Worksession Minutes

 February 20, 2007

The meeting was called to order at 7:03 p.m. Present were Mayor Calvo, Mayor Pro Tem (MPT) Jewitt, CMs Dennison, Gourley and Lofgren. Also present were Town Administrator Murphy, Director of Code Enforcement Sonjia Solomon, Director of Public Works Joe Coleman, Clerk Harper and citizens. 

1.    Mayor

Announcements: There were none. 

Calendar: A Safe Streets Committee public hearing was added for March 29, 7 p.m. 

Minutes: The Council reviewed the February 5 worksession minutes. On a motion by MPT Jewitt and second by CM Lofgren, the minutes were adopted 5 to 0 with corrections. 

Department reports: CM Lofgren reported that the Public Works Department had a difficult week of salting and clearing roads from snow and ice. Equipment break downs hampered the cleanup effort. Director Coleman added that the cold made the salt freeze in the spreader and  needed to thaw out before the spreader could be used. CM Dennison reported that the Education Advisory Committee (EAC) held elections. Ann Harris Davidson was re-elected Chair, Mel Tremper and Jeff Knutson were elected Co-Vice Chairs and John Trangsrud Secretary. Ms. Davidson has been invited to attend a meeting of the Board of Education and several elected officials regarding the school issue in connection with AIMCO's redevelopment of Springhill Lake. In Annapolis, a bill, HB 657, has been introduced which would re-constitute the Prince George's County Board of Education to elect members from 9 Districts. The Recreation Council is gearing up for Berwyn Heights Day. 

Director Solomon reported for the Code Department that an electrical fire broke out in a storage shed of a business on 55^th Avenue. County fire inspectors were called in to check if electrical installations were up to code. CM Gourley had nothing to report. Mayor Calvo reported that the Safe Streets Committee held its second meeting. All members were present. The meeting was productive as members got used to working with each other. Mayor Calvo gave an update on the different developments surrounding Berwyn Heights. 

Citizen comments: CM Gourley reported that he received positive and negative comments on the snow removal from last week's storm, and a comment regarding ATM receipts from SECU being blown into his yard. CM Dennison read a letter from her neighbor commending the Public Works crew on their efforts to clean up snow and ice, noting that delays were caused by circumstances beyond their control. Mayor Calvo also received a number of comments about the snow removal, both critical and positive. He thought that it may be useful to post weather-related announcements on the Berwyn Heights website to keep residents informed about the snow removal process. He also received a complaint about receipt of a citation for operating an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) on public property. 

Commerce Bank agreement: Mayor Calvo explained that Commerce Bank Attorney David Lynch has provided the Council with a draft agreement as a starting point for discussion. It itemizes design changes requested by Council and agreed to by the Bank. However, not all of them made it into this draft. For example, the naming of the branch after Berwyn Heights has not been spelled out. One item notably absent is a provision to allow a local artist to create a mural for the Bank lobby. While this promise was made during a presentation of the project, Commerce Bank is not inclined to follow through. Instead, Commerce Bank might agree to commission a local artist to design a piece of public art for a different context.  

Councilmembers discussed the agreement and expressed disappointment about the broken promise regarding the mural. They agreed that the branch name should be identified as Berwyn Heights. They cautioned that some construction requirements detailed in the agreement might conflict with Prince George's County zoning ordinances. State Highway Administration (SHA) should have been contacted regarding timing of the 58^th Avenue traffic lights while the Town should write a letter to support SHA's evaluation of the light. The agreement should specify the locations of trash cans on the property, provide that they have lids and that they are to be maintained by the Bank. Maintenance of the landscaping by the Bank should also be spelled out. Lastly, if the Town wants to take advantage of the Bank's offer to pay for the closing of 59^th Avenue, it needs to decide soon whether it wants to close the road. 

CM Lofgren cautioned about binding the Town to support Commerce Bank plans through the approval process if all details of the plans are not known. Most of the provisions agreed to would have been carried out by the Bank in any case. The exception is the road closure. MPT Jewitt suggested to check with neighboring Towns, who have Commerce Bank branches, as to what agreements they may have negotiated. 

59^th Avenue closing: Mayor Calvo said that 4 persons testified about the road closure at the last Town Meeting, with 3 opposed. At previous discussions of the closure, most present were supportive. The Safe Streets Committee took up discussion of the issue at its last meeting but has not made a recommendation. He personally believes it is worth doing, especially considering that the larger turnaround can accommodate Public Works and fire trucks. 

CM Lofgren said that he is undecided. While the closing would clearly benefit those living on the street, it would be an inconvenience to everyone else. It will be difficult for trucks to turnaround, especially as residents will be tempted to park in the hammerhead. A temporary road closure of Seminole Street has been tried in the past and then discarded. MPT Jewitt said that there has been surprisingly little opposition to the proposal as of yet. The opposition of the BP Amoco gas station owner is based on the fear that he may lose business, but whether he actually will be is unproven. On the other hand, the closing fits in the overall through traffic mitigation plan and would be paid for by the Bank. Together, these factors move him to support the closing. 

CM Dennison said that she is undecided. She said the lack of opposition to the closing at the Town Meeting may have been due to bad weather. She would prefer that the closure be part of an overall Berwyn Heights traffic mitigation plan, which has been reviewed by an urban planner. The offer of a developer to pay for the closure is not a good reason to close the road. CM Gourley said he can go either way. 

Mayor Calvo said that he remains supportive of the closure. The Town has made a sustained effort to solicit public input. There have been 3 presentations on the project, notification of the closure in the Bulletin and in 150 letters mailed directly to residents who live closest to 59^th Avenue. Yet, so far only 3 residents have voiced their opposition. Reasons for closing the road include 1) reducing the likely increase in through traffic generated by the new housing developments in Greenbelt West; 2) making 59^th Avenue more pleasant to live on, and 3) making the intersection at Seminole and Tecumseh Streets less dangerous. Additionally, this traffic calming measure comes at no cost to the Town if it is approved soon. 

CM Lofgren said that it would clearly be a benefit to residents on the street to stop the pass-through traffic on 59^th Avenue. However, this does not solve the potential traffic backup problems on 58^th Avenue that may be caused by customers attempting to enter the Bank property. MPT Jewitt noted that 58^th Avenue backups are likely to be an issue regardless of whether 59^th Avenue is closed or not. With the Town having done due diligence and completed the public notification process, he would prefer to decide the matter at the March Town meeting. He moved to close 59^th Avenue and ratify the decision by resolution at the March Town meeting. CM Lofgren seconded. The motion carried 4 to 1 with CM Dennison opposed. 

At 8:40 p.m., the Council took a 10 minute break. 

2.    Public Works

Budget request: Director Coleman began his presentation with a priority list of capital items:

1.    New larger leaf collection machine at a cost of $37,000. Increased capacity would speed up leaf collection.

2.    Replacement of #2 1997 pickup truck with trailer package, snow plow and emergency equipment at $52,500.

3.    New salt spreader with pre-wetting system usable with magnesium chloride at $12,500. Magnesium chloride works at lower temperatures.

4.    Replacement of 15 feet swing gates at Public Works yard with sliding gate at $3,700. This would leave more room for storage.

 Mr. Coleman then continued the presentation on line items that have a larger than 5% change.

·       Administrative Supplies up $200

·       Communications up $300 or 11% to replace lost and broken cell phones

·       Part Time Wages reduced by 41%

·       Temporary Help up by 37% to cover 15 cents per hour wage increase and additional hours during leaf collection season and maintenance of parks and green strips. Full time staff to be tasked with supervising temporaries.

·       Maintenance & Repairs has only small decrease despite relatively new vehicle fleet due to higher cost of oil, gas and steel as well as mechanical labor.

·       Gas & Oil up by 47% based on Town Administrator projections. Director Coleman believes increases may be less. The Public Works fleet will be all diesel vehicles, which get much better mileage.

·       Equipment for grass cutting and yard maintenance up 40% due to combining two previously separate line items.

·       Leaf Collection up by 169% to reflect combining previously separate line items for collection and dumping.

·       Street projects & Repairs new funding of $10,000 to patch and repair Town streets to extend life of streets between major renovations.

·       Storm Drain Construction down by 33%. No new construction is planned.

·       Pedestrian Bridge down by 36% due to actual maintenance costs having been lower than budgeted costs in FY 2007

·       Pontiac and Sports Park Field Maintenance budgeted at $1,900 per field in case Public Works needs to continue maintenance. 

In response to Councilmembers' questions, Director Coleman confirmed that temporary labor is also used for line painting, crack filling and snow clearing. The labor cost of ball field maintenance is not included in the Pontiac Field and Sports Park line items. An aluminum sliding gate was selected because it is lighter and less expensive than steel. There are no plans for constructing a drainage system along the 58^th Avenue walkway as improvements to the right of way need to be made first. The new salt spreader is intended for use with magnesium chloride, a salt that works at lower temperatures. College Park, the likely supplier, had no shortage of magnesium chloride during the recent snow storm.  

Mr. Coleman continued that the leaf collecting machine is slated for replacement because it is getting old and needs frequent repairs. Additionally, the proposed replacement has a larger capacity and may reduce wait times for leaf pickup. Alternately, a 20 cubic yard leafer would cost approximately $34,000. The proposed sliding gate would be operated manually and is secure. The loss of 3-cell phones were due to accidents. When equipment is broken or lost, a report is requested but there is no formal process to determine whether the loss is due to negligence. Full time staff is used to monitor the temporary laborers and Director Coleman is taking an active role in supervising them. Those who perform well are considered for permanent positions. The Street Repair appropriation was not funded during the last 3 years. The new funds would be used to fix minor problems. 

Mayor Calvo expressed concerns about the extensive use of temporary staff, noting that there are tensions between full time and temporary staff and a loss in productivity when Director Coleman is out. Director Coleman replied that he seeks to ease tension by including temporary workers in meetings and treating them like Town staff if they perform satisfactorily. He also stays in touch by phone with his crew when he is off work and no important decisions are made without his consultation. There may be a lack of confidence directing the Public Works crew in his absence, however. Mayor Calvo stated for the record that he would prefer more full time staff with benefits doing the work that needs to be done rather than spending that money on temporary labor. CM Lofgren stated that other jurisdictions are moving away from using contractual labor and toward providing “living wages.”  

Mayor Calvo also asked about a continuing increase in solid waste disposal fees (due largely to increases in yard waste); whether the #2  pick up truck can be kept for one more year (not recommended); and whether the gas budget is sufficient (probably not). Asked whether Public Works could take on recycling, Director Coleman said that at one point the Department did this but it was a nightmare. The market for recyclables is volatile and from one month to the next it was not known what price recycled materials would fetch or which dump would accept them. Often the materials ended up together with other garbage at the County landfill. 

4.    Code Enforcement (discussed out of order)

Budget request: Code Enforcement Director Sonjia Solomon presented her budget with  increases proposed for 3 line items.- 

·       $200 or 33% increase in Gas & Oil appropriation, based on Town Administrator's projections;

·       $800 new funding in Public Relations for Berwyn Heights Day outreach, brochures and Spanish language materials;

·       $2,500 or 29% increase in Part Time Wages to fund an increase in hours for the Part Time Code Enforcement Officer to a minimum of 12 hours per week and Code Clerk 4 hours per week.

Ms. Solomon also supplied estimates for a GIS capable code enforcement software, ranging between $8,000 and $50,000, which was not part of her request. 

MPT Jewitt elaborated that the increase in part time wages mainly reflects the desire to increase the part time code officer's hours to 15 hours per week, while maintaining funding for   administrative support. Public Relations funding is intended for the creation of a bi-lingual brochure that summarizes important ordinances and code enforcement processes, door hangers and Berwyn Heights Day promotions. 

In response to questions, Ms. Solomon said that the new shared administrative assistant is working out well, but still needs monitoring. The blackberry is not currently used for communicating with the office and may need additional software to make it efficient. When using Outlook Express, there is a 30 minute delay between sending and receiving messages. 

Mayor Calvo said that salary increases should entail increases in rental license fees, which are based on the cost of processing rental licenses. He asked if M-NCPPC has information systems that could be of use, i.e., software that integrates maps with tax information. Ms. Solomon said she believes that M-NCPPC has such a system that can be used at reasonable cost. Responding to questions from CMs Dennison and Gourley, Ms. Solomon said that the money budgeted for vehicle maintenance and a 15 hour week for the part time code officer is sufficient. 

3. Administration (moved down on agenda)

Bulletin cover: The following items were selected for the March Bulletin cover: St. Patrick's Day theme, Safe Streets Committee hearing announcement, tax banner, call for Berwyn Heights Day volunteers.  

The meeting was adjourned at 10:47 p.m.
 

Kerstin Harper, Town Clerk

 
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