Minutes, Town Meeting

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Stephen Isler, Mayor Pro Tempore (MPT) Jason Papanikolas, Councilmembers (CMs) Amanda Dewey and Jeffrey Jay Osmond. CM Ethan Sweep had an excused absence. Also present were Town Manager (TM) Maria Broadbent, Clerk Kerstin Harper and citizens.

1. Approval of Agenda
TM Broadbent advised that a motion to receive the written department reports needs to be made under the ‘Department Reports’ item. CM Dewey moved and MPT Papanikolas seconded to approve the agenda. The motion passed 4 to 0.

2. Approval of Minutes
CM Dewey moved, and MPT Papanikolas seconded to approve the October 9, 2019 Town meeting minutes. The motion passed 4 to 0.

3. Mayor’s Report
Mayor Isler thanked everyone for coming out to Halloween Trick or Treating, which came off without incident. BHPD had all hands on deck patrolling and handed out glo-sticks and candy. He congratulated the City of College Park on re-electing Patrick Wohjan as Mayor, and the City of Greenbelt on electing Colin Byrd as Mayor. Everyone was reminded to stay safe over the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

4. Department Reports
Mayor Isler entertained a motion to receive all department reports. CM Osmond so moved. MPT Papanikolas seconded. The motion passed 4 to 0.

Administration: MPT Papanikolas reported that the Council held its legislative dinner on November 6. The District 22 delegation, including Delegate-select Nicole Williams, and County Councilwoman Dannielle Glaros were in attendance. He knows Ms. Williams and believes she will make a great delegate. TM Broadbent explained the legislative dinner is an opportunity to sit down with all the Town's representatives and talk about legislative priorities. The Town plans to submit several items pertaining to Town Center improvements for State funding as a bond bill request.

MPT Papanikolas said he saw many recycling bins at the curb today but, due to the Veterans’ Day holiday, the trash schedule was changed. Recyclables will be picked up on Thursday and the second trash pickup will occur on Friday. TM Broadbent added this is an attempt to implement a more predictable refuse collection schedule for holiday weeks.

Town Manager's Report: TM Broadbent said, after the Thanksgiving holiday, the Council can look forward to a few busy worksessions. On the agenda are a visit from the Town's auditing firm, budget preparations, and possibly a conversation about the approval of election judges. At the November 18 worksession, department directors and senior staff will be in attendance to report on the projects they are charged with carrying out. She hopes this will be more useful than giving a monthly report at the Town meetings.

Code Compliance: CM Osmond reported that revenues from licenses, building permits, fees and fines have gone up from FY 2019. He believes that this reflects an increase in productivity and is an indication of good management. He also noted that clean lot violations are down from last year, which is a good thing. The careful tracking of code activities will be a basis for allocating resources during the budget process. TM Broadbent added that residents are looking forward to the reopening of the new McDonald’s restaurant.

Parks, Recreation, Education & Civic Affairs: CM Dewey reported her department had a busy few weeks. She congratulated the Historical Committee on a successful 100th anniversary celebration of the Berwyn Heights Company. The Education Advisory Committee held its first listening session, at which middle and high school concerns were discussed. The Recreation Council hosted a fun and well-attended bluegrass concert. The Walkable, Bikeable Berwyn Heights Task Force (WBBH) met last night and continued discussing strategies for making the Town more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. On December 7, the Recreation Council and Seniors will host the annual Tree Lighting holiday party, featuring caroling, crafts, and a visit from Santa. The Green Team has decided to pause its monthly cleanups during the winter months until March 2020 but is encouraging residents to continue to pick up trash on their walks and around their homes.

Public Safety/ Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department: Mayor Isler noted that some residents have applied a yard waste sticker to the large new recycling bins. However, the stickers were provided to be applied to the old, round recycling bins if needed for yard waste disposal. CM Dewey asked whether residents could use the new recycling bins for both recycling and yard waste, if they have a lot of yard waste. TM Broadbent said she believes all trucks are equipped with cart tippers and could theoretically empty the large bins filled with yard waste. She will seek to confirm this with the Public Works director.

Phil Ventura, 57th Avenue, said he thought Prince George's County requires that recycling bins are used only for recyclables. TM Broadbent replied that the regulation does not apply to Berwyn Heights because the County does not provide recycling service in Town.

Police Department: Mayor Isler said the Police Department filed its monthly report and is available for residents to pick up or view online. Chief Antolik informed him that incidents of serious crimes are on par with previous years. The most prevalent crime remains theft from unlocked cars or, at this time of year, of packages delivered and sitting at the front door. For the holidays, residents can take advantage of a house check service provided by BHPD, which can be requested online. BHPD also provides a safe space for internet purchases in front of the police station, which is under video surveillance around the clock.

TM Broadbent said that 7 Eleven has added Amazon drop-off lockers where anyone can have their packages delivered securely. Other retailers also offer this service, including Safeway, Whole Foods and Home Depot. CM Dewey added that door-to-door salespeople must have a Town permit issued by BHPD. Residents should ask solicitors if they have a permit and can call the police non-emergency number to find out. This should be done while the solicitor is still in Town so that BHPD can follow up and talk with them. Neighborhood listservers, such as Next Door, frequently post notices about solicitors in the area, but these do not go to the Council or town staff. CM Osmond noted that religious and political groups are exempt from permit requirements.

TM Broadbent reported that she has invited a contractor, Underwood & Associates, specializing in the design of stream restoration projects to come to Berwyn Heights look at some of the areas with flooding problems. She is now exploring the possibility of a public-private partnership with them to find stormwater management solutions for these areas. This would involve the Anacostia Watershed Society applying for a grant to have this contractor undertake the design and construction on this project. She will next meet with Prince George's County and State of Maryland officials to discuss the project. The County is responsible for stormwater management systems and would receive credits for completing the project.

TM Broadbent further reported she will meet with a Planning Department official to discuss projects related to Sports Park and Indian Creek Park that are on the Town's wish list. There is a possibility for Berwyn Heights to work with the City of Greenbelt to construct a dog park on the old T-ball field, as Greenbelt is interested in a dog park in this area.

5. Committee Reports
Education Advisory Committee: CM Dewey said the BHEAC will hold its next listening sessions on November 25 and focus on adult education. At the last listening session, many questions were asked about the different educational options available, including various specialty programs, charter schools and private schools. More information about the programs and related deadlines have been posted on the Town's website and Twitter feed.

Green Team: CM Dewey thanked everyone who participated in a special after-Halloween cleanup on November 2. Everyone had fun with the pumpkin smashing and the Green Team will likely do it again next year.

Historical Committee: Clerk Harper reported that the Historical Committee's 100th Anniversary celebration of the Berwyn Heights Company went well. The Committee next plans to install a historic marker dedicated at the event at the property where the Berwyn Heights Company once had its office.

Neighborhood Watch/Emergency Preparedness: There was no report.

Recreation Council: There was no report.

6. Unfinished Business
There was none.

7. New Business
Resolution 21-2019 Information Technology Services: Clerk Harper read the Resolution. TM Broadbent said two vendors have provided a bid for the Town's IT support contract. It is recommended the Town renew the contract with Peake Technology Partners with whom the Town has worked for several years. Their proposal is for a package of services provided per year, rather than being priced by the hour. The contract includes two optional 2-year extensions. Peake specializes in providing IT service to municipalities and is used by a number of cities in this area.

In response to CM Osmond, TM Broadbent said usage of Peake's help desk service is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and is based on tickets. As far as she knows there is no limit on tickets issued. Additionally, Peake has personnel with security clearances, which is required for working on police computers. CM Dewey noted that Peake's proposal is a flat fee of $200.00 per month as opposed to $200.00 per hour charged by the other vendor. Using Peake makes sense to her.

CM Osmond moved, and MPT Papanikolas seconded, to award the IT contract to Peake Technology Services. The motion passed 4 to 0.

8. Citizen Discussion
Phil Ventura commented that he disagrees with the decision to stop having department directors coming to Town meetings to give their reports. As a taxpayer, he likes to see them pass across the floor and observe how they handle themselves.

CM Dewey said the new arrangement does not mean that directors will never be asked to come to a Town meeting. Rather, the Council plans to have them in when there is something important to report. Mayor Isler added that directors will now be asked to come to a worksession quarterly to update the Council on projects. It is hoped this will be more productive. Although the format is different, there will be an opportunity for citizens to ask questions as well.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m.

Signed: Kerstin Harper, Town Clerk