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