Town of Berwyn Heights

Town Meeting Minutes

April 12, 2006

The meeting was called to order at 7:45 p.m. Present were Mayor Calvo, CMs Dennison, Gourley, Laughlin and McNulty. Also present were Town Administrator Murphy, Chief of Police Murphy, Treasurer Lape, Clerk Harper as well as Chair of the Education Advisory Committee (EAC) Ann Davidson, Chair of the Neighborhood Watch/Emergency Preparedness Committee (NW/EP) Ron Shane, Gazette reporter, Michael Zimmerman and citizens.

Mayor Calvo led the pledge of allegiance.

1. Hearings

Constant Yield Tax Rate Hearing (7:46 – 7:57 p.m.): Mayor Calvo explained that the Town is required by State law to hold a hearing on the constant yield tax rate, the real property tax rate that would yield the same amount of revenue in FY 2007 as in FY 2006. The constant yield tax rate would be lower at 44.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value than the current tax rate of 48.6 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The Council proposes not to adopt the constant yield tax rate but to retain the current tax rate, which, due to rising property values, is expected raise 10.8% more in real property tax revenues.

Mayor Calvo opened the hearing. A resident from Osage Street asked to explain the constant yield tax rate once again. Mayor Calvo did so, while providing comparative real property tax rates in neighboring communities and unincorporated areas. He said Berwyn Heights residents pay approximately 33 cents more in real property taxes than residents of unincorporated areas. CM Dennison commented that rising taxes are due to rising property assessments, which are done by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), not the Town. She noted that assessments can be appealed.

Mike Attick of 62^nd Avenue asked if the $91,000 in additional taxes the Town raises by not adopting the constant yield tax rate is included in the budget summary published in the Bulletin. Mayor Calvo replied that it is reflected in the 10.8% increase in real property taxes from the FY 2006 budget to the FY 2007 proposed budget. With no further comments, Mayor Calvo closed the hearing.

Ordinance No. 135 – FY 2007 Budget (7:59 – 9:19 p.m. ): Mayor Calvo opened the hearing explaining that this is the first reading and introduction of the FY 2007 budget, whereas a second reading and adoption will take place at the May 10 Town meeting.

The Osage Street resident asked if she could comment on the budget on another day as she has not yet had time to read the document. Mayor Calvo said any resident can call the Town office with questions any day. However, public comment can only be given at a public hearing. Another hearing on the budget is scheduled for the May 10 Town meeting.

Mike Attick commented that no line item budgets have been made available to the public in recent weeks. All he had to go on was a summary published in the April Bulletin. Further, he remarked that the Council spends too much time fussing over finding small savings while departmental budgets keep going up by thousands of dollars each year. He blamed the Council for choosing to fund new positions and benefits rather than keeping taxes low. He believes the Town should take care of the people who pay taxes before taking care of the people who do the work.

Mayor Calvo suspended the rules to move up the budget summary and presentation of departmental budgets while holding the hearing open. In this manner, he hoped to get better participation from residents than later in the meeting.

Mayor Calvo began with an overall summary of the budget. He stated that the Town is in an excellent fiscal position with revenues strong and increased reserves for long term needs, among them infrastructure improvements, vehicle replacement and competitive salaries. Revenues are projected to increase by 9.3 % while the same tax rate is maintained. It is proposed that $50,000 be taken from the surplus and used for operating expenses, while $193,000 of the surplus is to be used for capital expenditures. The bulk of the capital expenditure will fund the cash purchase of a new trash truck and a one-ton dump truck.

With respect to expenditures, Mayor Calvo noted that employee salaries are the main cost driver. The budget appropriates money for a 3% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), $12,000 for merit increases and $26,000 to improve the competitiveness of salaries within the context of a comparative salary plan. Health insurance is going up by 18% bringing the total appropriation to $112,000 or 5% of the budget. Expenditures in the General Government and Mayor & Council budgets are stable. The Administration budget is going up by 3.1% due to the hiring of a full time administrative assistant, the Municipal Building budget by 1.1 % and the Town Center budget by 17.1% due to planned renovations. The Cable budget is increasing by 11.1% and the Insurance budget by 4.8%. After setting aside $616,000 in reserves, and appropriating $193,000 for capital expenses, the budget shows a $192,000 surplus of undesignated funds.

CM McNulty reported that the Police budget is going up by 10.9% for a total of $551,000. Most of the increase is due to salary increases approved last November and a 3% COLA. Postage, electricity and gasoline are all going up due to inflation. The Neighborhood Watch/Emergency Preparedness budget was given a $1,000 increase to make improvements to the Emergency Preparedness trailer and the Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $1,000 contribution. The Police Department is also slated to hire an 8^th officer and a new car for that officer. However, officer and car will be funded from Public Safety Taxing District revenues.

CM Laughlin said that the Code Department's budget has gone up by 11.1% with salaries the main cost drivers. The Code Department currently has 4 employees, one director, one part-time officer, one part-time clerk and one administrative assistant shared with the Administration Department. Other appropriations that have gone up include supplies, postage, gasoline and communication, which cover the cost of cell phones and a blackberry. The Van Program budget is the same as last year.

CM Gourley reported that the Public Works Department is slated for a 5.1% overall increase. While the budget for the Public Works building is stable, the Streets & Sanitation budget has gone up. Again, salaries, which have gone up by 70 cents/hour last year, have been the main cost drivers. This appropriation funds 8 full-time employees, 7 of which are filled. An 8^th position has been advertised with landscaping qualifications. The Temporary Help budget has increased restoring the cut made in 2006 of one person one day a week. Other appropriations that have increased include gasoline, leaf collection due to higher fees for mulch processing and tree service. Maintenance & Repairs is expected to go down because of new equipment purchases.

CM Dennison first responded to Mr. Attick saying that the Council has not been fighting about budget cuts. She defended increases in employee salaries and benefits as important to maintaining high levels of service and not adopting the constant yield tax rate. She then reported that the Parks and Recreation budget has gone up mainly because of an increase in the Special Events line item, which covers Berwyn Heights Day and the Haunted House among others, and maintenance of the ball fields at Sports Park and Pontiac Street.

Mayor Calvo noted that increases in electricity rates are the big unknown in the FY 2007 budget and may go up by 55% if no lower bid can be secured from another supplier. The Town is currently paying $45,000 annually for electricity. Thus, a 55% increase represents an additional $23,000 in expenses which has not yet been funded in full and may require further cuts. He also pointed out that increases in the Code Department budget, due to the hiring of additional personnel, have been covered by increases in revenues from rental licensing fees. CM Laughlin noted that improvement in code enforcement was one of five strategic goals this Council adopted at the beginning of its term.

A resident of Osage Street asked why a Blackberry is needed for the Code Department and how cell phone use is monitored. Mayor Calvo replied that it is used by the Code Director when in the field to send messages to the Administrative Assistant, who can then begin to process a particular code matter. The cost of the Blackberry is made up by greater efficiency of the code enforcement process. With respect to cell phones, the Town pays only for a certain amount of minutes. The part-time Code Assistant's cell phone is paid in full because she also acts as a Spanish interpreter.

The same resident asked why temporary labor needs to be hired. CM Gourley said that there is too much work for 6 full time employees to complete, especially with such labor-intensive jobs as grass cutting and leaf collection.

Ron Shane of 57^th Avenue asked why Police Department Fines & Forfeitures are up by 50% and why there is a 44% decrease in Intergovernmental revenues. Mayor Calvo replied that increased Fines and Forfeiture revenues are mainly due to more citations being written and more efficient collection of fines. Intergovernmental revenues have decreased because of less grant money received and a lapse of police state aid due to the departure of one police officer, who was later re-hired.

Mr. Shane further noted that the budget shows $192,000 in undesignated surplus and suggested the Council use some of it for special projects, such as outfitting the emergency trailer.

Jim Woodhouse of Pontiac Street said that Berwyn Heights has not grown very much in the last 50 years while neighboring municipalities have and are earning more revenues from their commercial districts. Further, he expressed concern about the increasing number of homes in Berwyn Heights that are inhabited by more than one family, which frequently cause problems for neighbors. CM Laughlin encouraged the resident to report such problem homes to the Code Director, who can then look into it. Mayor Calvo added that multi-family homes are a matter of zoning regulations, which are enforced at the County level. Berwyn Heights may only report them to the County zoning department.

Jim Demino of Osage Street, who is the Girls' Softball Commissioner, said that the baseball infield at Sports Park needs attention. The one-time plowing and dragging done by Park and Planning in late March is not enough to make the infield playable. In fact, plowing brought rocks to the surface tore up the caps for bases. He and James Taylor have taken it upon themselves to drag the infield on a regular basis. He asked whose responsibility it is to take care of this job. Mayor replied that the Town has budgeted for the reseeding of the Pontiac Street and Sports Park ball fields in the budget. He is prepared to do whatever it takes to get the fields up and running and proposed a meeting between the Boys and Girls Club, Town Council, Town Administrator and Public Works Director to determine what needs to be done.

CM Dennison remarked that the Men's League used to maintain the fields on Sundays. CM Gourley said he is happy to meet with the Club to come up with a plan but noted that it is not helpful for people to play on the outfield just after it has been reseeded. Mr. Demino said that kids, who are not scheduled to play as a team, are now playing on the field every night, sometimes interfering with practice, tearing up the field and leaving trash. It was agreed that this and other concerns would be taken up on a meeting scheduled for April 18.

Ann Davidson of 58^th Avenue asked at what time the Code Department added 3 part-time employees. Mayor Calvo said it was a year ago when the part-time officer and the shared administrative assistant were added to the budget. The part-time clerk started before that. However, it was about 4 years ago when there was only 1 code enforcement officer.

Ms. Davidson continued asking if the Town has any authority to regulate what can be put on 2 large billboards on Town property overlooking Greenbelt Road at Branchville Road and whether the Town receives any revenue from them. Mayor Calvo said that the Town does not have any authority to regulate the billboards and receives no revenue. However, they will probably be taken down within the next year as the Metroland development proceeds. Ms. Davidson suggested that a newly elected Council look into ways to regulate signs that are put up along Greenbelt Road.

Ed Dillon of Ruatan Street stated that he enjoys living in a Town that is safe and clean. The payment of competitive wages is a necessary expense to keep good employees who provide these services. He congratulated the Council on the budget surplus.

Mayor Calvo closed the hearing

Ordinance No. 136 – Public Safety Taxing District Budget (9:20 – 9:28 p.m.): Having opened the next hearing, Mayor Calvo explained that last June Berwyn Heights was the first Town in Maryland to create a Special Public Safety Taxing District with the intent to enhance public safety programs. It consists of the commercial and industrial properties along Greenbelt Road, Branchville Road, Ballew Avenue and 55^th Avenue. In the first year, $24,000 in revenues will be collected with a 10 cents real property tax. This was set aside for a 3-year phase-in of the full program. The FY 2007 budget for the district proposes to add a 5 cent personal property tax for total revenues of $37,000. The phased-in program calls for the purchase of a police car in the first year and the hiring of an 8^th police officer in the middle of the second year. In the third year, the Council would have to pay for the cost differential for the 8^th officer and/or possibly raise the personal property again.

Mr. Shane related that when the Commercial District Management Authority (CDMA) was first created, the then Council decided not to raise a special tax because it would have to be spent in the District proper. He asked if this is the case with this legislation. Mayor Calvo replied that this is not the case. Any officer hired with the special taxes could also patrol the Town and perform duties unrelated to the District.

Mr. Attick asked what would happen to the special taxes already collected if the Town did not hire an 8^th officer. Mayor Calvo said that if the taxes are not spent to enhance public safety the money would have to be returned. But other enhancements besides an additional officer could be considered.

Pawn Shop Special Exception Application (9:30 – 10:15 p.m.): Mayor Calvo explained that an application for a special exception to locate a pawn shop near the Washington Post Printing facility on Greenbelt Road has been filed with the Prince George's County Zoning Examiners.

Tom Haller, Attorney for Best Pawn Shops, asked the Council to support the application for a special exception. He introduced Scott Cutlip, owner of Best Pawn, and Ellie Forillo and Tony Ragazo, prospective employees. Mr. Haller said that the process for obtaining license for a pawn shop is difficult in Prince George's County, which has set a limit of 38 pawn shops total. The business owner is required to have a location to get a license, and a license and location to get a special exception. Hence Mr. Cutlip has rented the upper level of the “Suburban Signs” store at 505 Greenbelt Road. There, he will open a retail store “Unlimited Wholesale” in the next month, which will sell used items from the owner's other pawn shops in Bethesda, Rockville Pike, and Gaithersburg.

Mr. Halller sought to reassure the Council that this pawn shop would not attract crime. He stated that Prince George's County has stringent laws regulating pawn shops and a squad of detectives assigned to investigate pawn shops. Further, the owner intends to run an upscale pawn shop, which would not sell guns, would not have merchandise on display outside the store and would not have a pawn shop store sign. Councilmembers were invited to inspect this and the owner's other stores.

Mayor Calvo said that he grew up in the Hollywood section of College Park, where A-1 Pawn Shop opened in the Edgewood shopping center about 20 years ago. It is his impression that the neighborhood has been negatively affected and that crime has gone up since then. He asked Mr. Haller to address the apparent correlation between pawn shops and criminal activity and whether this area is not already served with 1 pawn shop.

Mr. Haller replied that he does not see a correlation between pawn shops and the decline of a neighborhood. Rather, businesses tend to reflect the area they serve. He asked Mr. Cutlip to explain why he would like to open his business here.

Mr. Cutlip said that he has worked in the pawn business since 1988 and in his experience most pawn shops are not like A-1 in Hollywood. He does not consider A-1 to be competition and does not want to be compared with it. He promised to open a well run, quality store where a family can feel comfortable shopping.

CM Dennison asked how many pawn shops operate in Prince George's and what happens if Mr. Cutlip cannot get license. Mr. Cutlip said there are currently 34 pawn shops in the County and that he would continue to operate a second hand store if he could not get a license.

CM McNulty suggested that Mr. Cutlip continue to run the business as a second hand store and asked why he would go through the laborious process of opening a pawn shop. Mr. Cutlip said that, before he signed a lease for the store, he spoke to the College Park city hall and asked if there were any restrictions on pawn shops and was told there were none. He then signed a 5-year lease only to find that College Park's mayor and council had objections. He would prefer to run a pawn business because it is more profitable.

CM Laughlin asked why Mr. Cutlip needed a special exception. Mr. Haller said that each new pawn shop has to meet locational criteria. One of these seeks to prevent the massing of pawn shops in certain areas and special exceptions are needed for areas so designated.

Ray Smith of Seminole Place asked if Mr. Cutlip knew how many pawn shops are within a 5-mile radius of the Town Hall. Mr. Cutlip thought 4 or 5 but noted that a 5-mile radius is a large area in a metropolitan context. Mr. Smith said the 5 pawn shops within a 5-mile radius are already too many and that another one is not needed.

Mr. Dillon asked Mr. Cutlip if any stolen merchandise had been recovered at his Riverdale store. Mr. Cutlip said it had and that it happens about once a month. Mr. Dillon also asked if the pawn shop would impact the Berwyn Heights police in any way. Mayor Calvo said that Chief Murphy would address that issue later. He continued that he wishes Mr. Cutlip well in his efforts to improve the face of the pawn industry but that this area is amply served. Further, pawn shops do not fit with the efforts of Berwyn Heights and its neighbors to improve the area and attract upscale retailers to the Greenbelt Station development

Chief Murphy, referring to his 33 year experience as a police officer, testified that pawn shops are associated with an increase in property crimes and reduction of property values. While pawn shops are regulated, the Prince George's investigative unit charged with overseeing them is understaffed and overwhelmed. Their computer system used for tracking stolen property has problems and cannot easily be accessed by police agencies. Oftentimes, stolen goods that have been pawned can't be easily identified, either because they have no serial number or serial numbers have not been recorded. He noted that the Staples store in Berwyn Heights is a preferred target for shoplifting and goods stolen from the store have turned up frequently in Prince George's pawn shops. Opening a pawn shop in this neighborhood is equivalent to creating a market for stolen goods.

With no further comments, Mayor Calvo closed the hearing.

2. Minutes

Clerk Harper read a summary of the March 8 Town meeting minutes. On a motion by CM McNulty and second by CM Dennison, the minutes were approved 5 to 0 as presented.

3. Treasurer's Report

Treasurer Lape gave the Treasurer's report for the month of March.

4. Mayor's Report & Administration Department Report

Mayor Calvo, in a combined report, stated that the Council held an executive session from 9:55 – 11:05 p.m. at the April 10 worksession to discuss a personnel matter and citizens of the year. The Town recently completed a survey of WSSC and Washington Gas patches of Town streets. The information will be passed on to the utilities with the request to make improvements where needed. It is hoped that the WSSC crews currently working on replacing the Seminole Street water main can be tasked to redo problem patches as well. The Town Administrator has set up new systems for recording the collection of personal property taxes and issuing business licenses, enabling their integration. As a result, some 20 businesses have been identified that have paid their personal property taxes to College Park instead of Berwyn Heights for a number of years. Those property owners have been notified and asked to pay these back taxes. Town services will close at noon on April 14 due to Good Friday. The Pontiac Street field was reseeded and a leak in the water fountain at the Sports Park Concession stand was fixed.

Mayor Calvo noted that this is the last Town meeting for CMs Laughlin and McNulty who are not running for re-election, and thanked them for their service. A reception in their honor will be held at a later date.

5. Department Reports

Code Enforcement: CM Laughlin thanked Mayor Calvo for the kind words. She issued reminders for the upcoming grass season and asked residents to not let their grass grow above 10”, not to park vehicles in grassy areas and to eliminate sources of standing water to prevent mosquito breeding. Residents were requested to consult the Code Department on the need for building permits with respect to planned construction projects. She continued with fire prevention tips and concluded with a report of code violations for March.

Parks and Recreation, Education and Civic Affairs: CM Dennison said the next month will be very busy. On April 22, a rain garden will be installed in the court yard of Berwyn Heights Elementary School (BHES) thanks to parent Deeda McInnes, who obtained a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. On April 24, BHES students will hold a mock Town meeting to kick off Municipal Government Works Month. Berwyn Heights Day will be held on Saturday, May 6, beginning with a fun run and ending with an evening concert. The Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 10. A bill, endorsed by the Education Advisory Committee (EAC) and the Town Council that would have re-established a school board with 9 members elected from single-member districts did not pass. The next 9-member school board will instead be elected at large. On May 2, the Town will elect a new Town Council, preceded by a Candidates' Night on April 26, at which residents can ask questions of those running for a seat.

Public Health and Safety: CM McNulty, who did not seek re-election, thanked all those whom he had worked with on the Council and his Department: Chief Murphy for his patience in explaining the workings of the Police Department, CM Laughlin for her institutional knowledge, CM Dennison for her hard work, Mayor Calvo for his leadership of the Council and CM Gourley for his honesty and good humor. He expressed pride in the accomplishments of this Council, especially in improving the employees’ salaries and benefits and efficiency of police department.

Chief Murphy thanked CM McNulty for his kind words and dedicated service. Then he gave the police activities report for March. There were 10 Part I offenses, which is lower than the 5-year average of 11.2. In Berwyn Heights crime has gone down by 16% and violent crime by 24% for 2004-2005, while crime in Prince George's County increased by 1.7%. He described a successful investigation led by Officer Chapman with oversight by Detective Antolik of a complex case of theft, fraud and forgery related to a Berwyn Heights business that led to arrest of the culprit. He concluded with a summary of significant incidents during the last month.

Public Works: CM Gourley reported that one of the trash trucks is sidelined while being repaired. The Public Works crew rebuilt the sunken area in the Sports Park parking lot resulting from installation of water lines for the concession stand and installed plantings. They also worked on the concession stand water fountain, reseeded the Pontiac Street field, improved the flow of water from rain barrels and took training in flagging.

6. Committee Reports

Education Advisory Committee: Chair Ann Davidson thanked CM Dennison and the Town Council for supporting a school board with members elected from single districts. While the House of Delegates overwhelmingly passed legislation that would have created this school board, the Senate could not produce an agreement before the close of session. As a result, Prince George's County will return to a school board where all 9 members are all elected at large, with 5 having to live in specific districts. The Committee continues to wait for a response from the new Superintendent of Schools, John Deasy, who was invited to attend a joint Berwyn Heights/College Park EAC meeting in May or June.

Historical Committee: CM Dennison reported that another historic street marker will be dedicated this Berwyn Heights Day. Keleher Avenue, now Ruatan Street, has the greatest concentration of historic homes and several of its long time residents will attend the ceremonies.

Neighborhood Watch/Emergency Preparedness: Chair Ron Shane reported that the organization will have its emergency trailer on display on Berwyn Heights Day and perform a fire extinguisher demonstration. He and Mr. Attick will attend meetings of the Prince George's CERTs and Citizen Corps this week. On April 29, Town residents and groups are invited to attend a disaster response simulation at Sports Park. It is intended to familiarize volunteers with Emergency Preparedness equipment and procedures.

Recreation Council: CM Dennison said that the date of the Town-wide yard sale will be set so as to dovetail with the County's free tipping day.

7. Unfinished Business

There was none

8. New Business

Ordinance No. 135 – Introduction of FY 2007 Town Budget: On a motion by CM Gourley and second by CM McNulty, the Ordinance was considered read. Mayor Calvo noted that the FY 2007 budget proposes a real property tax rate of 48.6 cents per $100 of assessed property value and personal property tax rate of $1.215 cents per $100 assessed value. CM Gourley moved to introduce the budget. CM Dennison seconded. There was no discussion. The motion passed 5 to 0 in a roll call vote.

Ordinance No. 136 – Introduction of FY 2007 Public Safety Taxing District Budget: On a motion by CM Dennison and second by CM McNulty, the Ordinance was considered read. Mayor Calvo noted that the Ordinance establishes a real property tax rate of 10 cents per $100 of assessed property value and a personal property tax rate of 5 cents for the District. CM Laughlin commented that the personal property tax rate was increased from 0 to 5 cents. The special taxing district budget was introduced in a 5 to 0 vote.

Ordinance No. 105 – Introduction of Business Licensing Amendments: Mayor Calvo explained that TA Murphy spent a lot of time last year updating business licensing systems allowing for the cross-referencing of licenses and personal property taxes. Recently, he has revised the licensing fee structure, which has not been done for 11 years. Notably, limited liability partnerships, which include most professional offices, are proposed to be assessed on the basis of gross receipts rather than number of associates.

CM McNulty moved to introduce the amendments. CM Laughlin seconded. Mayor Calvo noted that the Council has not finalized changes to the Ordinance and will continue to discuss them at upcoming meetings. Ron Shane said that the Ordinance does not make clear whether it includes home-based businesses. Mayor Calvo said that these businesses traditionally have not been subject to business licensing fees. CM Gourley thanked the Council for moving ahead with raising the fees in his absence. He has advocated for it since he was elected. With no further comments, the Council voted 5 to 0 to introduce the amendments.

Resolution No. 06-2006 regarding Best Pawn Shop Special Exception: Clerk Harper read the Resolution. CM Laughlin moved to adopt the Resolution. CM McNulty seconded. Ray Smith commented that he has a friend who lives in Hollywood section of College Park. A couple of years ago, a number of things were stolen from his shed, which later showed up at a nearby pawn shop. He believes pawn shops are bad for a neighborhood and encourage petty crime. He asked the Council to oppose the application.

Ron Shane said he has worked with local pawn shops as part of the Staples loss prevention unit. While the pawn shop owners have generally been cooperative, stolen property from Staples has frequently been recovered from their stores. Pawn shops do not create crime but open an avenue for disposing of stolen property. He supports the Council's opposition to opening the pawn shop in question.

Tony Ragaza of Seminole Street said that he has known Scott Cutlip for years. His other pawn shops are fine establishments. Upon learning that he wanted to open a pawn shop here he applied for a job. He will be working at this store, whether or not it is a pawn shop, and will be able to answer any questions the Council or residents may have.

CM McNulty said that he is generally pro-business but opposes the opening of the pawn shop for the good of the community. CM Dennison objected to the use of the term “morals” in the Resolution and moved to take it out. CM McNulty seconded. Mayor Calvo said that the language was taken straight from the County zoning ordinance. The motion failed 1 to 4 with CM Dennison in favor. CM Laughlin said that Chief Murphy believes that pawn shops have a connection with crime and opposes a special exception. Mayor Calvo said he was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Cutlip's presentation, but that a new pawn shop does not fit with the direction he would like this area to take. In a roll call vote, the Council voted 5 to 0 to oppose application for a special exception.

9. Citizens Discussion

Ray Smith complimented the Council on a smooth budget process and Code Director Solomon for her fast response to a problem on his street.

A resident from Osage Street asked who she should contact to take care of a problem with raccoons in storm drains. A neighbor of hers is apparently feeding them. She was told by the County's Animal Control Department to either trap the raccoons and bring them to their office or talk to the Town of Berwyn Heights about the problem. The resident was told to let the Code Officer know about the problem who would talk to the neighbor about not feeding the raccoons.

Pawn Shop owner Scott Cutlip thanked the Council for their consideration and polite treatment. He understands that the decision to oppose the application is based on the poor image of the pawn industry.

Mike Attick said that he supports the hiring of an 8^th officer but that the money should be reallocated from other areas in the budget. He also questioned the wisdom of selling plastic bags to residents for the disposal of leaves, as there are complaints from Public Works that it is too time-consuming to rip the bags open when dumping them.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:05 a.m

Kerstin Harper, Town Clerk