Live Blog: June 20 City Council Meeting

8:15 p.m.: Meeting adjourns.

8:09 p.m.: Public comment begins.

Resident Sharon Duncan speaks on a number of topics, leading off with a green initiative.

"Please consider the use of golf carts on our local roadways," Duncan said. "This city is perfect for the use of golf carts. We’re a very contained city. Many other states in similar cities as this have utilized the use of golf carts, and I think it goes along with the green initiatives and saving energy in the city."

Duncan also spoke about clearing trees around a billboard at Revolution Street and Route 40. The Mayor responded by saying that property belongs to state highway, and the Chamber of Commerce is working on clearing the area before the sign.

Duncan also asked for citizens interested in clearing the Joe K Trail in to join a group meets at 10 a.m. each Saturday. Duncan said residents can also reach out to Joe Kochenderfer or herself. Duncan can be reached at 410-939-9269.

8:06 p.m.: Mayor Dougherty agreed with Cullum's comment, and added, about the Maryland Transportation Authority: "You have taxation without representation. This is a civilian group. They are not accountable to anyone."

8:05 p.m.: Councilman Cullum noted the funds raised from the toll hikes on Interstate 95 and Route 40 will be used elsewhere in the state.

8:04 p.m.: Martin notes the next City Council meeting will be July 5—a Tuesday following Independence Day.

8:01 p.m.: Council President Bill Martin thanks the city staff and Mayor for working on the budget.

"This is my fourth budget, and I'd say it was one of the smoother ones," Martin said. "I do appreciate there is a tax cut in this budget, and that it's balanced. ... We were able to hold onto our employees, no one was furloughed, and we're able to provide for our citizens at the same rate."

Martin said the city was well represented at Perryville High School June 16 for the tolls public hearing, and said the will be read again at the June 27 hearing.

"If you feel strongly about it, please show your support next Monday night," Martin said. "If you see 1,000 cars in the parking lot, don't pull away. Be No. 1,001. ... When they came to Perryville, they were blown away, and we need to re-double that effort."

8:00 p.m.: Councilman Randy Craig, battling a serious injury to his right hand and wrist, said he is still responding to emails, but asked citizens to reach out to City Hall for a phone contact, as it is difficult for Craig to type one-handed.

7:58 p.m.: Councilman Cullum makes a motion to close Bayview Drive at Route. 155, and that the portion of Bayview Drive from Martin Street to Route 155 be open to local traffic only.

Councilman John Correri asks that the Council holds off on any movements until the next meeting.

Cullum recalls his motion.

Mayor Dougherty suggests a resolution be made.

7:54 p.m.: Councilman Fred Cullum asked Mills about the status of the comprehensive plan.

Mills said the planning department is "on track for an October completion. The editing of the text is not going to be as challenging as we originally thought. I’m comfortable with it."

Cullum asked Director of Public Works Larry Parks about the status of the proposed road changes at Md. Route 155 at Bayview Drive.

Parks said: "We have to possibilities: a one-way street in, or closing it at 155. The Council has been involved with that to date. It would probably behoove us for Council to debate it a little bit and make a recommendation on what we should do."

7:50 p.m.: Mayor Dougherty said Director of Planning Neal Mills will represent the city at the June 20 public hearing, as the members of City Council will be at the Maryland Municipal League conference in Ocean City.

7:45 p.m.: Councilwoman Barbara Wagner reminds residents of the June 27 tolls public hearing at the Havre de Grace Activity Center. Plans call for 1,000 seats to be in place.

Wagner noted she, the Mayor, and three fellow councilmembers attended the .

7:39 p.m.: Mayor Dougherty runs down a list of events in Havre de Grace in the upcoming month.

A ribbon cutting at St. John's Commons will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The Maritime Museum will reopen its boat building school at 10 a.m. June 25.

Pirate reenactments will be held on the Maritime Museum grounds from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 26.

The Independence Celebration and carnival runs from June 28 to July 3. The Independence parade will be held July 3 at 2 p.m., and fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.

7:35 p.m.: Chief Teresa Walter of the Havre de Grace Police Department reminded residents of the Independence Day celebration on July 3—which brings an increase in both auto and foot traffic.

7:33 p.m.: Director of Department of Public Works Larry Parks said Canvasback Drive will be reconstructed over 26 calendar days beginning sometime in July.

"It will be done with a very large machine that removes the road, reconditions it, and puts it back down in the same pass," Parks said.

Parks said the project, which will be completed by a firm from Pennsylvania, will replace "curb and gutter and sidewalks where necessary."

"We hope to do this with as little disruption as possible, and people will be able to get into their homes at all times," Parks said.

The project will fix Canvasback Drive from Md. Route 155 to Chapel Road.

7:32 p.m.: Director of Planning Neal Mills reports the city is working on

7:28 p.m.: The budget is approved by a 6-0 vote. Patch will provide a PDF version of the approved budget as soon as the hard copy of the budget is finalized.

"Right after the Fourth of July, we start on the next budget. That's how we did this one," Mayor Wayne Dougherty said.

7:27 p.m.: The amendment was approved by a 6-0 vote.

7:26 p.m.: Councilman John Correri and Council President Bill Martin are in support of the transfer, provided those funds are used by DPW. Martin suggested the City Council could re-allocate those funds to the DPW budget within the next month or two once the decision on how to allocate those funds is made.

"There's a list of things that might be a priority over sign boards," Martin said.

7:24 p.m.: Councilman Craig supports the amendment. Councilman Fred Cullum said he feels renting sign boards could be more cost-effective, but he would like to see the money utilized in the DPW budget.

7:19 p.m.: Council votes unanimously for the introduction of fiscal year 2012. Councilman Randy Craig moves to adopt the budget upon second reading.

Councilman Jim Miller moves for an amendment to transfer $35,000 from account No. 5-1251-6501 to account No. 5-1011-6209.

The transaction would transfer the money from the Department of Public Works budget to the Council budget. Miller said the money was to be used to purchase two sign boards, while similar sign boards were sold at an auction recently for $800.

7:17 p.m.: Period set aside for public comment on agenda items passes with no comments.

7:16 p.m.: Jack Fox is unanimously reappointed to the Historic Preservation Commission.

7:10 p.m.: Timothy Ailsworth, of the Local Government Trust Fund, announced that Havre de Grace will receive $2,526 from the fund's Training Grant Award.

The trust was created in 1987.

Patrick Sypolt, risk manager for Havre de Grace, accepts the award and speaks about the benefit Havre de Grace will receive thanks to the training.

7:04 p.m.: Tiffany Robinson, the community development coordinator for Harford County Community Services Annual Action Plan, announced that Havre de Grace has been allocated $90,954 from the Community Block Grant.

Havre de Grace has received $225,500 over the past three fiscal years—which has been allocated toward two major projects: $79,100 for improvements to Lewis Lane, and $146,400 toward engineering and architectural services to restore the former City Hall at 121 N. Union Avenue.

7:00 p.m.: Meeting begins with all Council members and the Mayor in attendance.

The council will give a second reading to the budget tonight. There are changes anticipated to the budget. The preliminary working budget from this spring can be found .

A rare occurrence at City Hall: plenty of open seats available.

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 instantaneously. Feel free to email sean.welsh@patch.com with any questions. For our council meeting preview, including a PDF file of the agenda, click .