MINUTES
MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
FEBRUARY 5, 2001

Mayor Margo G. Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. In attendance were Councilmembers Harrison C. Bristoll, Jr., W. 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 meeting of January 22, 2001 and Executive Sessions of January 22 and 29, 2001. Mr. Bristoll moved that the minutes be accepted as presented, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey stated that an executive session was held on January 22, 2001 at 8:35 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. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Minutes were taken and are part of the record. Mayor Bailey stated that an executive session was held on Monday, January 29, 2001 at 5:00 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 a personnel matter. The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 p.m. Minutes were taken and are part of the record.

Mayor Bailey called on Capt. Edler for the police report. Capt. Edler gave the report for the month of January 2001 and the Annual Report for the year 2000. Mayor Bailey asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Mayor Bailey announced that the Town has hired a new police chief. Walter T. Coryell is currently with the Baltimore County Police Department and he will be sworn in as the Chestertown Chief of Police on Tuesday, February 20, 2001. Mayor Bailey read a brief summary of Chief Coryell's career so far.

Mayor Bailey said that the Sultana group had a presentation to make and she introduced Mike Thielke and Drew McMullen. Mr. Thielke stated that the launch weekend for the ship will be March 23 and 24, 2001. He said several other non-profit organizations will take part in the launching activities including, Imagination Alley, Garnett School, and a reception by the Wildlife Exhibition at Emmanuel Church. He said satellite parking areas will be established and shuttle bus transportation will be available into Town. There will be a public reception at the National Guard Armory on Saturday after the launching.

Drew McMullen stated that the moving of the ship from the Cannon Street yard to the foot of High Street will begin on Friday morning at 9 a.m. He said that on Saturday morning there will be about a 1/2 hour ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. and the actual launch will be at 10 a.m. He said the request to the Town was for assistance from the Police during the move and launch, cleanup help after the activities, closing streets and marking no parking areas during the move and launch. The details were in a letter to the Town.

Mr. Bristoll asked if they would have transportation problems with the barge coming up the river. Mr. McMullen said they have looked at this and the barge will come up at high tide and the County plans to dredge the foot of High Street by March 24, 2001.

Mr. Ingersoll stated that the Sultana group has insurance that will cover the roads or under the roads, etc. He said the Town will use extra police and cleanup crews for the event. Mr. Kirby asked if the Town would be assuming the cost for these items. Mr. Ingersoll said he was asking for a motion on that as we do for the Tea Party each year. Mr. Kirby asked if some arrangement can be made for the people in the 100 bl. of High Street to park. Mr. Bristoll moved that the Town Manager issue the proper permits and that the Town will assist with the additional police coverage, cleanup and designating the no parking and closed streets, was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried by unanimous vote.

Mayor Bailey introduced Carl Burke, Director of Upper Shore Aging. Mr. Burke said the Kent County Commissioners appropriated $5000 for the initial design study for the senior center and they approved of the drawing that Mr. Burke presented. He said he had developed a tentative funding plan for the project totaling $1,100,000 which included a Town of Chestertown sponsored Block Grant of $450,000. He said the County Commissioners had asked that Mr. Burke approach the Town with a request that the Town allow the Senior Center continued use of the Town Hall rent free in light of the progress being made towards the construction of a senior center building.

Mayor Bailey asked for a time table for the senior center project. Mr. Burke said it would probably be a year from October 2001 before breaking ground to allow time to get a bond bill and grant funding. He said the completion time would be about a year and a half. Mr. Ingersoll said that the Town support of a Block Grant for the project would be similar to the one the Town sponsored for the Family Support Center. He said the Town would have to look at the progress being made in considering any abatement of rent.

Mayor Bailey asked if the abatement of rent could be used as a match for the grant or an in-kind contribution under the grant. Mr. Ingersoll said this was a relationship between Upper Shore and the County where the County will give them the maximum they can give but not give it for rent here. Mr. Burke said his hope was that in lieu of County support for rent that they would pay some of the development costs for the project. Mayor Bailey said she had no problem with abating the rent in light of the progress on the senior center project.

Mr. Bristoll moved that the Town abate the rent for the senior center for the budget year beginning July 1, 2001 and that the matter be reviewed each year thereafter in the budget process when the progress on the senior center would be considered. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried by unanimous vote.

Mayor Bailey called on the Town Manager for his report. Mr. Ingersoll announced that bids will be opened at 12 noon on Monday, February 12, 2001 for the Cannon Street pier.

Mr. Ingersoll said that the public hearing had been held on two Resolutions to change the Charter. He said we had done some research on the Charter history which he read. He said there had only been six amendments to the Charter since the original one was written in 1965 plus 7 annexations to the Town which change the boundaries. He said the Charter has been a good document. He said the Mayor and Council was the body to review the charter and suggest changes and then they may appoint a citizen committee to review it.

Mr. Ingersoll said Resolution #1-01 was to change the amount that the Mayor and Council can spend without bid documents from $3000 to $10,000. He said the $3000 figure had been the same since the 1980 Charter revision. Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to adopt the Resolution. Mr. Clark moved that Resolution #1-01 be adopted, was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously.

The second Charter change was Resolution #2-01 which changes the date of the Town election from the second Monday in December in the odd numbered years to the first Tuesday in November in the odd numbered years. The date when the elected officials are installed will remain the first meeting in January. Mr. Bristoll moved that Resolution #2-01 be adopted, was seconded by Mr. Kirby and carried unanimously. Mr. Kirby said he felt there should be a committee to review the charter from time to time and he thanked the Kent News for the editorial comment. Mr. Ingersoll said that the editorial in the Kent County News was not correct in that the Town election date will not coincide with the state and national elections as the editorial implied.

Mr. Ingersoll reported that the street sweeper does not do the job anymore. He presented the Council with a budget revision form showing that Highway User funds had increased by $33,000 and there are funds left over from last year which would help buy a street sweeper now. He said he was getting figures on the cost of a street sweeper which would be about $100,000. He said we get calls all the time about the dust that the sweeper creates and this was caused by the fact that the inside of the sweeper has basically been sand blasted and was full of pinholes. He said we have constantly repaired it but it no longer works. He asks the Council to consider replacement of the street sweeper either leasing or purchasing a new one and he will report the difference in those costs to the Council. We said we have about $83,000 in street funds and we would bid out the purchase of a sweeper. Mr. Bristoll suggested that a schedule be set up for the street sweeping because sweeping was not effective if cars are not moved off the street so it can be done curb to curb.

Mayor Bailey said she would like to vote on the reappointments introduced at the last meeting. She asked for a motion on the reappointment of Ken Noble to the Planning Commission. Mr. Bristoll moved that Mr. Noble be reappointed to the Planning Commission, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to reappoint Davy McCall to the Historic District Commission. Mr. Bristoll moved that Mr. McCall be reappointed to the Historic District Commission, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to reappoint Kees deMooy to the Historic District Commission. Mr. Clark moved that Mr. deMooy be reappointed to the Historic District Commission, was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to reappoint Henry Gruber to the Board of Appeals. Mr. Kirby moved that Mr. Gruber be reappointed to the Board of Appeals, was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey asked for a motion to reappoint Stuart Godwin to the Board of Appeals. Mr. Kirby moved that Mr. Godwin be reappointed to the Board of Appeals, was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey said the Council had the opportunity to look at the Town's dog ordinance compared to the Kent County Ordinance. She said some portions of the County ordinance do not apply in Town and Mr. Ingersoll can cross them out. The Council asked that the County document be revised and they will review it at the next meeting. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz discussed the need for an area designated for walking dogs as a courtesy to visitors and as a safe place for citizens to walk dogs.

Mayor Bailey read an invitation from the Historical Society of Kent County and The Kent County Heritage Trust for Sunday, February 25, 2001 at the Garnett Elementary School at 1 p.m. The speaker will be Vincent Leggett, President of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, and is the Second Annual Black History Month Speaker's Event.

Mayor Bailey asked the Council to consider a date to move the March Utilities meeting. The Council agreed that the meeting would be held on Monday, March 26, 2001.

Mayor Bailey reported on the first State Highway Task Force meeting. She said the Task Force will meet the first Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Town Hall if anyone was interested in attending. The items addressed at the first meeting were: 1) suggested signs indicating a pedestrian crossing on Maple Avenue at Queen Street rather Water Street; 2) put one-way signs back up at Water Street and Queen Streets; 3) check manhole covers for vibrations; 4) installation of cameras at traffic signals to monitor people going through the lights and tickets will be issued; 5) have police keep an eye out for illegal truck traffic in Town; 6) recommended use of the sign which tracks the speed of motorists; 7) look at the storm drains that need to be cleaned; 8) look at the pedestrian crossing at Spring and Maple; and 9) a synchronization of the traffic lights. Mr. Kirby asked about the alignment of the lanes at Maple Avenue and Philosopher's Terrace. Mr. Ingersoll said the State had told us before they would look at that. Mr. Kirby recommended that a sign be put up between the bridge and the Spring Avenue intersection stating that there was a traffic signal ahead.

Mayor Bailey said the 500 block of High Street has parking on both sides of the street, a lot of pedestrians and it was a narrow street. She said State Highway felt it was a good idea to post a "no trucks - local deliveries only" sign in that area since cars are being damaged on that block. Mr. Bristoll said signage would have to be placed at the 291/20 intersection to let truck drivers know that they could not go down High Street. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said it should be restricted from Lynchburg Street on.

Drew McMullen said his car has been struck three times while parked in the 500 block of High Street.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any questions or comments. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said the problems are ongoing with the partying college students in her neighborhood and the second semester has just begun. Mayor Bailey asked that she be given the house numbers where this was occurring and she will contact the landlords.

William Plummer again discussed the property in the 400 block of Cannon Street. He said the noise had abated but the property was still a mess with the abandoned vehicles on the lot. Mr. Ingersoll said he will follow up on this.

Mayor Bailey asked the Council to review the bills. 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 8:55 p.m., was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously.