Mayor Margo G. Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. In attendance were Councilmembers Harrison C. Bristoll, Jr., Whaland Clark, Mabel Mumford-Pautz and J. Brian Kirby, W. S. Ingersoll, Town Manager, Joan Merryman, Stenographer, and guests.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of the Mayor and Council meetings of December 11 and 18, 2000, and Executive Sessions of December 7, 11, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2000. Mr. Bristoll moved that the minutes be approved as presented, was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey stated that an executive session was held on December 7, 2000 at 4:00 p.m. pursuant to Sec. 10-508 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The entire Mayor and Council was present and voted unanimously to go into executive session. The meeting was called to discuss the procedures for interviewing and hiring a chief of police. The Mayor and Council also conducted an interview with an applicant for the position. The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m. Minutes were taken and are part of the record.

An executive session was held on Monday, December 11, 2000 at 8:20 p.m. pursuant to Sec. 10-508 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The entire Mayor and Council was present and voted unanimously to go into executive session. The meeting was called to discuss personnel matters and a legal matter. The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Minutes were taken and art part of the record.

The Mayor and Council held executive sessions pursuant to Sec. 10-508 of the Annotated Code of Maryland on the following dates for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the position of chief of police. The entire Mayor and Council was present at the meetings and voted unanimously to go into executive session. The meetings were held on December 13 at 4 p.m., December 14 at 4 p.m., December 20 at 4 p.m. and December 21 at 4 p.m. Minutes of these meetings are part of the record.

Mayor Bailey gave the 2000 Report of Municipal Affairs which is attached as part of this record.

Mayor Bailey called on Capt. Robert Edler for the police report. Capt. Edler gave the report for the month of December 2000. He reported that the parking meters are now in use. Capt. Edler called on Officer John Beville and presented him with a certificate of promotion to Patrolman First Class.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any questions of Capt. Edler. There being none, she called on the Town Manager for his report. Mr. Ingersoll said a bid opening was held on December 22, 2000 for two contracts for tree work in Town. The first set of bids was for tree maintenance around Town. He stated that three bids had been received. The first bid was from Wye Tree Experts for a total of $2025. The second bid was from Pardoe's Lawn and Tree for $1122. The third bid was from Sharp Lawn and Tree for $965. Mr. Ingersoll recommended that the bid be awarded to the low bidder Sharp Lawn and Tree upon presentation of evidence of insurance. He said Sharp has worked for us under contract and they did all the planting at the Cannon Street project. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz moved that the bid be awarded to the low bidder upon evidence of insurance, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mr. Ingersoll said the second set of bids was for tree planting. He said one of the tree planting items to be bid was for horsechestnut trees to be planted on Horsey Lane. He said some of the bidders stated they could not get those trees and we will compare the bids with and without the horsechestnut trees.

Mr. Ingersoll said the first bid was from JCI Landscaping with a total bid of $6889, which included horsechestnuts at $1590 for a base bid of $5299. The second bid was from Pardoe's with a total bid of $6911 and included horsechestnuts at $1650 for a base bid $5261. The third bid opened was from Anthony's Flowers and Landscape with a total of $6529.50 and did not include the horsechestnuts. The fourth bid was from Speakman Nurseries with a total of $15,677 and included horsechestnuts. The fifth bid was from Sharp Tree with a total of $5307 and did not include horsechestnuts. The last bid was from Wye Tree Experts for $19,610 and did include horsechestnuts. He said basically the low bid that included the hHorsechestnuts was $6889 from JCI. He said JCI stated they would provide the liability and workmen's compensation policy if they get the bid. He said the lowest base bid without horsechestnuts was Pardoe's with a bid of $5261. He said the horsechestnuts are hard to get and expensive but good trees and there are already some there. He said the Council can decide whether they want to include the horsechestnut trees at that expense.

Mayor Bailey said she liked the horsechestnut trees and it was worth spending the money for those trees.

Mr. Ingersoll recommended that the bid be awarded to JCI conditioned upon them providing the proof of insurance and if not, the second lowest bid was Pardoe's.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz moved that the tree planting bid be awarded to JCI conditioned upon the proof of insurance at $6889 and if no certificates of insurance are provided, the bid would be awarded to Pardoe's at $6911. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kirby and carried unanimously.

Mr. Ingersoll said that two Charter changes had been discussed by the Council. He said the first Charter change was to change the one sentence, which he read, which would change the amount of contract spending that must be bid from $3,000 to $10,000. He said this will serve as the first reading for the Resolution to Change the Municipal Charter.

Mr. Ingersoll read the schedule for the process of the Charter changes. The introduction was being done on January 2, 2001; the advertisement for the public hearing will appear on February 11, 2001; the public hearing will taken place at 7:15 on Monday, January 22, 2001; on February 5, 2001 the Council would adopt the Charter Changes; and the advertisements of the Charter Changes would appear on February 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2001. The advertising period has to be within 40 days of the adoption and covers the period during which a charter change can be taken to referendum.

Mr. Ingersoll stated that the second Charter Change being introduced will change the date for the Town elections from the second Monday in December to the first Tuesday in November during the same years as elections are currently held. It will not change the length of anyone's term or the time when the elected persons take office as had been discussed at previous meetings.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to formally introduce the Charter Change to change the bidding amount. Mr. Bristoll moved that the Resolution to Change the Charter as it deals with the bidding amount be formally introduced, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to formally introduce the Charter Change to change the election date. Mr. Bristoll moved that the Resolution to Change the Charter which would change the Town election date from the second Monday in December to the first Tuesday in November, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mr. Ingersoll read a letter from Carl Burke, Director of Upper Shore Aging, which asked that the Town reconsider its decision to begin charging rent for the Senior Center as of July 1, 2001. Mr. Ingersoll said there was no decision required at this time, but the Council should consider the request during the budget process. He said if he read the letter correctly, it said if the Council agrees to extend the use of the building for the Senior Center without rent, then the value of the rental of that space ($20,000 to $30,000) should be credited as Town support of their project. He said there has been substantial support by the Town since they have had the space for the Senior Center rent free since 1984. Mayor Bailey said she would like to have Mr. Burke come to a meeting and do a presentation and discuss this matter. We will try to get Mr. Burke for the first meeting in February.

Mr. Ingersoll said he had reviewed the County Animal Ordinance and the Town Dog Ordinance and talked to Doug Crites, Director of the Humane Society. He said the County Ordinance was a little more sophisticated than the Town's, had better definitions of dangerous dogs and public nuisances. He said the Town can copy the County Ordinance and customize it using "Town of Chestertown" everywhere it says "County," or we can adopt the County ordinance in its entirety. He said in the later, the County would collect the fees for fines in Town but if we got a better job done in Town, the Town would benenfit. He said we could further include language which would allow the Town to do enforcement in addition to the Humane Society enforcement, and omit the language concerning kennels since kennels are not allowed in Town. He said he has not been able to find out from Wilmington, Delaware how they were able to ban certain ferocious dogs. He said he will give the Council a copy of both Ordinances.

Mayor Bailey read the notice for the Eastern Shore Association Dinner on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 at 6 p.m. at Annie's Steak House.

Mayor Bailey said one of the interesting things that has happened since the incident at Washington Square was that five panels have been looking into various problems. She said one was the racial dialogue group who were working on the creation of a County Human Relations Commission and the creation of a County mediation board. She said a number of years ago the Town tried to start a mediation board in the Town Hall but was not successful as people did not want to feel they were going through government to discuss problems. She said Rev. Dale Brown of the Chester Valley Ministerial Association would like a letter of support from the Town for the mediation committee, stating that the Town would refer neighborhood or community problems or disputes to the mediation committee. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz moved that Mayor Bailey send the letter of support on behalf of the Mayor and Council and was seconded by Mr. Bristoll. Mr. Kirby asked if this would only be neighborhood or personal problems and not police or criminal issues. Mayor Bailey said it would involved only community issues. The motion was carried by unanimous vote.

Mr. Ingersoll said Patsy Hornaday and Kay Wilkinson had done the beautiful job of decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby. He said he also that Joan Ellenhorn and Joanne Tobriner created the gilded pine cone ornaments and ribbons on the holly tree in the Betty Anne Connelley garden on Cannon Street.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any questions or comments. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz thanked all of the volunteers who worked on the Christmas baskets which were distributed all over the County. She also mentioned the loss of Ann Biddle, wife of Pat Biddle, who died on December 30, 2000. Mrs. Ann Hoon announced that the League of Women Voters will have their annual legislative preview on Saturday, January 6, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. at the Commissioners Hearing Room at 400 High Street.

Mayor Bailey asked the Council to review the bills presented. Mr. Bristoll moved that the bills be paid as presented, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mr. Clark moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:10 p.m., was seconded by Mr. Kirby and carried unanimously.

Submitted by:
Joan Merryman
Stenographer