DRAFT
Town of Cheverly
Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2011
Call to Order
Meeting called to order at 8:00 pm in the Cheverly Community Center.
In attendance: CMs Schachter, Eldridge, Tevault, Riazi and Watson.
Pledge of Allegiance
Agenda/Approval/Changes
Minutes – Town Meeting 3/10/11
Approved as written.
Minutes – Worksession 3/24/11
Approved as written.
Town Administrator Report
Mr. Warrington reported that mulch is available for delivery from Public Works for a $20 delivery fee. The contractor for Cheverly Avenue for WSSC no showed a couple of days. We have opened the road to relieve some of the pressure on Belleview. Hopefully they will be here tomorrow to pave. They are not our contractors, but we are trying to get them out here.
Police Department Report
Chief Robshaw another good month for us as crime is down. So far this year we have only had one robbery. We have re-started doing home security surveys. It takes about an hour and we can usually secure things for under $200. May is the month where we really hit out of state tags and abandoned/inoperative vehicles. If you wish to donate a car, please keep the Cheverly Police Department in mind as it contributes back to the Town. I invite everyone to join us on a ride along during one of our enforcement nights. Call and we can make a ride-a-long available. In the budget coming up I will be asking for more watch programs and they have helped with 49 arrests and 18 were felonies. If you wish to participate, please call me. Next month we will have the awards
winners from our department at the meeting. Noted that civilians are at the heart of most police departments and my clerk Janet Isaacson is leaving after 33 years of service. Anything I have wanted to accomplish, Janet made sure it was done. The people at the lowest rung of the ladder are usually the cogs that make things turn and Janet fits that description.
Mayor Janet has been an employee and a member of our community. You have provided great service for a very long time. Mayor read Proclamation Declaring April 15 as Janet Isaacson Day in Cheverly upon her retirement and presented her with a gift.
CM Watson have we made any progress in moving the Speed Camera off of Cheverly Avenue.
Mayor there was a memo that was issued and one of the key issues is striping on the road, which is required to set-up the camera.
Mayor with the Giant closing has there been any change in the Shopping Center. Chief Robshaw our crime rate dropped because of the reduction of people on the site. We have lost the problem of people soliciting money as people leave from grocery shopping.
Mayor the Chief and Town Administrator brought to our attention and our State Senator to change the law to require notification of an impounded car from 7 days to 3 days in order to relieve the amount of money required of the victim to retrieve their car from an impound lot. That law passed in the Senate, but did not pass in the House. Thank you very much for trying and it got involved in the confusion of another bill.
Chief Robshaw we received a State grant for a tag reader and we will be able to identify within 1.5 seconds to identify any stolen car, unregistered car, driver with and open warrant and any wanted driver. It is a $20,000 piece of equipment and I would like more, but am happy with one.
We are also looking at a school bus grant where police follow the school buses around and ticket anyone passing on a red signal. This is an overtime grant and we need to write it to be competitive. This is a tri-state data base for the tag reader.
Committee Reports
Nick D’Angelo Cheverly Day is May 14th, one month away. Get your groups together for the parade. The book is coming together. This is your last chance to advertise or make a contribution. The main stage will have live music and the line-up is on the website. Don’t forget about the midway. Laser Tag will start at Noon right after the parade and the East-West Softball Game.
CM Tevault Chev Prom is on May 13th and it is almost sold out. We will be starting a wait list. Music by the new Romano’s and they play everything from every decade. Pot Luck again this year depending on your last name as to what you are to bring. There will be a keg and mixers. There are great door prizes as well.
CM Watson there is going to be a tennis tournament at the pool courts 9 am Saturday morning on May 7th.
CM Riazi I want to remind everyone to get us your stories for the Cheverly Day book. We want it to reflect the stories of the residents of Cheverly. You can send them to my ward email all the information is on the Cheverly Day website.
CM Eldridge the Recreation Council will be holding the Easter Egg Hunt on April 23rd. Volunteers should be here at 9am and festivities begin at 11am. After the hunt there are games and events in the Community Center. The Easter Bunny will be making an appearance.
A presentation of the Green Infrastructure Report was made at the last Council Worksession and the Green Infrastructure Committee is anxious to get feedback. Search online and you can find the plan under Cheverly Green Plan.
Citizen Input
Mayor anyone? Please come up and give your name and your Ward.
Rachael Audi Ward 2. The Chief was talking about the area near the former Giant and I was talking to someone business owners in the area and they have noted that they have seen a reduction in business since the Giant closed. They are excited about the Aldi’s coming.
Mayor and Council Announcements
CM Watson we are not going to be hosting the Municipal Association meeting this month.
CM Schachter I took the decline in the business for D’Ranch and the other businesses as a mixed blessing. It took a lot of effort by the Town Administrator to get some clean-up in that area and I would like to see that cleaned-up further. I am not running again, but I do want to encourage everyone in Ward 4 to pay attention to the election and come out and vote. I am fully supporting and campaigning for my neighbor David Thorpe.
CM Riazi I want to thank the members of Ward 1 for enduring the re-routed Belleview Avenue. Work is coming to Belleview Avenue. With the warm weather and people are out, please take your foot traffic to the sidewalks.
Mayor the opening date for Aldi’s has moved from August to October. The election is on May 2nd so please come out and vote. Next Tuesday night at 7pm there will be a Candidate’s Forum that will be re-run on the Town’s channel up to the election.
Joyce Lang we have a new format and it will go about an hour and a half. Questions can be asked informally during refreshments.
Mayor You have until April 29th to sign-up to be a registered candidate, in order for votes for you to count as a write-in. Pepco has been in town and we have jointly identified 65 trees set for removal. We are in negotiation with Pepco to pay the $15,000 for the removal, stump grinding and replacement of these trees. The items for the upcoming worksession are: Discussion of the Building Use Policy, Discussion of Building Scheduling, Jason Street Parking Signage, Location of the Peace Pole and Vandalism in Lower Beaver Dam Creek pending a discussion before then, Consideration of Safe Routes to School Coordinator, FY 12 Operating Budget and CIP items.
CM Watson perhaps we can look at Disaster Preparedness. Mayor perhaps you can outline what you want us to focus on.
A Resolution Designating May as Peace Month in Cheverly
Mayor we have residents in our town are working hard with children to have skills as to how to handle conflict in a non-violent and peaceful manner. Mayor read the Proclamation.
- Motion CM Tevault to adopt a Resolution R-4-11 designating May as Peace Month in Cheverly. Seconded CM Riazi. Approved 5-0.
Introduction of Charter Resolution CA-1-11 Amending the Election Section
Mr. Warrington this is an amendment to the Election Section of our Charter that removes the requirement for Election Clerks, which are staff members from having to be registered voters of the Town. In the past our staff members have been Town residents, but currently they are not and we therefore are requesting this amendment to remove this requirement.
CM Watson the clerks would not have to be registered voters anywhere. Mr. Colaresi correct.
Adoption of Ordianance O-3-11 Amending the Parking Section
Mr. Warrington we are getting ready to order new parking tickets books and we found that there is a difference between red light, moving and speed camera violation as to when you have to pay and late fees. Our parking tickets are not the same and are very different. We want them all to have conformity for the ease of understanding for the staff, officers and citizens. This amendment will give residents more time to pay for a parking ticket and a $25 late fee rather than doubling. Also, in 2007 we raised our handicapped parking ticket fine raised to $200 to be in conformance with the State and County. We have only written 4 or 5, but we want to make our Code conform to our practices. We have this up for adoption rather than the used three reading process since we are about to
print new tickets and don’t want to wait 3 months to do that.
- Motion CM Riazi to adopt Ordinance O-3-11 amending the parking ticket section. Seconded CM Eldridge. Approved 4-1. CM Watson opposed.
CM Watson we actually have 3 $200 violations on the books: fire lane, handicapped parking and out-of-state registration. I was on the Council in 2007 and I didn’t catch this inconsistency. I support the Ordinance and it makes a lot of sense, but I don’t feel comfortable deviating from the three months of meetings. We struggle for citizen input and we have a hard time to get people to come and interact. Although it is unlikely that anyone would come and comment on this Ordinance, I feel like we ought to let the 3 months play out.
CM Schachter I think we should move right ahead with this straight forward, non-controversial item and get it fixed. Part of the problem for not having greater participation is because we clog up the agenda with minutia. If something is a non-issue, get it fixed.
CM Tevault what is the impact of not moving on this tonight? Mr. Warrington we probably won’t print new parking tickets and won’t have any to write for the next three months.
Adoption of Ordinance O-4-11 Amending Section 27 Speed Cameras
Mr. Warrington this is less controversial and simply adds a definition of the listing of Bladensburg High, Fairmount Heights High, Gladys Noon Spellman and Hoyer Early Learning in our submission to SHA to install speed cameras on Route 202 and a couple of streets in Old Ward Four. We ask you to adopt in order to submit our new study to get SHA approve and I would not want to wait 3 months to just list these schools and allow us to submit our report.
- Motion CM Eldridge to adopt Ordinance O-4-11 amending section 27 to list the four schools for inclusion in the speed camera area as school zones. Seconded CM Riazi. Approved 5-0.
CM Tevault I see in this Section that 25 miles per hour is listed and we pulled that down to 20 mph. I thought this was part of our comprehensive look prior to the speed cameras.
Mr. Colaresi it was a possibility that this may not be updated as it was pulled from our computers and it may have not made it in my computer. You can pencil it in, but it is not part of the amendment that this Ordinance is proposing. I would just leave it alone.
Fred Price, Jr. Ward 4 I would like to see Robert Gray Elementary which is across from Fairmount Heights High School to see if they should also be listed.
Mr. Warrington there is a half mile radius from Fairmount Heights High School that did include 3 streets in Cheverly and should encompass these three streets, but we will check.
Mayor we will amend if we find it necessary.
Introduction of FY 12 Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program
Mr. Warrington presented specifics about what occurred last year as estimates. He noted the fund balance and some of the proposed changes and Capital items that are being proposed. He noted that there is no current consideration of raising or lowering taxes. A penny on the tax rate will generate $63,000. The estimates are conservative on the revenue side and a repeat of income tax revenues from previous years would balance the FY 11 Budget and would put us within $100, 000 of balance in FY 12 if the budget played-out as proposed. We have 2 police vehicles in this budget and we have a 1/3 reserve to purchase a new trash truck in 2014.
Mayor this is quite a lot of work by the Town Administrator and we thank you.
CM Watson I applaud the Town Administrator on his budget. I would like to ask is the Hoyer sidewalk in this proposed budget? Mr. Warrington no because it is going to be completed during spring break next week, I should have mentioned that to you, sorry.
Mayor I believe in the Town Administrator’s conservative revenue estimates, but I believe we will make what we did last year in income tax revenues. One item in here that was not mentioned is a Mayor and Council grant line item for issues that come up. We will be working on a criteria and guideline process for the distribution of these grants. I would finally like to say that this has been a great Council and it will be the last televised session for at least three of them. I thank Councilmembers Schachter, Watson and Tevault for their viewpoints, efforts and opinions. We have made progress because of their work. I invite all of the Town to come down to our next Town Meeting and welcome our new Councilmembers and say thanks to our exiting Councilmembers.
Meeting adjourned.
Town of Cheverly
Summary of Action
April 12, 2011
- Motion CM Tevault to adopt a Resolution R-4-11 designating May as Peace Month in Cheverly. Seconded CM Riazi. Approved 5-0.
- Motion CM Riazi to adopt Ordinance O-3-11 amending the parking ticket section. Seconded CM Eldridge. Approved 4-1. CM Watson opposed
- Motion CM Eldridge to adopt Ordinance O-4-11 amending section 27 to list the four schools for inclusion in the speed camera area as school zones. Seconded CM Riazi. Approved 5-0.
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