January 6, 2014 Commissioners Meeting Minutes

Town of Brookeville

Commissioners Meeting

January 6, 2014

8:00 pm

Present: Michael Acierno, Katherine Farquhar, Sue Daley, Susan Johnson, Andrea Scanlon, Sandy Heiler, Terri Hogan, Diane Teague

December Minutes: approved

Review Budget: postponed

Academy Rental report: Andrea Scanlon – No activity to report. HAWP for tank burial approved.  Andrea will apply for mechanical permit for digging when weather warms up. Not expecting a lot of activity between now and April.

SHA Meeting Update: Rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7. Michael Acierno and Chris Scanlon will attend weather permitting.

2013 Commemoration Planning update: Sandy Heiler

·       Grants: Michael Acierno signs Star Spangled 200 grant for $98,500.00 and request for first disbursement of $33,000.00.  Request to transfer use of grant funds from event planning to visitor services approved verbally but no verification letter has been received to date. Notification of grant award from Maryland Heritage Areas for $32,410.00 received in late December. Funds have not yet been received.

·       Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail sign: Sandy received a call from Congressman Sarbanes office extending an offer to participate in the unveiling of the sign.  Brookeville is on the schedule for installation in February. Sandy will contact Sarbanes office when a firm date is set. Suggest contacting Sarbanes’ office accepting offer and request available dates. Sign will be installed in front of Academy next to Civil War sign.

·       History Symposium: Arrangements are complete. Guest speakers are scheduled.  The event is entitled: “Brookeville the Burning of Washington: A Tale of Two Capitals”.  The scheduled date is Saturday March 29, 2014 from 9:00 am -3:00 pm. Bruce Evans has facilitated the use of the Performing Arts Center at Sandy Spring Friends School. The facility has all required audio visual equipment, seating, parking etc. Need to determine registration fee, enough to cover cost of breakfast and lunch.  Meals may be served in school dining room or in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center as boxed lunches. Expecting price to be around $20.00.  Type of meals will be determined by number of registrants.  The target number of attendees is 250. Will hire publicity professional to publicize the event. Will also provide gift bags for speakers containing Brookeville War of 1812 items such as Brookeville Historic Maps, Madison dollars, etc.

·       Historic House Tour: Scheduled for May 3, 2014 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.  Four houses are lined up. Heritage’s, Booz/Teague, Ferris/Moneyhun, Madison House and Montgomery’s. The Valley House is for sale so availability is dependent on ownership. Clerk will speak to Palmers about making their house available. The School House will also be open. No preregistration will be required.  Attendees will purchase tickets in the Academy.  Assuming no events get scheduled at Salem, attendees can park behind the church or on the street and walk to all of the houses.  Box lunches from Panera will be available for purchase in the Academy for an additional charge.  DAR has expressed interest in participating in the event. This will help supply enough docents. Two extra docents will be needed to rotate through each house.

·       Progress in other areas:

o   Have lined up interpreters, bugler and 20 dragoons. A sample of the dragoons’ uniform is being made in Philadelphia to be used as template for the company that will make the uniforms. Order will be place at the end of January 2014.  Uniforms must be approved by wardrobe master. Sabers are all made. Need to find climate controlled storage for uniforms, leather helmets, plums, sabers, horse blankets etc. Ft. McHenry wants the uniforms afterwards but cannot store them ahead of time.  Suggest calling the Sandy Spring Museum or renting a climate controlled storage unit.  Will do a dry run in costume with horses in the beginning of August.

o   Recruiting poster has been posted on the War of 1812 website.  People of Ft. McHenry have responded. Expect to get citizens and militiamen with their own costumes which will meet the approval of wardrobe master. Have contacted dressmaker source that is less expensive. Ft. McHenry will provide actors to be Richard Rush and James Monroe and a bunch of civilians. 

o   Plan to make contact with the Inn at Brookeville Farms to encourage their participation.  Michael Yesenko has made arrangements for hard cider and beer. Brookeville Beer and Capital Cider. Open to suggestions for other names.

o   Shuttle Bus Service: Deposits have been made. Parking is arranged at Camp Bennett with turn-a-round at Yinger’s where welcome center will be located.  Parking with shuttle service to Longwood will also be available at the construction lot at Montgomery General Hospital and from Glenmont.  Have approval for Longwood with building and Reddy Branch Parks.

o   Contingency Planning: Consulted with organizations having experience with hosting similar events from Havre de Grace, St. Mary’s, St. Leonard’s and Riversdale. All advised to hold the event rain or shine with ample amounts of water in case of heat, cancelling only for a hurricane.  If cancellation is necessary the whole event will be cancelled.  Advice was to write contracts so that only deposits will be lost if the event is cancelled and not to get insurance coverage for that risk. Don’t consider rescheduling the event because all planning must be duplicated. Some things could be rescheduled for October.

o   Documentary: Filming has begun. Interview with Tom Canby is complete. Completed questions for interview of David Stewart scheduled for Jan 13, 2014.

o   Children’s Performance: Must schedule a date preferably before school is dismissed. White House Historical Society will begin planning as soon as they have a date. Saturday May 10, 2014 will be reserved. Will get information about what ages will be included.

·       MML Dinner update: Not well attended. Focus again on highway user revenues which remain low and less than 2013.  Estimate for 2014 is $1,722.49 and for 2015 it is $1,783.31.   Property taxes levied on residents of municipalities for services that they don’t receive such as trash collection remains unchanged.

·       Town upkeep – road conditions: Road work will be scheduled for spring unless complaints are received. Will put notice in the newsletter.

·       Severe Weather: Notice in newsletter reminding people to look out for their neighbors during severe weather events.

·       Madison Dinner Letter for tax deductions: Letters have been sent out except those needing addresses. Katherine will provide addresses

Open discussion:

oHospitality Volunteer: Ruth asked to be advised about spending limit for welcome gift/basket. Include Historic Map of Brookeville by Miche Booz, town directory, welcome email, gift certificate from Good Earth (suggest $25).  Suggestion to include coffee mugs in basket. Possibly have Brookeville mugs made.

Adjourn: 9:05 pm

Respectfully Submitted by: Diane Teague

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