April 13 2015 Commissioners Meeting Minutes

Town of Brookeville

Commissioners Meeting Minutes

April 13 & 23, 2015

 

Present:  Katherine Farquhar, Buck Bartley, Sue Daley

 

April 13th Meeting: 6:10 PM; ended 6:50 PM

  • Town Spring Cleanup = 8-11, AM June 6th (10 for Strawberry Festival volunteers)
  • Dumpster by Schoolhouse; plant flowers around Brookeville signs; other tidying tasks such as weeding Academy front walk & steps.
  • Hole at Market & North – Buck will contact WSSC and may take immediate action = orange cone.
  • Street Gutter Cleaning:  Buck will contact SHA to see if they can get this done

(Market/High)

  • Update re: Bypass from Sue – optimism is warranted; agencies/players working more closely together. Sense of progress is clear.  There is a calendar.
  • PEPCO: Chris Scanlon reported on the tree removal/trimming process;  HAWP

process is being followed, residents are being notified by PEPCO contractor

  • Landscapers:  for Heiler Hill;  $350 was allocated to help with work to stabilize hillside;  Susan J. will be consulted
  • Quick review of Academy Rental/Maintenance report was done

VOTES:

  • Dennis Bogan gets contract for Academy Alarm System
  • Approved March Commissioner Meeting Minutes as revised
  • Exterior light & Walkway deferred
  • Schoolhouse Dehumidification: Andrea will bring back to April 23rd meeting as is awaiting better proposal.
  • Property Tax vote deferred to April 23 meeting

 

No update on SHA/County estimate for Market Street resurfacing; Buck is in contact

with them.

Deferred:          Our House (Debbie W’s wall)

Budget Report (Susan not here)

 

April 13 Minutes reviewed & approved by unanimous vote.   4/20

 

April 23 Supplemental Meeting:

7:00 pm

Present:  Katherine Farquhar, Buck Bartley, Sue Daley, Andrea Scanlon & Susan Johnson (2nd ½ of meeting)

Not here: Diane Teague

Residents:  Barbara Ray, Sandy Heiler, Miche Booz

 

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

  1. Review/Approve April 13 minutes – done.
  2. Budget update: Receive and review and discuss budget report (Susan J.)

Susan presented the finances; Commissioners discussed status; bottom line – budgeted 329K, will have final working figures by mid-May.

Commissioners and staff are starting to make a list of items needed for next year.  Andrea will make a starter-list of Academy/town property items.   Susan needs these lists by May 1st if possible.   Susan will meet with the Commissioners and workshop with Katherine in preparation for the Town Meeting on June 1st.

  1. Town Property
    1. Exterior Light:  Discussion, metal or wood?

Sandy Heiler notes: Cast Iron is likely not acceptable to HPC nor is change of materials so it will need to be wood.

Cost:    New $425-950.

Refurbished $250+$100 shipping does include dusk-dawn sensor and frosted glass,

Pros and cons of each were discussed.

    1. Handicap Door update:  HAWP?  Scheduled?  Cost? Andrea requests issue to be deferred to next FY.   Buck will get cost information for the work based on what they did at the Church. Rough estimate = $3000.  The new door will require a HAWP.   Overload for Academy Manager in this FY.
    2. Walkway:  By the May Commissioners meeting:   2nd bid for walkway will be presented and voted on to cover specific brick (#, color, sample – Sandy & Miche = Brick Team) replacement as alternative to resetting the current brick (bid #1) and the cost for materials and labor for this.    Andrea will find place to stack (vs. dispose) of the current bricks if we vote for option 2
    3. School House dehumidification, other needed repairs: Moldstoppers & HVAC contractors being considered for the next process: long term dehumidification. Temporary dehumidifiers running now; mold removal & installation of vapor barriers etc are done.
  1.                                                     i.     Repairs to roof must be budgeted for:
    1. ridge, flashing by chimney and the standing seams
    2.  different brackets for the gutters/snow guards.
  2.                                                   ii.     We also need to do the grading HAWP and the water diversion strategies for the North Side, and assess and get a price for replacement of rotting wood siding.
  3.                                                 iii.     We have a price now we are just vetting this.   Must get price estimates to Susan J. by May 1st so that we have in budget.
  4. 14 households (28%) participated in the April 13 Town Forum (“Hearing Brookeville’s Priorities”).   Teal, Davis, Heiler, Andress-Johnson, Moore, Syski (Also L. Syski), Farquhar, McDonald, Anderson, Bartley, Scanlon, Ray, Wheeler.   Summary report to appear in Brookeville Times.
  5. 4 discussion groups produced notes that will be given to the proposed Bypass Task Force:  Academy-Schoolhouse, Town Services, Town Government, Group E.
  6. Key points:  Participating households want 2 Town Meetings/year and BPC present with the Commissioners
  7. Greater clarity on budget & Town finances is sought– on expenditures, priorities, status of our funds
  8. Workshops:  Master Plan (familiarize Town with), HAWP Process, Building Stone Walls, History, schoolhouses, Historic District.
  9. Gatherings: 2 TM/s year, Dinners and other activities for community & fund-raising;
  10. Question raised about 501 c3 for Brookeville
  11. Great deal of discussion about Market Street – reconditioning it.
  12. Surface of the town’s roads:  North, Water, South
  13. Special Issues/VOTES:
    1. Gravel Roads – summer repairs: Buck is talking with Neil and will give a proposal to Susan. Will walk the gravel roads before finalizing contract.   Usually is $1965 X 2.    Considering whether to do alternative surfacing.   Buck will update us.
    2. Our House: Remove Angel Base, fill sinkhole, repair Debbie Wagner stone wall   Deferred to June.
    3. Academy Roof –Research:  Deferred to June.
    4. Market Street update by Buck – will get county to come out.  Has been talking with WSSC about getting them to do 90-(2400)’ of the refurbishment.   Thanks to Buck .
    5. The Heiler Hill:  Susan J. will get a bid (hill, cemetery) to clean it up and 1X/month for the summer to maintain.
  1. Town Forum (“Hearing Brookeville’s Priorities”):
  1. Motion (Farquhar) unanimous approval voted:  To establish the “Brookeville Beyond the Bypass Task Force” to be chaired by Don Moore and to include 6-7 members including 1 Commissioner and 1 Brookeville Planning Commission member plus others with consideration for geographic and generational diversity.   The purpose of this Task Force:   Ready the Town for its next era, beyond the Bypass. This is the approved wording.
  2. Motion (Farquhar) unanimous approval voted: That the Town of Brookeville increase its tax rate from .015/$100 of assessed real property value to .020/$100 of assessed value, for a period including the 2016 and 2017 tax years.   Academy roof, funds needed to ameliorate Academy – and pay for the Town after the Bypass.
  3. Motion (Farquhar):  That the Commissioners authorize a budget item for expert consultants/resources as needed:   highway/sidewalk engineering;  historical interiors;  municipal attorney;  architecture/materials, etc.     Amount to be discussed. Not considered
  4. Other needed actions/motions/items for future agendas? Didn’t get to this
    1. Katherine:  Town Charter Revision in FY 2016?
    2. Others:

Deferred to June.

  1. Material for Brookeville Times?

 

 

COMMIT TO OLNEY COC SCHOLARSHIP FUND @ SAME AS LAST YEAR

COMMIT $100 TO STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL WILL GIVE US LOGO IN THE PRINT MATERIALS

 

Move to Adjourn: 9:15 pm

 

Respectfully submitted by: Katherine Farquhar