LIVE BLOG: Aberdeen City Council Meeting

9:03 p.m.

Meeting Adjourned

8:52 p.m.

Mayor Michael E. Bennett's Remarks:

Bennett was one of the judges of the "If I was a mayor" essay contest through the Maryland Municipal League of Municipalities

It just turned out that a young man from  Aberdeen won, Bennett said.

"The ceremony was really great," Bennett said.

Then Bennett thanked City Manager Doug Miller for overseeing the Police Chief hiring process.

"On behalf of the Council, I want to thank the City Manager" for running the police chief selection process, Bennett said.

"Chief you should be very pleased that you were in a select group," Bennett told Henry Trabert, who has served as acting chief. "You did a great job."

"Congratulations to our new chief of police," Bennett said.

Then he talked about the budget.

"The past three out of four budgets have been balanced and have contained property tax decreases," Bennett said. "It is a reduction in the property tax and our overall budget only increased by 2.36 percent over the previous year."

Bennett said the City reduced spending in many areas. 

"We had a $233,000 cut in our police department," Bennett said. "We don't take budgeting lightly. We look at the way we can manage the budget and give the citizens the best bang for the buck."

Bennett said he does not set the budget based on the constant yield.

"If we go to the constant yield, nothing new and exciting is happening," Bennett said.

The mayor acknowledged concerns about customer service.

"There are things we need to change. We need to change some of our customer service things."

"That's not something I take lightly and something that I will be looking into," Bennett said.

***

8:50 p.m.

Bruce Garner addressed many residents' misconception about the water and sewer rate increases.

"Mr. Miller. Our water rate, was that raised?"

"No," Miller answered.

"I want everybody to understand. The water rate was not raised," Bruce Garner said.

***

8:46 p.m.

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young addressed the following issues:

"I did want to mention that on the 18th (of May), several of us went out to APG for Armed Forces Day," Young said.

Young said that she also visited the Science and Math Academy on the May 17th.

***

8:37 p.m.

Council Remarks:

Councilwoman Sandra Landbeck said she would like the public to realize that the City of Aberdeen is "smack dab in the middle of the cutting edge of technology."

Landbeck said she was impressed by projects displayed this week by students at the Science and Math Academy housed at Aberdeen High School.

"Finally, I have a couple of comments about the budget," Landbeck said.

Landbeck said that council members are in the same situation as other taxpayers, and that she knew two robo-calls went out from Patrick McGrady. Landbeck said people apparently misunderstood.

"There is a great difference between what a speaker implies and what a listener infers," Landbeck said.

Landbeck said she got two things in emails and phone messages:

First, a cry to reduce taxes. "We did," Landbeck said.

That's not what McGrady was getting at, she said. He was talking about getting to the constant yield tax rate.

"The other thing I got was stop all your spending," Landbeck said.  

"Spending is not evil. It has to be responsible spending," Landbeck said. "To tell us to cut spending is not a good thing. We should be very responsible in our spending and that is what we are trying to do."

Landbeck said she learned some of the basics of budgeting from her father.

"When I was a young girl, I sat around the table with the family budget," Landbeck said.

Her father taught her:

"First don't ever spend more than you earn," Landbeck said. "Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. As I grew older, I understood. You can penny pinch very unwisely... We are trying to spend responsible. I just don't want you to be misled that we are spending more and raising taxes."

***

8:33 p.m.

City Manager Doug Miller recommended Henry Trabert be named the next chief

Chief Trabert is confirmed by vote of 5-0.

Council Woman Ruth Elliott- Aye

Council Woman Sandra Landbeck-Aye

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young-Aye

Councilman Bruce Garner-Aye

Mayor Michael E. Bennett-Aye

8:27 p.m.

FY 2011-2012 Budget passed by a vote of 4-1

Council Woman Ruth Elliott- No

Council Woman Sandra Landbeck-Aye

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young-Aye

Councilman Bruce Garner-Aye

Mayor Michael E. Bennett-Aye

***

8:25 p.m.

The second amendment, is that the list of capital projects be substituted. The amounts do not change, but the list is more comprehensive. The second amendment passed 5-0.

Councilwoman Ruth Elliott- Aye

Councilwoman Sandra Landbeck-Aye

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young-Aye

Councilman Bruce Garner-Aye

Mayor Michael E. Bennett-Aye

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young asked for the administration to further explain the need to raise water and sewer rates.

***

8:23 p.m. 

The first, a new section 3 that sets the LEED building tax rate at 17 cents per $100 of assessed value for a new property tax subclass aimed at spurring BRAC-related development. 

The first amendment passed 4-1.

Elliott- No

Landbeck-Aye

Young-Aye

Garner-Aye

***

8:22 p.m.

City Manager Doug Miller asked for two amendments.

***

8:20 p.m.

City Council discusses Ordinance No 11-O-04 that deals with the FY 2012 Budget

Councilwoman Sandra Landbeck made motion to approve the budget.

The motion was seconded by Councilman Bruce Garner.

Mayor Michael E. Bennett asked if there were any questions. None were voiced from the council members.

***

8:17 p.m.

One resident said (public comment portion):

"It's not just cutting spending. You have to look at the implications of it. Twenty-thousand corporations don't pay any taxes."

"Almost $500,000 per day goes to offshore banking. No taxes are paid. Trillions of dollars are  sent overseas."

"Stop spending is not the answer," he said.

***

8:15 p.m.

Patrick McGrady said the City should reduce spending as a way of possibly luring more people to town to enlarge the tax base.

"If we can do that it will help us going forward," McGrady said.

Right now there are 180 vacant homes in town. That's about 100 percent more than usual, he said.

"I really hope we could make more cuts so that Aberdeen will have a budget that everybody can afford," McGrady said.

***

8:10 p.m.

One resident complained about the seemingly ever increasing water bill in town.

"It used to be that me and wife could go to a restaurant. Now we have to have a happy meal and we're not too happy about that," he said.

"Why don't you people take what you're making and put that toward the taxes," he said.

There used to be a hippie saying, 'If you want to save money and save water, shower with a friend,' He said he doesn't shower with anyone these days.

"I don't know if you people like what I have to say but it's the truth," he said.

8:07 p.m.

One resident was very brief.

"You spend what you make without taxing. If you can't do that, they'll be new faces as far as I'm concerned," he said.

***

8 p.m.

Pat McGrady, Manager and Business owner in Aberdeen

I'm a property manager for Holly Circle Townhouses, she said.

"We do not accept Section 8. ... But we do work with our tenants to make sure they can stay in Holly Circle Townhouses."

The increase in water and sewer fees will cause the rents to increase, she said. The water and sewer increase should be funded within the City budget.

She said she understood why the City wants to give raises but business owners are just trying to hold the line.

"Many of the business owners have not had raises in more than eight years," McGrady said. "Please do not increase any more fees."

***

7:55 p.m.

One man asked the Council to pass a resolution urging federal representatives to return to the Prudent Banking Act.

"We are urging cities and councils around the country to pass a resolution in support of this emergency legislation," he said.

The bailout option is over. The options are total collapse into chaos or orderly reorganization, he said.

"I would urge the city of Aberdeen to pass this," he said.

The bill is HR 1489 in the House of Representatives, he said.

***

7:48 p.m.

One man voiced displeasure with water bills in the city.

"Something is wrong in the water department," he said. "My water bill has gone from $7 to $44. I resent it ... If something could be done to (bring) the water bill downward, I would greatly appreciate it."  

***

7:45 p.m.

Joya Evering said there is an alley near her home that is overgrown. 

"I'd like to have someone come and check that out," Evering said. "I've had a rodent problem due to the overgrowth."

Second of all I'd like to talk about the budget.

"I'm a state employee. I haven't received a raise in four years. So this budget...We all have to give and we're lucky to have a job at this time."

***

7:43 p.m.

John Landbeck Sr. commended City  Council and Doug Miller for its handling of the new chief of the police

***

7:41 p.m.

Public Comment Portion of the meeting is opened.

***

7:38 p.m.

Patrick McGrady said the City should be looking for ways to "preserve the buildings that we have" instead of creating a new tax sub class.

"This offers preferential tax rates and treatment to people who decide to come here," McGrady said. "Offering any type of break to a specific group is monopolistic in nature." 

7:32 p.m.

LEED Office Park Tax Subclass public hearing

***

7:20 p.m.

Phyllis Grover gave an overview of the City of Aberdeen's Comprehensive Plan which is available on the City website and in the City Hall lobby.

***

7:15 p.m.

Director of Public Works Matthew Lapinsky was recognized along with three other members of the Public Works Department for MD Rural Water Association Employee and Wastewater System of the Year Awards

***

7:09 p.m.

Mayor Michael E. Bennett reads proclamation honoring Christian Slattery, Harford County Teacher of the Year

***

7:05 p.m.

Proclamation & Award by Aberdeen Heritage Trust Poster Contest

***

7 p.m. 

Opening Prayer

Pledge of Allegiance

Approval of Minutes: Council Meeting for 9 May 2011

***

Aberdeen City Council will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall. A complete copy of tonight's agenda can be found by clicking here.

Are there any questions you would like me to ask your public officials about the items that will be discussed?

Among the items on tonight's agenda are:

• Proclamations & Awards for the Aberdeen Heritage Trust Poster Contest. Nancy Backus will make presentation.
• Proclamation in Recognition of Christian Slattery, Harford County Teacher of the Year.
• The MD Rural Water Association Employee and Wastewater System of the Year Awards will be given out.
• Phyllis Grover will give an update on the City of Aberdeen Comprehensive Plan 2011.
• Public hearings will also be held on:

Ordinance No. 11-O-05, LEED Office Park Tax Subclass

Ordinance No. 11-O-06, City of Aberdeen Comprehensive Plan 2011

The major action items for tonight's agenda are:

• The 2011-2012 Budget
• The creation of a new tax subclass designed to spur BRAC-related development