we will be in to meet with the Council to further discuss what you would like to pursue with this grant.
- A reminder that residents are welcome to come in to City Hall during normal business hours to vote absentee for the November 2 election. The City Clerk is also scheduling absentee voting at residential care facilities and elderly apartment complexes. There will also be additional hours for absentee voting on Wednesday, October 27 and Saturday, October 20. Contact the City Clerk’s office for more information.
- A reminder that I will be attending the ICMA annual conference and as such will be out of the office next week. As you may recall, I received a scholarship to the conference that covers the registration and some of the other associated costs. I plan on attending as many sessions as possible, to bring back information on the following topics: public art/downtown revitalization, regionalization/collaboration with other municipalities, reducing wastewater energy costs, HR/personnel management, technology assessment and needs, community marketing for economic development, leadership, and more. I also look forward to meeting with fellow managers and consultants from across the country to get new ideas and insights on how to bring good government practices back from my trip.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to serve the people of Gardiner as City Manager.
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