December 17, 2001

The Town Council of the Town of Easton met today at 7:00 P.M.

The meeting was called to order by the President of the Council, Mr. Willey.

The following Council members were present: Mr. Ford, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Reed, Ms. Jackson-Amis and President of the Council Mr. Willey. Also attending the meeting were Mayor C. Eugene Butler, Chief of Police George Harvey, Town Engineer Mr. Tim Glass, Assistant Town Engineer Mr. Joe Gruber, President and CEO of the Easton Utilities Commission Mr. Hugh Grunden, and Town Clerk Mr. Karge.

Ms. Jackson-Amis opened the meeting with prayer. She led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Upon motion by Mr. Ford seconded by Mr. Reed and carried, minutes of the December 3, 2001 meeting were unanimously approved as written.

Mr. Willey brought forth a letter from Mr. Timothy McNeal, Secretary of the EVFD asking the Council’s approval of the election of Chief Brian Kelly Jones as Chief for the year 2002.

Mr. Reed made a motion for the approval of Chief Brian Kelly Jones to continue as Chief of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department for the year 2002, seconded by Ms. Jackson-Amis and carried.

Mr. Willey asked if there were anyone present from the Fire Department. There was no one present.

Mr. Tim Dills was present to address the council regarding the selling of the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) property, which is currently being used as farmland. He would like to use a portion of the property to develop. He went on to say that one of the considerations that had been brought before the council was whether the town had the legal right to sell the land in portion. Mr. Dills went on the read a letter that he received from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Division of Resolutions and Receiverships regarding the village of Chapel Farms Resolution Trust Corporation property. Mr. Dills then went on to tell how the letter came about. The letter confirmed that the sale of no more than one-half of the RTC Easton property would not violate the use restrictions. Mr. Dills stated that he would like the council to discuss the issue among themselves and what the next step would be.

Mr. Ford stated that after receiving feedback from his constituents, there had been other parties interested in purchasing part or all of the property in addition to Mr. Dills. Also, he stated that in the initial presentation made to the council by Mr. Dills, he mentioned contacting and utilizing in expertise a park designer and/or planner for the remainder of the RTC property if the town were to sell the twenty-eight acres to the applicant. Mr. Ford went on to say that during the budgeting process this past May, the council considered hiring a professional planner to take a look at the Easton park system; and he would like to pursue that issue before considering the sale of a portion of the RTC property. He went on to say that one of the council’s responsibilities prior to selling any public land is to declare the property as surplus. He would like to have a professional opinion on whether the park’s open space is surplus. He would like to hear from a professional who is not only looking at the RTC property, but the Rails-to-Trails system that connects is and where it terminates down to Idlewild and other parklands.

Mr. Dills stated that the idea of hiring a professional to look at the entire system is good so that the larger picture could be looked at. He went on to say that he did not want the idea of hiring a professional to take a long amount of time for a decision to be made. He would like to see the town hire a professional and move on with the project.

At 7:17 PM, the president of the council opened the public hearing to hear comments on Ordinance No. 435, "AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF EASTON AMENDING THE EASTON TOWN CODE TO ESTABLISH THE POSITION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE TOWN OF EASTON AND SETTING FORTH THE TERMS AND DUTIES FOR THE POSITION."

Mr. Hoyt Heinmuller stated that also present were members of the Mayor’s Economic Task Force: Ms. Ellen General, Mr. Durrie Hayes and Mr. Ed Miller. He went on to say that they as a group have tried to develop for the town of Easton, what the needs are and what the requirements would be for the Economic Development Coordinator. He stated that it was understood that Mr. Jensen sponsored the ordinance to create the position to allow the individual selected, the power and authority to literally make some decisions and represent the mayor regarding economic development, growth and planning. He went on to read a description the responsibilities the coordinator would have. He urged the council to pass the bill, and for the benefit for the people who have applied, take a vote to help benefit the moving on to the interviewing process.

Ms. Jackson-Amis asked if a time frame had been setup for interviewing any of the applicants.

Mr. Heinmuller stated that there had not been any actual interview times scheduled. There had been a discussion held regarding the need for two to three interview periods where more than one candidate would be interviewed.

Ms. Jackson-Amis asked if there was a certain time that someone would be appointed. It was her understanding that someone would be on board by the first of the year.

Mr. Heinmuller stated that would be unlikely with the holidays approaching and availability. He stated that after the first of the year, the task force would like for things to be squared away.

Mayor Butler stated that the council had been talking about the issue for a lengthy time, he would like the council to vote on the issue so that the interview process could begin as soon as possible.

Town Planner Mr. Hamilton stated that there is the need for someone to take over the Main Street programming.

Mr. Ed Miller, President of EBMA asked the council keep in mind concurrently with establishment of the new position the following issues. If the new position is created and fully funded with support staff, the town’s total economic development budget would approximate one-hundred fifty thousand dollars, which includes the town’s contribution to the county’s tourism and economic development activities, the welcome center’s support as well as funding related to economic development activities traditionally carried out by EBMA. He went on to say with that degree of investment; the council would want to be sure that the town is receiving an adequate return on investment. Perhaps the first duty of the economic development coordinator could be to put together a plan which details how the one-hundred fifty thousand dollars would be spent and what the benefit would be to the town of each expenditure item in the budget. The new manager will need help in order to be successful, the Main Street model calls for a board of directors to act as an advisor to the manager of the program. In the past, the EBMA board has traditionally filled that role; and in the future, a similar board made up of representatives of all segments of the town’s community should be formed to advise the mayor and the manager on the town’s economic development matters. In conclusion, Mr. Miller state that there needs to be a structure, plan, budget and most important accountability for results in order for the town to be well on its way to having a good economic development program.

The President of the Council asked for audience comments. There were none.

There being no further questions, the President of the Council closed the public hearing at 7:26 P.M.

Mr. Willey stated that there had been a workshop with the town auditors and a report was given on the town’s accounts and records for the previous year

Mr. Ford made a motion to accept the audit report so that it could be released to the public, seconded by Ms. Jackson-Amis and carried.

The President of the Council then brought forth Resolution No. 5755 formally approving actions taken to revise the Sworn Officers Police Pension Plan. He asked if there were any questions.

Ms. Jackson-Amis asked for a distinction of what is set forth in the resolution.

Town Clerk Mr. Karge described the difference in the resolution and what has been approved previously by the council.

Mr. Reed made a motion to approve Resolution No. 5755, seconded by Mr. Ford.

Resolution No. 5755 was approved following a 4-1 roll call vote with Ms. Jackson-Amis dissenting.

At 7:31 PM, the President of the Council opened the public hearing to provide the public an opportunity to comment on proposed water and wastewater rate revisions.

President and CEO of the Easton Utilities Commission Mr. Grunden was present to discuss the proposed increase in the water and wastewater rates charged by the Easton Utilities Commission (EUC). He stated that the current rates are generating insufficient revenue to cover expenses. He went on to say that the EUC is required as a Town of Easton enterprise fund, to charge rates that are sufficient to cover expenses. In the past several years, there has been a growth in customers but with lower unit sales. Mr. Grunden stated that by the end of the presentation, the increases in usage charges will amount to the typical residential customer to be about sixteen cents per day. If the proposed rates are adopted, other area providers will be thirty-seven percent higher, even at the proposed rates. The proposed rates are not prospective, rate making is done retrospectively.

Easton Utilities Chief Financial Officer Mr. George Roberts stated there are a number of components to the EUC tariff that the commission would like to change starting with water and wastewater capital charges. These charges apply only to new developments, the tariff does not apply to existing customer connections. The commission is proposing to delay the effective date of the increase for a six-month period to allow prospective developers to analyze and review the changes proposed. The concept of the capital charge will continue to be based on a single-family residence or Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU), which is how capital charges are determined. He went on to say that one EDU has a maximum demand on the system of 250 gallons per day, which is how the charges for one EDU are determined. The proposal is to increase the charge for an EDU for water to $1,050.00 and for wastewater to $2,100.00, which would make the total charge for one EDU for the capital charge of $3,150.00. The commission would also like to change to formula by which, capital charges for non-residential customer are calculated. In the past, the meter sizes were used as a proxy for the demand for that non-residential customer, instead they would like to adopt water use standards, which are included in the appendix 1 to the proposed tariff revisions given. The way the proposed capital charges were determined was by looking at the total embedded cost of the plant, which is now serving customers and divide it by the number of EDUs that the plant will serve. Water treatment plant accounts for about half of the cost of the facilities; wastewater amounts to about seventy-five percent of the total cost. He went on to give a presentation on an overhead projector. Mr. Roberts stated that there two components on the commission’s quarterly bills, the customer charge, which is a fixed charge, is designed to recover costs that are independent of usage. Since there are certain fixed costs that are incurred regardless of consumption in the areas of meter reading, billing and collection. The usage charges are a commodity or consumption base charge that cover the production treatment and delivery of the product and are denominated on per 100 gallons used basis. The Easton Utilities Commission are recommending that the rates for the "in town" bills be increased, the customer charges be increased to $12.00 for each service. The water increase that is being proposed is relatively modest; it is about .6 of a cent per 100 gallons to slightly under 15 cents per 100 gallons. Wastewater is being proposed at 1.86 cents increase to 14.86 cents. The impact is about 16 cents on the average residential customer, which will average a little under five dollars a month. Out of town charges are being proposed to remain the same, but residents will be billed at a rate twice the amount of the in town rates. The rates that are being proposed, based on the estimated use and consumption levels, projected revenues would equal target revenues, which would allow EUC to meet operating costs. Mr. Roberts stated that other minor changes in the tariff included an increase in fire hydrant fees, which have not been changed over 30 years. There has been a proposed increase of five dollars per unit to six dollars per quarter. The charges are currently billed to the town and cover maintenance of the hydrants. However, the other charge applies only to seven industrial facilities and is a pre-treatment charge that is being proposed to increase the quarterly fee to two hundred fifty dollars and increase the surcharge for excess concentration from five dollars to ten dollars per pound.

Mr. Grunden summarized what Mr. Roberts said. He also stated that the commission would like to have the capital charges effective by July 1 next year to give residents time to prepare for the changes. The quarterly customer charge will change to twelve dollars per quarter. The quarterly charges or customer usage charges are proposed to take effect in January 2002. Even with the proposed changes, other area providers would still be thirty-seven percent higher than the rates that EUC charges. In conclusion, Mr. Grunden stated that the Easton Utilities Commission are requesting only the additional revenues required to cover costs, they would only like to request rate increases when the revenues are not sufficient enough to cover operating and debt expenses.

Mr. Jensen asked what a tariff is.

Mr. Grunden stated that a tariff is a document that is on file, which sets forth the rates, terms and conditions by which services are provided. The documents tell how the EUC will interact with the customer.

Mr. Jensen asked where did the proposed amounts of $1,050 for water and $2,100 for wastewater for new developments arise in relation to the tariff before the proposed changes.

Mr. Grunden stated that the fact that they are capital charges is not a new concept, it is an existing tariff. He went on to say that the specific were six hundred seventy-five dollars for water and one thousand three hundred fifty for wastewater. The pie charts that we shown gave an analysis that says that an existing piece of the plant needed to be purchased and how it would be priced.

Mr. Jensen asked how the increase in the capital charges rate compare to the increase for existing customers.

Mr. Grunden stated that the capital charge is paid one time. In a typical scenario, a developer plats subdivision and prior to the ability to get a final recordation of that plat and transfer the land, those capital charges are typically paid. As far as how it increases from 1989 to 2002 is a compound growth rate of about 3.6 percent.

Mr. Ford stated that the council had the benefit of a presentation by the commission members regarding the proposed changes. He went on to say that one of the benefits received were that the council members received copies of their own bills. He asked for an example of what the current charges are and what the proposed changes would be for the non-residential capital charges.

Mr. Grunden gave description of what the changes would be for the non-residential capital charges. The current cost would depend on the meter size used for generate the cost.

The President of the Council asked for audience comments.

Mr. Robert Klimczak, Goldsborough St., Easton inquired a comment that had been made regarding customers increasing and usage decreasing in relation to wastewater treatment.

Mr. Grunden stated that there had been a decline in sales of how many hundreds of gallons the units have sold.

Mr. Klimczak asked why was waste management so much more in St. Michaels and Oxford than in Easton.

Mr. Grunden stated that he did not know.

Mr. Roberts stated that the cost is based upon the average 21,600 gallons per quarter used.

Mr. Klimczak asked what was being done to improve the treatment plant, which is overloaded now.

Mr. Grunden stated that the treatment plant is not overloaded; however, there is a facilities plan being drafted now. There is a facilities plant being constructed that will give information as to where treatment stands, what treatment requirements are going to be in the future. It is planned to have the study completed by June 2002 and follow with construction plans and upgrading the plant.

Ms. Libby Dawkins spoke about the wastewater increase. She stated that she doesn’t think that it’s fair that citizens are charged for their waste water use based on the amount of water they use. She added that a great percentage of the water that she uses never goes through the sewer. She also does not understand why the out of town service doesn’t get an increase if the in town service gets one. Also, she wants to know what has caused the increase in cost. She states that one cause was a much larger staff and the town needs the funds for it’s employees. Ms. Dawkins states that it doesn’t in one way matter what another town charges, because if we can produce a product for less cost we shouldn’t follow another town because they charge their citizens more money. Overall, she states that it is not fair that they are charged for water that is not going through the sewer system.

Mr. Grunden stated that Ms. Dawkins had a point regarding water that is not going through the wastewater system. One of the things that they offer to customers who used a fair amount of water for lawn irrigation or other types of uses, is they can have a separate meter installed at their expense and utilize the usage charges. Out-of-town rates are receiving and increase which is doubled the in-town rates. Another thing that was stated was that the water and waste-water department has not increased its’ staff for the past two years, so that isn’t an element supporting the increase.

Ms. Dawkins added that the separate meters were addressed last year, and she stated that some retirees are living on a fixed income and the cost is prohibitive for the installation of another meter and watering system. She spoke with others and they have opted against it on building a home and were sorry that they didn’t because of the dramatic increase during the gardening season. Her opinion was that the Town of Easton and the Easton Utilities Commision do an excellent job and she would like to see them set the record for everyone else and keep the standards high.

There being no further questions, the President of the Council closed the public hearing at 8:10 P.M.

At 8:10 PM, the President of the Council opened the public hearing on the request of Brant Court Properties Limited Partnership for a proposed project which is an integrated mixed use retirement residential and mixed office development to be located on lots 20-25 in the Brant Court cul-de-sac in Carlton Business Park.

Town Planner Mr. Tom Hamilton stated that Mr. Kehoe has a conflict of interest regarding the proposal and Mr. Kehoe departed the meeting. Chris Drummond, Esq., has came in to represent the town with regards to this application. Mr. Hamilton stated this creative application has taken the PUD and the CM and have created a project which is 295 bedroom retirement unit and 40,000-sq. ft. of office space. He stated that the planing commission has reviewed this application on a couple of occasions and the project was something that they were very interested in. This project is made up of 4 or 5 buildings that a 4 stories high and they were interested in the impact that those building would have. The Planning Commission at the meeting in October voted unanimously to support this application.

Mr. Bill Stagg, with Lane Engineering Stagg Design, stated he is a landscape architect and land planner. He explained the area outline of the project site and location. Development and growth surround it. This would be a transitional site between single family development and commercial business park development and they think the use proposed makes some sense in that light. This project is about 4-4 ½ years old, and they requested a similar project on six lots on the back of the Carlton Business Park off Brant Court, in the past. The site is about 13 acres. He displayed the site plan and what parts they were planning to build on the land. It is a mixed use, age restricted residential and office project. They are using two zoning categories to achieve this, the PUD on the top part of the project and the CM for the bottom part of the project. This is done because the ordinance is restrictive in allowing projects of a mixed-use nature and of this specific complexity and detail. Mr. Stagg stated it could have been done all of a PUD, but for the density limitation that the PUD unit has, of eight units per acre, that would yield about 100 units of the site. That would not be enough to make it economically liable. They were not able to do it all under CM because it has restrictions about what is the primary use and the principal use and they could not have an age restricted community and a mixed use office. Mr. Stagg stated they are proposing 295 bedrooms for the project because under the parking standard for an age restricted community of this type, they base the parking on bedroom totals not unit totals. The reason for counting them as bedrooms instead of units is the parking standards for an age restricted community of this type, the parking is based on bedroom totals, not unit totals. There could be a combination of one, two, three, possibly four bedroom units. In the end, there will be one hundred to two hundred units in the project which will be age restricted apartment units, that will not be meant as a nursing home or an assisted living facility, but rental apartments or for sale condominiums. The target rental price will be in the $700 to $1,000 a month. There will also be 40,000-sq. ft. of office space, which is partly meant to be some type of medical support office. It is likely that there will be some kind of medical support consisting of doctors and medical support staff. There will be minimal medical support staff housed within the project for residents who may need assistance, but no permanent nurses or doctors on staff.

Mr. Stagg stated the CM portion of the project is residential with some recreational and support staff space. The north side of the PUD portion of the project contains the 40,000-sq. ft. of office space and about sixty bedrooms or penthouse residential units. Mr. Stagg stated that the buildings are three and one half stories, the fourth story will consist or dormer space actually within the roof. The rendering that Mr. Stafford displayed indicates the architectural character and flavor of what is proposed for the project. He went on to say that the project architect was advised to look at the Shireton and other large commercial buildings in Easton as a model and starting point for the architecture. Mr. Stagg stated that there were a couple of concerns regarding development projects and the notion of a private or gated community. There has been a request that the Brant Court cul-de-sac become a private community. As stated before, the project will be an age restricted community, but there is 40,000 sq. ft of market office included on the property, which will be open to the public during the day. Mr. Stagg stated that due to the project being an age restricted development, they would like to possibly have a guard on site during the evening, possibly checking vehicles entering after a certain time. He went on to say that from a security standpoint, the project makes sense because there will be less crime and people will pay more attention at night due to activities that have taken place at that location previously because it is a deserted area. Mr. Stagg stated that Mr. Stafford is prepared to discuss why the project makes sense and from a market standpoint, he has done inventory of existing apartment complexes in Easton and essentially found that there are no vacancies. He went on to say that because of the site being located in approximate to Wal-Mart and Giant, people will be able to used pedestrian means to get those services, although there will be services within the community. He also stated that Town Engineer Mr. Glass has reviewed a brief traffic study for the project as requested by the Planning Commission and would like some additional work done to verify a couple of numeric figures.

Mr. Ford asked if Mr. Stagg envisioned the market to be year round residents of the town.

Mr. Stagg stated that he does expect year round primary residents.

Mr. Jensen asked if there was an apartment building, would they be measured by bedrooms in terms of density.

Mr. Stagg stated that they are measured both ways. They are based on bedrooms, if there are three bedroom units, there has to be more parking than a one bedroom unit.

Mr. Hamilton stated that the ordinance used to establish measurements is based on bedrooms. Several years ago, the density used to be based on the units, not the bedrooms. parking standards were based on the number of bedrooms within the unit.

Mr. Jensen asked why the proposal is based on bedrooms and not units.

Mr. Stagg stated that the reason is that the way the ordinance structures the parking requirements based on one space for 2.5 bedrooms for a community of the type. The ordinance requires that parking be tabulated by bedroom.

Mr. Jensen asked why would there be moving around for a wetland when there is a lot of infill place on the other side of Route 50.

Mr. Stagg stated that there are not a lot of infill options within the town limits at the present time. He went on to say that when the business park was developed, it was not a wetland it was actually made wetland by virtue of the road construction. It is an infill site surrounded by development in Easton with adequate water and sewer in place.

The President of the Council asked the audience for comments.

Ms. Lauren Kline, 407 Goldsborough Street stated that she thought it was great to have an age restricted complex in Easton, but would like to implore everybody to think about the impact of the number of units in that area of the town. She described the traffic flow at the intersection of Goldsborough St. & Rt. 50 as terrible and unsafe.

Mr. Hamilton stated that if the council approves the proposal, the developers would be back before the Council because they are requesting to vacate Brant Court.

Mr. David Cadell resident of Pin Oak Way stated that he owns an office at 29556 Brant Court. He went on to say that his concern was the runoff water for the project. Mr. Cadell stated that the plats for the property are labeled forested area. He went on to say having worked next to the property for 4-5 years, during 8-9 months of a typical year the area depicted a forest is usually 2 ft. deep in water. His concern was the construction and filling of the wetlands due to inadequate consideration of where the water would flow with the proposed project. He went on to give a description of where the water flows at the present time and previous history of the property.

Mr. Grunden stated that Stormwater Management is not an EUC program, but run by the Town Engineer’s office.

Mr. Robert Klimczak, Goldsborough St. stated that he was concerned with the traffic at the intersection of Goldsborough and Rt. 50 because sometimes it takes at least four lights to get through the intersection.

Mr. Stagg stated that the site is six commercial lots and could develop a building with a parking lot and could develop more traffic than the proposed project. He went on to say that traffic would probably occur during non-peak hours, not 7-9AM or 4-6PM, but between those hours. The impacts at the intersection of Goldsborough St. and Rt. 50 and Dover St. would be minimized during those peak hours. Mr. Stagg went on to say that MDE and Town of Easton have reviewed the Stormwater Management plan based on a previous site plan under previous state guidelines. He went on to say that the site plan shows additional stormwater management facilities and treatment zones for water quality purposes on the plan that has been expanded over what was approved by MDE and the Town Engineer’s office. In conclusion, Mr. Stagg stated that the town would insure that there are no impacts on adjacent properties as the final site plans are developed.

There being no further questions, the President of the Council closed the public hearing at 8:46 P.M.

Mr. Willey stated that the record would remain open for written comments until 5:00 PM Friday, December 21, 2001.

Mr. Willey brought forth Resolution No. 5756 approving the fund raising effort to benefit the Town of Easton – Easton Skatepark Association and authorizing the Town Clerk to take appropriate steps to handle and account for funds collected.

Mr. Reed motioned for approval of Resolution No. 5756, seconded by Mr. Ford and carried unanimously following a roll call vote.

Mr. Willey brought Resolution No. 5757 authorizing the creation and budget transfers for Table Tennis Center to the floor.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that she would like to give recognition to Mr. Dan Kirby, Claiborne, MD who sent information regarding the value of table tennis in the community. She went on to give details of the information sent by Mr. Kirby who is one of the consultants on the project. Ms. Jackson-Amis also stated that she had begun this project before she became a member of the council because there is a need for activities in the community that will give young people the opportunity to be involved and challenged in a productive way. In addition to table tennis at the site, there will also be a jump rope program for young people to compete. She went on to say that there are other partners who have agreed to help fund the program. She also stated that she would like to have the council’s support for the program, and would like to have operating funds that would allow for some of the basic costs.

Mr. Reed stated he was not ready to vote on the resolution at the time. He went on to say that more information was needed in regards to the budget and what monies will need to be committed for the project. He called the council’s attention to the letter from the YMCA, proposing a program for children of all ages from 3 years of age and up, which would not be of cost. The program will include students from Easton Middle, Easton High schools, as well as St. Peter & Paul and the Country School and would have no cost. He stated that he believed a lot more students would have the chance to get involved in the program at the YMCA; whereas, there may not be as many interested in table tennis. Mr. Reed stated that there needed to be a study of the programs because of the amount of money that is being requested to fund the table tennis program. He stated that the program at the YMCA would begin their program after school hours and during the evening. In conclusion, he stated that the proposal needed to be looked at before any decisions are made.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that she had spoken to Mr. Kenneth Soliday, Director of Member Services, and he was excited to partner in the program. She went on to say that the YMCA does not have an existing table tennis program and would like to discuss the idea of bringing some of their young people to the project. Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that her only concern with the YMCA is that the people who are participating would have to pay or have scholarships, which are very limited. She also stated that they are trying to find an outlet for people who do not have the available funds for the project; therefore, the YMCA is going to work with the project. In regards to the issue of the use of the building, Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that the building will open and there are people who are interested in helping the program progress. Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that she is hoping that the town will see fit to support others who are not necessarily in the town with the project. She went on to say in terms of the $20,000, which is being requested to fund the program, that is an operating budget and has been narrowed down to the actual cost as far as utilities and rent.

Mr. Ford stated that the town does need to be fiscally responsible. He went on to say in regards to Mr. Reed’s comments about the YMCA and EHS, he thought is was commendable that Ms. Jackson-Amis has been talking with the YMCA and extending her efforts with them. It is important to remember that the program Ms. Jackson-Amis is suggesting that the town support is actually located within the community and the people who live in the community do not have to go to the YMCA or EHS to participate. Mr. Ford went on to say that budget concerns are very legitimate, and the town does need to be responsible. However, he went on to say that he does support the concept and suggested that the Mayor and Council find a way to support the operating funds for the project for the first six months so that the effect of the program on the community can be evaluated.

Mr. Jensen stated that he thought that everyone needed to be clear that the table tennis center is not simply for ping pong tables and people hanging around. He went on to say that he thought Ms. Jackson-Amis was proposing is a seriously disciplined activity, where it gives children the chance to learn a valuable skill. Mr. Jensen stated that he also supports the idea and echoed Mr. Ford’s ideas of concern regarding finances.

Mayor Butler asked how much funding would be needed for the first six months. He went on to say that a process was being started where any member of the council could come along and say that they would like to say start a project themselves and ask for funds out of the budget. Mayor Butler stated that there are projects in progress in the town, such as the concession stand out at North Easton Park where people have made efforts to get the funds needed for the project, and he thought that Ms. Jackson-Amis should be going in the same direction.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that applications are in fact for funds and there will be independent funding for the program. She stated that there are people who have expressed their interest in funding for the project, but the money would not be available until after the first of the year. Ms. Jackson-Amis went on to say that she and others involved in the project are asking for small amounts of money, and some of the money shown in the budget would not be critical to starting the program. Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that to rent the building, it would cost $700 a month, utilities to be between $300-$400 a month, and estimated annual condominium fees are $1320, which would give a total of approximately $8,000.

Mr. Jensen asked if there was a way that a tighter amount could be given.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that she was sure of the cost for the rent, but the cost for utilities had been estimated. The condominium fees are also set; the four occupants of the building are responsible for those fees.

Mr. Jensen asked if there was any funding in place at the present time.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that there is at the least $5,000 for funding right now. There are a few organizations who are going to work with her, but do not have a number yet. She also stated that she had spoken with Mr. Goldstein from For All Seasons and they are very interested in helping to fund the program. She stated that she is not asking the town for a long-term exposure, and the period of evaluation will determine whether or not it is healthy for the town.

Mr. Jensen asked if it would be okay if the town funded for three months to see how things are going from there and revisit the issue.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that the center would open if the town only invested in the program for three months. She went on to say that she would like to see the town be involved for a longer period of time than three months.

Mr. Ford stated that if the rent has been paid through the end of the year, the budget ends in June; six months would carry the town through the fiscal year. If the funding includes all of the operating costs and the town could get through the end of the fiscal year, than the project could be included in the budget review for next year’s fiscal budget.

Mr. Willey asked the Town Attorney Mr. Kehoe if the current resolution is voted on with corrections or would a new resolution have to be drawn.

Mr. Kehoe stated that as a resolution, it could be voted on if amended.

Mr. Jensen motioned for approval of Resolution No. 5757 as amended to cover three months of expenses on the table tennis center, seconded by Mr. Ford and carried unanimously following a roll call vote with Mr. Reed voting no and Ms. Jackson-Amis abstaining from the vote.

Mr. Willey brought forth a memo from the Town Engineer regarding stop signs at the Rails-to-Trails Crossings.

Mr. Glass stated that at the last meeting, there was a discussion from the Goldsborough Street residents regarding the concern of vehicles not stopping for pedestrians at the rails-to-trails and speeding. He went on to say that stop signs are not typically used in conjunction with pedestrian crosswalks; the presence of the crosswalk establishes the law that pedestrians have the right of way within the crosswalk. The additional stop signs at the location would confuse drivers because there would be two laws at the same place. He went on to say that there are several issues that need to be thought about. He gave a description of two locations where stop signs are located at the rails-to-trails and locations that are used as exits and how it would cause stacking of vehicles which would cause blocking for vehicles trying to exit from two other locations. Mr. Glass went on to say that the way to handle situations like this is not through more regulations, but through public education about the concern and importance of the Maryland crosswalk law enforcement in Easton. He stated that he had spoken with a representative at the Star Democrat who is interested in doing an article about Easton and the concern of pedestrian’s safety. Mr. Glass stated that the pre-construction meeting for the upgrading of the physical crosswalk is scheduled two weeks from the council meeting to enhance the crosswalk itself.

Mr. Willey asked Chief Harvey if there had been any traffic checks on Goldsborough St. prior to the council meeting.

Chief Harvey stated that there had been checks done. He went on to say that there have been enforcement efforts on Goldsborough Street as well as Merrick Ln., East Ave., Pennsylvania Ave., Locust Ln., Calvert St., Aurora St., Parris Ln., Arcadia St., Higgins St., Washington St., and Park Ave to name a few areas that have been covered. He stated that there had been 29 speeding violations, 16 warnings, 16 repair orders, and 3 repair warnings since September 1, 2001. There was a two-week time period given for selective enforcement. The assigned time for traffic checks were after dark hours Monday through Thursday 1700-1800, on Friday and Saturday 2200-2300 on December 7,8,11,14, and 15. Chief Harvey stated that there were 258 automobiles were surveyed during that time period they averaged to be going at a speed of 26.657 miles per hour. During that time 7 citations and 14 warnings were issued. He stated that the assignment was scheduled to continue one more week.

Mr. Ford asked was there any idea how fast the cars were going when the seven speeding citations were issued.

Chief Harvey stated that the speed was not documented, just the fact that they were speeding.

Mr. Jensen asked how many citations had been issued since December 10, 2001.

Chief Harvey stated that there were 29 moving violations.

Mr. Jensen asked if Chief Harvey recommended that enforcement be continued on Goldsborough St. and Dover St.

Chief Harvey stated that it was agreed at the last meeting to conduct two weeks of selective enforcement. The second week would begin on the holiday weekend. He went on to say that if the survey were conducted between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon, the numbers would say that there is no speeding. Chief Harvey stated that the times selected to conduct the survey were based on the comments made by audience members at the last meeting.

Mr. Ford stated that at the last meeting, one of the suggestions made by a resident on Goldsborough Street was that they would like for Goldsborough Street to be known as a patrolled street. The idea would be apart of the public education process; whereas, people would know if they speed on Goldsborough St., then they are likely to get a ticket.

Mr. Willey stated that by the next meeting, there should be collapsible bollard in place and all traffic information and citation information will be under a draft. He also stated that several Goldsborough St. residents indicated that they would have no problem whatsoever to call the police department if they notice suspicious vehicles so that the police department could develop a record of the times that these incidents occur.

Ms. Lauren Kline, Goldsborough St. stated that at the next meeting she would like to hear is that if the people are speeding on Goldsborough St., and are pulled over, they should receive a speeding ticket. She stated that the idea of having stop signs put at the rails-to-trails was ensure the safety of people trying to cross at the crosswalk and to slow down traffic.

Chief Harvey stated that all citations issued are a type of enforcement whether it is a warning, equipment repair order, etc.

Mr. Jensen stated that he understood that everyone couldn’t be caught if they are speeding, but if they are speeding, they should be given a ticket.

Chief Harvey stated that the surveys and selective enforcement are being conducted and there will be a strategy.

Mr. Robert Klimczak, Goldsborough St. stated that he has seen cars on Goldsborough St. going faster than 25 mph. He also stated that he would like to know if he could get a radar gun so he could do his own study or have police officers sit on his front porch so that they could see for themselves. He also stated that he would provide video footage of cars speeding on Goldsborough St.

Ms. Nancy Chandonnet, 117 Goldsborough St. stated that she noticed that there are not very many speed limit signs on Goldsborough St. She went on to say that she too would allow police officers to sit on her porch and monitor speeding. Ms. Chandonney stated that if there were consistent surveillance when there is time, then there would be a change. In conclusion, she stated that she appreciated seeing an officer on Goldsborough St. one night prior to the meeting when he stopped someone.

Mr. Jack Chicgure, 410 Goldsborough St. asked if there has been consideration for the placement of stop signs at other locations besides the rails-to-trails.

Mr. Jensen stated that there should be a good reason to put a stop sign in a particular place.

Mr. Glass stated that the general notion is that stop signs are not a control mechanism used to slow cars down.

Mr. Jensen stated that if speeding cannot be controlled by means of enforcement alone, then there may be a need to put other traffic mitigation such as speed bumps, stop signs, etc. to slow down traffic.

Mr. Chicgure stated that because he likes to walk and he has to cross at the railroad station to get to the rails-to-trails to go north. He went on to say that cars do not slow down when he walks out into the pedestrian marked area, and sometimes the only way he can get across is to run. In conclusion, he stated that there is a problem, and he was grateful that the town is taking the matter seriously.

Ms. Jackson-Amis asked if there are plans to conduct a two-week study similar to the one on Goldsborough St. in the area of Glenwood Ave., Washington St. and Port St. so that those areas are taken into consideration as well.

Chief Harvey stated that it was proposed for the police department to look at the whole infrastructure of the town and come up with recommendations to ensure safety under the speeding laws. He went on to say that selective enforcement is a patch to look at driving down problems. Chief Harvey stated that he was under the impression that the two-week study was to see where the problems were and develop a strategy to solve them.

Ms. Joan Candek, N. Hanson St. stated that she has observed stop signs at almost every intersection heading toward the Post Office and back down to Idewild Ave. Ms. Candek wanted to know why priority was given in that direction and not in the direction of Goldsborough St. and Dover St.

Mr. Jensen stated that the intersection of Goldsborough St. and Dover St. at the rails-to-trails is not a four-way stop and stop signs should be moved back to Pennsylvania Ave. and East Ave. He asked the Town Engineer if there has been any consideration of whether or not a stop sign might make more sense than a four-way stop.

Mr. Glass stated that he had not looked at the idea with quite as much detail as far as stop signs being close. The stop signs themselves need to meet certain warrants before they are put in; and whether they are close to a crosswalk or further away, there are still issues that motorists are not paying attention to the crosswalk law. In conclusion, Mr. Glass stated that the problem needs to try to be solved before more regulations are put in because it may cause more problems.

The President of the Council declared a ten-minute recess at 9:50 P.M.

The President of the Council called the meeting back to order at 9:57 P.M.

Mr. Willey stated that the next item on the agenda was the consensus for re-zoning for Lowe’s property.

Mr. Ford stated that he is in favor of keeping Lowe’s in town.

Mr. Jensen agreed with what Mr. Ford stated.

Mr. Reed stated that he did not agree with the county changing the zoning to include Lowe’s in the county.

Ms. Jackson-Amis stated that Lowe’s made it clear that they did not want to discuss the idea.

Mr. Willey stated that about 10 years ago a business needed to expand, and when the business couldn’t enlarge, they left town. He stated that he sees the same scenario happening here. He would like to see everything done to keep the business in the town.

The President of the Council brought invoices to the floor for approval totaling $689,644.49. Mr. Ford made a motion to approve the invoices for payment, seconded by Ms. Jackson-Amis and carried unanimously.

Mr. Willey asked for a motion to approve Ordinance No. 435.

Mr. Ford moved for passage the approval of Ordinance No. 435, seconded by Jensen and carried unanimously following a roll call vote.

Mayor Butler stated that he would like to wish everyone in the town a very Merry Christmas, as well as a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Chief Harvey stated that it had been approved for First Night Talbot 2002, the itinerary would the same as the prior year without fireworks. He echoed what Mayor Butler said and wished everyone a great holiday season.

Ms. Jackson-Amis asked about an officer at West St. and Glenwood.

Chief Harvey stated that West St. and Glenwood was taken over by MEO Betty Mackert six days prior to the meeting.

The Town Engineer stated that Monday and Tuesday December 24, 2001 and December 25, 2001 are holidays and garbage pickup will be accomplished throughout the entire town on Wednesday December 26, 2001. He also stated that there would be trash pick-up on Monday, December 31, 2001, but not on Tuesday January 1, 2001, trash-pick up would resume on Wednesday, January 2, 2001. Mr. Glass also stated that there was a memo regarding 2-hour parking on Elm Avenue. He stated that there would be a memo regarding Resolution No. 5710, which was a schedule of fees for building permits, site plan reviews, etc. Mr. Glass stated that he had heard a couple of comments in the community about the street sweeper being noisy, and he is trying to do something about the noise level. In regards to the traffic on Goldsborough St. and Rt. 50, he stated that he would try to get in contact with the District 2 state highway office to determine how their signal phasing is set up at the intersection of Goldsborough and Dover with Rt. 50.

Town Attorney Mr. Kehoe wished everyone present a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. He stated that he looked forward to a better year in 2002.

Mr. Willey echoed Mr. Kehoe’s comments in regards to a better year. He also wished everyone a Happy Christmas and best of the holidays.

Mr. Ford extended his wishes for a happy and safe holiday to the entire Town of Easton.

Mr. Jensen wished everyone a happy holiday.

Mr. Reed wished everyone a happy and safe holiday. He also congratulated Chief Harvey on the fine program put on for the promotion and recognition of the officers and everybody at the police department.

Ms. Jackson-Amis wished everyone a happy holiday. She also thanked everyone who attended the Kwanzaa festival. Ms. Jackson-Amis invited everyone to the Community Kwanzaa at the site of the table tennis center. In conclusion, she wished her father a happy birthday.

Mr. Willey brought forth the memo from Mr. Glass regarding the 2-hour parking on Elm Avenue. He asked if the approval of 2-hour parking could be done by voting or should it be in the form of a resolution.

Ms. Jackson-Amis motioned for approval of 2-hour parking signs on both sides of Elm Avenue, seconded by Mr. Jensen and carried.

There being no further business, Ms. Jackson-Amis made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Ford and carried.

At 10:15 p.m., the President of the Council adjourned the regularly scheduled Council meeting.

Town Clerk