Mayor & Common Council Meetings

MINUTES CITY OF WESTMINSTER Mayor and Common Council Meeting Monday, November 27, 2017 CALL TO ORDER Elected Officials Present: Council President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, Councilmember Yingling, and Mayor Dominick. Absent: Councilmember Chiavacci. Staff Present: Director of Recreation and Parks Gruber, City Clerk Visocsky, City Administrator Matthews, Director of Finance and Administrative Services Palmer, Police Chief Spaulding, Director of Community Planning and Development Mackey and City Attorney Levan. Absent: Director of Public Works Glass and Director of Housing Services Valenzisi. Mayor Dominick read the Mayoral Proclamation, proclaiming November 2017 as Municipal Government Works Month. APPROVAL OF MINUTES President Wack requested a motion to approve the minutes of Mayor and Common Council Meeting and the Executive Session of November 13, 2017. Councilmember Becker moved, seconded by Councilmember Pecoraro, to approve the minutes as presented. VOTE AYES: President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, and Councilmember Yingling. NAYS: None. MOTION Passed Unanimously 4-0. CONSENT CALENDAR President Wack then requested a motion to approve the Consent Calendar which consisted of the following: • October Departmental Operating Reports • Deed of Roadways for Bolton Hill Section III • Deed for a Stormwater Management (SWM) Facility at Furnace Hills • Agreement between Howard County and the City of Westminster for Participation in the Howard County Police Department Training Academy. Councilmember Becker moved, seconded by Councilmember Yingling, to approve the Consent Calendar. VOTE AYES: President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, and Councilmember Yingling. NAYS: None. MOTION Passed Unanimously 4-0. REPORT FROM THE MAYOR Mayor Dominick stated that he and his family enjoyed riding in the horse and carriage in the Miracle on Main Street parade. He commented on the number of people who came downtown to share in the festivities. REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES President Wack shared that he also attended the Miracle on Main Street parade. He commented that it was a great event and one of the best attended he has seen. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION Councilmember Yingling shared that he attended the opening of the Smart Home project. He commented that it was a great event, and he enjoyed learning about the project. Councilmember Pecoraro inquired how any repeal of net neutrality rules would impact the Westminster Fiber Network. President Wack responded that he believed the City was in a better position than others to deal with any repeal; he added that he was optimistic that Ting Internet would ensure that customers would be protected and able to freely access content. Mayor Dominick stated that he was not as optimistic as Council President Wack, adding that the repeal of the current net neutrality rules would impact everyone. While the City is in a better position than those communities that do not have as many options for service, he does not believe that City residents are fully protected. Councilmember Pecoraro also inquired if the City plans to extend the Westminster Fiber Network into Carroll County once construction of Phases 3 and 4 are complete. President Wack shared that this matter was briefly discussed at the November 27 project meeting and there are a number of issues to consider; any expansion into the County was at least several years out. ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS Mr. Gray, the City’s Comprehensive Planner, informed the Mayor and Common Council that Resolution No. 17-12 would approve the City’s submission of an application to the State to designate the City as a sustainable community. Mr. Gray noted that in fiscal year 2012, the City applied for and was designated as a Sustainable Community under the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Sustainable Communities Program. The designation folded together a number of State programs and funding streams. Mr. Gray shared with the Mayor and Council that Westminster was one of the first communities to apply for the designation and was scheduled to request its re-designation at the end of 2016; however, the State was not ready to receive applications. On September 9, 2017, the City’s planning staff met with staff from the Maryland DHCD to discuss the City’s re-designation as a sustainable community. The City and the State have been working together on the re-designation application, a copy of which was provided to the Mayor and Council as part of the agenda packet. A successful application is one of the requirements for many State grant programs. President Wack requested a motion to approve Resolution No. 17-12, a resolution of the Mayor and Common Council of Westminster approving an application to designate the City of Westminster as a sustainable community, pursuant to the attached sustainable community map and sustainable community plan as further described in the sustainable community application for approval either directly by the Department of Housing and Community Development of the State of Maryland or through the Smart Growth Subcabinet of the State of Maryland. Councilmember Pecoraro moved, seconded by Councilmember Becker, to approve Resolution No. 17- 12. VOTE AYES: President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, and Councilmember Yingling. NAYS: None. MOTION Passed Unanimously 4-0. President Wack requested a motion to approve Ordinance No. 884, an ordinance of the Mayor and Common Council of Westminster authorizing the acquisition of the real property located at 45 West Main Street, and known as “The BB&T Bank Building”, for a Public Purpose, comprising several parcels including those identified as Map 104, Grid 9, Parcels 1742, 1744, 1745, and 1746 for an amount not to exceed One Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000.00), together with any applicable taxes, fees and charges customarily associated with real estate transactions and the lease to BB&T of a certain portion of the premises for the operation of an automated teller machine. Ms. Matthews noted that Ordinance No. 884 was introduced on November 11, 2017. She shared that she and Ms. Levan had been working with BB&T to finalize the purchase agreement and ATM lease. Closing on the property was expected to take place in March 2018. President Wack thanked Ms. Matthews for her hard work during the negotiation process with BB&T. Councilmember Becker moved, seconded by Councilmember Pecoraro, to approve Ordinance No. 884. VOTE AYES: President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, and Councilmember Yingling. NAYS: None. MOTION Passed Unanimously 4-0. NEW BUSINESS President Wack requested a motion to hold an Executive Session immediately following the regular meeting to consider a matter that concerns the proposal for a business or industrial organization to locate, expand, or remain in the State; to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice on a legal matter; and, to consult with staff, consultants, or other individuals about pending or potential litigation. Councilmember Pecoraro moved, seconded by Councilmember Becker, to hold an Executive Session immediately following the regular meeting. VOTE AYES: President Wack, Councilmember Becker, Councilmember Pecoraro, and Councilmember Yingling. NAYS: None. MOTION Passed Unanimously 4-0. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS Ms. Matthews thanked Ms. Gruber, Chief Spaulding, and Streets Supervisor Larry Bloom and their staffs for their work to make the Miracle on Main Street parade a success. She commented that this was the first time she and her husband had attended the event and that they really enjoyed it. President Cumberland of the Westminster Fire Department shared holiday safety tips with the Mayor and Common Council, City staff, and the Westminster community. He also provided information on when Santa would be visiting Westminster neighborhoods. Ms. Gruber thanked the Mayor and Common Council for their support for the Miracle on Main event. She noted that Saturdays with Santa would begin on December 2. As the City’s special events for 2017 draw to a close, Ms. Gruber informed the Mayor and Council that the Recreation and Parks Department was already hard at work on planning for 2018, beginning with the Celtic Canter and Irish Celebration. Ms. Palmer informed the Mayor and Common Council that the City secured an energy grant for the ENR project. She noted that the City’s designation as a sustainable community is helpful when applying for funding such as this. Chief Spaulding reported that the Westminster Police Department went live with two new systems at the end of October – a computer aided dispatch system and a records management system. He noted that these systems are shared with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and other municipal law enforcement agencies. The new system allows dispatchers and police officers to view certain data in real time. Chief Spaulding thanked the Sheriff’s Department and the Board of Commissioners for their support, noting that the County had funded the first year of the new systems. Mr. Mackey reported that, as part of a collaborative effort between the City and McDaniel College, students had visited downtown businesses and conducted a survey. The City and College jointly developed the survey questions. Mr. Mackey reported that he had received a briefing on the survey results from the students on November 17, 2017. He also shared that approximately 50 businesses were participating in the Carroll County Small Business Saturday passport contest. Mr. Mackey then reported on items coming before the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Board of Zoning Appeals will review a request to expand a day care facility located on 925 Wampler Lane. He also shared certain workload statistics for the Community Planning and Development Services Department. Ms. Levan reported that the Circuit Court issued a decision in favor of the City with respect to the Wakefield Valley rezoning matter. Also, the Court of Special Appeals has granted the City’s motion to dismiss the appeal of the Wastewater Treatment Plant variance. Ms. Levan indicated she would discuss the status and strategy for both cases further in closed session. CITIZEN COMMENTS Heather Cole, 199 E. Main Street, owner of Molli’s, shared concerns regarding raised sidewalks and a tree grate. Ms. Matthews noted Ms. Cole’s concerns and stated that she would share them with City staff for follow up. Cooper Warner, 22 Woodward Court, Reisterstown, Maryland, shared his thoughts about a possible repeal of the current net neutrality rules. He does not feel that the Westminster Fiber Network would be insulated from the impact of any repeal. ADJOURNMENT President Wack adjourned the meeting at 7:43 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Shannon Visocsky, City Clerk Full audio version is available on www.westminstermd.gov.