Mayor Margo G. Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. In attendance were Councilmembers Harrison C. Bristoll, Jr., Thomas A. Gross, Sr., Mabel Mumford-Pautz and J. Brian Kirby, W. S. Ingersoll, Town Manager, Joan Merryman, Stenographer, and guests.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes of the meeting of June 1, 1998, Public Hearing on Constant Yield Tax Rate and Public Hearing on the Budget for 1998-99. Mr. Bristoll moved that the minutes be approved as submitted, was seconded by Mr. Gross and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey announced that the Mayor and Council has cash on hand an in banks as of June 15, 1998 of $165,034.64.

Mayor Bailey called on Pat Biddle who had asked to be on the agenda. Mr. Biddle read a statement from the CCIA, a copy of which is attached to these minutes. The CCIA was making a recommendation for a skateboard facility to provide recreation in Chestertown. They suggested that such a facility be located at the Chestertown Middle School or the Board of Education building and that the Town create the facility and have it staffed through cooperation with Kent County Parks and Recreation. He said this would be incorporated in the newsletter that CCIA was sending out.

Mr. Biddle said the committee was planning a series of breakfast seminars to consider topics such as education, environment, telecommunications, tourism, recreation and others. He said they will have speakers to speak to the topics. He said anyone who had topics they wished to have addressed should notify Carrie Schreiber.

Mr. Biddle said he wanted to address one personal item. He said there were two streets in College Heights that were not repaved when the rest of the areas was done. The streets were Pine and Elm and he said he felt with $110,000 budgeted that College Heights could be completed. He said when there are heavy rains, water ponds at the end of Elm Street at Hadaway Drive.

Mayor Bailey called on the Town Manager for his report. Mr. Ingersoll read a letter from the Sultana project. He said the Historic District Commission approved the design of the sign but only the Mayor and Council could approve a sign larger than ordinance requirements. The free standing sign limit in that district was 4 sq. ft. He said the approval would only be based on this being a temporary use of the property and the sign would serve a service to notify the public of the location of the Sultana shipyard. He said the Council allowed the Geddes Piper House to have a sign downtown off location to direct the public to their site. He discussed a couple other signs which are public service signs, including the (4) 4 x 8 poster signs at People's Bank on the corner of Rt. 291.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz discussed the proliferation of new signs and asked how permissive the Town would be on these things. She said as Cannon Street gets better we could have another directory in back of the Alexander Building which lists all the things on the street that are of interest to the public. She said she felt the Town should stick with the ordinances and regulations we have in place in the Historic District and not allow other things. Mr. Ingersoll said he can and does allow permits for temporary signs for businesses. The Council agree that the sign should conform to the size limits of the sign ordinance.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said she wanted to request people who have yard sales or other events and put up signs on poles, to go back and remove the signs. She said she had suggested that yard sales only be held twice a year or four times a year on a scheduled basis, but this was not agreed to by the Council. Mayor Bailey said the map sign on the bookstore needs to be updated and it should have the Sultana project put on it. She said other towns have signs on the corners with small strip signs, which each business buys, to direct people to their shop. She said we should look into that.

Mr. Ingersoll reported that Chestertown is on the Internet with the 4th of July information. He said you just click on the exploding shell. He said we sent out about 160 letters asking for help and we are getting donations in. He said the show will close with the 24" shell. It

will be the largest one to go off in the United States. He said this was being made possible through donations by three people. He said he wanted to thank the Town street crew as they prepare the mortars during the winter, and they dig them into the ground before the show and they dig them out and put them away after the show. He said that was also part of the reason we have such a good show for the amount of money we budget.

Mr. Bristoll asked the status of the architect's plans for the Visitor's Center. Mr. Ingersoll said he had submitted a very preliminary design for the interior. He said it has some problems and the architect was continuing the work. He said we have paid one bill and we expect further work within ninety days.

Mayor Bailey said she had a call from someone out in the County after the recent storm voicing concern for people who are not in the area where there are sirens and who are handicapped. She wrote to the Emergency Management Office and she read the reply from them. The alert for a tornado will be a 3 minutes steady blast on sirens and the local radio stations will broadcast information. Mr. French will add the information he showed last year on Channel 3 at the end of the meeting tape to refresh everyone's mind. She said that Radio Shack sells a device that sounds when there is a weather alert. She said we have some information here from the 911 office regarding what to do in storms. Mr. Gross said that it was important that people fill out and return the information sheets to 911 so they know where handicapped people live. Mr. Bristoll also suggested the information be put on the home page on the internet and on the local radio station.

Mayor Bailey said that the State Highway Administration has given us permission to paint the road at Philosopher's Terrace and Maple Avenue to create a right turn lane by Royal Farms. She said the State will still working on a solution to the Rt. 20 and 291 intersection.

Mayor Bailey stated that the Recreation Commission has hired Daryl Deaton to supervise the Garnett Summer Recreation program on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights beginning June 23, 1998. Flyers will be going out to advertise the program. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said we need the program now. She said that we need a basketball facility that does not interfere with residents. She said we need nets on the basketball rims by the railroad station. She said she had a request that a dance be held as part of the summer program rather than just sports. She said she had called Parks and Recreation for a list of their summer programs but she has not gotten their list.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said that the Church of God held a "night out" on Friday night. She said she felt the walk was highly successful. Mayor Bailey said there were fifteen people from government agencies and four private individuals. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz thanked the Church for all their work and said that the next time she would like to see more local people take part.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said the Eastern Shore Association dinner at the convention will be on Monday, June 29 at Harrison's Harbor Watch, cocktails at 6:00 p.m., dinner at 6:45 p.m. She said TC Clark from Washington College and Bridget Maloney from Secretary will split the MML scholarship this year.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz asked whether some of the ordinances we have to regulate vendors can be used to stop some of the illegal activities in her ward. She said she would ask that Peter Allen's property on College Avenue be closed up. Mr. Ingersoll said he noticed that windows are being broken at 367 College Avenue and it was interesting that no one ever sees the kids or whoever was doing it.

Mr. Ingersoll said an advertisement will be in this week's Kent News for the 700 High Street property. The ad offers the property for sale for $10,000 to a homesteader who wants to renovate the property within a specified time frame and live in it. He said as a backup the Council could sell the property to someone who would remove the house and construct a two story single family house approved by the Council.

Mr. Biddle said to follow up on recreation, he asked whether anyone had approached the movie theater or game room about holding special movies for kids or tournaments at the game room. Mr. Ingersoll said that was a good idea that had been successful in the past. He said the program in the 1980's ran out of movies that were suitable for kids. He said it might be a program the Recreation Commission could look at again. Mayor Bailey we would need to be sure that it benefitted Chestertown children because we are still paying our tax dollars for County Parks and Rec. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said people mentioned to her that there be some split between the age groups in the recreation programs at Garnett. She said there are a lot of 14-18 year olds that have no activities.

Mr. Kirby asked if the fence could be put back up at 700 High Street. Mr. Ingersoll said he will take care of it.

Mayor Bailey asked if there were any questions or comments. Mr. Moloney said he had been asked why the Town had not done something to recognize the Washington College lacrosse team that won the Division 3 National Championship. Mr. Ingersoll said this was discussed and the students are not here now to see what was being done for them. He said the Council had discussed doing something when the team came back in the Fall. Mr. Moloney said he was not talking about the team members but for the community and for tourists who come. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said the Town should talk to Brian Matthews since she thought the Sho'men group was working on something. Mr Ingersoll asked whether Washington College had a film of the game that we could run on channel 3. He said we would do this if there were no problems with copyright laws or NCAA rules. Mr. Kirby suggested a sign rather than a banner. Mr. Ingersoll asked if the Town would approve a sign at the corner of Washington Avenue and Campus Avenue. The Council agreed.

Mayor Bailey asked the Council to review the bills. Mr. Bristoll moved that the bills be paid as presented, was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried unanimously.

There being no further business, Mr. Kirby moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:25 p.m., was seconded by Mr. Gross and carried unanimously.

Submitted by:

Joan Merryman

Stenographer

Approved by:

Margo G. Bailey

Mayor

RETURN to 1998 Minutes