Category: Commissioners Meeting Minutes

Town of Brookeville
Annual Town Meeting Minutes
May 22, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present:  Sue Daley and Jeff Johnson
Absent:  Buck Bartley
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Property Manager Andrea Scanlon, Events Manager Brooke Curley, and Treasurer Susan Johnson
Town Residents: Andy & MaryKay Spagnolo, Sandy & Duane Heiler, Harry & Karen Montgomery, Debbie Wagner,  Micole Haris,  Maggie Kay, Marti Andress, Michael Acierno, Stefan Syski, Miche Booz, Katherine Farquhar, and Roland & Shirley Bowker
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News;

Proceedings:
 Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner President Daley

Commissioner Daley opened the meeting with the introduction of the new Events Manager and Commissioner Jeff Johnson.  Each Resident introduced themselves.    Commissioner Bartley was unable to attend tonight’ meeting.

Updates on the main topics/priorities:

Brookeville Bypass

Commissioner Daley states that the ByPass project is still moving forward.   Both Commissioner Daley and Bartley attended the May 10^th SHA Partners meeting where the 100% design plan were available.  The FEMA report and approval are still pending.  There was a set-back:  the SHA’s contractor bid came back too high; the projects needs to go out for bid after the FEMA permits is obtained.  A new bid / contractor is expected to be announced by the end of 2017.    Commissioners Daley and Bartley plan to attend any upcoming SHA Partner’s meetings.  Another change:  the ByPass will be asphalt and not concrete.

 Town Maintained Street / Property

The Property Manager gave an overview of her job description.

• The Town now owns 75 good quality Windsor chairs; 2 chairs are at the painters.  The old Dining Rooms chairs will be used upstairs in the Lecture Hall; some of the chairs were given away.  The old armchairs were donated to Our House.  Huge Thank You to Sandy & Duane Heiler for all their hard work and time procuring the Windsor chairs.
• Academy roof:  project is out for bid.   Once all the bids are received the Commissioners will review the options for metal, cedar shakes, and a combination of metal / cedar.
• Kitchen upgrade;  the kitchen needs a new refrigerator and microwave; there is money the budget for this items.
• Academy lawn:  the lawn area will be leveled.  The pine tree and flag pole will be moved.  There will be screening around the trash area.  The process will start one the topological maps are received.
• Schoolhouse: Work that needs to be completed:  rotted wood removal, structure and wood floor repair, replace some exterior trim and remaking the handicap accessible stairs.
• Gravel Roads:  Water and North Streets had some work performed recently that seems to have fixed some drainage issues.  North Street will have pothole repairs soon and work on the gravel surface in certain areas – these repairs are temporary fixes.  Commissioner Bartley is expecting grading drawings for North Street.  Once the drawings are received and reviewed, the bid process can start.
• Market Street:  there will some asphalt repair but not a major overhaul of Eastern Market Street.
• Tree work:  there will be some tree work, especially to the Ash trees on North and South Streets

Comment: Debbie Wagner would a speed bump installed from her driveway to WSSC to slow speeding cars.

Comment:  Water Street is regrading and water run-off?  Where is the water being directed?  The plan is to get the water to run down the street and off into the woods.

Comment: North Street trees – has the HPC permit been filed?  How many trees are being removed as part of the Schoolhouse project?  Potentially there are 5 dead or dying trees on the schoolhouse lot; there will be some pruning of trees in the Town’s ROW along North Street.

Comment: 2^nd Debbie’s request for a speed bump in front of her house.

Comment:  Harry Montgomery has a comment about Water St.  There is a lot of water in front of his garage – why lower part of Water Street but not the portion in front of his garage?  Maybe a better ditch from his garage down the hill along Water Street will help drain the water.  Mrs. Montgomery does not want a ditch where she parks their cars.

The Town can take a look and see how much gravel is in the drain.  The Town plans on engaging CPH for design plan for all of Water Street

Comment: Market Street work:  will the speed bumps be made more visible?  The lower speedbump will be totally replaced; the upper-speed bump was recently redone by WSSC.  The Town is not sure about the painting of the speed bumps.  The Town needs to think of what image it would like to project.

FY’ 16-17 Budget:

The Town’s main revenue is taxes.  The Comptroller of Maryland claims the Town was overpaid an average of $55K every year.  The Town tax revenue stream will be reduced for future years.  The Town can expect $60K total in tax revenue next fiscal year.

Comment: Did the Town takes steps to end the tax increase enacted 2 years? Yes, the tax increase will expire in June 2017

Comment: The Comptroller of Maryland office made a mistake but does not want to admit it made a mistake with the tax revenue over the past several years.  The Town was not negligent with the tax issue, it a competence issue the Office of the Comptroller.

The Town would like the Comptroller of Maryland to justify their numbers.  Commissioner Bartley will continue to work on the issue.

Comment:  what is the current income from the state per household?  Not sure

 Draft FY’ 17-18 Budget

The draft Fiscal Year 2017-2018 was reviewed.

Comment:  Line 6185 – what services fall under Professional Services?  Services such as the Town’s lawyer, and CPH for surveys and drawings.

• There have been cutbacks for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 due to tax shortfall.  The Town’s reserves are in good shape.
• Line 6025: Local Income Tax:  The Town needs to figure out how the State figures out the amount they pay the Town.  The revenue needs to be stable from year to year to keep the Town sustainable.

Open Discussion

Comment:  Ownership of High Street post Bypass. The SHA cannot make the Town take ownership. The Town does not have the resources to maintain the road. SHA is open to working with the Town to reconfigure the road into a small town streetscape.  The sidewalk project along High Street is on hold.

Comment:    Any update on the new owners for the Inn at Brookeville Farms?  The new owners came to one BPC meeting but have not contacted the Town since.

Comment:  There is a property in Town the needs some major clean-up.  The plumbing shop is a chemical dump and the Town will probably need to clean it up since the owner is not in good health.  What will happen to that property? The Commissioners can work with MoCo help with problem properties.    MoCo has standards for properties; they can force the property to clean-up or clean it up and put a lien on the property.

Comment: any update on 309 / 311 Market?  The process has started with MoCo again.  The inspector came out and met with the Commissioners and started the process again.  It is a long process, and more action should take place at the end of the year.

Are there specification criteria to clean up the property?   The County has a very specific standard.  The next step after this is the Town will consult the lawyer:  the Town can clean-up the property and put a lien on the property.  The MoCo inspector could not step on the property but could take pictures from afar.

An adjacent property own has concerns about flammable items possibly being stored on the property and the possibility of another fire.

Comment:  There was a discussion of Bob & Dee Heritage declining health.   Their children are helping to take care of them and having groceries delivered.

 The meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
May 8, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present:  Buck Bartley, Sue Daley, and Jeff Johnson
Absent:  none
Quorum present? Yes

present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Property Manager Andrea Scanlon, Treasurer Susan Johnson, and Events Manager Brooke Curley
Town Residents: Debbie Wagner
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News; Vikki Garcia, Community Outreach for John Sarbanes

Proceedings:
 Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner Sue Daley

Updates:

• CPH Engineering:  the grading drawings for the lower end of North Street are nearing completion.  Once the drawings are received and reviewed, the bid process can start. 
• The Property Manager is meeting with Serra Stone this week for pothole repair on the gravel roads.   Pothole repair will take place as soon as possible.
• Property Manager is compiling a list of asphalt companies for bid out repairs to eastern Market Street. 

 Open Discussion for Residents’ questions and comments

Debbie Wagner  reports the Pepco light in front of her house is a danger  to her at night; she does not want the light repaired or in working order.  Debbie Wagner reports that she cannot see the cars approaching Market Street from Brighton Dam Road because of the glare of the Pepco light.

 ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

 Minutes: The approval of the March and April meeting minutes was deferred.

Financial:  FY ’16-’17 budget:  Line 6025 local income tax:  $130K was budgeted as income but only $30K received to date; $55K is the estimated amount at the end of the fiscal year. The anticipated amount for FY ’17-’18 is $60K.  There was a discussion about the Local Income Tax Overpayment Forgiveness bill. Commissioner Bartley is not satisfied with the response from the State.  The Town Commissioners and Treasurer will ask for a meeting with State officials, Jim Pasko (State of Maryland), and Senator Zucker.  The Commissioner want the State to be transparent and justify how they came up with the figures.

 The draft FY ’17-’18 budget was discussed at great lengths; line by line.   Several line items were consolidated. The majority of the line items were decreased from previous years to lessen the budget deficit.  The Treasurer will update the budget, send it to the Commissioners for review, and have the draft FY ’17-’18 budget ready to post to the Town’s website by May 15^th.

TOWN OPERATIONS:

• Academy Rental Update: there has been a lot of interest in renting the Academy.  Rentals are strong for June.  The Events Manager wants to increase rental rates by $25 across the board with the exception of long term renters and the Resident rate (which will remain $150).    Unanimous approved by Town Commissioners.  New rental rates will take effect July 1, 2017
• codifying/organize Brookeville Ordinance:  the Town’s current charter will be reviewed by the Town’s lawyer
• Election:  scheduled for tomorrow, May 9, from 3:00pm -8:00pm.  Barbara Ray will be assisting Election Supervisor Marti Andress.
• Heritage Days Sunday, June 25, 2017, 12n – 4pm:  Will be advertised in the upcoming Brookeville Times.

TOWN PROPERTY:

Academy

• Academy Metal/Shingle-Shake Roof:  Property Manager is still soliciting bids for the Academy roof.
• Academy Lawn:  project for next FY.

Schoolhouse

• Arborist Report for North Street: Property Manager needs a letter from the arborist for the trees that need to be removed on the Schoolhouse ground.  Once received, she will submit an HAWP.
• Work that needs to be completed:  rotted wood removal, structure and wood floor repair, replace some exterior trim and remaking the handicap accessible stairs.
• A copy of the Heritage Montgomery agreement is needed.

Streetlights:  the contractor is still waiting on the ballast to be available.

ByPass:  next SHA Partners meeting is May 10th

Other Business

• Estimated cost for redesigned website is $3,880 from Clark Concepts.  The new website will have a Resident portal and the ability to reserve the Academy and Schoolhouse on-line.    Commissioner Daley signed the contract.
• The Treasurer will arrange a conference call with Jim Pasko and talk with MML.
• The Annual Town Meeting is May 22.  Agenda items will update for the ByPass and Town roads; review of  FY ’16-’17 budget; presentation of FY ’17-’18 budget.
• Town Clerk will renew the Town’s insurance with LGIT
• Town picnic will be September 17 from 4pm – 7pm
• Holiday Party will be December 2^nd starting at 6pm.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:27p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

 

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
April 3, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present:  Buck Bartley, Sue Daley
Absent:  Jeff Johnson
Quorum present? Yes

present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Property Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Events Manager Brooke Curley
Town Residents: none
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News

Proceedings:
 Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner Sue Daley

Open Discussion:

• Dennis Bogin has a Scout that wants to perform an Eagle Project in Brookeville.   One of the options would be working on the Mill Rack and mapping a circular walking path around Town.  The Property Manager will give this option to Dennis Bogin.
• Program Open Space: submit ion deadline for proposals for development projects and/or acquisitions for the FY18 Annual Program by Friday, May 26, 2017.   Each project requires at least a 25% local match to State POS funds.  The match may consist of dollars, services, land or other contributions.   The Property Manager will review the program and see the grant can be applied to trails.
• Welcome to Brooke Curley, the new Events / Marketing Manager for the Town.  Her email address will be events@townofbrookevillemd.org
• The Town Commissioner met with Suellen Ferguson of Council Baradel to retain her services as Town Lawyer.  She is an experienced municipal lawyer.  Her proposed contract was reviewed.  Commissioner Barley will sign the contract when the original is received in the mail

 ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS: 

Minutes: The approval of the March meeting minutes was deferred.

Updates:

• CPH has sent the proposed designed for North Street.  The roadway will be regraded near 209 Market Street.  Commissioner Bartley will walk the area with Chris Scanlon and Miche Booz before the design is finalized and RFP is sent out.   Commissioner Bartley will discuss the proposed roadwork with the nearby neighbors.
• Commissioner Bartley will get a quote from Maxxon to fill potholes on the gravel roads.  The work will not commence until next FY – summer or early fall.

Financial:  The budget reports were emailed prior to the meeting.

The Treasurer was not available and the Commissioner will follow-up with her about the FY ’17-’18 budget submission deadline.

The Commissioners want to focus on the changes to be made to the Academy,

There has been no word from MHT about the regrading of the Academy lawn.

Bulk Trash:  the Commissioners decided against a door-to-door bulk trash collection.  A dumpster was approved for the late April / early May timeframe – estimated cost $500.    The Town Clerk will check with B&B about bagged leaf pickup for this fall vs. leaf vacuum.

TOWN OPERATIONS:

• Heritage Day:  all paperwork has been submitted to Heritage Montgomery.  Sandy Heiler will be running the same program as last year.

 TOWN PROPERTY:

Academy Update:
Roof:  still in the bidding process

Interior:  Property Manager will review the kitchen redesign with the Events Manager

Schoolhouse Update:   

• The Property Manager and Commissioner Bartley walked the Schoolhouse lot with the Arborist.  He will revise his proposal to allow for 2 tree removals.  The current proposed contract is $1600; with the additional tree work, the estimated cost is $2500.
• 2 proposals for the carpentry work have been received; a 3^rd proposal is expected to be submitted.  One all proposal are received, the work will be awarded.
• Streetlights:  the ballast are hard to get from the manufacturer; the electrician is working on obtaining ballasts before any work commences.
• The Property Manager will contact HPC to see if a permit is needed to move the streetlight near the schoolhouse. 

ByPass:  the next partners meeting is Tuesday, April 11 in Baltimore

Other Business

• The Town Election is May 9^th.  Commissioner Bartley will follow up with Suzy Moreau about assisting with the election and ask Barbara Ray to be an election judge to assist the Supervisor of Elections.
• Party for Katherine Farquhar:  it was discussed what the Town would pay for the party.  It was decided that the Town will pay for the beer and wine.
• Flags:  Commissioner Bartley would like to buy all new flag poles.  The poles need to be longer, so the flags do not wrap around the poles.  He will get a price quote for all new poles.
• There was a discussion about the status of Local Income Tax Overpayments – Local Reserve Account Repayment – Forgiveness
• MML 2017 Summer Conference:  Commissioner Daley cannot attend; Commissioner Bartley is undecided.

The meeting adjourned at 8:27p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

 

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present:  Buck Bartley, Sue Daley, and Jeff Johnson
Absent:  none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Academy Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Treasurer Susan Johnson.
Town Residents: none
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News

Proceedings:
 Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner Sue Daley

Open Discussion:

• Town Resident Suzy Moreau wants to host a party Katherine Farquhar to thank her for her many years of public service to the Town.  She wants to hold the event at her house on Market St.   There was a discussion about parking and how people will walk to her house.  It was unanimously agreed to support this event

 

• Upcoming Town Election is May 9^th.  There needs to be another Election Supervisor appointed.   Commissioner Bartley will ask Suzy Moreau to volunteer as an Election Supervisor.

 

Updates:

CPH: CPH is working on a revision to the North Street plans.  The proposed cut in the road to remove a hump was not acceptable.

A North Street Resident complained about the condition of North Street.  North Street is in pretty good shape compared to prior years.  Commissioner Bartley will review the gravel road conditions later in the spring.

 

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

 

Minutes: February 12, 2017, Commissioners Meeting Minutes were approved.

 

Financial:  The budget reports were emailed prior to the meeting.

Local Income Tax revenue is down – the Treasurer thinks is should be approximate $75K in revenue before the end of this FY.

31% of the FY 16-17 budget has been spent.   There are still several capital projects that will be starting and paid for before the end of this FY.

The Treasurer will contact the State to inquire why the Town’s Local Income Tax revenue is less than expected.  The Commissioners want her to pull the amount the Town has received for the past 10 years in Local Income Tax for a comparison.

 

 

 

Schoolhouse Update:   

Interior and exterior carpentry and drywall repair are in the bidding process.  After that, the floors will need to be refinished.  Once this work is complete, Maxxon will reinstall the brick ramp way.  Then the Schoolhouse can be painted.

Commissioner Bartley and Property Manager will meet with the Arborist to discussion the proposed tree work at the Schoolhouse lot.

Commissioner Bartley does not want to delay any work to the Schoolhouse but some items, such as tree work, can be delayed until grant money is confirmed.

 

Academy Update:

2016 was a good year for Academy Rentals

Donna Will – revenue this FY is $3K and could be as high as $4K before the end of the FY.

 

TOWN OPERATIONS:

Municipal Lawyer:  The Town of Laytonsville recommended their longtime lawyer, who is working p/t and about to retire.    A lawyer is needed to review and update the Town Charter and Ordinances.

 

BPC:  Met with the new owner of the Inn at Brookeville last week and working on updating the Comprehensive Plan.

 

Event/Marketing position:  the Town Commissioners are interviewing Town Resident Brooke Curly after the meeting for this position.

 

Heritage Days:  Town Clerk submitted the paperwork for Sunday, June 25^th.  Sandy Heiler will conduct the same program as last year at the Academy.

 

Town Property

Academy Roof:  Academy Manager is soliciting 2 new bids

 

Academy Lawn:  No word from MHT if they will allow the land to be landscaped.  MHT might require an archaeology survey to be done prior to any work being performed.   If needed, the archaeology survey will be scheduled for October.

 

Academy Interior:  no updates.  Next on the list is kitchen upgrades, exit lights, and interior painting.

 

Chairs: will order plaques for the chairs.  The old armchairs have been donated to Our House.  There is a surplus of harmless blue chairs:  some have been given to Town Residents, and there are about 20 more to sell / give away.    There is no need for new round tables; new round tablecloths would improve the look when in use.  Academy Manager will replace some of the old, well-worn rectangle tables.

 

Streetlights:    Bogan has ordered parts for the lights, but they are back ordered.

Estimate to move the street light by the Schoolhouse: $3,655.  That work can be performed after the grants are approved.

 

Schoolhouse:

• Arborist:  the formal report and bill have not been received.
• The MOU with Heritage Montgomery was signed last month; it still needs to be signed by Heritage Montgomery.   The signed form is missing, and a new copy will be signed.

 

 

ByPass:  no new notices regarding the next meeting date.   The anticipated start date is April 24^th.

 

Other Business

• Perhaps apply for a Heritage Montgomery grant to publish a resource guide to educate Residents about historic preservation.
• Dennis Bogan, Troop 264, would like to know if the Town has any tasks for Eagle Scout projects.
• Treasurer will start working on FY 2017-2018 mid- to end of April.  The preliminary budget needs to be ready before the May 22^nd Annual Town Meeting.
• The next Commissioners Meeting is Monday, April 3 – the first Monday of the month.
• Commissioner Johnson contacted MoCo Dept. of Housing about 309 / 311 Market.   He is trying to contact the inspector in charge of the case.
• Local Income Tax Overpayments – Local Reserve Account Repayment – Forgiveness was passed by the Senate and has moved into the House, which needs to pass the bill
•  There have been several complaints about property upkeep within the Town.   Once MoCo comes out for inspection, the Commissioner will determine a strategy about property upkeep.
• Spring Clean-up:  The Commissioners would like to get the dumpster back but have no date in mind.  The dumpster is estimated to be $500.  The Town Clerk will get rates for door to door pickup.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:08 p.m.

Cate McDonald

Town Clerk

 

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
February 13, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present: Buck Bartley, Sue Daley, and Jeff Johnson
Absent: none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald
Town Residents: none
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News; Boy Scout Ricky Pepper; Gary Pepper; and a local area resident
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner Sue Daley
Updates:
• CPH: no updates
• Chairs: Most of the chairs have been delivered to the Academy; some chairs are still at the painters.

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

Minutes: January 2, 2017, Commissioners Meeting Minutes were approved.
January 17, 2017, Semi-Annual Town Meeting Minutes were approved.

Financial: The budget reports were emailed prior to the meeting.

Academy Update: Academy update was emailed prior to the meeting.

• Commissioner Bartley presented a $3,500.00 contract between Maxxon LLC and the Town for repairs to the Schoolhouse: regrade around the schoolhouse, remove French drain, remove and then replace brick walkway, remove 2 signs and re-install if needed. Contract with Maxxon was unanimously approved.
• Commissioner Bartley presented a $2,647.00 contract between Brown Custom Roofing and the Town for custom chimney cap, and roof repairs to the Schoolhouse. Contract with Brown was unanimously approved
• Donna Will asked if she could put a metal cabinet (36″ W x 72″ H x 18″D) in the Academy to hold her tea things because she would like to do more teas this spring. The Academy Manager thinks there might be room at the bottom of the basement stairs for this cabinet. The Commissioners approved this request and require an addendum to Donna Will’s contact with the Town to state the Town is not liable for theft or damage any item stored at the Academy.

TOWN OPERATIONS:
• Events / Marketing Manager: The Commissioner would like the position advertise in the next Brookeville Time. To date, there is one applicant for the job.

• Update on codifying/organize Brookeville Ordinances: still a work in progress. When the Town Charter is updated, the Commissioner will have a lawyer review / give advice about ordinances.
• BPC: meeting on the first Tuesday of each month. New and old members are seeming to become a cohesive group and working on updating the Comprehensive Plan.

Town Property

Academy Update:
• Roof: still in the bidding process.
• Academy Lawn: waiting on MHT review / approval.
• Academy interior: no update

Arborist: the formal report has not been received. Commissioner Bartley wants to walk the Schoolhouse lot with the arborist when the Property Manager returns to Town.

Streetlight: no update

ByPass – Commissioners Daley and Bartley will attend the Feb. 14th SHA meeting in Baltimore.

• SB 397: Town Resident Sandy Heiler was visiting with State Senator Madaleno where she learned about a hearing for SB 397 – Income Tax Overpayment – Forgiveness. The Commissioners will try to make the February 15th hearing to testify.

Other Business
• Ordinances for property upkeep: there was a discussion about declining property values due to proximate unkempt properties. There have been several Resident complaints in recent weeks about several properties in Town. Is there a Town ordinance to enforce neighbors to clean their properties? Commissioner Bartley has been in contact with Craig Zucker, and Commissioner Bartley expects to hear from Sen. Zucker after the legislative session ends. MoCo Housing Code Enforcement can enforce MoCo Housing Standards.
• Park and Planning are no longer in partnership with Heritage Montgomery and the Town for the education use of the Schoolhouse. An MOU between the Town and Heritage Montgomery was reviewed. It was agreed that the terns of the MOU would be 2 years. Commissioner President Daley signed the MOU with terms for 2 years.

The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

Town of Brookeville
Semi-Annual Town Meeting Minutes
January 17, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present: Buck Bartley, Sue Daley, and Jeff Johnson
Absent: none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Academy Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Treasurer Susan Johnson
Town Residents: Andy & MaryKay Spagnolo, Sandy & Duane Heiler,, Harry & Karen Montgomery, Barbara Ray, Debbie Wagner, Don DeWall, Iris Stratton, Micole Haris, Ruth & Jorge Chacon, Maggie Kay, Marti Andress, Michael Acierno, Bruce & Toni Evans, Stefan Syski, Terry & Quinn Anderson, Bill Gaskill, Miche Booz, Charles Sterling & Rev Sue Shorb-Sterling
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News;
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner President Daley
Commissioner Daley opened the meeting by giving praise for Katherine Farquhar, who resignation. She introduced the newly appointed Commissioner, Jeff Johnson.
Swearing in the new Commissioner: Commissioner Daley administers the Oath of Office to Jeff Johnson.
Commissioner Daley recognized the new members of the Brookeville Planning Commissioner and its new Chair, Andy Spagnolo.

Updates on the main topics/priorities:

FY 16-17 Budget: Commissioner Bartley
Resident can find the audit of last FY budget and the current FY budget on the Town’s website.
There are several large projects, Schoolhouse repairs and upgrades to the Academy, which caused an overrun. The Town will draw from its reserves. The Town has over $600K in reserves, including the $71,535 surplus from last fiscal year.

Large expenditures for this FY:
• Academy Chairs: Sandy and Duane Heiler have acquired 75 good quality Windsor chairs. After painting, the estimated cost per chair is $100, which is less than the estimated amount. The Chiavari chairs on display at the picnic would have cost $150-$400 per chair. Sandy and Duane were thanked for their time and effort procuring the Windsor chairs.
• Schoolhouse: the Schoolhouse had years of deferred maintenance. Projects this year include re-grade Schoolhouse lot to improve drainage and roofing work (chimney cap, drip edge at gutters, paint roof/fascia)
• The Town is scheduled to start paying back the State $274,029 of State Income tax that the State claims it overpaid. Repayment will be 40 quarterly payments beginning May 2024. The Town will require more detailed information from the State as to how they arrived at the amount they claim the Town was overpaid before the Town begins repayment. The average amount the Town received in Municipal Tax Duplication each year is between $100K-$120K.

Brookeville Bypass
The latest map of the ByPass from SHA was available for viewing. SHA has a few more details to firm up before construction begins. One item is the purchase of land that abuts the project. The culvert Brookeville Rd and Market St will now be a 16 x 20 box culvert, which will allow 3x more water to flow. Park & Planning and SHA are working out details of the noise wall, but that item should not hold up the start of construction. Commissioner Daley reported that SHA is anticipating being able to give contractors NTP (Notice to Proceed) sometime this spring. Residents should be prepared for increased construction traffic through Town.
Question: has the FEMA review been completed? The FEMA review should begin in the next two weeks. SHA is not expecting any issues from the FEMA review
Question: Will the construction traffic be an issue when school starts in the Fall? Parents should contact the MCPS Dept. of Transportation with school bus issues.

Brookeville Planning Commission (BPC): The new BPC Chair, Andy Spagnolo, gave an overview of the BPC’s priorities for 2017: updating the Comprehensive Plan to reflect the Town’s post-ByPass era.

• The Comprehensive Plan will address streetscapes, walkability, and road surfaces. The Town plans to regrade North and Water Streets. The lower end of Water St is currently being regraded to improve a drainage issue. The BPC will consider leaving the newly regarded streets gravel or change the surface to tar & chip.
Questions: will South St be regraded? Commissioner Bartley said no since South St does not have a lot of car traffic. A resident from South St there is more and more traffic on South St due to business activities. Commissioner Bartley will consider having South St regraded along with North and Water Sts.
Question /Comment: Topologic survey, water flow, road surface. A town resident expresses concern that the Town will not get the grading down the right and there still be a drainage issue that affects their property. Water needs to flow correctly downhill. The roads will be impervious if covered with tar & chip; they want to stick with the gravel roads and have the gravel made pervious. Water Street is graded too wide, and it gets wider every year. The residents’ wants to make sure contractors do not use any chemicals to kill the weeds when doing work and not to cause any flooding. There was a long discussion with the Commissioners stating that the Town has an ordinance that prevents contractors from using herbicides on Town property. Also, the Town will be using the topological survey in any bids for regarding.
• Market Street: the BPC will look at calming traffic measure for the eastern portion of Market Street post-ByPass
• High Street & Western Market Street (MD97): this will still be a State maintained the road as the Town does not have funds to take control of this roadway. The Town will work with SHA on narrowing this portion of the road and possible a sidewalk.
There was a discussion about lowering the speed limit on Market Street as a deterrent; make Market / High intersection a four-way stop; ask SHA to put up a “Local Traffic Only” sign and do enforcement.

Event/Marketing position: as published in the last Brookeville Times, the Town is hiring an Events / Marketing Manager for the Academy and Schoolhouse (when it is ready for rentals). The job has not been opened up to the general public yet; priority will be given to hiring a Town Resident. The full job description will be given to any interested person.
There were a lot of comments about how the Academy is currently being used and how some Residents would like it to be used. A Residents expressed concern that the Academy does not function as a Town Hall and is not accessible to Town Residents. The Town is using the Academy as a money maker and not as a gathering place.
Question: how much income do Academy Rentals bring in? Approximately $10K-$12K per year.
Whether the Town rents the Academy or not, the building needs to be maintained.
The reoccurring complaint is there is no place to Resident to gather. In years past, the Academy used to be left unlocked for Residents to come to chat and have coffee. There was a discussion about the feasibility of leaving the building unlocked as the Academy is not staffed daily. There are several community groups that use the Academy free of charge and several at a discounted rate. The BPC will look to include the possible use of the Academy in the Comprehensive Plan revision.
Question / Comment: Communication infrastructure should be part of the Comprehensive Plan revision. The Town is using old technology and not engaging its citizens. Communication needs to be looked at before the Town hires another person. The Town will look to have a working group to focus on communication and making the Academy self-sustaining.

Schoolhouse: The Town will spend between $20K-$25K to rebuild/remediate damages to the Schoolhouse. The Town is still in talks with Heritage Montgomery and Park and Planning over the proposed educational use of the Schoolhouse. The educational program will not cost the Town any more money than it should already be using to maintain the Schoolhouse. Any additional operating cost will be covered by grants. Sandy Heiler has offered to write the grants on behalf of the Town. The proposed use would require the Schoolhouse to be open two times a month, probably the same schedule as Oakley Cabin.
Concerns:
Parking: buses would drop off at the Academy and park in the Church lot. There will not be any large buses accessing North Street or parking on Market Street.
PortaPotty: the Town will pay for the portapotty; the portapotty contractor will be responsible for cleaning.
The Town assumed responsibility for the Schoolhouse. A stipulation of this is the Schoolhouse must be made available to the public. Some people in Town feel the Schoolhouse is not important, but the Town has no option but to repair and use the building. Plus, buildings that sit unused deteriorate more quickly. The estimated operating costs of the Schoolhouse will be $4K-$5K annually, which grants will cover if the Schoolhouse is open and operating.
Comment: The Town did not consider the future when they took ownership of the Schoolhouse. Perhaps the Town can find someone interested in acquiring the Schoolhouse.
Question: has the Inn at Brookeville been sold? This will be discussed at the end of the meeting.
Question: Who owns the Mill Race? Park and Planning. Park and Planning are looking at walking path as mitigation for ByPass.
Comment: The Town took on the Schoolhouse because they saw it as a valuable resource that needed to be taken over or destroyed. The proposed use is a good educational use of the Schoolhouse but is worried about getting my mail; I do not want my mailbox blocked. Do not raise taxes to pay for the Schoolhouse as most Residents are on a fixed income.
Comment: one of the reasons we are getting a ByPass is because we are a Historic Town. The Town took on a responsibility when it decided to take the Schoolhouse and apply for grants to rehab. Residents need to look at the bigger picture: preserve the building.

Open Discussion

• Another discussion about rentals at the Academy: Town Residents need to have priority when renting the Academy. This person has been turned down in the past when requesting to use the Academy. Town Residents have priority for rentals at the Academy. The Town has sponsored activities for Residents, but there has been no interest. Someone who wants to use the Academy for a community event will need to coordinate.
• Comment: A Resident is upset that the Town does not want to take approximately 200 books (mostly history and architecture) she has to donate. The Academy could be turned into a library. A suggestion was made to keep the books at the Schoolhouse; the Schoolhouse will not be temperature controlled for storing books. Several suggestions were made as to where the books can be shelved at the Academy. The Commissioners will consider places where the books could be stored.
• Question: has the Inn at Brookeville been sold? The Town did receive a letter from the new owners, who will attend an upcoming BPC meeting.
• A thank you to the Town for hosting a lovely Holiday Party.

The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
January 2, 2017
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present: Katherine Farquhar, Buck Bartley, and Sue Daley
Absent: none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Academy Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Treasurer Susan Johnson
Town Residents: none
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News; State Senator Craig Zucker
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Commissioner President Farquhar
State Senator Zucker presented a proclamation on behalf of the D14 team to Commissioner Farquhar thanking her for her years of service to the Town.
Senator Zucker advised the Commissioners that he has been contacted by a Brookeville constituent requesting SHA to erect a “Local Traffic Only” sign before the ByPass opens. There was a discussion about this type of sign, which SHA feels is not needed as only local traffic will be coming through the Town when the ByPass opens. The Town Commissioners expressed that a “Local Traffic Only” sign is not a priority when other issues are more of a priority. There was a discussion about the progress of the ByPass: Parks has a problem with the placement of the noise wall, which may delay the completion of the project. The next SHA Partnering Meeting is January 10th.
Swear in new Commissioner President: Commissioner Daley was sworn in as the new President of the Commissioners by Commissioner Farquhar.
Updates:
• CPH: Commissioner Bartley expected to have the regarding plans for North and Water Streets soon,
• Chairs: Sandy Heiler has procured 41 chairs, 16 of which still needs to be painted. She is going to purchase 6-8 more chairs this weekend from PA.

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

Minutes: The December Commissioners Meeting were approved as edited.

Financial: The budget reports were run through the end of November. The Treasurer will re-run the reports through December and email.
Question: Line 6025: Local Income Tax – why is the revenue only $15K? Treasurer will call the State and ask why the Local Income Tax revenue is lower than expected.
Line 6185: Professional Services – there will be approximate $10K-$12K more in legal fees expected before the end of the fiscal year. The Treasurer suggested moving the $10K allotted to the BPC to Professional Services to cover the cost overrun on Line 6185.
There will be a cash collateral agreement with Sandy Spring Bank to cover the $101,740 over the FDIC limit.
The Treasurer was asked to prepare reports for the Semi-Annual Meeting: year to date budget (this will need to be posted to the website before the meeting), the Audit report, and how much revenue the Town received from the tax increase and where the funds were spent.

Academy Update:
Donna Will: her program will run for one year and will be evaluated before her contract is renewed.

TOWN OPERATIONS:

• Update on codifying/organize Brookeville Ordinances: The Town Commissioners will need to decide what ordinances are relevant to the Town, pass the ordinances, and send them to a lawyer for review. Since only 1 -2 ordinances have been found, it was suggested to contact Nancy Floreen and see if she has any files. She was the Town’s lawyer when the Charter and Zoning Ordinances were updated.
• Next BPC Chair will be Andy Spagnolo. He will be sworn in at the next BPC meeting by the Town Clerk.
• Semi-Annual Town Meeting January 17 7:30-9 PM:
Agenda items: introduction and swearing-in of new Commissioners; introduction of new BPC Chair, street update, Schoolhouse / Town property update, budget update, events/marketing manager position.
• Schoolhouse project: the Town is moving towards an agreement with Heritage Montgomery. Three estimate will be obtained for the proposed work. Commissioner Bartley and Property Manager will meet with the two lowest bidders.
Question: does the Schoolhouse need a security system? At the time, it is not deemed a necessary expense.
Grading plan for Schoolhouse: Miche Booz sent the grading plan to HPC staff to review before an HAWP is submitted.
• Events / Marketing Manager: The Commissioner will hold off advertising this position to the public until the new Commissioner is sworn in. The Commissioner would like the position to be filled by a Town Resident and will advertise this at the Semi-Annual Meeting.

Town Property

Academy Update:
• Roof: no new bids have been received.
• Academy Interior: no new progress to report
• Academy Lawn: the topological survey has been received. Property Manager will markup the topographic map with what the Town Commissioner would like along with a narrative to send to MHT for approval. After MHT approval, Property Manager will solicit bids.

Arborist: work is in progress.

Streetlight: the contractor has surveyed the Town owned streetlights that need repair/bulb replacement, and work will commence soon. Lightbulbs will be HPS (high-pressured sodium).

Schoolhouse:
Commissioner Bartley and Property Manager will meet with the contractors for the roof repair.
One HAWP will be submitted for all the work required in and around the schoolhouse: tree removal, changes to the parking lot, porta-potty enclosure, etc. The porta-potty enclosure will need design input from the BPC.
There was a discussion about installing a heating / AC unit in the Schoolhouse. The estimated cost is $6K-$7K for installation. Commissioner Farquhar feels a split level unit will help with the maintenance and rentals of the Schoolhouse. Commissioner Bartley feels the cost is not justified until the Schoolhouse has a proven rental history. If a “Friends of the Schoolhouse” committee raises funds, the Town would consider installing the unit.
Motion: install a split level heating / AC unit in the Schoolhouse. 2 against, 1 for this motion.
The split level unit will be added to the HAWP – once approved, the Town can install the unit at any time but is under no obligation to install the unit.

Academy Chairs: What to do with the old chairs when the Town starts using the new chairs? Property Manager will place a for sale ad on eBay and Craigslist. If the chairs do not sell, they will be donated to Our House.

BYPASS – next SHA meeting will be January 10, 2017

Other Business
The Town Clerk has a schedule conflict with the April 10th Commissioner Meeting. The Commissioner changed the April meeting to Monday, April 3rd. Notices will be placed in the Brookeville Times.

Material for January Brookeville Times:
Next BPC Meeting – Tuesday, Feb. 7
Next Commissioners Meeting – Monday, Feb. 13
Will need a bio for the new BPC Chair and Commissioner; repost Events / Marketing Manager job; snow removal information.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
December 12, 2016
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present: Katherine Farquhar, Buck Bartley, and Sue Daley
Absent: none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Academy Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Treasurer Susan Johnson
Town Residents: Michael Acierno, Harper Pryor, and Garrett Anderson
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News; Vikki Garcia, Community Outreach for John Sarbanes
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner President Farquhar
Swear in new BPC member: Commissioner Farquhar admitted the Oath of Office to Garrett Anderson and Harper Pryor. Garrett and Harper will serve in the BPC for a 3-year term.
UPDATES:
• Water St. Re-grading: 3 estimates have been received – Maxxon, Serra Stone, and Weygandt. The least expensive bidder was Serra Stone: regrade lower Water Street and removal of the excess gravel and move gravel elsewhere in Town = $2,100.00. Commissioner Bartley has a call into WSSC as the manhole cover on Water Street will need to be lowered. Serra Stone can start work next week; estimated to be four days of work and will roll the work with no vibration. Contract was unanimously approved.
• Academy chairs: to date, 57 chairs have been purchased; 18 more chairs are needed. 41 chairs are at the painters and the Heiler’s are storing 16 chairs. It was agreed to purchase a plaque to install on a chair as a Thank You to the Heiler’s for all their work on the chair project.
• Donna Will Teas and Schools program: There was a discussion about bus pick-up at the Academy. Academy Manager is working with Donna so traffic is not blocked when 2 buses are picking up at the same time. Donna’s use of 1 High’s parking lot was discussed. The field trips will be on winter break from Jan. 18 – March.

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

Minutes: The November Commissioners Meeting were approved as edited.
There was a discussion about written minutes vs. recorded minutes. The Commissioners want to have written minutes posted to the Town’s website and recorded minutes will be retained.

Financial: The budget reports were reviewed.
Treasurer is now using QuickBooks Online. Commissioner Farquhar, Commissioner Daley, and Andrea Scanlon will be added to view QuickBooks. An updated FY 16-17 expenditure budget will be loaded onto the Town’s website before the Jan. 17th meeting.
The Town has $101,740 over the FDIC coverage at Sandy Spring Bank. The Town has a cash collateral agreement with Capital One. The Treasurer will report back to the Commissioner the best way to protect the money in questions: move to Capital One or leave at Sandy Spring in a CD.

Academy Update: rentals are busier than expected; 3 new rentals in January.
Unanimous to renew ad contract with Greater Olney News.

TOWN OPERATIONS:
• Update on codifying/organize Brookeville Ordinances since 1991: some ordinances have been found during the Academy clean-out. Town Clerk contacted the Clerk from 1990 when the Town Charter was updated and Zoning Ordinances were enacted, but she did not have any ordinances. The Treasurer will try to contact Rick Allen to see if he remembers what was decided when the Town Charter was updated in 1990. The Ordinance that created the BPC in August 1990 was found.
• Academy cleanout and Town Closet organizing: the clean-out went well. There is still some organizing and cleaning out that still needs to be done, especially with the Town’s files. Our House will send a list of the residents that help with the clean out; the Town will send a donation to Our House.
• Mid-Year Town Meeting January 17 7:30-9:00 pm: topics to include the Schoolhouse, road improvements, and the budget. Water, coffee, and hot water for tea will be made available. Academy Manager will ask Sandy Heiler to bring any new chairs that are ready and the meeting will be held in the Dining Room.
• Tree Survey: Arborist is working on the survey. He will include any tree over 6ins in diameter.
• New Slate of BPC Members (unanimous)
Garrett Anderson (2020) (new member)
Miche Booz (2018)
Harper Pryor (2020) (new member)
Chris Scanlon (2018) (stepping aside as Chair)
Andy Spagnolo (2019)
Stefan Syski (2019)
Fred Teal (2017)
• BPC Charter – the ordinance from 1990 that created the BPC states the BPC shall consist of no more than 5 members. There was a discussion of what the duties of the BPC: educate residents about the permitting process; educate resident about historic tax credits. It was decided that information about historic tax credits will be in the Brookeville Times.
• Academy Marketing: the draft job description event/marketing manager was reviewed and discussed. The Commissioners will discuss the salary at a closed meeting. The job will be advertised in the Brookeville Times first and then in the next edition of the Greater Olney News. The job will not require the event/marketing manager to be on-site during events. The event/marketing manager job will require the use of social media to promote the Academy; daily Town operations will not use social media at this time. The use of on-line bookings was discussed; the event/marketing manager hired will be consulted about this processes.

BYPASS:
No recent partnering meetings. Next meeting might be in January.

Town Property
• Academy Topographic Survey: the survey maps are complete. The maps will be used to solicit bids for the Academy lawn design. MHT will be consulted before any work. An archeological survey may be needed prior to any work.
• Academy Metal/Shingle-Shake Roof: one bid has been received; 2 contractors are working on bids. Academy Manager will contact the other contractors to see if they will be submitting bids.
• Academy kitchen: there was a discussion about this project. The notes from the walk thru with the Spagnolo’s need to be found to move forward on this project. Jorge Chacon will produce a CAD of the proposed kitchen update.
• Schoolhouse project: Commissioner Farquhar provided a draft “road map” of the proposed partnership with Heritage Montgomery and Park and Planning. The road map is how the project will be funded with grants, the 3 phases of the project, and what organization is responsible for the different aspects of the program. The Town’s expenditures would be the matching grant funds. There is $17K in this year’s budget for the Schoolhouse and $15K carried over from last year’s budget that was not used. Commissioner Bartley would like to spend no more than $4-$5K annually on maintenance. Sarah Rogers from Heritage Montgomery will manage the grants and Sandy Heiler will write the grants on behalf of the Town. The deadline to submit the grants is in February; grants are awarded late March / early February. Any money spent on the Schoolhouse prior to the grant award will not be reimbursable.
The project will be done in 3 phases and will need about 6 HAWP’s. Park and Planning would like to see more lighting for safety reasons. The roadmap proposed $3K (proposed to be covered by a grant) for the Town to use for a volunteer recruiter / coordinator.
Question: how much money can the Town commit to this project? Commissioner Bartley states the agreement with Heritage Montgomery was to maintain the Schoolhouse, provide a portapotty, and take down any diseased trees. Heritage Montgomery would take care of all other aspects of the project.
The volunteer recruiter / coordinator could be part of the event/marketing manager duties, so there are no overlaps with school groups and Town use of the building.
There was a long discussion of this proposed use of the Schoolhouse; what the Town agreed to do; and the “road map” of grants. It was suggested to lease the Schoolhouse to Park and Planning.
It was decided to perform the required maintenance (interior, exterior, and re-grading) to the Schoolhouse and talk with Heritage Montgomery at a later date about the program.
• Schoolhouse maintenance: 2 bids were received. A canopy cannot be added to the building as it is not historically correct. The trim will be widened and rot will be cut out. No HAWP will be needed for this work.
Miche Booz has a drawing for the re-grading of the Schoolhouse lot. This work can be done after an administrative HAWP is received.
No upgrade to the heating / cooling system of the Schoolhouse. This topic will be revisited after enough use of the building.

Open Discussion
Commissioner Farquhar submitted her resignation, effective Jan. 15, 2017.

The meeting adjourned at 10:03p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk

Town of Brookeville
Commissioners Meeting Minutes
November 14, 2016
7:00pm

Commissioner:
Present: Katherine Farquhar, Buck Bartley, and Sue Daley
Absent: none
Quorum present? Yes

Present during all or portions of the meeting:
Town Clerk Cate McDonald, Academy Manager Andrea Scanlon, and Treasurer Susan Johnson
Town Residents: none
Others: Terri Hogan, Greater Olney News
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Commissioner President Farquhar

UPDATES:
• Waiting on the completed topological survey for the Academy from CPH. Once received, will come up with a plan on how to grade the Academy lawn.
• Authorized CPH to do the grading plan for the Schoolhouse lot based on ideas from Miche Booz, Chris Scanlon, Andrea Scanlon and various contractors. Commissioner Bartley will be working on quotes for the grading.
• Commissioner Bartley received a quote for $12K for interior and exterior repairs to the Schoolhouse but the quote does not include drywall patch and painting. The building might have termites. There may be grants available to help defer the repair costs. The estimated total for the Schoolhouse repairs is approximately $20K. Once the Town has the grading plan, a HAWP will be submitted for all work that needs to be done to the Schoolhouse.
• Town Tree Survey: is underway
• Water Street: a quote of $3800 was received to regrade the end of Water Street for storm water remediation. There was a discussion about why regrade only the end of Water Street. The resident of 108 Water are willing to wait until the entire street is regraded and covered with tar & chip. The grading has to be done anyhow – either now or when the entire road is regraded. Regarding the road is not stopping tar & chip. CPH will design a plan to regrade the roads to minimize drainage across properties as much as possible. After the regrading plan, CPH will come back with a design for tar & chip including specifications. For example, 12 foot lane of tar & chips with 2 feet of gravel on the sides = 16 feet total in width or 10 foot lane tar & chips with 4 feet of gravel on the sides. There is no money in this year’s fiscal budget for road resurfacing. It was decided that the Town will get the cost of the tar & chip for North and Water Streets and work on finding funds for the road (State or Federal funds). It was suggested to regrade the gravel roads and keep the roads gravel for a while before the surface is put on.
It was decided to get the design for regrading, get the design for tar & chip, bid the plans out and go ahead with just the regrading. Get the grading correct on the gravel roads and then cover with tar & chip.

Schoolhouse: Commissioner Farquhar met with Heritage Montgomery and the Schoolhouse project with be done 3 phase.
• Phase 1: site prep now through Spring 2017 – due diligence; put in the walking path; North Street trees assessment, talk about funding, clean-up the Schoolhouse; parking lot cleared and resurfaced, move street light; install a lockable portapotty. Apply for grants to minimize cost to Town and any HAWP needed.
• Phase 2: going on the same time as Phase 1 – Exhibit preparation, consult with Park & Planning, program will be a paid exhibit tour (buy tickets at Woodlawn to include entrance to Woodlawn, Schoolhouse, and Oakley Cabin). There was a questioned raised about this being a paid tour: would the Town see any revenue, can people without tickets still be able to access the schoolhouse. Being part of a paid exhibit had not been discussed with the Town. Commissioner Farquhar will get more details from Heritage Montgomery. Signs will be installed in pea gravel not cement.
• Phase 3: docents to be recruited. Heritage Days 2017 (June 24 & 25) will be when the program goes live for the first time. Fall 2017 the Schoolhouse exhibit will be fully functioning and will be open the same days as Oakley Cabin. At this point, the Schoolhouse will be ready for rentals.
Questions / concerns: we do not know how much money will come from grants; as of now, there is not a signed contract. Once all the phases are mapped out, the information will posted to the Town’s website. A lot of questions will be answered tomorrow when Commissioner Farquhar meets with Exec. Director of Heritage Montgomery Sarah Rogers. Heritage Montgomery suggested the Town look at landscaping companies to install the pathway gratis and put up a sign. The Town will provide and maintain the Schoolhouse, Heritage Montgomery will do the rest of the program, including installing the fence and portapotty enclosure. Sandy Hailer will be the grant writer on behalf of the Town.

• Academy Chairs: to date, Sandy Heiler has purchased 41 chairs.
• Progress on Donna Will Teas and Schools program: off to a slow start but underway.

ROUTINE TOWN BUSINESS:

Minutes: The October Commissioners Meeting were approved as edited.
Flags: Commissioner Bartley would like the Town to purchase longer flag poles. Commissioner Bartley, Stefan Syski, and Duane Heiler took the flags down.
Estimated cost to install new Town signs is $2500.
Streetlight by Schoolhouse: where to move the pole? Have the plan incorporated with regrading. Suggested to move near where the portapotty will be located or other side of the parking lot.

Financial: financial report was emailed prior to meeting.
Treasurer reported there is nothing out the ordinary with the financial reports.
A payment of $840 was approved to Mark Ennes for mowing the Academy lawn; Mark Ennes did not send a bill for the work.
Treasurer wants to switch to QuickBooks online; this will enable her to access financial information any time.
There was a discussion regarding switching to a cloud based email services – Outlook 365 or Google Apps for Government.
QuickBooks online and cloud based email was approved by the Commissioners.
The 2 year tax increase netted the Town an additional $12,100 last year. The estimated tax increase net is estimated to be $25,000 total for 2 years. The tax increase is through 2017. This will be discussed at the interim Town meeting in January. The Commissioners plan to let the tax increased lapse.
The date for the interim Town meeting was scheduled for January 17 at 7:30pm.
The January Commissioners Meeting will be Monday, January 2 at 7:00pm
The Town’s auditor will be available to Town Staff and Commissioner prior to the December Commissioners Meeting to explain the audit report and answer questions.

Academy update:
The building is busier than usual between Scouts, Hebrew School, and a lecture series.
• There was a discussion about how to tactfully market for funeral receptions
• The above ground propane tank will be removed this Thursday
• Bogan Electric is working on an estimate for streetlight repair and maintenance.
• Dec. 1-3 will be clean-up days at the Academy. The current chairs in the Lecture Hall will need to stay until January. Filing cabinet in the basement and the office closet needs to clean out. The Commissioners will decide what will stay and what will go. Sandy Heiler will be included in the document clean up.
• Bids for the new Academy roof are out
• The Academy interior will be repainted in Jan / Feb as well as some electrical work.
• There was a discussion about renovating the kitchen. Mary Kay and Andy Spagnolo recently visited the Academy and gave some recommendation to make the kitchen more caterer-friendly. One item was to remove the water fountain to put in a closet. The Academy Manager states the water fountain has to stay; if removed, the Academy would need to provide bottled water. The 2 doors should stay because it more caterer-friendly. The estimated cost to update the kitchen is $8K-$10K. Academy Manager suggested engaging the services of a kitchen consultant for clearances, ventilation, and other questions. Any changes to the kitchen would require approval of MHT. A plan is needed: Jorge Chacon has offered to create a CAD design. Academy Manager was asked to consult with Mary Kay, Andy, and Jorge to develop a design. Funds for the kitchen update is under capital funds in the budget = $10K

BYPASS:
• Next Partnering Meeting at SHA, Baltimore = nothing planned; meetings are pretty much done. Spring 2017 is the projected start date.

Open Discussion
• Commissioner Bartley favors cooper for Academy roof. A mixture of cedar and metal is more appropriate for the age of the Academy and cooper is not an appropriate for the age of the building. Any change in roof material must be approved by MHT before applying for a HAWP. As soon as bids / prices are in, the Commissioners will decided what material to use and apply for permits.
• Saturday Dec. 3rd: Town Holiday Party
Ham – Buck
Turkey – Cate
Beer / wine – Sue
Ice – Katherine
Coffee – Andrea
Town Clerk will send postcard invitation.
• Town Clerk and Treasurer were asked to write their job descriptions similar to the one for the Academy Manager.

The meeting adjourned at 9:12p.m.
Cate McDonald
Town Clerk