Belfast City Manager proposing $8.5 million 2014-2015 budget

Belfast City Manager proposing $8.5 million 2014-2015 budget

2014-2015 Belfast Budget

Belfast City Hall and Council will not cooperate by providing a 4 year spreadsheet on hidden spending and costs. Charging a "no ceiling" fee tactic to avoid providing the accounting. It will put residents in shock and rage. Please residents, sign my petition for this accounting.

Council is also guilty of pigging out on the surplus for "wants" instead of saving to use for residents to help offset this massive tax increase when the school disaster budget is added. BCM, Joe Slocum, has abused property tax dollars to residents through infrastructure disaster. DPW, Bob Richards stated in the budget meeting that it would cost over a million dollars just to repair existing roads and existing shoddy infrastructure.

The worthy and connected receive the treatment and perks at the resident's demise. Infrastructure and education, paramount to residents, are non existent, or are in disrepair and failing. Instead millions are dumped into “wants”, the harbor walk riddled, with costly planning incompetence, mistakes and failures, continued money dumping for consultations to design more costly recreation/tourist traps. More wasted attorney fees reviewing and advising, killer attorney fees forr 2 years of withdraw apple bobbing for naught. Now the City Attorney decides maybe we should dissolve the RSU rather than withdraw. Yes, lets milk that, billable hour after billable hour. Add in litigation fees to protect the City Wall Hall. Carte Blanche just like all the other hidden spending Council refuses to make public. No problem in cutting basic services and stagnant wages to blue and pink collar City employees. No problem in budgeting for City owned properties and future properties. ALL IN FAVOR ALWAYS. City buildings leaky roof, tight parking, hosing down equipment outside... lets build a new complex. Lets refit all City buildings with energy efficient systems. City properties and the chosen rule! Residents? Rob us, drown us, deny infrastructure, dumb us down, break us into submission, and deny it all.

City Manager Joe Slocum refuses to form a mitigation plan with FEMA, refuses to include us into the Northport Ave TIF and begin immediate infrastructure to save us. City Council supporting the slaughter.

Again I reached out to Council to sound the alarm and class action lawsuits before we're destroyed completely by water slaughter with possible death. Five inches fell in one hour in Fl. followed by 15 inches more in 24 hours. Here, those 5 inches from at least one square mile of impervious ground, all forcing to the 4 ft culvert into Seaview Terrace private property illegally and unethically, like a water slide. The volume so great the culvert will back up immediately- wild rapids will tear through Seaview. The 72? yr. young woman, beloved Becky @ 40 Seaview, will never have a chance. Nor any of us. The forcing comes to us from both sides of Rte 1 as well. Goodbye Rte 1. The flood will roar down Seaview and over Northport Ave into the sunken pit of Waldo County General Hospital, which also has chambers underground busting with runoff flow from the "little stream" in my yard going under Northport Ave. Goodbye Northport Ave. Fahey St, Huntress Ave, and Huntress Gardens will be under severe rapid floods too. It is forced to us on the sides as well, north side from Wight St, MidCoast Mental Health and WCGH Annex on the south side from Rte 1 N&S and beyond. WE WILL BE SLAUGHTERED ON ALL 3 SIDES BY TORRENT WATER!

Here is the response from City Councilor Mike Hurley (Ignoring the 5 inch immediate impact which is becoming a regular occurrence. And it is like the grand canyon pouring into a 4 foot opening. Slaughter by water premeditated by Belfast Planning, City Manager, City Council, City Attorney, DEP, they are the problem.)

Email dated 5/2/14.

Hi Laurie...I know you believe this all fervently, but it's simply not possible. A backed up culvert on a very small stream overflowing does not mean you live at the bottom of the grand canyon. You live on a slightly tilted table. Would we get 20" of rain, it would not all head your way. Much of it would find new ways to head down hill and be through yards, down roads, etc. And yes... DOWN YOUR LITTLE STREAM. THE PROBLEM ISN'T THE STREAM. The problem is the 20" of rain. And that would be a big problem everywhere. Mike

IT WAS NEVER A STREAM! CITY HALL ILLEGALLY FORCES SLAUGHTER TO PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO ROW, NO EASEMENTS, A FLOOD PLAIN, FLOOD ZONE!

City Council Mike Hurley is promoting this Happy Dance video and drowning residents.

BELFAST — Belfast's City Manager is proposing a 2014-2015 budget of $8.5 million, an increase of 7 percent over the current year budget.

Last year, councilors approved an $8,136,694 budget, which was offset by non-property tax revenue in the amount of $4,060,649. This year, City Manager Joseph Slocum is proposing an $8,507,064 budget to be offset by anticipated revenues of $4,144,680.

The budget represents a net increase to property tax payers of $286,339, or 0.4 mils. That means a tax payer who owns a home valued at $100,000 would pay an additional $40 on their tax bill.

Slocum notes in his 27-page budget document that there are no cost-of-living increases for city employees and that he asked department heads not to include such increases in their budgets until union negotiations are settled.

He also points out that he is not paying attention to the school budget, which as proposed would increase local assessments in Belfast by more than 7 percent, because of the ongoing withdrawal process, which could potentially provide property tax relief in the future.

“The city can't beat itself up over the increasing impact the school system is having on the property taxes,” Slocum writes. “City council is doing what can be done by actively pursuing measured steps to get answers that will guide the community's future course.”...

POSTED BY: LAURIE LEE ALLEN | May 06, 2014 10:55

City Council is snatching back that crumb from their sweatshop workers. At last night's Budget Meeting, 5/5, Councilor Mary Mortier stated the transfer station employees, ( 4 yrs. employed as part time- 32 hrs./wk, heavy lifting, stinking dirty/hazardous conditions with out health insurance, sick time, vacation time, holiday pay, below minimum wage under Washington State standards), will get a dollar more an hour in the new budget. These poor men will get health insurance ONLY when the the feds force them to do it in 1/2016. $32 a week before taxes. Humanity abuse enforced by denying 3 hours a week.

Steve Boguen, Cemetery Superman, also pleas for wage increase for more sweatshop conditions for the returning same dedicated seasonal men, 9 yrs. and counting. receiving zero wage increases since. Also being paid below minimum wage in many states and without benefits. Steve, stopped receiving increases 10 years ago, a 35 year stellar City employee. Is this true for Bob Richards, DPW? Seems there are other ways to compensate an employee after 25 years of servitude.

The humanity abuse with premeditated slaughter by water to residents and WCGH. Five inches fell in one hour in Fl. followed by 15 inches more in 24 hours. Those 5 inches from at least one square mile of impervious ground, all forcing to the 4 ft culvert into Seaview Terrace private property illegally and unethically, like a water slide. The volume so great the culvert will back up immediately- wild rapids through Seaview. The 72? yr. young woman, beloved Becky @ 40 Seaview, will never have a chance. Nor any of us. It comes to us from both sides of Rte 1 as well. Goodbye Rte 1. From Seaview down into the sunken entrance of Waldo County General Hospital, which also has chambers underground busting with runoff flow from the "little stream" in my yard. Fahey St and Huntress Ave, Huntress Gardens will be under severe threat too. It is forced to us on the sides as well, north side from Wight St, MidCoast Mental Health and WCGH Annex on the south side from Rte 1 N&S and beyond.

City Manager refuses to form a mitigation plan with FEMA, refuses to include us into the Northport Ave TIF and begin immediate infrastructure, City Council supporting slaughter. Budgeting instead for funding to improve and build City owned buildings,equipment, airport, recreation...

Using  "no ceiling" fee tactics to avoid providing an accounting of their 4 year hidden misspending that will put residents in shock and rage. Please sign my petition for this accounting.

City Council Mike Hurley is promoting this Happy Dance video as we are drowning? Again I reached out to Council to sound the alarm and class action lawsuits before we're destroyed, drowning with possible death. The hospital will also be devastated. Here is the response from City Councilor Mike Hurley (Ignoring the 5 inch immediate impact which is becoming a regular occurrence. And it is like the grand canyon pouring into a 4 foot opening. Slaughter by water premeditated by Belfast Planning, City Manager, City Council, City Attorney, DEP, they are the problem.)

Email dated 5/2/14.

Hi Laurie...I know you believe this all fervently, but it's simply not possible. A backed up culvert on a very small stream overflowing does not mean you live at the bottom of the grand canyon. You live on a slightly tilted table. Would we get 20" of rain, it would not all head your way. Much of it would find new ways to head down hill and be through yards, down roads, etc. And yes... DOWN YOUR LITTLE STREAM. THE PROBLEM ISN'T THE STREAM. The problem is the 20" of rain. And that would be a big problem everywhere. Mike

IT WAS NEVER A STREAM! CITY HALL ILLEGALLY FORCES SLAUGHTER TO PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO ROW, NO EASEMENTS, A FLOOD PLAIN, FLOOD ZONE!

POSTED BY: LAURIE LEE ALLEN | May 03, 2014 09:22

In the budget meetings, 4 year City employees at the transfer station have been receiving sweatshop pay, no benefits period- no insurance, no holiday pay, no sick pay, no vacation pay, keeping them at 32 hours, 3 hours short of benefits. The conditions are nasty and physical, those 2 men bailed 2.5 million pounds of stinking garbage in the cold and the heat, received a death threat as stated by a resident in open to public at a City Council meeting (no comment, swept under the rug by City Hall), and the reward? City Manager states he will boost their pay from $9.50 & $9.90 an hour to $10.60 an hour. And in January 2016 he will be forced by law to give them insurance benefits only. Four years they have been pleading with City Hall to make them full time. City Council and City Manager have denied. Councilor Mike Hurley knows they can no longer look the other way. Auntiebully will hit the podium. He tells Joe Slocum, City Manager, that they have to finally put them on full-time, Mayor Ash and Hurley snickering at Hurley's joke about the mother, a woman who began the food pantry, has helped many, is disabled but comes to Council meetings to plead for a homeless shelter, and this is the respect she gets. ZERO. Thanks for the crumb Councilor Mike Hurley. Be Happy?

Chief McFadden begging for a buck to protect us. DPW Bob Richards stating roads and infrastructure are in such disrepair, it will take a least one million dollars to get caught up. Not going to happen, just going to get worse. Instead, talk of insulating and improving City owned buildings or building new ones. Councilor Eric Sanders in a previous meeting said just float a bond to pay for that.... City Manager states he is not dealing with school tax increase, no talk of need for new High School in future, not his job? Or not his concern!

Belfast City Manager and Belfast City Council are misspending our property tax dollars. They refuse to provide a spread sheet for their spending which will be an “About Face, Come to Arms” call for united resident action. Extorting fees for public documents/accounting that benefit public awareness in government spending is corrupt. The City Manager wants me to pay $130 up front, then $15 an hour with no ceiling of billable hours, a history of tail chasing and feigned difficulties in providing final approved site plans, zoning conditions, drainage infrastructure maps and City Work Orders for heavy equipment. I have been unable to get those basic documents, 3 years and counting, being told they do not exist or that I have been given these documents and am apparently too stupid to know how to read them. Yet, they refuse to allow a trustworthy official validate the documents. City Council refuses to validate as well. City Manager had the audacity to spread a mess on the floor at the 4/1/14 City Council meeting, claiming he spent 19 hours to personally gather the same documents above. Clearly, all can see, that mess was meant to confuse and deceive, the documents are not there. I've spent hours and hours at City Hall, under supervision and intimidation tactics at the Planning Office counter, pouring through each sheet, in each file, never to find the document. Returning the following the day, unannounced, many of those documents were suddenly in the file. Fearing the return of the City Planner, I begged for a copy of a few documents that prove the corruption. It takes along time to get the public to see what they do not want to see. I am patiently waiting for you.

Please, come sign the petition, hidden funds are on fire and residents are getting burnt.

 5/2/14- HERE'S JOHNNY... I MEAN MIKE HURLEY, BELFAST CITY COUNCIL

Mike Hurley is some big ego. I could take up the whole page with meeting after meeting where he bullies and intimidates residents then flips this switch to humor and praise for volunteers and those that help "him" shine with "his" in town businesses and "his" wants for Belfast. He loves himself to our deaths. But, it takes time to go through the meetings, I'll post a direct public slander instead and his latest attempt to diminish the horror the City has inflicted on Seaview Terrace. After I spoke at this meeting, I came home, it was live on TV and was horrified to hear him go after me and discredit me publicly.

 A single NJ mom taking on rural City Hall and the old boys connected network is dangerous. Everyone seems to be related and exposing 50 years of corruption dynamite. I did not want to do this, we crawled here to begin again, under the radar, in safety and peace. THE LAST THING WE NEEDED WAS THIS. Prior to going public at my first meeting on 11/1/11 where I barely held it together, I tried for 8 months to resolve the flooding, requesting information met with rhetoric, false documents, "non-existing" existing maps for drainage infrastructure, with holding of basic, damning public documents- original development plans, final approved site plans with zoning conditions, basic ordinances, etc. Volumes of emails prove the torture and denial of basic rights.

5/2/14 email to- Belfast City Council and Belfast City Manager,

"As much as 20 inches had fallen in Pensacola in a 24-hour period, National Weather Service meteorologist Phil Grigsby told CBS News. As much as 5 inches may have fallen in a single hour, from 9 to 10 p.m., NBC News reports. That’s more than the entirety of 2004’s Hurricane Ivan."

 This could be headlines here, with the drowning of Becky Gibbons, 72?, sleeping and in one hour, she's under water. City Manager, Joe Slocum admitted in 2009 when the forced runoff to Seaview Terrace, overflowed and wiped out Becky's yard and almost carried her car away. She told Wayne Marshall, Belfast City Planner and Belfast City Tax Assessor, Bob Whitely.

 That was ONLY spring melt from all the snow you allow to be illegally stock piled at 15 sites that you illegally force to melt to us. Five and one half inches fell in one hour in the Fl. All of Seaview Terrace would be under at least 6 feet of torrid water. Becky would never have a chance, many others could drown as well. That would be murder on your hands. Lawsuits will crush Belfast. It's all documented thanks to my unyielding pressure to save us for 4 years and counting.

 Heartless.

 Sincerely,

 Laurie Allen

Here's Johnny's response dismissing and drowning.

From: mike@pilut.com
To: laurieallen55@msn.com
Subject: RE: 5in/hr Becky Gibbons
Date: Fri, 2 May 2014 09:35:51 -0400

Hi Laurie… I know you believe this all fervently but it’s simply not possible. A backed up culvert on a very small stream overflowing does not suddenly mean you live at the bottom of the grand canyon. You live on a slightly tilted table. Would we to get 20” of rain it would not all head your way. Much of it would find new ways to head downhill and that would be through yards, down roads, etc. And yes… down your little stream. The problem isn’t the stream. The problem is the 20” of rain. And that would be a big problem everywhere. Mike

Here's Laurie's response, proven and shoved in his face at least 50 times.

From:	LAURIE ALLEN (laurieallen55@msn.com)
Sent:	Fri 5/02/14 1:40 PM
To:	Mike Hurley (mike@pilut.com); ward1councilor@cityofbelfast.org (ward1councilor@cityofbelfast.org); ward2councilor@cityofbelfast.org (ward2councilor@cityofbelfast.org); ward3councilor@cityofbelfast.org (ward3councilor@cityofbelfast.org); ward4councilor@cityofbelfast.org (ward4councilor@cityofbelfast.org); ward5councilor@cityofbelfast.org (ward5councilor@cityofbelfast.org); mayor@cityofbelfast.org (mayor@cityofbelfast.org); jslocum@cityofbelfast.org (jslocum@cityofbelfast.org); LAURIE ALLEN (laurieallen55@msn.com)
Cc:	acurtis@bangordailynews.com (acurtis@bangordailynews.com); bholbrook@courierpublicationsllc.com (bholbrook@courierpublicationsllc.com); bholbrook@villagesoup.com (bholbrook@villagesoup.com); news@pressherald.com (news@pressherald.com); John Krinjak (jkrinjak@wabi.tv)

To All,

As I have proved again and again, (against all your 3+ years of attempts to cover up, corrupt, intimidate, bully and shut me up) all the runoff you are FORCING from miles OUTSIDE to the private properties of Seaview Terrace are illegal. Your City Engineer reported in his 1987 investigation of Seaview Terrace flooding was that a stream did not run through here. It is PRIVATE drainage tracts put in by the developer in 1967 for each PRIVATE lot in this flood plain, flood zone. You have fabricated a "stream" to avoid providing infrastructure to residents and instead continue to slaughter with water and LIE. You should be protecting residents in a flood plain, flood zone by diverting ALL run off. The problem IS CORRUPT BELFAST CITY HALL OFFICIALS.

 Your analysis, Councilor Mike Hurley would be better directed to a mental health care provider.  

https://plus.google.com/photos/105736045670734847961/albums/6008872223701623521

1. Belfast Ordinance for Storm Water proving their illegal lies to make this ditch a "natural outlet"

Sec. 62-192. - Permitted discharge of unpolluted water.

Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage may be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the city.Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on approval of the city, to a storm sewer or natural outlet, if in accordance with regulations of the state department of environmental protection.

(Ord. No. 45-1999, § 600.2, 2-1-2000)

2. Dr. Caswell, original owner of my home, filed complaints of flooding approx.10 years after purchase in 1968. In 1987, this was the findings of the Beflast City Engineer: (full letter dated 8/10/1987 to Wilma Moses, Belfast City Manager can be found on www.belfastbullies3.blogspot.com click on the header 12/27/11 Bill Kelly CA, 1987 Eng letter).

1987 Belfast City Engineer, Neil Finlayson
3.  Dr. Caswell has mentioned that after heavy rains the brook can flood and create problems for all owners whose lots back up to it. He suggests that the City clean it out to reduce this tendency.  I have a feeling that this brook is NOTHING MORE THAN A DRAINAGE DITCH PUT IN BY THE DEVELOPER OF THE TRACT. 

You could suggest to Dr. Caswell that his brook is private  property  and that if he, and other owners, feel strongly about the  problem, that the hire a contractor to clean out the brook to their specifications.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. City Hall claimed they could not provide maps or information for run off being forced into Seaview Terrace, status quo for every request for public documents that would prove corruption. I got some anyway by surprise visits to honest City Hall employees, City Tax Assessor, Bob Whitely and Planning Admimistrator, Marie Stalworth. I followed the water in a few hours and made my own map of slaughter to Seaview Terrace and a picture of the huge culvert into Seaview Terrace where the water flew over and though Seaview Terrace yards and road in 2009. Came close again in 2011 right after I moved here in 2010, taking over 600 ft of my small property with it. My 2 ft x 2ft drainage ditch after spring melt 2011. And a 1939 aerial view of my neighborhood- quad 40- farmhouse to the right which is still there and on the corner of Northport Ave and now Seaview Terrace. It was an apple orchard- NO STREAM!!

SLAUGHTER BY FORCED WATER IS MURDER. BELFAST CITY HALL CHOOSES SLAUGHTERING RESIDENTS IN FAVOR OF PERSONAL AGENDA'S, RECREATION, ARTS AND WINDOW DRESSING. REFUSING TO PUT US INTO THE TIF FOR SEWER FUNDING, REFUSING TO PUT US IN A MITIGATION PLAN, REFUSING TO GIVE A DAMN WHEN WE DROWN BY THEIR FORCING HANDS.

Sincerely,

Laurie Allen

17 Seaview Terrace

Belfast Me, 04915

Below was the second meeting I attended and "Johnny" went after me. Many love Johnny- fooled by his gift to deceive. Not me, I know this behavior well. Have to put on the pressure, stay on point, be above the high road and stay there, very difficult with intense baiting and discrediting. One mistake and I will not be allowed to speak, will be banned from meetings, possibly arrested, anything can happen. It is very scary. To see more abusive meetings, click on other headers.

 ttp://vimeo.com/33314014 12/6/11 City Hall Meeting- I speak publicly ff 25 in- 4th person up. I let it rip with truth and maps. After 8 months of avoidance, corruption and lies, the public must know that Council IS KNOWINGLY  FLOODING THE CITY ENDANGERED FLOOD ZONE OF SEAVIEW TERRACE AND TAKING OUR TAX DOLLARS AND BUYING RECREATIONAL PARCELS FOR MILLIONS AND WILL COST MILLIONS TO DEVELOP...SEAVIEW TERRACE PROPERTY IS WORTHLESS BECAUSE OF CITY OFFICIALS.Verbal Planning approvals with residents present are a sham. What the Planning Board approves and what the Planning Manager, Wayne Marshall DOES are night and day. Impossible for the resident to get accountability and resolved. See the header with Diane Allmeyer Beck vs. Wayne Marshall.

 Later at the end of the meeting, long after I'm gone, Council member Mike Hurley slanders me with confidence and ease. Here is his rant against me 
quote as closely as possible, Mike Hurley’s public rant against me at the 12/6/11 City Council meeting 
Slander is the oral communication of false statements that are harmful to a person's reputation. If the statements are proven to be true, it is a complete defense to a charge of slander. Oral opinions that don't contain statements of fact don't constitute slander. Slander is an act of communication that causes someone to be shamed, ridiculed, held in contempt, lowered in the estimation of the community, or to lose employment status or earnings or otherwise suffer a damaged reputation. Slander is a subcategory of defamation.

 “I want to respond during the discussion about water. I came to the entire subject early on when we 

stated getting copied here on everything, with a pretty open mind about it, well, is there a problem 

here? What’s the problem? I think that’s what we do here quite often is hey what’s the problem and try

 to fix it and if there is something we can do. I want to say I had an open mind to it but having had the

 avalanche of emails that we received and what we heard tonight again, I just want to say that, ya 

know, if anybody thinks the way to solve a problem is to insult people with things like, Wayne’s World, 

Ignorant, Dysfunctional, Shot to Hell, Deceiving, Corruption, Lies, Cover Ups, Bullied,I want to add one 

word…RIDICULOUS. I’ve worked with all these guys and I’ve been on the wrong side of government in

 the past and I’ve been on the wrong side of government while I’ve been in government. And ya know,

 it’s just ridiculous to listen to this stuff. I would not object to putting this on the agenda for us to talk 

about what we should do about this if anything. But, you know, to listen to these to these kind of 

character assassinations pf people who could really be bothered to do these things to this woman, I’m

 really sorry, nobody has any interest in doing any of these kinds of things that she keeps proclaiming

 and you know it’s unfortunate she takes it completely publicly and tonight even, I kept waiting for her,

 what’s the problem (out of quote for me to say, I clearly stated in the beginning what the problem, 

what I wanted done, and backed it up with facts for the ?? Time) How would we address the problem. I

 THINK SHE’S MORE INTERESTED IN FIGHTING, but I’m willing to talk about it and look at it and maybe, 

ya know, there’s something we can do, I don’t know. But anyway, I FEEL LIKE WAYNE AND JOE, IN 

PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PINATA AND I APPRECIATE THEM BEING RESTRAINED I am sure, 

I can tell from everything that the landowner is absolutely feels put upon by the water that runs in the 

stream in through her yard. I think, maybe there’s a way to solve this but constantly insulting the 

people you’re trying to talk with, at least it’s never worked for me at home.”