MINUTES
WALKERSVILLE BURGESS & COMMISSIONERS TOWN MEETING
February 21, 2007
The Town meeting of the Walkersville Burgess & Commissioners was called to order on Wednesday, February 21, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. Those in attendance included Burgess Ralph Whitmore, Commissioners Sam Eyler, Don Schildt, Chad Weddle, and Debbie Zimmerman, Town Manager Gloria Long Rollins, Planning and Zoning Administrator Susan Hauver, Public Works Supervisor Dennis Miller, Public Works Director Bob DePaola, Maryland State Police Resident Trooper Ramona George, 3 citizens, and 2 press.
Commissioner Jim Reid was out of town.
The meeting of February 14 was cancelled due to snowy weather and rescheduled for tonight.
The meeting was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance.
1. MINUTES
Commissioner Debbie Zimmerman made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Sam Eyler, to approve the Town Meeting minutes of January 24, 2007. The motion passed by a vote of 4-0.
2. SHA FUNDING REDUCTION ESTIMATE 2007
Ms. Rollins notified commissioners that notice has been received that the funding to be received from the State Highway Administration is estimated to be reduced from $351,589.14 to $331,776.31, a reduction of $19,812.83. We will keep this in mind for completing budgeted road projects through June 2007.
3. ST. TIMOTHY’S FELLOWSHIP HALL – PUBLIC WORKS AGREEMENTS, LETTERS OF CREDIT, AND EASEMENT DOCUMENTS
Ms. Hauver presented the documents needed for the St. Timothy’s Fellowship Hall construction process.
Commissioner Don Schildt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Debbie Zimmerman, to approve the public works agreements, letters of credit, and easement documents for St. Timothy’s fellowship hall. The motion passed by a vote of 4-0.
4. ORDINANCE 2007-02 AMENDMENT TO 88-36 D.15 – INTRODUCED 1/24/07
Ms. Hauver presented the written ordinance that was introduced verbally at the 1/24/07 meeting. The ordinance addresses the substitution of On-street parking for off-street parking requirements and will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for their comments and ultimate approval.
Ms. Rollins presented the Frederick County draft tax equity numbers that were emailed to the Town. She noted that the total FY2008 allocation is down $51,438, the reduction in the area of Police. Burgess Whitmore will attempt to obtain more information on the reduction at the upcoming MML Mayors’ meeting.
6. CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE
Ms. Rollins presented the Constant Yield tax rate information received from the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. The Town of Walkersville’s constant yield tax rate is 14¢ per $100 of assessed real property value. This is the tax rate that would need to be adopted to obtain the same amount of revenue as projected for FY 2007. The Town’s current tax rate is 15.6¢. The tax rate will be considered during the budgeting process, along with the State Highway Administration and Frederick County Tax Equity reductions for the Town.
7. PLANNING COMMISSION WORK PRIORITIES DISCUSSION
Commissioners discussed Ms. Hauver’s Planning Commission list of possible work priorities and arrived at the following recommendation:
Priority #1 – Code enforcement: review of regulations concerning Code enforcement and review of administrative procedures to ensure greater development code enforcement.
Priority #2 – Zoning regulations re: home occupations and home-based businesses. Town regulations are out of date.
Priority #3 – Sign regulations, review, and update. Parts of our code may be unconstitutional of how we regulate sign content.
Priority #4 – Parking regulations, review and update.
Preparation of new comprehensive plan elements required by the State (water resources and municipal growth elements) and development of an Institutional zoning district on the comprehensive plan will be addressed as the plan is updated in the next 2 years.
8. RESOLUTION 2007-01 – MUTUAL OF AMERICA UPDATE OF 457 DEFERRED COMP PLAN DOCUMENTS
Ms. Rollins presented the resolution needed to update the staff deferred compensation plan.
Commissioner Chad Weddle made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Sam Eyler, to adopt Resolution 2007-01 to update the Mutual of America deferred compensation plan. The motion passed by a vote of 4-0.
9. LOCAL UPDATE OF CENSUS ADDRESSES
Ms. Rollins presented notification from the U.S. Census Bureau regarding participation in the 2010 Census Local Update of census Addresses. Ms. Hauver has sent in the appropriate documents agreeing to the Town’s participation.
10. SCHEDULE FOR WALKERSVILLE BEAUTIFICATION
Everyone mark your calendars for Walkersville Beautification!!!
May 5 starting at 9:00 a.m. – Trash Clean Up – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
May 12 – Bulk Trash Collection – Put Bulk Trash items out at the curb by 5:00 a.m.
May 19 – Enjoy WALKERSVILLE DAY yard sales and events!
11. CITIZENS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS
NONE expressed.
12. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Commissioner Chad Weddle made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Don Schildt, to pay the attached bills. The motion passed by a vote of 4-0.
13. COMMISSIONERS’ CONCERNS
Commissioner Schildt noted that Memorial Day plans are underway.
Commissioner Eyler commended the staff on the excellent job that was done on snow removal. Staff noted that 164 notices were placed this week on homeowners of unshoveled sidewalks. It was noted that the exceptional difficult snow called for leniency from the Town’s enforcement process.
Commissioner Chad Weddle asked if it would be possible to develop a GIS level of street addresses which included photos of the houses at each address. Ms. Hauver explained that it had been investigated and found to be more expensive than the value to the Town.
Resident Trooper Ramona George presented the January police stats – there were no questions for Trooper George.
Commissioner Chad Weddle made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Don Schildt, to have no Town meeting on February 28 (next week) and have the next Town meeting on March 14 as regularly scheduled. The motion passed by a vote of 4-0.
The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gloria Long Rollins
Town Manager