Live Blog: Aug. 15 City Council Meeting

8:25 p.m.: Meeting adjourns.

8:22 p.m.: Resident and former Councilman Joe Kochenderfer took issue with the late addition of an item under license agreements. He said the public should be given the opportunity to speak on all agenda items, and that the amendment should have come before the period for public comment.

Kochenderfer added that it was his understanding that the parking lot reconfiguration along Union Avenue is actually a "lease of 6,000 square feet."

8:20 p.m.: Resident Lori Maslin thanks the Mayor, City Council and cit staff for their help in expanding the Havre de Grace Seafood Festival, which this year included a major concert—bringing to Havre de Grace.

"When the lights were flashing, the fiddle was playing, and people were dancing, looking out there, the vision came true," Maslin said.

Both Maslin and Mayor Wayne Dougherty specifically thanked city employee Will Barry for helping at Tydings Park.

"We do intend to do it again," Maslin said. "We hope to keep doing this, to bring a terrific event to highlight Havre de Grace."

8:13 p.m.: Resident Bob Robinson thanked current and past members of the council and city staff for helping to have a sign placed on his parents home.

8:12 p.m.: Public comment period begins.

8:11 p.m.: After a summer full of warm meetings, Council President Bill Martin asked if there was any way to get some heat turned on in the chambers.

Members of the dais and the audience laughed, and Mayor Wayne Dougherty stood up to leave.

"I've been waiting to say that all summer. We got it," Martin said of the city employees' efforts to cool the council chambers.

8:08 p.m.: Councilman Randy Craig said he was unable to attend the Charlie Daniels concert because his parents—County Executive David Craig and his wife, Melinda—were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary over the weekend.

Craig would like to see the tipping fee removed from the water and sewer bills.

"I would like to see that removed from the water bill and rolled into the tax bill," Craig said.

8:01 p.m.: Councilwoman Barbara Wagner said she saw new faces in town over the weekend due to the Charlie Daniels concert and Havre de Grace Seafood Festival.

“I did attend the Charlie Daniels Concert: it was phenomenal. It was George’s Christmas present. It was a big splurge for us, we were in the front row," she said. "I have to give credit to the Maslins, they did a phenomenal job.”

7:59 p.m.: Police Chief Teresa Walter reiterated resident Hollee Sifford's statements from earlier in the meeting to be aware while driving around the high school facilities.

Walter said citations have been handed out for motorists unaware of pedestrians in cross walks.

7:58 p.m.: Director of the Department of Public Works Larry Parks said 3.75 inches of rain was measured at a city facility over the weekend, but little damage was reported.

"A number of streets were flooded but not for a very long time," Parks said. "Debris management was minuscule. Virtually nothing was damaged. We had some mud clean-up and moderate debris, and that’s it."

7:57 p.m.: Planning director Neal Mills reported eight building permits have been received in the first six weeks of the new fiscal year: two single-family homes in Bulle Rock and six townhomes in Greenway Farms.

7:55 p.m.: Council unanimously approves the transfer of $24,000 from the general fund to the capital assets fund.

No detailed explanation was provided at the time, but Patch confirmed following the meeting that the transfer was for the purchase of a police vehicle.

7:52 p.m.: Council President Bill Martin moves to add another event to the agenda in a last-minute change.

Council unanimously approves Martin's motion to move the previously-approved Greater Faith Community Jamboree in the Bradford Green community from Sept. 3 to Sept. 10.

7:50 p.m.: Council unanimously approves two special events at the Maritime Museum:

• A "Canoe Rendezvous" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 10
• The Maritime Museum Crab Feast from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 10

7:47 p.m.: Council approved the following license agreements:

• A wood deck in the Congress Avenue right-of-way at 101 N. Washington Street
• A free-standing sign in the Warren Street right-of-way at the Ivy Hills Condominiums
• A hanging business sign to extend into the St. John Street right-of-way over a public sidewalk at The Ritz at 421 St. John Street.
• The replacement of a free-standing sign in the Union Avenue right-of-way at Havre de Grace Pediatrics at 419 S. Union Avenue
• The reconfiguration of a parking lot at the former Country Flower Shop at 500 N. Union Avenue to create an additional 18 parking spaces, which will be available for public use after business hours.

7:34 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to approve amended Ordinance 933, pertaining to in the city.

As Councilman Fred Cullum pointed out and Havre de Grace Police Chief Teresa Walter confirmed, Sept. 29 is the effective date for the new fees.

7:25 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution concerning the tipping fee for trash pick-up.

Havre de Grace residents are currently charged $12.25 quarterly in a fee on water and sewer bills. With increases in what the county charges its municipalities, Havre de Grace will raise its quarterly fees to $15.50.

Councilman Randy Craig said the county has raised its fee on solid waste from $50 per ton to $67 per ton. The fee will be increased to $68 per ton in 2012, $70 per ton in 2013, and $72 per ton in 2014.

"The only way to reduce the tipping fee charge is to increase the recycling," Councilman Fred Cullum said. "You can increase the amount of garbage that gets recycled. That's the only way this tipping fee will be reduced."

7:23 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution to approve of the Carson Scholars Fund: Ben Carson Reading Project.

7:22 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution in support of Education Enhancement Programming for the Boys and Girls Club.

7:21 p.m.: Council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution to keep the entire community of Havre de Grace in one state and federal district.

"We want to keep our city together when it comes to our state and federal representation," Council President Bill Martin said. "We don’t want Havre de Grace cut in half or into thirds. Keep us all together."

7:17 p.m.: Public comment on agenda items closes.

7:16 p.m.: Former Mayor Phil Barker, speaking for the Maritime Museum, said he is in attendance to show support in favor of minor street closures on Lafayette Street for a fundraising event Sept. 10.

7:14 p.m.: Parent, volunteer and Havre de Grace High School employee Hollee Sifford speaks in favor of the Ben Carson Resolution.

She also spoke out about safety around the local schools: "The police do what they do to keep the kids safe. Two-a-days for fall sports have started. There are children running all over the place. The driving public needs to pay attention. The kids are back at the schools. I just want everyone to pay attention. This is a small town. I’m the mother of a student. I just don’t want the kids hurt, and with the sports season starting, I just want to bring the awareness: safety, safety, safety."

7:12 p.m.: Public comment period on agenda items begins.

7:04 p.m.: Jeffrey Carhart (board of appeals), Jack Stuprich (tree commission) and Carol Nemeth (historic preservation commission) were appointed by unanimous votes to their respective positions.

Carhart, originally on the planning commission, is sworn in as a member of the board of appeals—to serve a term from today through Aug. 14, 2015.

Stuprich is sworn in after accepting a position as the liaison for the city to the tree commission—to serve a term from today through Aug. 14, 2014.

Nemeth is sworn in as a member of the historic preservation commission—to serve a term from today through Aug. 15, 2014

7:03 p.m.: Item No. 6-A, a presentation to The Guldenzopf Family, is passed over on the agenda as no members of The Guldenzopf Family were present in the audience.

7:00 p.m.: Meeting begins.

6:55 p.m.: Council members are beginning to arrive. There is plenty of seating available for the meeting, which should begin at 7 p.m.

6:45 p.m.: Welcome to our City Council live blog, where we will be updating the news coming from City Hall at it happens.

Check back regularly. We will be adding nuggets of news immediately. Feel free to email sean.welsh@patch.com with any questions. For our council meeting preview, including a PDF file of the agenda, click here.