Town of Berwyn Heights

Worksession Minutes

May 15, 2006

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m. Present were Mayor Calvo, CMs Dennison, Gourley and Jewitt. CM Lofgren arrived at 7:25 p.m. Also present were Town Administrator Murphy, Clerk Harper and citizens.

1. Mayor

Announcements: Berwyn Heights residents should have received letters from PEPCO offering the option to absorb a 35% electricity rate increase beginning on July 1 or sign up for a phased increase. At the corner of Osage Street and Cunningham Drive, a group of children regularly ride their bicycles in the street after school. The Police may want to notify their parents about the risks.

Calendar: The Prince George's County Municipal Association will meet on May 18 to elect a new board. CM Dennison will not seek re-election. Another Councilmember may want to run for a seat. The Four Cities Coalition will meet on May 25. Agenda items include status of the street sweeper agreement, pawn shop special exception, and Kenilworth Avenue extension. The Council may request adding the Springhill Lake redevelopment plans. The visit of new CEO of the Prince George's County Schools (PGCPS) John Deasy to Berwyn Heights on June 13 at 7:00 p.m. was added. The Council is scheduled to be at the Maryland Municipal League Conference from June 25 – 28. Mayor Calvo, CMs Dennison, Gourley and Jewitt plan to go. Code Director Solomon should be asked to attend. CM Jewitt will be on vacation from July 2 -14.

It was noted that Berwyn Heights does always fly the flag at halfmast on an appropriate occasion such as today's Peace Officers Day. CM Jewitt volunteered to notify the Council of special occasions.

Mayor Calvo asked Councilmembers if they wanted to reconsider worksession times, which currently are set for the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. No changes were requested.

Minutes: There were none.

Council procedures: Mayor Calvo reviewed the Council procedures. Department reports were added to worksession agendas which are meant to keep Councilmembers informed about the goings on in the different departments. Citizens comments were also added and include comments shared with Councilmembers prior to the meeting or comments made by citizens present at the meeting. The agenda is led off by the Mayor's agenda; department agenda are rotated for each meeting. During meetings parliamentary procedure is used for protocol. Formal motions and seconds are required for decisions and serious proposals and discussions. Councilmembers should ask to be recognized before they speak. Agenda items should be submitted by close of business the Wednesday before a worksession to TA Murphy and Clerk Harper, who will compile them and submit them to the Mayor for approval. The packets are prepared on Friday and placed in Councilmembers mail boxes. In the future, Mayor Calvo would like to schedule presentations as far ahead of timeas possible.

CM Jewitt suggested that informational items that do not require a Council decision could be shared with the Council via e-mail. TA Murphy emphasized that no decisions should be made by e-mail. E-mail is public information. He will distribute the Town Attorney's guidance on use of e-mail. Finally, all Councilmembers were requested to observe departmental lines of responsibility and not to interfere in other departments' affairs.

Department reports: Mayor Calvo has talked with Chief Murphy to exchange expectations and learn about the Police Department. CM Gourley has begun interviewing the staff of the Administration Department to learn about their job responsibilities and concerns. He is looking forward working with TA Murphy in running the Department. CM Jewitt met with Code Director Solomon to exchange contact information, establish lines of communication and get up to date with code enforcement issues. CM Dennison said she is glad to be back with the Parks and Recreation Department and will continue to work closely with the Recreation Council and other Town organizations. CM Lofgren sought clarification as to whether he must give up his seat on the Historical Committee. Mayor Calvo said the seat should be resigned but meetings can still be attended. CM Lofgren reported that he has talked with Public Works Director Coleman about the Department and a Berwyn Heights Day conflict. TA Murphy will follow up on the matter.

Citizens Comments: Mike Attick of 62^nd Avenue suggested that, if Kenilworth Avenue is widened, the intersection with Pontiac Street could possibly be renovated at minimal cost. CM Dennison has received comments regarding the too high grass on the Berwyn Heights Elementary School (BHES) grounds, including the perimeter of the fields. Mayor Calvo clarified that Berwyn Heights agreed to mainain the ball fields, but not the perimeter, nor the areas around the tennis and basketball courts, as has been suggested. CM Lofgren noted that, previously, the Parks and Planning Department used to maintain the park properties in Town and has the equipment and manpower to do so. They might be asked to do so again. CM Jewitt received comments about the placement of election signs, timing of the reception for the new Council and noisy ice cream trucks. Mayor Calvo received a number of comments about high grass.

At 8:17 p.m., the Council took a 10 minute break.

Charter, Ordinances, Council Rules: Mayor Calvo explained that the Councilmembers should have received a binder with all important legal documents of the Town. The last Council also received an orientation, including a Charter review, from Maryland Municipal League staffer and former Councilmember, Tom Reynolds. He suggested that the Charter may need to be updated. This Council may want to take a closer look at that. For example, the Towns boundaries were defined in the Charter and need to be corrected. Several Council Rules have been updated by the previous Council. Councilmembes are requested to review the documents and propose changes they deem necessary. CM Jewitt noted that the under his mayorship, the Council produced a Code of Conduct in Ordinance 124, with the intent to define roles and responsibilities not defined elsewhere, including the duties of the Mayor. The definition of roles might be taken up as part of a Charter review. Mayor Calvo said that the Charter does not specify a comissioner form of government; rather, the authorities of the department heads are set down in Council Rules. CM Lofgren pointed out that the Code of Conduct was written for a council-manager form of government that forbids Councilmembers from taking on certain executive functions.

Ordinance 137: Mayor Calvo said that an FY 2006 year end budget amendment was introduced at the May 10 Town meeting, which will need to to be adopted in June. The amendment declares additional revenues and expenditures not budgeted at the time of adoption. Most of the revenue came from public safety grants and Bulletin advertising revenue. Futher, the Public Works Department had money left over, which will likely be used to purchase an air conditioning unit for the crew area. Other capital items elegible for funding include side arms for the police and smaller curb and gutter projects. TA Murphy noted that a drainage system for the 58^th Avenue walkway might also be considered. CM Jewitt requested information about a software budget request by the Code Department. He was told it was intended for a system to track code issues that was considered too expensive. Other solutions for tracking code issues are still being investigated, however. In straw polling, the Council voted 5 to 0 to approve the installation of an AC unit at the Public Works garage and to fund the upgrading of Police Department fire arms as well as pursue a listing of curb and gutter repairs.

Budget review: Mayor Calvo distributed a copy of the FY 2007 line item budget for reference, which includes actuals for fiscal years going back to 2002. He noted a 55% electricity increase the cost of which is built into departmental budgets.The previous Council recently decided to join an electrical cooperative to reduce the rising costs of electricity. He further noted that a 90% increase in workers compensation insurance is budgeted under the Miscellaneous appropriation. As a result of these unexpected expenditures, the purchase of a new police car was dropped. Instead, an appropriation for a down payment on a lease was put into the budget in case a new car is needed. Mayor Calvo encouraged Councilmembers to direct questions about the budget to TA Murphy. In response to CM Lofgren, TA Murphy said that the cost of labor for maintaining the ball fields is figured into the Public Works Salary appropriation, while the cost of materials is charged to the Parks and Recreation budget.

Salary Plan: Mayor Calvo explained that the FY 2007 budget has set aside $26,000 to enhance employee salaries and benefits as part of a comprehensive salary plan. The previous Council did not arrive at a decision and has made no recommendation. TA Murphy has put together a draft proposal which will be provided to Councilmembers before the next worksession. The proposal lays out a salary range for each position based on comparisons with neighboring municipalities. Due to considerable costs involved, a salary plan might be phased in over couple of years.

Mayor Calvo continued that he favors adopting a mix of salary and benefit enhancements. In addition to a salary plan, he would consider upgrading the 401-A retirement plan from a 5% to a 6% contribution in the near future. A defined benefit benefit plan could be adopted later.

2. Administration

Bulletin cover: The following items were selected for the cover of the June Bulletin: visit of the new CEO of the Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) of a joint Berwyn Heights/College Park Education Advisory Committee (EAC) meeting on June 14, Town wide yard sale on June 17 and spring cleanup reminder.

Performance evaluations: Mayor Calvo explained that the previous Council has completed mid-year performance evaluations for Directors in April. Year-end evaluations are due in June as prescribed by the Personnel Manual. TA Murphy will forward a memorandum giving guidance on the evaluation process as well as recent evaluations of directors and employees. Councilmembers are encouraged to consult with the previous heads of their department when evaluating the director. Directors evaluate their employees. However, the Council reviews all evaluations in executive session and makes the final decision.

In response to CM Lofgren, Mayor Calvo clarified that rating scale goes from 1 to 5 points, that ½ points can be given and that there are 15 rating categories. He agreed with CM Lofgren that June is not an ideal time for making evaluations and that he is open to change the process described in the Personnel Manual.

3. Code Enforcement

No items were discussed.

4. Parks and Recreation

Welcome Packet: CM Dennison explained that a Welcome Packet, which is intended to provide information about the Town to new residents, has been in the works for several years but has not been completed. TA Murphy has taken first steps to print another Community Guide but needs more guidance from the Council on what type of information should be included in a Welcome Packet. CM Dennison thought that more information about Town Departments, Town organizations and about the rental housing is needed. Mayor Calvo suggested utilizing the Code Department´s Tenants´ Rights and Responsibilities form as the basis for a brief explication of community standards. Other suggestions included a reminder to use Berwyn Heights as the place of residence when filing for taxes and references to Cable Channel 71 and the Town Web site as additional sources for Town information. However, time-sensitive information should be omitted so that the Guide does not become outdated in a couple of years after printing. It can be expected that Town businesses will pay for the Guide through advertisements.

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner: CM Dennison said that she is considering having a cookout at this year´s Volunteer Dinner. Carmen Greenwell has again offered to help. Mayor Calvo cautioned that a cookout requires a lot of work by the volunteers, who should be appreciated. It may be better to get a vendor to do the grilling or to have the event catered. CM Dennison will consult with TA Murphy about the arrangements. Invitations are to be sent out soon.

5. Public Health and Safety

No items were discussed.

6. Public Works

Four Cities street sweeper: Mayor Calvo explained that the Four Cities of Berwyn Heights, College Park, Greenbelt and New Carollton received a $100,000 Livable Communities Grant to purchase a street sweeper. The issue for the next Four Cities meeting is how to fund the operating costs of approximately $64,000 in maintenance, insurance and salary and benefits of one full-time driver. The proposed agreement provides for each municipality to pay an equal share of the operating costs for an equal time of usage, i.e. three months per year. Berwyn Heights has budgeted the money to pay for 3 months of usage but needs the sweeper no more than 2 months due to it’s smaller in size. On the other hand, College Park would like the sweeper for a longer period. Berwyn Heights could propose giving one of its months to College Park and pay for only 2 months while College Park would pay for 4 months. The Council agreed.

The meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m.

Kerstin Harper, Town Clerk