Category: Commissioners Meeting Minutes

March 10, 2008

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Treasurer Susan Johnson, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan, Resident Barbara Ray

Minutes:   The February 2008 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:  The December financial report was reviewed.

Heritage Days Registration:  The Commissioners discussed participating in Montgomery County Heritage Days in 2008.  Last year we had the Schoolhouse open Saturday and Sunday.  The Commissioners decided to have the schoolhouse open only on Saturday this year.  They asked the Clerk and Treasurer to submit the application.

Status of Academy Heat:  The Commissioners discussed the Academy heating alternatives.  We received three bids from installers of geothermal systems to install a geothermal system in the academy, and an estimate from an outside consultant of about $56,000.  This was a lower amount than the submitted bids.   They received the name of another potential installer at the meeting.  The Commissioners asked the Academy manager to contact this person and set up a meeting with them.

Vacancy Announcements:   The Vacancy Announcements for the Town Clerk and Brookeville Academy Managers positions have been completed.   The Clerk sent them to the people on our e-mail list and mailed to residents not on the list.  There will be an announcement in The Gazette and published on the Town website.

Clyde Unglesbee Request – Banner for Church Celebration May 17:  Resident Clyde Unglesbee inquired of President Acierno whether the Town would have any problem with Salem United Methodist Church stretching a banner across High Street.  The banner would announce the Church’s 175th Anniversary Celebration.  The Commissioners had no problem with that action.

Siemens Contract Renewal:  The Commissioners discussed the cost of the Siemens fire alarm system inspection and maintenance contract.  They decided to put the contract out for bid next year.

Richard Kirby vs. Pepco – Letter to/from Delegate Montgomery:  The Commissioners discussed a dispute that Richard Kirby, the developer of Powers Woods, was having with Pepco.  It involves the expense of placing the electric lines to the development underground.  Pepco is opposed to paying for the incurred cost.  They discussed contacting Delegate Montgomery for help in this dispute.  In addition, the group noted that the three street lights along North Street in Powers’ Woods are all out.  Previously only the lower one was out.  This may or may not be part of the dispute.  They will contact the Planning Commission and the developer for information.

Bypass Letter Response From Senator Kramer:  Senator Kramer sent the Town a copy of a letter that she sent to the County Executive regarding the need for the Brookeville Bypass.

Brookeville Times – request for residents submission of creative writing, reviews of restaurants, services, etc.:   The Commissioners discussed the opportunity to use The Brookville Times to share various thoughts and experiences of Town residents.  In addition to those mentioned these could include announcements of births, deaths, weddings and almost anything appropriate.  We will announce this idea in the next Times.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:57 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

February 11, 2008

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Treasurer Susan Johnson, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan

Minutes:   The January 2008 Commissioners’ Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:  The December financial report was reviewed.  The Commissioners asked the Treasurer to remove Rick Allan’s name from the checking account.

Brookeville Angel:  Commissioner Farquhar asked what do we need to do regarding the angel?  What do we need to do to get it repaired?  After a discussion she will contact the person who made the angel for advice.

Hiring of New Clerk and Academy Manager:  The Commissioners discussed the two jobs and how to get a new hire(s).  Commissioner Acierno will meet with Clerk Geib to discuss the two positions.

Heating Problem:  We have two geothermal bids and are waiting for a third.  The Commissioners discussed the current problem and whether this is an installation problem when first installed.   Commissioner Farquhar suggested we find the original paperwork and wait for the third bid.

Town Meeting:  The Commissioners will call a Town Meeting to review the options for the correction of the heating problem.  Chris Scanlon contacted Commissioner Acierno and said it would be nice if the meeting could be about the town being more “Green” in general.  Michael agreed.

Landscaping Contract:  The Greenskeeper contract is in and correct, following some discussions between the Town and the contractor.

2008 Celebration Planning:  This celebration will be on Sunday, August 24th, the closest Sunday to August 26th.  Commissioner Acierno will call the Knights of Columbus, who said that they would help with the celebration.  The Commissioners discussed several ideas:

• Commissioner Farquhar will contact former Commissioner Clyde Ungelsbee, and residents Anne Ennes and Miche Booz to get an idea for the structure of the celebration.
• Have the Brookeville Times announce the date and urge the residents to “Hold that Date!”
• This will be the Town celebration of its incorporation.
• Tentative Time will be 2:00 p.m.
• Commissioner Heritage will contact Leonard Becraft.
• Perhaps Sandy Spring Museum will help us.

Interpretive Signs:  The Commissioners discussed the signs that we currently have at the Angel, Mill, etc.  For our new signs we could try to get a picture of what used to be there.  We must get information on the people who did the other signs.

Tree Removal:  The two trees on Town property in front of Debbie Wagner’s house should be removed this week.

Brookeville Bypass Sign:  The bypass sign has come down and will be removed by Commissioner Heritage.  The Commissioners decided to keep it down for now.

May Election:  Treasurer Johnson will check with Margaret VanGelder to see if she wants to continue as election supervisor.  The notice inviting nominations should go out by the end of March.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Recorded by Treasurer Johnson and Respectfully Submitted by:

Clerk Paul R. Geib, Jr.

January 14, 2008

Present:Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Treasurer Susan Johnson, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan

Minutes:2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:The December financial report was reviewed.

Status of Academy heating:  The Commissioners discussed the problem with the Academy’s main heating system.  The Clerk provided information that the contractor for maintaining the system, Brown’s Refrigeration, replaced the rusted burner unit in December.  Later they found that the heat exchanger is cracked.  Therefore, the system is unsafe to use for heating.  The Commissioners discussed the following issues:

Options: 

1. Replace the furnace with a new propane unit.  That would cost between $4,100 and $4,500 installed.  It would work at about 80% efficiency.  
2.   Replace the furnace with a propane boiler (probably located on the floor of the furnace room near the lift mechanical room).  The boiler would heat water that would travel up piping to a new heat exchanger located where the present heat exchanger is now (above the present burner unit).  That would cost between $6,000 and $7,000 installed.  It would work at about 90% efficiency.
3.   Replace the present propane system with a geothermal heating/cooling system.  The Commissioners asked Clerk Geib to contact various geothermal installers to obtain information on the costs of installing and operating a geothermal system.   He will also contact Rick Allan regarding advice from the contractor who installed a geothermal system in the Allan’s house in Delaware.

Costs (short term and long term):  Treasurer Johnson provided the Commissioners with an analysis of the cost of our propane usage.  From July 2000 to January 2008 we spent nearly $27,000 on propane purchases.   When we receive information regarding the geothermal systems, we will know the short term costs of installing the various systems and be able to project the long term costs to the Town of operating each system.

Present options /costs to residents at a Town meeting:  The Commissioners decided to present the options and costs to the residents at a Town meeting after all the bids have been received.

Bypass letters mailed:  Clerk Geib mentioned that on January 7th he mailed the originals of the letters from a number of Brookeville residents regarding the Brookeville Bypass, along with a cover letter from Commission President Acierno, to County Executive Leggett.  As the Commissioners requested he mailed a copy of the cover letter to the Montgomery County Council members and to the District 14 delegates and senator.  He sent copies of the residents’ letters along with the cover letters to Senator Kramer, and Delegates Kaiser, Montgomery and Taylor.  He sent electronic copies of the residents’ letters to the County Council.

Greenskeeper contract:  Commissioner Acierno reviewed the contract from Greenskeeper Landscaping and Lawn Management, Inc. and noted some errors and inconsistencies.  Clerk Geib will get back to Greenskeeper and request revisions.

Deborah Wagner’s tree removal request:  The Commissioners reviewed Deborah Wagner’s request regarding removing two trees that are on town property.  Clerk Geib will request bids from our two contractors, ArborCare and Greenskeeper.

Brookeville Master plan:  We received a copy of the draft undated Brookeville Master plan.  It is being retyped for publication.

Street lamp finally installed:  Clerk Geib mentioned that All Things Electric finally installed the ornamental light at 10 High Street in front of Orndorff Hall.  The contractor still must finish some work on the light at 307 Market Street that they installed last year and secure the base of the light at 308 Market Street.  He will call All Things Electric to request them to come and finish the work.

Academy rentals:  Clerk Geib reported on the status of rentals at the Academy.  Because of the heating problem, one rental had to be cancelled in January and one in February.  Because of the nature of the long term rental, it did not have to be cancelled, but can use the first and second floor hallways.  The hallways can be kept warm using space heaters.

Christmas tree recycling:  The Commissioners are interested in providing the residents the option of recycling their Christmas trees through a pickup by Waste Management.  They asked the Clerk to inquire about the costs and procedures of such a service.

Route 97 “Brookeville” sign replaced:  The group discussed the replacement of the sign south of Town with the Town’s name finally spelled correctly.

Articles for Newsletter:  The group discussed various articles for the Brookeville Times, one of which will relate to the sign replacement.   

Meeting Adjourned at 9:27 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

December 10, 2007

Present: Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan

Minutes:  The November 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report: The October financial report was reviewed.

Holiday Party de-briefing:  All present agreed that the party went well and we got a number of compliments from residents.  The turnout was one of the largest in recent years.  We are assembling suggestions for improving next year’s event.

1808 Maryland General Assembly legislation:  Commissioner Acierno located a copy of the November 1808 authorization by the Maryland General Assembly to lay out the Town of Brookeville and the appointment of five paid commissioners.  Based on this information, the commissioners believe the some sort of 2008 celebration is in order.

Summary of MML Legislative dinner:  The Commissioners enjoyed the MML Legislative dinner.  Senator Kramer and delegate Montgomery came at our invitation.  The Commissioner discussed the need for the bypass and repairs to Market Street to them and listened to their advice.   They were introduced to a key lobbyist.

Bypass (Letters to be sent by end of year):  We are working to get the letter regarding the Brookeville Bypass sent to the County Executive and legislators by the end of the year.  Commissioner Acierno is drafting a cover letter.

Road maintenance contract – North, South, and Water Street:  The Commissioners decided to contract with Neil Leary of Leary Trucking to repair and add gravel as necessary to North, South and Water Street.  He has started work.

Snow plowing contract:  The Commissioners decided to contract with Todd Greenstone to handle snow plowing on the Town streets (if the snow reaches or exceeds four inches in depth.

Report on Academy rentals:  The Academy Manager provided a list of rentals to the Commissioners.  While the Academy was rented most weekends in November, there is only one rental in December.  The week-day long-term rental will continue into the new year and there are advance rentals in January, February, March, and May.

Academy Heating problem and resolution:  The Academy Manager reported that the heat was down for repair for three days during the week of December 2-8 but was repaired in time for the annual holiday party.  He allowed Jeff Issokson to use the office, which has a separate heater.  Jeff also had some space heaters that he allowed us to use in the downstairs hallway and furnace room to avoid freezing pipes.  The water was turned off on the coldest night.  Due to the lack of heat in the main rooms, the Commissioners voted to refund three days rent to Jeff.

The heating burner unit had to be replaced due to rust damage.  Brown’s Refrigeration also had to replace the gas control unit.

Problem with Market Street Ornamental Light replacement:  Clerk Geib mentioned that the contractor who is supposed to replace the destroyed light at 10 High Street has not responded to his requests to complete the work.  Geib visited the contractor’s site and saw our light pole lying on the ground but no one was around.  The Commissioner requested that he contact our other electric light contractors to see if they can do the work.  We would then demand that the light be turned over to the alternate contractor.

Progress on the town directory:  Commissioner Farquhar reported that the directory is nearly done and Miche Booz will provide some artwork.  She is investigating printing alternatives.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:37 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

November 12, 2007

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Treasurer Susan Johnson, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan

Revised Starting Time:  The meeting began at 8:45 p.m. to allow comments from the town residents regarding a ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of out town.

Discuss 200th anniversary celebration:  During the 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. time, the Commissioners discussed the 200th anniversary celebration with town residents in the Academy’s lecture hall.   Approximately 10 residents were present.  The Commissioners presented their thought regarding the celebration, including a parade on Sunday, August 24, 2008.  Former Commissioner Clyde Unglesbee mentioned that the town was not incorporated until 1890, but was laid out in 1808, the year we assumed that the town was incorporated.  He had a copy of the article of incorporation.  The Commissioners would investigate this further.  Ideas brought forth were signs marking the historic houses in the town, a walking tour of the historic houses, with the residents’ permission, and a parade on High St. or Market St.  A number of the residents who planned the 1994 founding year parade noted the difficulty of planning such an event on such short notice, particularly getting the SHA to close High St.  An alternate was discussed of having a big celebration around August 26th 2014, the 200th anniversary of Brookeville becoming the U. S. Capitol.  The Commissioner will plan on having further discussions of this celebration.

Minutes:   The October 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:  The October financial report was reviewed.  The Commissioner and the Treasurer discussed transferring funds from the money market account to CDs.  Treasurer Johnson mentioned that State highway funds to the Town averages $800-$900 a month.

Annual Town Party:   The group discussed the need to plan for the party and agreed to meet on November 24th to plan.

Letter to the County Executive Regarding the Brookeville Bypass:  The residents’ letters to the County Executive have been copied electronically.  The Commissioners decided to provide hard copies of the letters with a letter from Commission President Acierno to the County Executive, hard copies to our legislators and electronic copies to the members of the County Council.

Annual MML Dinner:  The Commissions decided to invite Senator Kramer and Delegate Montgomery to the annual dinner of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League.  The Clerk and Treasurer will coordinate with the Town of Laytonsville.

Schedule leaf pickup:  The Clerk mentioned that the leaf pick-up has been scheduled for November 17th and December 1st.  He will e-mail a reminder to residents.

Academy Rental:  The Clerk provided the Commissioners with a list of November – December and 2008 pending rentals.

Ceremonial Flag Burning: The American Legion’s annual ceremony will be held on the Academy ground at Noon on December 7th.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

October 8, 2007

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Treasurer Susan Johnson, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan, Joe Feakes, Knights of Columbus, guest.

Revised Starting Time:  The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. to hear a presentation from Mr. Feakes regarding the 200th Birthday Celebration.

Discuss 200th Anniversary Celebration:  The Commissioners discussed the 200th anniversary celebration with Mr. Feakes of the Knights of Columbus.  The group thought that a parade through the town and reception at the Academy would be appropriate. They thought that while August 26th was the anniversary of the town being the U. S. Capitol, August 24th, a Sunday would be most appropriate for the celebration.  In order to receive the thoughts of the town residents regarding the celebration, the Commissioners decided to devote their November 12th meeting as a Town Meeting in the Academy’s Lecture Hall.  The meeting would start at 7:30 p.m.  The Clerk will send out a notice inviting residents to attend the meeting.

Minutes:   The September 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:  The September financial report was reviewed.  The Commissioners and the Treasurer discussed reinvestment strategies for the town’s certificates of deposit.

Status of Academy Sidewalk: The Clerk announced that the Bartley Corporation completed the new sidewalk on Friday the 5th and we are waiting for the bill for the work.

Montgomery County Council Meeting on Thursday:  Commissioner Acierno heard from Karen Montgomery about a meeting regarding county transportation issues.  He asked the clerk to check the location so that the Commissioners could attend to express their support for the $21 million Brookeville Bypass.  The bypass has been dropped to number four on the county’s road projects priority list.

Greenskeeper Estimate for Clearing Trench on High Street:  Commissioner Acierno mentioned that he discussed with Clerk Geib having our contractor, Greenskeeper, clean the two storm water culverts on High Street.  They are on either side of 28 High Street.  The Clerk mentioned that he had contacted Greenskeeper about this issue.

309 Market Street  – Oct. 10th inspection visit by Anne Fothergill, an HPC Planner and DHCA (Department of Housing and Community Affairs):  There will be an inspection of 309 Market Street, heavily damaged by fire.  HPC and DHCA will then make a determination regarding actions that the homeowner will need to take to bring the house into compliance with Montgomery County codes.

Large Trash Pick-up Scheduled:  The clerk stated that Waste Management will place a large dumpster on Water Street from October 12 through 26 for residents to drop off large items or unwanted items.  Commissioner Heritage and Clerk Geib will mark the location.

Schedule Leaf Pickup:  The clerk will schedule a leaf pickup with Greenskeeper.

Heritage Tourism Grant Denied:  Commissioner Acierno mentioned that Heritage Montgomery did not award us a Heritage Tourism grant.  They thought our estimated costs for our signs were too high.

Progress on Town Projects:  Clerk Geib mentioned that we made progress on several pending projects.  The NO OUTLET sign is up at Water Street.  We received payment for the Water Street tree that was destroyed by a truck.  The replacement High Street ornamental light should be installed on Wednesday the 10th.  The dusk-dawn light at Church Street has a new bulb.   Commissioner Heritage mentioned that the ornamental light on Market Street that was recently replaced has a piece hanging down.  The Clerk will remind the contractor to fix that.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

September 10, 2007

Present: Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan.

Minutes: The August 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report: The financial report was reviewed.

Bounced Check – What to do?  The Commissioners discussed the status of the returned check from one of the recent Academy renters.  The Clerk mentioned that he had talked several times to the signer of the check, but the funds were not sent.  He mentioned that he talked to the signer’s step-daughter and was waiting to hear from her.

Review Proposals for Academy Sidewalk Repair: The Commissioners received three bids for the repair of the Academy Sidewalk.  Following careful study of the bids, the Commissioners voted to go with the lowest bidder, The Bartley Corporation.

Status of Market Street letter to John Porcari, Sec’y of Transportation:  Commissioner Ancierno mentioned that he is preparing a letter to the State Secretary of Transportation regarding the condition of East Market Street.  The letter would be from the Commissioners requesting that the SHA take over rebuilding that section of the street.  Copies of the letter would go to our Annapolis Delegation.

Letter to SHA – cancel sidewalk project on west side of High Street: The Commissioners reviewed and approved a letter to the SHA District 3 Highway Engineer recommending cancellation of the High Street sidewalk project.  The letter discusses the possibility of placing the sidewalks on the east side of High Street to connect with some sidewalks and pathways already in existence.  The Clerk will finalize the letter for the President’s signature.

Status Water Street “No Outlet” Street Sign:  Clerk Geib mentioned that he marked a spot on Water Street for the “NO OUTLET” sign.  He has been in contact with Shannon-Baum Sign Company and they will schedule installation within the next two weeks.

Town Holiday Party:  The Commissioner selected the date of Saturday December 8th for the annual holiday party.     

Schedule large trash pick-up:  The Commissioners decided to contract with Waste Management to place a large dumpster on Water Street for Residents to dispose of large unwanted items.  The Clerk will contact Waste Management to schedule the time.        

Gravel piles on North St. Need to be moved away from Ferris’s yard entrances for contractor work access:  Commissioner Ancierno mentioned that he was contacted by the Ferris’ about the need to move the gravel piles from in front of the gates to their yard within the next two weeks.  He was able to move the smaller of the two piles, but we will need a piece of heavy equipment to move the other.  Commissioner Heritage suggested Todd Greenstone, one of our road maintenance contractors.  The Clerk will contact him or Leary Trucking, who handled the delivery of gravel for our streets in the past.

Planning for 200th anniversary:  The Commissioners decided to invite Joe Feakes (301.774.0137) of the Knights of Columbus to their October meeting in order to discuss the plans for the 200th anniversary of our town.  They decided that the anniversary celebration should be on August 26th.  We will start the meeting at 7:30 p.m. in order to have a dialog with Mr. Feakes and his colleagues.

Schoolhouse water problem – water in crawl space:  Walter Blank, the contractor for the Old Brookeville Schoolhouse renovation, noticed water in the crawl space under the schoolhouse floor.  It is ruining the insulation.  Miche Booz is investigating the problem and will report back to the Commissioners.

Schoolhouse Availability for Educational Purposes:  The Commissioners discussed opening the Old Brookeville Schoolhouse for educational purposes.  All agreed it would be an excellent idea.   Use would be rent-free. It could be used for special educational events or other special occasions.  Commissioner Heritage mentioned getting mounting boards for the desks so that the legs will not scar the floor.  Commissioner Farquhar and Clerk Geib would be available to schedule the events and open the school.  Commissioner Heritage will get a copy of the schoolhouse key made for Commissioner Farquhar.  The Commissioners will check with residents regarding potential attendance at sponsored events in the building.  We will put information on the website and in the Brookeville Times.

Grants application status:  The Clerk mentioned that he submitted the Heritage Tourism Grant application to the Heritage Tourism Alliance before the deadline.

Request to find out how to place Water Street on google/mapquest:  The Commissioners received a request from a Water Street resident to determine how to get Water Street on the various internet mapping services.  Commissioner Ancierno investigated and submitted a request to navteq.com to make the addition.  The Clerk will pass that information on to the resident. 

Town Directory and Letter to the County Executive:   The Commissioners discussed and approved a letter drafted by the Clerk regarding the proposed town directory and the letter initiative regarding the Brookeville Bypass.  The letter states that Commissioner Farquhar will visit each house in town on Sunday, September 16th.  She will attempt to gather information for inclusion in the town directory and invite those families who have not completed their letter to complete it and give her a copy.  She will follow-up the following week with those families who were not home on the 16th.

Status of 309 Market Street:  The Commissioners discussed the condition of 309 Market Street.  This was the home extensively damaged by fire earlier in the year.  It appeared to them that little repair work was being done.  They are concerned about the unsafe nature of the property.  Commissioner Acierno will contact the Chair of the Planning Commission regarding sending a letter to the owner expressing the concerns.

Incoming Correspondence:  Clerk Geib presented some correspondence that the town received over the last month.  The Commissioners made determinations regarding the need to act on the correspondence and took some under consideration.

Meeting Adjourned at  9:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

July 8, 2007

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Town Treasurer Susan Johnson, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan.

Minutes:   The June 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes were approved.

FY 2007-2008 Budget:  Susan Johnson will finalize expenses and revenue and make final version of budget available for commissioners’ signatures in about one week.

Lamp Post Replacement Cost: Susan Johnson will ask Paul Geib about status of driver’s insurance covering cost of lamp post replacement in front of Bob Heritage’s house.

LSWG Auditors: Commissioners agreed to terms of LSWG audit contract and Commissioner Acierno signed the agreement.

SHA Sidewalk Proposal:  SHA in house meetings with High Street residents resulted in unanimous dissent for the SHA sidewalk proposal. SHA needs unanimous consent from property owners to continue with sidewalk project. Due to lack of consent sidewalk project is put on hold.

Academy Sidewalk:  The Commissioners approved a motion to fix the broken sidewalk in front of the Academy. The sidewalk will be replaced with pavers to match the current pavers that make up the walkway to the side entrance of the Academy.

Brookeville domain name:  The Commissioners decided to reserve a .gov domain name for the Town of Brookeville. The current domain name is townofbrookevillemd.org. We will change it to townofbrookevillemd.gov. Our web hosting service will be asked to handle the re-direction of the old name to the new name.

Water Street Sign:  Susan Johnson will provide Clerk Geib the company name and contact for making street signs. Water Street residents wish to have a No Outlet or equivalent sign placed at the entrance to Water Street to prevent future occurrences of trucks driving down Water Street thinking it is a thru street to Georgia Ave. A tree was destroyed when a truck was turning around to exit Water Street after mistakenly entering Water Street believing it was an alternative to turning left in order to continue north.

Knights of Columbus:  Commissioner Heritage will get in touch with Joe Feakes of the Knights of Columbus. Mr. Feakes expressed interest in Brookeville celebrating its anniversary of self government.
School House: Web site update. Suggestion made to ask Miche Booz to provide updated text for school house article on town’s web site.

August Commissioners Meeting: Motion approved to cancel the August Commissioners Meeting. September will be the next Commissioners Meeting.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:30p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Michael Acierno

June 11, 2007

Present:  Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage, Commissioner Katherine Farquhar, Clerk Paul Geib, Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan.

Minutes:   The April and May 2007 Commissioners Meeting minutes and the May 2007 Town Meeting minutes were approved.

Financial Report:  The financial report was reviewed

Welcome to New Commissioner Farquhar: Commissioners Acierno and Heritage welcomed Commissioner Farquhar to the body.  Commissioner Acierno asked the Clerk to provide Commissioner Farquhar with keys to the Academy and fire protection information, including putting her name on the Accutech call list.  Clerk Geib scheduled a time to brief Commissioner Farquhar on the town building’s features and contracts.  Commissioner Acierno asked the Treasurer to update credit card, checking account and other banking information.

Review of SHA Sidewalk Proposal:  The Commissioners reviewed the State Highway Administration High Street Design proposal.

Meeting With Town Residents:  The Commissioner suspended other business temporarily to meet with interested Town residents regarding the SHA sideway design proposal.  The Commissioners briefed the residents in attendance. A number of High Street residents had concerns regarding the design and the Commissioner stated that they would take SHA’s offer to meet with each individual resident potentially impacted by the project.  Commissioner Acierno stated that he would call the SHA project engineer to request dates to hold the meetings.

Following the meeting with the residents, the Commissioners reconvened in the Town office to conduct the remaining business on the agenda.

Greenskeeper Contract:  The Commissioners discussed the need to examine the scope of the Greenskeeper Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance, Inc. contract with the Town, in view that certain parts of the requirement have changed.  East Coast Lawns, Inc., for instance has taken over the grass cutting on Water Street and on East Market Street from the WSSC property to the entrance sign.  It was decided to walk the Town and examine the requirements of the Town in relation to the contract to determine what needs and specifications have changed and whether the contract budget should be adjusted.  Greenskeeper is our major contractor.

Town Directory:  The Commissioners discussed the need for a Town Directory and decided having one was a good idea.  Commissioner Farquhar offered to take the lead on developing one and will work with Clerk Geib in gathering the data.

Montgomery County Program Open Space:  Commissioner Acierno stated that the Town still has $8412 available from the Open Space account.  He suggested applying to the program for use of the funds to pay part of the Powers Woods Project phase one.  The Commissioners voted to apply for the use of the funds in that manner.

FY 2007-2008 Budget: The Commissioners asked Treasurer Johnson to finalize the FY 2007- 2008 income and expenses to have the budget ready for signatures by June 30, 2007.

Academy Rentals:  Brookeville Academy Manager Geib provided the Commissioners with a list of Academy rentals for the last quarter of the year.  The Academy was rented three times over two weekends in May and two weekends in June following a slow April.  One long-term weekday rental is pending.

Academy Fire Alarm System Upgrades:  The Academy Manager mentioned that the three photo electric smoke detectors in the downstairs hallway and back stairwell were replaced by ionization detectors.  This was done in consultation with the Siemens Fire Technologies technician following another false alarm.  They thought that the photoelectric detectors may be too sensitive to dust particles that might accumulate during long periods of inactivity in the building.  The Commissioners reviewed  the Siemens proposal to totally upgrade the system and decided not to take any action on the proposal at this time.  They asked the Clerk to inform Siemens of this action.

Records of the Town of Brookeville:  The Clerk informed that Commissioners that he was contacted by a Veterinarian in Collinsville, Virginia, who has a number of boxes regarding the Town.  The Vet is a nephew of Mr. Boswell, a former Brookeville Postmaster.  Collinsville is near Clerk Geib’s house in Virginia and he will retrieve the records about the Fourth of July week.

Meeting Adjourned at 10:00p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.

May 15, 2007
8:00 p. m.

Those present were Mayor Richard Allan, Commissioner Michael Acierno, Commissioner Robert Heritage and 12 Town residents.  Gazette Reporter Terri Hogan also attended.

Mayor’s Farewell Speech:  Mayor Allan gave his farewell statement to the Town, in which he stressed the accomplishments of the Commissioners during the past year, praised his colleagues and thanked the Town Staff and Planning Commission for their work.  The Mayor mentioned that the Commissioners selected Commissioner Michael Acierno as the next President of the Commissioners, effective June 1, 2007.

Town Budget:  The Commissioners discussed the proposed 2007-2008 Town Budget, especially the “Capital Expenses” section that dealt with improvement to the Town properties and parkland.

Appointment of Commissioner to Fill Vacancy:  The Commissioners discussed the need to appoint a person to fill the vacancy.  The vacancy covers the period from May 8, 2007 to the date of the 2009 election.  Following a discussion with residents regarding the interest already expressed by a resident to serve in the position, they invited residents who wished to be appointed to submit letters of interest and a qualification statement to the Clerk.  Following the review of any information submitted, the Commissioners will make their selection.

Meeting Adjourned at  9:15 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Paul R. Geib, Jr.