The Wicomico County Council
met in Legislative Session, September 18, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in Council
Chambers,
In attendance: Matthew
Creamer, Council Administrator; Edgar A. Baker, Jr.,
Mrs. Prettyman introduced Mr.
Doug Gosnell, President Sharptown Commissioners and Delegate Page Elmore.
Mr.
McCain presented a Proclamation for Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with your
Children.
Mr.
Cannon presented a Proclamation for the week of September 17-23, 2007 as Constitution
Week to Members of the Daughters of the Revolution, Beverly Durham and Anne
Holbert, Regent.
On
motion of Mrs. Bartkovich and second by Mr. MacLeod the minutes of September 4,
2007 were unanimously approved.
Matthew Creamer, Council Administrator:
READ Posters: Mr. Tom Hehman, Director of the Wicomico County Free
Library, Marlene Rinnier, Board Chair and Sandy Pearson, Marketing Relation
Specialist came before Council to encourage reading. They unveiled two Posters,
one of Council President, Mr. John Cannon and one of
Resolution
120-2007 – A resolution declaring
that Cadista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located at
Resolution 121-2007 – A resolution declaring that Boyd Properties, LLC
located at
Resolution 122-2007 – A resolution
confirming an accumulated leave policy for At-Will employees of the office of
the State’s Attorney for Wicomico County and a supplemental appropriation from
contingency to the salary account of the State’s Attorney in the amount of
thirteen thousand seven dollars, sixty three cents ($13,007.63) for payment of
accrued leave for Lee Butler and Andrew McDonald. Mr. Ruark stated that he
would provide for accumulated leave in his line item budget for future fiscal
years. On motion of Mrs. Bartkovich and second by Mrs. Sample-Hughes,
Resolution 123-2007 was unanimously approved.
Resolution 123-2007 – A resolution appointing George Whitehead as
Chairman of the Wicomico County Local Management Board. On motion of Mr. McCain
and second by Mr. MacLeod, Resolution 123-2007 was unanimously approved.
Resolution 124-2007 – A resolution approving certain transfers between
major categories of the Wicomico County Board of Education Operating Budget for
Fiscal Year 2007; transferring a total of $638,000.00. Following discussion in which
Mr. Charlie Bounds, Mrs. Robin Holloway and Mrs. Loretta Savoy stated that they
will provide for these incidentals in future fiscal year line item budgets. On motion of Mr. McCain and second by Mrs.
Bartkovich, Resolution 124-2007 was unanimously approved.
Mrs. Holloway invited the
public to attend a Middle School Task Force meeting that was to be held that
evening to discuss the eventuality of replacement of the
Mrs. Holloway requested a
work session with Council to discuss the Board of Education Capital Improvement
Budget. Council agreed to meet with the
Board on October 16, 2007 at 1 o’clock p.m.
Mr. Creamer reminded Council
that the Tri-County Council had made a request to be advised which County
Council members would be voting members.
Mrs. Prettyman stated that she would like have her name removed as a
voting member.
Mr. Edgar A. Baker, Jr.,
PUBLIC HEARING:
BILL No. 2007-4 - AN ACT to
authorize and empower Wicomico County, Maryland to borrow on the faith and
credit of Wicomico County, Maryland an aggregate amount not to exceed Sixteen
Million Six Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($16,675,000.00) and to
evidence such borrowing by the issue and sale from time to time of one or more
series of general obligation bonds of the County, the proceeds thereof to be
used by Wicomico County to finance, refinance or reimburse all or a portion of
the costs of projects for the Board of Education of Wicomico County for the
planning, design, acquisition, construction, improvement, installation,
renovation, rehabilitation, repairing, furnishing and equipping of facilities,
buildings and structures, together with other costs and financing costs related
thereto; authorizing the County Council to pass one or more resolutions prior
to issuing all or any part of the bonds in order to fix, prescribe and
determine the details of the bonds and the issuance and sale thereof;
authorizing the issuance from time to time of one or more series of general
obligation refunding bonds in order to refund or advance refund any of the
bonds issued pursuant to the authority of this act, provided that the aggregate
principal amount of each such issue of refunded bonds does not exceed on
hundred thirty percent (130%) of the aggregate principal amount of bonds
refunded thereby; providing that the bonds shall be general obligations of the
County to which the faith and credit of the County are pledged and authorizing
annual appropriations to pay the principal of and interest on said bonds and
the levying of taxes to meet said appropriations, subject to any lawful
limitations on the County’s taxing power set forth in the Charter, as that
taxing power may relate to the bonds; exempting the bonds from the provisions
of Sections 10 and 11 of Article 31 of the Annotated Code of Maryland;
authorizing the issuance from time to time of one or more series of general
obligation bond anticipation notes in an aggregate principal amount not to
exceed Sixteen Million Six Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($16,675,000)
prior to and in anticipation of the sale of bonds authorized hereby; providing
for the disbursement of the proceeds of the bonds or bond anticipation notes;
providing that the provisions of this Act shall be separable; and generally
relating to the issuance and sale of such bonds or bond anticipation notes.
On motion of Mr. Holloway and
second by Mr. McCain, Bill No. 2007-4 was unanimously approved.
Discussion to propose amendment
to Dog Ordinance:
Mr. Cannon advised that the
ensuing discussion would be informal and not a public hearing. President Cannon
invited the public to comment on their concerns as they related to the County
Dog Ordinance. John Gray, Ann Suthowski, Ola Meadowcroft, Rose Tilley, Kenneth
Holland, Gary Marine, Doug Gosnell, Lynda Hylton, Mia Farlow, Edna Walls and
Scott Robertson commented about dogs and/or requested changes to the County Dog
Ordinance. Many spoke in support of amending legislation that would provide enforcement,
a high level of safety, protect the rights of citizens, control barking dogs
and address property owner’s liability. While others supported ensuring the
Director of the Humane Society has the tools to run an effective
and efficient service, they understood more clearly that instinctive animal
behavior can not be legislated; however
citizens need to make wise
choices, be accountable and assume responsibility
for their own pets.
Mr. Baker advised that
legislation can be drafted but added enforcement of the current ordinances has
been ongoing for some time with less than stellar success at the judicial
level.
Mr. Cannon suggested a
committee be formed to go through the proposed changes to the current
Dog Ordinance.
Linda Lugo, Director,
Wicomico County Human Society said that she saw two separate issues, one being
the vicious dogs and the other being changes to the Dog Ordinance.
After discussion Council took
the following action to address the immediate concern of dangerous dogs:
Legislative Bill 2007-5 An Act to amend Chapter 133, titled “Dogs and other
animals,” to revise Section 133-11, subsection D, titled “Confinement and
Destruction of certain animals” to provide for the confinement or destruction
of dangerous Dogs. On motion of Mrs. Prettyman and second by Mr. MacLeod, Legislative
Bill 2007-5 was amended and introduced as Emergency Legislation. A Public Hearing will be held at 10:30 am in
the
Council agreed that Mr. Creamer
would appoint a Committee to address issues of animal control.
Council Comments:
Mrs. Sample-Hughes expressed
that she would be holding her third District One quarterly meeting at 7:00 pm
on Thursday, September 27, 2007 at American Legion Post #269 in San Domingo and
encouraged citizens in the surrounding areas to attend. She advised that Mr. Sharma, Director of
Public Works would attend the meeting to address issues of paving projects and
road improvements. In addition, The Director of the Department of Juvenile
Services would attend and outline preventative measures for youth.
Mr. MacLeod wished to share
with parents a resource he had learned of through the Sheriff’s Office wherein
Lt. Roberts makes presentations regarding online predators. The presentation can be requested by groups
and provides protective measures that can be put in place to keep children
safe.
Due to an earlier power
outage, Mrs. Bartkovich wanted to advise citizens watching PAC 14 of the public
input session that was mentioned earlier in the meeting that would be held that
evening at the Board of Education about the future replacement of
President Comments:
Mr. Cannon thanked everyone
for their attendance and patience in going through the Dog Ordinance
process. He also expressed that he felt
progress had been made.
Mrs. Bartkovich moved that
the meeting be adjourned to a closed session, at 12:30 pm, to discuss Land
Acquisition at the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport. The motion
was seconded by Mrs. Prettyman and unanimously approved. The authority for closing the session was State
Government Article Section 10-508(a) (3).
During the closed session the following Council members were
present:
On motion of Mrs. Prettyman
and second by Mr. MacLeod and unanimously approved the meeting was adjourned.
Legislative
Session
September 18,
2007
_____________________________
John
T. Cannon, President
_____________________________
Stevie
Prettyman, Vice President
_____________________________
William
R. McCain, At-Large
_____________________________
Sheree
Sample-Hughes, District 1
_____________________________
Gail
M. Bartkovich, District 3
_____________________________
David
A. MacLeod, District 4
_____________________________
Joe
Holloway, District 5
_________________________
Matthew E.
Creamer
Council
Administrator