Town Council Meeting #01-05
January 6,
2005
Council President Norman Pinder convened meeting #01-05 at 7:00pm in
Town Hall. Donna Turner, Council Vice-President, Mary McCarthy, Council
Member, Royden Powell, Town Manager, Stephen Kehoe, Town Attorney,
Police Chief Ben Cohey, and Deana Ashley, Clerk, were also present.
Welcome: Citizens and guests were welcomed to the
meeting.
Review of Minutes from Previous Meetings: Minutes for the
meeting on December 2, 2004, and December 16, 2004 were accepted as read
by the Council members.
Mrs. Turner made a motion to accept the minutes; Mrs. McCarthy seconded
the motion. A vote was taken, members voted in the affirmative, and the
minutes were approved unanimously. (3 ayes)
Appearances:
1. Ms. Barbara Siegert and Ms. Elizabeth Watson, QAC Office of
Tourism, Presentation of Eastern Shore Heritage – Ms. Siegert and
Ms. Watson made a presentation of the their mission to include: “ 1)
Tell the story of the Chesapeake on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 2) Protect
the beauty and heritage of the region, 3) Create partnerships and
consensus, 4) Enhance economic vitality and improve the quality of life
for residents, 5) Craft an enriching experience for visitors, and 6)
Offer access to the Chesapeake Bay.” The Council recommended a similar
presentation be made to the Planning Commission. There was a general
discussion about the need to include their mission into the Town’s
comprehensive plan update. The Council thanked Ms. Siegert and Ms.
Watson for their efforts.
Business: None
Maryland Municipal League: None
QAC Municipal League: None
Announcements and Correspondence: Mrs. McCarthy read a
letter from Robert Flanagan, Secretary, Maryland Department of
Transportation. The letter reported that the agency will be conducting
an origin and destination study to determine the number and purpose of
vehicles using Rt213 through Centreville. It also states that although
the ordinance submitted refers to loitering, a member of the Attorney
General’s staff assigned to the SHA, reports the proposed ordinance to
restrict truck traffic is preempted by state law.
Report of Department Heads:
Town Clerk – Ms. Ashley reported the following:
·
The internal audit findings will be reported by the Town
Manager.
·
Meters were read for utility billing during the period of
January 3-7.
·
Town staff will produce and file year-end tax reports
internally for the first time utilizing the new accounting software.
Chief of Police –
·
The Chief noted his report was in the Council’s books for
their review. There was nothing unusual to report.
· During
the last 30-day period, the department responded to a total of 348
complaints/incidents of obligated service time.
·
The department received $3,000 from the Schwenz/Nickerson
Foundation to pay for training for our officers in 2005.
Town Manager –
·
Mr. Powell presented the Council with the internal audit
findings regarding outstanding review, public works agreements, permit
and allocation fees to include:
o
Engineering and Inspection/Development Review Fees -
$149,986
o
Public Works Agreements – ($295)
o
Building Permit/Allocation Fees - $109,458
TOTAL $259,150
The receivables due from Symphony Village, Northbrook and Providence
Farm have been collected in order to release building permits allowed
under the interim relief by MDE ($144,957).
The remaining balances, made up of commercial and other residential
projects will be billed in the coming weeks.
·
Mr. Powell reported on the building permit for the
Centreville Rotary House. He requested the Council’s approval to
allocate 2 units to the project (granted under MDE interim relief).
Mrs. Turner made a motion to approve the allocations, Mrs. McCarthy
seconded the motion. There being no further discussion, the Council
voted unanimously to grant 2 allocations to the first phase of the
Centreville Rotary House project (3 ayes). Mr. Powell will soon present
the proposed amount of fees to be waived regarding the permit and
allocations fees.
·
He then requested allocations to be granted to a
commercial project at the Centreville Business Park on Lot 3 (between
Social Services and Queenstown Bank). Mr. Powell noted its use to be
estimated at 40-55 employees and comparisons to the allocations of the
Social Services and proposed Wellness Center buildings. Mrs. McCarthy
questioned if these were included in the interim relief? He responded
yes and that the usage would be tracked to ensure that it did not exceed
the units paid at the original permit. Mrs. Turner made a motion to
grant 2 allocation units to Corsica VI at Lot 3 in the Centreville
Business Park as allowed under the interim relief granted by MDE; Mrs.
McCarthy seconded the motion. There being no further discussion, the
Council voted unanimously to grant 2 allocations to Corsica VI, Lot 3.
(3 ayes)
·
Mr. Powell presented the 2nd floor permit for
the Goodwill Fire Company renovation. There was a general discussion
regarding the fees and the Council’s desire to waive fees as was
extended for the first floor renovation. Mrs. McCarthy made a motion to
waive administrative fees related to the recent permit, while the Fire
Company would pay BOCA fees; Mrs. Turner seconded the motion. There
being no further discussion, the Council voted unanimously to waive all
administrative fees for the 2nd floor Fire Company renovation
permit (3 ayes).
·
He presented the Council a copy of the contract for the
farm manager for their review. Mr. Powell will seek their approval at a
later date.
Mrs. McCarthy questioned the status of the audit report? Ms. Ashley
stated that the data file will be closed and submitted tomorrow. The
report, after compilation, review and approval by CBIZ Beatty, Satchell,
LLC, should be presented to the Council in February.
Mr. Pinder discussed the Council’s intention to present the Goodwill
Fire Company with the budgeted capital expenditure of $10,000 at their
annual dinner on Saturday.
Citizens Forum:
·
Sveinn Storm, Commerce St – Mr. Storm discussed state
legislation regarding open meetings and his concerns regarding their
application to Council meetings and work sessions. He and Mr. Pinder
talked about recent occurrences, including the timeliness of posting
meetings, their agenda and scheduled time. Mr. Kehoe offered the legal
reasons why closed meetings are held. Mr. Storm also talked about the
amount of participation allowed with the “three-minute rule” during
Citizens Forum. Mr. Pinder and Mr. Kehoe stated that all citizens are
invited to participate and monitor the Council’s activity; the time
limit provides an opportunity for all to speak while giving structure to
the forum.
·
Aileen Minor, Liberty St – Ms. Minor noted her concern
with the letter received from SHA and her perception that the Secretary
was mailed the loitering ordinance, not the proposed one to restrict
truck traffic. Mr. Powell acknowledged her concern.
Mr. Kehoe was instructed to send the draft ordinance to the Attorney
General’s office directly for their opinion.
·
Rob Babbitt, Kidwell Ave – Mr. Babbitt discussed the
status of the 1-year MDE investigation and the need “to get to the
truth”. The Council expressed their desire to close the investigation.
Mr. Powell noted his scheduled meeting with MDE to discuss open matters.
·
Sveinn Storm, Commerce St – Mr. Storm discussed the recent
bill from MES which included an increase in staffing requirements.
There was a general discussion regarding the imposition of MES vs. the
contracted levels of staffing. Mr. Powell will seek reimbursement for
the additional labor costs.
Motion to Adjourn: There being nothing further to discuss,
Mrs. Turner made a motion to go into closed session to seek legal
counsel; Mrs. McCarthy seconded the motion. There being no objection,
the Council adjourned to closed session at 8:10pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Deana Ashley, Clerk
