Mayor Margo G. Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:37 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 previous meeting. Mr. Kirby said he had one correction. The motion he made about the lights on the police cars was seconded by Mr. Gross, not Mrs. Mumford-Pautz. Mr. Kirby moved that the minutes be approved as corrected, was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey announced that the Mayor and Council has cash on hand and in banks of $292,168.76.

Mayor Bailey called on Eleanor Colston to address the Council. Mrs. Colston said she had requested an opportunity to speak because she was concerned about the abuse of handicapped parking spaces at Kent Plaza. She said she had gotten the language regarding the use of handicapped plates or temporary stickers. The law requires that the handicapped person must be in the car and must have the certificate with them when a handicapped parking space was used, and be able to prove that they are the person named on the certificate. She said when you see young people hopping out of trucks, they are obviously not handicapped. She said that the Town could realize a great source of income if a plain clothes officer were on duty at the shopping center to enforce this law. She said Washington, D.C. recently raised their fine to $100. She said between the two handicapped spaces there was an area which was cross-hatched to allow space for a handicapped person to exit the car. She said cars are parking on that area, which was not wide enough for a car, and this prevents the person in the handicapped space from opening their car door. She said there should be a sign at the beginning of those spaces indicating that was not a parking space. Mayor Bailey said Chestertown recently raised our fine to $50. She said she will ask Chief Bradley to address this issue and check on this type of abuse during the hours when young people are out of school or on weekends. She thanked Mrs. Colston for her concern.

Mayor Bailey called on guests from the Kent County Historical Society. Darlene Housley, Gene Johnstone and Michael Bourne were present. Mrs. Housley stated that the Historical Society wanted to thank the Town of Chestertown for a donation of $500 made several years ago which assisted them in obtained $50,000 in grant funds from the Maryland Historical Trust. The inventory of historic houses of Kent County has been published and the Historical Society presented a copy of Historic Houses of Kent County to the Mayor and Council for the Town library. She said the books are available at several locations in Town and may be ordered directly from the Historical Society.

Mayor Bailey called on the Town Manager for his report. Mr. Ingersoll said that bids for the waterfront project will be opened on Monday, September 28, 1998 at noon. He said the project contains masonry work, asphalt work, fencing and landscaping. He said this work will be funded partially with the $100,000 bond issue from the State.

Mr. Ingersoll requested an executive session following the meeting on the sale of property. Mayor Bailey said there was also a contractual matter to be discussed. Mr. Bristoll moved that an executive session be held in accordance with Sec. 10-508 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried unanimously.

Mayor Bailey said at a previous meeting, Carl Burke from Upper Shore Aging requested funding for a grant match for U-Star. She said Mr. Bristoll had asked for more information on the funding from other entities. She said Mr. Burke advised that the Town of Denton contributed $1000; Easton contributed $1500; and the Kent County Commissioners will contribute $1500. She said that Upper Shore Aging needs another $1000 for the grant match and this was needed during the next fiscal year. Mr. Bristoll said he would like to review the information again from Mr. Burke before a decision was made. Mr. Gross said he would like to have Mr. Burke attend the next meeting to further discuss the project. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said to keep in mind that there are many senior citizens in this county that depend on U-Star for transportation. Mr. Gross said he wanted to be sure that the seniors in Kent County are being taken care of by U-Star at this time.

Mayor Bailey said at the MML Convention there was a seminar by the Department of State Planning on Roberts Rules. She said the State will present this seminar in Kent County if there are people interested. She said at the COG meeting, the mayors and commissioners agreed to set a date to have the State present the seminar. The only cost involved would be the advertising of the meeting which would be shared by the County Commissioners and all the Towns. She said the Mayor and Council and any of the Town's commissions or committees may benefit from this seminar. She asked if the Council wanted to share the cost of the advertisement for this meeting. Mr. Bristoll said it was a good idea. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz moved that the Town participate in the cost of the ad, was seconded by Mr. Bristoll and carried unanimously. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz suggested that it could be announced on the local access channel. Mayor Bailey said we may be able have Mr. French tape it and then the tape could be available to groups unable to attend.

Mayor Bailey said that a letter from the Rotary Club had been distributed. The Rotary Club has suggested that as a 75th Anniversary gift to the community they contribute a bandstand for the Town Park during the year 2001. She said the they do not specify which Town Park, the Fountain Park or the Wilmer Park. She said they would like to have the opinion of the Mayor and Council on this idea. She said she felt we need to clarify which park as she was assuming they meant Wilmer Park. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said they were talking about the Fountain Park, but she suggested Wilmer Park because by 2001 there may be larger crowds for the concerts. She said in talking to Mr. Fry the initial idea was using the parking area in front of the Auxiliary building at the end of the Fountain Park. She said this would be a loss of parking in the downtown. Mr. Bristoll said he thought some of the crowd for the concerts may be loss if they were held at Wilmer Park, but he favored the idea of the bandstand. Mr. Gross agreed and said that possibly the concerts could be held at Wilmer Park next summer to judge the response. Mayor Bailey said she will advise the Rotary Club that the Town likes their idea and we will meet with them and discuss it further.

Mayor Bailey asked if there any questions or comments. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz stated that last weekend, there were holes in the ground in the Fountain Park left from the Art in the Park event. She said someone needs to take responsibility after these events for the condition of the park. Mr. Ingersoll said he also wanted to discuss the condition of Wilmer Park after events. He said last weekend and earlier in the summer there have been loads of trash left by organizations holding large events. He said when a group uses the park, the trash must be taken by the people holding the event. The trash cans there are for pedestrians using the park. He said in the Fountain Park, the street crew (at no cost) puts up the snow fence for Art in the Park and takes it down to help the local groups. He said, however, the people who hold the events should pay for the labor for repairs to the parks. He said we have to have more dialogue with the non-profit groups who set up the events about what their responsibilities are.

Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said she wanted to urge owners and residents in the third ward to clean up around their own property. She said the Town sweeps the streets, but every resident needs to clean up their own property. She said there was a problem with numerous dogs and many stray cats and it was very hard to get help from the Humane Society with controlling the animals. She said there were also neglected children and the agencies handing out money to assist families with children should make sure that the children are taken care of. Mayor Bailey said Mrs. Mumford-Pautz needs to give the names of the parents and children to Social Services and they will follow up. Mrs. Mumford-Pautz said she will give the names to the Mayor. She said there was an on-going program at Bethel Church and hopefully it will help the community. She urged that a temporary family support facility would be located in the High Street area not in some other area.

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

Mr. Bristoll moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:00 p.m., was seconded by Mrs. Mumford-Pautz and carried unanimously.

Submitted by:

Joan Merryman
Stenographer

Approved by:

Margo G. Bailey
Mayor